davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1896-09-26
A Poem on a silver Plate.

For IL was Mr.. Fields habit to write per-
sonal verse about his children, says Martha
Nelson Yenowine, in August ST. Nicholas.
There are a number of scrap books filled
with these little poems and quaint rhymes
which have never been seen outside of the
home circle. When Roswell Francis Field,
usually called "Posey,' was born. he re-
ceived many beautiful presents from the
friends of Mr.. and Mrs. Field-porringers,
spoons, cups and other gifts serving a ba-
hys joys and needs. The one thing lacking
his ia ther thought, was a silver plate, whic n
he purchased for Posey. For this plate Mr.
Field composed the following beautiful
verse, which was afterward engraved in
fac smile upon the plate:
Inscription for My Little Sons Silver
Plate
Unto Roswell Francis Field his father
Eugene Field, giveth this counsel with
this plate. September =, 1883.
when thou shalt eat from off this plate
1 charge thee: BE tEou temperate;
Unto thine elders at the hoard
Do thou sweet reverence accord;
Though unto dignity inclined.
Unto the serving folk be kind;
Be ever mindful of the poor,
Nor turn them hungry from the door;
And unto God, for health and food,
And all that in tiny life is good,
Give thou thy heart in gratitude"
Evening star., 1896-09-26

from which the weary traveller may Quench
his thirst. At the top of the hill beyond.
in the midst Of a grove OF large native
trees, oaks, button-wood and walnut, ven
erable with thrice the supposititious years
of 1.-The many Wintered crow" stands the
oldest Protestant church building In
America. 1t was built in 1882, only ten
years after the Indian massacre.
Oldest PrOtestnnt Church.
Epscooalan, but finally conditions changed.
cid families moved away, other denomina-
tions sprang up and the service in the old
church could no longer lie kept up. The
years went by, and 1t was abandoned and
left to d. ISOLATION. The re oftree fell in, the
windows rotted away ard it stood forlorn.
memento to the old Of the Vicissitude of
things. BY chance lady who lived in the
Eeighborhood when child was revisitinS
it. She told the writer that children in her
day dared not go near it, Those VINO ven
| tured heard unaccountable noises, whispers
| and the rustic of silks among the moldered
| aisles.
Curiously enough, her Imagination SEEM
| ed to call up the old feeling. Il reckon
there are none of those spooks here now,
| she said, with an interrogatfve air. More
| than fifty years ago Bishop Meade, as he
! relates, was passing the church, when ne
| noticed at the top of the wall young
| cedar. He expressed a desire for 1t, with
| no idea that 1t could be obtained, when his
| companion, a young man, climbed up ano
| secured it. fhe good bishop took 1t home
! and planted it, and it was fine, thriving
| tree at the time he wrote.
| The good bishops "bones are DUST; BIZ
| the wall now stands much as it did wheI
first erected. So wide an interest attached
Evening star., 1896-09-26
AIR MOTOR CAR NOW READY.
Trial Trips at Worcester Reported to
he Successful.

Trial Trips ut Worcester Reported to
BE Successful.
From the Worcester CMass.) Spy.
The compressed air motors designed for
running street cars by the Metropolitan
Traction Company of New York city, and
upon which experts have been at work at
the plant of the American Wheelock En-
gine Company at South Worcester for sew
eral months, have passed the experimental
stages and are now working most satisfac-
torily. None of the ten cars shipped from
New York has yet been returned with the
new motors attached, but two of the cars
have been equipped with the motors. Trials
have been made with them, and one is
ready to be loaded upon the cars whenever
| the officials are ready to send 1t on. The
car already equipped with the motor Is
complete, and could begin running in New
York this morning should the projectors SO
de sire.
Within the high board fence inclosing the
works short track of regulation gauge
was constructed upon which to test the
power of The motors to propel the cars.
Upon this track the first car equipped
with the Hoadley motor had its trial trips.
Officials from New York and other cities
were present, but the motor did not work
exactly as anticipated, and several changes
were thought exped.ent by the engineers in
| charge. These have now been made in the
| improved motor.
The track is now built in the form of a
circle, the circumference Of which is about
| an eighth of mile. 1t has rather steep
| incline upon one portion, which, with the
l curve, that is much sharper than usually
met in railway transportation, affords a
| crucial test for the hauling power Of the
| motor. The car went about five miles with
| single charge of the compressed air
The car runs with scarcely any noise and
| resembles the ordinary electric car, the
| only apparent difference to the casual OBJ
server being that there is no trolley or 9TH
are barely noticeable as the car speeds by.
! The ordinary mandrake, working directly
upon the wheels by means of an iron chain,
/; used. The motors are charged with the
compressed air at pressure of about 1900
| pounds.
The workmen in the shop are engaged in
constructing other motors after the i'm
proved drawings, and it is the intention of
| the engineers to equip all ten of the cars
| now at the works with the motors At
pr esent but a single car has the new motor
| arrangement, the old motor that was at
| tached to the first car not having been re-
placed as vet.
Evening star., 1896-09-26
A Gentleman Tru mn,
From. the New York Times.

rfoh' the New York Times.
man stopped at a book cart in Ann
street Saturday to look over the cheap
paper editions that IL contained. He pick
ed up copy of Les MIserables." AS he
did so a tramp touched him on the shoulder
and said:
Il beg your pardon, sir. but will you pur-
chase that for me?'
gruff No" was the reply, but the
tramp was not to be easily go; rid Of
Il enjoy reading. SIR" he said. and have
much leisure time. The newspapers do
not satisfy me. Their stories are not writ
ten by masters. They are superficia they
are not from the heart: they have no par
ticular object in view. Hugo had no equals,
and SO no superiors."
The tramp spoke hurredly, as though un-
willing TO let his forced hearer escape his
plea He wanted the book. and TO Indicate
that he was not OF the lowest order of
tramp. said: ITO paraphrase Caesar, All
Gall is divided into three parts-the bitter
less Of the world, of the flesh and of the
devil. 1 have experienced the first, am ex-
periencirg the second and hope for some
thing better than the third I am a tramp,
an outcast-you can see that-but i have
been a gentleman-as the world uses the
Tord-and at times / can momentarily for
get that / belong to the Brotherhood of
Adversely. But even these moments are
getting rarer and yet more rare. But why
bother you with this?
Purchase for me this cheap copy of
Les Miserables.' Jean Vatican was one
of the brotherhood, Fantine was another:
the book contains many others, and l wish
to read il again. l have read il four times
| ard have passed il on. / Will do SO again,
| Tor il contais much that by contrast makes
an outcasts life seem easy, and although
| you may doubt me, while to an extent IL
| embitters us, il in the end e!evates us, only
| to a slight degree, il is true, but IL has a
| beneficial effect, and that no matter how
slight is something.
| The man addressed, wishing to terminate
| the appeal, and being more or less i'm
pressed by the tramp's words and manner,
picked the volumes from the cart. paid Tor
them handed them to the tramp and walk
ed away.
The fellow of the Brotherhood Of Adver-
sity said: Il am much obliged to you, sir.
Humph, cannot even wait TO be thanked
| Tor a kindly act because the beneficiary is
a tramp. Curious thing is human nature.
Evening star., 1896-09-26

Originally, 1t vas a peninsula of about
two thousand acres. much of 1t marsh or
under water at high tide. The current has
cut away the upper part with the neck
which joined it to the mainland until 1t has
become, in fact, an island. Some three
hundred acres have been swept away, In
Guiding most of the town site. Nothing is
left for the curious spade of the explorer
some millennums hence. The remains OF IN
old wharf may be seen, and cypress with
it's curious, buttressed roots far out in the
water which marks the old shore line. Con-
gIess, year or two since, appropriated ten
thousand dollars to prevent the further de-
struction of the island, and All embankment
with ripraps has been built along the
northern end, but the work is badly done.
and already the bark is beginning to be un-
dermined.
Twenty-Five acres. including all that is
left of the old town site, have been pur-
chased by a society of ladies. and high
ferce of wire netting run around the old
church and burying ground. This. and a
desolation of bricks, scattered thick:y
through the corn fields adjoining. is all that
is left Of the first capital of Virginia. or
the church there is left only the tower,
overgrown with poison ivy. From the front
it is in pretty good state Of preservation,
and the arched door, with a window above,
is clearly Indicated. From the church yard,
looking to the river, 1t is in ruinous con-
dition. Near the top are some narrow Sits
" hich were meant as loopholes for mus
kerry.
Only the SnUfcn AONScF LEU.
The tower, as may be plainly seen, was
| never Joined to any other masonry. This
has given rise to a recent theory that there
never was a brick church in its rear. The
conclusion is not warranted. The same
reasoning would prove that the brick
church at Williamsburg. which has stood
for a hundred and eighty years. is wood
or that 1t never existed at all. its tower not
being Joined to the other brckwork. More
over, the evidence from records is conclu-
sive that it was brick. and fifty years age
it's dimensions could easily be made out. A
brick wall. now itself a ruin. was. a hun
dred years ago, made from it's brick around
a part of the old churchyard.
What remains in doubt is whether this
tower is part of the brick church built tc
succeed the first wooden one. was a
part of the one built after the destruction
of the town in the Bacon rebellion.
In any case, standing watch over Its
broken tombs. single stone only being
fairly legible, recalling the romance and
the dark tragedies of the beginning Of our
history. it is the most interesting and i'm
pressive relic of this continent.
Very closely connected with the history
of Jamestown is Smithfield. That most en-
tertaining liar, Capt John Smith, in his
history of Virginia tells us that in the fall
of the first year of the colony he went with
six seven men to kecoughtan, nov
Hampton. to trade with the natives. and
ON his return discovered the Towne and
Country of Warraskoyack," which is
Smithfield. The Indians were friendly, and
Evening star., 1896-09-26
EARLY DAYS OF BURNS.
Retired Printer of Edinburgh Gives
His Fathers RecOllectiOns Of Him.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch

Retired Printer OF Edinburgh Gives
His Fathers RecOllectiOns of Him.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
Mr.. Samuel Kinnear, a retired octoge-
marian printer, Edinburgh, is the possessor
Of a contemporaries opinion of Burns re-
ceived from his father. who was born in
Ayr in 176O, and was thus only a year the
junior of Burns. when the poet came
first to Edinburgh" states Mr.. Kinnear,
my father was working as a comp In
Smellie's office, and saw Burns arrive from
Ayrshire with his copy in his pocket for
the Edinburgh edition. My parent had ex-
pressed himself in regard to Burns that he
vas man you might expect a good deal
from; he had a very smart, lively look
about him." While his poems were pass
ing through the press Burns was an al
most daily visitor at Smellie's. and was in
the habit, Mr.. Kinnear tells of whisking
his whip about In dangerous proximity to
the pressmen's noses. and seemed desirous
10 nave 1t believed that he was verdant
country yokel
This was the opinion of Alexander Smell
lie who was lad about seventeen. when
the poet thrashed his right leg with his
whip as he strobe through the case room,
the press room being a portion of it. the
presses being at the end farthest from the
| door-a poor looking place. Burns, IL is
| SAID. saw compositor setting up a Latin
1
| many languages he knew. TIE answer
came, Il wush kent my ain weel eneuch." +"
| Burns, like many others, thought the comp
must be able to read and understand the
| languages he composes.
| over half a century ago Mr.. Kinnear was
| himself engaged for a short time In Smell
| lies printing office, which stood a por-
ton OF the site now covered by the Scots
! man buildings. 1t was much the same he
| mentions. as when Burns first saw IT.
Ihere was the dingy room in which Smell
| lie received the elite of Edinburgh's liter
airy men: in 1t was still standing the three
legged stool on which Burns used to drink
| ale, read his proofs and chaff the printer.
AT this occupation both Smellie and Burns
were adopts, though the former was a
| somewhat rude and rough combatant.
| believe. If had thought of it, / might have
| set up page of the poems from the same
| old type in which they were printed for
J the office was still as dingy, dark and fusty
| as In the olden time. and the material did
| not seem 10 have changed much. But
| then tMr. Kinnear paintively concludes)
| Burns In the early forties not by any
| means thought so much of as Burns in
| 1896; so the project did not at the time sug-
| gest Itself TO my mind"
Evening star., 1896-09-26

balance. whose names and callings are not
mentioned, are Jumped together as divers
others" The proportion of gentlemen
more than holds good though perhaps few
would wish to be specifically classed as
such, or who affect the old exclusiveness.
The conditions of life are easy. If there
Is not much wealth there is every indica
ton of comfort. The sandy soil is easily
worked, free from weeds and exactly
adapted to trucking, sweet potatoes and
especially "goobers,'' which are a profitable
crop.
A desire to soften the asperities of life is
a marked characteristic of this whole
region Nobody is in a hurry. Even In
Newport News and Norfolk. with their
large business interests, there is no rush.
Strangers meet with unfailing courtesy
No one is too busy to give you all the in
formation YOU want-and some to spare.
In farm house, store Office it is the same.
If by some rare chance the occupant Is un-
able to give you his instant and undivided
attention, he apologies with evident sin
cerity and invites you to sit down until the
Evening star., 1896-09-26
Poisonous Golden Rod.

From the Philadelphia Ledger.
The state veterinarian of Wisconsin says
the golden rod is the cause of the disease
resembling consumption that has destroyed
thousands of horses in his state and Michi-
gan. The horses eat The plant, go into a
decline and waste away. both blood and
tissue being destroyed The only remedy
is to destroy the plant
Every year there comes new evidence
that the golden rod so many are trying to
push into place as the national flower, is
not fitted for 1t, and instead that every
mans hand should be against IL and every
mans heel should be turned to bruise its
head and crush IL out.
Evening star., 1896-09-26

From the Century.
Since 1908 he had worn about his neck as
kind of amulet little bag said to con-
tain a deadly poison. one of the salts of
prussic acid. That night, when the ter
rors Of a shaken reason overpowered him.
1t ST believed that he swallowed the drug
Instead of oblivion came agony, and his
valet rushing to his masters bedside at the
sound of bitter cry, claimed to catch the
words: "Marmont has struck me the final
blow! Unhappy man, I loved him! Ber-
! theirs desertion has broken my heart.
My old friends, my comrades in arms!'
Ivan, the emperors body physician, was
summoned, and administered an antidote;
| the spasm was allayed, and after a short
sleep reason resumed her seat. 1t is re-
lated in the memoirs of Caulaincourt and
probably with sort of Homeric truth,
| that when the reputed writer was admitted
| In the early morning, Napoleon's wan and
| sunken eyes seemed struggling to recall
| the objects round about; universe of tor
! ture was revealed in the vaguely desolate
look" Napoleon is reported as saying:
| ut is not the loss of the throne that makes
existence unendurable; my military career
| suffices for the glory of a single man. Do
you know what Is more difficult to bear
| than the reverses Of fortune? 1t is the
!, baseness, the horrible ingratitude of man,
\ Before such acts OF cowardice, before the
! shamefulness Of their egotism, have turn
ed away my head In disgust and taken my
| life In horror. What have suffer-
ed for twenty days no one can under
| stand" --..1
Evening star., 1896-09-26
Doy shed His skin.

From the Florida Citizen.
The case OF John Allen, an eight-year-old
boy of this place, is puzzling the physi-
Clans Six weeks ago an orange thorn
penetrated the boys hip. Inflammation fol-
loved and the boy was soon horribly
swollen from head TO foot. Finally the
swelling subsded, but the boy Immediately
began 10 shed his skin. That on the face
came off separately, but from the neck
down the cuticle remained intact and
moved of by way of the hands and feet
without breaking. The cuticle was five
days I'm passing off, and during that time
the boy remained on the bed wriggling like
a snake at molting time. The child seemed
TO be in no pain, but complained of a tick
ling sensation and of a crawling OF the
flesh. When the cuticle had been shed the
boy Immediately recovered and is now as
We'll as ever. The skin which is shed is on
exhibition at a physician's office. 1t is a
perfect cast of the human form from the
neck down, and is about the consistency
of hard glue. which IL much resembles.
Evening star., 1896-09-26
JAPANESE MAY coLoNIzE MEXICO.
Reported Traffic Arrangement With
the Tehuantepec Railroad.

F,om The San Francisco Chronicle
Sci icld Iwanaga, manager of the Nippon
fusen kaisha Company, has been in San
Diego since last night gathering informa-
ton. He is noncommittal as to his plans
reiterating what he said when in San Fran
cisco. to the effect that he is simply here
gathering Information to submit to his
board OF directors. In reply to the direct
question whether he intended TO put on
steamers to this port, he said the matter
rested with the directors. He admitted
that the company desired a southern route,
and in discussing the subject of japanese
colonization schemes in Mexico he added
that In mis- opinion these colonial ton
schemes would be carried out on a grand
scale. and that the result would be a large
steamer business with Japan
lwanaga and his secretary were taken on
trip on the bay this morning and through
the Chula Vista lemon groves this after
noon. Hundreds Of questions were asked
by the japanese and many notes taken so
that they Will leave tomorrow morning well
posted on this section. In an interview
lWanaga said his company could have a
steamship service within three weeks IL II
saw fit He interviewed Gen w E. Webb
owner OF the Tepustete iron mines In Lower
California, and secured from him informa-
@ @.ioh as 10 the quality, quantity and locs-
tlon OF the ore and how IL could be shipped.
de said that another steamer would follow
the Mike Maru from Yokohama for Seattle
on September 9, and that all steamers for
Seattle would call at Honolulu
Discussing the Toyo Kisen Kaisha. the
rival line. Iwanaga said he had no doubt
II would come TO San Diego. and added tha I
his Information was gained in Chicago. He
SAID that Asano, president of the Toyo
kisen Company was a very wealthy man,
and besides owning large cement works in
Japan, was heavy dealer in oil. One OF
the objects OF his visit TO England was TO
N lrf N lS.z nnL Gta
Russia to Japan. Iwanaga will leave TO-
morrow morning for San Francisco laying
over day al Los Angeles, and arriving at
San Francisco Monday noon.
Evening star., 1896-09-26

think this part of the play not worth the
candle The difficulty of getting there Is
considerable, and that of getting away may
be worse. If you go by rail, the nearest
sta ton is Williamsburg, eight miles away,
ard the road none of the best. If by steam
err you will be left on the island twenty
four hours. and as there are now but two
white families there the facilities for en-
teriaipment are limited. Doubtless the
ever-ready instinct of hospitality would
nake some provision for the stranger. We
did not tax 1t so far. We had planned our
exit by land, but We found ourselves re-
duced to the choice between a clumsy, two
wheeled cart drawn by a spawned horse
and walking.
First Capital of Virginia.
Now, the associations and sentiment
which gather about jamestown are chief
ir due ement to a visit Fancy, then, the
mixed nature of your sentiment when, at
the moment you step OF the boat a
Young man comes up to you to demand
twenty-five cents wharfage. And what
ever the associations you may cherish be-
fcre a visit, gnats and mosquitoes will have
a prominent place in your after-thoughts.
Evening star., 1896-09-26
A Critfcism of the Period.
From the Cleveland Plain-Dealer

From TIE CIeveIand PIain-Dealer
Have yor seen the new dollar bll:'
asked the man who is always appreciativc
'Um-yes," replied the bicycle fiend.
what strikes you most forcibly about
it?"
'The young man to the left"
Isn't that a fine idea? There he is an
American youth, being taught all about
the Wash rgton monument and the Con-
stitution and the Potomac flats"
"Yes, but"
"You seem to disapprovc of him.
mot exactly. But, 1 must say. he
wouldn't look very we'll in golf stockings" I"
Evening star., 1896-09-26
The silver Age.
From the Philadelphia Times.

From the Philadelphia Times.
For every silver wave that now
Breaks into fragments on the lea,
For every leaf that whitley gleauIs
Upon the silver maple tree;
For every silver ray that nights
Is by the sweet moon earIhward sent
Well have a silver dollar when
Bill Bryan is our President.
When that arrives well build up rows
q. airy castles In the sky,
And have n gay and high old time
Or plainly Know the reason why.
And when II comes to paying rents
For rents are In the clouds. you know
Well coin their silver lining. and
Lie back and wait for more 10 grow.
Evening star., 1896-09-26
What Clothe. Cnn Do.

From pick Me Up.
He-'Did you ever observe what a differ
ence clothes make on ones mind? Now,
when 1 am In my riding togs. I'm all horse:
when 1 have on my business suit my minds
full of business: when / get into my even
Ing dress. my mind takes purely social
turn
She-"And 1 suppose that when you take
q bath your minds an utter blank"
Evening star., 1896-09-26

80 - AASAA4~ ~
enteen years old and
1t has produced more
han $500, 600, 600
worth of precious
metals. Cripple e
Creek h as within
five years produced
more than $l3,OOO,O0O
worth of gold, and
there are a half
dozen other camps in
Colorado which have
turned out millions.
Utah's vast wealth
Evening star., 1896-09-26
A Visit to Jamestown, the First
Capital of Virginia.
RUINS now MAINLY MARK TEE spot
Picturesque SmithfieId and the Old
est Protestant Church Edifice.
r f S Il O r A T l 0 n

ONE CHARACTER
ist!cs of the James
river country seem
to be an inheritance
from Its first settle
ment. Among the
original colonists, an
even hundred, there
were mentioned by
name fifty-four gen
tlemen," one chirur-
geon, one drummer,
ten artisans OF va
rious trades a n d
t,r-ol,-a 1ahnrarS Th n