davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20
Danger in luxury.

The installation of electric illumin alton
IN old English mansions and castles built
after the fashion of ages ago is apt to be
attended with disaster. 1t is impossible
to foresee all the dangers that may lurk
in well-seasoned tim ber, for have not we
been warned about putting new wine in
old bottles2 And the utmost care must
be taken by skilled electricians even
where all is plain sailing.
Blenheim Palace is the latest sufferer
from this infusion of too much blood into
ancient veins. Not many weeks ago one
of the rare old Elizabethan mansions be-
longing to great English family was ut
terly destroyed from this same desire to
be up to date On the part of its owner.
Given time, the electric wires and fur
naces will succeed in wreckine all tine fine
old residences in Great Britain, for man
is now an effeminate creature, only wish
ing TO lie in the lap of luxury. A fig for
cold rooms and wax candles.-Boston
Herald.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20
Nuggets Of Gold in Tpctic Seas Of Ice.
Evenfu Career Of Stawar Pioneer Of Our Territory in the
land of tho Midnioht Sun
Land Of the Midnioht Sun.

! Joseph Juneau, the founder of Juneau,
/ Alaska, and who has had one of the
strangesr and most romantic careers of
any man perhaps on the Pacific Coast, is
| In the City. Mr.. Juneau comes of race
of town. builders and trail-breakers. His
uncle Solomon juneau. founded Mil
waukee. and other relatives have been
cons picuous in opening the cour try for
distance OF 1000 miles.
| Mr. Juneaui is OF French Canadian stock.
He was born at Montreal and has been on
this coast forty-fve years. Some OF his
| people before him were famous hunters
and trappers, belonging to the Hudson
Bay Company and the American Fur
| Company.
Yesterday this strange pioneer, who,
oddly enough, yer speaks language
strongly indicative of his French blood.
talked of himself and the gold mines with
which he had been connected.
when was 20 years DID," he said. "I
left Montreal and came direct to Califor-
MA. This was in 1851, at time when
! there was a great rush to the gold fields.
| The first mining did was at Downieville.
remained there well on TO two years and
! down 70 San Francisco and went across
the bay to where Oakland is now and
bought a farm OF 220 acres. It was be-
tween San Leandro and place then
called San Antonio. Most of it is now
covered over with big buildings. stayed
there and farmed nine years, raising grain
principally.
"After that I put in in all nine years in
Montana and made about $20 600.
'1hen. in 1874, 1 concluded 1 would
have to strike out to new country. and l
went up 10 Alaska. That was very early,
and the country had not been prospected
even along the coast. l set to WORK and
found gold. 1t was the first gold that had
ever been struck in the Territory. found
it at place called Shuck, eighty miles
from Fort Wrangel on the river of that
name and near the bay which bears that
name. 1t was at a point about half way
between Juneau and Fort Wrangel. But
only made three or four dollars day
mining there, and l wasn't satisfied with
it, SO, the boom in Cassiar coming on. l
went there. 1 stayed there five years;
but wasn't lucky. 1 didn't do much. /
made enough to live on and get around on
but no stake.
I'm 1880 1 went back to Alaska this
time going to Juneau, and there I found
the rich placer and quartz mines which
have made the country so celebrated over
the globe. They were the mines of the
Silver Bow basin, few miles from
Juneau. 1 started to work on these
mines and founded town.
Il was fairly fortunate at Juneau, for
made about $40 coo there. OF course, l
didn't keep it ALL for it's hard to live in a
country like that and not let your money
go. Living is high and everything you do
takes cash.
when l sold out in the Silver Bow
Basin l went away up the Yukon River.
This was two years ago. went to Circle
City, the far northern camp, which lies
inside the Arctic circle, and where You
can see the sun all the time in summer.
This, though new camp. is great one.
There is a wonderful amount Of gold there.
The only difficulty is the climate-it is so
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

In some unaccountable way the able
poet who was engaged to write up the
airship for the Examiner while he was
dreaming of his expected "castles IN
SPAIN" forgot to put into print for the
benefit of the readers OF the Monarch,
some OF the meters which he found in the
New YORK Press, which served as a
model
Now, the New York poet was away up in
his business in some respects. His use OF
meter can perhaps be as well illustrated
by gem which, in his farce-comedy, is
supposed TO be sung by Boul-Yon, capi-
talist, a disguise adopted by Willie Jay
Wurst, q youthful prodigy, owner of the
New York Charnal and speculator in cock
roach farming. This little gem is given
to show that the Examiner poet held back
something of the original, which the read
ers of that paper, more than any one else,
would Thoroughly enjoy. Here it is:
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20
Hmusing Story Of a Purloined Idea.
CONTAINING Few Suggestions for the Benefit Of
Wurst" Of the New York Charnal

One week ago the Examiner, like Silas
Wegg, dropped into poetry" One of Its
bright young men was instructed to
make page of it," and as he was paid
space rates, he readily complied. The
work was easier, because the Southern
Pacific Company's thirty thousand dol
lar beauty" was merely revamping an idea
which was not new, and because, in its de.
sire to divert attention from its "Long
Green" anything would GO.
'' Therefore the young man who "had the
poet detail" waded boldly in, equipped
With copy of the New York Press of
Sunday morning. October IS, 1896, as a
mentor and adopting gas-meter for his
Versltcaticr. As he toiled he gieefully
thought OF the ''soft snap he had struck
as poet for 'day detail" Infinitely
easier than writing up bogus statements"
by Wyatt carp, as some of the members
OF the staff had been compelled to do, the
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

pay was also proportionately better
Along the poetical horizon, proceeding at
an easy canter, as might have been said at
the horse show, Pegasus looked cross-eyed
at the performance, passing in silhouette
:: .Fhe theme of the ''write-up" was the
alrship, and incidentally some prominent
:citizens were harmlessly ridicuIed. The
:title of the production was Things You
See When Out Late" A better title would
have been, in view of the name which the
Examiner has justly won as "the $50, 600
beauty" something like ''The African in
the. Woodpile," or "Hot Stuff, the allu-
sion. in the last-suggested title being the
''stuff7 which is Long Green"
Sing song Of sixpence,
Poet full Of "rye,"
Six and twenty articles
. Knocked into '.pI"
When the sack is opened
"Long Green" will sing:
uSpace- writer's be dashed, me boy;
'Stuf stories ara the thing"
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20
Photographing Through a Beetles Eye.
1onderfu Effects Produced by It's Use hensA New Fec
for Scientific Elaboration.

the light coming through the beetles eye
from the silhouette and developed in the
usual manner.
''As can be seen the resulting multi
graph was circular, and ontained several
hundred images of the profile, one, indeed.
for each facet of the eye. The camera
used for taking large number of simulta-
neous photographs and objects is the
physical analogue of such an eye. The
relation of the eyes of such insects TO
those of mammals with the single adjust
able lens is that of single focus or snap
shot camera To the ordinary form in which
the focus is adjustable.
at seems reasonably clear that insects
form their judgments OF distance from
multiple images, depending upon the
power of each facet to reflect light rays.
The nearer the object the greater would
be the area covered by the images of the
retina. 1t is scarcely conceivable that
rays not capable of refraction or of being
focused, which IS the case with the Y
rays, can by simple shadow effects enable
iudg ment to be formed on the distance
of an object. w. NJ. STINE."
1t is impossible to conceive from the
picture that is printed in newspaper an
absolutely correct idea of the wonderful
Gle earness with which the different facets
of the beetles eye cause to be placed upon
the plate the image which they reflect.
Although the image is shown a hundred
or more times, in every instance it is
clear and perfect. Very fine and delicate
are the lines to be sure. and the features
are only distinguishable clearly by the
aid of microscope; but nothing is
omitted, and the wonderful handiwork of
nature has never been more clearly shown
than when this eye with artificial stimulus
canies out the part for which it was cre-
ated.
1t so happens that in this instance, as
stated, silhouette was used instead of
the ordinary photograph. 1t will be OBJ
served that this is exactly what the ac-
companying illustration shows. Other
and similar experiments, however, have
demonstrated the truth OF the statement
as to the accurate reproduction of every
lineament of the human face. To gain
an adequate idea of exactly what photo
graph through the multiple facets of
beetles eye accomplishes, look carefully
into the eye of some person who is close
to and looking steadfastly at you. You
will see reflected in the eye of the other
your own face, clear and distinct, with
not a vestige of line missing. Now this
is just what happens when the beetle
looks at you, only your eyes are reflected
several hundred times
This is what the photograph taken by
DR.. Allen shows. 1t is one of the most
remarkable combinations of different
branches Of science that the world has yet
seen.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

citation, at which w. M. Slime of the
Armour institute of Chicago called atten-
tion to a very curious and interesting
Iantern-slide in his possession. During a
discussion of the properties of the ,Roent-
gen rays, a leading scientist suggested that
as certain insects had eyes seemingly un-
adapted to see by ordinary SUNLIGHT, they
might visualize by means of the x rays.
Now il was held by number of the
savants in attendance at the association
that the x ray could hardly be termed an
incentive 10 INSTALLATION. So warm did
the discussion become that it was finally
decided to make genuine test with the
eye of chosen insect, and it is the result
of this decision that proves one of the
most interesting feats ever accomplished
by means of that great aid to science, the
camera.
DR.. Allen OF Aurora, Ill, is one of the
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20
From the NeW York Press. ]

SONG
am the owner of the New York Charna.-
Dro ool-drool-drool droolI
Sponsor for all unclean and carnal-
Bish-cum- bubble and bull slow reelI
I've got the rocks to keep well Oiled
And TO knock the W ool OF the Thieving woiled!
I'm a-hustling around in a believing sweat,
a nd I'll ger in the cockroach yet, you bet!
I've forty-eight freaks on every page
Drool-drool-drool drool!
You'd scarce expect it Of one my age
Bish-cum-bubble and bull slow reelI
wallow all around in print each day,
I've got circulation that's pure give-away!
Pm cutting swath, well, should shoutl
For mamma doesn't know that her Willie boys
out!
(He falls in a trance but manages to secure his
false beard and crawl to one side, where he lets
loose carrer-plgeon for the Charnal office with
six y-eight-column story OF liveress camel that
whistles "Come. Play With Mel" through It's
esrS)
OF course, the poet. in view OF the ''sack"
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

which he expected to draw down as pay
for his useful space story, could hardly be
expected to represent the thinly disguised
proprietor OF poets as openly confessing,
IN the language of the refrain:
Drool-drool-drool I drool,
Nor to cause him to say 81 wallow all
around in print each day" for fear there
would be ''more truth than poetry" in
sight; but, really, the public are entitled
to this metrical exhibition, and so The
CALL cheerfully supplies the omission.
There were other gems in the New York
Press drama which will be appreciated
here. One speech, by "Boul-Y on" other
wise willie Jay Wurst," is characteristic.
An extract from the drama, which really
contains "more truth than poetry" is re-
produced from the New York Press, as
follows:
Boul-Yon-Ahem! Ny dear sirs, trust you
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

few men of scientific mind who has taken
special interest in the wonders that the
art OF photography can be made to reveal.
So he chose the eve of a beetle to demon
strate to the satisfaction of every one that
the X ray was no aid to INSTALLATION
whatever. The result of his experiment
proves conclusively that he was right and
that the eminent gentlemen who favored
the X-ray theory were as far from the
truth as was preacher Jasper when he in
sisted that "the sun do move"
1t is curious study that this photo
graph lays open to the laymen OF science.
We all know that the beetle has the Curl
Gus projecting eye, very similar to the sort
one sometimes sees in man himself. The
eye is large and round, or almost so. 1t
can hardly be called perfect sphere, for
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20
TIES EYE-A MANS SILHOUETTE IN EVERY FACET.

it is slightly convex in shape. The ac-
companying picture shows really one-half
of the eye of the beetle. Such insects
have eyes called compound. formed not of
one lens but of several hundred, set side
by side like cells in a honeycomb. How
does the world appear through such eyes
is query of unusual interest.
Writing of this photograph w. M.
Slime, previously referred to. says OF DIR.
Aliens picture of the insects sight world,
here shown:
ITO the Editor: To make it DR.. Allen
took the cornea of the. eye of beetle
(Hydrophilas piceus) and employed it in
place of the usual Photographic lens OF
the camera used for making photographs
of microscopic objects. A silhouette of a
head was pasted on a piece OF ground
glass and lamp placed behind it. A
Photographic dry plate was exposed to
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

| Will remember that I am actuated by no de-
sire for personal gain. Ny so.e ambition is
the good of the Nation. All wish is to assure
myself of your hearty cooperation in my
efforts for the amelioration of the poor labor
ing man.
All-Surel
Boul-Yon-That is TO say, what want is
noise! The laboring man needs to be i'm
pressed with his wrongs. He must get reused
and excited about something or other Now,
suppose We touch him up on the currency
question. He thinks he understands that,
you know. I'll furnish a talker, and you
swear by everything he says. Make 'em listen.
Cram what he says down verybody's throat!
Choke the ones who won't pay attention. Pll
fix it with you. See?
All-You beti
Swill-Man-when's the hollow to begin?
Boul-Yon-Oh, that's all fixed.
Another hiatus on the part OF the Ex-
amiEer's day detail poet is also painful.
The following, also from the New York
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

A. San Jose mans recent story about
going to Honolulu on a fying-machine
has been much derided yet thirty years
ago an aerial trip from New York 10 Eu-
rope was regarded by eminent scientists as
practicable. Such an attempt, which was
probably the most brilliant of its kind
ever made, was participated in by George
M Shaw, now Iightkeeper at Point Firmin
lighthouse, near San Pedro.
The trip was planned as an experiment
to verify the theory of Professor Wise, who
heid that there were continuous air cur
rents over the Atlantic between the United
States and Europe. He maintained that
at a certain height the current moved in
one direction. and at different elevation
the air was blown the other way. Accord
ing to this theory q balloon could be
made to move either way across the At
lantic by simply keeping it at the right
level.
1t was planned to have big balloon
and 10 that end Professor Wise contracted
with Goodsell Bros. of New York to
supply one Of twilIed silk with capacity
of 600, 600 cubic feet of gas. The balloon
was made of material similar to cotton
muslin instead of silk, ana when the
makers brought it to Prospect Park,
Brooklyn, for Professor Wise's inspection
he com planned of the material but agreed
10 accept it if it would stand imitation.
Accordingly great preparations were
made for the starting of the voyage. The
balloon was to carry directly beneath it
circular canvas house II feet in diameter
and feet high for use in scientific OBJ
servations. Suspended next beneath was
a wicker basket for the passengers and
next under it was a complete Iifeboat
fitted for navigation anywhere at sea.
Shortly before the day for starting in.
ouiry was made for man who would go
with the party and act as navigator should
the strange craft sink to the ocean. In
tkjs way Shaw came to be chosen.
"There were five of US who were to go
on the air passage" said Mr.. Shaw to the
writer. 1.-The party comprised Professor
Wise. Professor Donaldson, another we'll
known aeronaut, scientist from Wash
inoton and reporter for the Daily
Graphic. Many newspaper accounts of the
expected voyage were printed, but at my
urgent request my name was omitted
from them.
sOn the day we were to start there were
probably 20, 900 people grouped about the
queer craft, Notwithstanding high ad-
mission fee, and thousands more looked
on from trees and housetops.
''The imitation of the huge sack was
begun, common Illuminating gas being
used. Tons of canned goods more than
we could carry had been contributed. The
outfit included cage of carrier pigeons,
among which was the then celebrated
record breaking bird Ariel There was
tupply of rubber floats to be dropped into
the sea where they might be picked up by
passing ships.
LAS the initiation progressed 200 men.
aided by lines attached to forty tons of
sandbags, held the captive balloon, but
when it was only three-fourths filled there
came. q sudden puff of wind which caused
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

The marvellous feat of taking photo
graph through lens composed OF a
beetles eye is the achievement of which
DR.. G. F. Allen of Aurora. ILL.,, can boast.
The result which is pictured in the ac-
companying illustration is that separate
outline of the image at which the camera
is directed is seen on every one OF the
hundreds of facets which are part and
parcel of the eye of the insect so familiar
to us all.
This is the first instance where anything
of the sort has been accomplished. Here
rofore there has been any quantity OF
theory but great lack of practice. Now
we have the practice in the most convlnc-
ing OF forms--a photograph. 1t all came
about through curious statement made
at meeting of the British Scientific Asso-
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20
ROWING THROUGH THE AIR.

practical if only the balloon principle were
com bined with that of a motor.
Experimenting along this line" said
he, II constructed working model about
thirty feet in length. There was enough
balloon about it to make 1t float, or nearly
SO. II was cigar-shaped, with life boat
underneath. Extending up from the
center was a shaft on which was screw
propeller TO be used TO elevate or depress
the craft. The advance, or horizontal
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20
How a Ligbt-Keeper Rowed Through 4ir.
SanPedro Man Who Participated in Famous Gtempt to
the Atlantic in q Balloon WITH Pair Of Oars.

motion, was obtained by a screw propeller
attached to a shaft extending to the rear.
This shaft could be readily bent horizon
tally 50 as to give steerage. For motor
operated the model with a powerful
spring, wound like one in q clock.
II tried the model in large building.
When wound it would run for fifteen
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

minutes, humping against the walls and
roof in. an animated style. / found it
would cost me 10000 to build an airship
for practical use on this plan. / presented
the case to General George B. Mcclellan,
who gave me a hearing, but was so busy
with his New York dock contracts he
could not give it further attention. Peter
Cooper. founder of the famous institute
that bears his name, displayed evident in
terest in it and declared he would like to
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

The Archduchess Maria Therese of
Austria, by steady course of gymnastics
and calisthenics, has developed such ex-
traordinary muscular power that, after go
ing from DUN bbells to Indian clubs and
from clubs to trapeze, she can raise a full
hand and hold him in the air for several
seconds. So say the Austrian papers.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

the great bag to collapse. This at once
ended the undertaking. and the would-bs
passengers stood there IN the midst of
that crowd looking about as sheepish as
men well could under such circum-
stances"
But this failure stimulated Shaw in a
fancy that an airship could be made
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

, cold. If we had climate like California
it would be a good deal richer country
than this. But even in summer time there,
if you dig down foot underground, you
will come to ice. Somehow it may be
pretty hot, but the ice never melts. You've
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

are about 800 people wintering at Circle
City, and next summer it is believed there
will be a rush there. The camp ought to
be big and booming one.
II have had all kinds of experiences
sandwiched into my Life. The only mis-
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

The sack" is all busted;
All ragged ana tattered;
And Coils no longer will fill it with "tin."
E-rp's blunderbuss rusted
VIII mend what is shattered
And its fame Will suffice TO scare more shekeIs in
For stories salscious
Come nickels. by gracious!
And what if they prompt the young people to sin
Take murder. foul scandal,
The acts OF II vandal;
Oh! welcome are they for they bring shekels in!
Hurrah for sensation!
Hurrah for all evil
Hurrah for whatever can infamy wini
Hurrah for my papers
Hurrah for the devilt
Hurrah for all things tina can bring nckels In!
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

got 1t there always. For this reason it is
hard work mparatively to mine.
'But made $4,000 Ill cash up there, and
besides that own four good claims. Two
of the claims are in Deadwood Gulch and
the two others are on Holiday Creek. l
consider them very valuable property. /
am going back there in the spring. There
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

1t is not generally known that at one
time the vergers were instructed TO shoot
pigeons at st. PauPs, London, to keep
down their numbers. They were shot
from the steps at the western front OF the
Cathedral, when the area before, these
steps was .inclosed. This was pat a stop
to thirty years. ago.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

Press. could have been worked in to ad-
vantage, to the delight and edifcation oi
all California, where there is cultivated
fon6ness for excellent portrait WORK:
was hatched OF hungry kite..
I live on liver and fly by night!
Watch me chaw up the whole blame town!
BiR! Gur-r-r! Hold me down!
Pm yelping wolf of the rocks!
can wanop 'em in my socksl
I've had meal OF papoose!
Whop! Whack! Lemme loose!
I'm the son Of bowling blizzard!
I've got pockmarks on my gizzard!
I've learned all their names verbatim
Zip Bang! Lemme at 'em!
There are SO many episodes in which
the proprietor of the New York Charnal
and. the San Francisco Examiner has
figured that the muse, even a "day
detail' muse, need not have been at loss
for themes.
Appended are few suggestions fur
nished by a contributor who courts the
muse at distances:
Willie Jay Wprst" sings:
lam happy in my dealings
With the masses.
Pm check they think ou steaings--
They asses.
chink thirty thousand dollars
While "reform" loudly hollers;
I've stock of S. p. collars
And some passes.
I've knife put up my sleeve for
Pasadena,
I've cyclone they will grieve for.
Twill be keener
Than a knife; for, though I'm taking,
On their marrow bones they're gu aking,
Though my blacKmail undertaking
Left me leaner.
The San Francisco call., 1896-12-20

There are IN Paris 5000 women who are
heads Of mercantile houses.