davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12
OLD GLORY LIVES ON.
aow Perpetual Life Is Secured for the
Capitol Building Flags.

| Il is question which no che can an
swer what becomes Of the flags which
| fly session after session over the two
| houses of Congress. The life of flag
exposed at such a height TO the latter
ing winds naturally cannot be long.
Every now and then. after a storm,
great rent is seen in ''Old Glory" as it
prOclaims from the housetOp that our
statesmen are deliberating. Sometimes
the edges only are frayed. Sometimes
stripe is gone. or, perhaps. half the
stars may be torn away. Then in 4
day or two it flies again with all it's
stripes and its stars. as if it had never
suffered by the storm.
/ asked what became of the old flags.
Nobody knew.
What do you do with them?
Nothing.
They are the same flags: that is there
are no new ones The old flags are
simply mended. There is patriotic
poem in this. '.Old Glo3y" has Il per
petual life; that is. the "Old Glory" that
presides over the Capitol When Il
stripe blows away. Il new one is put in
it's place. and the same old flag is pulled
to the head of the staff. If it is the blue
field and stars that is gone, this is repro
duced. If only rent, it is darned: if
hole, it is patched Then another
stripe goes. and new one is added.
So ON, the old portions are blown away,
the newer standing until the new be-
comes the old liz turn and tears away,
and in endless evolution the old flag
lives on. 1t is always the same flag. but
from year TO year its entire texture is
changed, and the small bits are blown
away by the winds, and other small
bits take their place. There is no grave
yard for Old Glory. 1t has perpetual
life. No one can tell when the flag
which floats over the Senate was
bought. 1t is still a perfect flag. but
no part of what was first drawn to the
masthead is now in eXistence.-Wash.
ington Star.
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12
STUCK TO SPARTACUS STORY,
Congressman Hopkins Could Not See
the Joker's Point.

| the JOker'S Point.
Mr.. Hopkins of Illinois is not alto
gether inaccessible to the subtlety of q
| joke, but in the main the tawny haired
statesman is disposed to be serious
and grave Updegraff is a dry joker,
and Lacey of Iowa is always bubbling
over with the spirit of merriment.
Some time age, while Hopkins and
Lacey We're smoking in the house
cloakroom the conversation drifted to
the subject of gladiators, and Hopkins,
in his serious way, began to eXtol the
| martial achievements of one Spartacus,
| not unknown. to most readers, from
juveniles up to gray haired statesmen,
in connection with a poem beginning:
"Ye call me chief. And We do we'll to
| call him chief who for twelve long
years." etc.
You can talk about gladiators in
tones of contempt" said Hopkins, ''but
| Spartacus was a great general"
Updegraff was half asleep, stretched
out on the lounge within ear shot. He
caught Hopkins remark and drawled
out:
You're mistaken about that. Hop
kins. That wasn't Spartacus at ali,
but Cantharides.''
'Oh, no." said Hopkins; sit was
Spartacus."
Il tell you it was Cantharides,'' in
sisted Updegraff, provokingly; Il know
what Pm talking about"
Updegraff and Lacey soon after left
the cloakroom and took their seats.
Updegraff knew Hopkins was right.
But it amused him to be perverse SO
far as Cantharides was concerned, it
was the first word that popped into his
mind. The two had occupied their
seats but a little while when Hopkins
marched down the aisle with Anthon's
classical dictionary. He banged it
down on Updegraff's desk and pointed
to the history of Spartacus for verifica-
ton Of his assertion.
Updegraff looked at it, then at Hop
kins, and in very dry tones said:
That's right That dictionary is re-
sponsible for that cock and bull story.
There it is, sure enough. But l pre-
sumed, while it had misled so many,
you, Hopkins, couldn't be taken in by
that kind of authority
Hopkins looked at him for moment
in blank amaZement at such display
of human perversity, closed the book
in disgust and stalked up the aisle
Washington Post.
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12
1t Is Not Heaven.

The editor of a paper in the wild
West, which is paid Tor in corn when
| the subscribers are obliged to pay,
| gleefully tells of a country editor who
died of starvation and was being escort.
ed to heaven by an angel who had been
| sent out for that purpose. May [ look
at the other place before | ascend to
eternal happiness?' Easily" said the
| angel. SO they went below and SSirm-
ished around. taking in the sights. The
angel lost track of the editor. and went
around hades to hunt him. He found
him sitting by furnace tanning him
self, and gazing with rapture upon the
lot of people in the fire. There was Il
sign ON the furnace which said: DE
linquent Subscribers Come" said
the angel, Eve must be going" ''YOu
go on" said the editor. I'm not COM
ing. This is heaven enough for me-
There may be something in this.
Thoughtful people have often wondered
how they could be able to enjoy heaven
when conscious that so many whom
they dearly love, in spite of their
wickedness, would be suffering eternal
punishment in another place, where
the tears of the good could not put out
the fires that were scorching the wick
ed, and many affectionate people have
wished they could dare doubt Ele
theory of endless damnatiOn-and re-
main respected in a hard-shelled COM
munity-Simply on account of their
friends. On the other hand, it is feared
many more selfish people who are
good, not for goodness sake, are an
ticipating that their greatest delights
in heaven will be found when they can
look over the pearl and golden battle
ments into that torrid and eternal place
and see their enemies writhing and
roasting, and be able to tell them: Il
told YOU sor'-New Orleans Picayune:
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12

The failure Of the oil steamer Wild
flower, which sailed from Philadelphia
for Rouen, on Dec. IL. to reach her des-
tination or to turn up at any known
port, lends probability to the report
that she has been destroyed with all on
board by an explosion of the oil which
constituted her cargo. The sudden
glare in the sky, followed by the dull
roar Of heavy explosion. reported by
the captain of the Loeb Etive on the
night of Jan. 6. off the coast of Ireland
describes the familiar phenomenon at
tending oil tank explosions, and to
those familiar with fires in the oil re-
giOns will be accepted as evidence of
the fate of the missing steamer. Fires
and even explosions at sea were not
unknown to the oil trade when all py-
port oil was shipped in barrels or cases.
Petroleum is an infiammable sub
stance, whether confined in a gallon
case, a fifty-gallon barrel, 30,0Oo-bar-
rel iron tank or a million-gallon bulk
steamer. 1t generates an explosive gas
more easily ignited than gunpowder.
In vessel loaded with petroleum in
cases or barrels a fire would cause a
series of continuous explosions until
ship and cargo were entirely consum-
ed. A fire on board a tank steamer
would be followed by one tremendous
explosion which would destroy ship
and crew simultaneously. The fire and
explosion might be caused by bolt
OF lightning, which is the most prolific
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12
LITTLE MAiD.O'-DREAMS.

Little Maid d-O'-Dreams, with your
Eerie eyes so clear and pure
Gazing, where we fain would see e
Into far futurity-
Tell us what you there behold,
In your visions manifold!
What is OH beyond our sight,
Bidding till the morrow's light,
Fairer than we see to-day,
As our dulI eyes only may?
Little Maid -O'-Dreams, with face
Like as in some woodland place
Lifts Il lily, chaste and white,
From the shadow ta the light
Tell us, by your subtler glance.
What strange sorcery enchants
You as now. here, yet afar
AS the realms of moon and STAR
Have you magic lamp and ring,
And genii for vassaling?
Little Maid-O Dreams. confess
You're divine and nothing less
For with mortal palms. we fear,
Yet must pet you, dreaming here
Yearning. too, TO lift the tips
Of you" fingers TO our lips;
Fearful still you may rebel,
High and Reav My oracle!
Thus, though all unmeet our kiss,
Pardon this.--and this!-and this!
Little Maid O-Dreams. we~call
Truce and favor, knowing ALL
All your magic is. in TRUTH
Pure foresight and faith of youth
You're child, yet even SO,
You're sage in embryo
President poet-artist-great
AS your dreams anticipate
Trusting God and man, you do
Just US Heaven inspires you to.
Ladies' Home Journal.
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12
Uncle Sam" Brother Jonathan >.

uncle sam, brother Jonathan"
Brother Jonathan is the older charac-
ter. During the revolution Jonathan
Trumbull was governor of Connecticut
and close friend and adviser of Wash
ingtOn. The latter would often refer
matters to Brother Jonathan" for his
advice, so in time the expression. 'I'U
ask Brother Jonathan about it, be.
came saying in the army and from
the army extended over the country.
During the war of 1912 Elbert Ander.
son, an army contractor. bought
large quantity of provisions in Troy.
One of the inspectors there was Samuel
Wilson, known generally as Uncle Sam.
AS he passed on each barrel he marked
it ''E. Al. S." for Elbert Anderson
United States" Some one asked what
the letters meant. A bystander sug-
gested that they stood for Gilbert An.
derson-Uncle Sam" The joke took
among the workmen, many of whom en-.
tered the army and carried it with
them. In time, like Brother iona
than" it spread over the country.
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12

An Oakland, Cal, paper has far out
stripped such defilers of the language
as the inventors of 'Sundayed," sui
cided," 'enthused," and the numerous
perverters who fatuously think that
lurid means red. 1t has brought back
the atrocity, ''debuted."
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12

Paderewski has magnificent touch;
there can be no doubt of that. Thir
teen thousand five hundred dollars for
two matinee recitals, There's moth
ing the matter with that sort Of box
office technique
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12

Uncle John-I am afraid, Henry. that
you will never make much progress in
the world, with your Indifferent, easy
going ways. The secret of success.
Henry, is hard work Henry-Yes. /
suppose so, Uncle John; but, you know,
1 never did care much about other ueo
pies secrets.-Boston Transcript.
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12

Gotrox-I think young Cheeky is a
foreign nobleman in disguise. Wig
wag-What makes you think so? Got
roX-Well, he has succeeded in borrow
ing thousand dollars from me, and
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12

A dispatch from st. Joseph, Mo-, says:
"The policemen are patrolling the Gem
eteries." That's all right; some Of
watched for awhile after they are
dnal
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12

Lieut.. Peary says he found the lee
landers Il cordial and familiar peo-
pie" Our school geographers had
taught us to believe they were cold
and distant
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12

Gotham's latest census shows that
there are LIZA women in New York city
who don't know how old they are. Prob
ably there are not so many who viii
faU
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12

A Bangor, Me-, woman went into n
drug store in that town and asked fol
a bottle of that Monroe docterin'." )"
Even the children cry for it.
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12

Officer-What did you want, sir?
Citizen-Somebody has stolen my
watch, and | want you to hunt the ras-
cal up and give him the key to it, 1t
raises the mischief with watch to let
it run down, you know.-Boston Tran
Scrit
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12
Cherry County Independent.
VALENTINE, NEBRASKA

A Buffalo woman snapped ioadea
revolver at her husband for = Joke"
He never saw il at all.
Cherry County independent. (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 18??-1896, 1896-03-12

ing met their eyes but a couple Of
mourning costumes, neatly folded on a
chair and the diaphanous dancing
dress lying in heap on the floor. For
the rest-nothing- nobody.
The astonishment was so great that
grasped the situation.
Scott in himmel! My bill! They
are swindlers!' gasped the hotel-keep-
er, finding his wits first.
"Swindlersw calculated Mrs. Wild
over. "Ah, my diamOnds.'
Everyone gazed at her speechless; i'll
a moment the whole thing was as clear
as MONDAY, and, in the confusion of
the fair, their mourning garb doffed,
they had escaped, and won q good
twelve hours start.
Mrs. Wildover startled everyone by
a peal of hearty laughter.
''She's madr' screamed one in horror.
''The loss of her diamonds has turned
her head
"The diamonds" she gasped, after a
second. That's just it! left them at
my bankers in London. Those the girl
had were paste"
No one ever quite knew what the
exact figure of the receipts of the fancy
fair amounted to. Mrs. Seymour might
have told, but she omitted to leave her
account book and cash box behind.
And one thing is tolerably certain
that never again will Mrs. Wildover in
terest herself in widows or orphans at
continental hotel-London World.
The San Francisco call., 1896-02-16
SAFETY CHECK SYSTEM,
An Efficient Device for Pre-
venting Fraudulent Al.
terationS.
The Contrivance Is Very Favorably
Commented Upon by Leading
Bankers.

A device for frustrating the tricks of
checkraisers is commencing to receive
some attention from a number Of the lead
ing banks and commercial houses in town.
The proposed safeguard has many features
in common with the well-known Camp
bell safety checkbook system, and is a
modification of the coupon system now in
use in the money order department of the
National postal service. M. Leventritt of
Sutter street is endeavoring to introduce
the system into the financial world, end
appears very confident that it will take, as
he considers it almost if not quite f1awless.
The safeguard advocated by Mr.. Leven-
tritt is triple. In the first place, the cou-
pons prevent the raising of checks to any
very great amount. Then drafts, checks
and letters of credit calling for sums OF
$4,000 or less will be printed on pink
paper, those for sums ranging from $40 600
to $4,000 on white, and those for amounts
over $40, 900 and under $780, 900 on blue
By the same ratio in value the length of
the main body of the check varies, the
pink checks being ~ inches long, the
white 8 inches and the blue 81 inches.
The coupon system appears to leave
small chance for great frauds. To the left
of each check is attached a number of
vertical columns bearing the inscription,
Not over $500. mot over $1000," and so
on. The space occupied by each column
is exactly quarter of an inch IN width, so
that the length of check alone will be to
some extent an indication of its value
Mr.. Leventritt has applied for patent, as
some features in the system are of his own
invention.
number of leading bankers and fnan-
cial authorities enthusiastically praise
the new system, and some firms have
already sgnitied in writing their intention
to adopt it in their business. Several bank
The San Francisco call., 1896-02-16

has forgotten and nobody in the neighbor-
hood seem to have the least knowledge on
the subject. 1t is located on the banks of
the Oakland estuary, or rather about 200
feet from the shore at high tide. It seems
as If there must have been pier there at
one time, for the stumps of row OF
broken piles reach from the house land
W ard and show plainly at low tide.
Peter does not speak very good English
and it is impossible from his dialect to tell
what country he came from. He is most
likely a Russian. From all that can be
learned he simply pre-empted the four
doned and constructed his house on the
top from lumber he found floating in the
estuary.
The house is not a piece of work q car
penter would be proud of. It is made OF
all sorts OF lumber and looks as II a good
breeze would blow it away. at high tide
it is six feet above the water. and at low
tide about ten feet. Entrance to 1t must
be MADE by climbing from boat up
half-rotten fope-Iadder. The piles have
been eaten away by the teredo and the
structure shakes in dangerous fashion.
Peter has braced the piles together on the
four sides, and this is undoubtedly all
that holds the structure together.
The interior is not inviting, because it is
not large enough for man to stand erect
in. In the center is cracked stove and a
few cooking utensils. The bed is nothing
more than pile of dirty rags.
Nothing in the place is worth carrying
away, even if it was not so hard to get at,
and yet Peter, at the risk of falling into
the water, locks his door with two large
padlocks every time he goes after clans.
Thatis all the work he is known to do.
At low tide he fills few buckets with tn 9
bivalves and takes them to town for SALE
| u, L..
seems to be sufficient for him, for he ap-
pears to be contented and happy. He says
that he sleeps well in hIs house and has
no fear of thieves
The San Francisco call., 1896-02-16
ODDITIES IN NAMES,

The following oddities and anomalies
occur to US after careful and attentive
perusal, or rather reperusal, of the busi-
ness or Commercial" department of the
scarlet-bound Directory of London. We
find Legge and Boot, but no Shoe; q
Sermon. Creed and Paternoster but no
Ave Maria we find an Ivory, but no Ele.
phant; Jasper, but no Jet; Steel, but no
Iron; a Snoveller, but no Shovel; Mailer
and Naylor. but no Nail; spooner, but
no Spoon; aJudge and Jury, but no Pris-
oner; Lions and Lyons, but no Tiger; a
Last, but no First; q Magnus, but no
Great; Law. but no Equity; Weaie, but 10
Joy and (one) Tear. but no Sorrow; Pain,
however. is frequent and in various forms.
We find a Prong, but 10 Fork; both Ham
mer and Tongs, but no Poker; Trainer,
but no Train; an Augur, but no Prophet;
Fortune but no Fate; Leary, but not
Hungry; Hunger, but no Thirst; Glover
but no Glove; several Christians, but no
Jew; several Husbands, but no Wife
Though one Whiffen and also one SpouseJ
a Love and also Lover, a Lovelock. a
Lovebond and a Loveridge, but neither
Hate, Hatred nor Halter. So, also, we find
The San Francisco call., 1896-02-16

scription, isis pa inted to- present an at
tractive app earance. It is shown in a sit
ting posture, with its head turned to one
side and its eyes staring straight ahead"
These eyes are thickly coated with phos-
phorescent paint, which shines like fame
in dark room. All you have to do is to
place the cat on the floor near mouse
hole and then wait for results. The scheme
has been a tremendous success. The only
drawback to it is that it does not eat the
mice. These statuette5 will be made of
clay, of plaster of paris, of terra-cotta and,
for the very rich, Of pure Carrara marble.
are infested with rats introduced one of
these phosphorescent cats into his place
the other day. The effect was truly amaz-
ing.
"There is one big hole in the corner of
our salesroom," he sald to a reporter, "out
of which all the rats seemed to come. We
placed the cat immediately in front of this
opening, and Immediately the nuisance
| ceased. Throughout the night the cats
eyes cleaned like fire.
"Y esterday, when I went to the store,
| what do you think found? A strong
| odor from that particular corner of the
room led to an investigation by our porter.
He reported that he had found a dead rat
| in the hole. The animal had died of star
vation. What terrible death that must
have beeni The animal had probably
poked his head out of the hole and had
found the eyes of the cat cleaning bale
fully upon him. Two or three such ex-
periences no doubt discouraged him, and
while be lay in hiding waiting for the cat
to go away be must have starved to death.
/ am going TO buy three more of these
cats.
Aside from being good to frighten rats,
these cats make an amusing mantel orna-
ment 1t is rather startling, though, to
enter dark room and find yourself con-
fronted with two balls of fire that seem to
CLEAN out of the wall.
The San Francisco call., 1896-02-16
wasn't set free until the surrender OF

wasn't set free until the surrender of
Vicksburg.
"My discharge papers and all my docu-
ments were in trunk that was stolen from
me in Missouri. I've made eight applica-
tons for a pension. tried to get copies
OF the original papers at Washington, but
there the records are supposed to show
that Pm dead. My wife, Sarah, died out
IN Missouri, and then / came East. But
nobody wants to see me here. can't get
any help from the Government or those
who used to know me. | have son, and
he's floating about somewhere. Children
don't care for their fathers any more"
When Wallace first squatted on his little
plat beside the Harlem the stretch Of
country about him was open and deserted.
Now the newly erected buildings, sheds
and piles of lumber are gradually crowd
ing him into the river. It appears that he
WILL, soon have no means of gaining access
to the street from his shanty. Before the
new drawbridge was planned the shore OF
the river also was open. Logs, boards and
drlftwood hoated ashore daily beside. the
shanty, and these the old man gathered
and chopped and sawed into kindling,
which he sold.
Now lighthouses have closed the water
front, and Wallace is compelled to forage
about the shore for his supply. His sha anty
consisted first of single apartment, the
second one being an addition of later
years.
The poor veteran is in sore need. Hi.
clothing is ragged and insufficient to pro-
tect him from the cold. Every morning
he goes over. to lodging house opposite
the terminal station of the Third ave.
nue. cable road. Kind-hearted persons
there give him his bread and bowl .o1
coffee,
Il run my chances with the meat" he
added pathetically York Herald.
The San Francisco call., 1896-02-16
RECORDS SAY HE rs DEAD.
So q War Veteran Can Get No Aid From
the Government.

So War Veteran Can Get No Aid From
the Government.
On tho shore of the Harlem River at
One Hundred and Thirty-first street and
Lexington avenue, in little two-room
shanty, lives John Wallace. a one-armed
veteran of the war. He is very much alive,
but through some error record of his
death has crept into the Pension Bureau
at Washington; and although ne has long
ep6eavored to secure pension he can OBJ
tain no aid from the country for which he
fought.
This is thu fourth winter the old man
has passed in his little hut. He complains
bitterly that all of his friends of happier
days have deserted him. Even his only
son has wandered away. Only one friend
and privations. That was "Joe," his black
hound, but the dog died year ago.
I'm 68 years DID," said old John to me
yesterday. "My father came over from
Scotland and was born in Norwich, Conn.
Then we went to Brooklyn, where joined
the Volunteer Fire Department. Go ask
what's left of 'em. They all remember me.
I was member of Company Franklin, No.
8, of which Peter Hyde was captain. When
l got married my wife Sarah's cousin came
| to see us from Missouri. He said if we'd
come out with him he'd guarantee me $50
| a month and all the garden truck we could
raise.
ave went, and when the war broke out
| raised regiment of my own in Mis-
| souri,. At Camp Washington Ind, lost
my arm. was lying asleep in my bunk
when the shot came, and l never knew
who fired it. was taken prisoner, and
The San Francisco call., 1896-02-16

queer country is one called a wombat,
without dolbt the funniest, furriest, fat
test little mammal in the whole world. It
Is great deal like very young baby bear,
but. is much more amiable. 1t is very
easily tanned; in fact, it might almost be
said never TO be wild, and when tanned
seems to make it the whole object of its
existence TO be cuddled and petted, to
sleep in peoples laps and be carried about
by children. II it is put down it rears up
on its little hind legs, puts its fore paws on
your knees and dumbly beseeches 10 be
taken up, thrusting its Jet black muzzIe