davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30
AN AMPHIelous SHIP


n Novel Craft That Travels Wen ON Land
or in water.
The London Graphic gives the follow
ing account of a novel craft, invented
by G. j. Magnell, Swedish engineer
"As will be seen from the illustra-
ton, the steamer when on land runs on
rails just rs u train does the motive
power being the same that turns the
propeller. Mr.. Magnets steamer is
called the Swan, and is now at work in
the northern part of the island of Zee
land, in Denmark. 1t performs its
journey ten times daily, and crosses the
intervening isthmus of dry land in a
perfectly satisfactory manner every
time. The little amphibious boat is
about fifty feet long and nine feet in
the beam, draws about three feet of
water, and can accommodate seventy per-
sons. The engines are of twenty.seven
horse power, and work the propeller
when the boat is in the water. BY an
ingeniuos arrangement, as soon as the
steamer approaches the rails the shaft
of the propeller is disconnected from
the engine, and the crank shaft of the
series of posts are arranged which in
sures the safe guidance of the boat on
to the rails. The wheels work in water
tight boxes, and it is found these an
swer very we'll. The wheels are of the
same size as those ordinarily in use on
railways, while the track is slightly
followed to allow for the keel, which
projects very slightly below the level
of the rails.
when the boat has crossed the 18TH
mus and re enters the water the wheels
are thrown out of gear, and remain
locked while the engine works the pro
peller There is no perceptible jarring
or jolting either when the vessel is
coming on to the rails or leaving them.
The steamer is said to be a success in
every way, and is proving to be "a remu
nerative speculation. Whether we shall
live to see the principle applied to ocean
going ships is doubtful, especially when
we come to consider the enormous dead
weight of one of our Atlantic grey
hounds. But for small steamers the
idea is evidently good and practicable.
The inventors think that amphibious
boats of this description will be largely
used in countries like Sweden, Finland
and the Baltic provinces of Russia and
Germany, where they are so many lakes
and arms of the sea scattered by low
lying necks of land. That the invention
is believed in by the people of Denmark
is evident from the fact that several
more of these railway steamers have
been ordered
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30
They Made Money.

The street arab lies by his wits, if he
lives at all we'll Lis wits are sharp
ened by contact with the cold world,
and he realizes that hustle is necessary
for success. Two youngsters who ped
die cough drops have dropped to this
fact, and yesterday employed rather
questionable methods, which, however
AS questionable methods sometimes
do-resulted to their financial gain.
One of these boys is much larger than
the other, and quite a crowd was at
tracted to the corner of Ninth and
Chestnut streets yesterday by the big
boy pummelling the little boy. AT the
proper time the big one disappeared,
leaving the little one surrounded by
tears and sympathy.
Several benevolent passers-by, pitying
''the poor little fellow" showered nick
els and pennies upon him in royal shape.
But the sequel shows that the poor lit
tie fellow" was in league with his sup
posed tormentor, and no sooner had the
crowd dispersed than he came in for his
"divvy." The scene was repeated sew
eral times, always with the same result,
until big policeman saw through the
little game, and the youngsters disap-
peared. philadelphia Record.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30

An inquiry was recently made in
London as % the greatest distance at
which a mans voice could be heard,
leaving. of course, the telephone out Of
consideration. The reply was most in
teresting, and was as follows: Eighteen
miles is the longest distance on record
at which a mans voice has been heard.
This occurred i'm the Grand Canon of the
Colorado. where one man shouting the
name Bob" rt one end, his voice was
plainly hear the other end, which is
eighteen miles away. Lieutenant Fos-
ter. on Parry third Arctic expedition,
found that he could converse with a
man across the harbor of Port Bowen,
n distance OF G,695 feet, or about one
mile and a quarter; and Sir John Frank
lin said that he conversed with ease
at distance of more than a mile. Dr.
Young records that at Gibraltar the hu-
man voice has been heard at a distance
of ten miles.
Sound has remarkable force in water
Colladon by experiments made in the
Lake of Geneva, estimated that a bell
submerged in the sea might be heard a
distance of more than sixty miles.
Franklin says that he heard the Strik-
ing together of two stones In the water
half mile away. over water or sur
face of ice sound is propagatcd with
great clearness and strength. DI. HUT
ton relates that on a quiet part of the
Thames near Chelsea he could hear q
person read distinctly at the distance
of li0 feet while on the land the same
could only be heard at seventy-siX feet.
Professor Tyudau, when on Mount
Blanc. found the report of pistol shot
no louder than the pop of a champagne
bottle. Persons in a balloon can hear
voices from the earth long time after
they, themselves. are inaudible to people
beloW.-Harpers Round Table
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30
CONTRASTING ACTRESSES.
Tho Melancholy Duse and the Merry Loio
Fuller Described.

Tho Melancholy Duse and the Merry boto
Fuller Described.
In an article in the New York Press,
Hillary Bell has this to say of the ac-
tress, whom many believe the great
est now on the stage, and the dancer
who admittedly excels in her line
Melancholy has marked Duse for her
own. The Italian actress has arched
eyebrows with that distinctive sinking
in the centre which is an outward in
dication of sadness. Her eyes are
brown, deep set, expressive and beauti-
full in intelligence There is little mirth
in them even when her lips are smiling
A long upper lip and droop at the
corners of her mouth contribute to this
general expression of gloom. Yet, when
the scene demands it, Duse can give
fine touches of comedy Her smile is
eloquent and eng 'ging, and in such
moments her teeth glisten with white
good humor. When she relapses into
pathos Duse looks 40, when she smiles
she seems to be twenty years younger.
In reality she is 36. AT one moment
she is an embodiment of the grace of
youth, at another she is sombre, mid
dle-aged woman. Evidences of physi-
cal suffering are still to be discovered
in the heavy rings around her eyes, for
this gifted player has long been an in
valid from some nervous affection, and
folk say that it is only by heroic will
power that she can act at all. AT the
close of the performance her exhausted
condition is apparent The fire of act
ing has died out, and the animation
which sustained her is gone. She comes
forward feebly to bow to the audience /;
her eyes are dull; her lips droop; she
supports herself against the stage fur
niture; she inclines her head slowly,
with a mournful, deprecatory smile, as
if she had no more interest in the stage
or its spectators. In stature she is
more than common tall slender fig
ure, thin arms, small, nervous hands,
full of expression and artistic in finger
tips. Her hair is dull black, lightly
sprinkled with gray. That is Eleonora
Duse as she appears TO the visual sense.
Her exact antithesis is Loie Fuller.
1t is true that Loie also has a long up
per lip, but at this sentimental spot all
likeness ends between the two women.
Melancholy never marked Miss Fuller,
but she is tattooed all over with merri-
ment. Her round face resembles the
sun ON May morning, warm and gen
ial, promising plenty, Her smile is
expansive and benevolent, and in order
to give it as much room as possible ma
ture has turned up her nose, which or
gan is tip. tilted to a degree quite inn
polite to mention.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30
POPPING BIRDS IN THE AIR.



A good story is told In the Louis lie
Commercial Of clever salclrani
scheme for introducing lis brand ot
baking powder in Western town.
Those who know OF the incident say
that it originated In the mind Of Com
modorc Deev9n Peck, of this city and
the clever young man was introducing
Thepure Baking Powder. The COM
mercials story Is as follows:
zone Of the slickest men I ever saw
was a young fellow out West, who was
selling baking powder and was up to
all the lodges TO advertise his goods.
Hc happened to strike one little town in
which English sparrows were great
nuisance, and the authorities had Of
fered a bounty on sparrow heads. The
baking powder man saw n golden OPP
portunity to give his goods big repu-
tation. and offered to eXterminate all
of the sparrows in town inside of two
weeks.
"lis proposition was gladly accepted,
so he began his work. He selected
large vacant lot as the scene of his ope-
rations, and every evening would go
out there with several bushels of corn
which he fed TO the sparrows until they
began to get acquainted with him and
came to the lot i'm bigger droves every
day In the meantime he had sent East
and bought a barrel Of empty capsules,
which he had filed with the baking
powder, and then put salt on the out
side Of them
when he saw that all of the spar
rows i'm town were coming TO the feed
ground, he had a large tank Of water
placed there. and was ready for the
grand climax. on this eventful eNen-
ing he took his saltcd capsules of b9k-
ing powder 10 the lot, instead of corn
and threw them out to the unsuspectinS
sparrows. or course, the salt made the
birds thirsty, and they Immediately
flew to the water tank and drank ana
the result was somewhat awful.
"The water melted the capsules ana
made the baking powder rise. The poor
little birds tried to stay on the ground
hut the baking powder was too strong,
and compelled them to rise straight up
into the air. and finally popped them
open. The spectators could plainly hear
the sparroWs pop, and said that 1t
sounded like the popping of pa. ~
bag. 1t rained popped sparTows al
night It IS needless to say that there
Is only one brand of baking powder for
sale in that town
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30
JUST WANTED TO FIGHT.


a Kentucky MOonshiners story of an En'
counter in the Highway.
Alvia Partin, q Hcll county moon
shiucr. has a bad scar on his left side
ncnr the hip. lie tells a remarkable
story Of how he came by it, and his
friends. including Attorney John T.
O'Ncal. Of Covington, corroborate what
he says.
"T got thot scar las winter" he said
one day lest week 81 got a nuther ono
on my head thet I got az the same
time" he continued. showing n large
furrow that reached from his forehead
almost to the crown Of his Uranium,
"1Ic an three other fellers had fight
one day on the road. They was drunk
an bad fellers. ] met them, an one
or them says to me, I'm goin' to shoot
you I told him 4 reckon not but he
says. Yes; | am, an right now, too.
So / says Blaze away He had a
doublc-barrcled shotgun loaded with
buchshot. He piutcd it at me an J
,!iad TO knock it away, but | missed
the BARI ~ about q inch. By the time
] had hit at IL again it was goin off,
though I Knocked It n little to one side.
81 had on q belt filed with seventeen
No. A winchester cartridges The
whole load Of buckshot went among
them co'triJges, 'sploGin' 'lcven Of
them. Two weeks after that the doc-
tor picked some of the Drass shells
outeu my side. a piece Of my hip was
shot Off. When | was first shot l dii
not think l was hit hard. | shot my
pistol at The fcller an he grabbed the
muzzle of g. The ball went up his
sleeve and through his arm. The other
f5licrs then came on for me an ! poked
the pistol I'm one Of their mouths. Jes'
as I-pullcd the trigger the other feller
Knocked my pistol to one side an the
bullet cut a furrer I'm the side of his
head. Jes' then The other fCllcr hit me
over the head with his gNn bar'l. and
didn't know nothin' for three hours an
was nome. In about four months
was all right"
"What did they attack you for?" ask
cd one.
"Oh, nothin', 1 guess. They was
drinkin' an carousin'. We had never
had any rukeses. They jes' wanted
lEht.
4 seen the fclier what shot me las
week down in Bell county," Partin
said, and his eyes twinkled. II was
diEEin' taters when he passed along
the road ] didn't have my gun near
me, an / didn't say nothin'. Louis
Vile Couricr-Journal
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30
Another of Lincoln,s Jokes.

This is brand new Lincoln story and
true like all of this series:
President Lincoln reached Meade Sta
ton, near Petersburg soon after a seri-
Gus battle in which about 1000 Confed-
crates We're made prisoners. General
Meade was on the Presidents left and
Colonel George d. Ruggles on his right.
On their way to headquarters they rode
to a point where they could see the
large assemblage of prisoners. With
the prisoners were many colored SER
wants and laborers.
Mr.. Lincoln" said General Meade,
II guess Ruggles did not overestimate
the number of men captured"
Mr.. Lincoln checked his horse, delib-
erately surveyed the field full of Cor
dons disarmed men and the contrebands
and said:
Yes, General, the number is there in
black and white. Chicago Times Her
aid.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30
SHE WOULDN'T ARGUE.
And So She Preserved Her Health
and Good Looks.


and Good Looks.
She had a merry eye, a lineless
forehead and q wicked red mouth,
though her hair was touched with sill
yer.
Asked her secret of youth, she thought
a minute, then said smiling happily
IF l have one it is I never argue.
Never, under any provocation. You see,
/ don't hold any belief myself in any
way that needs confirmation, and 1
found out long ago that in argument
yourself was the only person you could
ever succeed in convincing of the right
ness of you view.
"Then there is the further fact that
the points most usually argued are those
the arguers know nothing whatever
about. That, you can't deny, is wear
ing-hearing people dogmatize over
things whereof their ignorance could be
cut with knife.
Nor do l ever exert myself to set
them right, Like Rachel of old, sit
upon the secret and say nothing. have
my reward, too, the people whose pet de-
lusions respect, go about telling every
body am one of the brightest and best
informed women they know"
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30
DOLLY ON WORDS.

She Cheerfully Enlightens McAIlister
McIlbenny.
McAllister McIlhenny was plunged in
thought, but he was safe, for it wasn't
over his head.
Only over his heart.
He was revolving in his mind what TO
say to the beautiful Brooklyn belle he
! had loved last and was still loving.
In other words McIlhenny had wheels
emotional wheels.
/ After a long time he shook himself
/ fercely and hissed between his firm set
teeth:
'She shall be mine, swear it."
Then he set forth on his hearts jour
ney and ere long he was seated beside
her on an elegantly upholstered fau-
| teuil
/ Miss Dolly" he said after the usual
J meteorological references had been mu-
tually cited as is the custom when two
persons meet, 81 love you with a love
that passes understanding.
She looked down at his feet and
realized how great his love for her must
| be.
why, Mr.. McIlhenny," she exclaim-
ed twitteringly as bird twitters
yes, Miss Dolly-dear Miss Dolly
dear Dolly-darling dolly" he went on
in a succession of emotional explosions,
land you can set my throbbing heart
forever at rest if you will"
How, Mr.. McIlhennyp she murmur-
ed
by answering question with one
little word--only one."
"Oh, how funny, Mr.. McIlhenny.
What is the question:"
will you be mine, dearest?"
1t was very sudden and Dolly was
scarcely expecting it, but she didn't
lose her head.
She merely dropped it, as maidens do
when they are proposed to-"
'And will one little word answer so
important a question, she asked almost
tremulously.
Mcllhenny was creature of impulse,
but he did not intend to let his impetu-
osity ruin his cause if he could prevent
such catastrophe. He might unwit-
tingly have given an opportunity to her
to say mo" but he was too careful for
that
So he hedged
only one little word, darling" he
whispered, as he slipped his hand over
to take hers but there must be three
letters in it,"
The beautiful belle hesitated for an in
stant; then there came to her soft blue
eyes look of seraphic triumph, melt
ing as of all the grosser elements into
the other; a soul of saint, the glorifed
submission of a woman's heart to the
blissful tyranny of its master.
AT leasl that was the way it struck
McAllister McIlhenny as he held out his
eager, pleading hands to her.
Nit" she said; and McAllister Mo
Ilhenny cursed every three-lettered
word in the English language.-New
York Sun.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30
Meaning of Precious Gems.

Most of the principal stones now worn
have their significance, Sapphire, as
heavenly thoughts; diamonds, as re-
pentance, innocence, light, purity, life
and joy, Emeralds denote success in
love, faith, victory and Immortality
There is great diversity of opinion as
to the meaning of the opal. While some
consider it portends good fortune and
hope, others still deem it unlucky. The
turquoise denotes success and numerous
friends, the pearl purity, innocence,
humility and tears, while the amethyst
signifies sobriety and temperance.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30
PUNISHMENT OF THE BATH.
An Ingeniously Torturing Form of Death
Penalty.

Penalty.
In former times the punishment of
the bagno (bath), one of the most clev-
erly cruel infiictions ever devised by an
officer of the torture chamber, was ad-
ministered in Italy, probably in Venice.
where the water of the Lagoons played
so prominent Il part in its penal system.
The punishment was as follows:
The prisoner was placed in a vat, the
sides of which were slightly in excess of
the average height of mau. In order
to hold in check the rising tide of a
supply of water which ran into the vat
in "a constant stream, the criminal was
furnished with scoop with which to
bail out the water as fast as it came
i'll on him.
The respite from death by immersion
thus obtained was more or less pro
longed, according to the powers of en-
durance possessed by the victim. But
imagine the moral torture, the exhaust
ing and even hideously grOtesque eff
forts, the incessant and pitiless toll by
night and day to stave off the dread mo-
ment fast approaching when, overcome
by sleep and fatigue, he was unable to
struggle any longer against his fatel-
LIE Moniteur du Puy.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30
Jpnk Dealer Finds $4,000.

A Paris Junk dealer found recently
$500 in bonds hidden between the
leaves of an old magazine which he had
bought for a few cents, The dealer at
tempted to dispose Of the securities to a
broker in Brussels and was arrested,
charged with theft. The bonds were
identified by the relatives of an eccen-
trio old man who had died short time
before. The junk dealer was sentenced
to four months Imprisonment for at
tempting to dispose of the bonds under
false pretences.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30
ARE THEY EXTRAvAGANT?
What Nine. Guy d'HardeIot Says of the
American Women.

American Women.
Nine. Guy d'Hardelot is Emma Cal
YES intimate friend and companion.
Mime. Guy dHardelot has some very
decided opinions regarding the dress of
American women.
Il think American women dress most
extravagantly,' she said to New York
World Reporter. Il must say that,
when / went to the Horse Show, di-
rectly we arrived in New York, was
astonished at the reckless display of the
most frail and perishable fabrics, laces,
chiffons, as we'll as the more sumptuous
show of velvets and brocades. Now, in
England at such function you would
not see such extravaganza of dress"
DO you think that Americans over
dress for the operaY
"Well, | can better understand their
dressing so much for the opera. There
is reason for that. But on the street or
at an entertainment like the Horse Show
it amazes me to see how much Ameri-
can women put upon their backs. 1t
seems such pity, such waste of
money. There is so much to be done
with money in this world, so many sor.
rows to tighten, so many sufferers to re
heve, that such awful extravaganza in
dress seems quite deplorable.
"Then, too, isn't it awfully hard on
the American men2 Everywhere you
go in this country you see only women.
The men are all in their offices or at
their professions, working, working
constantly to get the money to supply
the extravaganza of their wives and
daughters. 1t is dreadful. think
American men are the best husbands i'll
the world-but too indulgent,
''As to the way your working girls
dress, it is shocking. What poor mis-
cradle, cheap limitations of finery one
sees everywhere. But that is like the
English working girls. They love fin
cry, too. think that is where the mis-
chief is done. Ladies wear superb cos
tunes upon the street; working girls
see them and strive to initiate them.
Soon they come to think of nothing but
finery. l tell you the love of finery is
the root of all evil quite as much as
the love of money"
1t may be of in crest to feminine
readers to know that Nine. Guy Har-
delot herself dresses plainly but ele-
gantly and almost always in black.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30
Renl RottomIess Pit.

The celebrated "bottomless abyss" of
France is situated in the province OF
Vaucluse, and is considered one OF the
most interesting geological wonders in
the world. 1t is called the Abyss OF
Jean Nauveah, and has been known for
centuries. 1t is from three to twelve
feet in diameter and practically bottom
less. 1t is supposed to be the vent OF an
ancient geyser.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30
East in His Memory.

Remember, witness" sharply ex-
claimed the attorney for the defence,
''you are on OATH"
"There amt no danger of my forget
tin it," replied the witness, sullenly
Pm tellin the truth for nothin' when
could have made fifteen shillings by
lyin' for your side of the case, an you
know it."-Tid-Bits
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30

Seen Bill Brown when l was up to
town" said the man with the gum
boots, setting himself on the salt barrel.
"Conductin' street car"
II thought Bill was goin' into bust
ness for himself" said the grocer.
wal, ! allow he is to some extent,
but the company amt got onto it yet"
Cincinnati Enquirer.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-30
Ledger of Ideas.

Ore of the greatest elements in sue
cessful business management is method.
The judgment OF a rich and q poor man
Is rot so widely apart as their wealth;
besides, often the smarter is the poorer
business man, The whole world of COM
merce depends upon the practice of
bookkeeping, and all that bookkeeping
is can be reduced to this: A record of
business transactions kept so that they
can be readily grouped and understood
as a concrete whole. Bookkeeping is
usually confined to record Of money
transactions. A friend of mine carries
the method still further; he keeps
books for his ideas and information
picked up at odd moments. In his vest
pocket he carries a little book which he
calls his day book.
In that he records everything he
wishes to remember, whether it is to
buy a bottle Of liquid glue to mend his
little girls doll or a social engagement
for the following week. Everything
goes into the day book, from the name
Of a man who wants a job to a scheme
to make a million that may go hitting
through his head. In addition to the
day book, my0riend keeps ledger of
ideas" into this are transferred all
such matters as are likely to be needed
for future reference. like addresses, sug-
gestlons in connection with his busi-
ness, all grouped in such a way that
they can be turned to in a moment
When u matter has been disposed of u
pencil mark is drawn through it and
that ends it, except that it serves as a
memorandum Of the fact and the period
OF time when entered, for these items
are divided by date lines indicating the
period when entered, - Minneapolis
Tribune.