davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24
THIS DEADLY RATTLESNAKE.
q Good Deal Ahout the Reptile Told by .
Nan who Knows.

That ilo rattltsnakc jumps to strike Is
SndaniHllc. But he must first be coiled,
and then Inc can simply straighten out to
bis own len IA. When coilcd the head
and tail arc Both in the middle, and both
are erect Hardly "a movement is porcepti-
blc, even In Tie rattle, us it whirs out its
terrible warning. l once heard n snake
that had coilod itself up at the barking of
the dogs sound 50 fearful rattle that it
was audible at distance of hundred
yards.
No one who has ever heard that ominous
rattling sound-which cannot be made to
issue from the rlttles whom once they are
dotach, dan ever afterward hear it
withOuo "a certain nervous terror. l have
seen baby rattlor, hardly larger than a
largo sized anploWorm. that yet could make
Il noise with its small rattle and it's tiny
head, and the llatness and strength of its
jaws inspired me with something more
than respect
Very often when have turned my shot
gun on RATHER ana blown the head clean
off the body | have regarded the charge
as well expended. There is no better or
more efficient weapon than the gun, for
its effect, though not instantaneous, is as
merciful as possible. On one such occasion
l shot big fellow in two, about three
inches from the tip of the nose, which, OF
course, left less than two inches of neck
connected with the head.
My brother, who was with me, came
across the ravine to tako a look at it and
found the head foot or more from the
still writhing body, which was lying upon
a rock. Taking short stick, he gave the
head a sharp tap, and instantly the huge
jaws were stretched to Il fearful width the
great curved fangs were thrown to the
front and with "A deadly clinch were buried
in the wood. Then they relaxed. The
eyes that had opened wildly slowly closed
and death seemed to claim the severed head.
But when the stick came down again the
same awful instructive fcrocity was again
displayed and the greenish poison oozed
upon the wood and tricklcd thickly down
upon the stone. Four times that head,
shot torn from the body, sunk those bone
like weapons of death into the wood. An
awful sight that was, fearful and i'm.
prcssivc exhibition OF snakes tenacity OF
life and of its invincible tendency to deal
"a fatal wound.
Strange fashions in these latter days de-
mand odd materials; hence the rattler's
hide has come 20 be Of commercial impor.
tancc for making belts, purses and other
things, and his snakesnip is hunted as
thing Of value. The Chinese have differ.
ent use for the dreaded reptile-thoy eat
him. l remember when three coolies
cleared the sagebrush from a farming
property where l lived and killed no less
than 90 rattlcrs on the 20 acres. Not one
did they waste; not they. Instead of that
they carefully removed the greasy skins
chopped the long bodies up and fried the
meat for sundry meals, eagerly relishing
its flavor and regarding themselves as un
usually Fortunate The meat is white
like that of catfish, and is really quite
agreeable to the Le-Our Animal
Friend
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24
PkPAiS FLAYTHlNGS.


She was daintily dressed young mother
and justly proud Of the curly headed boy
in his natty sailor suit who sat by her side
in the street ear. OF course he was not
like other boys, yet he was just enough
tainted with juvenile humanity to keep
sQuirming like an eel in restricted quar-.
ters
"Do keep quiet, Halle" she said In
gentle tones. Cant you look out the
window or play that you were going on a
long journey with mammal"
But the infant had his own idea of
amusement. Taking his cap from his fair
hair. he swept the ribbons aside and placed
the silk lined headgcar on his knees. Then
he put a chubby, dimpled hand into either
pocket, and they came out filled with red,
white and blue disks of composition such
as scrN IS in some cases as substitute for
ivory. Those chat didn't rattle to the floor
went into the cap which the little fellow
placed on the seat while he chased up those
that had escaped.
The mothers countenance became a
beautiful scarlet. Worldly men on the car
laughed and winked at one another Good
old ladies smiled in sympathy where they
might have frowned had they known
more, for the disks were Enthusiastically
poker chips.
"Why, Halle, where in the world did
you get those things?" asked the pretty
matron. "Some naughty boy must have
given them to you"
"Nope" shouted the cherub. Found
The pretty things in papa S verlise behind
the trunk. Whole lot of beau full picture
cards there too. S'pect he was goin to give
'em to Halle mex Christi mas. 1 don't
wanter lose none of 'em, as he dived be-
tween the legs of fat man who was ap.
preaching that condition where he would
have to explode or roar aloud.
"Neyer mind the rest, dear" urged the
mother as she rose with charming dignity
and signaled the conductor. I'VE get of
here"
ono, we don't" insisted the irrepressi-
BILE; Its moron a mile yet "
But she hurried forth with him in one
hand and his cap in the other Then there
was great chatter of poker chips on the
asphalt. Detroit Free Press.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24
AGURAl IN MAROCCO.


Descended From Rcnegades.
Agura is small town surrounded
with walls of from 40 to so feet in
height and built of tabia, or con-
solidated rubble. 1t owes its existence
to Mulai Ismail, who held tho throne
of Marocco from 1722-1757. One gate
alone gives entrance to the place, and
in this respect, as well as in its archi-
lecture within and without, it much
resembles the "ksor" of the Sahara de-
scribed in the writer's "Tafilet." But
it owns one feature of curiosity which
was lacking in the desert, for almost
without exception the entire population
are descendants Of the renegades and
Christian slaves Of the time of Mulai
Ismail, with the addition Of stray rene
gades who have been sent there since.
Probably no such cosmopolitan place
exists i'll the world. for its 800 or 400
inhabitants are representative of no less
than - nation8lities Each family re-
members and is proud of its origin, the
Arab equivalent being applied as sur
names.
The family in whose home the writer
spent the few days of his visit were
Flemish, while the next door neighbor
on one side was an elderly female,
whose father, an Englishman, had be-
come a renegade some so years since,
and who quickly tired of it, leaving a
wife and daughter, the neighbor in
question. The other neighbors were the
descendants of Spanish gypsies, the
head Of the family being "Absalam ben
Mohammed ell Gitano ell Espanoli. ;"
They were particularly proud of the
"Gitano" GYPSY part of the surname
and begged me not to confound them
with the ordinary Spauialds, of whom
there were many descendants in Agurai.
The ancestor of this gypsy family was
two generations back. He had left his
country, they naively told the writer,
because he was not on good terms with
his sultan, who wanted to imprison
him, being afraid of his influence. Prob
ably it was more of an affair of the po-
lice courts than political intrigue.
The "Ulad ell Aluj' ("sons of the
converts }, as the inhabitants of Agurai
are called, have entirely, except in one
or two cases, lost the type of their Eu-
ropean ancestry, and through marriage,
no doubt, are as largely Berber in ap-
pearance as the wild tribes that sur
round them. They speak among them
selves both Arabic and Berber, and
both, ouriously enough, with a strong
foreign accent, easily diatinguishable.
They are exempt from all taxation, but
have to serve i'll the sultan's army, where
they perform the duties Of cooks and
butchers. -Geographical Journal.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24
Tho Angel of Temperance.

Bishop Keaue, rector of the Catholic
university in Washington, in addressing
a temperance convention a short time
ago said: Il was reared in humble
home, but it was sweet and happy. In
that home l never heard an oath or an
unkind word, not once. What was the
reason? Early in their married life my
mother said one night to my father :;
John, you are taking a littls. Some
day you will be taking more. The
next night he brought her medal with
Father Mathews pledge engraved upon
it. He had received that solemn pledge
from the good priests own hands.
need say no more in explanation of my
happy home. 1t is enough that you know
that the sweet angel Of temperance
dwelt with us evermore.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24
COURlERS BACK NUMBERS.
No Longer Any Need to Go Through Eu-
rope with Them.

Up to times within the memory Of
living men almost no one of means
Travelled through Europe without a
courier Before railroads were built
and before good guidebooks We're print
ed he was almost indispensable. His
tribe survives, but i'll greatly dimin-
ished numbers. To the self reliant tray
eler he is of no use whatever Indeed
he is frequently "a positive incumbrance,
and worse. To my mind one Of the
great pleasures of travel is in learning
to travel by myself. There are satisfao-
ton, pleasure and education in plan
ming routes, deciphering time tables,
making bargains, learning by observa-
ton the lay of the land.
The time may have been when a
courier could save a traveller more than
his cost. Most certainly that is not the
case now. On the contrary, as he gets a
percentage on every purchase his party
makes, which, of course comes out Of
the purchaser in increased price, and
as it is often for his interest to advise
the more costly route, the more costly
hotel or the more costly excursion, he
eats up much more than his wages,
while saving positively nothing Bean
declares that in a two weeks trip in
southern Spain, which he made side by
side with a couple having a courier, he
invariably reached the hotel first, got
better rooms and saw all the sights to as
/ good advantage, yet the courier was, of
his kind, an expert. The fact is that
travel has become so general, tourist
companies, railroads and landlords have
so we'll studied its needs, books are SO
plentiful, that you couldn't very we'll
get off the track or have mishap If
you tried. Herbert Luce in "Going
Abroad. -
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24
Hornlcides Due to Drink.

Mine is not the gush of sentiment
or cratic etfusion. The first homicide
case tried before me was that Of broth
er killing brother in drunken quar-
rel while driving cattle; the second Of
a college student fresh from whisky
chicken roast killing poor young Irish
man; the third that of an Englishman
stabbed in drunken broil in the street
of a village and the heart of the victim
produced in court to show the cut the
drunken knife had made So the calen-
dar of crime in the daily press will show
a homicide from drunkenness for every
day in the year. All judges testify that
nineteenth of the crimes of violence
and blcodshed have their origin in
drunkenness. Judge Agnew.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24
FACTS FOR GIN GuzzLERs.
1t Doesn't Take Long to Drink a Farm at
10 Cents a Gulp.

~ NchNs
Bob Burdette gives this simple recipe.
my homeless friend with the chromatio
nose, while you are stirring up the sugar
in 10 cent glass of gin let me give you
a fact to wash down with it. You may
say you have longed for years for the
free, independent life of farmer, but
you have never been able to get money
enough to buy a farm. But there is
where you are mistaken. For some years
You have been drinking good improved
farm at the rate Of 100 square feet at a
gulp. If you doubt this statement, fig
ure it out for yourself.
''An acre of land contains 43, $50
square feet. Estimating, for conven-
fence, the land at $40 56 an acre, you
will see that it brings the land to just
l mill per square foot Now pour
down the fiery dose and imagine you are
swallowing a strawberry patch. Call in
five of your friends and have them help
you gulp down that 500 foot garden.
Get on prolonged spree some day and
see how long it will take to swallow a
pasture land to feed a COW. Put down
that glass of gin. There is dirt in it
800 feet of good, rich dirt worth $49 SO
per acre. Exchange.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24
THE pRUNKARC's DEVICE.
How He steadied His Pal sod Arm to Con.
vey Whisky To Hls Lips.

wy WI lis Lips
In his book "John Bull & Co." Max
O'Rell narrates the following incident
which came under his own eyes in Aus
tralia; "a man Of about 40, with
drawn face, haggard eyes and the sad,
sinister expression Of Chinaman in an
opium den, presented himself at 8
O'Clock in the morning at the private
bar Of the hotel where l had put up. He
laid down sixpence and was served with
q glass Of whisky. He added little
water with a shaking hand, carried the
glass to his lips and at one draught
swallowed the contents. Then, silent
and without lifting his dull and staring
eyes from the ground, he went away.
Half an hour later he returned. His
hand was trembling more and more ind
seemed to refuse to lend itself longer to
the task imposed upon it, The hotel
keeper, who had noticed my interest in
the scene, said to me; In the intervals
he goes to another hotel and gets q
drink. If you have nothing particular
to do, remain where you are, and you
will see something that will repay you
for your trouble.
"At about II 80 the poor wretch APP
peared at the bar for the seventh time.
The sixpence was laid down, the glass
filled. The hand went to the glass,
but had no longer the power to take it.
After many efforts. however, the glass
was graspcd, but even then the drink
could not he conveyed to the mouth.
"Iho drunkGld Garted a furtive
glance from right tn left 1t seemed to
him that 10 one was looking He drew
long silk handkerchief Fl Gnu his pocket
and passed it around his neck. With his
two hands he held the two extremities
In his right hand he grasped the glass,
and drawing the end which was in his
left hand TIE ingenious drunkard made
pulley of the handkerchief and sue
ceeded i'll conveying the whisky to his
lips He put down the glass, dragged
himself to the door and edging along by
the walls found his way home for q
few hours repose This thing has been
going on for three years, said the land
lord, but the pulley trick he only took
up about a month ago. 1t is the last
stage. Soon he will no longer be able to
swallow, and delirium tremens will car
ry him off. "
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24
His Taste Returned.

James Payn tells of seeing an old gen.
tleman in the lavatory at club putting
soap into his mouth, after which he MUIR
INJURED, "Thank heaven, it's all right'
Mr.. Payn inquired very delicately why on
earth he did it, "Woll, " he said, "I've
had such an internal cold for the last week
that it has taken away my taste. Every
day I've tried whether l can taste the soap.
Today can. so shall not go home, but
dine at the club" And after that he did
80, extensively and with great gusto.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24
A. a NihiIist Meeting.

President Garosky-We have not seen
you lately, Brother Ragoyitch. Have you
been taking vacationY
Ragoyitch--Not exactly, though / had
an knouung.
(Eyery bomb in the room thereupon ex-
plodes with deafening report. )-Twinkles
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24
Launching Ships In Japan.

When ships launched in this coun-
try, bottle Of wine is broken upon her
prov. They have prettier as we'll as
more significant custom in Japan, where
a cage of different kinds of birds is pro-
vided, and as the ship begins to move
the birds are liberated, flying to all parts
Of the compass and typifying the nature
Of commerce far better than bottle OF
wine. Rams Horn.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24

He-They tell me your husband is a
great artist.
She-1hat he is. He painted picture
of some onions for the last exhibition, and
they were SO natural that the committee
put them ON the top line so that people
wouldn't smell them. -Yonkers States
man.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24

IF saloon keepers are being ruined by
Sunday closing, they are only getting a
taste of what they have all along been
giving their patrons, says The Scottish
Reformer
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24

Hanson--.I saw Niuton on horseback
yesterday. You could see daylight be-
tween him and the saddle half the time.
Nanson--Yes; that's because he is
such a humane man. As ho is off the
horse half the tiuio, it gives the animal
a good deal Of rest. Boston Transcript.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24

From the top of the cathedral spire in
Mexico you can sec the entire city, and
the most striking feature of the view is
the absence of chimneys. There is not
a chimney i'll all Mexico, not a CRATE
nor stove nor furnace, All the cook
ing is done with charcoal in Dutch
ovens.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24

AT the French Crystal palace was
shown lock that admitted 1914, 3S5
combinations lichot was four months
In unlocking it.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24
His Self Control.

Said this man, with an accent Of pride,
~ can drink it or cast 1t aside"
But the fact that is rife
Is, he drank it through life
And he left It alone when he died.
-LippinoOtt's MagaEinA.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24

A SETTLEMENT or WHITES WHO
HAVE LIVED 230 YEARS UNKNOWN.

tain Home Bgauiifui, Fair Haired,
White Skinned Girls clad In Snowy
Linen Garments.
That white races Ct mysterious origin
and of an advanced grade Of civilization
exist in certain Of The as yet unexplored
plateaus OF Africa has long been a mat
ter of tradition among all those who
have devoted their attention TO the eth
biographical and geographical science of
tho dark continent. and Rider Haggard
and other English uoyeliSt3 have found
i'll reports bearing upon the subject the
theme of many OF thcir most popular
stories.
But no attention has been drawn as
yet to the fact THAT in the interior of
San Jago, the largest OF the Cape Verde
islands, which nestle in the Atlantic
off the most westerly point Of northern
Africa, there exists a strange people
known by the name Of the Cantadas,
who for 300 years past have been abso-
lutely cut off from all intercourse with
the outer world, and who are fair
haired, light c0mpleXioned and blue
eyed, whereas The rCmH;Ning population
of the Cape Verde islands consists of
negroes and Of Po,fr"ucsc, who are
almost as swartly and sonbcr in color
as full blooded Ailicans.
Clear and sharp against the sky line
of San Jago the mountain of San An
tonic towers aIcft in pinnacle to the
height of scaio 1000 feet. In form it
conveys the i'll preston of an ancient
volcano, with lis sharp slope Oh the
side toward the sea, but on the inland
side the dcclivity is brollon by sort of
cup shai,G Interval at the farther end
of which there is the stump of what
seems in tiinos gouc by to have consti
tuted a second peak. Of equal height to
San Antonio, but which. through some
great cataclyel. of nature. has been
broken off some 1000 or 5000 feet
above tile common base.
STRANGELY enoroh, tie peak of San
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24

Bowling, billiards and card playing
are unlawful in Michigan, according to
some dead letter statutes.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-09-24

According to the computation of Viii
lalpandus the cost of Solomon 5 temple
was ST.. 69I. 800, 696.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-09
Flower Lake Crevasse Near ZOO Feet
rounded by Turbid Waters.
RATION DAY At ROSEDALE
MANY DESTITUTE NEGROES FED ny
THE RELIEF COMMITTEE.
Part of a Family Drowned at Mounds
Landing-Sftuation Along the Mis-
sissippi and Tributaries.

MEMPHIS. Tenn. April S-Telegrams re-
ceived tonight from the flooded areas OF
the Mississippi delta report the situation
unchanged. A heavy rain, accompanied by
strong northwest wind. has prevailed all
afternoon. Information from the Flower
lake creVasse says that the break is 1.7o0
feet wide. Every effort is being made TO
tie the ends of the levee. The town OF Lulu
Is entirely shut out except by telegraph.
To-day was ration day for the destitute
refugees at Rosedale. and "A more poverty
stricken band of negroes than those gath
cred at the place of distribution would be
hard TO picture. Only those who were
known to be actually i'm need were supplied
The news had become current among the
negroes that the government had sent ra-
tions, and many who were yet able TO take
care of themselves were grievously disap-
pointed at not finding their on the
relief roll.
AT Helena the river has fallen two feet
and eleven inches since the levee gave way
on Sunday. The backwater I'm the southern
part of the city is at stand. Many fio<
refugees are being taken 10 Helena. Al
the number in that city will now probat y
reach 5000. The relief committee is doing
good work and no complaints have been
iiiduc- ne IlNtT IL ldilflS dl all points De-
tween Cairo and Helena.
A correspondent at Greenville Miss,
wires as follows Every day now brings
some tale OF woe from the overfowed
region. Here is one a reporter learned this
morning. which is perfectly reliable When
the levee broke at Mound Landing family
consisting OF a mother and six children
were overtaken by the water. and before
they could reach place of safety four or
the children were caught by the current
and washed away almost i'm the twinkling
of an eye Who these people were was not
learned in the confusion Of the night. Ii 10
believed the mother and the other two chill
dren were taken care Of. The railroad
bridges across the main streams In the
county going fast An iron bridge
across the Bogue on the Valley route was
washed away yesterday. There were some
150 cattle and horses on it at the time. The
southern bridges on the Bogue have also
been washed away. The Yazoo river Is
running up stream from its mouth nearly
to Greenwood on account of the high stage
of water at Vicksburg. Here to-day the
river is on stand The river report just
received to-day is anything but encourage
ing, and there is frankly no hope of relief
from the present conditions for five weeks
at least
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-09
Some Injured by Jumping from the
Burning Structure and Others
Hurt by an Explosion.
GREAT LOSS OF PROPERTY
BUILDINGS AND GOODS WORTH OVER
s1,OOO,OOO DESTROYED.
Part of the Business Section of the
City i'm Ruins-Cannon Used to
Aid in Checking the Fire.

KNOXVILLE. Tenn. April s.-Never in
the history of Knoxville has the city suf-
fered such a loss by fire as 1t did to-day.
The very heart of the city, including some
of the largest wholesale and retail business
houses in the South, was des- royed. The
loss is variously estimated at from one to
one and half million dollars, with about
so per cent. of insurance. The Knox Hotel
was burned and several lives are supposed
to have been lost A number of people
were hurt by jumping. Following is list
of the dead missing and injured:
p. G. DYER. cabinet maker, fell dead on
the street from fright.
A. f.. WEEKS, of Locke, n. Y, travelling
salesman. perished in the flames.
r. w. HOPKINS. of st. Louis. missing
and supposed TO have been burned.
- ROBINSON, of Pulaski, Tenn,
missing.
S. f. WILLIAMS, of Springfield Mass,
missing.
J; c: M. BoGLE. of Tennessee. burned
ID. NJ. DEAN. of indianapolis. ankle
THOMAS S. PECK, of Morristown, Tenn.
ankle cut and sprained.
LIEUTENANT HOOD. of the Knoxville
police. cut on face and head by glass from
explosion.
CLAUDE HARRIS, of Knoxville. cut in
POLICEMAN AsQUITH. burned and cut
by flying glass.
POLICEMAN DUNCAN. badly burned
and was carried home.
FIRE CHIEF MINTOSH, bruised from
fall.
W. H. KEPPART. Knoxville. internally
hurt.