davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25

ing knickerbockers and orthodox stock
ings, the ladies sailor hats and tailor-made
dresses. At Burgundian chateau the
other day l saw curious evidence of this
fat ering imitativeness. On the luncheon
table, placed at intervals, stood two little
silv-r toast racks containing dry Toast.
The house party, including myself the
only foreigner, numbered fourteen per-
sons. All but two or three had visited
England, and all possessed some knowl-
edge of our language, as well as consider
able familiarity with our literature. One
young lady who spoke very good English
indeed was an enthusiastic admirer of
Keats and Shelley. Another fellow guest,
a retired naval officer, was particularly
fond OF Captain Marrvatt's sea stories.
This gallant old sailor could also express
himself fairly we'll in the tongue OF perfde
Albion. / mention such facts because,
trihing as they may seem in themselves,
they prove how much more natural liking
and sympathy exist between the French
and English nations than any other two
OF Europe. Our politics, of course, is a
very different matter. On this subject
only touch so far as 10 show how Anglo
philia and Angiophobia coun teract each
other, the latter, let US hope, to be finally
overcome.
But it is by no means in manners, Gus
toms, art and literature that English in
France and England remain sworn foes
we were dattered by the same initiative
ness. Historians record how the
Sun King, as the arch tyrant,
Louis XIV, was called, thereby received
one of the most mortifying rebuffs
of his life. Again and again be had pro-
tested against the dishguring hairdressin g
of court ladies then in vogue, stage upon
stage of scaffolding on which the hair or
wig was elaborately arranged. In vain.
The autocrat who made up his mind that
not only his subjects consciences
and lives but even their houses,
lands ana fortune belonged tc him
found himself checkm ated by female
vanity. Not even Nine. de Ma1ntenon
would alter her hair to please the defied
King. One day, however, there came to
Versailles an English lady of high rank
with her locks dressed closely around the
brow. Next morning one and all of the
pagoda-like coiffes fell as by magic. Every
woman in the place had copied the insuIar
mode of hairdressing. The King was fu-
Gazette.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
THE MYERS BALLOT MACHINE.
It Was Used in Rochester at the Late
Election.

It Was Used in Rochester at the Late
Election.
The names of candidates are arranged in
columns after the fashion of the blanket
ballot. with this distinctions: On the
official ballot the square in which the
cross must be marked comes before the
name of each candidate; on the Myers
machine the button that must be pressed
follows the name of each candidate.
There is scarcely any danger of confusion
here, as the party knob is in every case Of
the same color as the party column.
The voting of straight ticket with the
Myers machine is simplicity itself. The
various party columns are distinguished
by colors. The. Democratic color is yell
low, the Republican red, the Prohibition
ist blue, and SO on. At the top OF the
Democratic column is a button, which,
upon being pressed in firmly until it re-
mains fast, votes the straight ticket.
Having done this, the voter walks out of
the exit door (another door having been
used for entrance), closes it behind him,
and his straight vote is recorded.
Voting "split'' tickets is trifie more
difficult, but this, too, will be found simple
enough IL the voter keeps his wits about
him. Suppose Democrat ishes to vote
for a Prohibition candidate for the As
sembly.
In that event the first thing he does is
to press in the knob following the name
of this candidate. That action locks all
the buttons of the other candidates for
this Office, so that it would be impossib BILE
to vote for two candidates for the same
place. Having done this--and he can re-
peat the operation with other candidates
for whom he might wish to s'split"-the
voter must now go back to the Demo-
cratic column and press all the buttons
following the names of the remaining
Democratic candidates. Remember that
vote outside the party column bars the
use of the button at the head of that col
umn. Remember, too, that where you
vote for selected candidates outside your
party you must invariably press their but
tons first and then press in the remaining
buttons on your own columng.-Rochester
Harald
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
JOHANNESBURG IS BOOMING.

EIOhey Comes So Easy There That
Prices Are Out of Sight.
Money comes so easy in Johannesburg
that prices are inordinately high and one
has to pay almost double for every arti-
Gle of merchandise as compared with
prices in England or America" said Mr..
Arthur Hodgson, young Englishman
soiourning at the Ebbitt, who recently
spent some time at the famous South
African mining camp. 1.-THE shopkeepers
are reaplng a rich harvest. For they
hardly make less than 100 per cent profit
on everything they sell, and on many
things twice that much. A great many
people who object to being thus bled by
the tradesmen send home Tor their sup
plies, and find it more economical to do
go, even after paying transportati on and
duties.
siBut as the majority of the citizens
make big WAGES they do not grumble
over the extortion. In fact, every thing
is on a boom basis. Land is held at
and house rents are frightful. While
l was over there corner business lot,
about 50x50 feet, improved by very or
dinary frame structure, was sold for $780,
coo, and the purchaser expected return
of over 10 per cent on his investment.
Everybody admits that present values are
abnormal, and that prices must ere long
reach lower level.
Mean while, new houses are going up
like magic, and the supply doesn't half
meet the demand. Skilled woIkmen are
scarce and get very high wages. The town
has a popu alton OF $4,000 now, and the in.
dications are that it will have twice t at
number in the next five years. Wash
inptOn Post
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
What Christmas Means to Some People.

Now, that is all very true, for even the
smartest man in the world could never set
a stream of water on fire, and so perhaps,
many of you who have heard this express
aion have wondered what is meant by set
ting the river on fire.
In England many, many years ago, be-
fore the millers had machinery for sitting
-four, each family was obliged to sift its own
flour. For doing his it was necessary to
use a sieve, called tense, which was so
fixed that it could be turned round and
round and round in the top of barrel. If
it was turned too fast the friction would
sometimes cause it TO catch fire, and as
i. was only the smart, hardworking boys
who could make it go so fast as that, peo-
ple got into the way of pointing out a lazy
boy by saying that he would never set the
tense on fire.
After a while these sieves went out of
use. but as there were still plenty of stupid
boys in the world people kept on saying
that they would never set the tense on
fire. Now, the name of the River Thames
is pronounced exactly like the word
"temse." and so, after many years, those
persons who had never seen or heard of
the old fashioned sieve thought that .'set-
ting the tense on fire" meant setting the
River Thames on fire. This expression
became very popular and travelled far and
wide, until the people living near other
streams did not see why it was any harder
for slothful boy to set the Thames on fire
than any other river. and so the name of
the river was dropped and every body after
that ply said 1.-The river" meaning the
river of his particular city or town, and
that is how it is that people to-day talk of
setting the river on fire.-SL Nicholas.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
sHAWLs OF SHETLAND.
A High Degree of Art Employed in
Weaving Them.s

A High Degree OF Art Employed IN
Weaving Them.
Putting aside other branches OF Shet-
land hosiery, the Shetland shawl may be
roughIy divided into two classes
s.shawls" and s'clouds." 1t is unnecessary
to explain the nature of the shawl, but
there may be few persons who know not
that a ''cloud" in northern language is
but the small, elongated form of shawl,
and is a wrap in great request for evening
wear bv the ladies of London and the
world. OF these shawls and clouds there
are, technically speaking, three distinct
kinds:
First. the most elaborate and expensive
is that which is known as Grape WORK,
in which the knitting is so delicate as 10
rese M BILE in appearance the most nneiy
interviewer aauZe wire. Next IN quallty
and value to this is the ''lace work. the
name of which explains Its nature. Inc
third sort is that of the far coarser shaWls
and cIouds known as chap" The last are
much heavier in weight and rougner In
texture. Yet in some of them the dii!er-
ent shades of color form most beautlinl
effect.
! Such is the art employed in their weaV-
Ing that the graduations OF tone merge
themselves almost imperce eptibly one In
the other. And this is more remarkable
from the fact that the Shetiander is NOT
fond of "dyes" and only uses them to rem
der saIable piece of hosiery that has, so
to speak gone wrong.
The coIors are the natural ones OF the
sheep-the blacks, browns, .grays and all
whites OF their WOOL Only in Fair Isle,
midway between Shetland ana Orkney Is
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
THE HOURS OF THE DAY.
In Italy the Time win BE Calculated
From 1 to Cd,

In Italy the Time win Be Calculated
From L to "a.
The Italian Government Is giving the
weight of its power and influence to aid in
the accom- pIishment of the reform which
will eventually bring about consistent no.
.tation of the hours OF the day by making
the numbers run from 1 to "a. All Gov
eminent time-pieces, schedules and an
nouncements will hereafter run upon that
system. and there will be no more trouble
about duplication of figures and the con-
sequent necessity for distinguishing terms
to show which portion of the day is meant.
There can be little doubt that in time the
new notation will be accepted and used
by the people in their private business,
for it is the only sensible system. The
new system will only affect the hours of
the day from noon to midnight, and the
success attending the Italian system
shows that it can be readily and easily ap-
piled.
The schools open at 9 o'clock, as before,
but they close at 16 o'clock, instead of
P. NJ. The Government theaters announce
that their curtains rise at 81 o'clock, and
the railroad timetables are at last intel
ligible to all who can read figures. That
the reform is making its way with the
people is evidenced by the fact that the
theaters not under Governme control
have generally accepted the system by
announcing their entertainments as BE
ginning at 21 o'clock (9P. NJ" 1t is easy
to carry the new system into private bust.
ness. and it must eventually be done to
avoid confusion of terms. The school
children alone will be power in this
respect, for the new notation of the hours
of the day will become natural to them.
Perhaps the present generation will not
come to the full use of the new system to
the exclusion of the other, but as it
passes away the one which takes its
place will have no stubborn conservatism
to unlearn.
We have succeeded easily in this
country in accomplishing kindred re-
formation in the adoption of standard
time over the old system which gave cor
rect solar time everywhere. but kept the
railroad traveller always in trouble. That
reform had to combat strong local preju-
dices, but it has succeeded simply because
it showed its advantages over the old
me, hou. If the Italian method of time
notation should be adopted in this coun-
try as the public system the people would
naturally accept and use 1t. 1t will come,
for the American people only need to
comprehend the advantages offered by an
innovation to graft it upon their own sys-
tem.-Milwaukee Journal.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
A DECIMAL DAY.
The French Plan to Divide the Day
Into One Hundred Parts.

The French Plan to Divide the Day
Into One Hundred Parts.
In nothing perhaps is the difference be-
tween the Latin and Anglo-Saxon races
more pronounced than in their methods
of com putation. The former chose, as if
by instinct, the easiest route to reach re-
suits and the decimal arrangement of
weights, measures and values first insti-
tuted by the French has been adopted by
them ALL as we'll as by their Teutonic
neighbors. The Anglo-Saxons, however,
seem to care nothing for ease or simplitity
in this matter, and their tables of weights
and measures are mass of incongruities.
The originals have been largely deter
mined by accident, as the length Of a GER
tain kings foot or of another's forearm.
Not only have they adopted cum bersome
and illogical system of computing weights
and measures, but they resolutely decline
to accept the sim pie and convenient sys-
tenn offered by the Latins, although to do
so would not only be saving of time and
labor. but would facilitate commercial and
other intercourse among the nations.
But while the Latin decimal system of
notation is much The best, 1t may be car
ried too far, and this ems to be the case
with the latest French idea to revise the
division of time and make the day consist
OF lUU parts ms eau OF tWenLy-1Our. VI
course, after the French style, the division
is to be carried down TO the most minute
portions OF time, provisions being. made
for ices" or hundrea tbs of day, "centi-
ces' and .'millices," but it will probab bly,
be found impracticable to carry it higher
and impossible to extend it to the whole
year. 1t is easy enough in theory, and, if
the present computation were not so firmly
established, would probably be found
profitable in practice to divide the dav by
decimals; but France has trisa to abolish
the week and divide the month decimally
without success, while it Is manifestly ont
of the question to divide the year not
either more or less than 365 days.
The number is fixed by the laws of ma
tnre, since just SO many periods of light
and darkness occur in the annual journey
of the earth around the sun and t,ere is
no other way to estimate day than by
grouping together one period of light and
one of darkness.
Reasoning backward from this it will be
seen that no better arrangements of
months can be made than the one we have
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
STREET FAK1Rs.
Big Profits for the Stars of the Curb
Merchants.

Big Profits for the Stars of the Curb
Merchants.
Street fakirs are divided into two clases;
those who work for themselves and those
who peddle for others, says the New
York Recorder. The former are, of course,
the aristocrats of the profession. These
men buy their stock at a low price for spot
cash from the wholesale dealer in street
goods, and are thus enabled to clear a
handsome profit on their sales.
The workers for others are those who,
through spendthrift habits or lack of capi-
tai, are compelled to sell on commission
for some wholesale or patron. In spite of
their reduced profits, these men are still
able, if at all fitted for the business to
make very fair profits.
Whether or not familiarity with the try
ing ordeal of facing the audiences proves
good training for the business of peddling,
the fact remains that great many OF the
the theatrical profession. They usually
possess some smattering knowledge and
are apt in illustrative language. When
these men hadle q musical instrument or
trick top they at once acquire thorough
knowledge of its use and illustrate it in a
manner that causes the purchaser to envy
them when he takes home his purchase
and tries it for himself.
Sometimes the fakirs sell things really
cheap. For instance, such standard books
as Paradise Lost or "Pilgrim's Progress"
are procurable from them for ten or fifteen
cents, and reporter recently obtained a
very fair copy of Tennyson's poetical
works, good type and heavy paper covers
for cents.
On the barrows of these literary Cheap
Johns paper-covered novels bearing such
well-known titles as "Micah Clarke"
1.-The Sign of the Four" "Dodo, "The
Manxman," etc., are selling for and 10
cents. These books are pirated editions of
the originals, the typography is imperfect
and their paper stock OF the cheapest
quality. Unless one takes the trouble to
glance over his purchase he may find half
the pages duplicates or some foreign leaves
introduced instead of the right ones.
Many of these fakirs have regular routes
and some travel all over the country visit
ing the county fairs and other local as
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25

this rule departed from. There, it is said,
some vessels of the Spanish Armada we're
stranded during the fleets unwilling prog
ress round the north of Scotland, and
nearly 200 men sought the hospitality of
the islanders. A portion OF these the lat
ter, surreptitiously or otherwise. threw
over the cliff. The rest they kept and
were taught by them to extract from herbs
certain dyes, such as color-loving South
rons reveled in, and to apply them to their
hosiery. The result is that to-day the Fair
Isle shawls and stockings contain checks
and lines so gaudy as positively 10 sully
the general som berness OF the great island
industry. Nal Gazette.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
A Man of His word.

Customer bought a carpet from you a
couple of months ago.
Deal r-Yes, sir. l presume you've
come to buy another?
Customer-No, have not, although I'm
sorry to say need a new one. | came to
tell you that you are skin and cheated
me outrageously.
Deaier-Why, sir, what's the matter?
Observation-Disclosures enough. After using
that carpet two months the color not only
came out but it is getting full of holes.
Dealer-Well, didn't guarantee it when
you bought it.
Customer-Yes, you did. When 1 asked
you if it was durable you said you had
used one like it for two years, and it looked
just as good as ever.
Dealer-If said that, it must have been
so. What kind of carpet was il? Look
around the store and tell me if you see
anything like it.
Customer-Yes, there it is. That made
up carpet hanging on the wall.
Dealer-So that's it, eh? Well, sir, I've
two years. There's nothing the matter
with that, is there?
Uustomer-No. But where have you
been using it?
Dealer-Why, up there on the wall.
Where have you been using yours?
Customer-On the floor, of course.
Dealer-Pshawl Why didn't you tell
me so at once. You're the most unrea-
sonable man I've met in a long time. No
one but fool would expect carpet to
last as long on a floor as hung on q wall.
I knew hadn't told you I'd been using
those carpets under foot for two years.
We never deceive customers that way in
this store. Good day, sir.-New York
World
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25

now, since the 365 days are divided among
them as nearly evenly as possible, and, on
the sameaccount, the number of days in
month could not be changed for the
better.
The Geographical Bureau OF the French
army is experimenting with the new sys-
tenn, and it may be adopted in France, but
it is certain that Understanding coun-
tries will have none of it. The failure to
establish even that very sensible reform.
the twenty our hour day, is sufficient as
surance of that.-Philadelp Ledger.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
ANGL0MANIA IN FRANCE.
English Customs and Sports Are Popu.
lar in the Republic.

If French newspapers from time to time
break out in violent diatribes against
England, never were English manners
and customs so popular with our neigh
bors as now. have just been making q
round of visits in chateaus and country
houses, all more or less remote from the
capital. Everywhere I heard English
speech, found abundance of native Htera-
ture and was remirdcd of insular habits.
Afternoon tea is served as regularly as
at home. Wallets or housemaids, as the
case may be, demand at what hour mon
sieur or madame would like their stub ,,
and if hot or cold. Out of doors lawn ten
mis- is the order Of the day, the men wear
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25

A quarrel between two ladies in a Hun
garian town ended in a duel. One OF the
ladies sent her pistol bali into boy who
was perched on tree, and the other lady
lodged her bullet in the side of a calf.
This bIood-letting satisfied the duelists,
and they strolled homeward the best ol
friends.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
NERVOUS DEBILITY e,.s, Caused :

NERVOUS DEBILITY o"t amasana
body 1t the of
manity bghts all the pleasures
youth. spirits
of ills evils down the constitution
wrecks the mental and physical man. Thousands
of and mddeaged through this of hui
found homes filled suicides
unfs the sufferer study business social
feelings dizziness
dependency of impending bashfuIness pim-
pies. of and wandering mind Among the
disappointment dissatisfaction
trouble has broken homes caused more deser
than all evils combined
sufferer from this of all diseases should
consult DOCTOR sWEANY He positively and perma-
wasted health
your manhood.
WEAK BACK an a o asansea an un
your ache? Do sdes suffo-
eating feelings, papaton stomach
landa of you
sediment brick-dust urine?
frequently? Have
partial mpotency? these
diseased kidneys To these troubles
diabetes Brights disease
grave. DOCTOR sWEANY Invariably these diseases
vARlCOCELE treated with @ unfang ill asa success
RuDraBpE method. sure cure painless treatments
ssOs OaaAs knife, truss no detention
experiment positive, certain and permanent cure.
PRIVATE DISEASES s,phs @na tns sesss
of the age, positively and forever cured.
IN RnIEc Will receive careful and special treatment for all
AfaDshO their many ailments
MDlTE If from the city Book. "Guide to Health"
M treatise and their diseases, free
application.
Call address
IF. L. SWEANY, ], MD,
za7 N1ARKET 9TRMET,
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
SETTING THE RIVER ON FIRE.

Origin of This Popular and Expressive
Phrase
Sometimes when a. person wants to
make an unpleasant remark in pleasant
sort of way about dull boy he will say,
"That boy will never set the river on FIRE. I"
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25

Tarolaro. an island one and hall
miles in diameter. in the Mediterranean.
is the smallest republic in the world. 1t
has fifty-five inhabitants; the President
is elected for six years; no public official
receives any pay, and women and men are
voters.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25

sem blages, but they get back TO New York
sooner or later.
Others, again, never go out of the city,
and several have certain stands or beats
that they occupy day in and day out
throughout the year.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
NEW TO-DAY.

Old Grist Mill Wheat Coffee is
the original and only PURE
HEALTH COFFEE. Ask your
grocer for this brand and insist
on getting it. lie has it or can
get tits sold a little closer
than imitations-that'S all.
POTTER wRlGHTINdToN.
Boston. Hass.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25

An ostrich will never go straight to its
nest, but always approaches it with many
windings and detours in order, if possible,
to conceal the locality from observation.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25

The Assyrians became a nation at the
founding of Nineveh, 2245 B. G.