davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

floor close to the wall, in such posi- tion that 1t was completely out of the snakes line of vision. If the puff-adder at first view of the rat had coveted it for dinner, he certainly was much alarmed in striking it, for his loud blewings filled the room for probably not less than q minute afterwards. Fi. nally he ceased these manifestations, and yawned widely, stretching his fangs and jaws to the utmost extent The rat was by this time lying dead be- hind the books. so that nothing re. mained to excite the snake further; and he soon set out upon little journey of explora ton. Over the rats path he went for awhile; then he left it, going back to his corner. Again and again he went backwards and forwards, then eX- tended his search round by the wall un- til he came to the motionless body of his victim, which he tried on every side with his tongue, to make sure that life was thoroughly extinct. At last, satis- fled on this point, he took it's head in his mouth and swallowed it down with con- siderable difficulty; for he was occu- pied in the process for the full space of 40 minutes-the rat being, as has been mentioned before, more than usually large.
 The rattlesnake, the copperhead and other deadly snakes of the viper class all catch rats and mice in this manner; and none of them will ever hold an ani- nal which they fear on account of it's strength or ierceness. Nevertheless, they will strike it to death, as the puff-adder, and after an interval set out to find it's corpse and swallow it at their leisure, if it prove to be every way de. sirabe.
 Twice during last summer Hound on the Palisades in New Jersey copper
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

pared to give him rat of unusua1 size When the puff-adder had coilea himself Tn shadowy corner behind a table leo
 1 cautiously opened the wire trap and let the rat run out, seating myself in 2 chair to watch the methods of the p,,ff- adder. If he saw the rat coming out of the trap, he gave no signs of it what ever, but lay as still as if he were deaa
 The rat, too, didn't see the snake nntil ne approached the fatal corner. which he did with that business-like gait ne
 cullar to rats seeking holes. As I sat perfectly still, the rat was in no great hurry, so that he did not run blindlv on the snake. He got within foot of his enemy before he seemed to notice him: then, with rat-like inquisitiveness. he sat upon his launches, sniffing tren- bllngly to be sure if it were really a snake. As he did so the puff-adder be- came alarmed at his size and cave vent to a loud, blowing hiss, at the same time drawing back his head with nose inclined downward, ready to strike. The hiss alarmed the rat, which jumped past the snake, uttering a squeak of alarm. But the reptile was quicker than the quadruped, and struck him nicely while still on the jump. The ac- tion of the snake was so quick that he must be said to have struck the rat rather than to have bitten it. He did not hold it at all, so that it continued it's slightly interrupted journey; but, alas! 1t had the venom injected into it's lungs; and before it reached the place where l sat, it tottered over to the other side of the room and lay down dying, resting on it's side behind a pile of books on the
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19
dr LIVING RAT TRAPS.
..o Snakes Make War with " e,v .,,e Army of Rodents.
os;,ly Tells How They Catch |st U ad Rats, and Relates a Few ,i'e Citing stories from His
 Own Experience.
tcoeyRieHT. 1sse.1

oss covered plains and hillsides % .h Africa you frequently come
 sou'a aots apparently thickly inhabit- |Is t9ss .aroe small running animal. Lit
 sSs wind about and across each
 P' every direction, and may well |pa anared m to the streets of city
 'vm .onnt of their proximity to each
 " end their numerous crossings. |'e 2 noth is clearly marked by being |Eu z destitute of herbage. If you |p0st them up, you will find that they < F .,d in holes just large enough to ;s - half-grown rat; and if you
 V .be thicker punches of grass, you FS |S arobably see a small rat-like ani- l'rnnning at quick little trot along .huav to the burrow. He is a vole,
 s .rke a rat or mouse in appearance \ I mucb less nimble and much more Es.ste than either; he is larger than
 anse and considerably smaller than
 "a His fur, too, is much longer and sster in proportion, being more like {, ~ of q rabbit in its texture. Boys, X white and colored, in South Afri- 2. s0usider them very good eating, and .Sy them roasted in e1nbers when
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19
oeafness cannot Ra cnrsn

by local applications, as they cannot reach the diseased portion of the ear. There is only one way to cure deafness. and that is by constitutional remedies Deafness is caused by an infiamed condition of the mn. ceus lining Of the Eustaehian Tube. When thls tane gets fnfiamed you have rumbling sound or imperfect hearing and when if is entirely closed deafness is the result. and unless the inflammation can be taken oiit and this tube restored to its normal con. ditlon, hearing will be destroyed forever. nine cases out of ten are caused by eatarrh' which Is nothing but all inflamed condition of the mucous surfaces.
 We Will give One Hundred Dollars for any case of Deafness tcaused by eatarrh1 that cannot be cured by Halls Catarrh Cure. Send for circulars, free.
 F. ]. CHENEY X Co, Toledo, o.
 Sold by Druggists 75c
 Halls Family Pills are the best.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

heads lying in the runs of the snort tailed field mouse, an animal very sim liar to the South African vole. On an other occasion found one in the vicin- ity of a nest of wood nice. Having, brought him home, 1 found during the ensuing week that he previously dined on o..e of them. He was probably waiting for second when l encoun- tered him. Indeed, he would probably have eaten up all the elders of the fam fly as fast as they came out to take the air. and then would have gone into the hole to polish off the nest of young
 Among my copperheads in captivity l saw nice instance of this last au- tumn. Now. while the copperhead dimes chiefly on frogs during spring and early summer, he longs in autumn for mice. and will put himself to consider able trouble and into no small dan ger to get them.
 Having a full-grown copperhead in d large cage. with dead leaves and rocks for him to wander amongst, l deter mined on the first opportunity to give him a feast of mice. A mother mouse, with six young ones, had made her home in a covered cigar box. The young were helpless infants, but the mother was strong and enterprising; for besides cutting q large hole in the box. she had collected within 1t con siderable nest. The copperhead was ly- ing coiled among the leaves, when gently withdrew the glass and placed The box in one corner of his cage, clos ing the glass slide of the front again, so that neither the mouse nor the rep tile could get out into my room
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19
LoNe-DlsTANcE RACES.
Why They Should Be Made Feature
 Every Big Meet.

Every Big Meet.
 There is no good reason why America should not establish itself as the great est racing country on earth. We have already proven our superiority over every other in the matter of short-dis. tanee racing, but so far as long-dis- tance work is concerned we are indeed very small potatoes. The reason for this lies not so much in the fact that we have not the men and the tracks neces- sary to make these events successful as in that during the last two or three years we seem to have gone crazy over mile and shorter distance races and have worshiped at the shrine of the fast but short-winded men to the total exclusion of the ',pluggers, whose speed and stamina would make them famous on the path were they but given an opportunity to show their abilities. The idea. has gone abroad that we do not raise the right kind of racing men in this country, and Eng land likes nothing better than to taunt us with the fact that we do not hold a single worlds record that has required more than eight minutes riding time. They whip us with the plain truth, but it is not the fault of Americas racing men that this is so. If America had been running hour, 50 and 100-mile and 24-hour races, as foreign countries have, there is no reason to doubt that America would be as well up in the scale of long-distance performances as are England and France; but, given no opportunity, the racing men of this country could not expect to equal or excel the marvellous records of Stocks, Huret, Riverie, Core and others, whose successes are due to constant training and exercise at the very work in which they have astonished the world However. q change in American racing methods is now due, and it is not un- likely that during '96 long-distance events will be feature of almost every big race meet held. The country is experiencing q change of heart, and the short-distance flyers will hereafter be called upon to share honors with the harder workers who have so long re- mained unrecognized. This will be the first step in the right direction. After 8 season of these new events, it is not too much to expect that they will be- come popular enough to warrant their continuance indefinitely, and then it will be question of but a season or two when America will rank not only as the home of the best short-distancs flyers, but as the pasture in which graze the best racing men the world has ever known, without distinction as to style or distance.-Cycling Gazette.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

xg they can catch them. Many of the 3IS live in each colony. and the col- sus are so numerous that you cannot aFel mile in any direction without Irssing one. But the vole has a worse l.smy than the boys. If you approach 0ony, and carefully survey all the 'nTays, particularly if there be a Iak there, you will perhaps see the |any alluded to-a living rat-trap- .hg in the path; and the very sight his broad fiat head and sinister cat. |t eyes will make your blood run ld
 He is the terrible puff-adder, short. Rek-bodied, bread-headed, long |lged, death-dealing alike 10 vole and nan-and even to the proving lion, teald he in his wanderings set paw Een the deadly reptile. He is beauti- llly colored. having q groundwork of EYet black, with half moons of yell IF aud small specks of the same lHked along his back from head to R. More than once I have found puff aers lying thus in vole-paths, and Esrs is no doubt that they devour bat numbers of them. Nor will a Bladder be satisfied with one. As |an as he has swallowed his first |eh he looks around little, and then |s in wait for another, which he Fehes just as he did the first. His flAod of securing them is this: He |aders about till he comes to the col Y lis tongue tells him by the touch
 IS delicate points that his prey is |lie vicinity. For awhile he searches Eliy about. If he catches sight of q K he lies quiet in or close to the |h- lie knows by instinct that his |aanIng motionless for a long time
 arouse the little animals curiosity. K Vole, seeing the snake moving, is
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

[soaply frightened, and runs to his | put finding that he is not pur-
 ,He soon emerges and looks around
 ]. .ae snake. He discovers the reptile ['Onless, Dead thinks the vole, ssleep, maybe;" and he cautious K approaches to investigate. Inch by
 ae ventures, sniffing. into closer |Amlty to danger; he even runs
 sua the snake. who never moves in E, s"shtest. At last the unfortunate \. [a quadruped allows it's curiosity to ss US prudence; it ventures too
 s he living spring of the snakes
 aes out, and the vole is held strug- |ss Es U the jaws of the reptile, whose Es EsSu'ulstllling fangs are buried in it's 's' body. He never relaxes his jaws sngle instant. Soon the deadly EE,s Es'o'' does it's work, and the -vole ls s'onaehward out of sight. The !. auuer then repeats his tactics with success till he is satisfied or be- M ss .hlrsty. when he goes off to seek RI as m the kloops. or hides under ". Y avoid danger and sleep till his N s'eies arouse him to another 1sse fis' of lodging.
 ~ aarge, fierce rats the tactics of fsn- adder are somewhat differ c,ss s'A' which kept in my collection {. saa instoon in the Cape Colony, I many opportunities of observ- sir methods with rats too large 'eWerful to be caught and held in ! 's1s while dying. One instance s,Apialn their methods with such Sang one of the puff-adders loose
 s room, locked the door and pvc-
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19
Fair and Fruitful

1t is pleasant to know that a cofIipetent safe guard i'll the shape of Hostetter's Stomach Bitters exists, which absolutely utilities the poison of nliasma. Western bound emi- grants should bear this in mind. Nershould It be forgotten, tle Bitters Is sterling remedy for dyspepsia, biliousness, constipa- tlon, kidney and nervous complaints and rheumatism.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

EXPERIENCE enables me to depose to the comfort and blessing that literature can prove in seasons of sickness; how power fully intellectual pursuits can help in keep ing the head from crazing and the heart from breaking. -Thomas Hood.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

Fms Is leap year, I know.p said the maid but do not think could so far for get my maidenly modesty as to propose to man Yet-n "Yet whatln asked the youth, seeing she hesitated. II mightiump at af an offer If 1t were made to me IN. Y.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

A TIMiD HousEKEEPER.- Mrs. Newed- "We will have to have speaking tube from the dlning-room to the kitcnen.u MT Newed- hy9n Mrs. Newed-"WelI. i must get some way of talking to the cook without having her throw dishes ut me. ,i- Truth
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19
Wanted to Know the Cost.

New Salesman tin jewelry store)- There is a young lady in the front part of the store who wants to see a ring exactly like the one she has on. She says she thinks of having two just alike, just for fun.
 Jeweler-Don't waste time on her. That ring she has on is an engagement ring, and she wants to find out what 1t cost her lover Texas siftings.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

No YOUNG girl should allow young man to call on her oftener than three times d week, even if they are engaged Men get tired of the same kind of pie if they have it too often A. mans heart is cut out ou the same plan as his stomach, only ona smaller seale.-Atchison Globe.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

FINE feathers do not make fine brds'' But every harum-scarum Is not a prince; so heed my words: If you've fine feathers wear lem
 -Harpers Weekly.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

DEsPIsE not any man, and do not spurn anything. For there is no man that hath not his hour, nor is there anything that hath not it's place.-Rabbi Ben Azai.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

How DAINTILY across the street A woman trips with grace complete, While man, inferior in all, Can never trip without a fall.
 -Washineton Times.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

IN NEW YoRK-.sHello Jones How did you get here9" ''Walked." 'sWalkeii from Buffalol What did you do that fors" Truth
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

GABBLEToN-"I believe childs ambition should be encouraged. Now, Pm sure my boy wears just as good clothes as do." Wiggins -sH'ml Cut down to fit him, suppose you meanp-Texas Siftings.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

OUR dangers and delights are near allies, from the same stem the rose and prickle se.-Shakespeare.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

No ONE win dare maintain that it is bet. ter to do injustice than to bear it.--Aris- totle.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19
THERE is only one girl in this world for

Is the song he was oft heard to holler; And, come to find out, the one he adored Was the girl on the almighty dollar.
 " onkers Statesman.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

SAID a bicycle boy: "Now then, will ride like the racing menp' But he got into trouble, For he bent himself double, And couldn't bend back again.
 Buffalo Expresa
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-04-19

''ng one of the puff-adders loose 'oom, locked the door and prc-
The San Francisco call., 1896-07-27
AN OLD-FASHIOAED GAME
Oakland Ball-Players Defeat the
CALIFORNIA; in a Hard
Hitting Contest.
Local Men Do the Best Stick Work
and Make Fewer Errors, but
Are Shy on Runs.

There was q real oId-fashioned game of
ball at the Folsom-street grounds yester-
day afternoon. The new CALIFORNIA; and
the Oaklands participated and the way
they banged the ball about the lot was
caution TO amateur pitchers. The Cali
fornias did the most OF the swatting and
made fewer errors than the Ozklands, but
were deficient in runs when the game was
over.
Sykes batting was the feature of the
game. Out of five times at bat he made
three hits, two of which were three-bag-
gers Wilds also did well, securing triple
and q single. For the 0aklsnds Agnew
made double and two singles out OF i've
chances. but strange to say he failed to
score run.
"Pudgy" Arlett carried OF the palm as
gstherer of tallies. He succeeded in
safely making the circuit no less than
four times. Russell. Donovan, Hardie and
O'Neiu made three each. Sykes scored
three times for the local men.
Although the CALIFORNIA; started on IN
the lead, the result OF the game was never
in doubt after the third inning. The
score then stood TO in their favor.
They added another to their total In the
fourth. four more in the fifth, one in the
sixth, four in the eighth and two in the
ninth. The Californiss finished well, send
seventh and four in the final inning, but
was out
EoTf il 6aa a-TSCfoI
The San Francisco call., 1896-07-27

Leonard and o. Rowan, 21-1s, 1921. 21-6.
William kehoe aud J. McGrath defeated D
Ryan and J. Kelly, 21-16, 1871. 21-lo.
Tim sullivan and 7. McManus defeated Tim
Jordan and P. J. O'Brien, 2I-17, ia,
21-12 j. Causvan and P 7. Z. Wiley de-
feated Tom Howard and L COnlon, 21-19,
l6-21, 2I-o- J. ]. Feeney and NJ J. Dillon
defeated James Harlow, ex-eoast cham pion,
and Al Pennoyer, 1871, Z1-16, 21-I9,
17-21, 21-1S.
The tournament for the General J.. G.
Wall medals continued at the Occidental
court yesterday and drew a large crowd Of
spectators. The men were very evenly
matched, and as g result there were some
exciting finishes.
In the firss class Richard Linehan used
bis overland swipe to advantage against
John Purcell and won by SIS The
other games were all in the third and
fourth classes and resulted as follows:
Ben Clements defeated the German cham
pion, P. H. GoesseI. SIS: w. O'Connor
defeated E. Lydon, SIS; F. Haynes de-
ieated H. J. McNevin. 51-45; DR.. Ed E.
Hill defeated A. c. Bauer, 51-47; d. Z.
Condor defeated Joe McKenna, 51-40; W.
Cronsn defeated J. A. Baxter, 51-44
The San Francisco call., 1896-07-27
THE HANDBALL COURTS.
Ryan and Rodgers Defeat McNein and
Mcdonald, Which Decides q Long
standing Dispute.

HandbaII was booming yesterday, the
courts being crowded. At the San Fran
cisco court q match that excited the great
est interest was played between Phil Ryan,
the proprietor of the court, and d. Rodg-
ers against NJ. MeNeill and NJ. Mcdonald.
There had been long-standing dispute IS
to which was the better team, and yester-
day was settled upon to decide the matter.
The match was won by Ryan and Rodgers
after some brilliant playing on botn sides.
RYAN had the wisdom to spend Friday
and Saturday in Marin County, and the
pure ozone of Tocaloma and Nicasio had
a wonderful effect upon him. McNeill
trained on French dinners, and before the
match was half through he felt sorry for
il and promised his packers that he would
never do it again.
P. T. Donnelly, the amateur champion,
and d. Connolly defeated G. Hutchinson
and P. Kelly, after an exciting struggle.
At the Uaion Court the event OF the day
was s match between J. Harlow, the ex-
coast champion, and Al Pennoyer aud J.
J. Feeney and NJ. J. Dillon. Itwas great
game and was won by Feeney and Dillon
| in close finish. chiefly owing TO The
splendid service of Dillon. Terry Nc
Manus and Tim Sullivan played 3 rafting
game against Tim Jordan and P. J.
O'Brlen ana Wons with seVeraI aces 70
spare
Following were the games played in the
courts:
san Francisco Court-M. MeNeiu and N. Nc
Donald were defeated by D. Rodgers and P
Ryan. 2I-15, I7-21. 21-19, 1911, 21-S- P.
/ RYAN and d. Rodgers defeated W. Msnion and
/ O. NeDonald 21-I4. 16-21, 21-l5.
/ NJ Edwards and H Mahan defeated W. Nc
Clure snd W. Stsnsbury. 21-14. 1T-21, 2I-2O.
/ J. Collins and ". Edwards defeated 2.
Murphy and J: White, 2I-14. 1871, 2I-1s.
/ T. Regsn and J. Mccarthy defeated J. WEIGH
and n Quinn, 2I-14. 17-21. 21-2O. B.
crane and J. o,Brien defeated Z Quinn and R
4 son and Al Pennoyer defeated W. Kelly and
! ]. MeEvely. 2I-16. 1871, 21-2o. ?. T.
/ Donn-iiy amateur champion, ana D. Con-
nelly defeated q. Hutchinson and 2. Kelly,
4 21-12, 14-21, 21-19.
/ Union court-wiIliam P. Dorsn ana W..
/ Heffernan efeated James Calvin and ]. Mich
olson. 21-II, 1921. 2I-20. James O'Donnell
/ ana J. Hox ard defeated george AcGutre and
]. HOGAN, 21-13, 1921, 21-s. Professor
/ Lynch aud o. Hendry defeated J. Free
/ man and William Bowan, 21-17s 1921. 21-11-
/ Wm- McMAnus and J. KENNEDY dstsated NH.
The San Francisco call., 1896-07-27
BOHEMIAS WIN.
The Alameda Cricket Eleven Defeated
by over Sixty Runs at
Alameda

Alameda
There Ess only one cricket match for
the Hunter-Harrison cup played yester-
day. 1t Eas between the Alameda and
Bohemian clubs, was played at Alameda
and resulted IN g victory for the Bo-
hemians by 6S runs on the final innings.
Captain Hogue of the Alamedas won
the toss and sent his opponents in.
Thanks principally 70 the bowling of
SIoman. the scoring was anything but
rapid or formidable, and had it not been
for the ever invincible William Robertson,
who put up 81 with his wonted noncha-
lance, the side would have made no show
ing st all. As ii was, the total reached
only So and things looked favorable for the
AIamedss.
But the uncertainty of the game is pro-
verbal. AS with the bat, so with the ball
the Bohemian chief did deadly havoc.
Not one Alameda man attained double
figures, and the entire side was dismissed
for % runs. The bowling analysis tells
the story more graphically than could
columns of words.
Following on, the Alamedas, thanks to
Hood, made 3 more respectable record,
but the So runs compiled did not affect the
result-so much in favor Of their foes.
Following are the full scores:
zouEzrTaNS