davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
ABOUT TEXAS GEESE.
Remarkable Intelligence Displayed
ms Reported by n Citizen.

1nteI1xenCe Displayed
ms Reported by n Citizen.
Il have been having a good deal Of trou-
Bile lately with the birds on my goose
ranch.' said Col. Stitt-Floyd of Wharton,
Tex, to Star reporter.
Il had an order for a thousand dozen
goose eggs. and my troubles all arose in
trying to fill that order. 1t is the first
time 1 ever attempted to market any eggs
always heretofore relying on the sale IF
feathers and live birds for my profit
This is the laying and Matching season
with rs, and I thought 1 would have no
Now, a hen, you know, will let you rob
her nest right along. just SO you leave one
egg. 1t is supposed that hen has no idea
whatever of numbers. But this is not true
OF Madame Goose as l found out to my
sorrow.
The first two or three days we secured a
big batch of fresh eggs, but after that the
fnd began to dwindle down so fast that
determined to make personal investi-
CATION. l went down to the river bolt om
next day and found that instead of being
of attending to business all the geese
winch We're no. sitting had 'fiocked' and
We're rowing about feeding just as if they
never expected to lay another egg. When
approached tham,instead of running away
they all sat down ana began to hiss at me-
IL was clear case of strike, and l was
at loss to know how to settle the trouble
l tried putting half dozen porcelain eggs
in each nest, but it would not work The
geese came up, eyed them solemnly and
walked off. Then. in despair. l told the
boys to put the eggs we had gathered back
and see if that would break the strike
Well sir. inside of two hours after the
eggs were returned every goose was back
on her nest, and for the next four or five
days there were more eggs laid on the
tioyds ranch than there had been before
in years; but 1 dare not undertake to fill
the egg order"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
BACHELOR IGNORANCE,
Especially When Children Happen to
Be Under Consideration.

From the New York Tribune.
Bachelors who have lived long alone or
in hotels and clubs acquire strange ignor-
ance about children. One of these was
telling friend how his little nephew en-
joyed 1.-THE Jungle Book"
How old is he?' was asked
ooh. don't know. Seven or eight. Nav.
be ten"
Then he can read the stories himselfr'
Let me see. No, he can't. He's toe
young. He has the book read to him.
"Then he must be less than ten years
old"
The uncle was puzzled That's So" he
said, reflectively. My brother hasn't been
married nearly so long as that. don't be.
heve its more than six years. No. the boy
can't be over four or five. 1 think he's jus,
four
Can't you tell his age by looking at
him?" asked the friend.
why. no." answered the uncle, hope.
lessly. 'All children look the same age to
me except infants and those that are about
ready for college,"
1t was another bachelor who was visit
ing friends, when caller came with his
young son. The boy was four or five years
old. and a manly little chap. The bachelor
was attracted by his appearance, and, pat
ting his cheek, said to the father:
Hes a sturdy boy, isn't he? He'll be
years"
II can play ball already" spoke up the
ohild proudly.
why, he can talk. can't her exclaimed
the astonished bachelor. Il didn't know
children could talk at his age.'
The company would have doubted the
sincerity of his ignorance had he not been
too evidently in earnest.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
CHAMPION MEAN MAN.
A Discovery in Virginia That Far
Eclipses All Previous Ones.

81 located the meanest man In the world
a few days ago." said a travelling man to a
Star writer. Il stopped at small Virginia
town, and. the hotel being crowded. had to
sleep in the room with another man. 1 left
call for an early morning train, and when
l was awakened found that my roommate
had taken a still earlier train. I also dis
covered that he had taken my trousers, in
the pockets of which were about $50.
complained about it at the hotel, and the
clerk said the man was a horse buyer, and
it would be made all right, SO l took the
train to a town about 100 miles distant.
On the train l examined the pockets of the
trousers / had on and found a wallet con-
tanning 5000. 1 telegraphed the real own
er at once, saying 1 would return them.
which 1 did. not paying the express
charges, as l was out of funds, he having
all my money. After two days, during
" hich 1 wore borrowed trousers, 1 received
mine with express charges unpaid and a c.
o. d. bill attached for % cents he had
paid on his own.,sI borrowed the money
and got the package, but if there is a prize
attached to the discovery of the meanest
man in the world, l want it,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
CATS AND THEIR WAYS,
Some Characteristics Of This Popula
Household Pet.

Some Characteristics of This Popular
Household Pet.
From Temple Bar.
Cats do not take punishment as dogs doi
| their temper RISES and IL struck they arc
| apt to strike back; but beyond a gentle cuff
to a kitten, now and then, find a scolding
| or an exclamation of rebuke enough. They
are also less Intelligent and forgiving than
dog if unintentionaIly kicked or trodden
| On There is no more beautiful expression
in dogs face than the look he turns to
| the friend who has involuntarily hurt him,
before there is time to explain; his whole
demeanor expresses the highest magma
| nimity, not only the foregone pardon, but
the eager desire that the offender shall
think no more of the matter.
In many respects cats are more like men
and women than dogs are; they have
moods, and their nature is complex A dog
is very much of piece: he is a good dog
or bad dog, brave or cowardly, honest or
sneak; the canine intelligence is much
higher than the feline, but the disposition
is simpler.
Cats are exceedingly irritable by tenn
permanent sensitive to changes of the
weather, to frost, to thunder; they are ex-
citable and naturally disposed to bite and
scratch when at play; there is a curious
tendency in them, as in Unbalanced or
everstrung human beings. to lose their
heads when in high spirits, and the self
command most of them show when full
grown in resisting these impulses is a
striking proof of conscious responsibility.
A full-grown pet cat scarcely ever scratch
es a young child no matter how much
| Elauled by it. Besides being irritable they
are moody and subject to depression, proc
ably physical reaction from the former
condition. Princess. though not a sullen
cat, would sometimes forSake the hearth
or. veranda, and pass days by herself, on
garden wall or under bush, not i'll or out
of temper. but ont of spirits, morbid. and
wishing for solitude instead of the SYM
pathy which she always sought in her real
ailments and bereavements.
Her peculiarities, both of race and indi-
viduality, were remarkably DEFINED, even
when she held them in restraint but, with
one exception, all the cats 1 have known
are captious. Their instinct when ill or
sad is to be alone, but this is entirely neu-
tralized by petting; they become as de-
pendent on caresses and sympathy chill
dren, and much wiser than children when
they are ill or injured, as they apply for re-
lief with the most unmstakabie sugges-
tons, sometimes indicating plainly where
they are in pain, and presenting the suffer-
ing member for treatment They not
so patient dogs in taking medicine, or
submitting to surgical care, but snow their
recognition of its benefit by coming back
| for it under similar circumstances.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
A DETECTIVE MYSTERY.
Was the Noted SIeuth Himself Sue
cessful Bank Craftsman.


cessfuI Bank Craftsman.
THE most mysterious affair I ever knew
in detective circles said a well-known
Sleuth to Star writer, was case in the
west. A detective had become famous by
reason of his success in ferreting out heavy
re bberies. 1t seemed that none of the pro-
fessiouals could escape when he once start
ed upon their trails. After time all such
cases were placed in his hands The first
one that he could not discover the thief
was big bank robbery. then after year
or two another, then another: his reputa-
ton was suffering, but it was still good, as
during the same period he was successful
in other difficult cases. He was taken sick
with fever. and while delrious told how he
himself had perpetrated the robberies, de-
scrbing every movement in detail. When
he recovered, it was claimed that his fail
ure 10 unravel the mysteries had caused
the raving confessions. but other men were
put upon them and they failed to find. any
clue whatever. The detective retired and
lives in elegant style, but whether or not
he was as successful in eluding law as in
enforcing it will probably never really be
known"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
TAKING 1T COMFORTABLY,
Not to BE Done OutdOnc by Any
Of His Fellow Studentn.

Not to BE Done or Outdonc by Any
| of His Fellow Students.
when I was at Cornell, a dozen years
ago." said Cornell man to Star reporter,
I'VE used to have great times"
(which are not entirely discontinued" in
| terrupted the reporter.
Il suppose not" he went on Boys will
| be boys, and students will be something
worse. 1 know We were. We had, one fell
! low, though, a chap who is now earning a
salary of $4,000 year, while his father re-
| ceives the largest salary of any man in the
| United States, who was too much for even
| u.s. We had a society in which the inftfa-
tion ceremonies were something frightful,
ihcludins among other pleasing features, a
CONN, IN which the initiate was buried.
That Is, We put him in 1t, and nailed on the
| lid there were air holes in it that he did not
know about, and then with ropes we let
him down through the floor to the next floor
| Where We had pile of ashes, which were
| sboveled onto the coffin in a way that was
really blood-curdling to the man inside.
Wen, this chap l am telling about was
to be initiated, but when the time came,
which was Saturday night he was what he
was every Saturday night, so full that he
couidn come to the scratch. We looked for
MN, but failed to find him, and the oppor-
tunlty passed but not for long. About 1
o'clock in the morning he was seen reeling
upstairs to his room, and thther we fol-
lowed him, carrying the coffin along. He
and by the time we got into his room, after
giving him what We thought was time to
get INTO bed, he was sound asleep.
we weren't very particular how much
noise We made, and, after knocking things
around pretty lively, had set the coffin
upon some chairs, and then lifted him out
OF bed and laid him in it, putting in a
blanket to make it easier on him. Then we
withdrew to think over what he would think
when he walked up in the morning and found
where he was. l guess l must have been
more curious on this point than the others,
Tor as soon as got up slipped over to his
room TO get place to watch him when he
came to himself. l didn't want to disturb
MN while 1 was getting in hiding so 1
opened his door very carefully, and poked
my head In. and the sight 1 beheld almost
paralyzed me-"
His hair turned white in a single night? 20
interrupted the reporter, with more or less
of horror.
Not in the slightest" continued the Cor
nell man. He was sitting up in the coffin,
as comfortable as you please smoking a
cigarette and reading Sunday paper"
OF course" he concluded sit was on
US rather than on him, but he explained that
during the night he had had horrible dreams
OF being put in coffin and buried, and he
had some sort of an idea that he might be
Dead but when he woke up he tumbled to
the situation at once, and knew that some
OF the gang would be in to see about it, so
he sent out for morning paper, kindled q
cigarette and was ready for visitors"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
ONE SERIOUS EFFECT
OF the Recent Republican Victory I'm
the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

the COMMUNICATES OF hentucNy.
1t was somewhat early in the morning
when The Star reporter dropped into the
wet goods department ,pf popular down.
town hotel where there Is always to be
found large southern contingent-in the
hotel not the WIG. department-and stand
ing at the counter there he saw we'll
known Kentuckan of the older school. 1t
was about ten days after the election news
had been received from Kentucky, and the
Kentuckians BROW was not crowned with
sunlight or laurels On the contrary, 1t
was swathed in heavy gray clouds. 1t may
be explained here that the reporter was not
in that locality after drink, but after a
man who after a drink. AS he stood
talking to him, his attention attracted
by the Kentuctians talk to the barhecper,
who had showed a well-worn black bottle
cut IN front of his customer.
Take it away" said the Kentucllian,
glComly, with a funereal wave of his hand.
Whats the matter with it?" asked the
surprised barheeper. It's the same Ken
lucky rand you've been using for years"
Il know it." he said, regretfully, but
ever since Kentucky went republican it
to try something else. Suppose you give
me a little of that Maryland rye.
Certainly, SIR" said the barkeeper. defer
entially, and turned to get it, but stopped
half way.
Excuse me. SIR" he ventured, but
didn't Maryland go that way, too?"
The kentuckian thrummed on the coun-
ter with his knuckles nervously.
That's so. that's So" he unused: then
he broke out tiercely: Il wonder if I've
got to drink water" and walked out of
the place Indignantly
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
SORDID IN HIS LOVE,
Gets Back Part of His Marriage Fee
With Interest.

Gets Back Part of His Marriage Fee
With Interest.
From the Chicago Times Herald.
In September Rev. w. B. Matteson of
the Baptist Church at Owosso, Mich, was
called upon to marry couple, the groom
being a man of seventy and the bride con-
siderably younger. At the conclusion of
the ceremony the groom handed the minis
ter $50. Several weeks later Mr.. Matteson
was informed that owing to the excitement
of the occasion, the aged bridegroom was
somewhat ratified, and had mistaken the
$50 for IS, and demanded a rebate of SIS
The reverend gentleman sent his check for
the required amount to correct the error
but this was not sufficient. 1t seems in
the old mans third venture three months
was all that was required to exhaust the
glamor of matrimony, and life with him
had become once more simply a matter Of
business. Consequently he demanded that
the minister pay him interest on the SIS.
The request was Immediately complied
with, and a second check was drawn for
the sum of fifteen cents, and when the
voucher was returned a few days ago the
minister caused it to be framed and it now
hangs in his study.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
EXPENSIVE TO THE GOVERNMENT.
How Much a Patent for an Intricate
Invention Costs.

Invention Costs.
The government has recently granted two
patents, which cover probably the most in
tricate and complex machine ever con-
structed. 1t is claimed that before the first
machine was perfected the company con-
structing 1t had expended 81 ,300, 600. The
first application filed contained 2O4 sheets
OF drawings having over 1000 separate
views. During the eight years the case
was pending in the office before allowance
the number of sheets was reduced to 1G3.
When 1t is remembered that the majority
of patents have but single sheet of draw
lngs, and that to require as many as ten
sheets Is quite an exception. the magnitude
OF the invention can be understood.
Inc ices charged by the patent office
UNIFORM fer all cases, nc matter how COM
pick or how simple-s15 on filing the case
and go additional on allowance of the
paten-.
When this case was filed it was turned
over fer examination to an examiner, who
received salary of s1,SGO and he spent
SIX weeks in studying the case before being
ahle to make the first action. The entire
specification was twice rewritten, each
time by different attorney. How much
this cost the Inventor is not known, but 1t
Is runored that the attorney who first pre-
pared the case received fee of $4,000 and
an allowance of $1,000 extr0 to pay for the
drawings.
While the cs Sc was pending the examiner
who first had it in charge resigned from
the office, and it was turned over to an
other assistant of the same rank. This as
slstant went over the entire ground three
times, cor Stunning several weeks. and finally
he was authorized to go to Chicago and
spend month in examining a working
machine. When the request was first made
o. the commissioner that the examiner be
permitted to make the trip it was promptly
refused. For argument the chief of the
DIVISION Their no r.
ing pile some two feet thick of unfolded
drawings and typewriter specification, and
the commissioner said: HE can 60" The
machine is for the setting, justifying and
distribution of type 1t comprises no less
than 1850 separate parts.
The patent Office is a money-making in
sututlon. 1t earns, above expenses, about
$2ooDo per year, and now has deposited in
the treasury a. neat little balance of over
Sl,"GD,OOO Upon this job. however, 1t lost
heavily. 1t is estimated that it consumed
about $l.OO worth of time of the various
patent office officials before maturing into
patent, and when issued the usual rule
rad to be followed of preparing copies for
sale at the regulation price of 10 cents
each Tle pa sheets of drawings had to be
photolthoSraphed and the entire body of
the specification and claims set up in type,
costing for the first edition, as estimated
by the ordinary rules. few cents over Sc
per copy. These copies are sold to the
public for 10 cents each or 20 cents for the
two patents, covering the entire invention.
AS soon as one edition is exhausted an
other is ordered. A great many people or
der copies of the patents just for curiosi-
ties
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
INTENDS TO BE POSTED.
A Bright Western Boy Who is Study
ing Electricity.


The other day Commissioner Seymour re-
ceived in the usually large mail Of the pat
ent office the following nice little letter
from a boy away out in Seattle, Wash,
saying:
Dear Uncle Sam: Will you send one of
your nephews one or two volumes of pat
ent Office reports of recent date? l want to
find out about electricity most though
would like to know about other patents,
too. 1 am twelve years old, and 1 am go
ing to be in the navy sometime, 1 guess,
and l want to be posted about things.
Your Nephew.
The commissioner was much pleased by
the letter, and calling Mr. ]. w. Babson of
the Gazette division to his aid, they made
out handsome batch of documents, Illus
trating not only electricity, but all the lines
of scientific and mechanical study which
might interest boy, and sent it on to him.
The commissioner also wrote the following
letter to the lad who will be happy lad
no doubt when he gets it:
Dear little sir: have your esteemed let
ter of December IA, 1885, stating that you
are twelve years Of age and expressing
your desire to find out about electricity and
other subjects for electricity, in order that
you may post yourself, and in the end at
tain your ambition to enter the navy. 1
take great pleasure in sending you, with
this letter, some of the reports of this office
and other reading which, 1 hope, may be
interesting and helpful to you. A great
many little boys have shown genius and
ability in the exercise of the inventive
faculty, and patents have been granted to
IL EN- by the government Of the United
States for their inventions. AS you may
know this is protection for seventeen
years to use exclusively and enjoy their
own inventions. Your interest on these
subjects is very praiseworthy, and this
office will be glad to hear from you and Of
your success"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28

Col. Carroll D. Wright in the Forum.

OOl CarroH D. Wright IN 1ne FVfUW.
If a permanent census office is to be es-
tablished at all, the initiative legislation
looking to that result should be taken with
out delay; for under sucn legislation Who
ever might be placed at the head Of such an
office would have ample opportunity to
study the whole question ami to report to
Congress full and comprehensive plans for
future census work. There are these three
reasons. then, for prompt legislation: The
action looking to the unification of certain
inquiries in the various ceususes of the
world for 1890; the necessity of preparation
for the twelfth census; the desire to estab-
lish a permanent census office. In consid-
ering these three reasons, there is no ncces-
sity Of INDUCING III any criticisms, for all
criticism must come back 70 the fac. that
there has been no one whose particular duty
1t was 10 to IL that proper preparations
we're made, not only for legislation, hut for
the real work of the census.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
What He Drew.

From the Yonkers Statesman.
Bacon-'I was up to Artist PENIS house
last night"
Yeast-"Did he draw any for your
eyes, indeed, he did"
what was the best thing he drew dur.
ing the EVENING""
"a cork"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
Why Rice Isn't Mentioned In the Bible
From the Aberdeen Examiner.

Why Rice Isn't Mentioned In the Bible
From the Aberdeen Examiner.
A book before US says: Rice is not men,
toned in the Bible, as it did not grow in
the countries in which Bible happenings
occurred" We think the author is mis-
taken. The fact that the word rice" does
not appear is no evidence of the non-exist-
ence of product: thatoin the Bible era was
feeding the majority of the worlds peo-
pie. From the earliest ages the blanket ex-
preston corn" has been used to cover
all manner of grains and seeds used for
food. In England the word now applies to
barley, rye, oats and more specifically
wheat; in Scotland it usually means oats,
while here it only refers to maize. The
word corn frequently occurs in the Bible,
and when we consider the enormous COM
| merce of Palestine, particularly in the days
of Solomon, it Is natural to suppose that
rice was among the imports. and that, like
wheat and other grains, 1t finds shelter
under the market term corn"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
Useless Question.

From the Chicago Tribune.
"Dis ting's got to go trough" said one
of the aldermen at the committees meet
ing. ''Dere's money in it,
EUR de city," asked a member of the
council.
And the only reply he got was the CLASSY
stare,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28

yelled whats th9t%1fs only boy can.
and, as the occupant 1t the press gallery
arose. the young lady blushingly withdrew.
1 recognized in her one of our school
teachers. who perhaps found the time an
opportune one and the, echo of the Senate
walls a source of )5nsptration for her out
burst of oratory, which was unhappily
ended by the page boys yell.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
Malicious.

From the Fliegende Blactter.
Atom must have had an awful cold
when he became engaged
B.-"Why?"
A.-"Because when one has cold one
has no taste"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28

FAther-'Wtat! Let that little darkey
whip you again? You're a fine-looking chap
aren't your
Son-"Well, II got even this time, pop;
you ought to see what 1 did to his little
brother.'-Truth.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-28
Deccncy and Dress.

From the Detroit Tribune.
First diner-"They seem to have brought
us a very decent fowl this time"
Second diner-"Yes, the dressing is above
reprOach"