davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-12-25
EIdIng stang.

A strange custom III the north Of
England Oh New Years day slightly
resembles the game for Easter week
known as "heaying." 1t was called
riding stang" a stang is the same
thing as cowi staff. A cowl staff is a
big staff for carrying cowl, and cowl
is IL water vessel " 18th handle. through
which the staff is passed so that it may
be carried by two men. Now, on New
Years day as many people as liked,
men and women, cane together III a
crowd with st&pgs and baskets. Every
body who was not with the crowd was
against it-that is TO say, was its legltl-
mate victim. When TIE victim was
caught, if a man, lie was mounted
astride the staEg. which was raised Oh
tie shoulders Of two CT more men, and,
if q woman. she was put in basket,
which was held by the stang thrust
through Its handles. In either case the
victim was carried to the nearest public
house, where the price of release was
sixpeuce. New York Tribune.
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-12-25
The eREeoRIAN CALENDAR.
why Cssar's System Was Corrected by
Pope Gregory XIII.

why Casar's System Was Corrected by
Pope Gregory XIII.
The present time measurement that
is now used by nearly all nations is the
remodeled system adopted by Julius
Caesar in the year 46 B. G. There were
354, $50 and 365 days in the Greek year
at different times Under Numa the
Roman year had 300 days, and there
was SO much variance between the civil
and the astronomical year that the au-
tumn feasts were celebrated in the
spring, and those of harvest in midwin-
ter. Every second year an extra month,
called MercedOnius, was added. This
month had no certain length, but was
arranged by the pontiffs as they saw
fit, which naturally gave rise to corrup-
ton and fraud, interfering with the du-
ration of office and the collection of
debts. In order to restore tine seasons to
their proper months it was necessary
for Caesar to make the year in which he
inaugurated the change contain AS
days. On the hypothesis that the as
Economical year consisted of 800 Il days,
he had each fourth year contain 366
days and the others 365. The extra day
was added to the gath of February,
which was called Sexto- calendas, being
the sixth before the calendo. or LIST of
March, celebrated i'll honor of the ex-
pulsiOn of the kings. The additional
day was placed next TO this feast and
known as Observation-Disclosures
But this year of Caesar was too long
by IL minutes and 10. 90 seconds, or
about three days in 400 years, so that
by A. d. 1852 the error amounted to
ten days at least. To correct this mis-
calculation, Pope Gregory XIII ordered
that Oct. 3, 1852, should be known as
Oct. 10, 1852, and to prevent a reGur-
renee Of the error it was arranged that
three intercalary days should be omitted
in four centuries-that is, one in each
centenary year except the fourth. Thus
1900 was leap year; 1900 and 1900
were not. The passing year 1896 was a
leap year, and, under ordinary ciIcum
stances 1900 would be, but it will not
be. i'll order to come under the rule of
the Gregcrian calendar. Therefore the
years which have 366 days are, first,
those that are exactly divisible by and
not of 100; second, those that are exactly
divisible by 400 and not by 4, 600; hence
the year 1000 A. d. will be q leap year,
and the only one i'll the series of the
four centenary years.
All the Catholic countries adopted the
GregoriaD calendar as soon as the papal
bull was issued, but it was not intro
duced into England and her colonies
till 1862, the error then being ii days.
The dates previous to that change are
referred TO as old style, ard sometimes
given both ways - as Washington
birthday, Feb 1923. Chicago Tribune.
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-12-25
NEW YCAR'G DAY.
Customs and SuperstitiOns of Various
Countries Notable Events.

Customs and Superstitions of Various
COuntrios-NO Notable Events.
In Athens a new statue. either to a
god or a hero, was erected and cOnSe-
Grated on the first day Of every year.
On Jan. 1, 1915, Louis XII of France
died. On the same day died Helvetius,
in 1772; Selvio Pellico, 1854.
lii Silesia peculiar kind of wine
made from grapes and seasoned with
honey and spices is used on New Years
day.
In the south of France it is customary
for families of means to give their serv-
ants new suits on New Years day.
The celebrated march of General Monk
TO London for the purpose of seating
Charles ii on the throne of England be-
gan Jan. l, 1860.
In Norway there is a superstition
that the kind of fish caught on New
Years day indicates the character of
the fishing during the year.
The custom of watching out the old
year and waiting for the new to begin
prevails in many countries, if not in
most of the civilized world.
Suetonius and Tacitus allude to the
custom common in their time among
the Romans of sending and receiving
presents on New Years day.
A special feature of New Years day
in ancient Babylon was the procession
in honor of Baal The king himself
marched in this procession.
The first day of January was made
the beginning of the new year in Hol-
land, the Protestant districts of Ger
many and Russia, in the year 100.
In Coventry, England, God cakes are
made for New Years day. They are
triangular in shape, made Of paste, in
closing a portion of mince meat-Ex-
change.
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-12-25

These words were enforced with a
few more volts of electricity.
81 promised promise! Let me go,
and / will tear up the note and do
everything you command. -"
The current was broken off at this
juncture. His hands now being free, Ju
Dun thrust one of them into his pocket,
brought out the piece of paper in ques-
ton and tore it into hundreds of frag-
ments with the other. Then turning to
Dong, who had been watching the exc
cution of his scheme in state of mind
vacillating between hope and fear, he
babe him come to his house on the NOR
row to arrange for the wedding.
Ju Dun obeyed the gods commands
to the very letter and to this day does
not know how he had been tricked. -
st. Louis Post. Dispatch.
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-12-25

At length he was reduced to that
condition of despair in which our story
first finds him.
He sat in that chair immovable and
alone He had sent his pupils home that
morning for their long vacation.
Thoughts unwelcome and bitter as nut
gall passed in procession 5eiore his
mental vision, and, like Banquo's reit-
Grated ghost, would not down.
NO." he cried wildly, as if he had
debated the matter in his mind and had
reached a final conclusion, There is
nothing left me but DEATH"
Absorbed as Dong was in melancholy
reflections and imagining himself al
ready cold corpse dangling under the
branches of some tree, he did not per-
ceive the approach of a little boy until
the latter stood beside him and startled
him by saying in a timid voice:
Teacher. father sent me to ask you
to come to our house.
Dong raised his head and saw one of
his pupils before him.
What is it you want?'
My father sends his respects and asks
you to favor him with a call. Ny oldest
brother came back this morning from
America He brought home lots Of
funny things. If you come, he will
show them to you. ="
Glad of this little relief, Dong accom-
panied the boy to the latter's house and
there received most hearty welcome.
The big brother displayed his treasures
and enjoyed DOng's curiosity and won
der as he explained the uses and the
modus operandi of every article to him.
There were sewing machine, a pair OF
opera glasses, a continuance for making
hash out of every kind of meat under
the sun, stereOscOpe, microscope and
a hundred other things besides, that
stamp the Yankee as the most ingenious
person in all the world. But nothing as
tonished Dong so much as the little
electric machine which sent a thrill
through his spare frame and sunk his
suicidal purpose in the lowest depths of
Lethe. But the photograph scared him
with its peculiar and sepulchral tones.
AS he stood before the talking machine
with dilated eyes and mouth opened
wide sweet strains of American music
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-12-25
greeted MS ears.

greeted MS ears.
Then Home. Sweet Home,' Annie
Rooney" 'Rock-a-by- Baby" ''Thou
Art So Near and Yet So Far" and
"What Is Home Without a Mother-in-
law?" rolled out in rapid succession.
Dong of course could not appreciate
them any more than a cat, but the
weirdness of the sounds fascinated him.
When the concert was ended, he had
many questions to ask. The returned
traveller kindly showed him everything
pertaining to the wonderful machine,
told him TO talk to it himself and excit-
ed his wonder still more by making the
photograph repeat Dong's own words.
Suddenly thought struck him so
hard that he jumped up like one pos
sessed, nearly upserting the machine
and the big brothers. gravity, yelling at
the Se-cae tir"o'
"Whoop-la, whoop-la! have got It'll L
have got It'll I'll beat that old miser yet "
Got what?" shouted everybody in
the room in a chorus. what are you
talking about!"
Got him, you know-the old skin
flint I'll have him, by the shade of the
great Confucius, or die in the attemptr'
Explain yourself, said the returned
traveller. This Dong did, after taking
him aside, by recounting all his troubles
from beginning 10 end, closing with an
appeal for aid to defeat the wicked plan
of Ju Dun. 1t was arranged and agreed
upon that the traveller should make the
machine talk like Quan King, the god
who avenges wrongs, when Ju Dun
should make his demand for payment of
the debt. At the same time dose of
Observation-Disclosures best-was to be
administered to him as an Alternative
o.,d I'D e--r,o+io
Word was sent to Ju Dun to meet
Dong at the latters residence (Which
was likewise the schooD after dark.
without fail.
The two Conspirators got ready their
machines in Dong's sitting room The
monograph was set in "a corner where
it could be manipulated by the returned
traveller behind a curtain with the box
of condensed lightning besiue him. The
wires belonging to the last piece OF
mechanism were so laid on the arms OF
the guests chair that any one sitting in
it was sure to form a connection be-
tween them.
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-12-25
New Years Resolutions.

Everybody knows how easy it is to
make good resolutions on the 1st Of
January and how easy it IS to break
them ON the ID, provided they last till
then. Making resolutions which are
only to be broken is bad custom. 1t is
better that more should be made. But
people of ol6en time used at the mid
night between the two years to unbar the
doors of their houses to let the old year
Out and the new year in. And so, with
out the undertaking Of vows too easily
broken, bar might here or there be
taken down for the passing away OF
some old evil habit or purpose or thought
Selected.
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-12-25


1t was dark. The patrolman outside
had Just struck the first hour of the
night watch when knock was heard
at the door. Dong answered the sum-
mons, and sUon ushered the old Insurer
into his room. 1t was dimly lighted up
with the stump end of candle. There
was ON every side every evidence OF
poverty. A bed made of hard boards,
surmounted by a mosquito bar, nearly
filled one side of tho apartment. A
cheap table held all his books on the
opposite side. Two stuff backed chairs
stood beside the table, one of which
Dong politely offered to his guest, while
lie took the other
1t was evident that Ju Dun was Sc
cretly exultant. Dong, Ct course, had
sent for him to beg his mercy. There
was no chance Of his paying. There was
look in JUS little black eyes which
BODIED no coed to anybody. However, a
smile played around his mouth as he
opened the discourse and came right
down to business:
"My dear young friend, / suppose you
are now ready to cancel the note. No?
Then you know the alternative. You
are bankrupt, and renOunce"-
Suddenly a voice-a clear but un-
earthly voice-interrupted him with:
"You hoary headed old sinner, you
low Lorn caricature of a man. you old
sucker of pebbles, do you know who l
am? l am Guam King, the avenger of
wrongs, the punisher and destroyer of
just such pests as you. have orders to
kill you and take you to hell with mel"
At this point Ju Dun's face was a
study. for the electric current was
turned Oh by the conspiratOr Behind the
mosquito curtain He grew as white as
the best grade of -four. The sculptor OF
the LAGOON could not have desired
more Mortified and agonized expression
of countenance than the one Ju Dun ex-
hibited for a model.
"Unless," continued the mysterious
voice, you tear up the note which this
young man gave you, give him your
daughter i'll marriage inside of month
with a suitable dowry and mend your
Rraguinc. blood sucking wavS -
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-12-25
No Church Services In scotland.

Ever since the reformation New Years
has absorbed the place of Christmas;
but, strange to say, although the re-
formers in their zeal denounced Christ
mas as popish, they did not in any way
encourage or countenance any religious
services on New Years day. The Eng
lish peasant gees to church and returns
to eat his Christmas dinner. His brother.
the Scottish plowman, let's no thought
of religious service enter into his enjoy
ment OF the day. Host strange it is that
u NEST pagan observance Of a pagan
feast has taken deepest root in Scotland,
the home Of the coveDanters and cradle
Of theology, where the kirk still holds
sway over the masses, and that the
Scots, prominently religious above all
the nations, will have no church serv-
ices enter into the enjoyment of their
national feasts. -Philadelphia Ledger.
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-12-25
An Old Orkney Custom.

In Deerness, in Orkney, it used to be
the custom for a large company of the
poorer people to go about from one
farmhouse to another and at each one to
sing long song appropriate to the sea
son. At each house a good supper was
provided for them, and it is said that
any farmer would feel deeply hurt if he
were not visited. The guisers also used
to go about in certain places in Scotland
ON New Years eve to play a crude sort
of drama at each house and TO receive
some slight reward for their efforts.
The guisers were about the same as the
Christmas mummers, and their play
was about the same as that more COM
monty given at Christmas, which usu-
ally concerned st. George and various
enemies whom he successfully Overcame,
the most entertaining naturally being
the dragon. -Exchange
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-12-25
A NEW YEARS PRAYER.
I know a little temple.

know little temple.
Its walls ara dim and low,
Yet up and down its darkened aisles
The blessed angels go.
And he who Keeps the temple
Should pray to God tonight
That faith may light the altar flame
And hope may keep it bright;
That love may bring the sacrifice
Which love delights to give,
AMI all the angels innocent
May tarry there to live.
And may no evil spirit
Have in it place Or part.
What is this temple beautiful
The temple Of the heart.
Youths Companion
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-12-25
a pictnre of Lnnunrv.

In tie old nlissals the month Of JAN
uary was pictorially represented by a
white haired man clad in furs, bent
with the cold and blowing on his fin
gers to warm them. He is standing al
most knee deep in the snow, aud billet
Of wocd,- and sometimes an Ak, is by his
side -Exchange.
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-12-25
Scotch "First Footing"

In Scotland first footing was for
merly universal. it was the Scottish
name for New Years calling. At a lit
tie before ~ O'Clock young fellows
would start out from home to first
foot" their sweethearts. and to be the
first caller ON New Years day was
deemed COOL sign Of success in court.
ship.-Selected.
The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-09-30

George l.. Burr. who is examining
British archives on behalf Of the Vene2-
uelan boundary Commission. and his
colleague. DR.. kaan. are still in London,
though soon 20 take their d parturc.
In an Interview Mr.. Bur. said
DR.. KAN ana | will start for the
Hague on Saturday. We have finished
our work in the British Colonial Office.
and have seen everything they havt
bearing on the Venezuelan boundary
the officials in the office producing every
thing for us W asked 10 SIC. We also
finished UP at the British Museum ON
tr!day. We have had several discus
s.ons with the officials relative II the
historical correctness and validity of the
facts adduccd, even although they did
no; touch upon any question of import:
ance in connection with the controversy.
All The extracts from the archives which
We're submitted to us by the British Of
aicials Were revised. For this heasnn. as
a result OF our researches III London We
nave obtained full information on many
points that are only limited al in the
Dutch archives at the Hague. We have
seen, for instance. the originals of i'm
poriant documents of which only copies
mad previously been found. The blend
ing of the London and the Hague ar
chiVcs thus renders each more complete "
In reply TO a question as to what ,licht
had been thrown on the so-called Schom-
burgk limo by their investigations, Mr..
Burr said:
MANY Of the documents examined are
burgk's time"
As soon as lIr. Burr has finished his
researches al the Hague he will sail d.
rect from Holland No the United States
Mr. Frederick Coudcrt. The member of
he Venezuelan Commission who has
been in Europe in behalf OF the commits
sion. will sail for home on the steamer
| la Champagne.
The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-09-30
P(OFR TSMIOUTFI EMS

rooms tomorrow night. They will be
addressed by local speakers.
l. Miss Lillian Tyler has returned to the
citV' after spending II portion of the
summer us inc guest of Mrs. c. T.. Ben
nett. - jaw street, Birmingham n V
Atlantic Coast Line private car No.
SI5. occupied by Col Warren G.. Icllio;
ana party. of Wilmington. was attached
TO the southbound :. \. L.. vcst!buled La I
might. -
aIr. Il. H. Evans. of South Caroline
-assed through Portsmouth Yesterday.
MI Evans is Il brother of John Gary
r.NhnS. the present Governor of South
Carolina
The bhrricade in front of Rosenbaum's
new store blew down last night and
care near falling on some people who
were passing. The balance was pulled
down later on
a force of men were engaged yester-
dilE removing cotton from the High
street warehouse to make room for the
numerous quantity of freight that the
road is handling.
Ihe rockets sent up last night from
the signal Office. warning all vessels not
10 leave the harbor. created Il good deal
Of curiosity. The telephone was kept
busy for awhile answering the calls to
Know the cause.
The need Of hotel was never felt
more than it was last night when
about forty people were inQurinE for
accommodations and had to go to Nor
folk. Only few more weeks and this
will not be the case
lady living on Washington street
cleaned her house on Monday and took
III Il CARPET and put it on Il clothes line
to let ii air. She left it hanging in the
back ward until after dark, and when
She went to look for it some one had
stolen it,
The mail train was one hour and fort V
minutes late last night. The Baltimore
boat did not wait for her. About TWEEN
" or thirty lady passengers were on the
train en- route for Baltimore. They
!nadc it quite lively for awhile over the
disappointment.
The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-09-30

-. :, ON -, ,i...
WI h'hE 'o!i, 81. Nv '!.'t nv.
puritan al the Ne" 1o!h NJ. ) H-i u
WdS to-I"E o'Ht'e.i 10 ,c cp'ii 'e'ru AN"
prepared iof ps!hs pi"Tyu III voiiIii :
SION 10y -roNehipt, Isl nv ! w f,"t -
me !as' on Oh tie ii''rc. h'~ go. Iuun
,utte,ltu Ship7 ol tnu low i!Gc pph .. u
~ pc 10 pt !l'aue c'aA 10 tc''' u ~ ~ ~
me VI AhtItolhou, N''i'"','a'c; etl"i'
ana Mohaun"tk were .ht i'1utt.s' ., =
ihesT NSTHc's WIZ IL 80 '.i'
so-caieu lto2cn Scahu"IS. h""S,A 20" :
Ell anu io' 'neS ~ ~ - ~
not found III foreign Heels; IL Is thought
ma c4psaih 10y ~, ~. v. ~
I'm o"'Fies i. ia c''H WIZ co''''i'"' 'H
i'er, c,-. 49,,
odp ,Sce tltS'ct ne no. pr IN 20 "a
Si'tte 100. Sd?lain i1''I ga! -. " ~ o.
i''oteu ~ :. .ia! vi wv on Hevo"i'' y. .''t
49, el'Ie" .u-!iIo.'oN ~ 1911 nii.,s
The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-09-30
IMPROVED FACILITIES.
The Scaboard Air Line Purchases VAL
liable pr0Derty.

The Scaboard Air Line made valuable ad-
dtions 10 their terminal facilities in Ports
ing owned by Peters and Reid. The lot
referred TO has a frontage on deep water
of 25S feet. and is 400 feet deep. extend
Ing back to Water street President Hon
man was in Portsmouth yesterday in con-
ference with Vice president ST. john, anC.
seems TO have been the resul, OF invcs-
legations which the Scaboard people have
been making for several days past looking
toward the extension of their terminals n t
this port. The Scaboard people say that
harhor, which extends for almost an UNI
broken mile. has been taxed to the utmost
20 handle the traffic moving over their
rails.
Vice President St. John was Interviewed
by a NirGinian reporter. and in reply to
an inquiry with reference TO enlargement
OF facilities here, stated that II had moth
ing 10 say on the subject except it was a
fact that the purchase had been made. and
nat he was much gratiiied that necessity
house, will he erected on the newly ac-
quircd property at once.
Mr.. 81. John was asked il he was in
clincd to think that the heavy increaS,
of ira flic over the Seaboard was due in
any way TO the rate war. With n smile
he reulicd:
why so far as the rate war troubl,
is concerned l think the position of the
ScabOard Air Line Is thoroughly under
STOOD. The increased freight is just thc
result of it. The moral support of tn,
public. which has been so manifest by
tn" numerous letters we have been re-
reiving from all parts OF the country. is
being confirmed in Il more material way
and although we are now operating un-
der standard rates reports from oui
agents throughout all the States indi
cate such Il movement of freight as may
force us 10 further extensions here"