davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-01
SIAMESE NEW YEAR.
Evil Spirits Supposed to Infest the De.
parting Year-A Night of Terror.

Evil Spirits Supposed to Infest the De-
parting Yesr-A Night of Terror.
The Siamese "Choola Sakarat," or re-
ligious New Year, generally falls on
the day after the first full moon In the
month OF March. The Brahmin astrol-
oyer. whose sole duty 1t is to point out
the aspect or the sun, moon and stars.
heralds the approaching full moon by
setting in r4ot4or all the rnuftitudinous
going and temple bells In the city far
and near. The people. who are always
ready. waiting. for this signal. have
generally finished their business for the
year. Debts have been paid OF. ac-
counts closed, merchandise disposed OF
and all traffic OF buying and selling
suspended three days previous 10 the
expected event.
The announcement made by the
many tongued instruments Is received
by the vast population that inhabits
the valley watered by the beautiful
Menam river with fear and trembling.
for they firmly believe that this Is the
witching hour when the very atmos-
phere OF the world Is alive with gods.
demons. genii and hobgobbhns. and
forthwith the anxious, surerstitious
people hasten TO Illustrate their evil
designs. They bind unspun cotton
thread, consecra'ted by the priest, round
their doors and windows. as the sacred
thread Is supposed to prove an effect
ual barrier IN keeping OUT the mallcl-
Gus spirits. This done they place by
the doors of their houses and huts q
platter containing a pigs head and q
bottle OF arrack. as a conciliatory re-
past for the wandering ghosts that
may desire TO regale themselves during
the night. after which the whole city.
like the snail. draws In its horns and
no consideration will tempt a mortal
soul 10 venture out OF IL until sunrise
the next morning.
At sunset every family offers TO Its
own household genii an oblation OF
candles. perfumed tapers and roasted
rice. AS for the royal palace, 1000 balls
Of unshpun cotton, of seven fibers. con-
secrated by q priests. are reeled round
and round the walls. and from sunset
until dawn a terrific and continuous
Is heard from all the forts
OF the city TO rout the evil spirits tina.
infest the departing year.
But once this dreadful night Is pass
ed. the terror-stricken Inhabitants.
with a long drawn sigh OF relief. pre-
pare TO welcome the new year. Dress
ed In many colored silks, they repair
first TO the temples TO offer praise and
thanksgiving for their deIverance and
TO make handsome gifts TO the priests.
and not until they have propitiated
Buddha and Buddha's earthly repre-
senoatives do they think or their own
-Exchange.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-01

or Whereabouts. We were Door people
and consequently my knowledge of
what was going on in the world was of
the slightest. / don't think / read the
daily papers, and ] know didn't read
the monthly magazines, for l believe
there were two or three then. My
literature was confined to my school
books-to Malte-Brun's geography, TO
Colburn's arithmetic think Ii was
Colburn's-and to the grammar of
Goold Brown, that grammatical Co.
lumbus who discovered the common
gender! Still, there are things that we
learn without reading. things that are
an the air, as one may say, and one of
them was the knowledge that New
Years was a general and generous
holiday. 1 knew that it was a general
one, for I did not go to school on that
day, nor did my step-father do any
work, and / knew ii was a generous
one when my mother sent me to the
little corner store where she purchased
our groceries, for the grocer gave me
two or three cakes, oblong cakes
stamped with ornamental patterns,
sprinkled with sugar, and favored
with caraway seeds. 1 was so aston
ished at his liberality that I almost
forgot to thank him. While 1 was
remembering my manners a bevy of
boys and girls entered, self-invited
guests, who wished their host a Happy
New Year, and were rewarded with
largess as 1 had been. I have eaten
angel cake since (but that was in Mas
sachusetts) and have not relished il,
for what is the angel cake of man.
hood in comparison with the caraway
cake of childhood? Nor was that all.
for while we youngsters were enjoying
our eatables, our elders were enjoying
their drinkables. For in the little store
of which I am speaking, there was a
hot stove whereon there was kettle,
a vessel, an urn-I know not what,
which boiled, and steamed and sent
out a spurious flavor. And around this
stove and close to this urn, there was
a group of men with tumblers in their
hands, who were emptying these tum-
blers as If they liked what they con-
tanned. What did they contain?
know not, but think the royal houses
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-01

No English holiday was OF much ac-
count that was mot observed with flow-
ing bowl. On New Years eve the was
sail bowl was filled with splced ale and
drunk In families. and poorer folk tied
a bowl with ribbons and begged for
money for ale 10 fiil and refill the bowl.
singing:
wassail. wassail all over the town:
Our toast II Is white: our ale IL Il
brown:
We be good fellows all; l drink 70 thee.
In some parts OF England the old
year Is swept out" by men and boys
with blackened faces. dressed 10 repre-
sent sweeps; in others II Is "barned
out" with bonfires. Sometimes II Is
rung out with muffied bells that are
unmuffied and rung clear after Il
O'Clock. -Independent.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-01

the Pleasures of Hope" which I long
since ceased to read; my favorite book
now is the Pleasures of Memory" of
which I mean to read a page tonight.
1t will not take me long, and 1t will
suit the hour and the time. 1t is
about the New Year. Not the New
Year that is to be, but the New Years
that were. The old. old New Years.
My early recollections of New Years
were not connected with the little old
town in which / was born, nor with
any of the little old towns in which my
boyhood was passed; for If my family
and the people about them care more
for the New Years day than for any
other in the years 1 did not discover
that fact. But suspect they did not,
for the Massachusetts, of so or 20 years
ago had no holidays to speak of-only
the Fourth of July. when rustic pa
trfots assembled in halls and churches
to hear the Declaration OF Indepen-
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-01
Debts Settled ON New Years.

On New Years eve in Japan hand
fuls of beans are thrown about the
rooms and over the threshold TO exor-
else evil spirits who may be about.
Before the new year the merchants
endeavor 10 get in all the money that
is owed to them and to pay or settle
their own debts As a consequence
many things cansbe bought very cheap
~ at the end of the year. for ready
money is the great desideratum. Men
carrying trays of something looking
Ike White worms go through the
streets crying. SODA. soba!" the jap
anese form OF macaroni. which, eaten
with soy sauce. is a favorfte deHcacy
with the coolies and jinrlksha men
For their little customers these men
make all sorts OF figures devils. gods
and animals from this paste.-Ex-
change.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-01
what HAPPY New Year Man.

A happy New Year. What does II
mean? Are not these words often
thrown out as a greeting without
thought or depth OF meaning Is Il a
year in which 10 ourselves come wealth
and health. prosperity and friendship:
one spent In the pursuit OF feeting
pleasure and filled with SELF centered
interest? No, Rather let the wish be
10 each and all. as the new year dawns
with all It's opportunities. that the days
OF 1896 may be well specialized with
thought and sympathy for those
around; that In self forgetting and
kindly deeds the happiness OF others
may be ever sought, and then most
truly VIII each act rebound again IN
joy and blessing 10 the heart from
which Il SDffncs Maud Rrofh
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-01
Begging Bread and Cheese.

Scotch children of the poorer class in
small towns still beg on New Years
eve from door TO door at the houses of
weather. families for a dole of oat
bread, calling out "Hogamanay" or
some of the local rhymes which are
given in Chambers Popular Rhymes
Of Scotland" such as:
Hogamanay.
Trollolay,
Give us OF your white bread
And none Of your gray!
They also beg for cheese, which they
call "nog-money," and Brands "Popu-
lar Antiquities" gives this begging
rhyme used by Scotch children:
Get up. guide wife. and binno sweir;
Deal cakes and cheese while We are
here.
For the time Will come when YEN be
dead
And neither need your cheese nor
bread.
AS the children on these forays are
swathed in great sheets formed into a
deep bag or pouch TO carry the oatcake
they form quite a mumming and fan
tastic appearance on the by streets and
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-01

dence read and the times that tried
mems souls eulogized in long orations.
and Thanksgiving, when the separated
members of families reunited them
selves in the old homesteads. where
around the crowded table they sat
down to the midday dinner and de-
voured the annual turkey and the Oc-
casiOnal mince pie. Not in old Puritan
Massachusetts. but IN Old Dutch New
York. did my actual acquaintance with
the New Year begin. IL was late in the
sos or early in the 's0s-precisely when
IL matters not-and ] was a lad OF Is
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-01

In the east parlor the scene has been
brilliant and Kaleidoscope. The ming
ling OF gaudy diplomats. brass button
ed officers and gorgeOusly gOwned wo-
men under the electric light. with the
palms and the flowers for a back
around makes one OF the most brilliant
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-01
Love and Charity.

II you can make love and charity In
your heart chord with the last song
the choir sings New Years day, YOU
can make up your mind that you are
pretty good man after alL--kearney
Journal
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
HON. JAS. ID. MENAGER
Doing Effective Work for the
Cause of the People.

Doing Effective Work for the
Cause of the People.
The Charleston correspondent,
writing from Charleston under date
of September oath, makes com
plimentary mention of Hon. Jas.
b. Menager, as follows;
"Hon. Jas. b. Menager, of Point
Pleasant, who is making some OF
the most effective speeches of the
campaign, has also been a lifelong
Republican and prominent lead,
er in the party until he espoused
the free silver cause few months
ago. He is having tremendous
crowds to listen to him wherever
he goes and is carrying large num-
bers of his former party associates
with him. He is now stamping in
Summers county. How'll canvass
jackson and Mason early in Octo-
Der, and will go to Roane on the
9th. He will spend solid week
in Kanawha, after which he will
canvass Ritchie, Writ, Doddridge,
Harrison, Cabell and the extreme
southern counties"
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
4 Tnrv RrnNcr.

It. will strain some of the divines
who are now publicly worshipping
Saint Mckinley to make prayer
that will discount the prayer which
Rev. Tory John Mason, of Now
York City, Illuminated against
Thomas jefferson. This is the
pious invocation:-"Send us, oh
Lord, if thou wilt, murrain upon
our cattle, famine upon our land;
send pestilence to our cities, send
fire and sword, but spare us, good
Lord, spare us that most dreadful
of all curses, that alliance with
Bonaparte, the election of Thomas
Jefferson"
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
THE OLD soLDIERs,
They are Passing Over the River
Rapidly.

They arc Passing Over the River
Rapidly.
The pension roll at the close of
tile fiscal year, June 30, amounted
to 97O,679, net gain over the pre-
vious year of only 154. There was
a decrease in pension disburse-
ments of $1,592,575, the total for
the year being S138,214,761. The
bureau estimates that the roll from
this time forth will show marked
and steady diminution, unless Con
gress should enact still moro liberal
provisions than are now upon the
statute books. The rate of mortal
ity among pensioners is rapidly de-
creasing during the year far OK
ceeding that of any corresponding
period in the history of the bureau.
The deaths during the year reach
ed 29,393.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
Can Such INNINGS Bc2

The blacklisting of employees is
making progress in this country.
In some of the industries work
man is blacklisted if he is member
of an organization to advance and
maintain wages. In others work
man is blacklisted he doesn't join
Mckinley organization. He
catches it going and coming. He
will be damned in this matter of or
ganization if he does, and damned
if he does not.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
Hon. j. a. Dunn.

Hon. j. A. Dunn, the present
President of our County Court, is
the Democratic candidate for re-
election as Commissioner of this
county. 1t is tho duty of the tax
payers to see that he is retained on
the court. He has ever been watch
fulo of the interests of the Taxpayers,
and on more than one accession has
baked attempted jobs, that saved
money to the county.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
Gold Bug Prcdictions.

Awful calamities are predicted
if gold should leave the country.
Once in our history it fled to for
eign shores. During its absence
we fought great war and had the
most prosperous times in all our
history, and times remained good
until it begun to come back again.
From the day of it's return until
now, they have gradually grown
worse. Every man of fifty years
of age knows this to be true.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
ELECTION NOTICE.
WEST YIRGINIA:

w Aiho wv
A TIA county court continued and held
N for the county of Mason, at the
court house thereof, on Tuesday, July
Upon petition of 90 voters OF Arbuckle
District, Mason county, w. Va, this
day presented to the court praying that
the court submit to the voters OF sid
Arbuckle district at the next general
election the question of enforcing the
provisions of Chapter As of the Acts of
the Legislature of West Virginia of
1885, in said District. 1t is therefore
ordered by the court that said Act be
submitted to the voters of said Arbuckle
District at the next general election for
their adoption or rejection. AT such
election those voting for the enforce
ment thereof shall have written or print
ed on their ballots, For Stock Law"
and those voting against the enforce
ment thereof, shall have written or
printed on their ballots, against Stock
Law" The ballots used i'll taking said
vote shall be the same as those used in
voting for the officers to be elected at
said election.
A copy-Teste:
j. p. r. b. SMITH, Clerk.
Sept. l6--4w-w'kly.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
ELECTION NOTICE.

WEST VIRGINIA:
A II County Court continued and
N held for the county of Mason, at the
Court House thereof, on Friday, July
10Th, 1896.
Whereas, petition has this day been
presented to the cour', signed by at
least 20 voters of Cologne District, in
Mason county, praying for the adoption
of the method OF constructing and keep.
ing in repair the county roads OF said
District as provided In Chapter 50, Acts
OF 1881, as amended by Chapter 40, Acts
of 1885, and Chapter 80, Acts Of 1887. 1t
is therefore ordered that the said meth
cd of constructing and keeping i'll re-
pair the county roads of said district in
said county be submitted to the voters OF
said district for ratification or rejection
at the next ensuing election. Those vot-
ing for said road system shall have writ
ten or printed on their ballots, "For the
New Road Law" and those voting
against said road system shall have
written or printed on their ballots,
against the New Road Law" And it
is ordered that a copy OF this order be
published in the newspapers of this
county for four successive weeks pre-
ceding the day of said election.
a Copy-Teste:
j. p. r. b. SMITH, Clerk.
Sept. 16-4wks -w'kly.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
moi AFRAID
OF BRYAN AND SEWALL AND
SILVER
lis the Veteran Gold Bug, John
BrannOn.

Washington Post
"I have no doubt that West Vir-
ginia will record majority for
Bryan and Sewall, said that veter-
an Democrat, Judge John Bran
non, of Weston, w. Va. to a re-
porter at the National. "There
will be few Democrats here and
there that will bolt the ticket, but
that loss will be more than coun-
terBalanced by accessions from the
Republican party. Several prom
inent Republicans of my acquain-
lance have assured me of their in
tention tovote for Bryan, and from
all parts of the State come similar
announcements. A large percent
age of the Populist vote can also
be counted on to do likewise; in
deed, the intelligent and thinking
members of that party are not go
ing to waste their votes by helping
Candidate Watson in his cranky
and contumacious course that only
serves to aid Mckinley.
"My own opinion is that great
effort is being made to scare the
people on this matter of free silver.
l have my doubts of its being a
panacea for existing evils, but am
utterly skeptical Of the pictures
that it's opponents draw of wide
spread disaster and financial ruin,
The American people are too sen;
sible [ think, to be humbugged
with such ghost stories. AT all
events there is nothing half as bad
in the Chicago platform as return
to McKinleyism.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
Cannot Contain Themselves.

Cannot Contain themselves
The Republicans cannot contain
themselves at the very idea of the
United States beginning free coin
age by itself. They denounce the
scheme as dishonest, reputation,
anarchy and downright villiany.
Yet their own platform expressly
declares that they do not want the
gold standard longer than they can
help, but are in favor of authorizations
al bimetallism if other nations will
consent. What spectacle for
Gods and men do they want!
They are in favor of stealing, cheat
ing and repudiating honest debts,
according to their own confession
if we can only add the crime of
conspiracy to the sum of the other
proposed villianies. If they are
honest, why do they not set them
selves firmly for gold standard?
Why is it, that they have only
abuse for man who wants his
neiphbors aid in perpetrating a
villiany? There is only one con-
sistent gold standard party in the
country and that is the boltocrots'
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
TheLegislatiye Ticket.

The Democratic candidates for
the House of Delegates are classed
among the best citizens of this
county; are men of sterling charac-
ter, and if elected, as they will be,
will reflect credit upon the county,
and will be watchful of the peo-
ple's interests as well. Vote for
q. b. Greenlee and D. w. Skinner.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
a Question to Answer.

If gold is going to be at a prem
inn when the free coinage of sill
yer dollars prevails, why is it
that money lenders holding obliga-
tions that are payable in gold are
a unit for the single standord?-
Labor World.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30

It's not to the interest of money
spectators to have money plenti-
full, hence their opposition to the
free coinage of silver. The res
toration of silver, and the enlarge
ment of the currency would be Diet
rimental to their business and they
want to keep money scarce and
times hard.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
win Rain Ashes.

If Mckinley and goldbuggery
win, hell will be on top, and it will
rain ashes and lucifer-matches in
this country for four years to come.
-Utahian, Salt Lake City, Utah.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
SEPTEMBER 80, 1896.
silver Meeting.

Hon. Chas. e. Hogg and Hon.
John e. Beller, addressed the Fair
Ground Silver Club, Thursday
night. There was big crowd
present and much enthusiasm dis
played. The speeches were elo-
ouent, forcible and effective.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
BE Actlve and Aggressive.

If the Democrats and free silver
people of this county will be ac-
tive and aggressive from now on
to election day, Mason county will
be redeemed from Republican mis-
rule and Ring rule.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30

Are you fighting for the COM
mon people, or are you fighting the
battle for the Bank of England and
the RothchiIds for the maintenance
of the unconstitutional gold stand
ard and the continued robbery of
the American producer and labor
.ar2
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
Lincoln On Contraction.

We quote the following saying
of Lincoln, even under the fear
that the editor of the State Gazette
will call us a demagogue:
If government contracted n
debt with certain amount of mon
ely in circulation, then contracted
the money volume before the debt
was paid, it is the most heinous
crime that n government could
commit against the people.-Abra-
ham Lincoln.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30

Word has gone out from the re-
publican state committee that it is
impossible to carry West Virginia
for Mckinley and Atkinson, and
the voters are requested to save the
state ticket if possible. Trade off
Mckinley whenever and wherever
it can be done to secure votes for
Atkinson, is tho word that has been
sent along the line.
The financial question is upper
most here and tho knowledge dis
played of all monetary intricacies
is wonderful.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-30
.Satur0av, Oot0le1 "a, $50,

the following real estate, to-wit: All of
that real estate conveyed to said Trus-
tee by John H. Daigh and Mary Daigh,
his wife, by deed dated July IL, 1890,
and recorded in the Clerks Office of the
Deed Book No. IL, pages 367 and 3Gs,
situated in Hannah district, said county,
on Rocky Fork. branch of Ohio
Eighteen Mile Greek, containing two
tracts, one of twenty acres in fee and
and the other ninety and one-half acres
in which said John II. Daigh has life
estate, to secure to John ID. McCulloch
the payment of one note for $4,000, da-
ted July IL, 1890, with interest thereon
from date. Said John III. Daigh having
made default in the payment of said
note, and being required by said Nc
sale will be for cash.
JAMES b. MENAGER, Trustee.
sen 4-W,