davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-10-04
TURNING THE TABLES.
The Unfortunate Lawyer and His Glen
the Nurse


the Nurse
The extent TO which lawyers can ex-
ercise their imagination when pleading
in behalf OF their clients Is almost be-
vond belief: but sometimes the tables
are turned in a very unexpected fash
ion
ON one occasion. says the Florida
Times-Uniou. Mr.. Swan was engaged
in presenting the case of a woman who
petitioned the court to grant her a
judicial separation from her husband,
a worl1ingman. and urged that as she
was in extreme poverty she was en-
titled to alimony according To her hus-
bands means
With voice broken in its pathos the
lawyer dilated on the imperative neees-
sity of the case. declaring that his
client was utterly destitute. not having
ing the means To purchase a crust Of
bread
When the evidence had been heard
the Judge who well knew the counsel's
unlimited powers OF eNaggeration-
turned To the appellant and addressed
To her few questions.
Have You. then, no oecupation?"
Yes, my lord; 1 am a nurse was
the incautious reply
And where are YOU emploved2"
Il am at Mr. swans So she unwitting
" rejoined. pointing to her counsel
II was with the greatest difficulty
that the judge refrained from joining
in the shout OF laughter with which
this admission was hailed
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-10-04

The department of agriculture, for
estry division, Washington, has a col
lection of rare trees and plants only
second To that belonging to the famous
Kew gardens, London. recent addl-
tion to this archaeological museum Is
Lace bark tree" from Jamaica. The
inner bark of this queer tree is com
posed of many layers of fine and intri-
cately-woven fibers which lnterlock
with each other in all directions caps
ruffies, and even complete suits of tins
curious vegetable lace have been made.
II hears washing with common laundry
SOAP. and when bleached in the sun
acquires a degree of whiteness seldom
excelIed by artificial laces made OF cot
ton. linen and silk. This intricate web
of this unique bark makes 1T compare
favorably to the last mentioned produc-
tions for both beauty and durability
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-10-04
MINKS IN AN ODD BATTLE.

They Fought Each Other ViciousIy and
VociferousIy. I'm the Water and Out
An unusual battle was witnessed at
Greenwood lake one day recently by
Mr.. Silas Pickering, of Newark, and
old Steve Garrison, the veteran guide.
Steve was rowing and 81 was catching
frogs for bass along the east shore of
the lake, saws the New York Sun.
Suddenly they heard a remarkable
squealing, and they turned
point of rocks they saw on the shore of
little cove two full-grown minks in
combat. The usually shy animals were
so busy that they paid no attention to
the approach of the boat, and Steve
rowed up to within fifteen feet of
them.
The minl<s seemed each to be fight
ing for "A throathold, and the way they
SPARED and scratched was highly in
teresting. Finally one caught the
other by the back, and they rolled
from the rock into the water, where
they continued to fight as energetically
as on the shore.
Soon they emerged, separately. but
clinched as soon as they were on the
rock, and the fight waged sharper
than ever. Both minks squealed al
most continuously as they snapped and
scratched at each other.
Three times they pitched from the
sloping rock into the water and
crawied out to renew the fight ashore,
but after another such dip only one
came up. The other had evidently
tired of the fight and snealled away
under water. The victor crePt upon
the rock and, not seeing his adversary.
began To strut and fro as if much
pleased with himself. Suddenly he
caught sight of Piellering's striped
blazer and fled into the bushes.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-10-04
a CLOSE TRADE.
An Instance of s.Nearness" That Is Hard
to Beat


to Beat
The close-fisted and the absent-mind-
ed serve a similar use-they amuse
their neighbors. The New York sun
quotes a man from the rural districts
as telling a story of a Mr.. Putterby. an
old-time townsman of his, whose repu-
tation for ''nearness" was evidently
well deserved. Locally he was thought
to be almost prodigy in this respect,
but no story of this kind is SO good but
that another can be found to beat it.
One of the coins current in those
DAYS was the old Spanish silver-piece,
which passed for twelve and a half
cents. and was variously called nine
pence" York shilling" and bit" 1t
was the existence of this coin that en-
abled Mr. Putterby to achieve his
crowning triumph in the way of a close
trade.
\ farm-boy came along one day with
a load of pumpkins, which he was ped
ding about the village at a cent
apiece. Mr.. Putterby looked at them,
concluded to buy, but wanted only
half pumpkin.
But n whole one is only a cent" ="
said the boy. How are you going to
paw me for half a one?"
Easiest thing in the world" said
Mr.. Putterby.
The pumpkin was cut, he took one
half under his arm, and handed the boy
a shilling.
Now give me the twelve cents
CHANGE" he said; and taking the
twelve coppers from the astonished
boy, he walked away with his pur-
chase
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-10-04
POWER OF a PIANIST.
Pounds OF Strength Expended In Striking
Note Heavily.

Pounds OF Strength Expended In Striking
Note Heavily
II requires more force to sound a note
gently on piano than to lift the lid OF
a kettle. a German composer has fig
ured that the minimum pressure OF the
finger playing pianissimo is equal to
one hundred and ten grams-a quarter
of a pound. Few kettle lids weigh
more THAI two ounces, says the Musical
Courier.
The Germans calculations are easy
to verify if one takes a small handful
of coins and piles them on a KEY of the
piano When a sufficient quantity is
piled on to make note sound they may
then be weighed and these figures will
be found to be true.
If the pianist Is playing fortissimo a
much greater force Is needed. At times
a force of six pounds is thrown upon a
single key to produce solitary effect.
With chords the force is generally
spread over the various notes sounded
simultaneously, though greater out
put OF force Is undoubtedly expended
This is what gives pianists the wonder
full strength in their fingers so often
commented on. a story used TO be told
of Paderewski that he could crack a
pane of French plate glass half an inch
thick merely by placing one hand upon
it, as if upon a piano keyboard, and
striking sharply with his middle finger
chOpin's last study in c minor has n
passage which takes two minutes and
five seconds to play The total pres
sure brought to bear on this. it is esti-
mated, is equal to three fun tons. The
average tonnage" of an hours piano
playing of Chopin's music varies from
twelve To eighty-four tons
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-10-04
REPTIlIAN GRATITUDE.
A Snake That Believed That One Good
Turn Deserves Another.

A professor of entomology in the
state university was searching the
Berkeley hills for rare insects when he
heard the blood-curdling rattle of a
snake and found a big diamond backed
pinioned beneath a large stone. He
got a stick to kill the snake, says a
veracious Californian, and then decided
to release it first to see what 1t would
do. lie approached cautiously, and
the snake watched him closely. but
manifested no hostility. He rolled the
stone off it, and instead of coiling and
stril ing at him, he expected, it
stretched itself. twisted its tail few
times and crawled slowly toward him.
He put out the stick he carried, but the
snake rubbed against it and twisted
around it tenderly. The professor de-
cided not to kill it, and started on up
the trail. He was surprised to see the
snake following along, and when he
stuck one of his heavy cowhide boots
out it rubbed gently against it. After
considerable trouble he gave the snake
the slip and returned with his bugs.
The next year the professor was
up on the hills after some more speci-
mems when he heard great rattling.
and just ahead of him in the trail he
saw a big rattler. II was not coiled
and evidently was not angry. He
looked at it closely and noticed a scar
on its back. Then he counted its rat
ties and decided that it was the snake
he had rescued the year before. 1t
seemed overjoyed to see him and
wagged its tail like a dog, making a
terrific rafting. The snake followed
the professor about so closely that he
could not get rid of it, and it became a
pet in his bachelor apartments. 1t
used to coil itself at the foot of his bed
and sleep there.
The professors friends warned him
that the snake would kill him or some
one else, but he had every confidence
in it. One night he heard a terrible
racket downstairs in the dining-room.
He struck light and his pet was miss
ing. Then he ran downstairs and
found the snake in the dining-room
coiled around burglar. 1t was hold
ing him with a viselille grip. while it
had its tail out the window rattling for
a policeman.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-10-04
CREDIT is CAPITAL.
1t Served a Wall Street Broker In Good
Stead One Occasion.

L know III this city southerner who
has made his way from nothing to a
comfortable fortune, says a writer in
the New York Press. He was a broker
in Wall street, plodding slowly along,
living from hand to mouth, with bank
account that sometimes grew as big as
eight hundred dollars. He met a capi-
talist who wanted certain bonds and.
with a commission of twenty-five hun
dred dollars in view, he undertook to
deliver them. He knew an old bond
holder who had them, and his purpose
was to get them without causing a sud
den rise in their value. The old fellow
named his price, which was entirely
satisfactory. The amount was twenty
five thousand dollars for the lot. My
friend went to his office, drew a check
for that sum and handed it over.
Perhaps you know that it is Gus
tomary in transactions of this kind to
give a certified check" said the bond
holder.
This was stunning blow, almost a
knockout, for a man with a bank ac-
count of never more than eight hum
dred dollars, but my friend, begging the
old fellows pardon for the oversight,
started to get the proper certification.
He went straight To the cashier of his
bank and stated the whole ease to- him.
explaining that ne was to deliver the
bonds within two hours and make his
profit of twenty-five hundred dollars
1T Is an unusual request, =" the cashier
said, with a smile of ha'f pity for the
ignorance of his customer.
Il know ii. said the broker. but /
cannot lose this chance of making two
know / am honest. / have sbeen a de-
positor here for two or three years, and
have never before asked a favor. L
will have the cash here within two
hours to make good the check, or will
deposit the collateral"
The cashier hesitated. He who hest
tates is lost. He looked the broker
straight in the eye and said:
Il will do it. | know you are an
honest man"
With a certified check for twenty-five
thousand dollars, the southerner re-
turned for the bonds, much to the
amazement of the old bondholder. who
declared that If he had known his abil-
ity to produce a certified check for that
amount he would not have offered the
bonds at all. H offered them as
piulI- buO bic oIul peluS tdllSu nc
had to yield. Inside of an hour and a
half the bonds were delivered to the
capitalist, and a check for twenty-seven
thousand five hundred dollars was de-
posted at the bank.
My friend has had many transactions
with the old bondholder since then. and
he never fails to ask: do you want a
certified checb?" to- which the reply is:
Never mind about it; I'll take any sort
of check you give me-
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-10-04
ARMOR IN MODERN USE
English Officers In Foreign Service to Pro
tect Themselves

English Officers In Foreign Service to Pro-
tect Themselves
In discussing the modern use OF
arnor by officers and men in the for
eign little wars of to-day, an English
acCoutrement maker. as reported 10y
London Tid-Bits. says i give YOU my
assurance that an immense number of
the officers Of our army and navy who
go on foreign service. especially when
one of our little wars Is expected, pro
vide themselves with certain easily
recognized projections
These, mind You. are well-known
articles of trade to the service The
commonest and most usual type of these
projections consists OF fine but beauti-
fully tempered single chains inclosed in
in soft leather, which run along the
shoulders. down the outer side OF the
arms and over certain parts OF the
body. These can either be sewn into "A
particular tunic OF they can be adjusted
separately and put on like harness
The most valuable Of all chains, In con
nection with accoutrements. are those
which guard the head. and IN cases
where the regulation cap or helmet Is
not sufficiently protected in this way,
specially made chains are sewn inside
the same and covered by the lining
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-10-04
SCHOOL OF DECORUM.
Influence of the Fine Manners OF the
OIden Time.

In the days of our grandmOthers,
William of Wykeham's motto, Man
ners maketh Name" was held 10 APP
ply to the making of woman In those
days the imperative law of a lady's in
ner life and outer habits was expressed
by one word. ''decorum. That music
al word ruled every movement Of her
body, and dictated the training each
girl should receive to qualify her for
what Miss Cobbe calls the great Art OF
Society"
1t did not beget, says Youths Com
panion, the abrupt-speaking, courtesy
neglecting, slouching, slangy young
''damosel." who is never called
blessed" But it did produce women
gifted with old-fashioned suavity, and
with the tact which made everybody in
a company, even the humblest, happy
and at ease. Miss Cobbe, IN her Life, -
describes trivial incident which illus
trates the kind of influence exercised
by women of the old school of de
corum-"
y hale, genial young fellow, named
Warburton, was guest at the house OF
Miss Cobbe-s father. One rainy day he
was prompted by a silly young lady
guest to sing several comic songs in
the drawing-room. the point OF the
jokes being the advances of women to
men.
Miss Cobbe's mother, old and feeble.
fter listening quietly for time,
slowly rose from her sofa, walked pain
fully across the room, and leaning
over the piano said in her gentle way
a few strong words of remons trance.
She could not bear, she said, that
men should ridicule women. Respect
and chivalrous feeling for them. even
when they were foolish and ill-advised,
Were the part, she thought, OF a gen
erous man. She would beg Mr.. War
burton to choose some other songs for
his fine voice.
All this was done so gently, with her
sweet, kind smile, that no one could
take offense. Mr.. Warburton was
far from doing so. He was touched
with tender reverence for his aged
monitress, and rising hastily from the
piano made the frankest apologies,
which We're instantly accepted.
The incident illustrates the kind of
influence exercised by the fine man
ners of women of the old school. But
1t is also an illustration of EmerSon's
aphoristic sentence: Fine manners
need the support of fine manners in
others" If Mr.. Warburton had been
an ill-mannered cad. he would have
left the piano in huff; but being a
gentleman of the old school he re
ceived the merited rebuke with rever-
ential humility.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-10-04
CRUSHED THE SNEERER.
An American Teacher Who Was Very
Patriotic.


An Italian gentleman whom / met
while travelling disclosed a most de-
praved inappreciation of the wonderful
vastness of the United States, says a
writer in Scribner's-
He spoke English very well, for he
had been many years in London, and.
as we were enjoying the sea-coast view
between Pisa and Via Reggie. he asked
politely whether l was not an Ameri-
can from THE states" On learning
that was he begged me to tell him
something of our government.
''You have a president of the country,
the whole states, is it not?' he inquired
earnestly.
| nodded assent.
IVA bene. If man kills-murders,
You understand-who tries him, the
federal or state courts?"
The state courts" l replied, unless
it is ease of treason"
IF he is convicted, who can pardon
him-the president. of course?'' he
asked. with calm assurance. and a slight
emphasis on the ''of course
No, indeed; the murderer is tried in
the state courts: he can he pardoned
only by the state board of pardons. if
there is one, or by the states chief
officer-the governor. The president
has nothing to do with it
Well" flashed my companion. sar-
castically, in Italy the governor a
little petty province has not the par
doning power"
Sir l Numbered, now thoroughly
angry. Italy will 90 twice into the
petty province of Texas
1t was very naughty to get angry,
and especially with such politely slr-
castle little Italian. | know it. But
who could sit still and hear the sheer.
unapproachable- - nay, glorious - i'm
mensity of our country assailed without
getting angry? No one except the
audacious fop, who every now and then
annoys us with brazen assertion that
bigness Is, after all, not such a virtue
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-10-04
FUNERALS HIS HOBBY.
United States Treasury Has Man Who
Enjoys Them Exceedingly.

Enjoys Them Exceedingly.
In one of the bureaus of the treasury
department is a man who has chronic
desire To help bury people and attend
funerals. The other day, says the
Washington Post, he was transferred
to "A new division. The first day he
asked his chief for leave of absence dur
ing the afternoon.
What for?" asked the chief.
Il want To attend the funeral of Capt.
Smith"
The chief had hardly got acquainted
with the man and sent him upstairs to
his former chief to ask if he had been
permanently transferred to his divi-
sion. The man came back with the
announcement that he had been trans
ferred, and he was excused for the
afternoon. The same day this chief
met the chief of the division where he
had formerly been employed.
why dill you send the man to me to
inquire if he had been transferred?"
He asked for leave of absence, and
| wanted to fiEd out whether had any
authority over him." was the reply.
did he want to attend a fuueral?"
Yes"
Il knew it, said the other. Its
regular thing with him-a disease. He
has "a mania for attending funerals"
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-10-04
EXPERIENCES OF PRISON LIFE.
Impressions Recorded by One Who Ought
to Know.


to Know.
The most important epochs in the life
of convict are the time of his arrival
and the moment of his departure from
prison, writes "Debsy.' in the Still
water Prison Mirror. OF the first can
speak intelligently. of the latter from
fancy only. When the iron door of his
siX-by-four cell is shut and locked upon
him and he is left free to explore his
new home, the first sensation is one of
relief. Now it is all over He has
found the end. He can fall no lower,
and, as | say, there is a certain feeling
of relief in that very thought
Strange as it may seem, his mind is,
to certain extent, at rest. The long
strain of the trial, the tedious days and
weeks of uncertainty anc waiting are
ended. and he knows and can look
forward to a definite life. He knows,
too, that here he will be carefully
watched and guarded, that no thieves
break in and steal" that no moss will
grow under his footsteps" and that he
will be expected to- stir" about and
make himself useful at whatever indus
try he may be employed. There are
no drones in this hive; and if he does
not do his bit" at hard labor it will not
be his fault. The first few days in his
new environment are apt to pass quick
ly enough providing he be a novicel.
for everything is so weird and strange
in his new life, and the sounds and sig
mails are so foreign to his other life that
he has no time nor breath to spare in
idle regrets and murmurs-
But then comes the reaction; he has
settled down to his mutton, and now
comes the strain. The deadly monot-
ony and sameness of it all, day in and
day out, drag and wear on the mind
and body, and then. if the system be
not in the finest physical condition, the
defect shows itself, and, FASTENED by
the rigid diet, the doctor will now en-
ter his life. Passing this stage success
fully, the days and weeks glide by, and
the months literally turn to years, and
soon he is beginning to count on his
fingers the months to his discharge.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-10-04
THE PERSIAN HORSE.
An Animal That L. Very Fond of Being
Petted.

Petted.
Persian horses are to he admired and
liked. Their beauty is source of con
slant enjoyment, and they are almost
invariably gentle and docile. 1t is in
vain to form any resolution against
making pet of any one of them, writes
Mrs Bishop in Journeys in Persia
My new acquisition, Boy. insists on he
ing petted, and his enticing ways are
irresistible. He Is always tethered in
front of my tent with rope long
enough to give him considerable liberty.
and he took advantage of it the very
first day to come into the tent and make
it apparent that he wanted me to divide
a lemon with him Grapes were his pre-
ference; then came cucumberS, bread
and biscuits. Finally he drank milk
out of a soup plate. He comes up to
me and puts down his head to have his
ears rubbed, and if l do not attend to
him at once, or if | cease attending to
him. he gives me a gentle but admoni-
tory thump. | dine outside the tent,
and he is tied to my chair and waits
with wonderful patience for the odds
and ends, only occasionally rubbing his
nose against my face to remind he is
there. friendly shuttle is the only
sound he makes. He does not know
how to fight. or that teeth and heels are
for any other uses than eating and
and walking. He is really the gentlest
and most docile of his race. The point
at which he draws the line 5 being led.
Then he draws back, and mulish
look comes into his sweet eyes. But
he follows like 4 dog, and when | walk
he is always with me. He comes when
| call him, stops when | do, accom-
panies me when l leave the road in
search of flowers. and usually puts his
head on my shoulder or under my arm.
To him am an embodiment of melons,
cucumbers, grapes, peaches. biscuits
and sugar, with good deal of petting
and ear-rubbing thrown in.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-10-04
Alexander Had "A Tender Heart.

Two weeks before the sickness of the
car of Russia took a turn for the
worse, Miss Strutton, his former gov
erness. died in the winter palace at st.
Petersburg Miss Struston, who was
an English woman, loved Alexander
Romanoff as dearly as though he had
been her son. The emperor and his two
brothers attended the funeral, follow
ing the hearse on foot from the palace
To the English cemetery, almost two
miles apart. His majesty and the two
grand dukes had carried the coffin from
the deathroom to the hearse. When
the body was lowered into the grave
the ear, it is said, wept like a child.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-10-04
Crafty Birds.

Woodpecllers in the mountains of
Southern California do cabinet work
that cannot be equaled by the most
skilled artisan. The crafty birds gather
acorns. drill holes in the trunks of pine
trees. into which they fit the nuts so
closely and snugly that squirrels are
unable to pull them out Hundreds of
these nuts are implanted in single
tree trunk. The question has arisen as
to how the birds get the acorns ont, if
a squirrel cannot remove one of the i'm
plantations. 1t is discovered that. after
being implanted, a worm appears in
the acorn, and it is for the purpose OF
getting this worm later on that the
crafty bird stores away aeorns in this
unique manner.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-10-04

1t is no wonder that foreigners scoff
at the whims of rich Americans when
one hears of such piece of extrava-
gance as is here related: Lady Beres-
ford, formerly the duchess of Marlbor-
ough, who was born here in the United
States and who married a rich New
Yorker, who afterward died, has just
returned from a trip with her husband,
Lord Beresford. They travelled away
off alone into Norway, paid four thou
sand dollars for fishing stream and
caught two fish. AS it Is Lady Beres-
ford's money, the devotion must be on
her side of the house.