davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1896-07-18
A CAREFUL YOUNG MAN.

He Took His Best Girl Out ON the
Wheel Before Breakfast.
'One Of the most popular wheel courses
about Washington" remarked a wheel en-
tkusiast to Star reporter. us the Conduit
which. by the way. Is a word Of frequent
mispronunciation, usually being pronounc-
ed conduit instead of condit-road. and
there is scarcely an hour in the day, IL the
weather Is at all respectable. when one or
more wheels are not in sight along it. In
the mornings and evenings 1t is especially
well patronized, and in the early mornings
1t is a revelation Of delight to get out of
the city and go spinning along up the Po-
tomac. l make it nearly every morning
and not infrequently l take bite at Cabin
John and prolong my trip. Others do this
still others (noticeably couples Of young
men md young women) come to the bridge
for breakfast, and still others come up to
go back without stopping.
"A funny case of this kind came under
my notice the other morning. I had taken
my bite and was sitting out in the shade
enjoying the freshness OF the morning air
when young man and a young woman
whirled up on their wheels and dismount-
ed, the girl with considerable Of q breath Of
relief, as IL that much Of a ride was a lit
tie more than she was accustomed to at
any hour In the day, and particularly 30
without any breakfast. They consulted to-
gether a moment. and I heard the young
man tell her that he thought they could
get something, which seemed to be pleas
ant Information. Then he called a waiter
out and asked II he could get glass of ice
water.
THE waiter told him he thought such a
thing might be procured, and it was
brought, the girl. in the meantime, declin-
Ing q glass. However. when he had fin
ished his. she reconsidered and asked for q
glass. This was brought. and when she
finished 1t. she halfway started toward the
place where breakfast was served. But the
man wasn't thinking about that.
There he said, smackinE his lips, we
Evening star., 1896-07-18
A GOOD PROyIDER.
\ Stranger Who Thought UncIe Sam
furnfshed the Department Iunch..

\ Stranger Who Thought Uncle S,m
H"rhished the Department Luucbe.
ihterlor Department clerks are laughing
yet over an episode that occurred during
the Christian Endeavor convention. As ,n
the other public buildings. where a number
OF clerks are employed. there is a lunchinp
piace In The Interior Department, where the
'anies are provided with edibles suitable for
midday repast. One day last week, about
noon time, young woman wearing a C. +.
faoge or distant state came along and
seeing the clerks taking their seats at the
iunch tables proceeded to do likewise. She
had Keen appetite, and ordered with
prodisality. Oat meal and cream was fol-
io~eo py chicken patty. and cold tongue.
q oe"hed crab, two pieces of apple pie and
a cup or coffee made up the rest of her
inesL when she had finished she wiped her
larly: VI
Well. I've heard a good deal about the
say think they are pretty fortunate peo-
pie. The government certainly feeds then,
we'll, IL nothing else"
Wch this she started Off with a superior
SORT or air, when an attendant presented
her with check calling for 65 cents.
Sne demanded to know what IL meant
ana was Informed that she was expected to
pay the amount OF G5 cents for what she
had eaten.
Pay calculated the stranger. why.
tnought that lunch was furnished free by
The government"
searched through her pocke tbook until she
ioond the necessary amount. and when she
ieit her countenance bore unmistakable
SIGNS OF approaching indigestion.
Evening star., 1896-07-18
those who are counting upon 1t now will be
very greatly disappointed


very greatly 5as 5saissappointed."
'"The southern part of the state OF d
linois. where. VIM. Jennings Bryan was
raised. il called Egypt said A. L.
Arthur OF Springfield, Ill, at the Norman
Ole. The inhabitants OF that section are
called 'Egyptians.' and it Is almost term
OF reproach It used to be thought by the
people OF central and northern Illinois
that no good could come out of Egypt, but
General John A. Logan. Judge Schoheld.
VIM. r. Morrison and Judge Joshua Allen
have changed that verdict. When the
state was first, settled the poorer classes
Irem southern Indiana and Ohio went to
southern Illinois, taking their few pos
sessions. The wagons were rickety and
the horses thin. A good many genuine
gypsles frequented the section to trade
horses with these people This started the
name OF Egypt, but another fact served to
iasten 1t. The Mississippi river overhows
IT'S banks in this section, and makes great
sioughs or 'slnes,' as they call them there.
Other marshes abound and these are In
as thick as in New Jersey. Ague Is COM
mon and was formerly almost universal.
The water used to be full of water mccca-
sins and the grass OF prairie rattiesnakes.
To add to all this the first year Of settle
ment was locust year. and the insects de-
vastated almost everything These were
the plaques, and emigrants went further
north. saying they did SO to escape the
plaques OF Egypt Now 1t Is a progress
sive. wide-awake section, but the name
sticks to it,
Evening star., 1896-07-18
EXTENT OF WASHINGTON.
Experience Of q Citizen RWho Has
Lived Here TWenty.SeYen Year..

Experience OF Citizen Who u.s
Lived Here Twenty-Seven Years.
Owing to Its transverse avenues and its
oft-recurring parks and circles. Washing
ton city Is not the easiest city in the world
for the stranger within her gates to locate
himself when once he has lost his bearings.
but 1t would hardly seem to be large
enough or intricate enough to confuse one
or Its residents. Yet a Star reporter has
proof that 1t is large enough or Intricate
enough to ball up one Of its own citizens.
He the reporter) was standing at the cor
ner Of New York avenue and 18th street
one night during the Endeayor show last
week. when Endeavorers were rushing to
and fro trying to get home from the va
r1ous meetings, and as he watched the fly
ing people well-dressed man came up to
him.
Il beg your pardon" remarked the man,
but will you be kind enough to tell me
which car I must take here to get to 9Th
street nor'east?"
He said 'nor'east" and the reporter
thought he might have grown rich bringing
argosies home laden with treasure. He also
thought the man was c. E., and had
asked how to get to 10th street.
rake this yellow car" he said, "and
walk over to the west two blocks. or take
the green car going up to H street. and
diteI Wine get out ana walk over to the
east two blocks. At the same time, which
ever car you take. tell the conductor where
you want to go, and ask him how to get
there
The man laughed just little at these
very clear directions
Il want to go to 9Th street nor'east," he
repeated. very slowly; land think ought
to take a New York avenue car but don't
exactly know which Is New York avenue"
This cleared matters up for the reporter
and he told the man to step across the
street and take a blue car
But I don't know which direction to
go ne said. appealingly. You mightn't
believe it, he went on. but I've lived in
washington for twenty-seven years, and
tonight 1 came up town, which Is q rare
thing for me. and now / am so turned
around that l don't know New York ave-
nue. when see it. and don't know which
direction to take to go back to my home
in tine Horeast."
The man was perfectly sober, perfectly
rational. we'll dressed and perfectly respect
able. yet it was evident that in all those
twenty-seven years Of his life over in the
northeast part Of the city he had not been
in the midst of things enough to know how
to get home when he got two miles away
from it.
The last the reporter saw of him he was
taking his place in a New York avenue
car headed for the northeast. and 1t Is fair
to suppose when he got east of 7th street
he began to come in sight Of familiar land
marks
Evening star., 1896-07-18
SLANG AND IT'S VALUE.
An ExpressfOn Used That No One I'm
the Party Understood.

the Party Understood.
A party OF half dozen or so naval Of
ficers, private citizens and a Star reporter
were sitting around hotel the other even
ing telling stories Of adventure by land and
sea. the evening passing without any
seriouJ disturbance until one OF the naval
officers told story.
What the story was in detail has no
particular bearing on the case, but a bit
Of slang the officer used quite upset the
even tenor of things and made men look
susDfciously at each other.
1t happened that when the officer finished
his story he concluded II by remarking
of his hero: And they thought lie ought
to put the giglets on"
He smiled when he said it. and nobody
seemed to be certain Just what he meant
so the listeners did not smile in return
but rather maintained a discreet quiet for
q minute or two Then ore of the pri-
Vate CT: zec5 uneasily twisted his chair
around aad sid Questioningly:
Ought to put the g.glets on
The reporter was glad the private citizen
had asked the question, because he felt
that the officer would answer IT. of course
but he did not. On the contrary another
OF the officers gave the private citizen the
laugh and inquired:
Aren't you on. Pop?''
Two or three others laughed at this. the
pNdtc citiLeH seemed 10 Wish he hadn'
said anything, and not a great while after
ward the meeting adjourned
The next day the reporter met the naval
officer who had guyed the private citizens
question the night before.
Say, old chap" he said. what DID
Bilge mean by that bit of slang he used
and Pop asked him about? You seemed to
be the only man who was onto it except
Bilge'
Give 1t up" was the frank response
I've asked all the others and there isn't
application is
How will We find out: 1t won't do to
show up too green"
"Confound it, nobody looked green when
he said 1t. / thought 1 was the only man
in the party who wasn't on even
thought Pop knew and that if guyed him
he would give me enough of show for
me to work my way through it. That's
why made crack at him.
And changed the subject as soon as
l could" confessed the reporter. for fear
ance."
AT this point the man who had used the
slang appeared and the two men greeted
him effusively.
Il hope you won't think I'm entirely
an ignoramus," said the reporter after
three or four minutes. but I'd like to
know what the gag was in that slang you
used last night about putting the giglets
on. Do you remember?''
The officer laughed
I'D like to know that myself" he said
at Seal Harbor. and never had a chance
to ask him what 1T mean. I've been using
it since. hoping to have some one tell me
what it means"
Evening star., 1896-07-18
A PECULIAR CUSTOM,
The Important Part Played by Cheese
in Swiss Festfvities.

1. c. Heer of Zurich, in one of his recent
interesting articles about Zermatt and the
people who live under the shadow OF the
Matterhorn. thus speaks of a curious GUS
tom prevailing there, in which cheese" is
an important factor:
The standing of family is judged ac-
cordIng to the age of the cheese IL can
show. and the honor in which a guest is
held Is distinctly evidenced by the age OF
the cheese served to him. There are fami-
lies Of whom it is said that they yet have
cheese CT the last century in store. which
however, is only served on great occasions.
such as festivals at the birth of a first
child. wedding and death feasts. When
ever child is born a cheese named after
1t is expressly prepared and stored away
No portions Of this. unless the child pre-
Tiously dies. Is served until marriage of its
namesake. when each guest must partake
OF small piece of each of the cheeses
named and stored away for the groom and
.or the bride 10y their respective parents;
this in the nature of a benediction. The
remainder of these two cheeses is then
carefully stored away, not to be touched
again until either the groom or bride dies,
when IL Is served to those attending the
funeral, and reverently partaken of in re-
membrance of the deceased
An important function of cheese in Ter
matt Is its service in courtships. Ii there
serves as q substitute for flowers The
man pops the question by presenting his
sweetheart with a piece of cheese neatly
put up in a package. The girl, when pro-
posed to. does not respond by either word
or flower: IL the sutor is accepted. IL is a
bit OF cheese, slyly given, that serves as the
symbol Of acceptance. An engagement is
effected as follows: The suitor begs Of the
girls father permission to dine with the
family on a Sunday. A refusal is eauiva-
lent to an insult, and frequently entails
enmity for life. Hence. even il the swain
is not acceptable. he may be allowed to par
take of a Sunday dinner with the family.
But that does not settle the matter. VIII
the head of the family serve cheese to the
SuItor? That Is the all-important question
which agitates the two young people desi-
rous OF betrothal. The dinner is protracted
beyond the usual time. The pater familias
talks about all manner of things, but never
a mention of cheese The young couple are
getting anxious and restless. Unless cheese
is served il plainly signifies that the suitor
Is welcome as a friend OF the family but
not wanted a son-in-law. The suspense
continues until the mother casts a longing
eye upon the father, who then slowly rises:
but, o Joy! beckons the others to keep
seated He quietly goes to the quaint old
cupboard in the corner and brings forth a
chunk OF his Oldest cheese. and serves a
piece to each of the two happy young peo-
pie. This seals, as IL were, the betrothal:
whereupon he serves the others, brings
forth bottle of his choicest wine and all
drink to the health OF the newly betrothed.
Verify. the uses cheese is put to in this
world are manifold!
Evening star., 1896-07-18
EFFECT ON FARO.
A Gambling House Dealer Tells why
He Closed I'd.

Gambling House Dealer Tells Why
He Closed I'd.
A well-known gambler, who has for years
been a dealer in Baltimore faro bank.
was lounging along the avenue yesterday.
VIXEN The Star man met him.
Hello. Dan," remarked the writer. what
are you doing over here?"
Just loafng," was the reply. "our
games closed"
Somebody win out your roll?"
"oh, no." responded the gambler, smil-
ingiy. ''The rolls all right, but we closed
down all the same.
The fact is," he continued, seriously
there's no money in Baltimore. or any
where else. as far as / can learn. Three
or -FOUR years ago our game was a rich one.
Our expenses ran a hundred day, year in
and year out. There was steady play all
the time, and We got most of the money,
and the players had considerable Our Gus
toners when We closed q couple of weeks
ago were virtually the same men We had
when former conditions prevailed You
know, We never allowed any chip charm
ers or sleeper watchers around our house
our players were mostly men in business
and professional life who were stuck on
playing faro, and they devoted a certain
part OF their incomes to il. i never knew
put TWO or three OF our regular PLAYERS
VINO went In deep enough to neglect their
1amliies. Well, those same men have been
playing with us all the time as / saw. but
where they used to play reds at twenty
nEe dollars stack, they got to playine
whites at two dollars stack So we closed
oo"h. tell you times are nightly de-
pressed when a faro bank that's winning
right aiong can't make the business pay"
Evening star., 1896-07-18
NEW VIEW OF THE WHEEL.
The Owner of a Horse and q BuEH!
is Much DisEruntled.

The Owner of a Horse and a Buggy
is Much DisEruntled.
He Is handsome man with a graceful
mustache and lcrdly imperial. just turning
gray. and many's the fair woman who has
noted him on the avenue or along F street
at the hours when women do most con-
gregate in those localities.
On one occasion he was looking listlessly
into a window Of a bicycle store when
Star reporter ran across him.
Great Caesar" exclaimed the reporter.
starting back in horror. you don't mean
10 tell me that you. you the Adonis, the
Apollo and the rest of them. are contem-
plating acquiring the bicycle habit?'
don't see why l shouldn't" he said.
My horse Is out on pasture. and 1 don't
have any heart to bring him In and drive
him."
Why not?" and the reporter was sur
pened to know that the horse in question
was not only speedy but handsome. and the
wagon that went with him was q beauty
IN every particular.
What's the good of the turn-outr' he
replied. iugubriously. IF 1 want to take
a man along he can't go owing to a prev
!onS engagement to go wheeling. and /
hate to drive around alone. Besides. there
are SO many bicycles flying around on the
streets and the roads that driving Is be-
coming an annoyance rather than a pleas
ure."
What's the matter with taking a girl
porter.
Worse and more Of IT, continued the
lugubrious horse owner. "If 1 am lucky
enough to get girl to 60 with me, either
wheeling or because she has just been
wheeling till she is so tired she wants to
rest, l have no peace of mind pleasure
in the drive. In the old times. you know.
W nornff p tv,rp< <.,,e%
as to take ~. pretty girl out Rock creek
way on soft and sweet moonlight night
and drive through those shaded dells.
where the ripping waters made melody to
moon hid behind cloud for an instant,
when we two were alone with the stars,
to kiss her rosy hips and float out upon a
moonshine sea ef9rapture."
alphabetically. Il beg your pardon, but
continue" &c
And after. that" he continued. Ito drive
along those beautiful roads through Wood
lows. along the ridges sweet with the per-
fume OF the woods. with your arm around
her taper waist. was something tina.
could only be fifty expressed in poesy and
music" 81
'Well?' said the reporter inquirinely.
when he seemed unable to proceed
Its al busted wide open.'' he said, In
tones OF the utmost disgust. Now the
Aodus are laii ol DlCyCleFS. men ana women,
chasing along everywhere, as silent in their
approach as death or taxes. and as certain,
and when man in buggy undertakes
anything like that 1 was speaking about.
he doesn't more than begin to bend over
toward her. or to slip his arm along the
back of the buggy seat. until out of the
darkness and stiffness behind him comes a
rasp.ng voice saying: Break away there:
break away. That's the condition now.
my dear fellow. and 1 am afraid the man
with a horse and buggy has lost his occu-
patton"
Evening star., 1896-07-18

than the pies made in any of the other
towns of Pennsylvania. 1t was simply
railroad station, where nearly all trains
stopped. Some enterprising old ladies took
advantage of that brief delay, and supplied
the hungry passengers with nice pies. The
average traveller is nearly always ready to
eat while travelling, especially those who do
not travel much, and as the pies were nice
they were eagerly bought After a while
1t got to be known that nice pies could be
had at York. and passengers restrained
their appetites until they reached there.
The travellers were hungry. and the pies
reached the right spot. and they never for
got to sing praises OF York and its pies.
This increased the business to such an ex-
tent that hundreds OF old ladies managed
to exc out livelihood making and selling
pies. After time they became SO expert
in the matter of pie making that the York
pie was really something very nice. 1t had
'more.sh' taste about it-that is, the more
you ate the more you wanted to eat AS
time rolled along there were so many pie
sellers that there was no room about the
depot for passengers. Then came the new
depot. and now the pie seller ia not allowed
to enter there at all. The York pie OF good
old days is thing OF the past
4 4 \ *
Amateur bicyclers should learn to use
the wheel in moderation observed pro-
fessional rider. They should take but
short rides at the start. In a week or SO
they will tougher up in the parts that need
to be toughened up. and after that they will
be all right. Only few days ago a friend
OF mine bought a new wheel. He had not
ridden before that. all told. five miles. As
soon as he got the wheel he started out on
a ten-mile spin on q very hot day, and over
a rough road. The result Is that he is to-
day In a hospital and will be for q week or
so. He thinks 1t was the wheel that laid
him up, when the fact Is 1t was his own in
discretion. My advice. therefore, to all new
riders Is to go slow. and for the nrst week
never ride for over q half hour at q time.
After that there Will be no trouble, pro-
viding, Of course. there is no constitutional
ailment."
THE photograph galleries OF this city
have had a great draft on them Of late, &"
remarked dealer. "and especially for the
photos Of public men and national char
acters The newspaper Of the present day
wants photos. and their managers know
that they can be supplied better from this
city than anywhere else. Bulls like that
committed by the New York Journal, in
printing the photograph of Senator Nc
MILAN for Representative McMillin occur
now and then, but, considering the number
OF chances to make mistakes. they are very
rare In the west and south such errors do
not count much. for one photograph ordi-
narily suits them as well as another. In
snort, any photograph goes. Such an error
however, would not have occurred II the pic
ture had been ordered from this city
Evening star., 1896-07-18
Quite a Difference.

From the Chicago Fost.
LAS a new woman" he said. II suppose
you will object to the wedding ring as a
symbol OF mans tyranny"
'Of course 1 SHALL" she replied Under
no circumstances would consent to wear
such a thing. 1t is not essential to a mar
riGge. and 1t stands for all that is objec-
tionable in the marriage relation"
And on the same theory" he continued.
Il suppose you will refuse to wear an en-
gagement ring also"
"Well-no." she answered. slowly and
thoughtfully. That's a very different
matter"
But theoretically it"
There is no use arguing" she interrupt
ed, Il don't care what ii Is theoretically
Practically 1t is very often a diamond
while the wedding ring is only plain gold
and that makes all the difference In the
world"
Evening star., 1896-07-18

can get back to town now in plenty OF
time for breakfast and he mounted and
started on after the girl. who had jumped
her wheel and hurried away in one Of
those furious moods girls have. some
times.
LAS they departed, a couple Of kids who
had been watching the performance put in:
Say. sung out one. here's a quarter
I'll go q dime on breakfast shouted
the other, but the couple didn't come
back"
Evening star., 1896-07-18
Sometimes.

From the Chicago Tribune.
isn't that sort Of work very confining?'
asked the visitor who had been permitted
to go into the room where the banknote
engravers were at work.
Sometimes it is. ma am" answered the
pale-faced artist whom she had addressed.
Il am personally acquainted with q man
who did job Of this kind once without
orders. and he was confined seven years
for 1t, ma am"
Evening star., 1896-07-18
LENGTH of LIFE.
Comparative Longevity of Men I'm Diff
feFent Lines Of Business.

AeECnt hunco OF bu4tmCO0.
Some interesting facts and figures in re-
gard to the comparative length of life Of
men In different lines OF business have
been prepared by DR.. George w. Wells. A.
M, MD. one Of the best known medical
directors for one Of the largest life in
surance companies in the world.
DR.. Wells. who is about to publish in
book form the results Of his many years
experience as a medical director. has ar
ranged the following table. showing the
comparative mortality OF men between the
ages of twenty-five and sixty-five years.
The table represents many thousands OF
deaths which have been tabulated, and the
percentages are based upon every hundred
deaths among clergymen. the longest lived
individuals. as class, of which there is
any record. There is twice as good a
cnance that minister will reach the age
OF slxiy-five as that doctor will.
as,-.
Evening star., 1896-07-18
Another View.

From the Chicago Record.
Mrs. Dobbs. don't you find that club
study rather interferes with housekeep-
ing?"
"Oh, not at all; 1t helps. I belong to SO
luncheon at home"
Evening star., 1896-07-18
Not the Same Man.

From the Cleveland Leader
, Bloundell-"Burdick seems to be a chang
ed man since he got his bicycle
Renson-"Yes. his nose points around the
corner instead of straight ahead, as it used
to, and they say he has one glass eye''
Evening star., 1896-07-18
A Base Hit.

From the Detroit Free Press
Il found a good bargain in mems shoes
today" said Jorkins, after he had picked
everything OH the supper table to pieces.
You had better luck than ever had"
retorted his wife.