davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
Queer Funeral Habit in Cuba.

There are queer, and sometimes
touching, superstitious practices in
the island. One that I witnessed in
Santiago de Cuba-I do not know if it
obtains in other parts of the country
is poetic in its weird sentimentality.
The dead are carried in an uncovered
coffin to the graveyard, where the lid
is fastened on at the last moment; but
at the funeral of child there is no
sign of mourning. The little corpseis
clad in some gauzy white fabric and
crowned with flowers; young children,
the companions of the deceased, walk
on either side of the coffin. They arc
dressed in white, with bows of bright
colored ribbons; each carries o small
basket filled with shredded petals Of
flowers, which they, from time to time,
throw by the handful in the mir, the
fragrant leaves falling like raindrops
around the little corpse. Musicians
playing lively airs precede the coffin,
which is invariably carried by hand.
The people say the sinless child is an
angel returning to heaven, which
should give cause for rejoicing, notfor
grieving. A rather too realistic illus
tration of this belief was given once,
when the dead child's eyes were kept
open by some contrivance, its cheeks
and lips rouged, and pair of gauze
wings attached to its shoulders.-New
York Sum-
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
Novel Surgical Operation.

Reports made of q most interesting
surgical operation performedat Parma,
Italy, by Professor Camille Verdelli,
in the presence of all the physicians
of the Parmese Hospital and with very
satisfactory results. The operation
was nothing less than the washing of
q youths heart-the first OF the kind,
the washing apparatus employed be-
ing one lately invented by Professor
RiYa. After making the necessary in
cision, Professor Verdelli first cleaned
the pericardium of the patient,
twelve-year-old boy, of the pus which
had there accumulated, and then pro-
ceeded to wash the heart with strong
solution of soda biborate-borax. The
attendant success was indicated by the
fact that no further complication arose,
the boy doing well and at once ad-
vancing to complete recovery, and it
is stated that the eminent professor
has received numerous appreciative
communications relating to his skill
from surgeons all over Europe.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
A Peculiar Optical Illusion.

The correspondent ola Photographic
journal, in speaking of the special in
terest that attaches to the Roentgen
rays among photographers, who often
are not in position to invest in elab-
crate and expensive sets of apparatus,
says it is not generally known that by
means of very simple optical illusion,
an almost perfect imitation of the
wonders of the photography can be
shown without the trouble and ex-
pense OF induction coils, tubes Of
fourescent screens. All that is nee
essary is to take small feather from
a pheasant or turkey, and holding it
close to the eye look through the ra-.
dating ribs at the end Of the feather
at the fingers of the hand held up to-
wards the sky, or against the window.
The flesh of the fingers will then ap-.
pear to be transparent, with the oraque
bone running down in the center as
shown by the true photography. IF it
is desired to exhibit the phenomenon
by gaslight piece of ground glass
must be held in front of the fame to
difuse the light.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
uara "a q Lake of Ink

In the middle Of the Cocopah hills,
in Arizona, is what is known as the
Lake of Ink. Though supplied by
beautiful springs Of clear water, the
liquid of the lake is black and OF an
ink-like character. The temperature
varies from ITO degrees to 216 degrees,
according to the locality, and the water
feels smooth aud oily. According to
the Indians, not only of the vicinity,
but far away, the waters of the lake
have strong medicinal qualities, though
most white people would hesitate to
adopt the mode of treatment pre-
scribed The invalid is buried up to
his mouth in the hot volcanic mud for
from twenty to thirty minutes. Then
he is carried, covered with mud, to the
edge of the lake, into which he is
plunged from fifteen to twenty min
utes, after which he is rolled in o
blanket and allowed to sweat on the
hot. sulphurous aand or rock near by.
The cures wrought are said to be Won
derful
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
When Blondin Was Afraid.

When Blondin was astonishing the
world by exhibitions of his wonderful
feats of balancing, one of his favorite
jokes was to offer to carry some dis
tinguished spectator across the rope
with him on his back. Everybody
naturally refused, and the great equi-
librist, with genial smile, would say:
ct am sorry you are afraid I should
drop you" But he was hoist once
with his own petard, and the story is
told in the Washington Post. He was
exhibiting in Paris, and was about to
cross the Seine on his rope. Cham,
the great caricaturist, had come to
make sketch. Blondin, recognizing
him, at once invited him to cross with
him. "With pleasure, replied Cham,
"but on one condition" "And that
is?" queried Blondin. '"That I shall
carry you on my back" answered
Cham. "Not if I know myself" an
swered Blondin. "Ah," triumphant
ly exclaimed Cham, "this time, NJ.
Blondin, it is you who are afraidl"
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
A Medical Warning.

All medical men of large experience
have frequently met with cases in
which patients have placed bottle of
medicine to their lips and taken a
draught Of its contents in dark room,
under the impression that there was
"only one bottle upon that shelf, u
when in reality some other member of
the family had placed other bottles
there. In this way serious cases of
poisoning have occurred. In other
instances wife rising in the night to
give some medicine to her husband or
child has picked up the wrong bottle
in the dim light, and administered q
fatal dose, with terrible result.
Where medicine is ordered in drops,
you should always obtain medicine
dropper from drug store, and avoid
attempting to drop the medicine from
the bottle, Us it requires very steady
hand and accurate counting to avoid
mistake.
Finally, let me warn you against one
common habit, which is closely con-
nected with the use of bottles contain
ing old medicines, and is strongly
condemned by oculists, who most fire.
quently meet with 1.-THE habit of
preserving old medicine droppers
which have been used for dropping
fluids into the eye. Quite frequently
powerful medicines dry in these drop
pers, and when they are used some
months afterward for the introduction
Of eye washes they produce symptoms
which very seriously alarm the pa
tient, and which may to some extent
mystify the practitioner. The Chau-
fououa
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
How to Sleep ut Will.

According to the newest theory OF
sleep, that curious phenomenon results
from the brain being literally drowned
in blood. The Psychologist who has
made this discovery has also found out
how you may regulate your period OF
sleep to the minute, and wake as regu-
larly as the punctual cock. All you
have to do isto raise OF lower your
head by means of pillows of various
thicknesses. If you want to sleep
longer than you do at present, lower
the pillow and let in more blood on the
brain; if you want to sleep less, raise
your pillow and let in less blood.
Never take narcotic drugs, as they in
jure the brain, but lower the pillow
more and more till sleep comes. You
need not go to the expense Of buying
an alarm clock, either, since this sim
pie plan will enable yon to awake OF
any hour.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
UseS of Steel.

We ride to New York on steel
road over steel bridges, stay at o steel
frame hotel, and take steel steam
ship to England, country whose CIV
ilization rests on steel. Our farmers
use steel plows, our merchants steel
safes, our manufacturers steel boilers
and steel ater-wheels, our carpenters
steel nails, and our soldiers fire steel
guns from behind steel shields. Steel
nails are so cheap that if carpenter
drops one it is not worth his while to
pick it up, for ten seconds of his time
is worth more than the nail. They
are SO cheap that it pays to lose them.
Hartford Comm Courant
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
AIinrosconic Writing.

A machine has been invented, which
is composed Of exquisitely graduated
wheels, running tiny diamond point
at the end of an almost equally tiny
arm, whereby one is able to write
upon glass, the whole Of the Lords
prayer within space which measured
the two hundred and ninety-fourth
part of an inch in length by the four
hundred and fortieth part of IN inch
in breadth, or about the measurement
of the dot over the letter ''T" in COM
mon print. With shis machine any
one who understands operating itcould
write the whole 1856, $50 letters of the
Bible eight times over in the space of
an inch-a square inch. A specimen
of this marvellous microscopic writing
was enlarged by photography, and
every letter and point was perfect and
could be read with ease.-Philadelphia
Record
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
Fire In a Curious Place.

A fire has occurred, of all curious
places, in the ice-cold storage vaults
of O New York firm. While the fire"
men were at work a vessel containing
ammonia used in the refrigeration ex-
ploded, instantly spreading its fumes
in all directions. For several hours
the fremen fought the flames in the
cellars, working in freezing at
mosphere amid sitting smoke and am
monia vapor. Ultimately, however,
the fire was subdued. One fireman
lost his life, while two were taken to
the hospital, suffering terribly from
the effects of the ammonia and the in
tense oold.-~-Seieatife American,
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
Legislator a Victim of His Own Law

This is the story of man who was
hoist by. lis own petard. His name
is Ira N. Terrill, and he was the first
victim of the capital punishment law
in Oklahoma, escaping on technical
ity. He is the author of the Law, hav-
ing been member of the lower House
of the Territorial Legislature.
After much work his labors were re-
warded and the bill making hanging
the punishment for murder became G.
law. Shortly after the Legislature ed
journeti Terrill and o man named
George Embree had o discussion in
the land Office in Guthrie over plot
of ground. Terrill drew his revolver
and shot Embree dead.
Terrill was tried before Judge Dale
and was found guilty and sentenced to
death. His attorneys were clever,
however, and obtained new trial for
him on the plea that the crime was
committed on that part of Guthrie
known rs the Government Acre" be-
longing to the United States and that
therefore the trial should have been
before United States court.
At the second trial he ewas sentenced
to twenty years imprisonment and
confined in prison. Then his attor-
neys tried to get third trial OH habeas
corpus proceedings and did so well
that he obtained his freedom. He
was at once rearrested by the authori
ties and retired and sentenced to
twelve years Imprisonment.
Scarcely had he been placed in Jail
when he and number of cattle thieves
broke out and escaped into the Ozark
Mountains, where Terrill remained two
years.
About year ago he made an effort
to visit some relatives in Kansas, when
he was recognized and captured. He
was taken back to the penitentiary
and is there now, awaiting the de-
cision of the courts as to which SEN
sence he shall fulfil.-New York Jour-
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
Humorous Signs.

Of unwittingly ludicrous or humor-
GUS signs there are plenty. A tin
smith near Exeter, England, has sign
which reads, "Quart measures of all
shapes and sizes sold here" At q
market-town in Rutlandshile the fol-
lowing placard was affixed to the shut
tiers Of matchmaker who had decamp-
ed, leaving his creditors mourning:
"Wound up and the handspring
broke" Equally apnosite was one in
Thomaston, Ga. On one of the
principal streets the same room
was occupied by physician and
shoemaker, the disciple of Galen in
front while he of St. Crispin's trade
worked in the rear. Over the door
hung the sign "We repair both sole
and body" On the windows OF
London coffee-room there appeared the
notice: "This coffee-room removed up
stairs till repaired" The proprietor
of the place was not IN Irishman,
though the framer of the notice over
the entrance to a French burying-
ground, "Only the dead who live in
the parish are buried here" must
have been. One may see in the win
dows of, q confectioner in Fourth
avenue, New York, "Pies Open All
Night" A Bowery placard reads,
"Home-Made Dining Rooms, Family
Oysters" while a West Broadway
restaurateur sells Homemade Pies,
Pastry, and Oysters, and still another
caterer, on East Broadway, retails
'"Fresh Salt Oysters" and Larger
Beer" 'tBoots Polished Inside" is
frequent sign in New York, and on
Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, there is
Stationary Library" the latter is
really circulating library, and the
word Stationary" adorns one window,
and Library the other Philadel-
phia has sign reading "Ho Made
Pies!" and barber shop in the same
city bears this inscription on its win
dow, Sc. Washington Smith, tonsor-
ial abattoir. "-Demorest's Magazine,
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
Glass Blowing by Machinery.

For more than year past some OF
the best machinists in the country have
been working in secret toperfect ma
chine that will blow glass in o way
that would be profitable to fruit jar
manufacturers. The machinists have
been at work in private, and it is now
announced on good authority that the
patent has been so perfectly con-
structed that the work can be done
with it even better than with the blow
pipe in the hands Of g skilful blower,
and one machine will do the work Of
three blowers, each of whom earns
from 81 to Sc per day, and the ex-
pense of operating it will be less than
half. The machine was made perfect
some time ago. The company is now
building machines for use next sea-
son, and the Indications are that when
the hundreds of blowers return for
work September in Muncie they will
find many places filled by machines
Indianapolis Jan"nal.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
About Tea.

The ancient way of preparing tea
was not very appetizing to those
familiar with it, but 'what the eye
does not see the heart Gun not grieve. T"
The mode of packing it, in China, was
to have the natives tread the leaves
into the boxes with their naked feet,
and, as Chinamen's feet are not al
ways scrupulously clean, the effect on
those who saw the operation was not
favorable They used to say that
sauer kraut was packed in similar
manner among the German families of
Pennsylvania, but that was probably
slan6er. At any rate, it is believed
that tea packing is now carried on in
cleanly manner.
There are hundreds of different
kinds of tea, and the best undoubtedly
goes overland to Russia. When tea
arrives at the London docks it is sent
in sealed vans to warehouses uptown,
emptied out on large floors and
bulked, so as to makesthe samples
even. The tea is then put back into
the chest, and all the members of the
tea board or the tea trade are allowed
two ounces from every parcel, which
makes largo quantity in the aggre-
gate. -Four days in the week there
are public sales, which often amount
to 80, 900 packages at time. There
are regular tea testers employed at
large salaries to test the samples.
Some of these experts continue their
work, during the entire day. If they
swallowed the tea they tested they
would drink hogshead during the
twelve hours. The tea tester must
have the digestion of M ostrich, the
strength of lion and the nerve of an
elephant to endure what he has to
undergo day after day.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
A Caprice of Fortune.

tI noticed in tn colyumus of the
daily pr-press that Actor Bancroft was
knighted by tn gr-r-racious hand of
the lady queen. Now, who in Erebus
is Bancroft?"
"Barnsy, me boy, I dunno I un-
derstood he was retired"
Goods! Listen to that! Retired!
Such is our -rofession. The obsolete
and spawned old laid-on-t he-shoif gets
garters, while we active ornamentous
of the stage can't even connect with
dime suspenders Truly it is parlous
world" Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
lit MADE THEM WILD"
The Reason Why Apache Indians Wear
Their Hair Long.

tioit ISuSs
As with Samson of old, the Indians
wildness lay in their long hair, which
the returned educated Indians wore
because, as they boasted, ''It made
them wild" All energies were bent
to compel the adult males to. cut their
hair and adopt civilized attire in vain.
Even the police would not wear their
uniforms. A proposition to cut their
hair, from former agent, resulted in
q mutiny. The duties of the police
are to arrest. offenders and to herd
the beef cattle purchased for their
own consumption. Rations were con-
siderably increased 10 the police to
make it worth their while to think
twice before leaving the force, and
they were informed that when there
were no police to herd the beeves the
tribe would go without. That was
different proposition. Two members
who had been to school were dis
charged for wearing long hair. One
old fellow, as special favor, cut his
hair, but it cost me SIS. His wife
made his life burden, and he in turn
| appealed to me to hasten with the
rest.
By using rations and other supplies
as a lever, 1 induced few more to
cut, and then I directed the police to
cut theirs or leave the force. They
reluctantly complied, but once ac-
complished they were only too eager
to compel the rest, and they cheer
fully, under orders, arrested and
brought to me every educated Indian
on the reservation. There were
twenty of these, gorgeous in paint,
feathers, long hair and blankets, edu-
Gated at an expense of thousands Of
dollars, living in their brush shelters
wilder than any uneducated Indian
on the reservation, and fully as lazy
and ambitionless. The "leaven" had
failed to work. The mass absorbed
them and compelled them to hack
slide. They soon had hair cut and
q suit of clothes put on them. The
Indian office, at my request, issued q
peremptory order for al to cut their
hair and adopt civilized attire; and in
six weeks from the start every male
Indian Ind been changed into the
semblance of decent man, with the
warning that confinement at hard labor
awaited any backsliders. There has
been none, and the task of moving
them upward has been perceptibly
easier from the time scissors clipped
off their wildness. The Outlook.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
Tho Power of Imagination.

Imagination is nearly always spoken
of by the unthinking as misty and
unimportant something, or is regarded
as reprehensible. ''D'u't let your
imagination run away with you" is a
sentence which has chilled, if not
checked, the enthusiasm of most of
us. But imagination is really the
master-builder of ones most satisfac-
tory structure; and when it 'sruns
away with" one, becomes the most
powerful dynamic in the world. What
does imagination mean? Imaging;
building q thought-pattern, q mental
model, an ideal. Nothing great was
ever achieved without enthusiasm" )"
declares Emerson. Imagination il
enthusiasm's vital principle, its in
ward life, its kindling fire.
Imagination 'sran away with Peter
the Hermit, and across continent
tramped, with great loss and terrible
suffering, thousands Of people follow
ing IN illiterate and hitherto unknown
man who had magnetized himself and
his followers by the thought-pattern
of the Christ tomb free from Moslem
possession. Carthage fell and Rome
became supreme because imagination
ran away with" Cato in picturing the
destruction Of the African metropolis,
and kept his zeal at white heat till tho
rival of the Eternal City was de-
molished. We have the electric tele.
graph and the submarine cable bc-
cause imagination took the bits in her
teeth and gave Samuel Morse and
Cyrus Field no rest till the world
revolutionizing messages were clicked
and flashed out in intelligible language.
We ride, and light our homes, and
cook our food by electricity because
imagination got on so unstoppable a
canter with Edison.-Demorest's Maya
zine.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
PlTH AND POINT.

The happy people are not those who
do right, but those who are blessed
with it.-Atchison Globe.
The secret of success has been fair
ly we'll kept, considering that so many
people aretanxious to tell all about it.
Puck.
Ruralville -"Did you enjoy
the band concert last night?" Another
Ruralville Citizen-''All but the mu-
sic. Puck.
A close friend is one who will not
lend you any money, and dear friend
is one who borrows all you will give
him.-Columbus State Journal.
First Golfer-"Did you hear about
Weaver? He's learning to play lawn
tennis" Second Golfer-"He must
be paying an election bet. Brook
lyn Life.
A person who judges solely by
baseball standards can't be made to
see how itwas that Turkey won when
Greece made all the runs.-Philadel-
phia Times.
Ethel-"Wonder why Good Friday
is called Good Friday?" Freddy
"Why, you s'prise me--it's named
after Robinson Crusoe's faithful SER
want, of course. Judge.
"Do you mean to say that you have
actually seen such fashion as that?"
"CertainlyI have" HWhere?" Son
the fashion page of Sunday news
paper. Chicago Evening Post.
"My wife has joined o physical
culture class" remarked the Judge.
Cali the exercise my wife takes is to
run up dry goods and millinery bills"
replied the Major.-Pittsburg Chron-
icle-Telegreph.
Clara-sT don't know how Jcu
manage to break offyour engagements,
and still keep them as friends. I
can't" Maude-" "But I always make
it pointto return all their presents. "
Brooklyn, Life.
ST have proposed to seven girls al
ready this season." said Timmins,
"and I haven't been able to get ac-
cepted once Dinged if I am not be-
ginning to feel like one of my poems. "
Indianapolis Journal.
s'Did you hear old Gotrox boasting
that his life had always been free and
open to the observation of all the
world?" ST did. And yet everybody
knows that his first big money was
made in "a corner. indianapolis
Journal
sI seeithat some scientist claims
that death is largely matter of habit,
depending upon thought and all that, I"
he said. j"Nonsense," she replied.
"Did you ever know any one who was
in the habit of dying?" she returned.
Chicago Post.
"Mrs. Stebbins is the meanest wo-
man on earth." "What has she done
now?" eShe gave her little boy
slice of bread and butter, and told him
to go out and sit where he could smell
the blackberry jam Mrs. Perkins was
making. y Chicago Record. =
stYez know Casey, the contractor, "
said Mr.. Dolan. "oi do," replied
Rafferty,. ''Is he what ye'd call re-
liable?' sHe is the most reliable
man Oh i7er knew. Whinever he
tells yez anythin' ye kin depind on it's
not bein' SO. o.."-Washington Star.
"Does your wife take any interest
in current politics?" asked the earnest
woman. "Naw, replied Mr.. Sod
farm, "she don't. But if it's eurraut
jelly or currant pie, why, allow she
could tell you more things about 'em
m you ever dremp of. Household
Words.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-15
Wealthy, But in the Poorhouse.

Though worth $4,000, James Web
ster, farmer living four miles from
Eldora, Iowa, will probably die in the
county poorhouse. When the panic
Of 1893 came Webster turned his prop
erty into $4,000 in coin, and buried
it in casks upon farm which he still
held rs q tenant. Three months ago
his mind failed and although he seems
to have some recollection Of burying
his money, he cannot remember the
hiding place. He is now a charge up
IN the county, having no relatives
upon whom he can depend for sup
mort