davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-24
DIRTlEST CITY IN THE WORLD.
Annoy, China, Has u Graveyard on Nearly
Every Street.


Every Street.
Annoy. in China. bears the unenvia bic
reputation Of being the dirtiest and most
unhealthful city in the world. says the
Pittsburg Dispatch. What is more
unpleasant fact is the promise of the
present tendency of affairs to a lower
and worse condition at glance.
The city is built on the edge of a
mountainous island. and is exceedingly
old. Inscriptions on ancient tombs run
back so far as the beginning of the
Christian era. and coins found in acct
dentally discovered graves date to dynas-
ties from 1000 to 500 B. C. During all
this period the hillsides of the city have
been used as burying grounds. AS the
population Increased the houses en-
croached upon the cemetery land. until
the two became hopelessly mixed
The United States consulate is regard
ed as very superior locality. but it is
surrounded by over 100 tombs. A score
OF the large blocks of granite used in
and about it are old tombstones. On the
hill. Immediately behind the residence of
f.; Malcampo, the graves touch one an
other at every point. and form a solid
and cement. covering more than 1000
600 square feet.
Near the Lampawdo joss house 10000
bodies are said to have been buried YER
tlcally to save space. They lie, or stand,
on plot of ground of as many square
feet. Annoy proper and it's suburbs have
Il living population of 100000 and Il
dead one of four and half times as
many. The wells are shallow, and are
sunk ON the edges of the graveyards,
and even among the tombs themselves.
l have not seen one whose water is not
muddy and discolored by the perpetual
turning up of the soil.
The city is a relic of the past. 1t is
walled still as it was in the time Of Con-
fucius. 1t has no sewers whatever.
The streets vary from two to six feet in
width; no wheeled vehicle can use them.
An equestrian would experience great
difficulty in turning a corner. Here and
there is an open space or plaza, dug out
SO as to be huge receptacle into which
the streets discharge their refuse.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-24
WAITING FOR VICTIMS.
How Texans Made Money Out of Il Poor
RnaO.

Road.
l remember travelling once in one of
the counties north of here. Il week or two
after Il somewhat protracted spell of wet
weather. The country was rolling prai-
RE and the roads were beautiful except
at the small wet-weather streams in a
few of the larger hollows. and these
were only from 10 to 80 feet in width
and could have been bridged for about
$50 apiece. Yet found team begged
up in almost every other one in Il whole
days drive. They seemed to be almost
strong pair of ponies and very light
buggy. it was with the greatests diff
Guilty that | got through several of them
myself. In one of the worst of the
Doggy holes l found wagon containing
a woman, four or five children and few
light household goods and with four very
good horses attached The owner of
the very personitication of detection, on
the other side.
On a hill about 800 yards distant stood
fine farmhouse and one of lesser pre-
tentions OH the opposite side of the road.
The owner of the team told me that the
owner of the former house who was
working on fence near by had offered
to pull him out for 81. but when told he
had no dollar, was coldly told that he
of that hole Il have got just $SS,' said
the poor fellow, "hut l have over $50
miles to 60 and am out Of provisions ~
had two long stake ropes. and by hitch
ing them to the end of the wagon tongue,
getting the poor horses out on solid
ground and hitching my team in the
lead we got the wagon out. l stopped
and tried for a subscription from the
man at the fence who had coolly watched
the whole proceedings, but of course
didn't get it. A little further on /
learned that he and his son. who lived
opposite, took turns day about keeping
a yoke of oxen in the lot ready to pull
teams out of that hole at 81 apiece, and
that they made from So to SIS per day for
from one to three weeks after every wet
spell.-San Antonio Express.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-24
The uki6" (Suessed Ripht,

The following anecdote of Princess
Maud has the distinguished merit of be-
ing true: Going shopping one spring
morning last year, strictly incog., and at
tended only by one of the ladies' of the
household, Princess Maud was accostef
by a little street arab who was the hap
ply possessor of Il pair of large. pathetic
brown eyes and Il tangled crop of curly
brown hair. He was busily engaged in
the absorbing task of earning his living
land perhaps some one else's az welD by
retailing fresh spring flowers, penny
and tuppence a bunch" The princess
stopped by him, and while choosing some
flowers she was a little startled by the
lad saying in an excited and familiar
whisper: Its all right, miss, knows
yer; but I'll keep it dark, and won's split
on YER. The princess smilingly shook
yer (more emphatically), ''yer Princess
MaWd; | tWigged Yer di-rectly"
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-24
DAMASCUS GUN BARRELS.
The Secret Of Their Manufacture Kent IN
One Family for Many Years. f&%

One Family for Many Years.
Consul Henry w. Gilbert of Liege,
Belgium, has III one of the recent issues
of the consular reports an interesting de-
scription OF the Manufacture of and
trade iii Damascus gun barrels. which
out in the valley of the Vesdre, III the
province Of Liege, in Belgium. These
barrels are for sporting guns and the in.
dustry is many years old, the worknlen
i'll the villages being almost all gun bar
rel makers, and the trade descending
from father to son. u
The best barrels are Il combination of
the best primary substances, welded and
forged by the martelage q froid process;
the steel comes from Westphalia, the
iron is manufactured ut Couvin. III Bel
GUM: the coal, which is especially suited
for the work, from the ~Herve High
lands, in Belgium. while the motive
power. of the factories is obtained from
the River Vesdre. The industry has in
creased greatly i'll recent years. These
armes de luxe, rs they are called, are
made by men working in pairs, eacl,
pair III its own little factory, quite indie
pendent of all others. They are paid by
the piece. the wages. being good, and
about 1000 men are engaged on the work
IN the valley. Medium quality barrels
are made. of coke iron and steel. while
the superior quality, which are produced
IN the Nesdre valley, are made of char
coal iron and steel. An ingenious "mar.
riage' Of these metals gives compost.
ton which, when manufactured, guuran.
tees the required solidity and resistance
The Improvement in these Damascus
barrels dates from the introduction of
percussion caps in place of the old flint
lock: Formerly iron barrels alone were
produced: now, to manufacture , the
curled Damascus. the ingot is composed
OF thirty sheets of iron and steel, each
having Il thickness of four nillimGtres,
which are enveloped in a sheet iron box,
placed in an oven and welded together
at the lowest possible temperature. Each
barrel receives 150 welding beats While
being forged, and if Il single one of these
is unsuccessful the barrel may be II fail
ure. either by alteration of the Damascus
work of fan imperfection in the welding.
There is no official test of these armes
de luxe, but they are thoroughly tested
by the manufacturers before delivery
The annual production of Damascus bar
rels i'll the Vesilre valley is about 300, OOO
pails. of value of about $500. OOOf
Of this the wages alone-for all the guns
are hand made-amount to 1900, (NOf
The principal markets are Great Brit lin
and the United States. About half OF
the barrels made in the Vesdre valley
are sold to manufacturers of arms in
Liege to be mounted.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-24
Life in SpiketOwh.

Hot.
Dusty.
Items are scarce.
We need new town pump.
Farmers were thick last Saturday.
Read the Blizzard and keep yourself
posted.
John Perlunn Sundaycd in our city
quite recently.
Absalom Ashcraft has recovered from
an attack of Ia grippe.
Wonder what brings Hold Jones to
our city so often. Look out, Hold! ,.
Editor Crumlett. of Pinkville, visited
our sanctum yesterday. Call again,
Brother Crumlett. The latchstring IS al
ways out. r..
The Spiketown Silver Cornet Band is
learning q new piece. The boys arc do
ing splendidly. That's right, boys. Keep
it up.
Miss Mamie Hunker. of Perkins June
ton, is visiting We editors wife. Miss
Mamie says the corn between here and
the Junction is looking fine.
Uncle Davy Harkins has our thanks
for splendid mess of early potatoes.
They are the finest we have seen, this
season. Come often, Uncle Duvy.-
SpiketOwn Blizzard.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-24
Early Royal Risers.

With the exception of the Queen and
the Prince Of Wales nearly ali the roy
alties of Europe have very praise
worthy but. at the same time. exceeding
~ inconvenient habit of getting up early
in tho day.
The German Emperor is generally MP
about 5 in the morning; the Queen regent
of Spain is dressed for the day at Z:
King Humbert's hour of rising is Is.
as is. that of King Oscar and King
Charles of Roumania
Her majesty never rises before 8,
while breakfast ut Marlborough house
and Sandrngham is rarely partaken of
before that hour. The Empress Eliza
beth Of Austria is the despair of the
management Of the bathing establish
mept at Aix-les-Bains. On her account
they are obliged to keep it open all night
and to provide it with a double set of at
PENDANTS.
She insists on taking her bath at the
unearthly hour of $3.50 in the morning.
In this custom of getting up at strange
hours she is in sympathy with her hus-
band, for Francis Joseph is in bed every
night at 8 o'clock. and up at 4 by the
very latest. having accomplished much of
the business of the day before the ma
jority of his subjects open their eyes.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-24

80 u, Il a. o. e Z
toward them at a round run. 1t inme-
5liateiy became a race for scafps. The
American on his racer ran quite away
from his companion OH the mule, but re-
speed. "rhey'rc gaining on n,'' US, 81 Pa f!S
he shouted. Hurry up, man! hurry up.
or we are dead persimmons, sure. "pat
put spurs and whip to his animal, but in
spite OF all his~efforts the Indians drew
closer and closer. The American ran
all around him, shouting and encourag-
ing, but the wild crew behind contin-
ned to draw nearer. They were now
not six lengths behind, and gaining at
every jump. Pats arms and heels were
beating the wind and the mule merci-
slessly. The: American was pleading and
threatening: Hang it ali, man. he
shouted, ride, ride for your life, you
IDIOT" This was too much for Pat.
'"ro - wild you." he answered, "d'ye
tink Dim THROWN de raceT'-Memphis
Commercial ApDeal,
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-24
gables BR ptised in Lots,

In the heart of Florence, which, next
to Venice. Is the most beautiful city in
Italy, stands curious old building called
the Baptistery, and thousands of grown
up men and women today have an affec-
ton for the tall, decorated structure
The Baptistery is the Italian children :
monument, and within it's ancient walls
babies have been baptized for several
centuries past.
Here every day are brought IL score or
more children. who are baptized accord
ing 20 the rites of the Catholic church.
and the ceremony, though common
one, is carried on i'll very magnificent
manner.
Baptism is the first great event in the
life of every Italian baby, whether its
parents arc rich or poor Costly robes
are used for clothing the tiny brown fel.
lows and girlies, and these robes often
cost several hundred dollars. 1t is not
extraordinary thing for Il poor Ita lian
father and mother to spend the savings
of years on the baptismal garments OF
their sons and daughters.
Just how many Florentinc babies, rich
and poor, have been blessed and named
by the priests in this fine old Baptistery
building it is hard to guess. for in the
olden times the records were not very
carefully kept. but certainly enough
youngsters have gone through the cere.
ence, We're they all living today.
n curious fact about this form of hap.
tsm is the way in which the infants are
swaddled, SO that they may be made to
stand up alone at the font. 1t is neces-
sary that they shall not be held by their
parents during the time they are being
blessed and named, and so they are
bound about the feet. legs and body
like an Indian rapoose. They look like
round packages on Il bargain counter
They cannot fall unless they are knocked
over. You see they are not very happy
fixed up in ii wise of costly clothing. and
you can easily believe there's great
squalling going on every day in the
famous Baptistery. Some day, if you &c
to the beautiful city of Florence, it will
pay YOU to take peep into the ancient
Baptistery building. when you can see
for yourself the curious sight of twenty
or more children-mere infants, under
stand-all arranged in a row in front of
the gorgeous altar. crying until they are
red in the face and looking like nothing
else in the world So much as a row of
nipepins. waiting to be bowled over
New York Recorder.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-24
ATTACKED BY A TURTLE.
Forty-Pound Snapper Landed in HI
EOrceS HOyS tn LeAn Oyerhnard

Forty-Pounti Snapper Landed in Roat
Forces Boys to Leap Overheard.
John Wright and Willie Whindle, aged
IL and Is respectively, residing at Lenox
n. j., had an exciting encounter with a
forty pound swapping turtle recently.
AS is the custom with the boys anG
men who reside in the vicinity Of Jack
son's Pond. which is situated between
that city and Lenox, they had set lines
over night to catch catfish or cells.
Early one morning both boys started
for the lake: They unclaimed their
boat. aud. with Johnnie at the oars,
soon reached their lines. Willie reached
down and pulled up the line. while John
r WSs S1HIy M ao ma Hoo Hook after heck
three catfish and two cells when the mid
die OF the line WAS reached.
:. Then Willie attempted to raise the
tine, but without success. John dropped
the. oars and went to his companion :
assistance. Together they jerked and
tMgged. but the line would not bulge.
Then then held consultation and came
come fastened i'll stump OF stone. John
then took one OF the oars and pushed it
down to where he thought the hook was
located. He had sounded but few
feet when it was jerked out of his hand
and he fell backward in the boat. An
instant later an ugly, pointed head arose
above the surface. Willie screamed and
jumped to the stern of the boat, but John
knew what the thing was, and he
grabbed the line. After he had allayed
Willie's fears they both took the line.
and after great difficulty landed in the
boat monster swapping turtle.
But with the turtle in the boat their
troubles had not ended. As soon as the
reptile found that he had solid footing he
made Il rush for John. John went over
board from the stern seat. but when he
came to the surface he grabbed the boat.
Willie in the meantime was screaming
Justify. and when the turtle waddled to-
ward him he. too, jumped into the pond,
leaving the turtle master of the situa
ton.
\ neighboring farmer had been at
tracted to the pond by Willie's cries,
and when he saw them tumble overboar d
he jumped into a boat and rowed out
and rescued them. The boys. with the
farmers assistance, lowed their boat to
shore. An axe was procured, and a few
strokes crushed the head of the turtle.
He weighed forty pounds. but he is not
a record breaker, by any means, as tur-
ties weighing from fifty to seventy
pounds have been caught in the pond
within the last two years, but for vicious
ness he certainly exceeded them all.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-24
FIELD OPERATIONS.
Plan of Work of the Geological Survey
Approved.

The plan of field operations of the
geological survey for the season of 1867
has been completed and approved by the
acting secretary Of the interior Five
geological parties will work throughout
the summer on the New England states
and Eastern New York, five in the APP
palachian regions. two in the coastal
plain from the mouth of the Hudson
to the Gulf of Mexico, five in the interior
or Mississippi region, four in the Rocky
mountain region and eight in the Pacific
region. The usual archaeological work
will be continued Special attention will
be given to certain faunas and tloras in
the coal regions of the Appalachian and
Rocky mountains. Half the $5O. 1000 APP
preparation for the hydrogra phic work
will be devoted to the gauging of streams
and determination of the water supply
of all parts of the United States, under
the direction of Expert Newell. The
topographic work is materially changed
Lines of accurate levels will be run
throughout the surveying areas, so that
monuments may be established at points
averaging not more than six miles apart.
This is Il new feature and necessitates
a change in the methods of party work.
The survey of tho lands of the Greek
and Cherokee nations in the Indian terri
tory will probably be completed by Sep
TENDER and then there will remain only
the area south of the Arkansas river
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-24

arranged, a Dutch man.of-war arrived
at Venice, and after another three
weeks delay, surmounting the last diffi-
culties raised by the church aud rcd tape
Of the Italian government, last Thurs.
day was the day fixed for opening the
tomb and conveying the remains to Ven
ice, to be transported by the man-of-war,
and ultimately deposited in the family
vault at Delft. 1t was most impress
sive ceremony. A representative Of the
Queen of Holland came expressly. Al
mirals, generals, officials galore, special
trains, funeral car, troops lining the
way, minute guns, and flags half-mast
high, and then the tomb was opened, and
contained--nothing.- Truth.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-24
GLACIER OF THE DEAD PLAIN.
1t is Shut Out from the World in It
Solitude

1t is Shut Out from the World in Its
Solitude.
The finest scenery in this part of our
journey, at the west end of the famous
Bernese Oberland, was that of the
glacier of the great Dead Plain. We did
not see it until we were on it's edge and
the white expanse spread before US. It
fills Il kind of elliptical hollow, some two
miles long by Il mile wide Once on it's
smooth, large surface, the external world
is shut out by ring of low mountain
wall.
Not trace of human activity can be
seen in any direction. The largeness,
simplicity and seclusion of this strange
snowfield made it unique We trayersed
it's longest diameter. The snow. FORUM
ately, remained hard throughout the
hour of our passage thanks to a cool
breeze and yelled sun. The surface
was beautifully rippled and perfectly
clean.-Scribner's Magazine.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-24
Profited by Being Born Late.

last wills and testaments often pro.
duce inequitable results through inattcn-
ton TO some requirements of the law
says Il person Of experience. "Down il,
Penobscot county case arose not long
since wherein man who had u consid-
cradle property made his will, giving his
entire estate to his wife if she survived
him. making very small requests to his
children. to show they were remembered
After the making of the will another
child was born. Then the man died and
the result is that while the other chill
dren receive practically nothing from the
estate. the youngest, not being mentioned
in the will. takes under the statute the
same share it would have received had
there been no will, and it amounts to
being born with gold spoon, what is
it!'-Lewist0n Mel Journal. =.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-24
WITHOUT HAIRPINS.
Dep1orable Condition of the Ladies' of IL
Tristan il'Acunha Island

tristan d'A Cunha Island.
The three little islands midway be-
tween Cape of Good Hope and the coast
of South Africa forming the Tristan
d'Acunha group have been under the
British flag since 1916, but no British
government. it is said, has within the
memory of the oldest inhabitant paid any
attention to them. The population of
the islands now consists of forty five
women and fifteen men, all Europeans,
some of the accessions being due to ship.
wrecks and some to assertions from
whaling vessels.
Recently the captain of the hartford
spoke to some Of the islanders. The men
begged piteously for women's clothing,
and particularly for corsets, hairpins and
ribbons. Unfortunately, the hartford
was not possessed of these stores, so the
ladies of Tristan d'Acunha will for the
present have to go corsetless and permit
their hair to float i'll the breeze The
islanders told the captain of the Dart
ford that the latest addition to the island
population was the second mate of a
wrecked vessel. the Allen Shaw, who
was washed upon the rocky shore and
was seized by the women and married
before he was dry.-New York World.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-24
Take Things Easier.

Sometimes when we hear of the death
Of a woman friend who has to all Az
pearances been taken away. before her
time. we think how much longer she
would have lived if she had only taken
things just little easicr The rush and
ton live will age them prcmature1y if It
does not break them down entirely. The
desire to finish Ethel's gown PROMPTS
the tired housewife to sit up Until mid.
night. putting in stitch after stitch whrI,
she should be enjoying the tepose that a
day Of domestic labor merits. She goes
to bed worn out, she awakes unre-
and long before she is 40 she is wreck.
and why. All because she never would
rest when she had chance so to do and
because she let a little dust or fine sew
ing worry her into an untinely grave.
Busy women continually resolve to
take things easier to ''rest Oh their
oars for d season." and drift on the river
of Incidence, if only one hour a day'
We embark on the daily voyage fully in.
tending to do this, but before nightfal]
realize that we have been shipwrecked
Oh the Scylla Of duties. real or imagin.
airy. or engulfed i'll the Charybdis of so.
cial hurry.
Why not really make up our minds
that one hour daily shotild be devoted to
IeciedAlol OF resting III some manner:
Either we will walk All hour, lie down
an hour, read an hour, sew, knit. do
famywork, visit or chat with a ,ongen
ial friend for an honr. In short, We
Will Oycrturn our common methods for
one brief space daily. The result Of !;
months fair trial Of this plan will en-
courage to further effort in the same d.
r"tion. and in faithful observance OF
some such system we shall renew our
youth like the eagles" while p,any OF
the worn and toiisonr places will take
Oh new beauties "and blossom as the
rose. -Philadclphia Times.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-24
Sails Made of Rubber.

A proposition is ut present in the wind
to make the sails of ships of rubber in
ropcd strongly along foot, huff and leach,
the result will b. superior to the canvas
sails. Surely. however. sudden in
crease of wind power would expand the
sail too much and cause some difficulty
in governing the course of the boat
Paper pulp is again suggested as being
an adequate, substitute for, canvas:
When pressed into sheets and stitched
together it would make light and very
effective sail.-London Invention. -