davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-30
Found a Petrified Pony.

RI Clay Emmett, young cowboy who
passed through Bolton, Texas. reports
Il singular find made by him during
cattle hunting raid recently. The find
was nothing more nor less than IL pet
rilied pony. standing erect and coT-
plcie in all its parts. Emmett says that
he and his partner, Il. g. WOodyille,
were riding across the prairie late one
afternoon, when their tired ponies
nc;ghed and whinnied as If they We're
aware of the presence of another an
imal.
Looking around, they discovered
what they thought was a bronchO tetl-
cred to a mesquite which crowned the
summit of little knoll to the north
ward. They found that the horse was
fastened by chain, but stood so rigid
Is still, and seemed altogether SO inys-
tcrlous. that their own horses reared
and plunged as IL in fright. Finally
they dismounted, and found that the
pony was petrified. not a hair nor hoof
nmiss. Emmett says that some ranch
man years ago must have chained the
poor horse there. leaving him to starvc
upon the plains. As the ribs of the
animal are plainly visible in the pet
rihcatiOn, and he seems to have been
otherwise much emaciated. this Is
most probably the case. Emmett will
arrange to have the strange find ex-
hlbited in some museum.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-30
Mice Like Music.

Mice seem to have a great fOndncss
for all sorts of harmonic sounds. aiid
have been known to come out of .heir
holes and listen attentively to Il hoy
whistling. Cows care nothing ut all for
music. nor, as far as can be learned,
do asses. Elephants and horses. ON
the other hand, are in some degree
conscious Of its charms, and will often,
when marching in procession, accom-
modate their step to the beat of the
music A prisoner in the Bastile who
played upon the bag-pipes, succeeded
in attracting the attention of Il spider,
which, after several months, became a
regular attendant at his daily concerts.
But though music has no charm for
the lion and tiger 1t has been discover
cd by naturalist who has been con.
,lncting some experiments in the Ion
don Geological Gardens, that these am
mails are instantly and powerfully af-
fected by the smell of lavender water.
Under its influence they become ne
docile as lambs, forgetting even hun
ger. The effect Is not unlike that cx-
crted upon cats by catnip and mint.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-30
Peculiar Fish.

One Of the most extraordinary speci.
mems of the fish family is the mann
hal gnan," or great general OF the
South Sea. an animal Of the whale spe-
cies, which has its home in the Indian
Ocean. A full-grown nam is upward of
thirty-five feet in length. pure black in
color. and has eyes as large as saucer.
Besides the above characteristic feat
ures. which may be said TO be wlalc-
like. with the exception of the eyes. the
nam has two immense tusks. wnich re.
semble those Of the elephant, both in
size and color, and two queer wing-like
membranes extending along its sides
from the side fins almost to the tail.
The old mans have curious habit of
marshaling their kind to do battle
with the whales and the sharks, and
old mariners say that they manoeuvre
with so much intelligence and sagacity
that they are known to all the island.
ers by names which signify winged
generals. winged warriors, or winged
chiefs OF the seas. The National Mu-
scum mt Berlin has fine mounted spec
linen Of this queer, warlike fish.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-30
Odds and Ends.

Probably in London alone over 90
OOO. 600 matches are used every twenty
four hours.
Englisbmen have introduced football
into the Lake Nyassa region. Africa.
Montana raised and sold something
more than $7,OOOOOO worth of cattle
last year.
In China ordinary day board can be
had for China man for ;sbOut 4 cents.
Several G. A. X. posts have declared
against smoking at their camp fires.
Indian oak. one of the hardest Of
woods. will sink in water.
Gun springs are now tempered by
electricity In France. The process Is
rapid and satisfactory.
Most Europeans nations average for
the male ) feet q inches In height; but
the Austrians, Spaniards and Portu-
guese fall short of this standard.
English laborers. taken the country
over average about $4.S6 week, from
which they are expected to board and
clothe themselves and their families
Sevres china Is remarkable for it's
splendid gliding, extraordinary white
ness and elegance of shape and taste.
The manufa ctories Of Sevres are near to
Paris.
For several years Il woman has driv-
en- the stage between MancelOna and
Bellaire, Mich. She handles the reins
as well as any man In that region, and
has never had trouble with stage rob-
bers.
A representative Of an unknown spe-
cies of bird has been captured at Wood
lawn, Cal 1t Is without feathers, the
body covering being black. stiff, bristly
hairs. 1t has a blood-red beak and
green feet.
The Greeks and Romans had no
weeks until they borrowed this divi-
sion of time from the East. The
Greeks divided the month into three
equal periods; the Romans into three
very unequal-the Kalends, Ides and
Nones.
Very little honey will be gathered In
many localities this year, as direct re-
suit of the unusually long drought.
Flowers were comparatively scarce,
and the bees seemed to get little honey
from what flowers there were.
Discoveries Of valuable onyx, which
promise to develop into very large
mines, have been made near Heads
burg, Cal. The stone is beautifully
marked, and a blast Of the face of the
edge has exposed 1t i'm great quantities.
An experiment is to be tried this win
ter In the streets of Paris In providing
warmth and shelter for the poor. In
all but the richer quarters there are to
be awnings, under which enormous
braziers will be kept constantly burn
Ing.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-30

Eariy American book plates, whether
foreign or native designs, are now
greatly sought and collectors are spe-
cially proud to possess the work or
Nathaniel Hurd or Paul Revere. The
plate OF George Washington brings a
very high price, partly because 1t is
scarce, and also ON account of Ameri-
can hero worship. No other American
plate has been hOnored with counter
felt. Washington was fond Of the p0mp
and circumstance Of position. and
naturally his book plate Is elaborate.
The family arms rest OH sllell-shaped
shield surrounded by floral sprays, and
below is the motto on ribbon and the
first Presidents name In script. WASH
tngtOn's library, largely agricultural.
was bought for $1,000, nearly fifty
years ago by the Boston Atheneum, OF
Beacon street. 1t IL kept i'm a locked
case set In a fire-proof room.
These books show that Washington
usually wrote his name on the right
hand corner of the title page. beside
putting his plate on the inside Of the
cover. The poor quality OF the en-
craving and certain heraldic blunders
Indicate its American workmanship.
1t is said that Philadelphia owned
the original copper plate. and, not
NAH. years ago. after striking or u
number of prints, cut I'm pieces the
precious bit of copper and threw them
into the Schuylkill River! The motto,
"Exitus acta probat," is not found in
the Washington arms, and the patriot
probably referred to the American Rev
OlutiOn.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-30
Exit the BIueJacket

A proportion of the bluejackets of
any full-rigged ship were necessarily
athletes. The upper yardmen" In a
line-of-battle ship or frigate were ex-
ceptional men in this way, and much
more so. perhaps, just about the time
that sail-power was receiving its death
warrant than ever before. These
young men had to race aloft to nearly
the highest points. mt top speed eight
or ten times week when the ship was
in harbor, to keep their heads and
maintain their breath while "holding
on by their eyelds," as the phrase
went, and manipulating with careful
and measured order of action the var
iOus and intricate arrangements for
and top-gallant yards. 1t was all done
at full speed, for it was universally
held that the upper yardmen gave a
character to the whole ship; and that
one which was foremost in this eXer
else was ever considered 1.-The smartest
ship in the fleet" The upper yardmen
were always the coming men. They
had most opportunities for distinguish
ing themselves. were the best known,
and were most under the eye of the
authorities. They developed great
muscular power in chest, shoulders
and arms. Their lower extremities
suffered, and one always knew the
men who had been upper yardmen
by their tadpole-like appearance when
they were bathing.
But i'm the modern steam line-of bat
tie ship and frigate these extremely
athletic specimens formed a very small
minority Of the "ship's company" and
none of them could lose his turn at be-
ing upper yardman SO long as the ships
reputation depended OH the speed with
which the upper yards were crossed
and sent down. In harbor the rest of
the lue-jackets had the handling of
yards and sails for exercise once or
twice Il week. but ut sea the use of sails
for propulsion grew less and less i'm
portant, and most Of the work aloft
was more of an exercise and less Of a
necessity.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-30

Joys Of the Sugar Cane ssaseM N MIssIs
sippi.g

Molasses-making time In Mississippi
IL at once busy and festive period
with the farmers and their families.
TO one unused to the art 1t Is sight
OF some interest, while to the initiated
II seems to he the 'crowning glory Of
the years tolls and pleasures. of
course nothing Is done on 20 extensive
u scale as on the Louisiana sugar plan
tatiOns. Both the crop and utensils
for working 1t up are less imposing
certainly, but not less effective.
Early In the spring the cane Is plant
cd by laying II in burrows, three on
four stalks together. continuously. thus
producing from the eyes at the joints
u beautiful growth Of almost impen.
ctrable thickness, but otherwise muck
resembling corn In height and foliage
Very little work Is required for It's
cultivation.
Late I'm the autumn. before frost, mer
may he seen with grubbing hoes TAX
ing down seed cane. In this case the
stalks are not stripped or topped. az
when 1t Is prepared for the mill, but
piled I'm head. and covered with earth
to remain until spring. II 1t is not y
severe winter the stubble may be
counted upon to furnish fine crop the
next year. An acre OF cane will easily
produce 400 or more gallons Of molas-
SEES, and with less labor than any other
crop, so OF this commodity there IL
always plenty, whatever else may lack
q. fail
!. rom the time the joints begin &c
look blue or striped, according &c
whether 1t is the blue or ribbon variety
1t is in active demand as Il sort q
sweet, or as apples are further nOrtl.
There are few late fruits here excf.,'
fox grapes and muscadincs, those aids
of cliills and fever, so the sugar cane
fills real want
Children carry 1t to teacher in lieu
OF fruits and flowers, and the girls pop
ularity may sometimes be reckoned 10y
the number of stalks she has stacked
up In the corner of the piazza. With
out actually witnessing it, one can
scarcely credit the dexterity with
which even small boys and girls armed
with dull barlows can peel the hard
Joints, while a grown man, arrived at
counting age-not always Synonymous
with years Of maturity
himself accomplished only when he
can, with a sharp knife, peel six
foot stalk completely without cutting
IL or breaking the strips of bark.
Having acquitted himself of the per.
Torrance, he rests assured of the adora'
tion of all young women and very smalf
boys.
1t is quite wonderful what an amount
Of sweetness can be extracted from IT
after it is peeled, cut. and split into.
convenient pie ces. The art of chewi,.
gracefully in the society Of her hest
young man" is one receiving much
thought from the country lass. while
her manner of disposing of the discard
| ell ''chews" is looked upon by bachelors
| and widowers as offering Il key to her
| qualities for housewifery.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-30

end Mott Haven, carrying empty can
and station freight. and the made
up and "unmade" trains pusslng 70
and fro. When through Western or
Boston express starts out OF the sta.
ton, the arrangement Of one or two
levers by no means insures II a straight
truck into the tunnel. Oftentimes a
combination of ten or fifteen all over
tie switchboard IL necessary to give
the train straight-away track, and
you wonder, as YOU hear this, how the
men ever learn the varying combina.
tl0ns Of keys. The traln-despatcher In
the depot notifies the men In the tower.
house on which road each arriving and
departing train whether New York
Central, Harlem River, or New Haven
land they instantly know the answer
to the problem.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-30
Bullet in His Brain

The autopsy on the remains of Her
mann Ploeschke. who died ut the Ger
man Hospital on Thursday night,
brought to light the remarkable cir
cumstance that he had lived for ten
years with n bullet in his brain. The
ball was encysted beneath the left tenn
pie, and appeared to trouble Ploeschke
very little.
PlOeschkc was ut one time success
full business man here. but about ten
years ago he became i'll and neglected
bis business so that it was practically
ruined. He was at that time Il bache-
lor, and becoming reduced i'm circum-
stances. he decided TO commit suicide.
Hc took Il thirty-eight calibre revolver,
placed it to his temple and fired.
ploeschke was unconscious for many
DAYS, and for weeks he lowered be-
tween life and death. The surgeons
yainly probed for the bullet. and 1t
was supposed the missile had DETECTED
downward. passing through the neck.
and lodging i'm the muscles of the shout
der.
Ploeschke finally recovered, and was
apparently none the worse for his ex-
perience.
Some weeks ago Ploeschkc became
III from an organic disease, and he was
sent to the German Hospital by some
friends. His disease had n fatal ter
r,ination on Thursday, and 1t was
decided to ascertain the course of the
bullet fired into his skull ten years
ago The brain was removed. and over
tie left temple cyst was found. This,
on being cut open, brought to light the
bullet.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-30
THEIR ORIGIN.
Who're Important Plants Were First cuI.
vatod


waited.
Among the more important plants
that were under cultivation ut the
dawn of history, more than 1000 years
ago, says an exchange, are:
Apples.-Still found wild over ex-
tensive regions Of the North Temperate
Zone. First cultivated In Southeast
ern Europe OF Western Asia.
Barley.-Among the most ancient
of cultivated plants. The common or
four-rOwed barley. as also the six-row-
ed kind, probably originated from the
two-rowed, which appears to have
been the kind earliest cultivated. 1t is
a native Of Western Asia.
Cabbage.-Still found wild in many
parts of Europe, where 1t has been Gull
tlvated from the earliest times.
Cucumber.-The original wild spec
les from which the cultivated vine
came is supposed to be one found
still mt the foot Of the Himalayas and
n other parts Of northern India.
Onion.--First cultivated in Southwes.
ern Asia. where the originals of the
cultivated species are still to be found
II very early times
Pcach.-De Candolle has no hesitan
" i'm assigning the origin of the fruit
China, though other eminent botan.
SITS believe it to have been cultivated
n Persia and elsewhere at an equally
'arly date
Pear.-First cultivated in the temper.
tie portions of Europe and Asia, where
{ still fiourislles in the wild state.
Rice.-First cultivated in Southern
lima or India. Not native In Egypt
hough ii has through the greater part
# historic time been extensively cuf.
waited there.
Tea.-Chinese records are quoted to
,rove that tea was cultivated in that
ountry at least 300 years before
christ and it is generally conceded
that its use originated in that region
Turnips.-The several species all
appear to have originated i'm Europe
but to have early spread under cul.
ivation into Siberia and other parts
If Asia. They are Still found i'm their
original wild state in many parts OF
Northern Europe.
Watermelons.-Form supposed
70 have been natives OF Southern Italy
nut later Investigations have traced
their origin to Africa. They are GER
tainly indigenous to the dark cont.
nent," and are still found wild in the
tropical regions OH both sides Of the eq-
ratOr.
Wheat.-The extreme antiquity and
wide area of the cultivation of wheat
have rendered 1t difficult to ascertain
just where it actually originated. II
was well known in the earliest times of
which any records are to be found, all
through the temperate regions of Asia,
Europe and Africa, from China to the
Canary Islands. Ii has been discover
ed i'm the bricks of the pyramid of Das-
hur, Egypt, to which is given a date
more than 1850 BIC. The latest re-
searches assign it's origin to the region
Of the Euphrates, where it still exists
wild, If anywhere.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-30

30 Il was settled, and the afternoon
dragged Ito weary length along-for
two people there mt all events-as
though every minute were an hour. At
last the end arrived. most Of the stall
keepers had gone and the porch was In
semi-darkness.
Courtney's dog cart was Just out
side, and he was about to help Florence
up into 1t when Norton suddenly APP
peared upon the scene. Pushing past
Courtney, he approached the young
lady and said: my trip il just here,
FlOrence--come with mev' t.
"Papa has arranged that should so
with Captain Courtney" answered
Florence. making a move toward the
dog cart as she spoke.
Courtney won't mind, am sure"
replied Norton. ''Will you, old fellow"
"Well, that depends" answered
Courtney slowly. '.If II Is to be a
purely platonic expedition, why, Miss
Masters may just as well come with
me; but if"
"Oh, hang Platov' interrupted Nor
tOu II
come with me!'
A struggle was evidently taking place
within the young lady's bosom-a strug-
gle between love and pride-but love
won. and, with deprecatory smile Mt
Courtney, she allowed Norton to help
her into his cart, and a few moments
later they disappeared into the dusk.
1t Is impossible to say with any GER
tainty what passed between those
young people during that eventful
drive. for they both declare that they
do not remember Anyhow, they must
have gone the longest way round, for
when they arrived ut the lodge, flushed
and happy, Courtney had been wait
ing some little time for them, and as
Norton passed him, he whispered:
You shall be the best man, old boy"
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-30
Lofty Tunnels in Peru.

We are so absorbed with our own
affairs in this country that we can
hardly realize with what rapid strides
some of the South American Repub-
lies are advancing In engineering
10 day representatives of the Wrestling
aorse electric people and the Baldwin
Locomotive Works are In South Ameri-
Gil figuring on cquipping some of their
steep grade roads with electric loco
motives. There has recently been
completed a tunnel through range Of
the Andes Mountains which lies mt n
higher elevation than any other tun-
pcl In the world. This tunnel is eight
cen miles from Callao, Peru. and is cal
led the Galelra Tunnel. II is $500 feev
long. and is at an altitude of 1900
feet. There are sixty other smaller
tunnels through the Andes Mountains
In Peru.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-30
A New Occupation.

1t is not generally known that there
Is a small band Of men and women who
make certain, If somewhat small, liv-
ing by merely gazing in shop windows.
Such, however. IS the case, as a repre-
sentative of Tit-Bits found out the
other day. BY a luck accident he met
the manager of this shop window-gaz-
ing agency. from whom he obtained
one or two interesting and curious
facts.
"Oh, yes," said the manager, "our
agency has been in existence for some
little time, and the men and women
whom we employ have had plenty to
do, especially during the past season.
If you won't give our business away, /
will briefly explain our modus oper.
andi. We have about twenty EN-.
plOyees whom we pay from 10 shillings
to 20 shillings week. / am always on
the lookout for new shops i'm and
around the west end, and, as soon as
one appears, call upon the shopkeeper
and suggest that he might improve his
trade very much IL he engages one OF
two of our shop gaZers. The older
shopkeepers may ridicule the idea, but
smart and enterprising men see that
there is something in It.
"Iore than one shopkeeper has avail.
ed himself Of our services by having
one or two Of our people-men and wo.
men, who are dressed in the height OF
extraordinarily stopping to look al
the contents of the windows. If the
ordinary London passer by sees per.
son gazing intently I'm shop window,
he or she Immediately fHlows suit, and
is followed by quite crowd of other
folk. If the shopkeeper has a good and
attractive window, the crowd notes the
same, and the shopkeeper has secured
a good advertisement"
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-30
A MODERN LABYRINTH.
Keeping Track OF Trains in a Great
Station.

Quick. Jimv' shouts the head man.
40, 81. and ~! There comes the Bos-
ton express, and the CrOtOn local only
two minutes behind. Shove 'em ia
there lively!'
Gall right" responds Jim.
On the instant this lever Is down the
others snapped up, and the express
train Just out Of the tunnel has clean
clear track into it's haven mt Forty
second street. Three hundred yards
before the station Is reached the fame
throated iron monster, uncoupled from
its burden of cars, darts forward on
q siding like n spirited horse unhar-
messed from it's load, while the train
gl:des forward with its own momen-
tum, slowly and more slowly as the
brakes are applied, until 1t comes to
q stop under the depot shed. Hardly
have the passengers poured forth when
another train rolls in, and then another,
the pathway in each instance cleared
by these keen men mt the levers I'm
this tOwer-house of the yards of the
Grand Central Station in New York
city. Tor they only. know the nitric
acies OF this interesting modern laby.
rinth, where more iron paths and by
paths are to he found, in all probabili-
ty, than i'm any other place of the same
size in the world.
Suppose you enter this rectangular
house with one of your railroad friends
,,,I OF thnrn q n
long key board" ~ the men call It.
consisting Of one hundred and four
numbered iron levers. You see the
men in charge grasp lever after lever
apparently at random; you hear the
sharp click of these gun-like rods as
they move backwards or forwards. and
then as you see red light flash
white or white red two blocks away,
you are told by one of the men Mt the
levers, that path has been cleared
for the Stamford local or the Empire
State express. II you look In the room
underneath II seems like the interior
Of a huge piano-board. Here are stiff
moving wires and bars each one con-
nccted above to its particular iron key.
Beneath they spread out In every direc-
ton, like the thread-like legs of a
spider, each connected with Its special
rail or switch or light, and never in
tcrfering with its neighbor, SO delicate
the mechanism. As you go up stairs
a second time to hear Mr.. Anderson,
the man In charge of the great key
board, talk about the arrangements,
you cannot help thinking again how
like monster piano 1t Is. To be sure
the iron keys are pushed and pulled,
instead Of gently struck.
Over five hundred pieces OF rolling
stock" as the railroad men speak Of
trains and engines, have to be sent
In and out Of the depot and yard in n
day. These include nearly three hun
bred regular incoming and outgoing
passenger trains. the "stock" and bag
gage trains which ply between there
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-01-30
Birth Of +" Tip"

There has lately been much spccuLl-
ton regarding the origin of the word
'tIp." The truth is that In an old Eng
lish tavern receptacle for small coin
was placed In conspicuous place,
over which appeared in writing, TO
insure promptness." Whatever was
placed i'm the box was divided among
the servants. Other tavcrns followed
the example, and soon the words were
abbreviated to II. I. r.; everybody
knew what they Indicated. Then the
punctuation marks We're dropped, and
stip" was born.