davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-08

farmer on the goose question, and foun
that the reason he tolerated flock OF
geese on his farm was that they kept him
posted on the weather.
"'They hain't never failed me Wit be
said. When git up in the morning an
see them geese out on the pond, diyin'
and dressin' down their feathers as if they
was gittin' ready to go to some party or
other, l know that we are sure of clear,
warm, dry weather, and 1 make my cal
culations accordin'Iy. If the geese amt
a-dressIn' themselves much, but acrkinder
as if it wasn't of much use to spruce up,
then l keep my eye on 'em. That's
warnin' that we are in danger OF spell O
weather. II the geese quit the pond and
don't go back much through the day
know that the danger holds, and get my
self ready for good, old-fashioned rain,
sot in for day or two anyhow. If they
iced along awhile and waddle back to the
pond chipper-like, and go to dressin'
themselves and divin, I'm quite certain
for sure that there won't be no sot rain
commencin' that day. II the geese gifts
up all of sudden and tears around like
YOU seen EN- to-day then there's shower
comm, and a-comin' fast, you kin bet
cooky.'
That's the reason some farmers keep
geese around, and still holler it out every
little while that they wish the ding things
were in Halifax. They are weather
prophets.-New York Sun.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-08

with these young women they would ind
the latter their superiors. There are m ore
than 200 boat clubs around New ork
CITY. and two of the crews composed OF
rowing girls feel themselves able to defeat
the best of those 200.
1t is, however, the fad par excellence of
the stay -at-home summer girl. She was
in her glory during the recent hot weather,
for the summer young man was only too
glad to travel about with her on the river,
where it is cool and it was not too warm
to sit close together. Almost anv even
ing from one to q dozen of these water
parties could be seen on the East, North
and Harlem rivers, with boats all lighted
up in a charming manner, the large craft
decorated with bunting, while occasion
ally from one of the larger boats would
come the strains OF popular air rendered
by an orchestra.
The boats were never so brilliantly
lighted as to prove an annoyance to the
occupants, and they would drift about the
river or be towed, as fancy dictated, from
about 7 till 11:50 P. N. Occasionally
party would think 11:30 tritie early to
leave so delightful location and return
to the hot flats and houses in the city, and
it is reported that one party forgo. alto
gether what time it was until the hery
breath of old Sol streaked the horizon
An affair OF this sort without refresh
ments would be Hamlet" with Hamlet
left out, and so accompanying every party
is what is known as refreshment boat,
with a man in charge and several walters.
This boat is rowed from one craft TO an
other until the entire party is served.
Sometimes each party has whistle,
which, blown three times, is signal for
the refreshment-boat to respond. Again
the practice is to simpl pass the word 1or
the eatables and drinka bes.
Occasionally it is the case that the
parties will be taken in tow by tug and
pulled to some place where all hands can
go ashore and enjoy regulation hop on
terra firma Alter they have danced until
they are warm and weary they return to
the boats and beg n their journey home
or drift about on the river until they are
quite ready to return to the point of de-
barkation.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-08

depth it is possible for miner to get at
his pay dirt and wash good bit of it in
one season. Many of those who ere on
their way to the Klondyke to-day cherish
the belief that all the miners do when
they pan out gold is to dig it out of sur
ace lode and MAKE all the money they
want to. On the contrary it IS often ne
cessary for miner to spend an entire sea-
son clearing away the surface gravel from
the pay dirt of his claim.
The statements often made that it is
impossible to do any WORK during the
winter season are erroneous. Nearly all
the tunneling is accomplished at that
time of year. Fire is the agent by means
of which the tunneling is done. There is
plenty of wood to be obtained, and so the
miner builds a roaring fire next to the
gravel through which he wishes to tun-
mel. Naturally, this meIts the frost out
This method does not prove successful
with surface gravel.
Occasionally it happens that a claim is
too far from water, and in such cases sew
eral fortunes have been rocked out-that
is, rockers have been used. The rocker is
Just what its name indicates. The dirt is
pldCeU WlLnlQ IL, ana IL is rocked until
dirt and gold have been thoroughly
shaken apart. This system is used only
on rare occasions, for as rule water is
sufficiently plentiful to make the ordi-
nary methods of placer mining available.
A curious fact that the placer mining of
the klondyke region has developed is
that these mines are nearer the original
sources than any ever discovered on the
American continent. The Californian
mines were never traceable, biologists
say, but these latest discoveries give dis
tinct evidence of being near the source
from which they originally came. Placer
mines are in reality glacial deposits. The
ice which formed the glaciers, mixed with
great stones, st some time or another,
wrenched from the original gold deposits
fragments of the riches there located by
nature. These fragments, swept along by
tho huge rivers of ice, have found resting
places at various points, forming what we
know as placer mines.
The biologists who have examined the
Klondyke mines say that the original
soldfields are not far distant from Klon-
dyke. 1t is, therefore, quite possible that
the stories from the north about still
richer finds are true and that the real Ell
Dorado Is by no means reached as yet.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-08

This is eminently a year for aquatic
feats. and the water party has become a
feature OF society, great and small. Per-
haps it is too much to say that the fad is
entirely new, but certainly it has not
been practlced in its present form, which
is to a great extent that of the water car
nival. On a pleasant evening on river
and ocean there are visible the prettiest
sights that have been seen on the waters
in and around New York for long time.
The idea is TO form party of any de-
sired mum Der, and instead OF charteriDg a
steamer large enough to take all the
guests, boats are secured all the way from
the tiny rowboat up to the small-sized
steamer or tug. Quite as often it is the
tug as anything else, because the idea Of
having such a craft is to have at hand at
all times power sufficient to tow the en-
tire number of boats The tug of course
leads the procession, and the smallest of
the other craft concludes it.
The form of decoration varies with the
taste of the people who have the event in
charge. 1t also makes a great deal of dif-
ference as to whether or not the party is
composed of persons possessing plenty of
money. These water fetes can be made to
cost as much or as little as 1t is desired
The decorations may be Chinese lanterns
or electric lights, and either give de-
IightfuI effect at short distance. Of
course the Chinese lanterns are the cheap.
est. Or If one wants imitation electric
lights they can take ordinary chimneys
colored, secure wooden base at a very
low cost, and place inside the chimneys
ordinary spermaceti candles.
No one who has not seen this combina-
ton OF candle-light chimneys can imagine
how charming the effect is. There is an
excursion steamer which travels about
New Y ork daily that ELIMINATES itself at
night in just this way, and the chances
are ten to one that persons who have
never been aboard of her believe her 10 be
a mass of colored electric lights. 1t is
great expense and a vast amount of trou-
bic to have procession of this sort wired
so as to have electric lights. Naturally the
electricity cannot be supplied from any
one source, so it is necessary that each
boat have a sufficient number of storage
batteries to supply the necessary fluid.
Amy one who has had to pay bills relative
to storage batteries knows what that
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-08
JHE GOOSE AS A
WEATHER PROPHET

MAYBE you have often noticed that
some farmers keep geese year in and year
out. let them have the run of the farm,
and seem to show them all kinds of con-
sideration," said an observant summer
boarder, yet are always swearing that
they are the biggest nuisances in the
world. If you have noticed that pecuIi-
arity of the daily rounds of the husband
man you have doubtless many time
wondered why in blazes the farmer kept
such nuisances on his prem ises. l used
to wonder why it was. but 1 never
bothered myself to find out the reason,
and one summer an explanation of the
mystery came about in funny way. I
was passing my vacation on farm over
in Jersey.
1.-The farmer had a big flock OF geese, and
be was eternally throwing the weightiest
kind of Jersey cuss words at them One
day / sat on the front stoop talking with
my host. The geese were placidly cropping
grass down along the road. a big gander
Leading them on. Peace, tranquility and
contentment spoke in every movement
the fowls made. There wansn't a cloud
in the sky that could see. The farmer s
men were working without much ap.
parent vim ct raking and loading hay
down in a meadow not very great way
off. Suddenly the old gander poked up
his head, gave voice to peculiar squawk,
lifted his wings and started eff on run
AS fast as his big webbed feet would let
him go. All the geese poked up their
necks at the sound of the gander's
vo,ce, lifted their wings, and. with
a chorus of noises that only flock OF
geese can produce, started after the
gander as fast as they could waddle. The
eander ran perhaps twenty yards and
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-08

gold and quartz can be separated by
process which IS so technical that TO be
thoroughly understood it needs to be
seen.
When Klondyke prospector has staked
out his claim, which must be as near
water as possible and generally about 500
feet in length, he makes an experimental
panning as a test of the claim. This may
show very little at first, but when 1T IS
considered that scent dirt-that is, ground
that washes or pans out cents worth OF
gold to the pan-is paving property it
may be seen that the miners standard is
not SO very high. Many case has lately
been reported from the Klondyke where
the dirt has washed out $50 to the pan.
With claim of scent dirt the miner, if
he is industrious, may be reasonably sure
OF $50 day. With 500 dirt he is million
aire if his claim is of any considera BILE
extent.
The testing of a claim is, however, only
the beginning. After it has been proved
to be worth working, it is necessary to
prepare for more extensive operations.
The first thing is to make the sluce-
boxes. In the Klondyke lumber is a
scarce and very expensive article, pro-
vided it is purchased all ready for sluice
purposes. If the miner is industrious he
will fell enough trees from the thousands
that cover the rugged lands about him to
make all the sluice- box lumber that he
will need. 1t is much more economi cal
or him to put in the time and abor neces-
sary to do this than to buy the lumber
ready made.
When the lumber is ready it is con-
verted into sluice- boxes of whatever
length the miner may deem advisable.
These boxes are then placed in position,
and all is in readiness for the washing pro-
cess. Now comes the necessity for getting
the dirt into the boxes. 1t is always the
case that pay dirt-dirt containing gold
lies next to rock. This being the case it is
necessary to clear away the gravel that
lies between the surface and the pay dirt.
II is a laborious task in any event, but
when one has to face Klondyke seasons it
is still m ore difficult.
Sometimes it happens that as much as
twenty-five feet of gravel must be re-
moved before pay dirt is reached, and
when most OF this has to be done within
sixty days, besides washing out the pay
dirt, the necessity for hard work is appar-
ent. AS a rule, the depth of the surface
gravel is about eight feet and at this
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-08

ever, what with the boatraces here and
abroad, il has become quite a tad TO go
upon the water, and naturally that led to
efforts to introduce some novelty. The
evolution of all this is the present water
party, which is really like fairy and
afloat AS a rule the number OF boats
participating in an affair OF this sort is
limited to twelve, for that is all tug can
tow comfortably. Not that she lacks
power TO tow more, but she can tow this
number IN a way that will not disturb u g
party.
The boats used to vary, as stated, in size,
but usually nothing smaller than ships
iolIv-boat is employed, and from that 1t
ranges up to an eight-oared barge. Occa-
sionally a steam or naphtha launch Is
called into play, but this Is rather un :
usual. There is still another kind OF pro-
cession formed entirely OF rowboats, the
boats in number of instances being pro-
pelled by oars in the hands OF young
women, who have displayed exceeding
skill in this athletic plishment. 1t
must not be supposed that Wellesley, Cor
neil and Vassar have the only feminine
boating crews. The Hudson River has
half dozen Fights who have never roweo
in shells but who can make an ordinary
eight-oared boat travel over the water at
an excee dinghy lively pace.
The Hudson River is a favorite resort OF
these athletic young women. About four
crews as a rule gather in their boats and
start out. 1t is a charming sight to see
the gayly decorated craft maneuver as II
nossessed OF human instinct. They Will
execute all kinds of evolutions, and 1t is
ouite likely that if some or the young men
who nride themselves on their skill with
40 oars were to attempt to handle e boat
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-08

To only a compa ratively small number
OF the immigrants focking to the X on
dyke are the methods of mining in vogue
here known, and if they were TO be told
it was a placer system many of them
would by no means be enlightened. That
is just the plan, however. The placer
system is the only one generally available
where the hand of old Winter has so firm
a grasp as in the Klondyke region.
BY placer mining is meant that system
which involves the separation of the vir-
gin gold from the earth by means of
water. In other words, it is washed ont.
1t Is really pannlng gold on a huge scale.
The other system of gold mining Is known
as quartz mining. In this latter case the
gold Is found imbedded in quartz, and is
taken from the mines TO stamp mills,
where the quartz IS stamped or crushed,
and thus put IN such condition that the
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-09
AVENGED WRONGS
Of A LIFETIME
Delilah FaleS COnfeSSeS
That She Killed
John Kern.
He Had Betrayed Her and
Then BlaCkened Her
CharaC or.
Shot Him to Death While He Was
on HIS Knees Before
Her.
Special Dispatch to THE CALL

WAVERLY, Iowa, Dec, 8. - Delilah
Fales has confessed her share in the tragic
dea of John Kern, the man who was
found dead in lonely wood on the 23d of
last August. The young woman now con-
fesses that she fired the bullets that killed
him.
She was indicted to-day. and it is said
her alleged accomplice before the fact,
William Kern. son of the victim, will be
indicted tomorrow.
When she was a mere child of 13 wears.
she charges that the elder Kern betrayed
her and ever after he harassed her with
his attentions.
More than that. She states he sought
by blackening her repu. alton to keen
others from paying court to her. Twice
she had been in a fair way to become hap
PLY married. but as many times had
John Kern, she declares, poisoned her
lovers against her.
At last, when by the same method he
sought 10 prevent his son marrying her
the pent-up hatred of years vented itself
in the commission of the crime.
Il killed him with reconciliation snd
deIibe ration" she said. II prayed God
TO give me strength to do it with all the
earnestness that l could command, as |
have lrayed to him for forgiveness.
have suffered no panCs of CO nscience On
the contrary, a restful calm seemed to
come into my Ii from the moment |
knew he was dead. | never slept so well
as l did after the night l fired those fatal
shots"
Miss Fales' confession starts by telling
OF the love affairs of herself and Young
Kern, and of the opposition of the father.
They discussed the question of putting
him out of the way. and they agreed that
that would be the best wav out of diff
Guilty. One day the elder Kern suggested
to the young woman that she meet him.
She saw her opportunity that she had
been waiting for and she assented, max
ing an appointment fo- the following
morning in the WOODS near her home.
They met and he assisted her to alieht
from her vehicle.
He was on his knees before me-" she
confessed. II saw my chance to Kill him.
| had the revolver just inside of my coat.
which was buttoned up. As he was
kneeling there, pulled The revolver out
and shot him in the chest. He whirled
around on his knees little ways. and, as
he fell forward, | shot him in the ri hit
side of the back. After the first shot he
said: Lille, something, l don't know
what, l could not understand. L don't
know whether his clothes caught fire or
not, hurried away"
Then follows de 'ail of the plotting of
the two to lay the crime at the door of
Jonn Lewis, a former lover OF Delilab.
They even prepared a letter, purporting
TO have been written by the deceased on
the day of his murder, and which was left
where it would be readily found, as it was
a few days ago. This letter said that if
harm ca me 10 Kern Lewis must be held
responsible.
William Kern's confession corroborates
that of Miss Fales in ain, ost very detail
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-09
THE AGREEMENT
Will Be KEPT
Union Pacific Funds VIII Not
Be Held in
Trust.
Opening the Way to a Settlement
OF the Kansas Pacific
Debt.
Special Dispatch to THE CALL.

NEW YORK, Dec. s. Conservative
financiers attach little or no importance
to the efforts of the London firm of &C.
countants, Robinson e. Leslie, who have
cabled TO the Government request that
money received in payment for Union
Pac fic properties be held in trust only for
the reason that the organization commit
tee paid only 50, 900. 600 more for the prop
erty than was originally intended, and
was TO issue more bonds than were speci-
fed under the trust agreement.
The opinion is general that their effof Is
will be unsuccessful 1t is declared that
no change in the agreement with the
stock folders has ever been contem plated
and that none could be made.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8.-Senator Gear
to-day introduced d bill authorizing the
Secretary of the Treasury to enter a bid
for the United States OF bond-aided rail-
roads and to pay off liens. The provision
is as follows:
The Secretary of the Treasury shall, under
the direction of the President, redeem or
otherwise clear UP such paramount lien or
mortgage or other ncum brsnee by paying the
sums lawfully due in respect thereof out of
the name AID for the United States, the prop
erty affected by or subject 10 such paramount
lien al any sale thereof made under any rider
of the court or any judgment or decree of fore
closure of such lien or interest OF the United
States.
Tue bill is understood to have been
framed by the Attorney General, and il is
intended to open the way TO the settle
ment of the Kansas Pacific debt.
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-09
CALL OFFICE, RIGGS HOUSE, |
WASHINGTON. Dec. s. {

The friends of the administration and
of Hawaiian annexation are seriously con-
cerned as to the programme to be fol-
lowed. The Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations did not touch upon the Hawaiian
question at its meeting to-day. Senator
Davis, the chairman of the committee, did
not attempt to secure an executive session
for the consideration of the treaty. The
fact is that the friends of annexation are
aware of their position and are waiting
to make few more converts, if possible,
to their proposition. If they cannot it is
quite probable that all attempt to secure
the ratification of the treaty will be aban-
doned, and the Foreign Relations Com
mittee will report Senator Morgan's bill.
This simply provides that the annexation
of the islands shall be accepted, ratified
and confirmed On the plans, terms and
conditions" of the treaty, which is a part
of the bill. This measure will have to be
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-09
tk&&**+&*+*** *+***t*&+st

BERLIN, Dec. SIT is rumored tonight
that China has ceded kiao-C Chau to Ger
many. Whether the report be true or not
there is every indication in the prepare
tions for the expedition under Prince
Henry that long stay is contem plated.
Emperor William Will make the depart.
ure of Prince Henry's squadron from K ell
the occasion for an imposing naval display.
The Brandenburg, a frst-class battle
ship of more than 10000 tons displace-
ment, and the Wurtem burg, second -cl ass
battle-shIp of nearly 1900 tons, while
coming from Christiana to Kiel to take
part in the display. collided. Both vessels
were injured, the Wurtem burg so badly
that it was necessary to send her to the
dry dock.
FREDERICKSBURG Dsc. S.-Prince
Henry of Prussia, commander of the sec
ond squadron of German warships bouno
for Kiao-Chau Bay. visited Prince Bis
marck to-day and remained for two hours
in consultation with the great statesman.
1t 10 understood that the far Eastern situ-
alton was thoroughly discussed.
On leaving Prince Bismarck Prince
Henry said: "Iet me also salute that
brow which my grandfather SO often
kissed"
He then kissed Bismarck on the fore
head and cheek. The aged statesman
wished him a safe voyage, good success
and happy return.
DR.. SchweniDger, Prince Bismarck's
physician, says the Prince will soon re-
cover from the effects OF his recent neural
gia pains
Prince Henry of Prussia started for Kiel
this afternoon. A number OF officers.
headed by General Count Waldersee were
al the railway platform to bid him fare
well. The Prince thanked them and babe
his adleu. He said: II ask you to believe
that in going where the EN- peror's favor
sends me, 1 thank him for reposing such
confidence in me. IN the name of the
Emperor, in his honor and the honor of
the Fatherland, will discharg the duties
of my command. Long live the EN-
peror."
The officers responded with a hearty
cheer.
NEW YORK, Dec. S.-The Commercial
Cable Company sent out the following
notice to-day: I'VE are advised that the
Chinese authorities give notice of the
osIng of the telegraph Office at Kiao-
Chou"
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-09

discussed in open session. Senator Nor
gan says that the treaty will not be aban-
doned and that there will be no open ses-
sions. The first skirmsh of the fight will
be upon the question of secret debate.
Both against the treaty and against
the bill there will be strong opposition
which will not hesitate to utilize every
possible method of delay available in
parliamentary tactics. 1t is probable that
filibustering can be conducted less sue
cessfully against the bill than against the
treaty, as the discussion of the former
The San Francisco call., 1897-12-09
NEAR ASTORIA.
waves The Chinese cook made the most
noise and cursed his fate in no uncertain
language.
DISAPPEARS IN OGDEN.
James Henry Martyr of San francisco
IS Numbered Among the
Misssin1.

OGDEN, Dec. 8.-What may prove to be
a tragedy is involved in the mysterious dis
appearance of James Henry Martyr OF
San Francisco, who was last seen at Nor
gan, on November 25. He is a religious
enthusiast, and was considered almost in
sane on the subject during his stay of
TWO months in Ogden last summer.
He applied for LODGINGS at house in Nor
gan on the night of Novem Der % and dis
appeared the next morning, leaving his
horse, saddle and baggage. He has not
been heard of since. II is tboug bit he wan
dered into the mountains and perished.
His wife and three children live in San
Francisco. Mrs. Martyn is of the Saliva
tion Army.