davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
BAREFOoTED WEDDINGS.
Guests With Shoes on to Be Promptly
Shot.

Shot.
1t is not far from Washington to the
mountains where people live in the most
primitive style. ]. c. Moffett the we'll
known correspondent, went into Mellow
ell county, w. Va. on a professional trip,
and among the stories he did not write,
but reserved for private friends. Is one
too good to keep out of print.
He stopped at a log cabin and was soon
on good terms with his host. who after
supper said:
stranger. reckon yo' won't hev good
time tonight"
What is upT" queried tho newspaper
man.
Coin ter be weddin'. Reckon yo' kin
so with me an the ole 'ooman."
The invitation was accepted and the three
started for a five-mile walk over the
that was the center of festivities. a crack
ed fidGle could be heard, and several men
ilurg around the doors and windows, for
NONE but the dancers could be admitted In
side.
They were met by a rough mountaineer.
to whom the newspaper mans presence
was explained.
"Thats all right" said the newcomer,
but thar's one thing. Yo' see the bride
an groom air po, very po', an they never
wore no shoes befo' Christmas In thar
lives an hain't got none now, so them as
had shoes didn't wear 'em. Jim, the
groom, is sorter sensitive like. an high
strung, eff yo' go with them shoes on he
might take it as reflection on him an
the bride an go TO shootin'."
The shoes were taken off and ten min
utes later the correspondent and his host
were dancing with the mountain bellies,
occasionally having 20 stop to pick splintr
ers out of their feet.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
A CLOSE CALL.
Man Supposed to BE Murdered Re-
turns and Prevents u Hanging.

Man Supposed to BE Murdered Re-
turns and Prevents u Hanging.
Ex-Sheriff Blakeslee of Comanche county,
Neb, told a story of his experience IN office
to a Star writer the other day.
81 never hanged man." he said. 1.-The
vigilance committee usually settled hang
ing offenses outside of the courts. Then
we were not fixed for taking care of many
prisoners. When 1 was sheriff there were
only three rooms to the jail, and all of
them small. One 1 slept in, another I used
for an office and the other kept my pris-
oners in when had any.
Zone time received a man charged with
numbering his partner. There was little
doubt about his guilt, so the vigilance COM
mittee turned him over to me. The priS-
oner and the murdered man had left to-
gether, and somebody found the partner s
body in the bushes. A few miles farther
on they caught the prisoner, who had a gun
and ether property known to have belonged
to the murdered man. 1t was a bad case,
the body being mutilated as 20 be al
most unrecognizable, but the prisoner said
he was innocent, and l never had a more
sociable fellow or better card player in the
Jail He was the only one there, and after
1 got really acquainted with him, we would
play old siedge until late at night and then
bunk together.
He was tried and convicted, but it made
no difference with him. 1t was my first
hanging, and we got the gallows built the
prisoner watching the work and making
comments on it. The rope came and he
saw it. BILL said he, 'yo' amt no good as
a sheriff. Don't yo' know that ere rope
ought ter be soaked? l don't want this af-
fair of ours to go off any other way than
smooth. Yo' go soak that rope
so soaked the rope, the prisoner help
ing me, and the night before the hanging
we sat down to play old sledge. He said:
Bill, l amt goin' to interfere none, an I
don't blame yo', an no man kin say that
l tried ter run or didn' die game, but l
want yo' ter promise me. If yo' ever meet
that pardner of mine. yo' will shorely shoot
i'm fer gettin' me hung. He's alive all
right, and it's shore mean fer i'm to va
moose an git me in trouble
Il promised him, and we went on with the
game. About 10 o'clock a man came to the
window and shouted for me. then he tried
the door of the Office. and 1t wasn't locked.
He walked right in and said: Hello. JIM
Hello, Bill! 1t was the man we thought
was murdered. Jim, stood up and said:
You're purity pardner to leave me hyar
to be hanged. They don't allow no shootin'
irons hyar, SO We KANT settle but one way.
Shuckr 49,.
Then there was the prettiest fight I
ever saw, Jim pounding his partner until
he called for quits, We all went to see the
Judge that night and he called off the hang
ing, knowing the man who We thought had
been murdered. Then the two Went away
and we never saw them again. neither did
we ever find out who the corpse vas that
we picked up in the bushes.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
A Tardy Enthusias SIN.

A nice old gentleman is "Gran'ther" Dix.
In his own way he has been student and
he retained an interest in young people
which was perhaps enhanced by the fact
that he had very early been engrossed with
the more serious cares Of life and had en-
joyed himself but little. 1t was through
his sympathy with youth that Tommy Dix,
his grandson, was enabled to enter col
lege.
Il don't see as it's any USE" said Rich
ards father. Il never went to college; and
you never went to college,
(Which don't prove anything" replied
Richards grandfather ''Owin' ter the fack
tibet we've both been Albumin midnight lie
an hustlin' all our lives tryin' ter ketch up
on whit we missed by not a-havin' no
almer mater ter lean onter. Eff Richard
wants ter go ter college, I've got bit of
money put by in the bank ell see him
through part way anyhow"
1t was only natural that the old gentle
man should be greatly interested in his
protege, and that he should embrace the
earliest opportunity to pay him a two
weeks visit.
When he returned to his home he was a
different man.
"Marthy Jane" he said to his daughter
in-law, 1.-The world moves, an Tommy moves
with it; but it seems ter tibet us folks
is gettin' so far back in the procession tibet
fust thing we know we won't be able ter
hear the band wagon"
What on this round airth are you a-talk-
in about?" she asked.
"Never min. Keep yer eye on me. I've
ben a livin' out'n the line O. travel long
enough. You old gran'ther's a-goin' ter git
a gait onto i'm from this on. An I've
brought the implements ter do it with
The next morning the family were indeed
astonished. Summoned to the door they
saw a bicycle speeding down the road.
Gran'ther was on it. He had a wee cappie
with a peak to it and his pantaloons were
rolled up to his knees. The insane ambition
which the beginner has to run into some
unoffending object was on him. He was
chasing a pig with unwilling ardor. The
pig turned from ore side of the road to the
ether and so did Gran'ther AT last he over
took it and caromed' lightly into the rail
fence
"Hooray" he said, as he trundled the
wheel I'D the garden walk at a sharp trot.
Don't nobody try ter stop me, fur I'm jes'
beginnin' ter live
Are you hurt?" asked his daughter-in-
law.
Hurt! Why bless yer heart, I halter
git off that way fur the present. Eff the
pig hadn't of stopped me I'd a gone clean on
ter Baltimore"
do you mean to say you're going to ride
a bicycle?" said his son.
did We call that whut wus doin'; shearin'
sheep? I've lost enough time, l hev, an
thet boy Tom hez jes' saved my existence
from bein' a dreary monotony of threS
meals day an chores tell bedtime"
Il declare, I'm ashamed of your'
ASHAMED O. me. By gum, I'm ashamed
o. myself. But I'm ketchin' up. I've got
1rilby fead half through, an I'm gittin' on
terms Of personal intimacy with Napoleon.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
Different.

The man wasn't a millionaire, but he had
some pretensions to refinement, and he liked
music well enough to pay for good seat at
a notable operate occasion. There were
several box parties, and they labored. as
sometimes happens, under the impression
that the singers were merely there to fill in
any gaps which might occur owing to a
dearth of conversational topics. The blond
young lady giggled oftener and harder than
the prima donna trilled and young men with
foreheads preternaturally high or morbidly
low made facetious remarks about the cho-
rus. The man who had paid his money felt
sorry for them a little Of the time, and in
dignant a coed deal of 1t. AS he went out
after the first act, driven to drink, perhaps,
he said to the ticket taker:
who are those people who ought to have
been put out an hour ago?'
''Them's about the richest people in town."
replied the official. They're society folks
an we have to let 'em alone a good DEAL
But you wouldn't allow me to talk and
disturb others in that way"
mo. But this Is different. Ye see, faint
the people talkin'. It's their money talkin"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
BITS FROM THE BY-WAYS
The Dawn of a Tragedian.

He was Little WILLIE when he first en-
tered on his career as an office boy but 1t
was not long before his uncertainties and
general undesirability earned him the unan-
imously adopted soubriquet Of Trolley
Bill" 1t was agreed that Trolley Bill
would do something unexpected. Indeed.
it was soon demonstrated that if he did
anything at all 1t was unexpected. But in
his own heart there were ambitions and
plans of which the world did not dream
until it was awakened by the news that
Trolley Bill had made his dramatic debut.
1t was in "Virginius."
Il didn't get a chance to go down to the
front and talk to the crowd" he said in re-
counting his triumphs "but I'd just as soon
have done it as not. You can't scare me
with just lot of people. Stage fright?
Well, tell you what frightened me. A lot
o supers that was there for nothn' but the
80 cents night instead O. bein' students of
art. like 1 was. was shakin' clubs in way
that made me feel dizzy oncet or twice.
When you get lot O. them rank amateurs
around they oughtn't to have a thing but
stuffed clubs. The only one that needs
real one Is the stage manager. Me ward
robe? Oh. yes; had on salmon-pink tights
that Is, think they was salmon-pink for,
to tell the truth. them micks with the clubs
had ME so nervous that sometimes they
looked salmon-pink an sometimes they look
ed sage-green.
Its unprofessional to look atyer tights any
how-especially when they amt tights at all,
but looses. That's the worst way that pro-
fessional Jealousy shows ITSELF 1t don't
make no difference who it is that's givin' the
show. they never let the supers have tights
that fit 'em. An the reason Is that the only
way you kin tell real actor from a lath-
carrier is that his legs don't slop over at the
knees. Did 1 get along good? Wasn't de
stage managers t'rown' me bouquets? 1t
was in de las act dat 1 won i'm. They
wasn't much time, an knowed all de su-
pers couldn't get dressed. Dey was wish
In fur de suits like dey was sumpin' ter eat,
but says ter me pal Don't hurry. We amt
workin' by de piece So by de time we got
chance a. de clothes, the stage manager he
says. 'Ye're ter late, boys
I thought we'd be- says I.
Den he looked me over an he says, john
ny, we've got 'er future in this business, you
have. Ye hates work jes' like a regular per-
feSsional.' "
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
THEY WERE SUSPICIOUS,
How Indians From the West Were
Mysti1ied by the Telephone.

Major Pollock, who was superintendent of
free delivery in the Post Office Department
under the last administration was for some
time stationed on the frontier as an In
dian agent, and was well and favorably
known to many of the principal chiefs
among the red men. Whenever they sent
delegations TO Washington to have a pow
WOW with the Great Father, the majors
office was sure to be visited by them, and
they came sometimes in crowds.
On one occasion, while the Indians were
making call on the major. he went to the
telephone, IN another room. and called up
the Indian Office. When his call was an
Swered, he SAID:
Tell Frank to come to the phone"
Frank was hdif-breed, employed in the
Indian office.
Hello! Frank" said the major Hold
the phone minute. Your uncle is here
and wants to talk with you"
Then he went INTO his office and led one
of tie chiefs To the telephone.
IVAN to talk to Frank" said the major,
placing the trauSmtter IN the chiefs hand.
After many grunts and suspicious glances
at the mysterious contrivance, the little ear
trumpet was nnally neld 10 the chief 5 ear,
anu the major sad:
Nov, go ahead, Frank.
A grim spread over the Indians face and
he uroppeu the transmtter. After trying III
vain 10 look behind the instrument, he stuck
his head out of the window and looked
around. Then with a bewildered look he
ran to the door and looked up and down
the corridor.
The major explained to him that Frank
was up town in another building, but the
chief wasn't convinced, and called another
Indian. While the second Indian was lis
tenmg, the first chief watched the majo 5
lips closely, evidently suspecting some trick
OF ventrloquism.
"Ugh!' grunted the second chief, as he
dropped the transmltter, and looked under
a desk and out OF a window.
The major couldn't satisfactorily explain
the matter to the chiefs. and nnaly was
forced 10 put on his hat and take them over
to the Indian office, where they found Frank
at the phone, waiting for more talk"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
HIS WIRES WE'RE CROSSED.
How Mr.. BogSs Misunderstood the In
During Policeman.


quirins Policeman.
Old Boggs is very deaf-so much so that
he relies more on watching the speaker $
lips in conversation than he does on his
ears He was on his way home one night
not long ago while the wind was blowing
very hard and loosened sign came down
and cut quite a cash in his forehead.
The next morning he started TO walk
down town, his thoughts running on the
wind of the night before and, presuming
that most every one else was thinking
and talking of the same subject. On an
opposite corner he saw a policeman with
whom he had a passing acquaintance, and
he went over to speak to him.
His first utation," thought Boggs.
will naturally be: Good morning. then
he will say: How is Mrs Boggs" then
probably speak of the wind storm"
Good morning, Mr.. Boggs." said the
officer.
Good morning." responded Bosgs.
"How did the wind strike you?" asked
the policeman.
very well-quite well, thank you," said
Mr.. Boggs.
wife we11?' was the next query of the
peace guardian.
Il should remark" exclaimed Boggs
Just look at THAR and he removed his
hat and exhibited his forehead, crossed
with strips of sticking plaster.
We'll. she mustnpe la-la." thought the
swinging his club
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
A Novel Time Keener.

See those two men up In the window,
with their watches in their hands?" said
one gentleman to another Thursday noon.
standing on the east eide Of 7th street.
about midway of the square, and motion
ing over toward the Post Office Depart
ment.
The ether said he could see them.
''They are waiting for the ball to drop on
the State, War and Navy building SO they
can set their watches"
But that building is about ten squares
behind them-they have their faces turned
this way" replied the other.
They are watching those men on the
corner of 18th and F, who are watching the
ball. When the men on the corner all look
down at their watches at once, those two
will know that the ball has just dropped,
and they will both look at their watches"
They watched the two clerks for a few
minutes and when both looked down at
their watches together one of the gentle
men looked at his watch and said
Il told you so. Just - o'clock"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23

piShiii over ue dump
1 hears de trains a
comm over de bridge
an every time de
rain comes just as
sure.
about de bad
signs? De las time 1
had de bad signs wuz
when my boy Henry
wuz killed. Seems
like Use had wus
trouble since dat dan
any time befo', an in
de winter l have a
had time when I
goes down to pick
over de dump. He
was a good boy to
mn nr,s lNp-I
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
The Festival of Peace.


The season sits with folded hands, The harvest has
been stored;
The honey-bee is hidden like q miser with his
hoard; II,
The rabbit halts beside his hole to watch the
welkin gray,
And Nature waits in gentle peace to greet Thanks
giving day.
The film of silver frost which steals at morn across
To catch the suns first greeting to the earth that
sleeps so still
Has touched the year to quiet, for its youth has
passed away,
And with ardors sweetly softened, it awaits
Thanksgiving day.
On heedlessly we wander through the springtime
and the flowers,
For youth was made for pleasure mid the blossoms
and the bowers,
'Tis when November comes, with only memories Of
May,
That life and love ready for a true Thanksgiv-
ing day.
T-PHLANDER JOHNSON.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
Going Around Loose,

From the New York Press.
THE first time l went shopping with my
wife he began.
THE first time.'' exclaimed the company
in one voice.
yes, the first time"
Then you went the second timer" they
breathlessly asked.
why, certainly. and the third and fourth
and
When the company returned to the room,
after pitching him out, the chairman re-
marked:
He shouldn't be allowed to go around
loose, but it is the duty of his friends to see
to that not ours. Besides. it costs money, I
suppose, to keep Il man in an asylum
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23

money with which he
should have paid a
bill 1 rn e y e d
thither to make in
quiries in regard to
his whereabouts.
Leaving the car at
the NJ street bridge,
I walked along the
Georgetown side of
Rock creek toward a
group of shanties
which stand near the
dump" S e era /
carts stood near it,
and as their contents
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23

too. ollc liiIle L HdQ
to go out after dark
an I was awful
'fraid. Just as I got
down by de dump
dere was a noise dat
made me SILVER like
l had de misery. It
seemed to % right
through me. 1t come
from de dump, an 1
didn't want to look
at it, but it seemed
like 1 jus had to.
Dere was a great big
black cat with blaz-
in eyes an he was
lookin' at me solemn
like. I couldn't take
WV nrae oA- liz,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
EXPENSIVE NEST.
A Mouse ApprOpriates n Small For
tune for Her Home.

Among the bills recently presented for re-
demption at the United States treasury
were ten of s100 denomination, one of $500,
one of 1000, and five of $50. They were
nibbled around the edges. but enough re-
manned to render them good.
This $3.50 constituted a mouse's nest
The bills had been laid away in a trunk
and when the owner went to look for them
they were gone Search was instituted, but
no trace of them could be found. Finally
a mouse's hole was noticed through the
bottom of the trunk, leading under the
floor The boards were taken up and a
mouse scampered away, leaving five little
pink and white creatures too young to
walk lying On the pile Of greenbaekA.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
GOOD AND BAD SIGNS
The Old Woman by the Dump Had Promo.
nitions of Trouble.
Warned by the Big Black Cat, and
Her Boy Henry Was Hit
With a Brick.

Charley was a colored boy, who, after
being in my employ several months. sue
cumbed to temptation and absconded with
several dollars. When applying for po-
sition he gave his address as near de
dump" and when he eloped with the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23

I'm goInter wear fbot ball hair an buy
bull pup. I'm gointer wear a chrysanthe-
mum ez big ez a straw stack eff kin find
one. an I've already got SOS kin smoke a
cigaroot The mex time you write ter Tom
you tell i'm ter go tight ahead with is eddi-
cation, an tibet wi hen he comes home his
Gran'ther Dix I'll be right next ter i'm at any
pace he takes a notion ter travel"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
Not Enlightened.
From Puck.

From Puck.
Johnny-"Papa, what do they mean by
'preliminaries?'
Papa-"Can't you find anything better to
do than reading about prize fghters?"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
Seven Cents.

Seven Cents.
Within the contribution box
She drops her offering small;
1t isn't very much, it's true,
But then, it Is her all.
She's bought a lovely cape: n hat
That's fashiOnably strange,
And various other things, and now
The heather gets the change.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
Worse Than Disease.

From Life.
Cawker-"I sat up with sick friend last
night"
Cumso-"What allied hip,~
CaWker-'He lost $D2'
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23

met a man on the street yesterday who
is addicted to the suicide habit and whose
name will undoubtedly appear in the papers
II he remains here long. The first time I
ever saw him was in southern town, where
he obtained a position as reporter on news
paper. A few days after his arrival the city
editor received note, saying that if he
would send man down to his hotel glow
ing account of his own suicide could he pro-
cured. The city editor himself went and
Two doctors said he could not recover hut
no did, ana was sent to another town, where
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23

Good for children. DR.. Bulls Cough Syrup.
The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-11-03

The Democratic attitude as regards tin
pate has decidedly changed in the Cast
five years, Instead Of claiming that tin
plate could not be made in the United
States, they are preparing to show how
much they have done to aid the indus
try. With this In view Special Treasury
Agent Aver has issued a report on the
subject. The report will show that in the
fiscal year 1895 there was an Increase OF
81 per cent In the production of steed
t(aeets from which tin pate is made.
They attribute this to their tariff law,
~af,ch placed n duty Of one and one-tenth
cents on 'black plates, ais the steel Plates
from which tn plates are made are called.
The Mckinley bill imposed a duty Of one
ami two-nfths cents q pound on black
plates, SO the Wilson bill reduced It three
tenths of a cent This report wiz be
used by Assistant Secretary Hamuln In
the Massachusetts campaign, to show THAT
The tariff tbhl has helped tin plate, but
the fact Is that the industry which was
established by the imposition OF a duty
OF W and two-tenths cents a pound on
foreign tin plate by the Mckinley law,
which duty the new tariff reduces to one
and two-frths cents "a pound, had become
sufficiently ostatcsAed TO resist the ne.
duced duty, THE practically protective
duty placed on black plates was intended
TO destroy the industry by making It i'm
possible to secure the black plates with
Which TO make tin plate but instead OF
serving that purpose It started American
manufacturers into making back plates,
ami thus unwit,lngly established a new
industry. Now the Democrats propose to
claim credit for this,