davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1896-07-18


We found charming old Turkish libra
rian. speaking no language but his own,
but proud of and devoted TO the books un-
der his care He had six or eight intelli-
ge'lt assistants. We were soon seated at
a table, q carefully prepared and very full
catalogue before us, and our friend Sadik
Bey, at hand as interpreter. 1t was touch
ing to see the genuine anxiety of the old
librarian to find any book my husba nd
wished to see, and he was ably seconded
by his assistants. They first brought us
some exquisite Persian manuscripts. beau
tifully Illuminated and bound; and when
We made them understand that my hus-
band would like to see any books in the
library from India, they eagerly produced
all they had, bat they proved to be chiefly
modern works on music. After they had
brought some fine manuscripts of the
Koran, with CLOSES and commentaries.
they asked us to walk about and examine
the general contents of the building.
The bookcases were of the best construc-
ton, with movable shelves, and at one end
We found very good collection of En-
glish, French and German classics The
center Of the room was occupied by glass
cases. filled with gorgeously bound. illus
trated works. chiefly gifts to the sultan.
While my husband, with the aid of Sadik
Bey, was talking to the old librarian, the
assistants showed my son and myself some
fire photographs of places in the sultan'a
domains and of public buildings m Stam-
bCul
Evening star., 1896-07-18

From the Baltimore Sun.
Recent observations made by Professor
A. Agassiz in the Calumet and Hecla mine,
near Lake Superior, to ascertain the rate at
which temperature increases toward the
center of the earth, give slower rate of
increase than has been found in previous
recorded observations. The observations,
as described in the Popular Science Month
ly for June, were made at various depths
by placing registering barometers in holes
drilled ten feet into the rock and plugged
with wood and clay. After the thermome-
ters had remained in place three months
the holes were opened and results obtained.
The highest temperature recorded at a
depth Of 1850 feet was ~ degrees Fahren-
heit. AT a depth Of 1O5 feet the rock tenn
perature was 80 degrees. Between these
limits there was a column of rock, or 4415
feet, with difference of temperature of
20 degrees, or an average increase of 1 de-
gree for each 2237 feet. The observa tions
in the St. Gothard tunnel gave an increase
of / degree for each 60 feet, and those of
Lord Kelvin elsewhere made the increase
l degree for each 81 feet.
The thickness of the crust of the earth
deduced from Lord kelvin's rate of in
crease Of temperature downward was
twenty miles; from the ST. Gothard rate
twenty-six miles. Professor Agassiz's rate
would make the crust over eighty miles
thick. 1t is conceded, however that the
close proximity Of the enormous mass of
cold water in Lake Superior is a possible
source Of error in observations made i'm the
Calumet and Hecla mine.
Evening star., 1896-07-18

coast. and 1850 miles almost due south
from New York, the 10Th degree Of longi-
tude passing as closely to it as to Boston.
From New Orleans 1t is distant only !, 500,
and from Key West 1,2oO miles. 1t also
les near the Gulf of Venezuela, which
receives the waters of Lake Maracaibo.
Its Importance as a shipping and trans
shipping post is indisputable and perma-
nent.
The island is thirty-six miles long, not
over eight wide In any part. and contains
a hundred and sixty-four square miles.
With Bonaire (E5uen Aire), Aruba and Lit
tie Curacao. AMI st. Eustatius Saba, and
the south part of st. Martin of the Wind
Evening star., 1896-07-18

and doing. no better people than all these,
anywhere. Only their ways are not what
an American has been accustomed to. At
IL o'clock you all retire. with clear heads.
The Liqueur Business.
The business Of Curacao is mostly that OF
a port of supply and transshipment-until
lately the port of a non-producing country.
The productive exceptions are mainly two
Most people have heard Of the nqueur sold
Under the name of "Curacao'-a word, so
applied, which Thackeray, like most Ameri-
cans. spells wrong. with Goa" There
are groves Of a small, bitterish orange In
the islands, the skins of which. at full
growth, but before turning yellow, are
peeled, Quartered, dried and shipped In
else. The oil distilled from these skins
gives its distinct and distinguishing char
acter to the genuine Curacao, which 1s
made only in Amsterdam, put up In bot
ing less than pint, and labeled diagonally
across in three colors. according to grade.
all the grades being pure. but not OF equal
excellence. The peel or skins fetch from
80 cents to 81 per pound, according to the
bounty Of the harvest.
A more valuable product Of Curacao Is
land is phosphate. Near Santa Barbara is
tableland covering about two square
above the adjoining sea. Until twenty
years ago f. was supposed to be nearly
worthless. But it proved to be solid bed
of phosphate matter of unusual richness,
and now 1t is dumped into vessels from a
tramway, a shipload week, and shipped
to England mostly, the shippers paying a
royalty of SO per ton to the government,
and of S12 per ton. think. to the owners
of the land. Previous to this open find"
the United States could have had the
Dutch West Indies as a gift. Now 1t is
different. The Alabama lay some days In
the port, and secured coal when in desper-
ate need. during the late war. Suppose we
had owned the islands then!
Curacao also can produce enormous guam
titles of superior solar salt, and already
furnishes us with over 10000 tons per year.
1t is a stopping place for a regular line Of
steamers from New York to Venezuela.
and through 1t come tons of goat skins and
vast amount of coffee from Colombia and
Venezuela. The dealers sell the coffee to
us as Mocha and Java, at about 100 per
cent advance since the remaining. Do we
see any La Guaira" coffee now?
Sanitary Residence.
Curacao is a healthy and pleasant place
to dream time away in, if for nothing
Evening star., 1896-07-18

ward Islands. it forms the Dutch West In
Ola Islands. Dutch Guiana being upon the
mainland, under a separate colonial gov
ernment. The islands have a governor,
legislature. courts and a few troops and a
man-of-war- the first named Is appointed
by the home government, as we'll as the
members of his staff. The seat Of govern
ment is the city upon the Island of Cura-
Gao. officially known Willemstadt, but
popularity by the name of the island 1t
Is divided by the bay into three parts;
Punda. where the government buildings
and principal business houses are; Otra
Banda tOther Side). populous residence
part, and Scharlo, the 5th avenue Of the
island.
Punda y the old Spanish city of Santa
Ana, and its modern eastward extension is
called Pietermaai- The whole city has a
population of over 12,GO0; the island 25UOO
of whom 1900 are white; all the islands,
about +i.O'g. The official language is
Dutch. but most of the officials and bus
tTess men speak, in addition, English and
Spanish, and many also French. Besides
this unusual variety in SO small a popula-
ton. the business men must speak the
language of the islands. the one known to
all the common people, and to their own
wives and children-the language of the
Catholic churches and all the schools and
most of the homes there-one spoken by
no other country and in use in no books
Observation-Disclosures
FIanked by Castles.
The entrance to the harbor. and thence
to the lard-locked bay, is wide and deep
enough for the largest class of vessels, and
not wide enough for two vessels to pass,
and it is flanked by two old-time castles or
forts of masonry. Dominating these. by
the inner bay and upon a considerable hill,
is Castle Nassau. Although manned by ma
tive troops, under Dutch officers, they have
seldom had occasion to fire a hostile gun.
AS cne sails in by the harbor entrance 4
veritable surprise greets him. On either
side are buildings of stone, two or three
stories high, with queer gables verita BILE
Dutch houses. Ike those In the cities OF
Holland, with, perhaps, pillared balconies
let in on the second floor, and places Of bus
mess below.
Even the governors spacious residence Is
a government storehouse below. Near 1t
stands the Dutch Reformed Church, where
Peter StuyveSant attended when he was
Evening star., 1896-07-18
WIT FREE WITH FOOD,


Baked Beans, HumOr, PhilosOphy,
Common Sense and Business.
From the Buffalo Express
Genius thriv.s in str ange places, some
times even in a cheap restaurant A Bos-
ton man has just opened dime and a
ha1-dime eating house on one of Buffalo's
principal downtown streets. Besides baked
beans, ham and eggs and such things, he
dispenses gems Of wit. Some Of these
jewels are borrowed, it is true, but 1t takes
genius to select and set them ffttingly
The customer finds these gems plastered on
the walls ell around the restaurant, In
the shape Of placards. They are strange
collection, representing humor, sarcasm
sacrilege, philosophy, common sense and
business. Some of them are amusing
others insulting-at least to some people.
but the pl oprietor shows knowledge OF
men, reasoning that the class of people
who paronize dime restaurants are not
likely to take offense at the blunt truth.
AS the customer enters the door the first
sign which catches his eye as he looks for
the bill of fare is:
THE Proprietor Is Lame Blind, Deaf
and Dumb. Buys Nothing, Tries Nothing
Gives Nothing Away. Keeps a Dog. Pass
On"
Next to it is the reminder: do Not Ex-
pect Ellicott-club Fare at Our Prices
A little farther down the same wall is
this one: IF Your Wifes Cooking Don't
Suit You, Don't Expect Ours To-" The
delicate insinuation of which is likely to
strike the married customer pretty close
to home.
Then, as the patron becomes more inter-
estcd and allows his eyes to peruse every
inscription alcng that wall, he catches
these In quick succession:
You Dictate; We Obey"
''If Our Methods Don't Suit You, There
Are Others"
Conpio;pts PacpaotfulIx, T9a,,;,.o,7 :,
when You Feel Like kicking, Just
Don't"
You Gain Nothing by Being Cranky or
Cross"
'Waiters' Time Is Money. Please Order" :"
Money is Not Our Object It's Fun
We're After
mo Objection to You Running Our Bus
mess If You Will Pay the Bills
Provoking the Waiter Will Not Secure
Good Service
DO Not Find Fault and Continue to
PatroniZe U.s."
Loud Talk is No Mark of Gentleman ~
On the back wall over the door leading
to the kitchen is this aggressive quotation:
They Who Enter Here Leave Hope Be
hind"
And over the door of little room which
is curtained off from the resta urant proper,
next to the kitchen, is the warning: Fools
Rush in Where Angels Fear to Tread
There is where the proprietor sleeps.
On the other side-wall are these addi-
tonal pearls or wisdom, logic, advice, and
SO forth:
do Your Kicking at the Desk
Prepare to Meet Thy God. Mince Pie,
s Cents
mo Doubt You Could Run Our Business
Better Than We"
'If You Can Improve on Our Way, Sug-
gest 1t to the Proprietor"
instant Discharge VIII Follow Incivil-
ity From Oar Walters"
1--WE All Have Our Off Days. This May
Be Ours"
Our Aim is to Please"
Good Temper Aids Digestion. Do You
Tumble?"
"If You Are Not Suited, You Can Pull
Out at Any Stage of the Came
HE Who Caters to the Public Worships
a Fickle Cod
1.-The Proprietor is Crank. Govern
Yourself Accordingly"
meet Us Half Way in Our Endeavor to
Please
"If We Cannot Please You, Don't You
Care"
Boston Baked Beans"
Evening star., 1896-07-18

governor, before he was transferred to
New Amsterdam. now part Of greater
New York. little way back is the nearly
olliterated ruin of the "Stuyvesant man
SION and In one of the cemeteries lies one
of StuyveSants legs.
AS to the buildings. there are none other
such in all the new world unless in Surf
nam. Their lines divided by narrow
streets. some not six feet wide, others wide
enough for carts. In each division of the
city there is ole broad, smooth main drive
way. and carriages have their will in them
with their brisk horses of Colombia, often
half wild People PASS from one separate
part of the city to another in fiat-bottom
beats punts this method of transporta-
tion being 4 regular and well-conducted
business. And it all, buildings, streets
castles, boats and semi-nude boatmen, with
the various colored fruit women, and 9TH
ers more curious, trailing their stiffiy
and the street urchins ready to dive, or
diving. for the penny you throw into the
twenty feet of waterfall is quaint and I'M
probable All your experience is upset, and
you have to take new bearings.
For Ii you have acquaintences 'in So
Ciety' and stay in pert over Sunday, you
will attend the Reformed Church in the
morning, and perhaps sit IN the pew as
high as and opposite to the pulpit, the gov
ernors pew. and you Will deposit your Of
fering in bag presented as you pass out
the door: and you will stop at the near
club. Geheliegheid (Friendship) for your
friends sake; and you will take "as the
Romans DO" there, a grog of old Gruly)
Jamaica: and after dinner, somewhere at
q o'clock. you will follow the elite to the
gr> unds of tie governors house, ard prom
eIade until TO the music of the govern
ment band; and you will follow the band
indoors, up the wide stairs. into a series of
hne. lofty saloons, looking out on the bay
and then-fiddle and horn; and the dancers
form, and the stately yet subdued fun be-
Gins. and perhaps the governor Baron Won
Heerdtot Eversberg, says. Permit mer'
In the best OF English. and takes you to
the Dig room, where the asideboard Is not
SO very ioaely-and you take what You like:
ana then you go TO the card room, and 1t
IS fuil OF prosperous, gentlenanly- looking
nen, some chatting and some at whist
anuItnere az is the preacher Of the morning,
bis hand full of cards. his little shilling a.
guilder stake on the table, a strong Havana
In his lips, and glass of brandy and water
at his elbow.
Evening star., 1896-07-18
Covered His House With Mother-of-
Pearl.
Ero fha G 1..ll

FROM the san Francisco Call.
Odd habitaticns are to be found all over
California. Sometimes there is a good rea-
son for their being odd. but often it is the
result of some crank ideas. On the beach
near Cypress Point, in Monterey county.
there Is one that cannot ccme under the
first head and hardly under the last
The residence belonged to a Chinese fish
erinan, and is part natural and part the
work of his own hands. The natural por-
the many rocks that stick up all over the
beach. The other part is a sort of wooden
shed, which has been built in front of the
opening. The lumber used is of the rough
est kind, but The esthetlc Chinaman over
came this objection by covering the whole
outside with abalone Shells the hollow
side being turned out.
The Chnaman evidently did that many
years ago, when the shells ere plentiful
and had scarcely any market value. Every
shell used has been destroyed, as one or
more nails have beer driven through them
according to their size. Some of the shells
are magnificent ia color and enormous in
size. There is one at least fifteen inches in
diameter, and duplicate in good condition
could not be bought in San Francisco for
any price. Most of the larger shells, If
they were not punctured with nail holes,
But that size cannot be had in the market
now, and would be difficult to find on the
rocks on any part of the coast.
The general effect Of the house, when the
sun strikes it at the proper argyle, is daz-
zling. The polished. pearly surfaces
flash with all the colors of the rainbow. IL
is a pleasing and surprising sight, and the
only pity is that SO many beautiful shells
were destroyed to produce it,.
Evening star., 1896-07-18
GOSSIP ABOUT ROYALTY.
The Peculiarly Romantic Position OF
the CEarina of Russia.

INC fec0lx0E1y hOm0mtlC kO0ttIOH OF
the CEarina Of Russia.
From the New York Recorder.
Gossip about royalties is always interest
Ing. but there is at present no royalty
about whom every scrap Of information is
SO welcome as the Czarina Of Russia. Her
youth and beauty. the gloom amid which
her marriage to Nicholas took place. and
the melancholy. lonely splendor Of the Rus
sian throne. all unite to make her position
peculiarly romantic one, while her per-
sonal character and attainments would at
tract attention, even If she were a less ex-
alted parsonage.
Her imperial majesty is the youngest sur
viving daughter of Princess Alice of Eng
land. and the granddaughter Of the En-
giish queen. Ever since her eighteenth
plrthday her marriage with the presen
car has been discussed, and 1t is said tina
ne then declared to his father that he woul,
marry no other princess. But there wer,
several difficulties in the way, and 1t was
nearly hve years later when their forma
betrothal took place, while even then tn,
course or true love did not run smoothly.
Inc RUSSIAN law enacts that the wife OF
.ne helr APPARENT to the Russian throne
must beiong to the Greek Orthodox Church.
and Princess Alix was determined to he
thoroughly convinced before she gave up
the religion Of her youth. When all other
opJectlons had been removed, she absolute
> A>AoSSu W ucCldTc las Is required OF a
convert to the Greek Church) that her
former religion was utterly false, and for a
lcns time the Greek priests were equally
nrm In their refusal to waive the point
The situation began to look serious. bu,
when the ecclesiastical powers had recov.
cred from the shock Of having a feminine
Will opposed to theirs, they began to see
the light, and modified their views a little
Ine courageous young woman had her way
ana was received into the Greek Church or
her own terms
During this time Alexander III was suf.
1ering from the illness from which he died
ana when he saw that the end was near
ne expressed wish to see his son married
TO the Princess Alix before his death. She
was accordingly sent for, and the formal
betrothal, which in Russia is as binding as
marriage. took place, the marriage cere.
mony being performed soon after the czar's
death. ~
since her marriage the czarina has de.
voted herself to her husband and his peo.
PIE: She very soon began to interest her.
sell In The education of women and IL IS
certain that the Russian women will have
ana already have, cause for deep thank.
iulness to their empress for the efforts she
Is making in their behalf
Her majesty inherited from her mothe,
deep interest in everything relating to
ner sex, and sees the necessity of more
liberty In their education although she is
not altogether in favor Of their enterius
public life.
Evening star., 1896-07-18

more. Its remarkable dryness, with tenn
pering trade winds. makes 1t a sanitary
residence for consumptives also. 1t Is so
dry that little can be raised, except fruit
trees in its hollows, or where q little irri-
cation can be given from brackish wells
1t has but two rivulets, one from the Gu
rious cave of Ell Hato. yielding enough for
the supply of that hacienda, and one on
the higher west end Of the island, where
no one scarcely lives. STILL there Is con-
siderable tropical fruit, of excellent quality,
and, with plenty of ice from kennebec in
store, the filtered cistern water saved from
rains is usually enough for household pur-
posseS.
Abound the extensive bay, which lies in
the crater of a long-eXtinct volcano, and
in few other localities, there are pleasant
country residences, which by their hos
pitality relieve the monotony pertaining to
fixed city life. Occasionally an opera
troupe or vagrant circus strays through
the tropics and fingers week in the city.
When these fail the people find no difficulty
in placing On the boards in an amateur
way and with wonderful ability even the
plays of Shakespeare. So, with christen-
ings weddings, nights at the governors.
hours at the clubs, advents and departures
Of steamers, with news from all the world,
serebe skies and seas, and steady, If slow,
prosperity, the people of quaint Curacao
have neither too much nor too little to en-
ploy them. on the whole, and do not wear
out" Their island has been a volcano
and sunk beneath the sea and emerged
several times, but that was long ago. There
are no local earthquakes now, but there
are occasionally hurricanes and tidal
waves.
Events in American History.
Twice at least has Curacao been intimate
with events interesting in our history
once in the coaling of the confederate
cruiser Alabama, the vice consul Of the
United States. but a native of the island,
furnishing the coal; and in 1900 through
sea fight. Then. not far away. the United
States frigate Constitution. Captain Trux-
ton. vanquished the French frigate La
Vengeance, disabling the ship and 100 Of
her crew. But the latter vessel escaped
during a hurricane and was towed by her
small boats into the harbor of Curacao.
In CID times the bays Of the islands were
the refuge if not the homes of buccaneers,
Evening star., 1896-07-18
foPCLAR FALLACIEs ABOUT FOoD.
oio Estabitshed Theories Disputed bx
Modern Iconoclast

o~ Hs'aonsheo Theories Disputed by
Modern Iconoclast.
From the New York Ledger
The hygienic extremist is never tired n,
eApauatihg on the advantages of fruit an
breakfast dish," says an old doctor. lana
neie may De persons who are benefited by
the use OF fruit early in the dav. but +
know from careful observation that II ia
positively Injurious to a great number of
persons. Robust people, with prea, v,,o,,,,,
and strong digestion, often find ,hcmselve,
improved In condition by the use of fruits
OF all sorts. but thin. pale, cold-blooded
women ana men rarely keep their health
through long course of fruit eating early
in the day.
1ust consider for a moment the absurd
ity OF beginning the day with an orange
or Two. tnen some cereal with cream or
milk. The acid OF the fruit curdles the
milk' ana OFTEN causes Indigestion and the
most acute PAIN. I believe that fruits and
cereals and milk should never be taken
one after the other II IL is more agree
able to the palate to take the fruit omit
the other or take tie cereal with a little
butter or sugar. As there are so r,1any peo-
PIE VINO depend largely upon oatmeal and
other farinaceous food for their morning
meal, II would be found an excellent plan
10 take fruit much later In the day. In
deed, L v.fy decidedly approve of taxing
a. vi pet"eeH meals When one is the most
likely TO crave 1t i know that MANY of
my patients have declared that they ate
frnit at breakfast simply because they had
GOT into the habit of il, and because every
pody SAID II was the proper thing TO do
Il have been obliged to forbid fruits of
many sorts to scores of my patients Fresh
apples are almost always allowable but
when they are cooked they 10 many
persons decided irritant One lady can
eat fresh apples at any time of day or
night with great benefit, but when they are
cooked IN any way, especially when made
INTO apple sauce, they cause Indigestion
almost as soon as they are eaten. Oranges
are partaken of before meals and two of
my patients have had such violent mar
exysnis OF pain after eating them tnat their
use has been abandoned altogether
Rhubarb is another article about which
there are many opinions 1t is almost like
poison to certain temperaments, and seems
to agree with Others 1 have often re-
marked, however, that dishes of which peo-
pie are very fond are likely to be the last
things that they will admit as d:sagreeine
with them. 1t is always something else or
they are bilious, OF have taken cold or they
their indisposition.
we once had as guest very delicate
young woman, who positively oissipated on
morning diet Of fruit. 1 knew that IL was
bringing on dyspepsia, but whatever L
said she met with a laugh and the asser-
ton that she couldn't lv, without fruit
for breakfast. 1t SO chanced that our fam
lily went to the country for few days,
and subsisted on plain food, without a par
ticle Of fruit. The young woman improved
in health every day, and when We returned
the customary fruit was omitted. And this
would be the experience of large number
OF persons If they would try the experi-
ment."