davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24
Bird Colonies.

Within the Arctic circle are the
great bird colonies. The largest and
most remarkable is that of Svaerholt
Klubben.
Every inch Of this wonderful cliff,
which rises about a thousand feet from
the waters edge, and is of considerable
greater breadth, may be said to be
used by the birds. The discharge of q
small cannon in the immediate neigh
borhood will darken the air with mil
lions Of birds, but even then a field
glass will reveal the innumerable
Lodges white with undisturbed millions.
These consist almost entirely Of the
small gull (Rissa tridactyla), and they
are a source Of considerable income to
the owner Of the colony, who lives at
the little fishing station close by.
About the middle Of May every year, by
means Of long ladder placed against
the foot Of the cliff, he proceeds to col
lect the eggs. OF these there are at
most three to each nest, and the num-
Der taken averages from 5000 to TO-
900 annually, or the produce Of, say,
5000 pair Of birds. Ropes are not used
for this purpose Of Svaerholt, as they
are in the Farce isles, so that the
highest Of the above figures represents
only very small percentage Of the
yearly production Of the colony, as far
the greater portion of the cliff face,
where the nests are packed as closely
as they can be, remains absolutely un-
touched.
The food of these multitudes OF birds
during the summer months consists for
the most part Of fish spawn (more par
ticularly that Of Goldfish, which is
abundant in these northern waters),
and of the small crustacea, which are
driven to and. fro by the currents. along
the coast in immense masses. To the
latter belong the tiny organisms Gala
nus Finmarchicus and Uphausia liner
mis-, the favorite food respectively Of
the whales, Balaenoptera borealis and
B. Slnbadii, when these giants ap-
proach the mouths Of the great fjords
in July and August In winter the IA
nous cliff is completely deserted. By
the end of August the young gulls are
able to take care Of themselves, and all
take their departure, to return no more
until the following year in the month
Of March.
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24
Gigantic ouadrupsaal Bird.

The Connecticut River sandstone Is
the geological wonderland of the New
England states. The bad lands of Wy
oming and South Dakota have rocks
and fine clays that are literally filed
with the remains of antedlluvian mons
tiers, but they all appear to have be-
longed to the order OF four-footed
mammalia. The prehistoric monsters
of the Connecticut valley were also Of
the four-footed kind, but were prob
ably the oldest creatures of that class
that ever walked. These old-time
freaks were birds of size larger than
any horse that now exists; but birds
though they were, they walked on four
legs, just as any other quadruped does.
No remains Of these creatures have
ever been found other than their tracks,
dozens Of which have been found on
sandstone and carefully gotten out and
sent to the large museums Of the
world. The bird tracks recently found
at Hastings, England, are as canary
tracks to those Of an ostrich when com.
pared with the gigantic impressions
left by the four-footed bird of the 6sn-
necticut Valley.
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24
A w,se Old Crow.

A naturalist who is much interested
in birds says that the crow is the wis
est of all feathered animals. He has
made a number of experiments re-
Gently and declares that an ordinary
we'll educated crow can count to TWEEN
ty, and that he has found sentinel
crow, very old and very wise, that can
count to twenty-six. He made these
discoveries in very interesting way.
Last summer he spent much time in
the mountains, where a cadet COM
pany of boys was camped. One day he
found flock Of crows gathered around
q dead animal that lay near little old
sharty in the woods. They tapped
away when he approached. So he hid
himself in the old shanty and waited,
but they did not come back. Then he
vent out and walked on UP the noun
tain, and they all settled down again to
the feast. That a''~ruosn he took four
boys from the caGst Camp with him,
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24

visiting Mary Yost, and those other
sick folks. Buy some good clothes,
lie in bed of morning, let Maud see
to the house. Play cards. Say mean
things about your neighbors. Be as
selfish as you can. Don't put yourself
out for anybody"
rs that quite right, doctor?" Lucre-
tia objected.
at is prescription" he returned
"just as tell one person to take hot
baths, tell you to be selfish and lazy
though you haven't much natural abll-
ity."
Poor little Lucretia," the doctor
thought, when she was gone. He had
known her since child, and he recog-
nlzed in her recital of symptoms the
beginning of hopeless disease. Mark
Farley was brute and Maud is ty-
rant and the whole town imposes on
her. I'll try to give her little good
time, though it's late start"
Lucretia endeavored to obey the doc
tors orders as to taking life easy just
as conscientiously as she took her tonic
before meals, but it was hard to reverse
the habits of a lifetime. The first morn
ing when she heard the rising bell she
thought of the doctors command and
concluded she would have her toast
and coffee brought to her. She was half
terrified at her audacity. Maud came
in. her face redder than usual from a
recent scrubbing.
Aren't you ever going to get up,
Lucretia?" she asked, sharply, and
poor Lucretla huddled on her clothes
and went down to breakfast like a
naughty child.
But during the day she made some
progress. Mrs. Lynn sent word that
Jimmy is having fits and would Mrs
Farley come over?"
81 am very sorry" she said to the
messenger, "but Pm not well, so
can't CO." Her conscience hurt hel
Borely afterward for she had seer
Jimmy through all his previous fits
ana Il seemed cowardly to desert him
now. In the afternoon, however, she
went to miles Dry-Goods Palace" ani
bought herself two silk gowns and {
pair of high-heeled slippers. In hel
heart she had always loved French
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24
HE REFUTED THE LIE.
Turned Over Only Five Times After He
Jumped.


Bill Haw was an awkward, ungainly
young man, whose life was spent on
Kansas farm, says the New York
World. He lived near the little station
Of Hackney, and on one occasion came
from a nearby town on the train. 1t
dashed up toward the platform at a
high rate of speed. The engineer tried
to apply the air-brakes to stop the
train, but they refused to work. He
Whistled for the hand brakes, and the
brakeman and the conductor began
twisting them as if their lives depended
upon stopping the train.
He saw that something was the mat
ter and concluded that he was the
cause Of 1t. The train was past the
station and he feared he would be taken
past his home. Standing on the lower
platform he gave a wild leap off the
train.
In describing Bilps descent after
ward the postmaster at Hackney, who
had seen Bills flight through the air.
said: 81 thought some one had thrown
a saddle off the train, Bill rolled off all
in a bunch. When the dust settled
down Bill emerged from the confusion
with his clothes nearly torn off him,
his face and hands skinned and an APP
pearance of terror on his face. He ac-
tually turned over eight times after he
jumped before he stopped"
THAT is a lie!" exclaimed Bill, who
had listened to the narration. 81 never
turned over eight times. turned over
five times. reckon ought to know.
/ counted EN-"
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24

O'Clock one recent
Sunday. The Methodist church In that
place, containing about eighteen OF
twenty people Of the community as.
sembled in the capacity of Sabbath
school, was crushed to the earth by an
electric cloudburst, a whlrlwlnd, or q
cyclone, as different parties have named
1t, which came without moments
warning. Mr. w. w. Cochran was in
stantly killed, the Rev. ]. ]. Colson, the
pastor, and the Rev. j. w. Van Trease
the Methodist pastor OF Palestine cir
cult, in Brady county, who was present
to assist In the protracted meeting Just
commenced, were seriously wounded.
Uncle" Jack Simpson, Mr.. George Nc
Dougal and Miss Lena Colson, and sew
eral others received slight injuries. A
cloudy evening had caused a small
turnout among the teachers and pupils,
and OF the eighteen or twenty assem-
bled more than half of the number
were more or less painfully injured.
The disaster is fraught with profound
mystery when taken into consideration
the circumstances surrounding It..
Storm indications were not threatening
at the time. The wind was blowing
with apparent but little force, when
suddenly from natures elements, with
out moments warning, an electrical
cloudburst or whlrlwlnd wrenched the
building from its foundation, leveled
1t to the ground, and disappeared with
out doing any other damage in the
community, except twisting the top
from a large tree standing near the
church and destroying few panels of
an adjoining fence. Mr.. Cochran, the
good man whose earthly career closed
so suddenly, just before the calamity
led in prayer. He prayed that God
would cause something to happen that
would awaken His children to a sense
OF their danger. He said he was ready
and willing to lay down his own life,
If need be, for the salvation Of his chill
dren. The good man was at the foot
of the cross when death came. Stand
ing in front Of him as he fell was I'm
Gle Jack Simpson, venerable father
in Israel with an open bible in his
hand, from which he was about to read
lesson and open Sabbath school. The
Revs. j. j. Colson and ]. w. Van Trease
were also near the altar, and the full
force of the disaster seemed to center
on the spot occupied by these four good
Christian workers
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24
A Sensitive Man.

That the average man is very sensi-
tive as to his physical infirmities was
strikingly illustrated in an Arch street
car yesterday afternoon. Near the rear
platform sat well-dressed man, with
one leg stretched out in front of him,
almost completely blocking the pas
sage. A lady boarded the car, and in
her efforts to reach a. seat stumbled
over the mans leg. He apologized, but
did not shange his position. Presently
another female passenger got on, and
she was forced to step over the OBJ
stacle. Then the conductor interfered.
Approaching the man he requested
him to draw in his foot, but the re-
quest was promptly refused. ''Ill put
you OFF the car II you don't" expostu-
later the conductor. "Youwon't do
anything of the kind" was the spirited
reply. Hot words followed, a scuffle
ensued, and the obstinate passenger
was finally landed in the street 1t was
then discovered that he had an artifi-
cial leg, and rather than acknowledge
his affection he had run the chances
Of disgraceful scene.-Philadelphia
Record.
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24
Foreign Hotel Names.

There is room for a little healthy
Americanism in the naming of New
York hotels. The Victoria and the
Brunswick have been closed. We have
the Empire and an Imperial, but no
Republic. We have the Windsor and
st. James, but no White House, Month
cello, Montpelier or Washington. There
are Mt. Vernons in many cities, but
they are generally Of an inferior class.
We have Marie Antoinette, but no
Martha Washington. We have a Hol-
land house and Savoy, Vendome and
Normandie, and st. Cloud and Greno-
BILE. In other American cities there
are few American, United States and
Congress houses, but most of them
we're named great many years ago,
and Washington houses are generally
Of the third class. Are travellers so
un-American that hotels must have
foreign names to attract them?
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24

and the five marched into the little
building and waited. No crows came
back. Two OF the boys went out. Still
no crows. Then the other two went
out and only the naturalist remained.
But the old sentinel crow had evil
IDENTIFY counted them as they went in,
and he knew they had not all come out.
so he sat on dry pine stump and
said; Cav, cav" quite derisively, AZ
last the naturalist left the building, and
straightway all the crows returned.
This experiment was repeated a num-
Der OF times with varying numbers of
boys, but the crows kept count, and
would not come down until the build
Ing was entirely empty.
AL last whole platoon of the cadets,
twenty'5ix boys in ALL and the natural
list, marched into the old building. Then
SLOWLY twenty Of them went away. The
crows did not stir Two more, four
more, five more went, but the old sem
tlnel warned his companions that the
men had not all gone. Then the TWEEN
ty-Sixth cadet marched away, leaving
only the naturalist. In a few minutes
there were a number of hopeful caws
and Hopping of wings and the crows
returned. The old sentinel could evil
IDENTIFY count twenty-six, but numbers
beyond this puzzled him. The expert
ment was tried several times more,
and 1t was found that the crows could
Keep the count without difficulty up to
twenty, but beyond that they were I'M
certain. This shows that the crow is a
very wise old bird.
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24

A certain parrot is the property Of a
Tioga household, the head Of which is
Unfortunately fond of quiet little game
of poker. For years 1t has been his
custom to get three or four of his
friends together at least twice week
in his snug library and while away
four or five hours Of an evening by
means Of scent ante with a quarter
limit. The parrots cage hangs in the
same library, except on state occa-
sions, when it is taken into the dining
room.
The mans wife is as devoted to her
church as he is to his favorlte game.
She never misses meeting, and as
often as the good man will come has
her pastor to her home for Sunday din
ner. He was there two or three weeks
ago. So were number of other friends
Of the family. The master of the
household presided over the dinner and
the conversation was as lively and vi
vacious as the sanctity Of the day
would admit
The clergyman was talking at the
table and all the others were interested
listeners. The subject was the morn
ing service at his church. the attend
ance upon which had been very large.
Yes he said, Il couldn't help re-
marking to myself as entered the pull
pit Well, this is one time I've got a
full house.
That's pretty d. good" quickly
came from the parrots cage. Take
the money, Dick| Philadelphia En-
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24

" idiNhluliyT NAhhpbpi
ether children lurked beneath her win
dow daring" her to come out and play
kangalow. Her brothers and sisters
asked her to do their tasks and secretly
regarded her as soft" for her pains
During their short married life she
fetcned and carried for her husband as
would spaniel and took his rough
words with the same dogllke submits
siveness. When Mark Farley died
frank people said none too soon-her
youngest sister, Maud, came to live
with her. Maud was big and raw
Ooned with ashy blonde hair and a
temper which would have tried the
meek st. Francis. At first Lucretla's
friends hoped that she would be eman-
cipated by her sisters marriage, but
as Maud slipped from 20 to 30 unwed
the hope died.
Meanwhile Lucretia continued to do
her duty. She visited hypochondriacs
and cross old people, who poured into
her patient ears all their symptoms
and complaints. She really felt guilty
when she made a call at a pleasant
home where the family asked after her
health and how her flowers were
blooming.
When her neighbors were Ill Lucre-
tia sat up with them every third night,
and If they died she put the house in
order for the funeral and lent her Grape
bonnet to the chief mourner. In fact,
1t grew so shabby she had to have 1t
made over before she let Mrs. Ransom
take 1t to Kansas for her son-in-law's
1bsequies.
She was president Of the Dorcas So
cIety and many time she wore shabby
shoes and cotton gloves that she might
give a child cloak. She made spec
ial effort to go to prayer-meeting dur
ing very wet or very hot times, when
less conscientious people thought up an
excuse for staying home.
There came spring when she felt
strangely weak and llstless. Her feet
Jagged as II she were dragging a bah
and chain and her hands were so thin
that her rings dropped from her fin
gers. She stopped at DR.. Surgeons
office one day on her way home from
church meeting. t.
' He pushed his glasses up on his fore
head and looked at her attentively; he
felt her pulse and asked her many
questions which seemed ia have no
bearing on her CASE GA
Nothing much the matter, is theTeT
she asked. ~ aIfo
"oh, no." he said brlslSly, writing a
few hieroglyphics on his paper pad.
"Pll give you tonic and waHtiy6i to
promise to do what l tellyou." 1
"All right" said Lucretia, for she
was used to obeying his orders.
"Have a good time" he began, stop
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24
Anything for a Change.

They We're gravely discussing hosiery
out ON the hotel piazza.
Where are you going, Maudie?'
said the fiuffy-haired little blonde with
the blue tinsel belt.
Maudie paused in the doorway.
Il thought it was about time to
change the subject" she said and van
ished.
A few moments later as the solitary
young man came up from the station
he observed that she had on a pair OF
lavender ones with purple vine
climbing up from the instep.-Cleve-
land Plain Dealer.
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24
"rhat Reminds Me-"

A deaconess remarked one evening
says the Deaconess Advocate, that wo-
man she had that day called upon told
her with a lugubriOus face, that her
neighbor's child had died of spinal
legitimate" Everybody laughed, and
one said, "That reminds me of wom-
an in my district who said that her hus-
band had an attack of ammonia on the
lungs"
at was a man who told me the other
day that he had been taking epidemic
Infections" said third.
"Wonder If he found them helpful
as the cherry pictorial that woman
told me she was giving her child for Q
cough" said fourth.
81 guess I'll have to prescribe that
for nv patient who insiets that he has
an ulster in his throat" said another,
and then they decided that further rem.
iniscences were not in order
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24
ELECTRICITY AND WATCHES.
watohmaEsrs Say Timopisoes Are MaGno-
tiled on Trolley Cars.

WatOhmakers Say Timopisoes Are MRgno-
tIEed on Trolley Care.
One OF the worst enemies of good
timepleces Is electricity, says the Phil
adelphla Press, Next to letting a
watch drop out Of a fifth-story window
there is no surer way Of demorallzlng
timeplece than to venture with 1t
near some powerful electro-generating
machine. This danger has become 30
generally recognized that In many large
electrical plants there are signs posted
warning the visitor, II he cares for his
watch, to leave II outside. Yet there
are hundreds Of people who never go
near an electric dynamo and yet And
their watches going astray In most
unaccountable fashion Visiting the
matchmaker they find that 1t has been
mysterlously magnetized. Tell the gem
eral run OF people that the watch was
magnetized and deranged from being
carried in trolley car and they will
probably be much surprised. Yet the
facts are strong in confirmation of such
statement.
Inquiry among many Of the repre-
sentative watchmakers of the town
shows that on the average two and a
half times as many magnetized watches
are brought In now for repair as were
taken In two years ago, when the troll
leys had not been introduced.
Probably so per cent Of the watches
brought into us for repair" said a
prominent matchmaker, ARE those
which have been deranged by being
magneti2ed The subject has interest
ed me very much. l may safely say
that before the trolleys were introduced
we did not have half as many magne-
tiled watches"
A magnetized watch will play queer
pranks with time. 1t may start off
at reckless gait and gain five to ten
minutes day for weeks. Then It will
slow up as though out Of breath and
jog along at an easy pace, dropping
back dozen or so minutes in fort
night. All these pranks are caused
by the subtle influence Of the electric
fluid on the steel parts Of the delicate
watch works. When the hairspring be-
comes hardened by the magnetism the
watch will gain time. When friction
between the delicate parts Of the works
is increased by the magnetic influence
the watch will lose time. There Is no
accounting for the pranks that are
played The magnetism may spread
from one part of the works to the
other and each part, in turn, may be-
come especially charged, producing diff
ferent results in the going power Of
the watch from time to time
Some watches are more liable to be
magnetized than others, and when
brought into proximity with electrical
conditions there is no telling when any
watch is going to succumb.
Anybody can tell whether his or her
watch is magnetized or not by passing
a small pocket compass around the
case. If the needle swerves violently
there is magnetism in the steel springs
of the case, at least. Now rest the COM
pass above the balance wheel, and If
the works are magnetized the needle
will rotate rapidly and assume a swing
ing motion from side to side, keeping
time with the balance wheel below it.
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24

Angelina-"That was lovely en-
gagement ring you gave me last night,
dear; but what do the initials E. c.
mean on the inside?" Edwin (who has
bestowed the ring before and had it
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. is-don't you
know?-that is the new way of stamp
ing eighteen carats.-Amusing Journal.
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24
Retaliation.

"The next living picture, ladies and
gentlemen" chanted the barker as he
drew the curtain, revealing a lady
wrapped in thought and looking the
other way, "is called Retaliation So
called, ladies and gentlemen, ON ac-
count of the lady's striking back
Cincinnati Enquirer.
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24
KILLED AS HE PRAYED
AN ARKANSAS CYCLONE VISITS
A SUNDAY SCHOOL.
ur. W. W. COckran's suPplIcAtlon Was
Answered in a Startling Manner - A
Queer story - Came Like u Thief In
tho Night

HE most dreadful,
unexpected, and dis
tressing calamity
that ever befell a
nelghborhood In
that section of the
country occurred in
the little town Of
Berea, ten miles
northeast of Ham
burg, KY, about 4
Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-09-24

Good Excuse for ESQ Gaping Service.
A London coroner the other day ex-
cused a juryman who said he was a
railway servant and had been on duty
all night.