davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06
How the Boom was Bursted.

Some years ago, when the boom
was raging in Southern California, a
great seaport city was about to be
built. 1t was called Ballona." -
Beautiful acknowledgements of a
magnificent harbor, with great ships
riding at their anchors, while long
trains of cars were loaded at the
vast docks, were scattered through
Southern California. 1t was whis-
pered that the Santa Fe road was be-
hind it. People began to think they
had better get in on Ballona. -
A party of gentlemen went down
from Los Angeles to look at it.
Some of them were financially in
terested in Ballona, and some of
them were not-yet. Among the
latter was foreigner,a "a genial French
baron.
The party dined copiously at an
adjacent hostlery, and then went to
look at /" the harbor." Most of the
party were a trifle surprised when
they saw the narrow slough which
was called the " harbor." However,
three of them got into a boat to
cross the harbor." The baron was
one. OF the other two, one was
hardened joker, and the third an off,
Ger high in the Uuited States army.
On the way over, the joker conceived
the idea of rocking the boat and
soaring the baron. The general Sec
onded him. They succeeded beyond
their expectations. The baron pro-
tested that they would all be drowned
but the joker and the general kept
on.
Finally, the terrified baron stood
up, but being very tall, his center of
gravity was too high. He fell out
of the boat, amid cries of alarm
from those on shore, for the baron
had fallen into the fathOmless wa
ters right in the middle of 'the har-
bor.' However, to the great sur
prise of the intending investors on
dry land, as well as to his own, the
baron picked himself up out of three
feet of water and waded ashore.
The jest was an excellent one in
the beginning, but it practically
squelched "the harbor" scheme, the
joke may be considered to be on Bal
Iona instead Of the baron.
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06
Young Man, This is for You.

Save a part of your weekly earn
ings, even if it be no more than a
quarter of dollar, and put your
savings monthly into a savings bank
Buy nothing until you can pay for
it, and buy nothing you do not need T..
A young man who has grit enough
to follow these rules will have taken
the first step upward to success in
business. He may be compelled to
wear coat year longer. even if it
be untashionable; he may have to
live in a smaller house than some of
his acquaintances his wife may not
sparkle with diamonds nor be re-
splendent in silk and satin, Just vet
his children may not be dressed as
dolls or pOpinjays; his table may be
plain and wholesome, and the whizz
OF the beer or champagne cork may
never be heard in his dwelling he
may have to get along without the
earliest fruits and vegetables he
may have to abjure the clubroom,
the theatre, and the gambling hell,
and to reverence the Sabbath day,
and read and follow the precepts of
the Bible instead !; but he will be the
better off in every way for his self
discipline. Yes, he may do all these
without detriment to his manhood
health, or character. True, empty
headed folk may sneer at him and
affect to pity him, but he will find
that he has grown stronger
and brave enough to stand the laugh
OF the foolish. He has become an
independent man. He never owes
anybody, and so he is no mans slave.
He has become master of himself,
and master of himself will become
leader among men, and prosperity
will crown his every enterprise.
Young man, life's discipline and
life's success comes from hard work
and early self-denial; and hardearned
success is all the sweeter at the time
when old years climb upon your
shoulders and you need propping up.
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06
NUMBER 81.

A GOOD WORD.-Joe was a youth
of such exceeding popularity with
his uncles and aunts that his mother
was compelled to call halt on her
too indulgent brothers. and sisters,
who, she claimed with justice, were
spelling the youngster with their
reckless generosity and rendering
him needless of the value of prop
erty.
Why, do you know" she said to
one Of the too indulgent aunts, to
whom she was explaining her trou-
BILE, the little rascal received fifty
presents this very Christmas.
"Oh, mamma" exclaimed the
young person in question, "more
than that. L got sixty-two pres
ents."
"Well, / know it was a great
many" sighed his mother, "but 1
wanted to keep on the safe side. I
tried not to exaggerate."
NO." demonstrated Master Joe
in patronizing tone; "but you
should try not to exsmallerate,
either"
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06

what's the price Of license2 How
much did you say
The price of mems souls in the market
to-day?
A license to sell, to defame and DESTROY.
FROM tne gray hairs of age to the inno-
How much is to pay?
How much is to pay2 How compare
with your goldp
A license to sell poison-a crime oft re-
Fix price on the years and the man.
hood of man,
rake what is yours to destroy if you can,
What's the price, did you say?
How much is the license? How reckon
the crimes
Men are caused to commit when besot-
ted at timesp
TO take character, reason, foredoomed
to the grave,
And give men your curses when pity
cries "Save -
What s the price, did you say?
How much for license? Count the
price of the home;
or the tears that are shed in it's anguish
and gloom
Count on the happiness lost on the vote
that you gave
When you voted a license that made
man a slave.
What price was to pay?
How much for a licensep Count the
price of her life
Whom the children called mother, and
you called wife;
Who died in her grief, heart broken al
way,
That home was left bare of it's bread
day by day,
The license to pay.
How much is to payp Count the price
Multiplied by the names on eternity's
scroll,
Of those who have gone, once in man.
hoods strong pride,
Then add those who through them suf-
fered and died
What s the price. did you sayp
How much to payS You connt out the
But the price to be paid has never been
told,
Count the measure you mete out your
neighbor to-day,
To be meted you back-but in God s.
time and way.
'Tis debt you must pay.
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06

THE sexton of certain New York
church declares he will never again
be guilty of going to sleep during
the service.
1t was very warm evening, and
after the sermon began the sexton
turned down the gas in the body of
the church.
The text that evening was, "Let
there he light" AS the sermon pro-
ceeded. the sexton unconsciously
yielded to a desire to sleep. He
came suddenly to his senses, how
ever, when the minister exclaime, d
loudly, More light! More light i"
The sexton sprang to his feet, hur-
riedly went to the stop-cock and
turned on full head of gas.
A ripple of amusement went
through the congregation, and the
embarrassed sexton realized that he
had made a mistake, even before
some one told him that the minister
had been quoting the dying words
of Goethe.
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Girl I'm Green and Her Future
Mother. in IaW.

Well, how do you like your fu-
ture mother-in-law? ?" asked the girl
in red.
"Oh, don't speak of her! Yes
terday afternoon was the most aw-
full period of my life I" groaned the
girl in green.
My goodness?" gasped the girl
In red. "You don't mean to say
that she snubbed you?n
Nothing of the kind; L"
Then she told you that she hoped
you really appreciated Harry, and
gave list of his favorite dishes,
and the remedies to be Immediately
applied in case he catches cold Z?
M'h'm ! I suspected as much when
1 heard that his mother lived in
New jersey"
"No; it wasn't that at all. You
see, l."
Had to promise that she could
live with you? I knew that was
the way 1t would be-! Well, you
needn't expect me to visit you the
first year, that is all. If there is one
l detest il is"
you W a
shrieked the girl in green. "She is
not to live with US! She does not
want to live with US. She"
Humph 4! Well, keep your eye
on her if she is gushing and says
you are just the kind of girl she
has always wanted him to marry
A mother-in-law who begins by be.
ing civil will end by-O
She did not say anything of the
kind! 1t was this way; Harry
wanted me to meet his mother, as !
told you the other day, and as she
was coming to town to do some shop
ping yesterday, he thought it would
be good chance. He had intended
to bring her to see me, but was called
to Philadelphia on important busi-
ness, so the evening before he bought
two tickets for the same matinee at-n
"Oh, ] see! You were to sit side
by side and learn to be real mother
and daughter in the space of three
81 thought it very good one,
and oh, what time I had getting
ready! My hair just wouldn't curl,
and at the last minute found there
was button off my glove, and
knew she would augur from that
that Harry's garments would never
know an equal number of buttons
and buttonholes. After / sewed 1t
on fairly flew for my car, fearing
that / might be late and she would
think that ! was unpunctual and
would make poor wife,"
"That settles 1t. ! shall get hus-
band from an orphan asylum or re-
main unwed. Go on, dear"
by running block I caught my
car and reached the theater in time !;
but, oh, Eunice, couldn't find my
ticket anywhere ~
My goodness, how awful I"
Wasn't it? Harry had drawn a
diagram Of the house, showing me
just where to sit, and so 1 told the
man at the door. 1 wanted him to
let me in without ticket, but the
horrid thing wouldn't do It,"
Why didn't you"
offered to give the seat right
up If anybody came to claim it, but
he wouldn't even agree to that
Then / tried to find out If she was
there yet. I asked him If a lady
with gray hair, and wearing seal
skin cape had passed in. He said as
we'll as he could tell, $50 of them
hadi Wasn't that rude ?"
" Awfully. Harry should speak
to the manager of the house,"
81 shall tell him to. We'll, ]
rushed out and telephoned to Harry,
but, of course, he was still In Phila.
delphia, and the typewriter didn't
know a thing about the tickets
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06

A LOsT-LETTER SToRY.-A mer-
chant complained of the loss of a
letter issued from his office, contain
ing some hundreds of pounds in the
Bank of England notes. Finally an
expert from the postoffice depart
ment called upon him.
Believe me, SIR" the expert
said, II have an object in what I
ask. Will you kindly sit at your
desk and recall each operation in
connection with the missing letter ?D
With pleasure. l sit here. L
take sheet of this note paper and
one of these envelopes. Then I
write m y letter and fold it up so.-
Next 1 go to my safe aud take out
the notes, enter their numbers, fold
them, put them in the letter, and
the letter into the envelope. Then
seal them all up as you see me do
now"
"Just so; and what next?"
Why, my clerk comes in and
clears off my desk for the post"
But you wrote this one at noon,
and the post does not 60 out before
night"
ooh, yes, of course! quite for
got to say that money letter, for
greater security, 1 put it in a left
hand drawer"
Which one ?"
Which? Why, this one. Iopen
it so, and I-bless my soul! Good
ness me! l am very sorry for the
trouble I've given. Here is the let
ter -
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06
Tobacco and Lumber.

Few traVelerS-nOt one in thou
sand-suspect there is anything be-
hind the legend which greets them
in an ordinary English railway car
riage: "The penalty for smoking
Is forty shillings." That il has any,
thing to do with the depreciation of
the company's rolling stock never en-
ters their heads.
A smoking carriage, however,
only lasts about half as long as an
ordinary vehicle and once we'll broken
into its mission, it is completely
spoiled for all other purposes. 1t
can never be rid of its smell.
Literally speaking" remarked 8
well known car-builder, recently, ga
railway carriage smokes. The fumes
OF the tobacco are absorbed into the
timbers, penetrate into the mortises,
and grow into kind of gas that
eats its way into the structure. On
the Northern Railway in France a
few weeks ago twelve 'smokers'
were taken to pieces at the shops
The fumes that oozed forth from
every crevice would have sickened
an English workman; only the
French are accustomed to kind of
tobacco that has not been inaptly
compared to halfburnt linen rags
favored with glue and assafoetida.
The timber ofa smoking g-carriage-
II it is ever used again can only be
used in building another smoker"
But the best oak rolling-stock only
lasts about quarter the time that
soft pine would last if stationary {;
and the lemons of 'smoker' timhers
rot in about half that length of
time" What about the smokers
throat and stomach
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06

WORKING UP A REPUTATION.-
Tommy" said the small boys
mother, "you have the nose bleed !"
Tommy put his hand up to his face
and shouted in wild delight. "Hoo-
ray! Where's my football suit
where's my football suit? care
you crazy? Aren't you going to try
to stop it?" "No, ma'am. I've
dragged my suit through the dust
till 1t begins to look something like
it ought to-and I've been waiting
for three weeks for a nosebleed.-
Now that it's here, I'm going to take
advantage of it.n
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06

AT twenty, when man is young,
he thinks he knows it all. He likes
to wag his active tongue and exer-
else his gall. He struts around In
noble rage; the world is all his own.
He laughs to scorn the world of age
and lists to self alone. He wears a
window in his eye 20 see his whis-
kers grow. He thinks the ladies
pine and die because they love him
so. AT forty, as you may suppose,
he's knuckled down to biz. ,Tis not
till sixty that he knows how big q
chump he Is.
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06
MENTAL TRAITS OF WOMEN.

MENTAL TRAITS OF WOMEN
What woman loses in profundity she
gains in quickness. She eXcelS in
tact, and extricates herself from a
difficulty with astonishing adroit-
ness. In language she is more apt
than man. Girls learn to speak ear
lier than boys, and old women are
more talkative than old men,
Among the uneducated the wife can
express herself more readily than
the husband. Experience in co-edu-
cational institutions shows that wo-
men are more faithful and punctil-
ious than men, and at least equally
apt. In colleges where a record of
standing is kept, the women gain
probably somewhat higher aver
age. In the years Immediately
following graduation the men make
much greater intellectual progress.
Women reach their mental maturity
at an earlier age, and develop rela-
lively less after maturity. In many
kinds of routine work, especially
that requiring patience, women are
superior, but they are less able to en-
dure protracted overwork.
We have seen that woman is less
modified physically than man, and
varies less from the average. The
same is true mentally. Women are
more alike than men, and moro nor
NAL, as it were. The geniuses have
been men for the most part, and so
have the cranks. Woman's thought
pursues old rather than new lines.
Her tendency is toward reproduce
ton, while mans is toward produc-
ton. Woman loves the old, the
tried, and the customary. She is
conservative, and acts as society's
balance-wheel. Nan represents va
ration. He reforms, explores,
thinks out new way.
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06

ADAMS NURsE.-A Sunday School
at the close Of an ad-
dress on the creation, which he was
sure he had kept within the compre-
hension of the least intelligent of
the scholars, smilingly invited ques-
tions. A tiny boy, with a white,
eager face and large brow, at once
held up his hand. Please, sir, why
was Adam never a baby" The gu
perintendent coughed in some doubt
as to what answer to give, but a lit
tie girl of nine, the eldest of several
brothers and sisters, came promptly
to his aid. Please, SIR" she said,
smartly, "there was nobody to nuss
himv
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06

A LESSON IN ENaLIsH.-' Stick
to English. my boy, stick to English, ,
is a wise exhortation, although we
seldom heed it unless 1t comes to
us in as forcible manner as it Is re-
ported to have come to Franklin.
1t is said that Benjamin Franklin,
the American, was not unlike other
boys In his love for big words, and
that one day he told his father that
he had swallowed some acephalous
molluscs, whereupon his alarmed pa
rent shrieked for help. The mother
came in with warm water, and forced
half a gallon of water down Benja-
MINIS throat, then held him upside
down, the father saying, eff we
don't get those things out of Bennie
he'll be poisoned, sure" When
Benjamin was allowed to get his
breath, he explained that the ar
ticles referred to were oysters. His
father was 80 indignant that he whip
ped him for frightening the family.
Franklin never afterwards used a
word Of two syllables when q mono
syllable would do.
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06

THE New York Independent tells
this story of the late DIR. John Lord,
the well-known historical lecturer.
When he was candidate for ordi-
nation to the Congregational minis
try, in the times of the old Hopkin-
sian controversies, he was asked the
question, Would you be willing to
be damned for the glory of God {?
Perhaps he had been annoyed by the
long examination; and his reply
was sharp, sudden, and character
istic: No; but 1 am willing you
should be-
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06

"Now, Mr.. Fisk" began the law
yer who conducted the cross-exami-
nation, is it not fact that you har-
bor female who goes by the name
of Mrs. Fisk ?" Eyes, SIR" "Do
you not support her ?" 81 do, sir.n
" Is she your legal wife ?" "No,
sir"-jurors scowled. "You will
admit that, although you have never
been married to her, she lives with
you" Yes, SIR" "!That is all.
You may step down." The legal
light looked victoriously at the jury.
Zone moment, Mr.. Fisk" said the
opposing lawyer. "What relation
exists between you and the lady re-
ferred OF" "She is my grand
mother.n
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06

THE other day a tall. gaunt Vir-
ginian walked into room in one of
the large office buildings of Wash
lngton, says the Star of that city,
and inquired for Mr.. Brady, of Vir-
glnia. No one had seen, although
nearly everybody knows the active
Republican of that State, who is fire.
quently in this city.
Hasn't he an Office in this build
ing 2" inquired the man from the
Old Dominion.
No one in the room knew.
" That only shows" said the Vir-
ginia man, with slight air of dis
appointment, "that q man can be
mighty big at home, and purity
small when he gets to Washington. ),
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06

The best wearing, most stylish, and
the greatest value Of any $500 Mems
Shoes on the continent.
Best calfskin, dongola tops, solid
leather soles, with all tho popular toes,
lasts and fastenings, and Lewis Cork
Filled Soles.
Each pair contains q paid-up Acct
dent Insurance Policy for 810O, good for
30 days.
Wear Lewis Accident Insurance Shoes
once and you viii never change. The
insurance goes for "full measure"
Talk with your dealer who sells Lewis
Shoes.
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06

"GIVE me ticket to Helephant,"
horid young English gentleman is
reported to have said to one of the
busy clerks at the Union station, st.
Louis. The clerk looked puzzled
for moment, and then said, "Are
you sure you want to go to Hele-
phant? don't know of any such
pIace on our line" cav, man,
dost thou think Pm bloomin' fool.
L want to go to Hontario, and they
said | must go Helephant and Nj
agry Falls" We could send YOU
by way of Buffalo," said the impa-
tient clerk. Aw, blawst me eyes,
Buffalo? That's the cussed place.
L knew 1t was it was some kind of a
blarsted hanimal. Give me a ticket
to Buffalo, not to Helephant.n
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06

WHISTLER, the artist, once sat at
the theater next to lady who was
in and out of her seat constantly,
not only as soon as each act was fin-
ished, but also while the play was
going on. The space between the
rows Of seats was very narrow, and
the artist was subjected to much an
noyance as she passed him. Madam,
1 trust / do not incommode you by
keeping my seat,' he said at length,
In his sweet tones.
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06
Ni ~ Il L Ii II w -
STEW n NSON
NOR K ISON
CLEV + LAND
SPRI NIGER
CARLI 8 LIE
PAT + ISON
III ILL
CAMPO e LII
THO M AS
CORN a n
OIL N EY
THAT SETTLES 1T.

The CAL does not care to state in
advance who will be the next Presi-
dent, but its astrologer, who watched
the transition from 1895 to 1896, dis
covered the ominous declaration in
the procession and juxtaposition of
the stars. The forty-four letters in
the photograph is the precise num-
Der of the States in the Union, and
constitute the initials Of the signifi-
cant stars which were above the no.
rizon at midnight January 1st:
MCKI NLEY
II Il ED
ALLISON
NOR TON
H ARRISON
ALG Err
Il II ADLEY
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06

HE would have gathered her in a
warm embrace, but she waved him
back. "NO," she said, imperiously
" You crush my heart" he pro-
tested.
Better thy heart than my
Sleeves" she answered.
The cuckoo rushed from the clock
on the mantel, and with a wild
shrek directed attention to the fact
that IL was now i1:15.
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06

"OUT in Oregon" said a man
from that State, the air is so pure
that you can see the peak of Mount
Shasta, in California, from the peak
OF Mount Hood, in Oregon, a dis
tance of two hundred and seventy
six miles,"
" Here in the East you can see
much farther than that"
"Oh come now"
"Its fact. The moon is two
hundred and forty thousand miles
away, but we can see it on clear
night"
Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-06

A WOMAN SHOPPER.-An OBJ
servant man remarks that the wo-
men shopping all have the same ex-
preston. Iti is a wierd look, strange
far-away, fierce look. 1t is look
that embi aces details, prices, colors,
materials, cuts, shapes, flowers and
feathers in one tremendous moment {;
look that appraises, look that de-
cides. The dress that can face that
look and comes out Of the ordeal un-
scathed is a dress deserving of re-
spect and admiration. The bonnet
that can return that look without
blushing is a bonnet that can be
worn, whether it cost one dollar or
five.
Even the weakest among women
appears fierce and fiery when she is
prowling around the shops, calculat-
ing and contriving, selecting, dis
carding all in glance. There is an
intense detachment about her, an in
tense concentration that renders her
for the moment almost great, how
ever small she may be. At home,
she may be lamb-here she is a
lion. The passions of the shop have
dignified her, have wrapped her in
celestial fire. She may run against
you full tilt-frequently does-but
the impact does not occur 10 her.
She may tread upon your toes and
prod you in the eyes with her um-
brella she is not aware il has taken
place, and when you apologize for
having been Injured by her, she does
not even accept your apology. Her
eyes and mind are in the shop
among those delicious furs, or those
charming toques. OF course she
doesn't notice you. You are only q
man, and are for afternoon and even.
ing wear.