davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
HOW ANTS KILL A SNAKE,

Tho Insects Torture tho Reptile to Death
 and Strip the skin from the Body.
 That ants can actually kill snakes is a hard thing to believe. There is ire futablc evidence however that thcydo and scientists have discovered that the snake has hardly a more dangerous enemy. The large rcd'browu forest ant is the sort that is the most fatal to the ophidiuns, and a curious thing about the attack of these tiny creatures on this comparatively enormous reptile is that they kill it for food and not on account of any natural antipathy.
 When some of the ants catch sight of snake they arouse the whole com munity at once. in platoous and bat. talions tho little fellows set upon the reptile, striking their nippers into it's body and eyes at thousands of points at once. So rapidly and concertedly is this done that the snake has no chance at all of escaping | is like 8 thousand electric needles in him at once, The snake soon becomes exhausted and dies ignominiously
 Then the ants set harder at work. This may seem a strange story, but it is true. They begin to tear of the flesh in small pieces, gradually stripping of the skin and working inside of it. Not until they have carried away every thing except the bones and the skin it. self do they leave it.
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
THE LARGEST LENS.
Tho Splendid AehieSeuTont of an Amer
 ican AIanufacturer.

Tho Splendid AehieteuTont of an Amer
 ioan Manufscturer.
 The Clarks have accomplished what has long been regarded as an inpossi- blc thing, and one which no European manufacturer of lenses could be induced Co attempt Thi5is the making of per feet lens of more than three feet across the face. No one but this American manufacturer ever thought of exceed ing the twenty-siN-inch lenses which are in use at several 0hservatorics on both continents, one at the naval ob- servatory at Washington, through which Ir. Hall discovered the long sought satellites of Mars and many double stars. The highest power was supposed to be reached when the Lick telescope in California was put up with a tbirty-sixiuch leps, The difficulties Co be met in the production of perfectly clear lens of great size are so many that the European observers who have wanted anything above the twenty-six- inch lens have had to take the reflect ing telescope, which has a concave mir TOT. It requires, of course, a much larger rehecting telescope to get the same amount of light and the same magnitude of object.
 The making of this forty-one and a half-inch lens says the New York Com mercial Advertiser, is regarded as the crowning work of Mir Alvan ClurS's life. IL $ probable no larger lens win ever be made. Under existing condi- lions a larger telescope than the Yerles-the telescope of the Chicago university observatory for which the lens is underworld be of no great value. To increase the magnifyiug power is at the same time to increase the Instructions Co clear vision. When the object is magnifed the atmospheric agitation is increased to such a degree that distinctness is virtually sacrificed when the object glass i5 larger than forty-one and half-inches. It is doubtful if the Yerkes will be any more useful than the Lick. Some day it may be possible to remove the ob- staclcs to clearncss in the case of powerful lens, though the only reason for suggesting it is that Prof. Tyndall was able to construct glass by which the blue of the atmosphere was dissi. pated in looking through a deep space,
 Ii the Ycrkes glass answers expecta- tions it will enable an experienced ob- server to catch occasional glimpses of the Mars canals, which, though drawn firmly on the Vatican maps, are vague and wagering and almost imaginary through any glass. They can be seen at all only by the trained observer. The great telescope will be most useful in the study of double stars which is now a matter of special interest to many observers.
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
OLD BUT sPRY.

MIME. MUmISG, who has translated many French dramas into German, eel ebrated the one hundredth anniversary of her birth in Berlin April IS. She is still hale and hearty
 MR. N. SCorr, of Shieldsville. Minn.. is q remarkable man. He is one hun drcd and three years old. works his own farm, reads without glasses, and is probably the oldest person in the world with a head of red hair
 JAMES CRUIKsHANK, now in his nine ty-second year and very deaf, crosses the East river regularly every week day to his downtown office in New York and stays there usually until the close of banking hours, lunching at a favorite restaurant. He sometimes walks across the big bridge.
 DR. WILLIAM ELLIOTT of New Haven Conn, who has just celebrated bis ninety-seventh birthday, has lived under every president of the United States since John Adams, and under every governor of Kentucky except the first He still leads very active life and slaves himself twice week.
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
PICKED IN PARIS.

No FEWER than 576architccts entered the competition fur the preparation of plans for the prog,cted Paris exhibition of 1900
 Az enormous flight of carrier pigeons was gotten up in Paris lately Sixty tho1sand birds were let loose in one morning from the leighborhood of the Eiffel tower, five tfUusand of them at one signal
 PARIS papers announce the coming sale of the Chauau de la Chesnaye, where Ferdinand de Lcsseps died. Over l60 acres of forest land in Lorme be- longing 10 the grcat Frenchman must also come under thu hammer.
 N. GRANDIDEB'sC0llcctio of Chinese ceramics, numbering 5000 pieces chronologically ar anged and pre- seuted by him to ths Louvre museum, has been formally opened. The donor has been appointed curator for life, and will receive $1, 200 a year to keep up the collection.
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
HONOR AMONG eAMlNs.
Touching Story Related Of the Boo
 blacks Of Glasgow.

Touching Story Related Of the Boot
 blacks Of Glasgow.
 A gentleman, going through crowd cd part of the city of Glasgow, Scot land, noticed palcfaced little boot black waiting for hire Touched by the delicate lool, of the child, he thought he would give him the black ing of his boots to do, Accordingly, says the Children's Record, he gave the little fellow the signal The boy at once crept lamely toward the gentle man, and, as he pulled himself along, was nimbly supplanied by another little bootblacl,, who was immediately at the gentleman's feet and already to begin,
 Whats this for?" said the gentle man to the intruder, somewhat anrrily.
 Its n rieht,7 said the newcomer. brightly,
 'Jamie's iist wee while oot O the hospital, and the rest Q us take taras aboot O brushin for him
 Jamie smiled pleasantly by way of assuring the gentleman that his com radcs story was true
 The gcatleman was so pratGcd by his act of brothcrly kindness hat he gave Jamie's friend whole shilling for his work, telling him to give sixpcnce to Jamie and keep the other sixpcnce to himself
 Ma, na, sir, quickly replied this little hero, giving the shilling Co Jamie and hurTying from the spot na, ma, sir; nane Q us ever take ony O Jamie's sillcr."
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
FROM THE BOOK WORLD.

HENRI RoCuEFoRT has followed the example of Eola and Jules Claretie ana taken to a bicycle.
 JOIN SHERMAN is said to be writing a book of rCcollections covering the period of hls public service.
 TIE Browning society in London held a special celebration lately for th1 am niyerSary of the poets baptism,
 CONAN DOYLE has purchased some land on topof Scottish mountain, and Will build himself a house and do his literary work there.
 LADY JEUNE's articles on the New Woman" have had an unexpected re- suit Her husband, Sir Francis Jsune, president of the probate and divorce court, has taken to bicycle.
 PARIS may evolve another Marie lIashkirtseff fever out of the case of Motoyosi Savian, a young Japanese poet who has just died in poverty and neglect in one of her hospitals
 ALEXANDER DUMAS, fills, remained Q widOwer very short time. He has just married Mme. Regnier, widow of the actor. Sardou and Ernest Legouve were witnesses to the marriage,
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
usEs Fo7 oLp RAILs.
A Great Amount ot Bar5eI-Hirc Tcacing
 Is MaI of Them.

HaNAhA saAaA'AHAh '.H tfA- f.iT VI thN htAhatsk
 Is Mad Of Them.
 In speaking Of the usc Oi old rails re- gently says thc Railway Reviewer. an official of the Pennsylvania railroad stated the lie of & rail oa the Penn yl- yuuia linga yves, { about eleven yglr. and on the Pennsylvania railroad only nine years The difference i3 pcrhaps due to heavier traffic ol the pcnasyl- vauia railroad The friction of con. rtanuy passing trains wcar oa the rail until ttaGst be replaced by I nc" one. The company pays twcuty-f2ur dollar tou--noT twcutv-t}vo dollaFs--.sal thc r.ila used on thai line average ciRhty-Gyo pounds e the yard. When it has passed its useful stage the rail is replaced.
 The old rails that are taken out from timc to time are gathered mp every month and sold to junk and scrap deal crs at twelve dollars ton IL can read ily be seen Chat the company pays only twelve agllar5 for the usu oi raHs per tua Tho price received from th crap uaG j. good llgurp when ]. i5 known that he rails, when sold ar7 ol DO use 10 the company Rails Chat are Eot much worn are soid 10 factories aloua the road 8; eighteen dollars per ton. where they arc used for sidiuEs aHd aa- swcr the purpose qlitu well a. new rails, There arc many uscs ta which the old rail is put A great amount of barb-wire fencing is made of railroad iron and very often thc rails are uscd as foundations for large buiIdmrs Taera are not many people who know that the Masonic temple ia Chicago rests on @ foundation of ssepl rails, iaycr upon layer sjN feet deep
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
EREMoA LossEs lN MAI
Six Mniion meu snid to Have rerishsd in the Wars of the Last Century.

Six Mnlion Meu snid to Have perishsd In
 tho Wars of the Last Chntury
 Dr. Lageneau of the French academy of medicine has been making an esti- mute of the deaths by tho wars of France for the past century. He finds, according tn the New York Sun, that the civil wars of the end of the eight. eenth century and of the republic up to aud including the year 1909 cost the lives of more than ?, 10000 Frenchmcn. From the year 1891 to Waterloo, when France was fighting Europe iu arms, more thun 8, ,l50, 900 Frenehmen were cngaged and nearly 2,O00,0 900 porished. Under the restoration, Louis Phillipe, and the second republic, when there were campaigns in Spain, Greece and Algiers the army included less than 2l5.000 mcn and the loss in battle was only twonty-two per thousand Even iu the brilliant African campaigns the mean annual loss was less than 150 men,
 Next cume m era of frequent and bloody wars, the wnr in the Crimee, the war in Italy Che war in China, the warin Mexico, and GnGlly the war with Prussia Ont of rather loss thuu Sio u00 French soldiers sent to the CriInca p5.Gl5 pcrished. Of the 5O0,000 that took part in tho Italian war pesrly 10000 perished. Nearly 1,001 periahcd in the expedition to China. The med ical statistics oi the French in the war of 1870 have not been published nor l.y.., tI,.. ,f tl,. Nf,,s n, t,t, a ss.{ n fy5,, r The effective strength of the French in is70-7l was l,A0o,o0l men, The number lost is not positively known but it is believed that thc wars of the seeond empire cost l,B09, ,0l0 lives. Dr. Lage- neau estimates that the small wars of the third republic have been fought at comparatively small cost of human life He estimates the total loss for the cen tury to have been 6,o0o 900 of men, mostly young
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
CURIOUS TREES.
several That Arc Valuable, Gigantic and
 Historic.

several That Arc Valuable, Gigantic and
 Historic.
 The largest orange tree in the south is a gigantic specimen which grows out of the rich soil iu Terre Bouuc parish, Louisiana It is fifty feet high aud df- teen feet in circumference at the base, Its yield has often been ten thousand oranges per season.
 The ''tallow tree' of China has pith from one inch to two feet in di- ameter, according to the size of the tree, which is composed of greasy wax, which is so highly volatile that it often catches fire spont aueously, consuming the tree to the very ends of it's roots.
 The largest oak tree now left stand ing in England is "Cowthorp's oak, ' which Is scyenty-eight feet in circum. ference at the ground The oldest tree in Britain is Parliamentary oak, in Clipstone park, London, which is known to be fifteen hundred years old
 The largest apple tree in New York state is said Co be one standing near the town of Wilson, It was planted in the year l5l5, and it is on record that it once yielded thirty-thr ee barrels of apples in a single season.
 There are four hundred and thirteen species of trees found growing within the limits of the United States The curiosity of the whole lot is the black ironwood, of Florida, which is thirty per cent. heavier than water. Well dried black iroRwood will sink in water almost as quickly as will bar of lead.
 The life tree of Jamaica is harder to kin than any other species of wood growth known to arhoriculturists. IL continues to grow and thrive for months after being uprooted and cx- noscd tn the sun.
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
A Kno,r .NotIlInr .Inrr.

The difficulty of impaneling a jury in the early courts of Wisconsin may be seen from an incident related iu 1.-The Bench and Bar of Wiscousin. .' Judge Irwin was on the bench, and Q murder trial was pending. c. T Long, familiarly known as "Lucy" Long, was under sheriff There was difficulty in getting jury which knew nothing about the facts of the case. The regu- lar panel had been exhausted, and q special venire had been issued, and was finally returned Well, Mir. Long" asked the judge, have you at last se- cured d sufficient number of iurymen who kuow nothing about this case?" "Yes, sir" replied the polite officer. "Six of them know nothing about this ease, and the other six know nothing at all
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
PEOPLE OF MANY LANDS.

THREE larg, rooms were needed to hold all the eishtieth birthday presents recently given to Bismarck.
 HEyEY NJ. STANLEY says the worlds greatest need just now is a railroad through Africa from the Mediterranean to tbc cape.
 EMILIO CASTELAR, has been made for eIgn associate of the French Academy of HoraE Science, in the place of tho Italian histC7iari, Cesare Cantu.
 Ar BURsLEM, in Staifordshire, where Wedgewood was born, there will be centenary exhibition of pottery in July and August, this year being the hun drcdth since his death.
 SIR ARTHUR BIGGE, the new private secretary to Queen Victoria, is an ex- colonel of the royal artillery, and dis tiuguishcd himself in the campaign of 1szs-70 in Zululaud. He is said to be man of remarkable tact.
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
Saturday, September 21, 1895.
DINNER PARTY ETIQUETTE.

HOSTESS should introduce her guests to each other at a small dinner party
 WEEK or ten days Is considered suf' fieient notice for dinner invitations.
 GUESTS at a dinner always go in pre- vious to the daughters of the host or hostess.
 DINNER party invitations are always issued in the names of the host and hostess.
 No ATTEMPT at music or amusement uf any kind is made in the interval be- fore dinner.
 X GENTLEMAN always offers his right arm to the lady whom he takes in to dinner and places her at his right hand at table.
 WHEN there are more gentlemen than ladies present at a dinner party those gentlemen for whom there are DO ladies follow the hostess to the dining-room.
 Tr is not now the custom, as formerly, for brides during the first months of their marriage to take precedence of other ladies at a dinner party, unless their rank or position entities them to do SO
 WHEN a dinner party Is given by an unmarried or widow lady the gentle man second in social position should be asked by the hostess to lead the way to tho dining-room, taking in the lady to whom precedence is due.
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
oRusLrY ro A CORONER.
An English Policeman Treats Him with
 Amazing Disrcspect

An English Policeman Treats Him with
 Amazing Disrespect.
 Tho police of Denbigshirc area grace less and irreverent lot, says London Truth Oncof their number at Wrex- ham lately spied chimney on fire at the residence of ". Wyan Evans and straightway took out summons for tho offense. If Mir. Evans had been an ordinary citizen this would have been proper proceeding, But Mir, Evans is not au ordinary citizen, and he speedily reminded the chief constable of the fact.
 "I am, as you arc aware" wrote Mir Evans, ''one of her majesty'S coroners of this county. By virtue of my office am also magistrate for the county Do you suppose that it can do the pos lice my good, or further the cause of law and order in this borough, that l should be subjected to the indignity of being fined one shilling and costs for technical breach of an obscure provi- sion of the public health act for which personally 1 am no more responsible than you areP l come into almost daily relationship with your officers in the conduct of my official duties as coroner. Hitherto this relationship has been pleasant one and free from any friction, Is it wise on your part to create a feeling of a grievance on my part and bad blood on both sideS?n
 This Is suficieat to show the coro- ner's sense of dignity and calm judicial temper, but tlcre was further hint that, if the summons were proceeded with, he might make things disagree able for tho police Instead of trying to appease the afrronted official the chief copstable replied that he consid- cred ;ne letter "in tho worst possible taste. The poliee,' he added, cannot favo one and punish another" How ever the magistrates can-and they disH issed the summons.
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
CRICKET FIGHTING.
One of the Favoritc Sports of Chinese
 Gamblers.


 Gamblers.
 The Chinese are inveterate gamblers, and never lose an opportunity to bet, no matter how trivial the cause may be- One of their great institutions is cricket fighting, the criclkets being caught, fed and trained carefully as q blooded horse.
 There is a fixed diet for them, part of the food consisting of honey and boiled ehestnuts If they get sick they are fed with mosquitoes. Prior to fighting their weight is ascertained and duly re- corded, there being fixed regulation as to their size and weight.
 On the door of the house in which the fight is to take place the record of each cricket is pasted up, and the owner of the winner gets ten per cent. of all the bets
 The cricket pit is low tub placed on a table, and, after weighing, the com batants are put in it and tickled with straws until they rush at each other with loud chirrups and fight until one of them is killed.
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
RE REMEMBERED.
But Ills Prospective Hostess Got Back at
 Him Jusi the Same.

tiui HIS AfeePfEtiff tlboAtF1 hpN Af-tA at
 ITim Jus. the Same.
 Washington society has been de scribcd in so many different ways that people in general have no definitely correct idea of it; but that there arc many bright people there is abundantly proved in little book called "Thc Show in Washington iu which the fol lowing story is given:
 Mavroycni Bcy, the young Turkish minister, aspires to be a society leader. A young hostess was issuing verbal in- citations to her friends for an informal five-ocloail tea.
 Tho minister, oycrhcaring her smil- ingly begged that he might be included in the list, and at the same time called out to his secretary, who entered the room: Monsieur Effendi, madcmoisclle has asked me to tea with bcr at five o'clock tomorrow. Remember the en- gagemeut for me-
 The following day the party met early in the afternoon at the white house, and, upon seeing his hostess-to- be, he crossed the room saying;
 ''Is 1t not this afternoon at five that am to have the pleasure of taking tea with Vou?"
 'I do not remember" was the re- sponsc of the young lady. Ask your secretary
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
Her connn.Ir,m.

IL is often hard to determine hit from ''good wit in the case of children, and some of their flashes of preeocity seem not to be unconscious, but rather the fragment of some remembered knowl- edge. A little maid of five, who had been listening quietly to the puzzles and conundrums of the older children, seemed at last to divine the method of their construction, and, after some thought, asked; What could you get on very high, steep rnountain?" The answers were ice, snow, rocks, eagles nests and the like. to all of which the little one consistently shook her head. When asked to tell the answer she tri- umphantly cried: 'Nothing!r But why?n asked the others, in a breath. Because you couldn't get up there after it" was the demure reply
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
unhnnnr compnrlson.

Ministers cannot be Answered back" on Sunday, but on week days, some times. the ease is different.
 "Why weren't you at the kirk on Sundny2n asked Scotch preacher of one of his parishioners.
 ''T was at Mir. Dunlop's kirk" was the answer.
 T don't like your running about to strange kirlSs in that way. Not that object Co your hearing Mir. Dunlop, but I'm sure you widna like your sheep straying away into strange pastures. :"
 T widna care a grain, sir, if it was better grass, said the parishioner.
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
A PATRIoTIo rEAoHER.
How Politely Sarcastic Little Italian
 Mns CrusI1cd.


 Was Crushed.
 An Italian gentleman whom met while travelling disclosed most de- prayed inapprcciation of the wonderful vastness of the United States, says a writer in Scribncr's.
 He spoke English very well, fer he had been many ycaTh in London and as we were enjoying the sea coast view between Pisa and Via Rcggio, he asked politely whether I was not an Amer ican from the states On learning that was he begged me to tell him something of our government
 You have Q president of the couu- try, the whole states. is it not?n he in- quircd, earnestly
 l nodded assent.
 Va bcne! If man kills--murders, you understand-who tries him, the federal or state courts?'
 The state courts,' replied, unless it is case of treason"
 If he is convicted, who can pardon ninth president, of coursc?n he asked, with calm assurance and aslight emphasis on the "of course."
 No, indeed; the murderer is tried in the state courts; he can be pardoned only by the state board of pardons, if there is one, or by the states chief officer r-thc governor. The president las nothing to do with it."
 "Wcllr' flashed my companion, sar- castically, fin Italy the governor ofa little petty province has not the par doning power"
 Sir" I thundered, now thoroughly angry, Italy will go twice into the petty province of Texas.n
 It was very naughty to get angry, and especially with such politely sar- castle little Italian. 1 know-it But who could sit still and hear the sheer, unapproachable - nay glorious irn- Ineusity ofour country assailed without getting angry2 No one except the au- tlacious fOP, who every nos and then annoys us with brazcn assertion that bignoss is after all, not such virtue
Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-21
woMENs PosTsoRrPTs.
Reason Why They Are So Prouc to Writ
 Them.

Reasons Why They Are So Prouc Co Write
 Them.
 "Wby women write postsrripts' is a problem that has becu engaging She attention of one of the London gvomau's wccj.lics The answers betray that the sex understands itself, and does not mind exposing its aluiable weaknesses. All are from women who aseribC, among others, these rcasons: "Bccausc they seek to rectify want of thought by an aftcrthoughti" Because they arc fond of having q last word;" "Bceausc they write before they think, aud think aftgr they have written. Our corres spondcRt puts down the feminine ?. $, @ the same cause which leads wolucu topr1l9nged leavo-talsing inomnibuses. namely. and rather profoundly it ap- pears to the casual observer, 'that they lack organization of thought. Another woman comes Co the de- feusa of her sisters with the suggestion that when women have anything special to communicate they know that their F. S is cquivas lent 10 \. B.. and yct another friendly soul turns Q neat compliment in her reason: Probably because woman her self is the embodiment of the F. $ iu the scale of creation, she-the indispen- sable-wus added last