davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1896-11-14
CHOP WOOD FOR 4 SBAND.
Axes vigorously Wiel!cd b.. Pretty
Girls-LONcrs Referees.

From the Piitst,rg Commercial Gazette.
There was a novel wood-cuttinS contest
in the seventh ward of Williamsport, Pa,
Tuesday. in which five young women took
part. The girls are all employed in the Ly-
coming rubber factory. and, having holi-
day. they turned their time to good ac
count. JesiIe settling much-disputed
question as tc which was the most en-
titled to a husband. The girls are Bess
Mayors, Flora Mahl Lille Mahl, Lille
Dunlap, Belle Gouldy and Mary Russell. all
pretty, vivacious young women. who earn
their cwn living and make good wages III
the rubber factory. In banter the other
day one of the girls proposed that thev
have a wood-chopping contest. and the one
who prov ed herself to be the champion
cutter should be entitled TO a husband
while the others. it was agreed must wait
two years before joining fortunes with her
best beau.
Tuesday morning the girls. each with a
brand new AK. bedecked with red. white
and blue ribbons. marched into the back
yard cf Widow Hartnaan's home and made
an assault on the woodpiie. Widow Hart
man is a helpless invalid. she having fallen
and hurt herself quite badly last winter.
Her daughter Lou works in the rubber fac
terry. toe, and she was one OF the movers
in the wood-cutting scheme, although she
took no part in the contest.
Five loads CT hemlock slab wood. cut to
StcFe itiS tHS Hau Deen delivered at W idOS-
Hartmans place the day before-the girls
paying for ft-so there was plenty of ma
terial for them on which to test their
strength and skill. But the way the rib
bcaei axes flew and tongues wagged was
only equaled by the shower of split sticks
that gradually piled themselves ND aro ,ni
each choppins block. William Baskins and
Joseph Schell were there as referees. One
OF the young men, however. hal a more
direct interest in the contest than being
Judge, 1Or of the uiYiS
heart. and. according 10 th, COMPACT if
she proved one of the losers in the contest
ne would be compelled to wait two long
years before she could become his wife For
tcur hours the wood-chopping went on:
the girls got red in the face: they rolled nm
their sleeves until their plump pink arms
were barred almost to the shoulders and
whacked away at the hemIock blocks as
though their lives instead of q husband de-
pended upon it.
FINALLY Il O'clock CAM, ard at the end
of that time there Were five weary Derspir-
ing girls and five big piles of nicgly-split
hemlock wood for Widow Hartman But
1Gf the life OF them the referees could no;
decide between the piles of wood cut by
MISS l'uEiap and Miss Russell as to which
was the larger. And. indeed, rf.er rakinc
over all the sticks and counting hem sepa-
fateiE. the discovery was made that the
TWO girls had cut exactly alike. The. con-
test was declared draw. And now all the
niarrlageable young men of the seventh
ward are casting their eyes with favor in
the direction of these fair young women
who gallantly demonstrated their ;bili-
ty to cut firewood.
Evening star., 1896-11-14

Mrs. Seaton Perry is generally envied her
good fortune in possessing the handsome
bay cobs which she drives to her brougham
or cabriolet.
Mr. and Mrs. James F. Oyster have 8
new team in addition to their others, which
consists OF cross-matched pair, a bla ck
ana light gray cob. They are driven
to victoria a brougham, while Mr..
Oyster frequently spins them along to a
brake.
Mr.. w. B. Hibhs owns what is generally
regarded as the prettiest cob in this sec
ton He Is a housekeeping bay, with
action excellent all around, and he is
driven to a fancy trap.
The German ambassador has finely ap-
pointed stable. There are half dozen
horses in the stalls and the carriages COM
prise the victoria, landau, brougham and
two or three fancy traps. A big pair Of
Cleveland bays of good action are driven
on state and social occasions.
Secretary Olney has very attractive
turnout. He drives two bays and black
alternating the latter with one Of the pair.
and all are high steppers.
Mr.. Henry May owns pair of bays and
pair of chestnuts fine animals. that
make striking appearance TO the we'll
appointed traps to which they driven.
Mrs. G. w. Childs drives pair of big
blue roans to her landau and victoria.
Other Fine Turnouts.
Madame Bonaparte favors landau, to
which she drives a big pair of light browns
well matched and of excellent action. Miss
Bonaparte is very fond of driving and is
frequently seen in a fancy trap behind
housekeeping black cob.
Mrs. b. H. Warder has a well-appointed
stable. She has five horses, and they are
all good ones. Her carriages comprise the
usual fashionable assortment The Misses
Warder both drive.
Lieutenant Glover of the navy drives a
big pair of handsome grays to very large
landau. He also has a victoria and a
brcugham.
Congressman Hit OWNS particularly
stylish pair of chestnuts and a gray. He
mixes the latter III with the others, making
a very effective turnout
Mr.. A. &. Barney, Mr. S. S. Howiand and
Mr. and Mrs. Carroll Mercer have wel-ap-
pointed stables, but they will not be here
this winter.
The list might be heightened out almost
indefinitely, but enough have been de-
scribed to give good idea of the style
and. character of the equipages owned in
Washington. 1t may be well to explain
that the word cob utilized to describe some
of the horses mentioned in the foregoing
does not indicate breed of horses, but
merely the type of an animal, whe, +
he be blooded not. A cob is short
legged stocky. compactly built animal,
standing from thirteen hands three inches
to fourteen hands three inches. morse
of this description standing from fourteen
hands three inches to fifteen hands three
inches is called a hack. AS cob is
larger than a pony SO hack is larger
than a cob.
Evening star., 1896-11-14
MASSAGE BY ELECTRICITy.
An Ingenious Device by Which the
Current Is Applied.
From the New York Tribune

An Ingenious Device by Whicl, the
Current IL Applied.
From the New York Tribune
That there are still some new things un-
der the sun is proved by the anpesranco
recently of an ingeniously devised instru-
ment that makes possible for the first time
in medical annals anything IKE a satisf;:c-
tory nassagin3 CT the nose, throat ard ear
1t is only within the last few years that the
value OF massage as applied to the mucous
membranes of these organs has been appre-
clated and not until the French s:.vants
LOOK the subject up as a matter of fact was
mHch interest felt in it. Even when the eX-
celieHce OF the treatment was admitted It
was almost impracticable, since he raas-
sage had 10 De manual and skilled oner~
ators were rare. The new Instrument in
vented by an American ana ! part Of the
outcome of the recent delving into eiectri-
city for medical purposes, solves the prob
lem by working almost automatically and
requiring little else than simple ,tlidanrc
1t IS electrovibratory in its operation; that
is, button and spring work 80 as to
turn on and Shut off an electric current
with great rapidty. This mechanism
causes a vibration of the slender rod of
metal. on the further end CT which is a
button coming directly into contact with
the mucous membranes Different shaped
probes can be attached as occasion 1e-
IS extreme rapidity It's vibra tionS, their
coming at regular Intervals and The uni
form intensity of the strokes. Without
electricity these three conditions cannot be
realized.
The instrument is extremely siiaDie in
construction. 1t is light that it is easily
held in the hand. A short cylinder or box
holds two magnets, a rod designed TO move
forward end backward running between
them. ending in frcnt of the detachable
probe. At It's rear end is metal late
which is movable, On the neck of the ap-
paratus is an ivory button. whicn, Upon
pressure of the forefinScr of the physician
closes the circuit. The metal plate is at
that instant drawn forward by the magnet
and the rod likewise. A fraction cf a Sec
ond later the metal plate reaches its fore
most point. and the contact being inIo rrupt
ed is thrown back by spring. The button
beirg still neld down by the finger. the cir
cult is Immediately made again, and vibrl-
ton follows vibration in s"ift order.
The operator generally iliulnines the parts
he is about to work on. though this is not
absolutely necessary. For the most effect
i've treatment. the probe Is placed, not at
right angles to the place to he treated, but
at acute angle. Placed in this way il
does not tap, but rubs.
Evening star., 1896-11-14

other we test 1t by the use of the gal
vanometer. For instance, supposing one OF
our Philadelphia wires refuses duty. We
first ascertain if it is all right far as
Baltimore. If it is. then Baltimore finds
out whether the wire is working as far
as Wilmington.
If it is ali right to that point, we know
that the break must be somewhere between
Wilmington and Philadelphia, but we do
not know exactly where, and if it were
not for the Salvanometer it would be neces-
sary for a lineman to trace the wire all
the way from Wilmington to Philadelphia.
But the galyanometer measures with arith-
metical precision the quantity of electrical
escape in proportion to the mile of wire,
and by means of it's registering figures.
when il is used for testing in such cases,
it is perfectly easy to ascertain within
a few rods the exact distance of the break
from the point at which the test is made.
Thus the work of the lineman Is mapped
out for him before he starts out"
Looking for Breaks.
This is we'll enough when only one wire
has suspended business, owing to the
falling of rotten pole or the swapping
of the wire itself by reason of the ex-
pansion and contraction of heat and cold.
1t is when heavy storm has battered up
a conpany's whole system within a large
area of .ountry. when it is impossible for
a central office to call up anybody any
where, owing to the universal toppling of
poles and breaking Of wires. that the line
1nen have to do their own discovering.
At such times they go out in gangs
from the various district headquarters on
regular repairing trains. made up of three
or four cars. according to the number of
men in the gang. There is car for the
wire and tools. car or two for the mems s
sleeping berths and a cooking ear. A
special engine is attached to the train A
chief linen.an Is the. foreman of the gang.
which is composed of lnemen. ground
hands and pole raisers.'"
Evening star., 1896-11-14

rets appear upon the scenes of damage
with their repairing kits. LEemen are not
fond of winter. Their work in the summer
time. when they engaged in repairing
the injuries wrought to wire systems by
hot weather cyclones. is easy junket.ng.
compared with the exposure and hardship
of their labors during the cold months.
They do not particularly mind local work
on trunk or city lines when the cold
Snaps are on. but they abominate winter
field work when. after bl;zzards, the wires
tecoIne tangled and twisted in the wilder
nesses along the lines Of railroad.
Then they have to rough it after the
fashion of railroad construction gangs.
They have 20 work with extreme swiftness
if they wish tc hold their jobs. There is no
Sunday or holiday for a l:neman if his
colnpany's wires arc in bad shape. Neither
is there any night. He has got to keep at
work until his task is performed. In an
emergency. he is OF supposed to know
the meaning of the No-d .-sieap" He must
be imperrious to heat and cold. If he can,
he Is expected to get the wire he IS en-
gagged upon IN operating shape quicker
than the IineElan tinkering the parallel
iine of the other company.
Ii ne succeeds in doing this. he is given
credit fer scoop" ike the newspaper
reporter VINO hands IN to his city editor
red-hot. exclusive local news story. If he
doesn't succeed, he IS scowled upon by the
chief fireman upon his return to head
quarters from the field. and stands a good
chance of being laid eff for d siZeabie pc
riCd.
All Depends on the Weather.
NCtwithst anding these gray days in the
experience of the liI.eman. his lot is by no
means an unhappy one He is on waiting
orders a good part OF the time. and can
indulge in more than the average amount
OF loatng. But he cannot make social
dates ahead The weather is his monitor
and he watches the skies with the scruti-
niZirC eye of the sailor. He becomes so
proficient in forecastsng al all seasons that
he can often tell twenty-four hours be-
fore wire-deranginS and pole-leveliHg
storm that ne will soon have to strap on
his pole clutches. Sometimes he has moth
ing to do for months. If he is field line
man. If he is local lineman. he is apt
to be pottering around on the poles nearly
all of the time.
The telegraph companies that have Offices
in this city employ numbers OF linemen to
keep the local lines in shape. So does the
Evening star., 1896-11-14
A Pctrfzied Bronco.

From tho Denver Field and Farm
II. Clay Emmet young cowboy from
Bolton. Tex, reports a singular find made
by him during a cattie-huntirg round-up
in the Panhandle country recently. The
find was nothing more ncr less than a petri.
fled pony. standing erect and complete in
all its parts. Emmett says that he and his
partner b. c. Woodvile We're riding across
the prairie late one afternoon, when thei,
tired ponies neighed and whinnied as if
they were aware of the presence of another
animal Looking around, they discovered
what they thought was a bronco tethered
to a mesquite which crowned the summit
of little knoll to the northward
They rode up to the spot and found tha +
the horse was fastened by a chain hut
stood SO r1gfdly and seemed altogether so
mysterious that their own horses reared
and plunged as if in fright Finally they
d;smounted and found that the pony was
pe.rified. not a hair or a hoof amiss Em
met says that some ranchman wears ago
must have chained the poor horse there
leaving 1t to starve upon the plains AS
the ribs of the animal were plainly visible
in the petrifaction, and it seemed to have
been otherwise much emaciated this is
most probably the case Emmet will ar
range to have the strange find exhibited in
some museum. 1t frequently happens tha +
horses fall into the habit of going to sleen
while standing, and it must hay, hean
under these circumstances that the pan
handle bronco departed this life to jo;n The
great majority.
Evening star., 1896-11-14

shuEs them as much as they shun anything
like work. IL is true. there are a few of
the real cid-time tramns on the road, but
the average tramp the police knows hlls
now. is what they cali a pun" Many of
Them are Of the ca;iber OF majority of
the toXey army following. always willing
and ready to do anything that is not work
no matter whether that something be TO
steal, beg or obtain goods by intimidation
They are chiefly men who have chos, n
this mode Of life rather than Yrake a
struggle 10 become good and useful ciIizens.
The mere Mention OF work almost puts
them in condition for hospital treatment
and even in a hospital. were they asked to
clean floor they would manage to get out
the window before the water was sent TO
them.
On the outskirts of the city, as well as
N The county, people are being annoyed by
their appearing at hack doors and asking
Ter food Some of them go so far as to
demand food enough for day or two, and
Evening star., 1896-11-14
hundred wires. They tap the underground
conduits. and carry off the wires in all di-
Use of the Big Poles.

conduits. and carry off the wires in all di-
rectionS
Use of the Big Poles.
The exceedingly tall poles are only used
for underground conduit tapping. There is,
for instance, line OF these big poles on
street, adjoining the Smithsonian
grounds, between 1th and 10th streets, and
these poles. taking up. the wires from
the underground oonduits extended to their
bases, carry the telephone service through
out the major portion of the southwestern
district of the city. The telegraph CON-
panies Only have these tall poles in the
neighborhood cf their main and auxil-
iary offices, making use of them to carry
the scores OF wires leading from the offices
to the cross-arms of smaller poles.
A Star reporter asked Mr. Morell Marean.
Office, who lost some flesh and a powerful
amount of sleep in directing the patching
up of his company's wires hereabouts after
the late September cyclone. how iinemen
contrived to hit upon the exact point OF
break it wire that doesn't work A
lineinan who is sent to the field to repair
break in a wire paralleling the railroad
upon which he is riding never pays any
attention to the line running alongside the
track. He sits in the smoking car and
reads a newspaper until he comes to the
exact place of the break before he sets
out on the expedition.
ut is simple enough, replied Mr.. Ma
rean Before field lineman sets out
with his repairing kit he knows precisely
where he is going. When a wire de-
clines to work. and We feel reasonably
certain that it is down somewhere or an
Evening star., 1896-11-14

would be we'll treated and also of those
where there were dogs or where q stone
instead Of bread would be given them. IN
those days the road men We're permitted
to spend not more than three nights al n
station. but during good weather they sell
dom remained longer than a day, unless
they were taken sick or were particularly
well cared for. In severe ard stormy
weather most OF them remained to wear
cut their welcome, and a continuance OF
bad weather almost meant that they were
permanent guests of the city. In this way
they were able to go from one station 20
another, and by spending three nights at
station could put in almost a months
time The hardest part of it all, so far a
the tramps were concerned, was the fact
that they were not permitted to enter the
stations until after dark, and had to leave
soon after daybreak whether the weather
was good or bad. Many of them had sad
stories TO tell of why they were on the
road. and many a pitiful story of this kind
brought tears to the eyes of the tender
hearted and often times resulted in a
tramp being well fed and given a few pe,l-
nies to help him on his journey.
The Modern Tramp.
But the more modern tramp, the IRAN,
known to the police now. is an entirely dir-
ferent individual, and the genuine tramp
Evening star., 1896-11-14
EysIashex Made to Order.

From the Chicago Chronicle
In fashionable hair-ilressing parlor on
one Of the downtown streets one reads
the sign: "Eyelashes made to order
II do not know that there is anything
particularly novel about it, said the blonde
young woman who was asked for informa-
ton. 1--WE have done this sort of work for
MONTHS
"And have you many patrons in that
line?'
Not so many as we have in the other
branch of our business the removal Of hair
or wrinkles by means of electricity but
still we have some.''
And then she explained the process of
making artificial eyelashes An exceeding
ly delicate little instrument is used. 1t
consists of a needle operated through a
spring by means of the finger. At one end
of the needle is hair inserted. When the
operator is ready to work on the person
she takes the eyelid between two fingers
of the left hand The needle is then thrust
into the fleshy part of the eyeid, as close
to the eye as possible, and the tiny hairs
are actually sewed on.
Eyelashes thus manufactured are war
.raEted to last two weeks without REPAIRS
OF course the process hurts the patient but
what woman will not willingly submit to
suffering to retain her beauty and her
powers to charm?
Evening star., 1896-11-14
Jules Verne Sued for Libel

A libel suit was recently brought by Mr..
Eugene Turpin, the inventor of melinite. a
highly explosive substance, against Jules
Verne and his publisher. Hetzel The in
ventor considers himself insulted by the
latest work of the French novelist, and.
therefore, sues him for damages The new
hook is called Face au Drapeau' Facinr
the Flag. and its hero is described as an
nnscrupulous intriguant. In this character
the great explosionist thinks he has dis
covered resemblance to his own PERSONAL
ity but in reality it now appears that the
Panciastc Company, the manufacturers of
nelinite, are the real plaintiffs, although
Mr. Turpin Is but stockholder in that con-
Germ. 1t is very likely that scandal will
develop from this apparently simple libel
suit. and 1t is said that already some 200
witnesses have been supoenaed for the
trial.
Evening star., 1896-11-14

city. and even In some of the suburbs. al
though suburban underground telephone
systems are profitless affairs. 1t costs al
most as much to carry an underground
conduit to one suburban subscriber as it
does to give the same underground service
to a hundred suburban subscribers. The
only difference is in the matter of wiring
the cost of which is comparatively trif1ing
after the trench has been dug and the con-
duit gear placed.
The very TALL poles, from seventy to
eighty.five feet in height. which are a fea-
ture of Washington back yard. alley va
cant lot and even main street landscape
are nearly all telephone poles. These lofty
poles are the distributors Of the under
ground system, and many of them carry a
Evening star., 1896-11-14
LOCAL HORSE SHOW
III
Elegant Equipages That Roll Over
Washington Asphalt.
y q
STYLISH ANIMALSAND FlNECARRIAGES
WelI-known Residents Who Enioy
the Luxuries Of Life on Wheels.
INTER ESTING GALAXY
STYLISH ANIMhISAND FINECARRIAGES
INTER ESTING GALAXY
" HE ANNUA.

| HE ANNUAL RE-
currence of the New
York horse show al
ways awakens inter-
est in equines and
equipages in all parts
of the country and
attracts the attention
of communities to
their own possessions
along these particu-
lar lines. While no
other city can prob
ably boast of the
1l,pYp,hnt. ~ 49,, IT,, 80
Evening star., 1896-11-14
A Wicked Joke.

From the Pittsburg News.
Checks-'"They say the Esqufmaux are an
unenlightened people"
Drafts-'Funny. and yet they live on can
dies and lamp OIL"
Evening star., 1896-11-14
Annual "Trip to the Capital of the
Nation.
POLICE RECEPTION ARRANGEMENTS
Ambitious to Make Washington
Known as Workhouse Town.
THE GROW LER

VERY TRAMP IN
the country is head
ed this way" re-
marked a police lieu
tenant TO . Star re-
porter the other day.
Pro Sidcntiai years
always bring them in
large numbers, and
this winter there
will be mere CT them
than at any time
sin ce the visit of
CoXey's army
r
Evening star., 1896-11-14
A Jewel of a Maid.

a JewGF OY u N01Os
From Truth.
Mistress-"Do you understand all the du-
ties of Waitrees?"
Servant-"Yes, ma'am."
Mistress-"Can you make mayonnaise
dressfng?'
Servant-'No, am; but can do plain
sewing"
Evening star., 1896-11-14
h new better.

From the Detroit Free Press.
Miss kissam-"You seem depressed to-
night, Mr.. Dexter"
Mr. Dexter-"Yes. 1 am. I went TO a for
tune teller today TO find out my fate and L
was told that the girl I loved would not
marry me-
Miss Kissam-'But. Mr. Dexter no for
tune teller is authorized 10 speak for me"
Evening star., 1896-11-14

From the indianapolis journal.
Ruined by woman" he muttcred
moodily.
We do not see the point" said they who
overheard him.
Nor do l., he answered. Il wss speak
ing Of this lead pencil
However, she had left enough of il fol
him TO make renaissance. as it were
Evening star., 1896-11-14

Confessions of an Autograph Fiend.
From the New York Weekly.
First Autograph Fiend-'I don't see how
you got the autographs from all those great
poets.''
Second Autograph Fiend-"Easy enough.
I would write some Sweet Singer of Mlchi-
gam sort of verses, and print them In our
local paper under the name of the poet I
wanted to strike. Then I'd write to him,
asking if it was true that they were written
by him. I'd get red-hot letter in reply ev-
cry time
Evening star., 1896-11-14
BITTER EXPOSURES OF FHE WINTER
G. L 1 NJ B l n G P o l. E S
| ELEGRAPH A n q

I L. - L. ~ - u -
telephone linemen
are standing by
for the winter cam
paign. Wires laden
with Sieet and snow
go down in winter
like leaves before
the blasts Of au-
tumn. W hen they
give way, they al
most fall upon the
heads of the line
men. so quickly do
these electrical fer