davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-02
A TOUGH CUSTOMER.
How Col. Streeter Lost n Hand Hunt
ing ''Gators."

How Col. Streeter Lost d Hand Hunt
ing 'Gators."
Col. Streeter, a Floridian, told the zoolog-
zeal reporter of The Star a good one last
night at the Riggs. One of the colonePs
hands was missing, and knowing the Sec
ton from which he hailed, the reporter
naturally expected to get first-class war
story. But he didn't. The hand was not
lost in the fratricidal struggle. 1t was the
work Of an alligator. or. as they call them
in the land where the reptile builds its
nest and rears it's young, a gator. well,
1t happened long time ago. said Col.
Streeter. 'and If / had not told the story
so often I think should have forgotten il.
When 1 was a young fellow, chuckful of
dazzling dreams and ambitious schemes, /
used to hunt gators for living. The hide
Of one of these brutes is worth all the way
from one to four dollars. according to size.
condition and age. had big fiat-bottom
boat, sort of compromise between a bat
teau and a sand scow. and used to cruise
at night on lake not far out of Tampa,
One dark night / showed off. After / had
reached the most alligatorial part of the
lake l lit a fire on one end of the boat.
These craft are arranged especially for
this, SO there isn't much danger of the
whole thing going up In smoke. Well, when
my rosin knots began to blaze and sputter
ctRo SiZZiS as EoSih haoSS Will, IL WASH I
long before a big gator raised his head out
of the lake to see what the illumination
meant. To a newcomer there isn't any
more horrible sight this side of the other
world than a great long gator lying close
to you and grinning at You with his rip
saw ivories under the weird glare of pine
knots. But didn't think Of this. for was
an old hand at the business. Bang. and q
Sharpe gun relieved that gator of all earth
ly care and trouble. 1 hauled him in and
stretched him out in the bottom of my boat.
1t was a good night for the sport, and the
gators seemed to be especially inquisitive
as to the meaning of that fitful light That
trusty rife spake again and again, and one
by one landed the victims In the old boat.
The last one came to the top pretty close
to daybreak. He was strengthening old
timer. He was what with propriety we
might call hard-shell gator. He looked at
me In an insulting sort of way, and 1 re-
sented his impertinence. / brought him
into the boat There is just where ! made
my mistake. That alligator wasn't all the
way dead. He seemed to have lots OF en-
ergy stored up somewhere and he turned
on me. We had a fight right there in the
boat. Before l could pump some pills into
him he had me. What a wrestling match II
was. Young man. that's what's the matter
with the end of that arm"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-02
CUNNING OF CROCODILEs.



The following Is fair sample Of how cum
ningly crocodiles. in common with all other
wild animals. can conceal themselves In
moments Of danger. says a writer in the
Westminster Gazette. After a happy week
spent in the jungle with a friend of mine.
We halted for breakfast, before making the
last stage for headquarters and home, at a
place called OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, garden of
iowers-and while at breakfast were amused
by watching a number of crocodiles. about
eight ten, summing themselves on the
surface of small lake, or tank. as II is
there called, of about an acre In extent A
sudden thought struck me.
L say, Murray, what fun it would be TO
try and catch some of these beggars in a
net "Bravor' said he. Lets try it pres
entity. Appu, send the horsekeeper to the
village and tell him to bring up all the men
he can find and some long fishing nets. We
will give good santosum" (presenO.
The villagers scented some fun, and with
the further stimulus of santosurn very
soon turned up to the number OF thirty. IL
was now IL o'clock and scorching hot, the
air quivering over the bare, sandy plain in
which the pond was situated. 1t was breast
deep, as We knew, including about one foot
or eighteen inches of heavy mud. We tied
two nets together so as to make one long
enough to reach across the tank, about
thirty yards, and this was heavily weighted
along the bottom and arranged TO be drawn
with long ropes from each shore. lnlrne-
dfately behind the let came a line, and men
about a yard apart, with long, pointed poles
with which to prod the mud along the bot
tom OF the net, and so drive the malingering
gentlemen into proper position in front of
the net. My friend and his servant tor all
entered into the SPORT followed close up to
the second line. At ii we all now went,
splashing, shouting, stamping and hauling.
but-a big but--not sign did We find of a
single one of the brutes that we had seen
before when to the edge OF the
water. We dragged that water backward
and forward more than once but our only
reward was deadly thirst that lasted us
till late that night. They had burrowed
deeper into the mud than we could reach
them, for nothing-I doubt If even a rat
could have escaped unseen out of the water.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-02
Close of n Life Devoted to Bringing
Help to Those in Need.

Early this morning the life of Miss Anna
E. Smith came to an end. This intelligence
will come to many a home in this city
and to many a heart with all the force OF
a personal loss. The deceased had lived a
life devoted to charitable works, and was
well known in a number of the institu-
tons of the city as an active and welcome
worker. Her private benefactions. how
ever. covered a wide range, and whenever
she heard Of a case of distress she was
prompt to render relief. and in ways that
frequently never made her name known to
those to whom she had given assistance.
Miss Smith was the daughter of the late
Rear Admiral Smith. and after the death
of her mother she became the companion
of her father. and with loving and un-
selfish devotion gave her time and thought
to his comfort. Since his death she has
spent her life In doing deeds of charity.
The family residence on 9TH street just
north of the Mount Vernon Place Church
several years ago she gave to the House
of the Good Shepherd. and it was this gift
that really enabled the founders OF this
charity to begin their work in this city.
She removed to the residence, 1910 street
where her death occurred this morning.
Funeral services will be held Thursday
morning at 10 o'clock at the Church of
the Immaculate Conception, and the inter
ment will be at Oak Hill.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-02
When the Ohio 4. Most beautiful.

From the Pfttsburg Bulletin.
To the artist, the silvery. shrunken Ohio.
winding feebly between green and everlast-
ing hills, is a charming spectacle, worthy of
a transfer to canvas and subsequent hang
ing in "A favored place in the home of a
purchaser.
But to the practical Pittsburger the swol-
len, turbid, oil-stained Ohio, careering to the
Mississippi through a bleak landscape OF
snow-sprinkied hills, is sight far more at
tractive than any afforded in midsummer.
For the larger Ohio bears on its muddy
breast the deep-laden coalboats whose con-
tents are not more needed by New Orleans
or Memphis than the money the coal repre-
sents is needed by our river operators and
shippers These regard the OHIO a most
lovable stream, when, after months of pic
turesque idleness, ii arises in its might and
boasts of twelve feet"
II our local artists wish to make a paint
ing of Ohio which will be salabie to a coal
skipper. they must portray the stream with
that number of feet, with the tawny name
of swirlinG water and procession of coal
boats heading for the sunny south. A coal
boat 1t might be added. is one that re-
auires ten feet of water TO feat it, and is
helpless to reach the lower markets on a
stage of water that will let out a coal
barge"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-02
Dangers of Choral,

Prof. Tyndall had taken sleeping draughts
of one kind or other fo- years. His usual
quantity" according to Dr. Buzzard, was
one and q half teaspoonfuls every night
1t had evidently become habit with him
even more than necessity; or it was a
necessity only because 1t was a habit. Yet,
we have the authority of the British Medi-
cal Journal, says the London Daily News,
In an article devoted to this particular
case, for the assertion that ninety-nine in
the hundred of those sleeping doses are
worse than useless. even for any purpose
of relief worthy of the name. Insomnia -
we are told, lis not a disease, but a symp-
tom,' and it is the clear duty of every suf-
ferer to ascertain the cause, with view to
its removal by legitimate treatment. OF all
the empirical treatments, that by choral is
probably the worst. The temporary relief
which it affords tends to divert attention
from more radical measures. The sham So
lace being always at hand, the true one is
never sought. Chloral has slain it's thou
sands before this; it ought not to claim as
many more victims before 1t is laid aside
forever. Or, If 1t does, this great national
loss we have just sustained should be held
equivalent for the purpose of warning and
example. to the total count
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-02
reported by silsby & Co.. bankers ana
brokers. Metropolitan Bank buiiding
CHASING A SWIFT crxARpER,
What the Cruiser Columbia Mfrht
Have to DO I'm Case of War.

A comparison of the speed merits OF thu
cruiser Columbia with the two fastest shius
anoat In case OF war is made nv the New
York Tribune. The two vessels which tns
Columbia might have difficulty In catching
are the Campania and Lucama rne t,an-
pania has made the highest average hourly
speed ever attained by a vessel I'm a trans
atlantic voyage She did IL last month
when she made an average of n M KNOT.
from Queenstown to New YORK Inc high
est average speed for one day was made re-
Gently by the Lucania. which ran at an ay-
erage OF - IA knots for "a hours 10 rninute.
"a nautical day-coming west. Now. sum
pose there was war between Eng,and ,.no
America, and the Columbia was looking for
one of the two big ships. which. under .hoss
CIRCUMSTANCES. would be either In use an
transports or transformed into Iight-armeo
commerce destroyers themselves A sharn
outiook would be Kept from the crows nest
Tor the swift and terrible Columbia A. Ter
-FOUR smokestacks would make her mora
readily distinguishable than an ordinary
snip she could be recognized for a certamtv
win glass. say fifteen miles under ardi-
nary circumstances, or say approximately
eighteen miles under the most favor
able circumstances. The Columbia would
also recognize the Cunarder, and the race
would begin.
on her trial race OF z-sl Knots ana the
Lucania made the best time she ever made
OF 22-f4 Knots an hour. the Columbia would
have gained on the Lucania at the end of an
nour va OF a knot But the Lucania mas the
advantage OF an eighteen-mile start Eight
cen miles Is equal to about Is 2-y knots.
The Traction is a trff1e larger but two
thirds is near enough for practical uur-
poses. Now, IL the Columbia gains us OF a
knot In one hour. it would take her a little
over nine days to overtake the Lucanla In
that time the LucanE could easily make a
British fortified port. no matter where the
chase should take place. England has a
cnaln OF fortincations around the world
In the case OF the Campania taking her
best average speed for a transatlantic voy-
age OF DIS knots. the Columbia would nave
a oinerence In her favor or 1.53 knots m
she gained I5S knots an hour on the Cam
pania IL would take her TO overcome the
10 2-3 knots which the Campania had the
start about 10 hours and * minutes 81
would therefore seem as II the .sucania
were the only ship which the Columbia could
not catch In long stern chase SUCH an
the Columbia would have after the Lucanta
she would probably not get within nghtiur
range until days enough had passed for the
Cunarder to make port or for the chass
to be given UP.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-02
Jurors Excused.

In Circuit Court. Division j, Justice Brad
ley. today the following called as jurors
were excused: f. c. Cutter. r. L. Irwin,
James H. Healey. ". Robey, w. A. Mix,
5r.. Thomas King, T. A Eiker, G. p Bohrer,
and Thomas Z. Burkhead.
In Circuit Court. Division 2, Justice Cox,
the following were excused: E. A. Watson,
g. r. Underwood. VIM Kelly. w. A. Gas
kins. +. h. Raymond. c. C.. Martin and
H =. Polkinhorn
In Criminal Court, division l. the follow
ing summoned for the grand jury were ex-
cused: H L. Rust and +. Upshur failed
10 answer), X. E. Doyle and L. s. Hanks.
Of the petit jurors w. Il. GurIey, c. T.
Frfteh, H. II. Olcott. ID. Fitzgerald. r. L..
Main, j. H. Wurdeman and b. F. Lar
combe were excused
IN Criminal Court No. L. VI. Taylor.
9r., r. W. McAllister. W. A. Fenwfck, r.
W. Wtddecombe and 4. Thornton failed to
answer, and Joseph Miller, e. F. McCauley.
Z b Berry and W. j. Collins were ex-
cusel-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-02
Washington stock Exchange.

Sales-regular call-l2 o'clock m.-Peo-
pies Fire Insurance. 10 at 5. American
Graphophone, o. at .; l40 at 2.
Government Bonds.-U. S. As, registered,
1907, 1l2 bid, lib asked. l.. s. As, coupon
1897, ll2 bid, lib asked.
District of Columbia Bonds-20-year fund
rs bid. 5o-year fund Is. gold. us bid. Wa
ter stock as. 1893. currency, LIS bid. 36ys
funding, currency, los bid.
Miscellaneous Observation-Disclosures and
Georgetown r. II. conv. Us, LIST, 100 bid, leo
asked. Washington and Georgetown II. r.
cow. 6s, I'd. lJ0 bid, 100 asked. Masonic
Hall Association IS, 1o3 bid. Washington
Market Company LIST 6s. 105 bid. 10 asked
Washington Market Company imp. 6s los
bid. Washington Market Company ext 6s.
loo bid. l05 asked. American Security and
Trust 5s 1905. A. and o., 100 bid Amerf-
can Security and Trust S. 1905 F. and A..
1905, A. and o., 100 bid. Washington Light
Infantry LIST Gs, l01 asked Washington
Light Infantry I'd Is, 1ol asked. Washing
ton Gas Company 6s,. series A, III bid.
washington Gas Company 6s. series B, liz
bid. Washington Gas Company cow 6s,
100 bid, 140 asked. lexington r. r. Is. loo
asked. Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
rs. los asked. Capitol and North o Street
r. r.. 5s, 80 bid, 90 asked. Metropolitan r.
r. cow. It's. 100 bid. 96 asked. L. S. Elec-
trio Light conv 5s, 10 bid.
National Bank Stocks.-Bank of Wash
ington, 300 bid. $50 asked. Bank of the Re-
puDic, wv DID, Nd bid. $40
asked. Central 26o bid Second, 1870 bid.
Farmers and Mechanics, 110 bid Cittznes'
lao bid. Columbia, 40 bid, 1870 asked. Cap
ital. ITO bid, 100 asked. West End. a5 bid.
los asked. Traders, 100 bid. Lincoln, S9Is
bid, 90 asked Ohio s. asked.
Railroad Stocks.-Washington and George
town, $50 bid. Metropolitan, 80 bid, 100
asked. Columbia, IS bid, as asked Capitol
and North o Street, % asked. lexington
and Soldiers Home. Is asked. Georgetown
and Tenallytown. 30 asked.
Insurance Stocks.-Firemen's. 80 bid.
Franklin. 40 bid. - asked. Metropolitan, -
bid. National Union, 10 asked Arlington.
$50 bid. IG0 asked. Corcoran. cj bid. CO.
iumbia, ID bid, 1ii2 asked. German-Ameri-
can, 150 bid. Potomac, 20 bid. Riggs. SI5
bid, asked Peoples. ) bid ~ asked
Lincoln, IA bid, S asked. Commercial, So
asked.
Title Insurance Stocks-Real Estate tt
tie. liz bid, 125 asked. Columbia Title. 81
bid. Washington Title. bid.
Gas and Electric Light Stocks.-Washiug-
ton Gas, 45 bid, 30 asked. Georgetown Gas.
A. bid. L. S. Electric Light, 10 bid, III
asked
Telephone Stocks-Pennsylvania4 AZ asked
Chesapeake and Potomac. * bid. 30 asked
American Graphophone. bid, 2ik asked
Miscellaneous Stocks.-Washington Mar
ket, - bid, 10 asked Great Fails Ice IIn
bid, 100 asked. Bull Run Panorama, -
asked. Pneumatic Gun Carriage, 40 asked
Lincoln Hall. 100 asked. Inter Ocean Build
ing, 100 asked.
Safe Deposit and Trust Companies.
tional Safe Deposit and Trust COMPANY.
125 bid. 40 asked. Washington Safe De.
post, 1oI asked. Washington Loan and
Trust, 100 bid. ITO asked. American Sc
curity and Trust, 125 bid, 100 asked
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-02

of dispatches from Mr.. Willis to the gov
eminent These dispatches VIII tell the pro-
gress of events for some time back, and it
is very likely that II the President does
not take an early opportunity to send copies
OF them to the Selate the full committee
on foreign relations Will send for the papers
under provisions OF the resolution which
authorizes the committee Ito send for per-
sons or papers"
A Republic Possible.
Minister Thurston is still in Honolulu and
there is no intimation here as to the prob
able date of his return. There Is feeling
Of perfect security at the legation and no
apprehension whatever Is felt for the sta
bility of the provisional government. Mr..
Thurston's presence there is of more SER
vice to the islands at this Juncture, for he
can give the provisional government, in
any controversy that may arise with the
United States, the benefit of his observa-
tons here, and his acquaintance with the
temper of the people and Congress OF this
country. Rumors have come to Washing
ton or late that he is the coming man in
public In the islands viii make him a prom
tnent figure and IL has been suggested on
more than one hand that he would make a
strong candidate for the presidency of the
islands. The repeated assertions made by
the supporters of the President here that
the provisional government Is but tenn
pOrary makeShtrt arrangement VIII IN
doubtedly stimulate the republicans of the
Islands to an effort to organize a govern
ment that can be regarded in no sense as
temporary. Mr.. Thurston Is known to be
nrmly in favor OF a permanent republic IL
annexation cannot be obtained and at all
events. steps will be taken to render the
monarchy an utter impossibiiity.
Probably Three Reports.
The belief is gaining ground that the
subcommittee will report to the full COM
mfttee in three different notes. There are
three sides to the question that can be fit
ted to the three sections of the subcommit-
tee. Senators Frye and Sherman, repre-
senting the radical republican view, are
likely to report in favor of a reputation
OF the Presidents action in sending Mr..
Blount to Honolulu. Senator Gray. an I'M
swerving friend of the administration, Is
expected to vote and report in favor of a
complete Endorsement of the Presidents
action Between these two extremes stand
Senators Morgan and Butler, both of whom
are regarded as friendly to the President
and yet DESTROYS of maintaining the prestige
OF the democratic administration without
actually supporting the Presidents person.
nj course. 1t Is not at all improbable that
these two Senators may unite with repub1i-
can Senator's in a report which will be In
the nature of compromise. This would
give the acts OF the Harrison administra-
ton a quasi Endorsement and will gently
rebuke the President for sending Mr..
Blount to Honolulu after the manner that
ne adopted.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-02
COMMISSIONER PARkER's HEALTH.
II Il Said That He L. Better and Il Not
Likely to Resign.

The report that District Commissioner
Parker contemplated resigning on account
of Ill health caused considerable discussion
today. Mr.. Parker is on a visit to the
south, where his health, it Is said, has
been benefited
Word received in this city from Mr..
Parker by his friends is to the effect that
he Is improving. While he has had some
thought of resigning in case his health did
not improve, he has been advised against
such a course by his physician. who be-
heved his illness not such as to require his
retirement from Office, and by friends whom
he consulted 1t Is not thought likely that
Mr.. Parker will resign at present. IL at all
Commissioner Ross said to a Star re-
porter today that ne had heard nothing of
the rumored intended resignation and did
no. believe that Ii was So
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-02
The Prolific Sunflowcr.
, st. Louis Globe-Democrat.

From the st. Louis Globe Democrat
The sunf1ower is very neatly as prolific
as the microbe. 1 had an experience with
them on a government survey in 1858, west
of Junction City, kans. The country there
was infested with the shoulder high variety
of the weed that Oscar Wilde thought SO
aesthetically beautiful. There were enough
of them to keep the sunflower paper mills
running for years. We had to run line
through miles and miles of them. In an
ordinary country the transit man can take
sights five o. six miles through his transit
telescope. In the sunfower woods the
sights were limited in length to one chain
W feet. The men all had the crowns worn
out OF their hats from rubbing against the
shiny under side of the heavy, noddng
blooms Every evening, when we camped
each man would empty about a bushei of
the seeds out of his pockets, his hat his
shoes and his socks We used to, in cross
ing streams o. swampy places, cut great
bundles of them and lay corduroy roads
with them. Now, all these sunflowers had
sprung from seeds that the Mormons had
brought there from the east less than a
score of years before.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-02
HORsEPLAY IN ENGLISH SOCIETY.
coarse Jokes md Risky Dancing Re-
ing fndulged I'm by Smart Girls.

Skirt dancing high play and the norma
tration OF practical jokes seem 10 be the
leading emusements Of country house pa--
ties In England, according TO a recent
chronicier quoted by the San Francisco
Argonaut He says: November Is pre-
eminently the month for big shoots. ana
the country houses are full TO overlooking
just now. In quiet houses moderate hours
are kept gambling for heavy stakes is at a
discount and certain sobriety prevails
from sunrise TO sundowa. In other houses.
however the fun WAKES fast and furious.
NO dancing is considered sport unless IL
be OF a nature imported from the Gaiety.
such as the unforgettable pas de quatre.
lew smart girls go SO Tar as 70 take
unto themselves the voluninous skirts OF
the serpentine frOck and try 70 initiate
Miss Lettie I.ind's deNteTfties." After ex-
planning that the serpentine skirts are
made out of mo less than a hundred yards
of the very finest Chinese silk OF crepe cut
in triangular pieces to give the appearance
of an infinity Of yards" our authority re-
sumes: 1T is regrettabie 10 add that under
some roofs pretty heavy gambling is in
Obliged in, and baccarat and nap with high
stakes have many women as men vota-
mes to say nothing Of practical joking OF a
suspiciously rowdy sort, such as appie-pie
Matchmaking booby-trapping. A certain
most distinguished lady amused herself one
whole evening by standing in gallery
and throwing pillows on the mems heads
as they passed in and out Of the smoking
ROOM"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-02
Ploughs Drawn by Camels.

From the London Daily News,
Oxen drawing ploughs is a sight familiar
enough on our Sussex downs; but camels
employed in this way would be decidedly a
novelty. The experiment, however is being
tried in Southern Russia, and, it is said,
with remarkable success. Vice Consul
Smith states that the bad harvests of the
last two years, together with the low prices
of grain, having forced most agriculturists
to look into the question of reducing ex-
penses, and one great difficulty being to OBJ
tain animal power which would cost less
for feeding than horses and yet be able to
do the varying work of farm, camels have
been introduced upon an estate not far from
Kieff. AT present eighteen camels are at
work, and their keep is found to cost much
less than that of horses. owing to oats be-
ing dispensed with in their feeding The
price runs between six and seven pounds
per head, inclusive of transport from the
government of Orenburg to kieff.