davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06
Japanese Window Artists.
From the New York Herald.


Living pictures. and not studies in still
life. catch the eye of the art-loving public,
as is proven by the constant crowd around
a shop window on Broadway, where an
enterprising firm has taking advertise
ment in the window in the form of a Japan
csc artist busily painting pictures. while
the public criticises. The window is made
pretty with oriental draperies and bamboo
furniture. The artist wearing a cookbook
ing robe Of Chinese crepe, sits before an
easel, with a stand beside him containing
water colors, a palette and bowl About
every two minutes he has finished picture.
There's a dab of white paint with a good
sized brush, which forms the breast Of q
flying bird. Then there's a deXterous ming
ling OF white, yellow and brown colors and
another sweep of the brush and the wing
appears. With few deft touches of the
brush the bird is complete, and the artist
turns his attention to flowers.
The pictures invariably contain a bird at
the top, couple of flowers In the upper
right hand corner and large cluster in the
left hand corner, the two corners connected
by queer, struggling green stems. The
pictures are varied by the position and color
Of the birds-one flies up, another down,
and still another sideways. The flowers are
usually pink and white roses or chrysan-
themums.
Although the artist seems to slap on the
paint as unconcernedly as though he were
painting the side of q barn, when the picture
Is complete there's a real charm about II.
Until very recently Europeans have been
inclined to turn up their noses in scorn at
the birds as the japanese see Them but in
Simultaneous photography has shown that
the quick eye Of the Jap. saw the bird as 1t
really Is. while the rest of us have been
picturing them as We thought they ought
to be.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06

From the New York Advertiser
In the earliest times OF purchase a woman
was bartered for useful goods or for services
rendered to her father. In the latter way
Jacob purchased Rachel and her sister
Leah. This was a Beena marriage, where
a man, as in Genesis leaves his father and
his mother and cleaves unto his wife and
they become one flesh or kin-the woman's.
The price of bride In British Columbia and
Vancouver Island varies from f2O to f4O
worth Of articles. In Oregon an Indian gives
for a wife horses, blankets or buffalo robes;
in California, shell money or horses; in
daughter for one COW; a richer kaffir ex-
poets from three to thirty. With the Ban
yai, If nothing be given, her family claim
her children. In Uganda. where no mar
riage recently existed, she may be obtained
for half dozen needles or a coat, or a pair
OF shoes. An ordinary price is a box of per-
cGssion caps. In other parts, goat or q
couple of buckSkins will buy a girl. Pass
ing to Asia, We find her price is sometimes
five to fifty roubes. or at others a CARLOAD
of wood or hay. princess may be pur-
chased for three thousand roubles. In Tar
tary, a woman can be obtained for a few
pounds of butter, or where a rich man gives
twenty small oxen poor man may succeed
with pig. In FIJI, her equivalent is
whales tooth or a muSket. These, and
similar prices elsewhere, are eloquent testi-
nony to the little value a savage sets on
his wife.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06

by the irresistible drift of the ocean, ships
are driven upon them, and are speedily
broken up. Thirty-six vessels have been
wrecked here during the last decade and
few lives were saved, while scores of steam
and sailing craft were dashed upon the
reef and succeeded In getting off with more
or less damage. The government has been
bending all its energies to the problem of
accurately marking these dangerous reefs
and to establish a lighthouse on Diamond
shoals-distant about ten miles from the
shore. Five hundred thousand dollars was
the prize which the lighthouse board offered
for the erection of a tower there. Last
year contractors undertook the task-in
comparison with which the building of the
structures on Minot ledge or the Eddy
stone rocks were mere child's play The
great caisson sunk last year remained In
its place three days and then disappeared
causing the loss of 1000 to the contractor
This year another start was made, which
was successful. A shaft was sunk lO0 feet
below the bottom. into the sand, and q
foundation reached. An iron structure
supported by heavy iron piles to be sunk
by the water jet, will soon be built
Only during the few calm days In sum-
mer can the work be done. 1t will take
brave set OF men to take charge of and live
in this place when 1t IL completed. The
keeper Of the Hatteras light said that no
body In that section would risk his life
by remaining there. for none believe that
any structure erected by mortal hands can
Withstand the force Of the tremendous
breakers which dash over Diamond reef
Fifteen hundred miles Of coast line n
broken in Its continuity by Cape Hat
teras. No land stretches 90 far out int
the Atlantic. The gulf stream often flows
to within twenty mileslof this point, and
Mathew Maury made tho discovery that the
violent and sudden storms for which Hat
teras IL noted are caused by the great
difference In temperature between the
warm air Of the gulf stream and the ooN
winds of the shore
TSa->9n atoyrna cauoo I1s ftoraa to IA h>,A -
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06
e oc.>>N Y. Cnt.sAA~
Seeing Mount Shasta 29G Miles.

From the New York EyeGiAg Post.
A discussion is COINS on in Oregon as to
whether Mount Shasta in California can
be seen from the summit of Mount Hood
in the former state. One Of a party which
recently climbed Hood insists that he saw
the other peak, with whose outline he is
familiar. The actual distance between
them is 2.6 miles. HIS statement was at
first secuted. the computation being made
by one mathema tician that SHASTA is seven
miles below the horizon line of Mount
Hood Lieut.. Taylor OF the United States
engineer corps. being appealed TO, consulted
tables and official maps, with the blowing
results: Horizon line from Hood III .2tst
feet high, 49, miles: horizon line from
Shasta Q4.4IO feet hiSht, 147 miles; total
visible distance. Z17 miles; actual distance
between the peaks, 2ib miles: distance to
spare, one mile" From this it would seem
that the projection 81 the horizon Line from
the summit of Hold would strike the top
of Shasta were that mountain one mile
further away than II actually is. For any
enc who is not enough 81 a mathema tician
to dispute or understand Lieut.. Tayior's
computations the fact may be added as
bearing upon the question whether one
mountain is visible from the other that
since ascent of Mount Hood which a
scientific party made a fortnight ago. there
Is reason TO believe from observations
taken by them that the mountain is con-
sideraply higher than the ii 30 feet q the
last survey.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06

by Mongol women, who In coats, pantaloons
and fur caps. rode astrtde, and in other
cases by men, who Were clad in sheepskins
with fur caps pulleH wei down over their
etan lamas In their gorgeous robes, and I
met many Mohammedahs from the west
part Of China.
In the tStEfets.
wish you could see one of these Peking-
ese streets. and theoquder sights upon Il,
They are filled with a stream CT yellow
humanity of all classes. ages and sexes,
You pass gorgeous Jofficfals on Monaghan
ponies. the backs df sdne of which are
decorated with arrows, and you know they
are on their way to the shooting matches
OUTSIDE or Peking. You go by sllk-gowned
mandariEs In CARTS who scowl at you as
you peep into the little glass windows in
the walls Of their vfhicles. You see schol-
ars with spectacles as big as trade dollars,
ana everywhere you go you are assaulted
by beggars. 1 remember one boy who fol-
lowed me day after day. The weather was
bitterly cold, and shivered in my fur ulster
This boy was naked to the waist and his
arms mad been cut on at the shoulders.
He held pan in his mouth and followed
me. switching his body this way and that
to show me his mutilation. I was glad to
give him two or three cents to be freed of
the sight. Another beggar. who has long
been In Picking, is a man who has an iron
skewer thrust through his cheek This
skewer is a foot long. and is about as big
around as your little finger. He twists 1t
this way and that and keeps the flesh rag
ged and sore. He beats on a gong as he
goes through the streets, and you are glad
to pay him to keep out Of your way. There
Is one gate in Picking which is always
crowded with beggars. and one of the finest
bridges of the city, structure of marble
has been given up entirely to beggars 1t is
full of the lame, the halt and the blind, and
men with fostering sores, women without
eyes. and persons possessing all sorts of
horrible diseases crowd together upon It,
They push their way from it into the city
and threaten to cut themselves If you don't
give them aims Side by side with these
beggars walk the gorgeous officials and
poverty and wealth march together in
pairs. There is place in the world
where the contrasts are so great, and for
nine-tenths of the people 1t would seem to
me their condition could not be worse
These Chinese are as Industrious as any
race on the slobe. They are peaceable and
easily governed, and If the celestial off
Gals. including thu emperor and all his
court, could be wiped frcm the face of the
globe. the people would quickly grow rich
and China would be one of the most IA
vored spots on the face of the earth.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06

greater dread by mariners than any other
barrier to navigation in the world.
During the war, when almost every
southern lighthouse was either destroyed
or abandoned, the light of Hatteras was
Kept STEADILY burning. The confederates
on their forays, spared the building and the
Keeper, with his one assistant, remained at
his post
Mr. Smith is the present keeper, and has
three assistants. 1 found them very gen.
tlcmaniy. well-informed men. One of them
had been formerly a>member Of the North
Carolina legislature but he seemed perfect
ly content with the change. To any man
wearied of the world, broken in fortune or
bruised In heart, 1 commend Hatteras as
tent
Mostly "CoOns."
One might while talking with "Capen"
L.. the nabob Of the islands. I asked him
what game was on the island. and he said
mostly coons." One of my friends i'm
mediately became imbued with the desire
TO take one OF these "varmints" in his
native lair. We talked coon until bed time.
and i heard more stories of that animals
cuteness than L can remember each more
marvellous than the last
COCns in Virginia 1 was perfectly famIl-
lar with, having often hunted them and
had greatly enjoyed the sport, but a Cape
ItattefdS coon was, from what / could
learn. a specimen in itself. Very large be-
ing compared to a Dismal Swamp bear"
wild, fierce and cunning, so 1t was not sur
prlsing that with our curiosity aroused,
and our hunting instincts keenly alive, that
we, on the very next evening, proposed that
a coon hunt be our next form of entertain
ment. The brakes around Hattef&s were
said 10 he the veritabie coon paradise, and
that there we're mere of these animals &c
the acre here than in any other place on
earth.
There are regular paths through the
brCsh-wood and sea-grass leading to the
oceans edge, made by these nocturnal
providers. The beach was their market
place; here they would get their crabs,
oysters, young sea-hirds. wounded water
fowl, frogs. shell-fish and carrion
There has never been any organized ef-
fort to thin out the coons, and they have
multiplied to an enormous extent They
rove at will all over the island, and the
keeper cannot keep a cat upon the place.
for just as sure as Mrs. Tabby or Mr.. Tom
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06

remains out OF doors at night Just 30 sure
will her or his mangled body be found n
the morning. for anywhere q cat can climb
its foe can follow. A coon 10 as fond Of a
scrimmage as a grizzly bear. and he can
whip anything of his own size (and fire.
Quently larger or weight that goes on four
legs, for his hide is so tough, and his
pluck so great, that he never gives up. A
coon fights on his back, and his feet are
armed with curved, keen claws, which he
uses with dire effect. while as a reserve he
has sharp teeth and Jaw like a bulldog
On many Virginia plantation, where a
pack OF hounds Is kept, the largest and
most savage dog has generally his ears
torn to ribbons and his dewlaps cut In two.
This is the mark Of battles royal with the
coons.
Young hounds will attack the "varmints''
on sight but rarely a second time and IL
Ia only the leader of the pack, noted for
his size, and strength and ferocity, that
will undertake to put a head on a coon.
In an evil moment the proposition for the
coon hunt was acceded to. We urged the
capen TO go with us. but he declined.
Il don't want to spoil your pleasure.
gentlemen. he remarked. but coon hunt
ing isn't in my line"
An indignant remonstrance arose from his
listeners. 1t was glorious sport We all
agreed. and 1t was pure laziness In him,
nothing else.
The Coon and Capt. Scott.
We'll, have it your own way" he said.
put L NOulO not go IN the swamp IN the
night not II every coon that was freed
would come down, as he did 10 Captain
Scott"
Probably all my readers have heard of
the story Of Captain Scott and the coon
but L will venture to say that not one OF
them who lives north of Mason and Dixon's
line could repeat the tradition correctly.
Anyway. will tell 1t.
captain Martin Scott, in the -bellum
days, was Virginian, and an officer In
the regular army. The coon episode hap
pened some time in the year 1850 Captain.
then Lieutenant Scott was stationed at
Fort smith, frontier post on the Arkan-
sas river. which was commanded by Can't
Bradford, who was the author of the IA :
nous story. 1t was a very common recrea-
tion Tor Scott TO shoot the darling chimney
swallow on their circling erratic flight
with bullet from his long Kentucky rife
This is degree of skill almost incred-
ibie, Tor there are few shots of the present
oay who can Kill three cut of 1--WE with the
improved breech loader. Lieut. Scott's boon
companion was Quartermaster Van Swear
insen, who. like many other amateurs
imagined that the rifle was bound to xiii
something when he was at the big END OF
II he was a great admirer Of the lieu
tenants sporting qualifications, and de-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06

sell great quantities OF dried geese and dried
ducks, and they carry bushel-baskets full
of dried ducks about the city for sale. They
sell all kinds of fruit and they are adopts
In the raising of the choicest Of vegetables.
They bury their grape vines In the north in
the winter, and you can buy your uts by
the bushel- As to cats, dogs and rats. did
not see any sold in Picking and don't be-
lieve that the better classes are accustomed
to use them. l am told, however, that
such cats as are sold In the south are rails
ed and fattened especially for the market,
and that their diet Is usually rice. Dogs
flesh is supposed, by the people, to give
heroic properties to those who feed on it.
ana the same effect is produced by bears
meat and the ground-up bones of wild
tigers. These things ought to bring a high
price just now in Picking. for the people
certainly have rea son to increase their
courage Another queer article that you
see IN the Peking market is false hair. I
passed several places where long-queued
Cinnamon stood beside a board upon which
We're hung long punches Of black Chinese
locks. Each Of these was false pigtail.
and 1t Is said that one Of the chief articles
or export from Corea to China is human
hair. The Chinese braid extra locks into
their queues and they often patch out their
queues with silk thread.
Queer Customs.
might write full letter about thu
queer things shown in the Chinese part of
the city Of Picking. 1 could tell you Of a
vast business done In gold and silver paper
which the Chinese burn at the graves to
furnish their dead with money to pay their
passage to heaven. could show you shops
selling nothing but cofius In which single
arucies OF this kind cost as high as four
thousand dollars, and where the dutiful son
often buys his father q coffin and makes
IL present to the old man years before his
ueath- could tell you of stores where
thousands of dollars worth of incense or
Joss sticks are sold every month, and I
could take you into establishments which
sell nothing but birds and gold fishes. There
are big stores full of furniture and shops
which make nothing but porcelain stoves.
There are places where wood Is sold in
bundles by weight and establishments
where coal dust Is mixed up with mud and
sold In Jumps the size and shape of a bas az
ball at so much apiece. There are great
markets for TIE selling of chickens and
flowers, and all sorts of toy stores and
stores for the selling of paper and cloth.
There are lock peddlers by hundreds and
hardware establishments, and II you are
very hard up and in want of a meal I can
show you little hole round the corner
where you can get camel's meat soup and
mule roast at low prices. There are places
for gambling and dime museum shows
There are restaurants of every description
and opium Joints without number. There
are, in fact, stores of every sort and de-
scription, and the best things In China
come to Picking.
The Imperial City.
The most interesting part Of Picking, how
ever, is the big Tartar city. 1t IL the
capital nf nns-third Of the population on
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06

the globe. and IN It lives the son of heaven.
the Emperor OF China. to whom all his
subjects must bend their knees It con-
tains tho thousands Of Manchu oficials.
the foreign legations, the government de-
partments and all the paraphernalia of this
queer chinese court. 1t is the most inter-
esting city on the face of the globe and
It's sights really beggar description From
the walls the whole city looks like an i'm
mense orchard, with here and there one
story buildings shining out through the
trees. In its center there is a walled off
inclosure filled with massive buildings
rooted with yellow tiles. This Is the i'm
per1ai city, In the innermost parts Of which
Is prlck pen inclosing several square
miles. where the emperor lives, surrounded
Dy eunuchs. He Is perhaps the rarest bird
In the whole Chiense aviary, and 1 will
follow this with special letter describing
some or his antics. He Is kept apart from
chinese and foreigners, and YOU might
live In Peking fifty years and not see him.
He really knows nothing about his people
. or ms SURROUNDINGS. and he is sort of
his highest officials or the old empress
cowager pulls at the string
Filthy Streets.
NO better Idea Of the condition Of the gov
eminent Of China could be gotten than by
trip through this Tartar CITY, 1t is one of
the Oldest towns In the world 1t was
founded more than a thousand years before
Christ, and it has been the capital Of mil
lions for ages. 1t ought to be the greatest
city on the face Of the globe but there is
no spot more filthy and Shiny and foul. The
city knows nothing of modern improve
ments 1t Is cut up into wide streets, but
the roads have no sidewalks, and the rude
Chinese carts sink up to their hubs as they
move through the city. There are no water
closets The streets are the sewers, and the
most degraded savage of our western plains
mas greater regard for the exposure of
his person than have these pig-tailed silk
dressed, gaudy, fat Pekingese. The city has
absolutely no sanitary improvements, and
the street lamps are framework boxes back
ed with white paper. and they are seldom
lighted except during full moon. 1t is alb
solutely unsafe to move about in the night
time without a lantern, If you wish to keep
your feet clean. and you have to balance
yourself in the day to keep out of the mud.
All of the houses are Of one story, and the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06

ferent habits and customs. Picking Is frozen
up for six months Of the year, and you can
have ice-sledging on the Peiho at Christ
mas. / found the people Of every Chinese
state different, and the dialects are as vaH-
Gus as the languages of Europe. Here in
Picking you find representatives Of every
Chinese state, and there are celestials from
all the big cities. Thibet Mongolia, Man
churia and parts of Afghanistan are all
tributary to China, and people Of half
dozen religions jostle each other as they
wade through the streets. The strangest
sights to me at first entrance were the no
madic Mongolians, who rode into the city
on great camels or dromedaries which were
covered with wool from six to twelve inches
long These come from the cold regions of
Mongolia or Siberia, and during my visit to
the Chinese wall passed caravans Of these
camels marching in single file and fastened
together by sticks thrust through the thick
flesh Of their noses. They were loaded with
great bundles Of furs which they had
brought down from the north for the dilet-
tante mandarins Of Peking, and were carry
ing back brick tea and coal to the Tartars
and Russians. Many Of these were ridden
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06

and China. and as it Is now. the Japanese
practically control the country. The terri
tory Of North Corea is very poor. and the
Chinese will have to bring their supplies
Of food with them IL they attempt another
Invasion The Japanese will not need
large army to keep them out. and they can
now center their forces upon China. Picking
ID by no means hard to reach. The ground
between 1t and the sea Is as fat as a floor,
and IL the Japanese can be landed on the
sast coast Of the Gulf of Pechili. they will
b within a few days march Of the great
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06

HE DESTRUCTION
of the Chinese army
at Pinyang In Corea.
and the Gripping OF
their fleet at the
mouth of the Yaloo
river, indicate that
the Japanese threat
that they will march
their soldiers into
Peking before win
ter. Is by no means
an idle one. The Va
loo river Is the boun-
dairy between Corea
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06

letter to The Star /
spoke OF the long de-
lay and hardshIps
incurred in reaching
this place. but 1 felt
amply repaid for all l
had undergone when
! reached the top of
the tower and 5eheld
the gloriously en-
trancinS view at my
feet.
This lighthouse Is
the finest I have ever
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06

From the st. James Gazetta

,om the st. James Gazetta
Ladies fair, the end Is near,
Soon will lie upon its bier
Every lovely blossom here.
IOsies cen with which the year
Strives to hide her swift decay,
Now must pass from US away,
And In death be laid aside
FlOwerets that In summer died.
Zinnias, flashing fires bright huej
MarigOlds, whose buds pursue
Golden Sol from east to west;
Lilies. Of all blossoms best
For the dying seasons shroud;
Daisies, to st. Michael vowed;
Dahlias, set In order prim;
Asters, loaded to the brim
With the weight Of tears unshed;
HollyhOcks, pink, white and red;
Dainty columns wreathed with bloomg
Violets Of rare perfume;
Roses, pallid, aye, and wan,
Yet 90 sweet; all viii have Comet
Ladies' fair. the end Is neaFi
Dying u the sylvan yeari