davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24

road, or the kings highway. Not
wishing to part with their land so
cheaply as this, they, by means OF
various devices, prevented the king
from passing that way. This rudeness
was not relished by him, and he sent
commissioners to ascertain why he had
been thus insulted, and if no satisfac-
tory reply was given, doubtless inten-
ded to punish them by fines or other
wise. When they heard of the coming
of these men, they were anxious to
escape the threatened displeasure OF
the king, and adopted absurd plans
to throw the commission off its guard.
When the latter arrived at Gotham,
they found some of the inhabitants
trying to drown an eel in a pond
some dragging their carts and wagons
to the top of a barn, to keep the sums
rays from a wood in the vicinity ; and
some employed in hedging in cuckoo,
which had perched upon an old bush.
In short, they were all employed in
such q manner as convinced the com.
missioners that it was a village oi
fools, and consequently unworthy Of
his majesty's notice. On the other
hand, they having outwitted the king,
imagined they were very wise, and
hence the expression quoted. About
one mile south of the town of Gotham
stands a bush known as the "Cuckoo
Bush," which was planted on the site
of the one which the "wise fools' oi
Gotham were engaged in hedging in
on the memorable occasion alluded to
in the above story.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24
Copyright, 1896, by the Author.

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS lNSTALLMENTS.
In order that new readers OF THE EN-
oU1RER may begin with the following in
stallment of this story, and understand it
inst the same as though they had read it
all from the beginning, we here give
synopsis of that portion Of it which has
already been published:
CHAPTER Life in Walnut Creek, in
Tennessee, centers around Topmark'
store. Magnolia Tubbs, a mysterious
newcomer in the neighborhood, not with
out attractions of coarse type, IS noe
turnal caller on Topmark.
CHAPTER II.-Mrs. Topmark dies from
the poison of herbs brought to the store
by charm working Negress, ostensibly
to kill mice. Gossips and managing
mamma are trying to bring about match
between Topmark's niece, Alice Winfold, ,
and aristocratic Colonel Talbot's son Jack.
But spirited Rob McGregor, heiress OF
Roscoe, has been before jacks eyes from
childhood.
CHAPTER III.-Topmark covets the
Roscoe acres, which are heavily mort
gagged and adjoin his own. Rob is the
mainstay and comfort of her widowed
and blind father.
CHAPTER IV.-Jack Talbot is frequent
caller at Roscoe. So is the newly made
widower Topmark. Jack proposes to
Rob and meets with good humored re-
pulse.
mysterious land claim of value, and Top
mark seeks to control it.
CHAPTER VI.-Alice Winfold places
stumbling block in the path of true love
by telling Rob that Jack has proposed to
her.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24

A WONDERFUL CLoCK.-A railway
station is commonly supposed to offer
fewer attractions to the imagination
than any other spot on earth but a
certain matchmaker in Warsaw evil
dently found inspiration in one, for he
has used its shifting scenes as theme
in his own branch of art. He has
constructed clock whose mechanism
represents, every Is minutes, all the
activities OF a maniature railway sta
ton. Two quadrants in central tow
er give the time at Pekin and New
York. The telegraph operator sends a
dispatch, the doors of the station open,
the station master and his assistant
appear on the steps, the clerks open
the windows and distribute the tick
cts, several travellers rush toward the
train that comes in at full speed. In
short, until the train has gone, the
usual stir of such stations is exactly
reproduced. AS the train leaves, the
automatons return to their places, and
for quarter of an hour everything is
peaceful. The dimensions of this
clock are not given, but it is said to
have cost six years. labor.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24

seemed to him the finest heroism. 1t
was love or nothing with her. No buf-
feting of fate would ever be hard enough
to make her take a rich husband or one
in any way not to her mind.
Topmarkl The thought Of him was
ridiculous proclamation. At the most he
could only family annoy and harass Rob
before Jack could put himself in the
place which would authorize him to
protect her. The man might as we'll
think to mate with q star in heaven
And Jack grew hot under the collar
thinking that any lip could link his
loves name with that Of the bald,
greedy eyed storekeeper.
AS the road turned the corner Of Ros-
coe bounds Jack started and sat sudden
ly upright. Rapid hoofs, shadowy
figure, dashed by him in the Pickering
moonshine. That was not wonderful.
What astonished him was that the rider
was mounted upon Bonnybel and led ner
lusty colt, haltered and trotting beside.
TO BE CONTINUED.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24

A CHEERFUL PATIENT.-Harper's
Round Table reports the breezy hos
pital talk of an Irishman, whose wit
and good nature are alike commenda'
BILE. After all, it is just as we'll to
take things cheerfully-if he can.
Patrick was lying in bed in a hospit'
al. He had been brought in few days
before after a fall from the top of q
building on which he had been at work
With all his suffering he never lost his
cheerful spirits, and livened up many
of the other patients with his bright
remarks and short stories. The doc
tor happened along and asked him
how he felt.
"Fairly well, doctor. This right leg
of mine is very ungrateful spalpeen
consitherin' that it wuz only broke in
wan place, whin it moight have been
smashed in Dozen"
"How did you fall, Patrick?" the
doctor asked. "Did you lose your
head ?"
"Faith, no; sure it wuz me footin
Oh lost"
"What time did it happen ?"
"Well, Oi wuzn't so sure before
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24

SHOOTING BACTERIA FROM A RI
FLE.-One of the latest and most sim
gular experiments with bacteria is that
of a German investigator, Messner,
who has proved that those microscop-
| ic enemies to human life and health
can be fired out of gun without suf'
fering any apparent injury.
He has infected rifle bullets with
bacteria, and then fired the bullets
into tin boxes filled with gelatine
prearation suitable for the nourish.
ment of micro-organisms. Upon
watching the holes made by the bull
lets in the preparation, he found that
the precise forms of bacteria with
which the bullets had been charged
rapidly developed there, although it
was known that no organisms existed
in the gelatine previous to the ex.
pertinent. -,
He has even found that bullet will
pick up bacteria from the air during
its flight, or from clothing through
which it passes, and deposit them,
still active and living, in a gelatine
target! Truly science discovers more
wonders than fiction can invent.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24
THE SCHOOL BOOK BILL.
1t Will Give the Children Books at Net G

It Will Give the Children Books at Net Cost
Section 1. That the county boards
of education of the several counties o1
this state be, and they are hereby, au.
thorized and empowered to set aside
from the public school funds of their
respective counties an amount not ex-
ceeding $500 for the purpose of pro-
viding the pupils attending the free
public schools of their counties with
school text books at actual cost or ex-
change prices.
Sec. 2. That the amount so set
aside from the school funds shall be
be paid to the county superintendent
of education by the county treasurer.
out of the unappropriated general
school funds in his hands, on the war.
rant of said county board of education.
Sec. 8. That the amount so set
aside by the said county board of ed
ucation shall be, and remain, perma,
nent fund, in the hands of the county
superintendent of education, to be
used in purchasing and keeping on
hand school text books for sale to pu-
pills attending the free public schools
of his county, for cash, at actual cost
or exchange prices, and to be used for
no other purpose and in no other
manner.
Sec. 4. That for the full and just
accounting for said money and books,
and all his acts and dealings relating
thereto, the county superintendent Of
education shall be responsible on his
official bond.
Sec. 5. That no tax or license, eth
er state, county or municipal, shall be
imposed on or required of the county
superintendent of education on account
of the. purchasing and furnishing OF
said books to the pupils as aforesaid.
Sec. 6. That this act shall be gen.
eral act, and apply to all the counties
of the state, from and after its appro-
val.
Sec. 7. That all acts and parts OF
acts inconsistent herewith be, and the
same are hereby, repealed.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24
KEEP THEM AT HoME.-A newspa.

KEEP THEM AT HoME.-A newspa-
per in eastern North Carolina, recent
ly asked friend to report ball for
its columns. 1t was done, before the
paper went to press so many mothers
had requested the paper not to allow
their daughters names to appear in
the list that the newspaper man had
to apologize to his voluntary reporter
for the mutilation of his article. The
newspaper declared that the reason
most frequently assigned by the moth
ers for their action was that they did
not want their pastor to know that
their daughters attend balls. This
made the newspaper mad, and it has
announced that hereafter all names 60,
and if mothers don't want their daugh-
ters' announced as present at balls,
they must keep them at home. And
that newspaper is right.-Asheville
Daily Citizen.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24
DANGERS OF THE DIET FAD.-Ther,

DANGERS OF THE DIET FAD.-There
is not much danger, ordinarily, of our
children being starved. 7 But an idea
has lately been borrowed from Eng
land which we should be sorry to have
extend itself in this country-that of
keeping children on a spare diet to
prevent their becoming plump. 1t is
natural and right that young creatures
should be plump, says The Woman's
Home Companion, and the best medi-
cal authorities agree that just before
the great change from childhood to
youth begins, at the age of 10, store
of fat ought to be laid up as safeguard
against the unusual demands about to
be made upon their strength. 1t is
certainly mistake to deprive young
children of wholesome, nutritious food
to prevent the accumulation of flesh.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24

l@ In a number of the central and
southern provinces of the cars en-
pire the consumption of vodka, or
corn brandy, has been on so extensive
a scale as to seriously alarm the au-
thorities in St. Petersburg. The po-
lice of the localities in question have
been informed that they are to take
measures for making the drinking
shops as uncomfortable as possible.
No tables or chairs are to be permit
ted in the public rooms, the nechan-
ical organs are not to be permitted to
play after 9 o'clock, and the landlord
is. to be heavily punished if he allows
swearing or obscene language on his
premises.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24
p6- Mischievous persons in the west

s6r Mischievous persons in the west,
whose idea of fun consisted In fright
ening timid people by circulating false
predictions of approaching tornadoes,
have learned that the issue of counter.
felt weather predictions is punishable
under Federal law as is the issue of
counterfeit money. The counterfeiter
of government weather reports is a
misdemeanant whose crime subjects
him to fine of $500 or Imprisonment
for 80 days, or to both fine and impris-
onment. The law was intended to
prevent spectators from affecting the
price of agricultural products on the
exchanges by spreading spurious prog
nostications of the weather. 1t has
been invoked for the first time to sup
press the wild western "humorists."
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24

I~ The longest regular daily run
made without a stop by any railway
train in the world has just been placed
on the schedule of the Great Western
railway of England. 1t is made be-
tween Paddington station and Exeter,
distance of 1874 miles, in 8 hours and
SO minutes, by what is known as the
Cornwall express. 1t is remarkable
not so much owing to the time es for
the fact that not stop Is made from
one end of the run to the other. Ow-
ing to a peculiar construction of the
road at Bristol, 11s miles from Lon
don, the train is obliged to slow down
to speed of 10 miles an hour. This
express train is composed of six long
coaches, q tender and engine. The to-
tai weight of the train is POI tons.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24

A NEW INDUSTRY LOOMING UP
The frog industry is looming up in i'm
portance as one of great possibilities
in the future. A few months ago we
noted that it had been started at Eliza
beth City, N. c., under decidedly aus
picious circumstances. From the press
of New Jersey and Maryland we CLEAN
the information that this new industry
is hopping lively and promises to be an
exceedingly fourishing one. The de-
mand for frogs is on the increase in
the large cities Of the country, and
the prices realized for them are very
good. Formerly only the hind pedals
of the delicacy were used, but since
modern epicures demand that the
vocalist be barbecued and served
whole, the value of the traffic has
been doubled. Who can tell but that
in the near future frogs may figure as
one of the products of the farm where
creeks and mill-ponds abound9 The
expense of culture and the cost OF pro-
duction will not be prominent factor
in this industry.-Southern Cultivator.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24

HARD WoRKERs.-There is one
class of laborers who never strike and
seldom complain. They get up at five
O'Clock in the morning and never 20
back to bed until 10 or II o'clock at
night; they work without ceasing the
whole of that time, and receive no
other emolument than food and the
plainest clothing; they understand
something of every branch of economy
and labor, from finance to cooking
though harrassed by a hundred re-
sponsibilities, though driven and wor-
ried, though reproached and looked
down upon, they never revolt, and
they cannot organize for their own
protection. Not even sickness releases
them from their posts. No sacrifice is
deemed too great for them to make,
and no incompetency in any branch OF
their work is excused. No essays or
books, or poems are written in tribute
to their steadfastness. They die in
harness and are supplanted as quickly
as may be. These are the housekeep-
ing wives of the laboring men.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24
aetistellat1sulls geading.
HOW HE. PAID The MINISTER.

The wife of well-to-do vermont
farmer called the attention of her
husband to newspaper article descrlb'
ing a wedding out west, where the
groom had compensated the minister
for his services in farm produce. Chow
ridiculous |" commented the good lady.
Her husband smiled. "It isn't the
ordinary thing" he remarked, "but
then, people who live in glass houses
mustn't throw stones"
"What do you mean, Jonas Farmer"'
asked his wife, sharply.
"Wal," returned Jonas, "when 1
married you, I paid the minister two
pigs, and he gave me 35 cents change"
and with that Mr.. Farmer burst into a
laugh, to the great discomfort of bis
wife.
"I've lived with you 80 years and l
never heard that BEFORE" she said,
"and I should like to know what you
mean by it. I believe you're saying
that just to hector me-"
"No, M'ri," answered her spouse,
when his mirth had somewhat SUBJ
sided, "I'll tell you how it happened.
"You know I had been running the
farm for father before we were mar
ried, and Parson Steadman, who mar
ried us, had just come to town. He
wanted a couple of pigs, and came
over to our place to get them. 1 was
gone, but the hired man sold them to
him, by weight, and they amounted to
just $10.35.
"Parson Steadman told the man that
he hadn't the money by him, but he
would be over again in few days and
settle, and the hired man told him that
would be all right.
"Well, when we, were married, l
gave the parson a brand-new $40 bill
one that had got clean from the bank
for that purpose.
"Next morning, bright and early,
over came the parson to our place.
He asked the hired man if 1 was at
home, and when I came out, he was
pretty much surprised to see that l
was the same man that he had married
the night before. He turned kind
of red and looked a little queer, and
said he had come over to settle for
those two pigs, and he took from his
pocket that very $40 bill that gave
him the night before, and 35 cents
besides, and handed them to me.
ct hurst ont 1auphinp and he looked
kind of sober for minute, then he
burst out laughing, too.
"'If I had recognized you as the
man I owed for the pigs, when you
were at my house last night he said,
Il could have handed you the IS cents,
and we should have been square
$50 you see, M'ri, that while we
went through the form of passing the
money back and forth, you were prac-
tically bought for two pigs, minus 30
CENTS ~
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24

A Sons LovE.-Professor Drum
mond might insert in new edition
of "The Greatest Thing In the World
this touching story, told in The Con
tributor, of the winning power of love
A mother was arrested for intoxica
ton and arraigned before the judge
"Seven dollars and sixty cents fine,
said the judge, sternly. But the wo
man had not cent. Her 7-year-olt
boy said to his tiny sister:
"Come on we've got to get thai
money or mam'll have to 60 to Jail
Just wait, Mr.. Judge, an We'll get IL?
The children hurried out of the
courtroom, and, going from store tc
store, solicited contributions to "keeI
nam from going to JAIL" the boy
promising to return the money as soor
as he could earn it.
Soon he came back, and, laying
handful of change on the desk, ex
claimed:
"There's two dollars, Mr.. Judge, an
l can get no more now. I amt as
big as man, an can't do as much
work; but if you'll just let me go tc
Jail STEAD O. her, I'll stay longer te
make up for it,"
The bystanders wiped their eyes and
policeman exclaimed:
"Your mother sha'n't 60 to Jail, my
lad, if have to pay the fine myself
II will remit the fine," said the
judge.
The mother in tears and clasping
her boy, solemnly promised that she
would lead better life.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24
TERMS-.--$2.00 A YEAR IN ADVANCE.
SINGLE COPY, THREE CENTS.
NO. 16.

were the one coveted by an Office
seeking visitor soon after his first
Inauguration. 1t was one of the
earliest stories reported Of Mr.. Lincoln
after he became president, and was
told by himself with great relish.
The caller presented his application
for a high position-perhaps that of
ambassador to the court of st. James
but when unsuccessful, gradually low
cred his ambition from one Office to
another, the president always having
kindly but unfavorable answer. At
length, rising to 60, he said, with
quaint dignity, "Mr. President, have
you any old secondhand stovepipe
hat you could give me9"
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24

D@ 1t is said there is an authentica-
ted account of a horse weeping during
the Crimean war. During an ad-
vance on battery, company of men
and horses was almost entirely de-
stroyed, humans and beasts going
down in one awful mass. A single
horse, which had escaped unhurt, was
found standing close to an object on
the ground, which was found to be
the body of his master, dead. When
a trooper was sent to bring the animal
in. it was found with the tears stream
ing from it's eyes, and only by main
force could it be dragged away from
its masters body.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24
CHAPTER VII.

Next day was Saturday, and Jack
Talbot got up firmly resolved before
night came to take his mother into his
confidence, then go straight to Rob, for
he found himself unreasonably in love,
many fathoms beyond Judgment or pru-
dence. Life without her was not worth
living, worth having. He must WOO her
manfully and win her even in spite OF
herself.
Fate had other uses for his day-fate
that took the guise of his lady mother.
Before he was half through breakfast
she said, with calm and smiling rea.
sonableness that put contradiction out
of the question:
"Jack, dear, will you please call for
Alice Winfold Oh your way to town to-
day. know you are going. You always
do when the hands have holiday. And
so promised Alice that she should 60
with you. She wants a few things for
the big meeting tomorrow.
"But, NANNY" Jack protested, 81
had planned to have holiday myself.
Going to town is not much fun, not
even with Miss Alice for company. )"
"Jack, am ashamed of you. Such q
dear girl, the very incest in the neigh
borhood, and so dependentp' Mrs Tai
bot said in grieved voice. Poor child
You know she has no brother"
"Umph! But the poor child's mother
has. and he is in town half the time
now," Jack said ungraciously. Mrs.
Talbot's mouth hardened as she said:
81 do not forget Mr.. Topmark. But,
Jack, you must admit it can hardly be
pleasant to a delicate girl like Alice to
90 about with him now that-that he
is making himself so foolishly, so in
tolerably, conspicuous by his infatua'
tion for that poor, flighty girl. If he
marries her-they say he will-heaven
help poor Mrs. Winfold to bear it.
"He won't marry her-be sure OF
thatp' Jack said furiously, getting to his
feet. "I'll give the Winfolds that much
comfort. And, further, if he goes philan'
dering after Rob McGregor again, I'll
wiring his neck, d--n him, the bleal
eyed old brute!"
"Jack, my sonl O-ooi To think you
can speak so to your own poor mother!'
Mrs. Talbot moaned, dropping her face
in her hands. "Oh, my heart is broken.
I did not think you ever
NANNY, nanny, do forgive me!
was a scoundrel, villain of the deep
est aye, to wound you so!' Jack cried,
kneeling and slipping his arms penitent'
ly about her. She let her head drop on
his shoulder. There were tears on hel
cheek. Sight Of them swept away Jack' s
last figment Of resistance. He laid his
head on her knee as he had done back
in the dark days when first they had
struggled together to save their mainte'
nance, saying very low: "Preciou:
nanny, you must not cry! Don't
pleased Smile at me once, and I'll &c
to the north pole if you say must. &"
"There is no must about it, Jack, >
she said, still brokenly. 'Son, forget
sometimes that you are a man now,
with Friends and plans that are moi
mine"
Jack might possibly have withstoot
his mothers opposition. Her resigna
tion was too much for him. AS he go
up and lifted her in his arms he said:
II want kiss Of peace, nanny, tt
prove that I deserve it. When come
back from town, you shall hear if Mis-
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24

pd- Shoddy will not wear. Reputa-
ton will never answer for character.
No other way is open to man except
to pay the demanded price for solid
gold. Whatsoever a man soweth
that shall he also reap" There are
numbers of men, who, going down un-
der the illusion that they escape detec-
ton, that their frauds in literature,
in religion, in business, could never be
detected, and that character could
be conveniently dispensed with, give,
as Beecher termed it, "illustrious in
stances of how Gods government
grinds up FOOLS"
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24

"Pu aVrtng his neck, d-n him."
Alice will let herself be seen at church
tomorrow with such an i'll looking fell
low as am"
81 do not believe she thinks you the
least bit i'll looking" Mrs. Talbot said
and straightway in her heart reproach.
ed herself for saying it. 1t sounded like
an indelicate betrayal Of maiden prefer
ence. She was very tender in her
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-24

THE WISE MEN OF GOTHAM.-The
saving, "The wise fools of Gotham, "
has no connection with New York
city. 1t had it's origin in England,
and in this manner: King John was
marching toward Nottingham, and in
tended to pass through Gotham Mead
ow. The villagers believed that the
ground over which his majesty passed
became forever afterward a public