davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
DEATH; IN ITS SECRET.


Awful Dcstrnctiveness of illuminate Of
Mercury Used III Anarchists' Bombs.8
illuminate Of mercury, which is used
by European anarchists in the manu-
facture of their bombs, is one of the
most treacherous and powerful explo-
sives known to science: Heretofore it
has been employed in percussion caps
and as a detonator for nitro-gly cerine.
preparations. 1t explodes when sub
jected to Il Slight shock or to heat, and
not a few expert chemists since its
English inventor. Howard, have been
seriously injured Or killed while prepar-
ing or experimenting with it. {
In France some years ago the cele-
brated chemist Barrucl was manipu-
lating this dangerous product in q
heavy agate mortar when his attention
was suddenly distrac acted and he let the
pestle down with little less care than
ordinary: The explosion which followed
dust, and tore Barruers hand from
his wrist. Another distinguished chem
list, Rellot, was blinded and had both
hands torn off while experimenting with
illuminate of mercury. Justin Leroy, i
French expert in the manufacture Of
explosives, was one day engaged i'll ex:
perimenting with this. compound in !,
supposed to be harmless. It exploded
with such force. however, that nothing
of NJ. Leroy that was recognizable could
afterwards he found.
An English chemist named Hennell,
while manufacturing a. she'll for mills
tary use, into the composition of which
illuminate of mercury entered, was also
ments of the building where he was
conducting his experiments were seats
tered for hundreds of feet in every di-
rectien.-NewSSYork World SS8'Ss1s'S@'
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03

marvel is that they are permitted to re-
main in the profession ut all. rather
than that they do not progress, The
average chorus girl Is incredibly stunisl
and self opinionated. She assumes that
the entire success Of the production rests
.,,pon her and her alone, but So Far. Ms
doing anything to ensure that success
goes, she never lifts a finger. She, is
either grossly ifapt ats taking suEneg.
tIpns or. else she npen1y combats them.
When the stage manager says ssNoW,
Miss Kickem, raise your arms up SOP
or, Keep your head thrown back, Miss
:Skippi,1as the. Misses. Kickenlt and Skipei
Will, like as not, stand stock still and at
tempt towdispnte the demand with i,
Why must RI" J Another striking 3tiiinR!
about the average chorus girl ut re-
shenrsal is her awkwAr1ness. Women
with neither youth nor inexperience to
excuse them will upon such occasions,
appear to the most ungainly advantage.
why Is it Tint they are Is awkWard?;
a eshesrsa sPeetstor once asked stage
conscious as they are, in all my @iife,,'
"Oh, that's because they've got their
skirts on" was the, feass,irihg' answer.
'm.Ehey're always dfeadfully conscious
then. Just as soon as they get into their
tightss they1lA he NIL 4ripht y ~ 80. :
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
WAR BALLOONS X 70 ms; -.
Interesting Experiments In Their Use by
the Austrian Army in the Field.

Interesting Experiments In Their Use by
the Austrian Army in the Field.
&. There have been some interesting ex-
periments. with war balloons at the
Steinfeld gun range. in Austria. A war
balloon called the Budapest measuring
about SO feetain diameter by 46 feet in
height, was sent up to height of 1925
feet. A battery of eight 311hs-inch guns
was brought into position as soon as the
balloon was sighted by the artillerymen,
and opened FIRE with shrapnel at d range
of $3.50 yards A staff of men, placed in
safe position. by means of "a rope
moved the winch-car to which the bal
loon was attached.
InZone experiment, which may be
taken as a fair specimen of the whole
number, the officer in command of the
battery had almost found the range after
the eighth shot when he was informed
that the balloon had shifted, and he had
to alter it. AS soon as his shells came
any where near the balloon it's position
WAS shifted again, and he SOON ex-
hausted, without result, his allotted store
of eighty shrapnel charges. which emit
ted 10000 balls and splinters, in spite
Of which the balloon fioated TRANQUILITY
on On its being lowered it was found
to have received three slight hits, which,
however. had not impaired it's buoyancy.
The difficulty of pointing increases, Of
course, with the altitude attained by the
object. 1t is necessary to keep the bal
loon out OF dangerous range (about 400
yards), and a clear view can be obtained
at a distance of from four to six miles.
Shrapnei alone is of any use in firing ut
balloons at any altitude above DOsfeet =
Detroit Free Press. =
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
Kecping an Old Contract

Many people wonder why the mail is
taken from the general postof!ice in this
capital to the various railroad stations
in m ancient diligence The Laredo
Times, in a. recent issue, gives the fol-
lowing reason:
Before railroads, were thought of a
certain man made a.5perpetual! contract
with the government to carry the mails
between Mexico City and Eel Paso. For
many yparssllis stage faithfully made
the long journey until one day the Gem
trail railway between these two points
was finished and the mails ordered sent
by train. But the old contract was still
in force, and the owner of the business.
a son or grandson of the original CON
tractor. firmly refused to relinquish his:
rights, and stated that. he would carry
the mails by stage, as usual Hc held
out until it WAS finally agreed that he
should indeed take the mails from the
general post, but deliver them at the rail-
way station. mile or so distant, for
which he was to receive the same cem-
pensatipn called for in his contract fpY
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
Demand for Pennies.

Ever since August there has been a
heavy demand on the United States
treasury for 1-cent pieees.{ The demand,
which comes from all parts of the coun-
try, is attributed to the growing GUS
tom in various retail business houses of
marking down prices from round fig
ures to odd figures. The especially
few weeks from Chicago and St. Louis
is explained by the theory that cent
pieces are wanted for the purchase of
one-cent papers. e The Washington Star
says that the treasury department. is do
ing its best to meet the demand. and for
the last two months the mint at Philadel-
phia has kept three presses constantly in
operation for the exclusive coinage of
1-cent pieces. The daily output has
been 10000 pieces of the value of
$500. The government apparently
derives profit of $1,000 day
on it's coinage, it's seignorage be-
ing at the rate of nearly 80 per cent
of the face value Of the coins: This
coins are redeemed. 1t is estimated that
there are 600 1-cent pieces out
c&o n6iDU q 49,"
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
RED TAPE IN THE ARMY:
What It Cost 10 Obtaii, One Dozen i
Inch Nails.

What 1t Cost 10 obtain One Dozen 10
~ iuch Nails.
So A regiimeiltal officer al, the Curragh re-
qi,ired bne dozen 10-inch. nails in order
to repair some htts; and he ifidented Tor
them accordingly. The iiideilt was coii,i-
tersiessd and presented to the n. G. o..
in charge of. stores: who: instead Of sery-
ing out the nails to the messenger, sent
him away. and made an indefit oil the
transport department for carriage .st6
convey stores; as well as S6n the regi-
ment furnishing fatigues fpr party 10
sent wagon drawn bx two horses, and
the twelve s1O-ineh nails were carefully
placed thereon By a fatigue party con
sisting of four privates in charge of Ii
Corporal The wagon then proceeded to
the ,regmental stores of the original IN
denting officer, and duly delivered its
burden, taking formal receipt for the
same-FreeMan's Journal.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
Back in Line

s.~ We take pleasure" in informing our
readers that we have secured as an as
sistant young Clarence Hornbeak, who
has in the past acted as our regular cor
respondent at Rocket City, and at the
same time contributed some brilliant
sensational news items to several of the
Kansas City and St. Louis dailies. He
is the author of the sensa ton that was
so widely copied in the Eastern papers,
which was to the effect. that shortly aft
5er the return of John sSoeysmith, a, peni-
tent, prodigal, a violent thunderstorm
arose and lightning killed calf on the
farm where Johns parents reside, hit the
family Bible, opened it at the fifteenth
third verse, which reads as follows:
"And bring hither the fatted calf and kill
i, and let us eat and be merry" Mr..
ciety, snake and pickle-dish editor of this
paper. and all social, sensational and
geological matters of interest will ssbe
handled byh him in his usual brilliant and
smasterly style.-Puck. @ 81 ES
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
Annie Laurie.

Most people suppose "Annie Laurie to
be a creation of the songwriter's fancy,
or perhaps some Scotch peasant girl, like
Highland Mary and most of the heroines
of Robert Burns. In either case they are
mistaken, says a writer in McClure's for
December. Annie Laurie was born III
the purple SO to speak, at Maxwelton
house, in the beautiful glen of the Cairn
Her home was in the
heart of the most pastorally lovely of
Scottish shires-that of Dumfries Her
birth is thus set down by her father, in
what is called the 'Barjorg MSS" AT
the pleasure of the Almighty God, my
daughter Anna Laurie was borne upon
the 18th day of December, 1852 years,
about six O. clock in the morning, and
was baptized by Mr.. George =, min
lister of Glencairn.' Her father was
Sir Robert Laurie, first baronet, and her
mother was Jean Riddell. Maxwelton
house was originally the castle of the
earls of Glencairn. 1t was bought in
1911 by Stephen Laurie, the founder of
the Laurie family. Stephen was Dunn
fries merchant. The castle was tur-
reted building. In it Annie Laurie was
born.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
COAL IN A RIVER BED,
RelicS of u War Incident When BArres
WARE ssN i,

AselcA OF war Incident When BafCeA
e+es .. Were SINK. =
As ! drew near, picking my way oyer,
1he irregular rocks that paved the beach,
men, but farmers. They were carrying
the round black and gray objects high
M on Ethe beach and building pyramids
|sof them, VERY snluchslike those one sees
made of cannon balls at military posts.
what a,a e be we , h,doin' off," answered
one 90, old fellow. why, we be a'gettin,
= But whit makes It 50 round, and
where do YOU get it,"
"'Whya this y ere coal lWas planted in
the river during the war; answered the
Old man, sitting down on gunwale of
his skitf. During the war fleet of
coal barges was sunk up river by the
shot from Morgan's gum Later on the
government &c; Ie1lal blew up the barges to open
driftin an a-driftin' ;, for over, thirty
years. and has been wore round in its
travels, Just like; the rocks would DE
worn. We go out to the bars and pick
the coal balls out of the other rocks.
When all that is on top is gone we just
drift about in the shadows, and when
we, see a lump we bring it up to the
surface. with Il scoop net and get it
aboard. Coal is light in water. A
chunk that YOU can't lifteon land is easi-
~ raised to the top OF the water. I've
got nothin to do Just now, so / put in
my time gettin' coal. I've fished ulJ
about ton tons durin' the week, and it's
boss coal, stranger. It's washed about
SO many years that most of the sulphur
is outsof it, and it won't SCOT your hands
mp The wife don't get her hands dirty
handlin' of it; and it burns better'n any
In proof of the ellen nliness of the drift
coal the old man, exhibited his claw-like
hands, the palms Of which, instead OF
being black. were jwhitened with pow,
| der that resembled lime dust. This was
! accounted for from the fact that many
humps of coal in their travels had been
covered with a deposit of lime, and were
Whitley gray, like the rock that. contrib:
uted to their coloring. The pieces OF
! coal ranged from the size of Il baseball
up to that of a mans head, and while
some, were, irregularly shaped, with
| rounded edges, the great majority were
turned rs true as billiard ball.-Cin.
pinnati Enu1irer
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
Conn on a Bicycle.

81 saw&a very strange sight while I
was over in Vancouver Saturday" a bill
collector for Portland house was telling
Il friend OH the car this morning. ut
was coffin strapped on a bicycle, and it
was being taken to the country, evident
ly, for the rider had the appearance of
being dressed for a long, hard ride. It
was strange combination. The coffin
was strapped across the handle bars and
over the front wheel The big black
whose. head just appeared over the i'd
The coffin was carried safely and quick
ly, and l suppose beat wagon ali hol-
low. In the early Gays they used to
carry collins ON horseback This, to nv
mind, would not seem half so uncanny.
of life itself especially when it runs
away with you and breaks 4 rib-brt.
to see it carrying the coffin gave me a
shudder. "-Portland orr Telegram.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
A Remarkable Wedding.

Miss Bessie C. Sampson and William
Homer Lane were married at Bedford
recently. Miss Sampson is the first
ma tive of the town of her sex to receive
a collegiate education, graduating in the
class of 80 at Mount Holyoke-> Mr..
Lane is of the class of 1872, Nassa chu.
sets Institute of Technology. and is HOW
esta blished in New York city :is an cleo
trician. 3 The bride of today is Of ti.a
fifth genera ton of the family who have
been married or begun welded life at
this homestead. and she is the fourth
generation TO take upon herself the mar
riage VOWS beneath this roof tree. This
succession has been entirely Oh the ma
ternal side. her mother. grandmother and
great -grandmother having preceded her,
the ceremony always being performed in
the one room. The ceremony was
simple and impressive. being h cofnbina>
ton of the Puritan and CHURCH of Eng
land order, one peculiar To the of1icia ting
| clergyman, the Rev. Dr. Hill Of Salem,
Following the ceremony came the we'd
ding breakfast After a short journey
the young couple will reside in Newark,
a. J.-Boston Transcript.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
Safe in Paris

For the benefit of the many Ameri-
cans who. still believe IL woman is UNI
safe alone on the streets of Paris, |
would say that, if such a condition of
affairs ever did exist, there is no trace of
it now, for not only is she safely indie
pendent in the daytime, but both in Lon
don and in Paris two women together
can can So to any ~ respectable place of en-
without a thought of being spoken to or
even looked at. If anything contrary
to this statement occurs it is apt to be
her own fault. quite as it would be in
the United States.-BostOn Transcript.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
Dear in 1,Onrfon

A London correspondent writes; Com.
Portable existence i'll the English, me-
tropolis today costs more than the same
style. of living in any American city
barring New York, where the abnor,nal
ly high rents over-balance the advau
tages in the way Of cheap foods, an,,sc.
ment,, etc. Luxurious living in Paris is
very expensive, comfortable living is not
IS distinctly less, in fact, than III Lon
don. Wooden clothing and gloves arc tn,
that are cheaper in London: than i'm mos
large cities. Food is dearer, especially
meat, vegetables and fruit, all cotton
goods are dearer, most .am,lsements. par.
ticularly stheaters, IRE almost double il
price compared with the average Boston
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
Opera Rehearsal.

Attendance at a comic opera rehearsal.
says the Evening Sun, reveals some curl
attitude Of the chorus girls. or more
properly, chorus women. Wonder 10
some times expressed TINT, these snln ma
tary individuals do Inot become fixed
sturs ut, q, more rapid rate, and. again
much grooming is heard about the lnr ,,.
gard progress in such work and how pro- 1,r3
motion is indeed slow, and also, indeed,
the chorus girls III NIL their rehearsal .,l
glory there is no room for wonder, The
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
: Dinner Jacket. /

: As matter OF tact, says an#authOrity,
the Tuxedo, so called. lis most informal
garment It was first75usea in India by
the o, officers e at their mess.tables and was
ner jacket" 1t was brought back by
them to England, and made it's appear
ance at Cowes castle. the headquarters
of the Royal Yacht squadron, where it
was also called dinner jacket" and
sometimes worn with the club button.
Some anglomaniac brought it back from
Cowes to Tuxedo, where it was first
worn at dance. 1t was called then
the Tuxedo" and has since made its
be. seenby it's history ! it is. a most III
formal garment, and was Originally w III
j tended simply sas a dinner jacket at d
military mess i. & / ri 81 .ssE -
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03

sandals. His cattle ind him fuel. he.
collects oil their manure and dries ri
in the sun. This warns his house. II
makes 4 good bright fire, and also serves
to light his room. Lamps md candles
are too great luxury. Iobacco Id
sometimes INDUCES in. IN spite Of ali
this frngality ne remains poor. The low
ionally bad seasons, have been against
him-Public Oninion sss r. H.'.'3
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
ThesDeyi,,s Pump.

MIA is called he Devils lump, The
rholas5 OF shell miners, a specieseof moi
lusk which Tex caya to- immense Seayerils
in the verysflardest stone, have tl1nne1ed
the cntirc coast in the vicinity of the
pump. Water rushes into these caverns
with each succeeding tide flow, and il
this particular case finds vent through
Il cylindrical opening some distance from
the wnter ssedge. It Is estimated TINT
this hole, which connects With the seacay-
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
A NEW KIND OF PRETZEL.
Popular in 1.-THE German Quarter, Thoug
Not Great Thirst Producar

Popular in the German Quarter, Though
Not Great Thirst Producer.
There's is a new kind Of pretzel in the
German quarter. This may. seem a tri-
fling matter. to most persons, but it is
momentous in the region affected. The
etherealized counterfeit. The thing is
like the old pretzel only from having the
usual conventional form of that article
The old pretzel is. heavy, hard, often
tough, but sometimes brittle combination
of. salt, -four and water, thoroughly
baked. The new pretzel has all these
elements, and, besides. sugar, butter and
eggs go to it's composition. 1t is, in fact,
close approach to the oldfashioned
egg biscuit, originally from Boston. 1t
weighs about "a third as much bulk for
bulk, as the old-fashioned pretzel and is
without it's superficial decoration of crys-
tallized salt. - g..
\ single wholesale baker is turning out
the new: pretzel, and although the prod
5uct is found in only few vein stubes
and saloons of the German quarter it
must have made considerable Roadway
elsewhere, for the baker is kept busy
making and sending out the pretzels in
pasteboard boxes holding 300 or more
Light-minded Germans, of whom there
are few i'll the quarter, profess to find
the new Dretzel vast Improvement over
the old, and there is much speculation as
to why the ingenious German race
should have been content all these centu-
ries with another kind of pretzel. Hard
ened old sinners still stick to Saltzstan-
gen and old-fashioned pretzels, and the
latter are likely to retain a large meas
ure of popularity because the new pref
zels lack the thirst.producing quality of
the others. How shall one drink forty
glasses of beer per day without some hid
to stimulate thirst New York Sun.
Green at the Business.
Smith college, says the New York
Evening Sun. rejoices in a college month
ly. It is a hardy little annual -bristling
with clever hits and skits, and it is run
by members of the senior class, each
class assuming charge during the spring
term of its Junior year. These young
women are, of course, unused to business
ways and means, and especially this
quence amusing mistake sometimes oc-
cur Last spring when the present
senior class took charge of the month
ly the business manager one day went
into northampton to instruct the printer
as to what she wished him to do. You
said, as p we ear are in great hurry f foT
the magazine Eyes, MISS" said the
printer, "but-but where is the copy p
'"The copy?," inquired the business man.
agcr with much surprise. 'Do you
mean the articles We re going to pub
lish?" Eyes. miss" rejoined the printer.
ooh" said the business manager, "thc
articles aren't all written yet I'll let
! you have them just as soon as they are,
of course; but in the meantime you can
go on setting up your type can't you?
| thought you could get that much done
| ahead" 1t was some time before the
! printer gould persuade the business NAH
| ager'' that before 'setting up the type
| the copy must not only be written but
handed over to him
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03

ern, Ii 10 % 100 feet IN denth. Every
time the tide rtlshes into the cavern he 4
Aenth, the pump throws water to the
height OF n fun 100 feet above the mouth
OF the opening. The Indians formerly
called it a name which signifed "fairy
water gum" but the irreverent white
men have given 1t the title Of the eDey-s
lis Funny aud by that name Fit viii
probablySbe Sknowns to future genera,
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-03
Hints to Engaged Men.


There arc two extremes for the young
man who has just been made happy by
"her'' acceptance of his heart, hand and
fortune. to avoid On peril of his happ-
ness he must not be too attentive or too
interested in other women. On the
other hand, he must not treat his iancee
with that tender devotion which is sug-
gestive Of Darby and Joan. The mod
ern young woman does not like to- be in
any way reminder to the public of
those excellent but somewhat antiquat-
ed persons.
1t will be we'll for the man who ex-
poets to sail smoothly into the matri-
mOnial~ port to continue those fattering
attentions after his engagement which
to talk of what he is saving to make
their little home worthy of her. He
must, by some magic, be able both to
save money for the future and to provide
her with flowers, books. bonhons. thea ter
tickets and other trities which he be-
slowed upon her when there was no fut-
ure to be taken into consideration.
ence, cordiality and filial affection. He
must let her complain of all her faults.
retail all the family quarrels and
point oit all the family imperfections
without ever allowing the knowledge he
acquires thus to tinge his behavior. He
must listen. to her abuse of them with
sympathy. and never by any chance
show anything but the highest regard
for them himself
He must like all her friends. He
must treat ''the girls with the intimacy
which never borders on familiarity; must
enjoy their society which will be thrust
upon him at times and places, and at
the same time must be prepared to a'gree
with her estimate Of their shortcomings.
1t will be just as well for him never to
admire them too extravagantly. l.
In public he must always be prepared
to show her the attentions she needs, but
must also be prepared to let her shave a
good time" unha mpered by his devotion.
For instance, he must newer let her, sit a
dance out alone. vet hr must never glow-
or when she seems. to- be dancing often
with other men. His manner must be a
perfect mingling of devotion aud non.
interference. TIA -R
" Incidentally, it may be added that an
occasional dose. of neglect is wholesome.
and that a semi-occasional quarrel is not
to he, lespised.-New York. World,tt4 ~