davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1896-10-12
ALEX LA|DLAW'S DEATH
Known as the Only Judge Who
Ever Fined Himself in
Open Court.
He Was the Man Who Surveyed the
California and Nevada Narrow.
Gauge Rod

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL,l
908 Broadway, Oct IL. I
Alexander Laidlaw died at private
sanitarium in San Francisco to-day, and
his remains were brought over to Oakland
for interment. Ex-Judge Laidlaw con-
The San Francisco call., 1896-10-12

The speakers for the West Berkeley meeting
Of the Peoples Party Club next Tuesday even
ing~wiH be DR.. Carrie Young, Colonel J. IL.
Lyon and Colonel Greenleaf.
The San Francisco call., 1896-10-12

Little steamboats, are displacing gon-
dolas in Venice.
The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-05
IDENTIFICATION BY THUMB.
It's Superiority Over the Famous Bertil-
Ion System of Measuring Criminals.

lOn oySleHl Oh MpHStlrlDG CRIMINALS.
The Bertllon anthropometric system
will probably be discarded in whole or in
part before long in the great province of
Bengal, if not all through India, and
identification by the imprint of the thumb
be used entirely in its stead.
The principle objection to the BertilIon
system lies in the fallibility of the meas
urer. The measurer, for instance may
take incorrect measurements through
inattention: or, having accurate results
may read them incorrectly or, having
read them correctly, they may he incor-
rectly transcribed: or the measurements of
y may be transcribed as BIS measur-
ments Despite the checks that have
been adopted, the margin for error is still
considerable.
In India, owing to the slips of the meas
urers, no positive deduction is con sidered
safe unless the innumerable details which
make up the pattern of the thumb i'm
preston coincide.
So superior has the thumb print proved
as means of identification over any sys-
TEN of measurements that Mr.. +. r. Hen
ry, the Bengal nspector-general of police,
is seriously considering doing away with
measuring altogether and relying solely
on these self. made signatures.
The other advantages of thumb identi-
fication over the Bertillon system are
enormous. A piece of tin and some prin-
ter's ink give impressions which are ut
terly free from possible errors Any per-
son of ordinary intelligence can learn to
take them with n little practice after a
few minutes instruction. The charac-
teristics being persistent throughout life,
the finger Impressions of childhood could
be used to identify the same person when
he had reached middle or old age
The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-05
SHOOTS AT LIVE TARGETS.
Down in Pennsylvania Lives n Man Who
Has the oldest Revolver Practice
on Record

Franz Hickman, of Germantown, Pa,
n revolver shot, well known to fame, has
arranged an ingenious scheme for revolv-
er practice which savors of real sport
Shooting Mt targets and half dollars grows
tiresome, but Mr.. Heckman's novel plan
awakens fresh interest every day, and he
never weares OF the game
He has constructed Il wooden box about
two feet square with Il hole an inch
square in the cover. The small boys of
the neighborhood are under contract to
secure all the snakes, large or small, that
they are able to ensnare These are
placed in the wooden box, and Mr.. Heck
man stations himself some fifty or seven
ty-five feet away One by one, as the
snakes seek to escape, their heads appear
outside the small hole, and each head as
it appears is cut off clean and true by
the shot from Mr.. Heckman's weapon,
which is guided by his sure eye and steady
aim.
Mr. Hickman boasts that he can decap-
itate twentyfour out of twenty-five
snakes at fifty feet, and is anxious to ar
range match with anybody who thinks
he could do better at this novel sport
The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-05
ROYAL WAR ON TOBACCO.
The Empress Of Russia Forbids It's Use
by the Ladies' of Her Court.


The Empress of Russia is beginning to
show mere and more the strong mind and
eccentricity that marked her career as
Princess AliX of Hesse. She has Just
declared against the use of tobacco blythe
ladies of the court at ST. Petersburg
She is credited with the observation
that the cigarette in the mouth of woman
is as bad as an oath in that of man, and
has requested that neither her ladies in
waiting mol yet the ladies of tho court
should approach her so long rs there is
the slightest aroma of tobacco about their
clothes or about their persons. -
Now, nearly every member of the i'm
perial family, and, in natural conse-
quence, well-nigh every lady in court and
in society Mt Petersburg, is addicted to
the use and even abuse of cigarettes, the
Grand Duchess Vladimir Icing conspicu-
GUS among the number.
The widowed Czarina, like .her sister,
the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of
Cumberland, never favored the use of
tobacco by ladies, but in spite of all the
influences which she welded over her
husband, Alexander III, she did not
venture openly to object to it. on the part
of the members of her court.
The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-05
AN ARABS LUCKY FIND.
Through Accident He Learned the Secret
That Gave Coffee to the World

While almost everyone drinks coffee,
few persons know how it come to pass
that the world learned the virtue of the
fragrant berry.
1t is told that about the middle of tie
fifteenth century n poor Arab was travel
ing through Abyssiniu, and finding him
self weak and weary from fatigue, stop
ped near II grove 3ing in want of fuel
to cook his rice he cut down small tree
that happened to be covered with dead
berries. The meal being cooked and eat
EN-, the traveller discovered that the half
burned berries were very fragrant. He
collected Il number of these and on
crushing them with II stone he found that
their aroma was greatly increased.
Accidentally he let fall the substance in
can which contained his scanty supply
of water. The almost putrid water was
instantly purified. He brought it to his
lips. 1t waa fresh, agreeable, and Il few
moments afterwards the traveller had so
far recovered his strength as to be able to
resume his journey.
The lucky Arab gathered as many ber-
ries rs he could, and having arrived Mt
Alden, in Arabia, he informed the Musti
of his discovery. That worthy official was
an .inveterate opium smoker who had
been suffering for years from the.inhuence
of the poisonous drug. He tried an in
fusion of the roasted berres and was so
delighted ut the recovery of his own vigor
that in gratitude to the tree he called it
cohuah, which in Arab signifies force
The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-05
HERE'S a MODERN DIANA.
She Lives in Missouri, and Never Fails
to Hit What She Shoots At.

She Lives in Missouri, and Never Fails
to Hit What She Shoots At.
a modern Diana has been discovered
along the Upper st. Francis river, in
Missouri. Her name is Catherine WHEEL
ply and she lives with her mother in IL
cabin boat. Miss Whelply is shapely
girl of seventeen, of 1.-THE figure, bronze
hair, and the brownest eyes that ever
looked along n gun barrel.
The girl and her mother have been
spending the summer months not far
from Greenville, Mo, and are frequently
seen in the town after IL few necessaries
Neither is communicative. They like
the life and are evidently of backwoods
stock. Miss Kate, as the girl is called,
Is the most expert rifle shot that has been
seen around Greenville for years
Every morning and evening the crack
of her light kentucky rifle is heard in
the timber or along the cornfields, where
the squirrels are to be found. Those who
have seen the girl shoot declare that she
can see squirrel further than any one
and is n dead shot. The mother uses an
old muzzle-loading shotgun that has seen
service for years, and she is fair hand
with the weapon.
I'VE jest trap an hunt in the winter,
me an Kate" she says. ian we make Il
purity good livin'. Don't keer what the
world says We're free as the birds, an
that's jest what we're outcn the woods
Kate kin outshoot an outshine any gal
in the world. We amt 'fraid nobody nor
nothin', an allus tend our biZiness.n
The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-05
ROYALTY AT THE THEATRE.

The Prince of Wales Has the Easiest
Method in the World for Selecting Seats
The Prince of Wales is the most ardent
of playgoers, but he pays for his box al
ways. The manager of one CT the large
West End theatre ticket Offices is sum-
moned to Marlborough House periodically
and takes with him list of all the PLAYS
on the stages of the various theatres.
The Prince goes through the list and Sc
lects the theatre or theatres he wishes to
visit during the next few days, and the
manager is instructed to engage the royal
box for the dates selected
Instances have been where it was i'm
possible to refuse box already sold to
the Prince, and it has been necessary to
let it twice over; then, when the first pur-
chaser arrived he was asked to accept an
other box in exchange, which he gcner-
ally did.
The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-05
NEWSPAPERS IN JAPAN.
They Are Queer Combinations and Their
News is as Likely to be False as True.

They Are Queer Combinations and Their
News is as Likely to be False as True.
The Japanese newspaper is exactly the
opposite of that which the reader of En-
t,liSh newspapers is accustomed to- Our
last page is its first, it's columns only
run half the length of the page, it has
no such thing as headlines, and it's titles
run from top to bottom, instead of
across. 1t has but nm occasional illustra-
tioN, and it prints few advertisements,
bn, those are paid for ut comparatively
higl rate. Its price ranges from one to
two cents.
The Internal organism of n japanese
office is sad spectacle of daily struggle
with difficulties unknown elsewhere, and
really unnecessary there. The Japanese
written and printed characters consist of
the Chinese ideographs, those complicat-
ed square figures made up of an apparent
tumble of zizzags, and crosses, and sticks,
and triangles, and tails, and of the orgi-
nal Japanese syllabary, called kama.
OF the former there are 10000 in all,
of which perhaps II 900 constitute the
scholars vocabulary, and no fewer thun
1000 are in common, daily use, while
the forty-seven simple characters of the
kama are known to everybody. There
fore the Japanese compositor has to be
preparcu 10 place. In MS SUCK any one OF
over 1000 different types, truly an appal-
ing task. The ''making up'' and stereo-
tipping is like that of the old-fashioned
printing offices, and the paper is printed
upon fiat presses fed by hand.
The total number of persons employed
on typical Japanese newspaper is as
follows One political editor, one chief
editor, five assistant editors, four proof
readers, one short hand writer, twelve
reporters or newsgatherers, three or four
compositors, each with several assistants;
twelve men in the press room, and minor
employees, including distributors, max
ing total of $50 persons. The reporters
are the weak point, for the editor frankly
tells you that if they cannot find news
they are compelled to bring home fiction,
as they are paid for results, and even
then they do not earu more than $40
month. They therefore deliberately in
vent large part of their news.
The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-05
A DELUSION.
(From the Washington Star.

William she said eve read so
much in the comic papers about what n
good time man has when his wife is out
of town, that guess I'll go away for a
week or two.'
GIVE read such things, but they're not
true to nature When mans wife goes
out of town he goes down to the office
the first day or two looking kind of jolly
and roguish and pretending he thinks
people ought to envy him. Then he be-
gins to look ms if he needed shaving. A
button drops off his vest and doesn't get
sewed on. Then his clothes begin to look
mussy in general. And by the time his
wife is ready to come home he is the pic
ture of discomfort. It's all right for the
purpose of humor to let on that man
has royal good time when his wife goes
away; but the theory isn't borne out by
the facts in the case.n
The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-05
a LANGUAGE OF HER OWN.
A Cornish Woman Who is the Only Per-
son knowing the Ancient Speech
of Cornwall


There is a woman in the county of Corn
wall, England, who speaks language
known by no other person in the world.
1t is the ancient language OF Cornwall
and once was spoken by hundreds of peo-
pie.
Dolly Pentrcath is the woman in uues-
ton, and she lives in the town of Mont
shalc, in Cornwall. She was born in
1SOG. Notwithstanding this fact she is
very vigorous, and her memory is good
The Cornish language is n branch of
the Celtic tongue, which was once widely
spoken throughout the European world
1t began to decline about the first quarter
of the last century, being superseded by
the English language. At the beginning
of this century there We're no more than
two heads of families who could speak
the language. The father of Dolly Pen
treath.was one of them. He was a fish
erman by occupation. Up to her TWEEN
tieth year she could speak only Cornish
fluently, while her English was Just
about Ineligible. When she grew up
there was no one with whom she could
converse in Cornish except her father,
and after his death, in 1880, she was the
sole one in all Cornwall, in fact, the
whole world, who could converse in that
language.
The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-05
THE UP-To-DATE BURGLAR.
He Breaks Into Safes by Means of Ma
chinery, Saves Time and Gets Money.

NHihSl1, GofSS ttltC itIlu 1ctS @hOlcS.
The modern burglar is adopting mod
ern appliances. The jimmy bids fair to
become Il relic of the past before long
a recent burglary i'll France illustrates
this fact.
a gang of ingenious cracksmen entered
bankers Office armed with steel saw
of the newest construction and handy
little gas engine. There was no need or
the exercise OF muscle, nor was there any
necessity for n good strong wrist at the
saw rs there was at one time in the an
mails of famous robberies.
The little engine was started the saw
put in the proper place and the connec-
tions made. Seating themselves serenely
upon couple of chairs near at hand,
these modern burglars watched the true
and rapid work OF their appliances.
The big safe might have resisted for hours
the force of human hands, but the saw,
impelled by the engine, it could not stand
against. 1t promptly yielded up its CON
tents OF over 5000 worth of gold and
bonds, and i'll a quarter of the time it
would have taken to have committed the
robbery under the old Conditions, the
burglars were we'll out of the building
with their booty.
The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-05
DON'T STOP TOBACCO.
EOW TO CURE yOUHsEIF WHILE
USING 1T.

The tobacco habit grows on . nun until his
nervous system is seriously affected, inpairing
neslth, comfort and happiness. 10 Qnit suddenly
Ia too severe shock to the system, tobacco to
an inveterate user becomes stimulant that his
system continually Graves "Baco Curo'' Is a
scientific cure for the tobacco habit in ell it's
forms. carefully compounded after tho formula OF
an eminent Berlin physician who has ueed it In
his private practice since 1879, without failure.
II Is purely vegetable and guaranteed perfectly
while taking "Baco- euro" 1t will notify you
when to stop. We give written guarantee to
cure permanently auv Gaze with three boxes, or
refund the money with 10 per cent. interest.
"BacoCuro" is not substitute, but scientific
cure, that cures without the use of will power
and with no Inconvenience. It leaves the system
as pure and free from nicotine as tho day You
took your first chow or smoke.
Curod by Baco-Ouro and Gained Thirty
Pounds.
From hundreds OF testimonials, the originals of
which are on Ale and open to inspection, the fol-
owing is presented:
EureFa Chemical Il Mfg. Co., La Crosse, Wis
Gentlemen: For forty years / used tobacco IL all
its forms. For twenty-five years Of that tine l
heart disease. For fifteen years 1 tried to quit,
ont eouSnt took !s Th remedies among
tidote,""Double Chloride Of Gold" etc. etc,
bnt none OF them did ME the least bit OF good.
Finally. however, purchased box O. your
habit In all its forms. and have increased thirty
pounds In weight and am relieved from all the
numerous aches and pains OF body and mind.
eould wSitc qnirc OF paper upon unchanged
feelings and condition. Yours respectfully,
p. MARJURY,
Pastor G. p. Church, Clayton, Ark.
Sold by all druggists at 81 per box; three boxes,
written guarantee or sent direct upoi receipt OF
price. Write for booklet and PROOF. Eureka
Chemical q Mfg. Co., La Crosse. VS., and Bos-
ton, Mass.
The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-05
AN "AMpHIBIoUsn STEAMBOAT

Everybody knows of "amphibiousn rail-
way freight and passenger trains, slipped
across rivers, inlets or lakes to avoid
troublesome and expensive unloading of
goods or persons, rs is done by means of
boats or transports or ferries. The Bal
timore and.Ohio road used to run such in
our own port Shakespeare, in the "Nfer-
chant of Venice" III, 4, refers to a SINH
lar transfer of vehicles and wares in the
lines:
Bring them, | pray thee, with imagined
speed,
Unto the trcject, to the common ferry
Which trades to Venice.
Most people have heard of the plan of
engineers to carry seagoing vessels over
the Isthmus of Panama, from ocean to
ocean, when the cutting of the canal I'M
dertakcn by Count de Lesseps was
checked by the financial fiasco of his
country. Neither project has hitherto
been accomplished, and it was left to a
Swedish engineer, c. J. Magnell, to sue
cessfully prove the possibility of such
conveyance in the northern part of the
Danish isle of Sedan.
Mr. Magnell constructed a steamboat
provided with screw propeller for the
sea voyage and side wheels like those of
railway car, for running on the track
over a long stretch of land His amphib-
ious vessel, very appropriately called
Swan" (swan), carries freight and pas
sengers from one of the numerous fjor,is
Gnlets), bounded by high, rocky banks
and opening into the sea, to another one
across the dividing isthmus BY an in
genious device the screw is detached from
the boat as soon as the latter approaches
the track en- which the ships engine
drives the wheels, which, during the sea
voyage, are kept in water tight boxes.
The ground between the rails is followed
for the not considerably projecting keel
of the vessel. After traversing the por-
ton of land between the fjords the screw
again does its work.
Magnells amphibious ship, it is as,
serted, glides and floats along on land
and by water with equal precision and
dispatch, in dignified and softly swing
ing motion, like the tranquil bird from
which it derives it's name. Doubt is ex-
pressed whether large steamers with
their immense freight, could be trans
ported in the same manner For smaller
vessels its application is now beyond the
state of mere experiment Baltimore
Sun.
The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-05
ONLY saOO,EACH.
Wealth of the Country Divided Among
It's Inhabitants.
(New York SUM-

kNcN OTh sum-
Recently paragraph, probably of Eng
lish origin, was started on its travels
through the newspapers and magazines
which shows if the wealth of the United
States was divided, every person in it
man, woman and child, millionaire and
pauper, banker, farmer, artisan, school
boy and acknowledgements have 5000
This is not Il large sum when tho grow
ing resources of the United States are
considered, but there are probably plenty
of persons in every community who
would be willing to accept 5000 III cash
in full satisfaction of prospective divi-
sion ut some time far remote Of the total
wealth of the country.
In point of fact it is, of course, unrea
sonable to base any plan of division on the
total number of inhabitants, for very
large number of these are infants below
the age of five years, and Il still larger
number are male minors between the age
of five and twenty-one, and female
minors between'f five and eighteen. But
even on the basis of total inhabitants of
the country u division of it's wealth would
yield much more than $200-in fact more
than 81 900. There were by the last fed
eral census about 17,000 900 male adults
in the United States, and the division of
the wealth of the country among them
NOoiu SiNS EciOVo tpiCSC oS CtlC SlttIC Vi
each. The word ''weal3h' has some.
what elastic meaning when applied as a
designation of property, but among the
statisticians it covers first, the chief of
all, land, next houses, then the contents
of the houses, and in the order of impor-
lance cattle, money, metal, railways,
merchandise, ships and sundries.
On the basis of all these the average
wealth to each nhabitant in the follow
ing countries is in excess of 81 900 per
annum: United States, England, France,
Denmark, Holland and Australia. Be
tween the 500 and 81 900 limit are Swift
zerland, Belgium, Canada. Below that
are Germany, Spain, Italy and Sweden.
In Russia the average is $500, and in no
country from which authentic statistics
are obtainabe is the amount of wealth
less.
On the basis of the actual money in
circulation among the inhabitants, ire
spective of such forms of invested wealth
as houses, lands, slips and merchandise,
France is the wealthiest country, with an
average of 5000 to each inhabitant, the.
largest proportion of which is in gold
coin. The average in the United States
is S35, in Holland $40; in Great Britain
$3.50, in Spain S22o5, in Italy SO, in
India IS, in Japan $3.50 ana in Canada
81. The division of the wealth of any
country on an exact and iniiscriminat-
ing basis among it's inhabitants is, of
course, chimerical, but consideration of
the results Of such division gives very
clear indication of the relations which
the wealth of one country bears to the
wealth of another. The growth of the
material wealth in the United Suites is
more rapid than in any other country,
butt growth OF the population keeps
on" too.
The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-05
THIS BOY SHED HIS SKIN.
"A Strange Freak of Nature Takes Place
Mt Jacksonville, Fla, and Puzzles
the Doctors.

the doctors.
Everyone knows that snakes shed their
skins, but the only instance known to
medical science of human being doing
the same thing has just been made pub
lie in Florida
The case is that of John Allen. nm
eight-year-old boy of Jacksonville. A
few weeks ago an orange thorn pene-
trated the boys hip. Inflammation fol-
lowed and the boy was soon horribly
swollen from head to foot. Finally the
swelling subsidized and the boy imme.
diatcly began to shed his skin That on
the face came Off separately, but from
the neck down the cutclc remained in
tact, and moved Off by the way of the
hands and feet without breaking The
cuticle was five days in passing off, and
during that time the boy remained in
bed, wriggling like Il snake Mt melting
time.
The child seemed to be in no pain, but
complained of II tickling sensation and a
crawling of the flesh When the cuticle
had been shed the boy Immediately re-
covered and is now as we'll ms ever. The
skin that was shed is now on exhibition
Mt a physicians Office. 1t is Il perfect
cast of the human form from the neck
down, and is about the consistency of
hard glue which it greatly resembles.
The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-05
FILLING TEETH.
The Reasons Why the Dentist Uses Gold
Instead Of Other Metals

Instead OF Other Metals.
1t is the custom with many persons to
grumble little at what they consider
the dentists extraordinary charges. 1t
is also frequently said that the dentist
finds gold more profitable, and that this
is the reason why he prefers to use it.
1t is not generally understood that
there is a scientific reason for the employ
ment Of this metal. Gold can be welded
into a solid mass while cold 1t is also
susceptible of being pressed into the
smallest cavities and depressions.
When once the cavity is properly clean
ed out and the gold carefully put in. care
being taken that it fills every particle of
space from the beginning the union of
teeth and filling is nearly as perfect rs
possible without the action of heat.
gold filling may be built up to al
most any size or shape required None
Of the acid sccretions Of the mouth or
stomach have any effect upon it,