davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-11-11
HUMOROUS.

'Tm sorry to hear you have been
i'll. Had you to keep your bed?" ssNos
miss; had to sell it.
First Cyclist-Oh, you wouldn't
like Jobson; he's got wheel in his
head. Second Cyclist-Wha. make?
"My dear. why are you saving those
old fly papers?." "Why, you said you
always have to buy flies when you go
fishing"
81 Hayseed-Hyar, young fellarf
don't allow nobody ter ketch fish on
! my farm. The Young Fellow (dis-
gustedly)-Who's catching fish.
"Why do prosperous men always
say that the ladder of success is made
up of broken rounds?' "Well, they
do it that other fellows wont try to
crawl up after them"
The Sunday school class was sing
ing 81 Want to Be an Angel" WHY
don't you sing louder, Bobby" asked
the teacher. 'I'm singing as loud -
1 feel" explained Bobby.
Sister-There! you have candy all !
over your new suit. What will mann
ma say? Little Brother-Well, mam-
ma won't let me have any fun in these
clothes till I get 'em spoiled. 4
Blinks-You don't mean to say you've
found sure way to make money at
the races? Jinks-Sure as shooting.
I never fail. Blinks-Myi my. Do
you buy tips? Jinks-No; ] sell
them.
"Our. typewriter girl asked the boss
if he couldn't tighten her work.
''What did he say?' '.He told her NOT
to hit her typewriter keys SO hard and
to lick her postage-stamps only on the
corners"
Foster-Look here, Felton,! / took
your advice on that horse Felld0vns
and I'm dead broke I thought yoa
said the owners were going TO play
him to win? FELTON, That's right.
They did win. They bet against him-
"Now, really" said the Thoughtfsl
Man, "did you ever see . woman who
was homely enough to stop . clock ~
looking at it?" ''No, /" said the Nom
sensical Chap, ''but have seen -
woman stop car by looking st the
conductor" =
sT saw Jones this morHing, E said
the gentleman with tina pea greens
whiskers, with an awful cut on his
head that his wife had givcn him. He
was hurrying as fast as he could -
the" 'sTo the doctor? Nav.
To the BARRIERS to have it cut right. Is
Pleasant Woman (in art gAllery,
noticing an artist copying one of the
old masters Why do they pailt this
picture twice? Her Husband Why,
that's quite plain. When the pew :
picture is done, they hang that oneson
the wall and throw the old one away.
$50, L have won the wager, he
said, ioyfully, ''and the ten kisses are
mine. I will take them at once, -
George said the beautiful girl, with
a generous light in her eye, 81 am NOT
the one to drive o hard bargain. Lets
call it nine ninety-nine. 7" At ten
o'clock the score Was past the hun
dredth mark. S,
The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-11-11
PLEASURES PROFESSION.

Though the perfume of the roses
Brings no more its blandishment;
Though the honey bee now dozes
In luxurious content;
Let US still be bland and smiling,
Nor lament the days of yore; &
Let us turn to the beguiiing
That the future has in store.
Though the honeysuckles vanish,
Though the frost may reign supremeS i
Ruthless autumn cannot Danish
Redolence and dainty CLEAN.
Our good cheer cannot be shattered;
Fancy sweetly bids us wake, 9
To inhale the incense scattered
by the radiant buckwheat, cake. !
Washington STAR
The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-11-11
responsibility that greatly astonished

responsibility that greatly astonished
himself.
Once he made them q call at the
saaaty house. He had heard that its
owner was planning to tear it down
and rebuild in a short time. The
news disturbed him unaccountably.
Tilly was ironing, pieced out by the
: salt box. The baby, pieced out by the
c,1s.hesline, was placidly making mud
pies outside the kitchen door. He
held one up to Gershom Flint with
prompt politeness, pressing it upon
him.
''No, thank you, I've had my din
ner, Roderick Dhu. Where's your
sister. eh?''
lilly appeared at the door, rolling
| down her sleeves precipitately.
''Oh, Mr.. Flint" she said, won't
you walk right in? I'll wash Roddy
DOCS face an unite him. Won't You
, take a chair?"
Gershom Flint's keen eyes looked
over Tilly's head at the kitchens bare
ness and tiny dimensions. He noticed
how clean 1t was. He saw the salt
box. and it appealed with dumb pa
thos to him. And this was the home
they We're going to be turned out of!
mo. No, 1 won't come in," he
said, slowly. 81 was going by and
thought would stop and see if my
ah-property was in good condition
or needed repairs-or anything of that
sort.
He looked down ut the little mud
pieman, with the wrinkles again
around his eyes.
He seems-yes, l should say he
was in perfect repair. I am entirely
satisfied" he added, gravely.
When winter arrived affairs in the
shanty house were sorely out of joint.
The Old contingency sfared lilly In
the face, and new troubles augmented
her alarm. Roddy Docs mortgage
that was all gone, and, oh, the interest
money! lilly wrung her thin little
hands in despair The interest had
not been paid for ever SO Ions And
the last-not least-straw WAS the
shanty house itself. For they were
ordered out in three days.
It was interest day, and Tilly muf-
fe Roderick Dhu in her shawl and
led his little tagging feet to Gershom
Fint's. Not to pay it-oh, no! But
they must go and tell him.they couldn't
yet.
"I-I can't pay it, Mr.. Flint" she
cried, tremulously. 81 can't. But if
you'll wait
NO" Gershom Flint said, distinct
ly, 81 shall foreclose.
"F-fore-what, sir?"
Tilly did not comprehend the word,
but the sound of it terrified her. 1t
sounded like "'sylum" in her ears.
"I shall foreclose," said Gershom
Flint again. "And that means the
baby belongs to me. When the inter-
est is unpaid the possessor of the
mortg rge has the right to the mort
gagged property. Roderick Dhu, come
here! Take off his shawl"
He held out his arms, ana the cnlio
leaped into them.
"Tilly come-Tilly tool" he cried In
his shrill little treble. 'Tilly come
too"
Tilly stood in fixed despair. Her
gaunt little face slowly whitened.
What vas this that had happened? No
wonder that word sounded like "'sy-
lum"-it was 'sylum"-it was! it
wasl And no help for it in all the
world!
A low cry escaped from Tilly's rigid
throat.
"TiIly Tilly too !" shri!led the
baby voice importunately.
"Yes," Gershom Flint's voice rang
ont distinct and gentle and comfort
ing. He held out his hand:
'Yes, Tilly-Tilly too" he said.
The Housewife.
The herald., 1897-12-05

proud of Hopkins the son. and when ap-
pealed to for an explanation of the
phenomenon of a boy Of eight success
fully doing the work Of full grown
man, he gave the following particulars:
walter Bullitt Hopkins, jr.. was
born in Fulton. Ky. on the 25th day OF
November, 1884. I moved to Arkansas
when he was six years old. At the age
of eight he begged me to buy him New
York papers so that he could help me
make money. 1 sent to the News
Company and gave him start SELL
ing papers, and he made money right
away. His ambition to do still better
soon became known to his mother and
me, and l told him to write around and
see what he could do. He wrote a large
rubber house and tried their samples.
but the line was a little too heavy for
him. So he has now line of soaps and
a line of baby shoes.
"Walter has been out since Friday
evening. and has booked four nice or
ders. He is born drummer; he likes
the business. and has made success
Of everything he has taken hold Of
He does not smoke cigarettes nor use
profane language. He goes to school
all the week, starts out on Friday, and
always attends Sunday school on Sum-
days. His mother and l are both as
tonished at his wonderful aptitude, and
Of course are proud of him.
IT often ask Walter why he tries so
hard to make money, and his reply is.
to help me pay for my home. Several
years ago I gave a mortgage on my
place. lie has heard his mother and
The herald., 1897-12-05
Copyright, 1897.

dresses with the most scrupulous care.
The costumes of the tea pourers, who
may be newly 1iedged debutantes them
selves or young matrons, require the
most anxious consideration. They NAV
be, indeed are expected to be, far more
frivolous and fetching than the dress
OF the bud, but they must remain with
in bounds easily felt but not so easily
described. The guests, who have no
duties of hospitality, wear their hand
soonest visiting costumes.
Two or three toilettes noticed at recent
afternoons may be described. An ex-
tremely rich dress had petticoat front
ofa delicate, watery shade of green elab-
orately embroidered with silk and jew
els. The princess back was Of old rose
velvet and lay upon the floor in half
train. The tight-fitting bodice front
was scalloped on the left side, partly
covering a deep fall of lace from be-
low which came the right side of the
bodice forming a bar belt. The sleeves
had full puffs of velvet at the top. The
neck was finished with a flaring collar
of velvet with lace lining.
A second costume was of handsome
grey Venetian cloth with a heavy en-
broidery of silver passementerie edg-
ing the hem. A short over-drap perry, also
embroidered, opened in the middle of
the front and rounded off behind There
was blouse waist of grey velvet in
loose box pleats. Between the pleats
came jabots of lace. Under the arms
was bolero jacket formed of rows Of
heavy lace and sable. There was vel
vet collar edged with sable.
al Ia fa n 0f
but effective in it's own way was cos
tune of Havana brown silk with a
plain skirt and Russian blouse bodice
completely covered with intricate
braiding. The cut and fit of this dress
were perfection. A jeweled waist belt
and flaring neck ruche Of heavy lace
formed important accessories. A pic
ture hat Of black velvet completed the
effect with it's plumes and high bows.
ELLEN OSBORN.
The herald., 1897-12-05

ter and opening it out, the boy exhibit
ed a dozen different varieties of infants
shoes and an extensive assortment Of
soap and flavoring extracts.
Mentioning the names of two large
firms, the boy announced that he rep
resented them, and would be glad to
supply the merchant with a line Of
goods. from one pair of shoes to a thou
sand. or a bar Of soap to a truck-load.
He ratified off a description Of the
merits of the goods with the ease and
assurance Of a practiced knight of the
road, and almost before the merchant
had recovered from his astonishment,
the boy had booked a large order in
both the lines for which he travels.
In answer to the merchants in
qury, the little commercial traveller
stated that he was Walter B. Hopkins,
jr., and that he lived at De Walls Bluff
KY, with his parents. He stated that
he had been on the road since he was
eight years DID, and when the mer-
chant received this statement with
some appearance of disbelief, Walter
referred him to his father to corrobor-
ate it. Hopkins the father is very
The herald., 1897-12-05
How John A. Stewart BEGAN.

John A Stewart. the man who bought
millions of bonds from the government
for a syndicate in 1895, began life hum
bly,. He was born Of an old-time aris-
tocratic family. but in those days the
heads Of families did not think it we'll
to give their sons money to start with:
an, therefore, with nothing but his
suit OF clothes and dollar or so in his
pocket, young Stewart began as g
chairman for civil engineer. He was
little more than a boy then, and for
many years he followed the laborious
task OF assisting a railroad surveyor in
his course through the mountains and
along very dreary and hot wastes Of
land. At that time the country had
few railroads, and the young man did
a great deal of hard work before he
could leave his first job Of assisting an
engineer.
The herald., 1897-12-05
ELLEN OSBORNS FASHION LETTER

New York, Nov. PA debutante's
worst trial is her coming-out tea. It
sounds innocent in description, to stand
I'D with ones mother and be presented
to a few of ones mothers friends.
There is no crowd to dread, no pushing
and jamming, no Changing of music, no
hordes of walters, nothing of the fuss
and feathers, the pretension and
splurge of half a dozen years ago. Ger
tainly there can be nothing for the
most tinid girl to shy at in the ia
miliar drawing rooms scarcely altered
from their everyday appearance and
not lavishly trimmed even with flow
ers, and in the quiet coming and going
of the family intimates and the women
her elders are most anxious the bud
should know. And yeti is always in
the yet that a difficulty is sprung
on you-the Snowy, slam-bang recep-
tions of the past were picnic frolics to
what the debutantes of this winter
have to undergo.
1t is the girl herself that has to pass
muster now and not the decorations or
refreshments. The coming-out tea has
been turned by tacit consent of society
into a sort of dress rehearsal, where
the new candidate for favor is put
through her PAGES by women who en-
tertain, so that some idea may be ar
rived at of her potentialities and the
likelihood OF her proving a drawing
card.
The New York season has become a
short one and society competition is
keen. Women who have not daughters
of their own whose chances they are
pushing are continually on the lookout
for novelties for their dances, dinners
and receptions. No hand is so sure
winner as a royal flush Of pretty girls
There you have it in q nutshell The
debutantes tea is the matron's chance
to size up the debutante; hence it's
growing reputation az an ordeal
The girl who passes muster success
fully has a brilliant winter ahead of
her; she is asked everywhere, deferred
to. made much of. She is recognized as
an attraction. The girl who doesn't
pass muster is doomed to dulness un-
less she is blessed with a peculiarly
gifted and persevering mamma.
A girls preparations for the simple
little function that is yet of such vital
Importance to her are the cause of
much brain-racking. Her dress must
be quiet. 1t must be free from every
srspicon of ostentation or needless ex-
The herald., 1897-12-05

me talk about it. and says he wants
to be a good business man, so he can
help us pay off the mortgage. He Is
also very bright in his studies. and a
fine musician.
"W. B. HOPKINS, Sr."
In his own town Walter Is made
much of by the merchants, who ad-
mire his enterprise, and patronize him
by buying his shoes and soap in prefer
ence to those Of his adult rivals, en-
couraging him in every way possible
He Is well known In the towns and viii
lagos bordering on the Memphis and
Little Rock Railroad lines. and his
visits are looked for by all the mer-
chants of the towns within a wide
radius Of De Wallis Bluff.
1t is strange that his contact with
the world has not spoiled Walter, but
it is a fact that he is wellsbehaved,
boyish in his ways at home. and shows
ncne OF the unpleasant forwardness to
be looked for in a boy so precocious.
He attends strictly to business when
out with his sample case, and is we'll
liked by everybody.
Copyright, 1897.
The herald., 1897-12-05

at any other season Of the year, but
there is no other time when it seems
to fit so perfectly into the general
scheme of things as during the Indian
summer with it's sharp crisp nights
and sunny days.
When I was small boy I lived in
charcoal producing region. and used Of
ten to watch the men building and
burning the pits. I sometimes Won
dered in those days that any one, any,
where, could be induced to pay for
what could be produced so easily and
simply as charcoal. When I became
little older I removed with my fathers
family to a part of the country where
there were no charcoal pits,-where tie
boys actually thought it was dug from
mines, like anthracite. Their ignorance
on this important point amazed me,
and l told them better at once with
great affectation of superiority. Per-
haps I lorded it over them little too
much; at all events they could not be
made to believe me without proof, and
I chose to prove my words by burning
charcoal before their eyes.
1t takes a week, always, and some
times two or three, to burn a pit that
The herald., 1897-12-05

to whom she Is presented. She knows
she is on exhibition and is undergoing
critical examination, but no suspicion
of such knowledge must appear.
This seasons teas are just beginning.
AT one of the earliest and most not
able young girl who has been COM
plimented since with invitations to
pour" for six other girls, and who has
had the pleasure of seeing the teapot run
never-ceasing streams, faced the music
in turquoise blue. A month had been
consumed in deciding upon the color, a
month of rummaging the shops and
wearing out the brain tissue of dress
makers. The peculiar delicacy of the
girls blond complexion at last forced
the decision. In the shade chosen it
looked fair and perfect as the inside Of
a sea she'll
The girls figure, though not angular,
is too slender, and her bodice was clev-
erly arranged to remedy this trouble.
A pale blue glace silk was covered with
turquoise blue chiffon, accordion-pleat-
ed and gathered about the shoulders
into soft puffings which gave almost
the effect of fichu. The sleeves were
built on the same lines and gave full
ness and roundness to the arms An
effective and yet not too striking color
contrast was brought out by a waist
band and high bow of cornf1ower- blue
satin. The skirt was of turquoise blue
silk trimmed with tiny ruff1es beaded
with chiffon. This costume was essen
TALLY girlish; it was dressy without be-
ing too elaborate and nothing could
have suited better the soft brown hair
and the lovely color, like the first faint
dawn of a blush, that swept over the
delicate face now and again.
have seen only one other coming
out reception as pretty. This second
affair was in the evening. The girls
father assisted the mother in receiving
the guests and there was a big, good
looking brother who took the debutante
out to supper afterwards.
The coming-out costume was white in
this instance, a dainty frock of white
silk, cut after a pretty modification Of
the Empire style. 1t was open at the
throat to show the firm, round neck
but the gown was far from being
decoNete It had loose front of NOUS
seline de sole, lightly embroidered with
nearls and silver, and held in place by
hands Of white satin ribbon that
crossed in front and passed under the
arms The skirt was gracefully cut and
untrimmed. The debutante held loose
ly in her hand a bunch Of white Japan
ese chrysanthemums.
An evening reception is much less
usual at present than a tea, when a
debutante Is to make her bow. At the
afternoon affairs everybody present
The herald., 1897-12-05

When John d. Rockefeller was lad
he had but one ambition,-to be the
book-keeper in the business house
where he was office boy. Every morn
in- he busted the book-keeper's seat
with extra care, and every day he be-
slowed a little extra polish upon the
desk belonging to that functionary.
Meanwhile he added up columns of fig
ures and worked most indefatigably
over a copy book and speller. After q
while he was allowed to copy reports:
gradually he became assistant book
keeper and finally book-keeper. Then
he married. Great success came later
in life, and Is even yet new enough to
him to be a source Of wonder and grati-
tude rather than a subject for pride
and boasting.
The herald., 1897-12-05

times quite as essential as fire to the
successful production of charcoal. AS
soon as we had got good blaze start
ed in the center, we filled the top vent
with wet straw and covered the hole
/ completely over with earth, taking
care, however, not to pack it too tight
ly, as this could prevent free burning
and spoil the whole scheme.
But although our pit had to burn
freely. it was quite as necessary that 1t
should burn slowly and without flame.
In other words a charcoal pit should
always shoulder and never blaze.
When wood or any other substance
burns with a blaze, its complete de-
struction, in the ordinary sense of the
term, follows, the only residue being
ashes. Wood is sometimes reduced to
ashes. indeed, when it is allowed only
to shoulder. 1t is the charcoal burners
art to prevent this, and ] felt highly
important as 7 tried to remember the
signs by which experienced workmen
regulate their task so as to maintain
lust the proper sort of combustion in
their pits.
For time all went we'll. Then spirals
of white and yellow smoke curled out
here and there through the earthen
crust of the pit, and the entire surface
gradually became so heated that it was
not easy to hold ones hand upon 1t.
Just as I was congratulating myself
upon the success of my experiment,
more than half the desirable steam
like smoke changed to blue, and the
next minute tiny. bright red tongue
of flame made it's appearance through
a crack.
1t is a decidedly serious matter to
grown up charcoal burners when such
thing as that occurs. The fiames
must be put out and the vent i'll the
crust must be repaired as soon as pos
sible. l have seen two or three men
work a full hour in a sort of frenzy on
a big pit under such circumstances.
though the frenzy always had to be
tempered with caution. A full-grown
coal-pit may be twelve or fifteen feet
high and perhaps one hundred feet in
circumference; and breaks in the crust
of such a pile can be repaired only by
climbing up its lope and applying wa
ter and shovelsful of earth There were
The herald., 1897-12-05

is big enough to be worth while in a
business way, but my pit was small
enough to be built and burned between
sun and sun. l had, as helpers, two
boys of the neighborhood. who, while
not quite ready to accept my state
ments, were rather inclined to believe
them and more than willing to help me
make them good.
We used short lengths of stove wood
for fuel,-two good sized armfuls. We
built the pitt is more a mound than
pit in point of fact-in my fathers
vegetable garden, from which the last
Of the beets and turnips had been re-
moved only the day before.
The first thing to do was to smooth
off a circular place on which to pile the
fuel. This I called the ''pit floor" Then
we drove stake in the center of this
floor and piled the sticks of stove
wood about the stake. standing them
on end in such way that they formed
pyramid. Next we covered the pyra-
mid with straw, and after that we cov-
cred he whole with earth.
Men who burn charcoal as a business
often put on a layer of dead leaves in
stead of straw before covering the pile
with earth; the object in either case is
to prevent the earth from settling too
closely down over the wood. as it would
then be practically impossible to burn
the pit at all. We took great care. in
covering the pit over, to leave vent at
the top and also draft holes on each
side at the bottom. At the very last
we put in lot of light kindlings-pa-
per and shavings-at the top. One Of
~
shows exactly how the pit would have
looked had it been split down through
the center.
The pile was then ready for the
match, but we did not light it until we
had brought a bucket or two of water;
fo-, as remembered it, water is some
The herald., 1897-12-05
boy "DRUMMER'
BEGAN At EIGHT.
Now, at Twelve, the Most
Popular Salesman on
the Road.
TO HELP PARENTS
As Good as He Is Clever
Goes to School and
Loves Sports.

The proprietor of a leading dry goods
store at Memphis was very much as
tonished recently to see walk up to his
counter. with the air of one who had
important business to transact and felt
sure Of his ground, a good looking boy
of twelve, wearing a knickerbocker suit
and turn down collar. He looked just
like any school boy of the town, with
the exception that in his right hand he
carried large and apparently we'll
filed valise. Placing this on the coun
The herald., 1897-12-05
Edison's First Machine.

Thomas Alva Edison tells a story
no;y of how he started in to make a
fortune years ago. He saved his money
industriously for three years. Then he
put it all into an invention,-a wonder
full thing. It was to use at the polls.
and so perfectly did it record the votes
that it was an absolute impossibility
to accomplish any cheating. Edison
took his completed invention to a well
known politician, who looked it over
carefully. Then he said:
my young man, take that machine
and break it all to pieces. When we
want anything Of that kind, we'll let
you know.