davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The St. Johns herald., 1895-02-21
UNFORTUNATE PERSIANS.
The Unhappy Lot of the Subjects of the
 Shah,

According to reports recently made
 by British consul in that country the condition of the peasants of Persia seems to be peculiarly an unhappy one. He says: ''They inhabit mere mud novels, without windows and with hole in the center of the roof to let out the smoke, and the filthy state of the villages is indescribable. At the end of the winter they gener- ally find their stock either ex- hausted or running very low, and the great festival of Nauroz at hand. Formerly the peasant know that if his stock failed, there was no hope of re- plenishing it. He would have to go without his Nauroz festivities. But now he knows that week or two before the festival the Russian specu- lators will appear on the scene and offer the proprietor advances of money to sow cotton for them, the seed of which they provide, or buy up in ad- vance the best part of his crop of wheat. The ignorant peasant is led to agree to bartering part of his share, too, and when the harvest is over he finds that he has not enough corn to carry him through the winter. If the proprietors and peasants resist the temptations till the time of the actual harvest the result is the same. The wheat goes at half price, the peasant finds after a few weeks that he has not enough to carry him through the win ter, and, worst of all, there is no corn left for towns like Meshed, with sev- enty thousand inhabitants. Last year the crop was a fair one, but so much wheat was exported that the price of bread was four times as high asafter an
The St. Johns herald., 1895-02-21
An Extraordinary Legal Document.

One of the most remarkable legal papers on file in the archives of the world is now in the national museum of Paris, labeled: Sentence on hog, executed by justice, in the copyhold of Clarmont-Avin, and strangled upon gibbet at that place." It is sealed with red wax, kept under glass case, bears date June II, 1894, and reads as follows: ''* We, the jury, in detestation and horror of this crime, and in order to make an example, and to satisfy justice, have declared, judged, sentenced, pronounced and appointed that the said hog, now de- tained in the abbey as a prisoner, shall by the cxecutioner be hung and stranglcd on gibbet, near the gal lows which is within the jurisdiction of the monks whose names are hereto appended, near the copyhold of Alvin. In witness of which we have sealed this present with our seals" Follow ing the above are the signatures of the jurors and the prefect of the depart ment de rAinSe.
The St. Johns herald., 1895-02-21
COURTESY AMONG CHINESE.
Americans Liable to Be Surprised by Gen.
 tie Manners Among the Poor.

Americans Liable to Be Surprised by Gen.
 tie Manners Among the Poor.
 The Chinese are, as rule, the most courteous people have ever come in contact with, says Arena. When it is taken into consideration that the ma jority of the Chinese who come to this country belong to the lower or lowest class, their gentle manners are truly surprising. have seen parties of we'll dressed Americans go into their stores, poke about among the goods, or wan der into the clubroom, watch the games, handle the instruments of the orchestra, and ask all sorts of ques- tions concerning them. The intruders were treated as welcome guests, their questions answered and tea, confec- tions and cigarettes offered them on departure. Fancy the reception which would be accorded to a party of uni identified Chinese who attempted to take look through one of our own fashionable clubs! In the restaurants their conduct is the same. I imagine that if three or four Chinese were to take it into their heads to dine at one of our uptown restaurants they would be subjected to many unpleasant re- marks, probably some insolence from the walters, and, if they should prove as awkward in handling the knife and fork as the average American is with the chopsticks, would cause consider able merriment among the other guests. But in Mott street the practice of good breeding is different. Time and again have seen some good-naturedC Chinese let his own dinner grow cold, that he might show some clumsy American stranger who was struggling with the chopsticks how to use those elusive but useful implements. It is a very simple trick after it is learned, and one which I have often found useful at other places than at a table in a Chin csc restaurant. Once mastered, with a couple of pencils one can improvise a very serviceable pair of tongs to pick up bee or struggling worm, bit of hot metal or any such small object which one does not care to touch with one's fingers. The first stick should be held rigidly, about three inches from the lower end, between the ball of the second finger, the first joint of the thumb and the hand, just below the knuckle joint of the first finger, very much, in fact, as a clumsy schoolboy holds his pen. The second stick should be held almost exactly as good pen man holds his pen, lightly, between the ball of the thumb and of the first finger, slightly resting along and steadied by that finger, to just between the second and knuckle joints. Chinese meats are all served cut in small pieces, so as to be readily eaten with thus materially reducing the labor of dining.
The St. Johns herald., 1895-02-21
The Pooiah Stone.

Trouble was recently threatened be tween the people of Orissa and the Indian government on account oi the ''Poojah stone," which had rested for ages over the main entrance to the temple of the Sun. It was carved with symbols of the sun and planet, and thirty years ago fell from its place in the temple to become a: once a special object of worship. The gov ernor of Bengal, being interested in it as an archaeological treasure, had it re- moved to the Indian museum, and this raised such resentment among the na- tives that the stone has been restored to them and has been raised again to its original place in the temple.
The St. Johns herald., 1895-02-21
FOREIGNERS own LA PLATA.
Its Politics Are Run by Natives, Who
 Leaves Business to Outsiders.

1ta RoltticB Are Kun by Natives, hho
 Leaves Business to Outsiders.
 The old notion of the Argentine Republic as essentially stock-raising country, from which nothing was to be expected in the way of food exports but uneatable ''charqui," otherwise ''jerled beef" will have to he modi- fled, says the London News, in the face of the fact that the crop of wheat this year is estimated at 1.750.0co tons, of which more than million of tons will be available for export. Agriculture. in fact, as distinguished from cattle raising, has become an important source of wealth in this part of South America. It has many advantages for this purpose. among which are its ex- cessive fatness, extending over SO0.00O square miles, and its remarkable varie. ty of climate.
 Our consul at Buenos Ayres notes the remarkable circumstance that foreign CTS Tn the republic practically monop- olize trade, railways and commercial undertakings of every kind. They own a large portion of the country, cIfO arc sC0Aig dSIuiA1AB h1cAS pAOpCA- ty of every description. Almost all the railways belong to English capital ists, and. if not to English, to foreign CTS. It has been stated that one-half of the cultivated portion of the prov inec of Santa Fe belongs to English men. Agriculture, it is added, nay be said to be entirely in the hand of Flu ropeans.
 The amount of crime all over the Argentine Republic is stated by our consul, Mr. Gasl1el, to be alarming. The population is every day becoming more exclusively foreign, but the gov ernment is entirely in the hands of the comparatively small number of pure Argentines, rather anomalous posi- tion, which in the course of years may alter if the enormous foreign element should make its power felt and become a decisive factor in politics.
 At present all foreigners shun poli- tics and only busy themselves with ac. qniring wealth commercially.
The St. Johns herald., 1895-02-21
How History Might Have Bccn Changed.

How History Might Have Bccn Changed.
 An interesting incident" of the career of the great Napoleon has been erought to light by Prof. Rambaud,
 vho has just been rewarded for his
 History of Russia with the cross of the Legion of Honor. Bonaparte, as is sell known, was at one time disgusted with the slowness of his promotion and enter tained serious thoughts of di- recting his talents into other channels. Now Il. Rannbaud tells Us that Ma polcon applied fer service in the Rus ian army. bat that the petition which ae had addressed to Zaborowski was -sicctcd, as Catherine II. would not 4i1;1it foreign officers on the same sanding as that which they occupied in tilc.' o.rn country. Napoleon would havc hat; 10 accept an inferior rank, and tuis hc refused to Go. If Prof. .2,..2lSS2,.a be correctly informed, and if s3..,,,57. 5-15a..'ttc had taken service in Rus ::.,. tie w:iole course of the history of es!e century would have been changed 1.;e: a whole vista of curious possibil. tiles would have been opened.
The St. Johns herald., 1895-02-21
Lowell DisIiked Lecturinr.

James Russell Lowell was Harvard professor for twenty years, but he never liked lecturing. Prof. Norton says that he was always scrupulously attentive to his duties, but ''the stated hours and seasons of work were irlz- some to hin and averse from his nat ural inclinations.' I begin,' he says, in letter in 1867, I begin my an- nual dissatisfaction of featuring next Wednesday. cannot get used to it. All my nightmares arc of lecturing.'"
The St. Johns herald., 1895-02-21
THE CALLA LILY EDIBLE.
It Tastes and Is to Re Cooked Like tn
 Potato.

IOtatO.
 A new vegetable is about to be in. troduced to the people of the United States through the department of az. riculture. It is the root of the calla lily, which resembles somewhat in ap. pearance the Irish tuber, with the ad. dition of a few whiskerS that have nothing to do with the qualities of the article as an esculent, says the Phila. delphia Times.
 It is more elongated, and when cut the interior is a trihe more viscid. But section of it is so potato-lilse you would not be likely to distinguish any difference. In cooking it first has tc be boiled to destroy certain acrid prop. critics, after which it may be fried roasted, baked or what not, according to taste.
 Farmers in Florida have begun tc raise these calla roots for market. The plants grow rapidly in the swamps and so thickly that the yield of a single flooded acre is enormous. They re. produce themselves by the multiplica- tion of their bulbs under ground, SC that the grower has simply to dig uE the offshoots and leave the parents tc propagate anew.
 For centuries the Egyptians have cultivated similar crop during the season of the Nile overflow, and at the present time calla lily bulbs are com. mon vegetable in Japanese markets. So prolific and palatable are they that their propagation in many parts of the United States, where conditions are favorable, may reasonably be looked forward to as an agricultural industry of the future.
The St. Johns herald., 1895-02-21
One of the Old Families.

Japanese papers say that the oldest married couple in that country live in S2waGa, in the province of Sado. The man is 133 years old and his wife 135. Ct the family, numbering fourteen persons, the eldest daughter is 1os wears old and the eldest son 1O5.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-18

A blizzard story comes from the rural
districts Of New York, says the New Or
leans Picayune. It seems that certain
old Yankee had been hobnObbirg with
conSenial companions at q favorite little
barroom during a blizzard, and the hour
was late when he donned his wraps and
started for home His gait was unsteady.
and he was scarcely well out of the door
before he stumbled and fell on a pile of
lumber in such q manner that. with the
load of liquor which burdened his powers,
he could not get up. jonathan Hardbut-
ton-that is his nane-succeeded in rails
ing himself to a sitting posture but could
not regain his feet, in spite Of every ef-
fort. Being at length exhausted, he sat
stiil and waited until he. could recover
strength enough to eXtricate himself
from his predicament And while thus
waiting his trousers froze stiff and fast
to the lumber. Then his trouble increased:
but luckily a belated friend passing that
way noticed him Say Jonathan. you old
fool. he drawled out, why don't you
git UP and go home? What are you sit
ting there for sech 2 night as this?"
We'll, how be l agoin' to git up" bawled
Jonathan, when all w tn Lords crea-
ton Is frus fast TO my pantalOons?"
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-18
Hc WIS Acquitted.

In a certain county in Kentucky lived
just outside the county seat, a farmer who
had plenty of money and was active in
politics, but he had no ambition for office
says an exchange. lie was very popu-
lar man, and the time came at last when
his friends said 1t was his duty to save
his party by coming out as q candidate
for the legislature he wouldn't listen to
it, but they were 50 persistent that for his
own peace of mind he finally agreed to
run. but assured them he would make no
effort to be elected, and they would have
to do all the work. Having fun conf
dence in the potency of his name, they
put it at the head of their ticket and went
into the campaign with vigor. During its
continuance ne went early to town and
stayed there until the polls closed BY 10
O'Clock that night the returns were in
and a hasty count showed that he had
been Overwhelmingly defeated Then he
hlled IN and went homo.
Susan, Susan he Whooped when he
got into the house, I'm acquitted.
"Hooray Amt you glad?"
Why. George" she exclaimed, what
do you mean?' vs." ~
Why, Susan, I'm acquitted. don't you
understand? The jury was out all day
and they returned q verdict tonight Of
not guilty and, Susan, I won't have to
go to the Legislature. Whoop! Hooray!
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-18
Badly Fooled SiIvcrites.
Springfield (Mass) Republican Qnd).

Somebody has been quilting the southern
newspapers with a foolish yarn about
report in favor of free silver coinage at
l6 to l, said to have been presented to the
Massachusetts legislator by a committee
last Friday. The Atlanta (Ga) Constitu-
ton has this news and rejoiees over it
greatly. 1t says: "On Friday last a COM
mittse Of the Massachusetts legsla allure
presented for the consideration of that
body report which declares that the
decentralization of silver was the crime
of the ase and was 2 bold stroke in the
interest of capital that has reduced the
value of every product in the world "
The Constitution finds lots of comfort in
this resolution, and sees in it evidence
that the sentiments of the great mass
of voters Of the east on the financial
question are entirely nisrepresented by
the editors and newspapers that are in
the pay or under the influence of gold
gamblers, The Constitution has been
badly sold, for no such resolution as it
quotes has been introduced into the Mas
sachusetts legislature by any committee
of that body, and if 1t had been 1t would
be overwhelmingly rejected. The New
Orleans Times-Democrat is as badly
fooled as the Constitution, and both
these newspapers owe il to their readers
to set the Massachusetts legisla ture right
before them by denying this story of the
resolution.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-18
bright BITS.

-Magistrate-Is IT true that YOU have
been selling liquor without license?
Prisoner-Well, you wouldn't expect me
to give II away, would you?-Philadeiphia
Record.
KATE can't believe that Mr. Gayboy
is so bad man. His wife says that
others do not know him as she does.
Harry but then his wife doesn't
know rim as others do.-Boston Tran
script.
The Editorial "we"-Irate Subscriber
bursting into the sanctum)-Where is
the ,editor2 have come TO whip him,
Editor Hawville Clarion-All right, sir
we Will attend TO your case in a few
subscriber-TFold on. Hold on III take
II az back II there are two Of you for me
to fght--Puck.
Aunt (who knows her niece's age)-
How Is II, Laura, that YOU are going to
marry man younger than yourself?
Niece-Fhat isn't so. HI is the same age
he q, While you are 1862
Niece-That,s all right. burt these dull
times everything is going at a quarter off
you know Detroit Free Press.
An Old man went into a life insurance
Office and asked to be insured The COM
pany asked his age. His reply was nine
tN-four why, my good man. we cannot
insure you said the company. Why
four years old. (" what OF that2'' the cid
man ci'ied, Look at statistics, and they
VIII tell you that fewer men die ait ninety
four than at any other age. London
Spare roments
What do you mean by going along
the street whooping ami bowling in that
insane fashion, aske1 the policeman,
are You drunk?" Not a bill Of it," was
the reply, I'm hurrahin' for our base
ball nine. But the season hasn't open
ed vet. II know it; I'm Selling the gol-
den moment befo-a II passes forever
Experience has taught me that If | don't
40 my huBrah.n for our nine at this time
of year, I'm liable never o get chance .
Washington Star,
-Gcorge-No matter how things go, the
Jack-Yes the naboBs who own rail-
roads think nothing of running OVER a
poor mans horse.
Yes. and the man VINO can afford to
own horse runs down a poor fellow on
a bicycle"
Just so. And the poor fellow on the
bicycle runs down the poor fellow who
has to walk
That's it, and the man who walks
stumbles against the cripple who goes on
crutches."
That's the way And the cripple on
crutchss spends most of his time jamring
his sticks down on other peoples corns.
Its really a selfish world. Clipper.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-18
She Mnsn,t sup erstttlors.

James" said Mrs. Blink to her 10-year-
old SON. what were you saying about the
new moon tonight"
Saw it over my left shoulder, so I
guess I'm going to have bad luck, ma. .
answered Master Pames promptly, ac-
cording to the Detroit Free Press
My son." said Mrs. Blink, kindly. b,Jt
to ind you a believer In idle and foolisb
superstitions. 1 cannot imagine where
you got such silly ideasi There never
was q particle of superstition in my ma
ture. G-o-o-d-n-e-s-s g-r-a-c-i-o-u-s, child.
what is that awful noise?'
That amt nothin', ma, but a dog a.
howlin'"
"Oh, mercy, child, go and see who is
sick in the block. Somebody is going to
die. I never knew it to fail when a dog
howled. Run and drive him away, James,
l hope it isn't meant for any of u.s."
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-18
New PIan Of orannined Charity.

In the city of St. Louis scheme of or
ganized charity that is somewhat out of
the ordinary has been adopted. Il doesn't
solve the problem of charity giving.
and provide a system that cannot be
beaten by undeserving and professional
beggars, but II does offer means where
by sensitive unfortunates ray be aided
without having to undergo humiliatlng
investigation, and at the same time pref
ty well hedges the giver against dead
beats.
The ST. Louis Emergency Aid is the
name of the organized charity that has
devised the system. Headquarters have
been established in central locality
Any person who desires to become a
member of the society or support its
work pays into it's treasury lump sum
say $40, or any other sum. The CON
tributor receives a check book, which
contains not only blank checks and stubs
but each check has a street car coupon
attached. When the holder OF the book
desires to give charity. check lis filled
out with the amount TO be
given, the day and the hour
OF its issue, and the purpose to
which the money is to be devoted. The
recipient of the check must take it to
the sosiety's headquarters to have it
cashed. The street car coupon on the
check will insure the recipient a ride 10
the headquarters, and proper directions
from street car conductors. At headquar-
tiers a record of the transaction is kept
If the same person brings two or three
checks, or returns with other checks, an
investigation is made. In the first in
stance the money is paid promptly. In
subsequent instances, If there is anything
suspicious about the holder of the check
payment is deferred until the donor is
informed of the circumstances.
The advantages of the system are ap-
parent, BY it prompt aid may be given,
and in a manner that will not unneces-
sarily humble sensitive petitioner, who
might prefer to starve rather than under
go the cold-blooded investigation insisted
upon by some organized charities. At
the same time. it would be impossible for
a professional beggar to bring in more
than two or three checks without being
caught up with
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-18

The able and distinguished reformer was
discussing the tipping system with
plain, oHcinary travelling salesman, while
they were taking dinner on diussS car,
says the Detroit Free Press
The eXorbitant fees" he said, which
are bestowed on servants is but another
instance Of tendency to be Over-gener-
GUS, which once reduced to a custom,
becomes the severest kind OF tax. in that
II is likely 10 affect the warmest-hearted
people Why, my dear sir. should We
pay the &-cent fees2 Why, indeed, the
lucent fee2 Why any Zee 10 the porter?
ne is paid his wages, or at least, he
IS supposed TO have been paid his wages.
Passengers pay their fares They pay
extra for reserved seats The railroad
companies and the Pullman Company, one
or the other. or both, then taxes the trav-
cling public with the wages Of these ser
wants 1t is absolutely wrong; il IS out
raSeous, sir. and might better be the
business Of the highWaymen-
They left the table about this time. and
the able sre tesman. quite unconsciously.
dropped dime into the hand OF the
walter as he moved away.
AS / was saying" he continued when
they had gotten into the smoker, the
seem hard They are hard. They are in
tended to be hard. The abuse is hard.
1t is a blsckmafl which a free American
public ought in all decency TO resent, but
which, regrettable as it is to say it, the
American people in extreme good nature.
continue to submit to. We should push
the legislation. sir. for regulating these
Pullman fares, and push the crusade
against the tipping system. Resent this
blackmai, sir; resent it 10 the uttermost
limit
brush you off, sir" put in the porter
at this point with a gracious smile, and
able statesman stood up. turned himself
around to the porter's wisp kept on talk
ing and paid the porter a quarter with
out once noticing what he was about.
Then he wanted to know what made
the travelling nla n smile.