davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald., 1897-12-13
New Year in China.

New Year Is the national pay day in
China. All accounts must be squared
up at that time, and the man who can't
raise money enough to pay his debts
has to go into bankruptcy. The laws
are such that the creditor can enter
the debtors house and take what he
pleases If there Is no settlement. To
prevent such action families club to-
gether and make all sorts of compro-
misses to keep up the business reputa-
ton Of the clan. New Year is a great
day for the pawnbrokers; their shops
are crowded with people who want to
redeem their best clothes before the
New Year. There are crowds. also.
who want to pawn other things in or
der to get money to pay their debts.
Pawnbrokers receive high rates of in
terest, in which they are protected bv
the government.
The Chinese paint the whole country
red, figuratively speaking. on New Year
day, in more senses than one. Red ia
the color which with them denotes
good luck and prosperity, and all the
New Year cards and invitations are on
paper Of that color. Every child gets
its New Year present wrapped in red
paper. and red inscriptions are pasted
over the doors Of the houses. These in
scriptions bear characters praying for
good fortune. wealth. and happiness.
and they are posted on each side OF the
outer doors Of the houses. New pic
lures Of Chinese generals are nut ON
the front doors. and the houses are
secured and made clean.
The herald., 1897-12-13
The Power Of His Eve.

has been told of Van Amburgh.
the great lion tanner, that on one &C.
casion when in q barroom, he was
asked how he gained his wonderful
power over animals. He said:
ut is by showing them that am NOT
in the least afraid of them, and nv
keeping my eye steadily on theirs. I'll
give you an example of the power Of
my eye."
you see that fellow? He's a repu-
lar clown. I'll make him come across
the room to me, and won't say one
word to him."
Sitting down. he fixed his keen
steady eye on the man. Presently tho
fellow Strengthened himself I'm. rose
from his seat and came slowly across
to the lion tanner. When he was close
enough he drew back his arm ora
struck Van Amburgh a tremendo,,.
blow over the chin. knocking his clean
over the chair. with the ren,er,~.
you'll stare at me like that spo,,
won't you!"
The herald., 1897-12-13
TQnnble50verBack-
ward From the
HIGHEST Bridges.

Bridge jumpers have become so mum.
erous of late that even a flying lear
from the dizzy height Of the BROOKLYN
Bridge attracts little attention. But
the feat which Paul ]. Tustin, an ath-
lete whose exploits are we'll known
among the swimmers of this country
and Canada, threatens to perform next
spring Is such an ingenious variation
Of the usual methods that 1t has
aroused unusual interest. For Tustin
proposes to fall off the bridge, and to
fall backwards at that, thus making
the descent as difficult and dangerous
as 1t would be possible for his bitterest
enemy to arrange with view to his
extinction.
Tustin says he will make his descent
from the Brooklyn Bridge as early in
the season as it is safe to do so. AS an
expert in the art Of twisting and con-
torting the human body while It is
shooting through space, he claims to
have no equal; and his long list of fool
hardy exploits seem to support his
claim. On May 81. 1896. he appeared
one morning on the Fades Bridge at
st. Louis, which is 120 feet above the
Mississippi River. With him were two
friends who accompanied him to the
center of the bridge, where he quickly
stripped to a swimming suit that he
wore underneath his ordinary clothing.
and stepping to the edge Of a long
plank which his two friends held over
the parapet, he tested the board once
or twice by dancing lightly and down
upon 1t, then sprang upward and out
ward. He shot down like a stone Az
ter falling about twenty feet he began
to turn carefully and deliberately.
Slowly he revolved until when about
twenty feet from the surface of the
water he had turned complete somer-
sault. and was once more falling feet
nrst. He struck the water in that posi-
ton, remained under several seconds
and came up in almost exactly the
same spot, showing that he had gone
down straight. He was picked up none
the worse for his dive, which was de-
clared by all to have been the cleanest
high dive on record.
In speaking Of the jump Tustin said.
" knew where was from tn, moment |
that made the leap. turned a
somersault in mid-air just as you |
might turn one on the carpet. I saw |
my shadow on the water. When I
came up, Just struck out vigorously !,
and was all right"
Since his jump at st. Louis rust,n
has practised falling backwards into
deep water from high elevations. until
be has become extremely expert II |
this peculiar performances.
The herald., 1897-12-13
FREAK DIVERS UNIQUE 6(HENE.|

More recently he appeared on the
Central Viaduct at Cleveland, and
In the presence of an audience of 1000
men, women and children, he stepped
out on a plank, and turning his face
from the river fell backwards into the
waters Of the Cuyahoga. In descend
ing he turned completely over, and
when within thirty feet of the surface
Strengthened out and descended like an
arrow. feet first. into the river.
Tustin's next tumble backward from
the parapet Of a high bridge was
made at Pittsburg. Pa, where $4,000
persons saw him "fall' from the
highest section Of the Point bridge, 12o
feet above the river. He. sank grace
fully out Of sight beneath the water.
feet first, after making his usual revo-
luton in the air, and was rescued
without bruise by friends waiting in
boat below.
His latest plunge was from the Eads
SAAN6C IA 0Ss 1@OulS d lew QdyS Sl0Ce-a
drop Of 100 feet into the Mississippi. He
executed his favorite evolution with
entire success, though the coldness Of
both air and water made the ordeal
undoubtedly severe.
Before this, however, he had been as
people in Canada by a series
of remarkable backward jumps from
high attitudes into shallow water. It
was in September, 1896, that he made
the jump shown in the accompanying
coming down from aheight |
Of ninety-six feet into a water-filled |
basin. The illustration shows him in |
the act OF making his remarkable
revolution while falling so as to strike
water feet first. Snap shot photo
graphs were taken Immediately after
he had dropped from the aerial perch
IN his way waterward.
The herald., 1897-12-13
Famous Street IN Fact Moth.
ing but a Batch Of
Securities.
CARTING BULLION.
Silver Bars Mistaken for Pig Lead
Only 5000 Lost in Fifty.
three Years.

According to the map Of the city Of
New York. Wall Street is q thorough
fare leading from Broadway to the
EAST River. In business par1ance 1t is
q district extending quarter Of mile
on either side OF that thoroughfare.
with spurs and branches on lower
Broadway.
But neither of those definitions Is
correct. The real Wall Street is con-
tanned in a lot Of leather boxes about
three feet long by a foot and half
deep. From $3.50 to 10 o'clock every
weekday morning. the real Wall Street
comes out from subterranean vaults
and spreads itself over the district.
About 4 o'clock in the afternoon It goes
back again to its air. to repose for the
night in the dungeons of steel and solid
masonry that defy both fire and burglars.
guard ID by watchmen who all night
long patrol the dimly lighted corridors
OF the stronghold.
This real Wall Street consists of Sc
curities to the value Of about $500, 000,-
900. The buying and selling of these
securities is the business Of the brok-
ers. and q man engaged in such buying
and selling is 'in the Street." These
$500 900 worth Of securities are sent
to market every morning by their own
ers to be sold for the highest price they
will bring; just as a farmer sends a
pig to market, and the broker corre-
spends to the hired man who takes the
pig to market and is paid for doing
SO.
WHAT WALL STREET" REALLY
IS.
Wall Street is often spoken of as a
place where people buy and sell what
they have not got. That, however, Is
delusion. Wall Street is securities.
and the business Of the Street" the
buying and selling of them. There are.
to be sure. bucket Shops" where |
things are carried on in some such |
fashion: but these bucket shops are NOT |
of 1.-THE Street"
Each of the above mentioned leather
boxes is carried by two clerks sent |
from the brokers' Office to which 1t Il |
bound. and behind walks a member of |
the firm, or some trusted employee, such |
as the cashier. There are leather ham
The herald., 1897-12-13
Some Curious Trees.

The bread fr;:it tree has a solid fruit
a little larger than cocoanut, which
when cut in slices and cooked. can
scarcely be distinguished from excel
lent bread.
The weeping tree Of the Canary ISL
ands 1t let even in a drought, con-
stantly distilling water in it's leaves.
A kind OF ash in Sicily has sap
which hardens into sugar. like the sap
Of the American sugar maple, ana Is
used for sweetenins purposes BY the
natives without any refining,
The herald., 1897-12-13

on the shore Of San francisco Bay.
He made his first appearance six years
ago, when he was II years of age. On
that occasion he defeated Walter Gay
by six feet in a three hundred yard
contest at the Wild Wave Swimming
clubs races in San Francisco. Three
years later he defeated Gay for the
half-mile championship for the Pacific
Coast. Then he won the worlds rec
ord medal for high somersault, leap
ing and diving, and also the amateur
championship Of the Pacific Coast at
trapeze diving.
Copyright, 1897.
The herald., 1897-12-13
in Nid-Air
and Strikes Feet
foremost.

The product Of the wax trees in the
Andes resembles beeswax very closely.
The butter tree of Africa produces as
much as hundred pounds Of its pecu-
liar product at once, only to be re-
newed in few months. This secretion.
when hardened and sailed, is difficult
to distinguish from fresh, sweet butter.
Closely rivaling the butter tree is the
milk tree Of South America, the sap Of
which resembles rich cows milk and
is used as such by the natives.
China can boast of soap tree, the
seeds of which produce strong suds and
remove dirt and grease readily.
In direct opposition to these useful
trees is the man-eating plant of the
tropics, which resembles Venuss fly
trap in its nature. 1t has a short.
thick trunk. with narrow, flexible
barbed spines.
The herald., 1897-12-13
Imperial Russian PEDIGREE,

Alexander III, late Car of Russia.
was son Of the Alexander IT.. bonn
barded into eternity in 1881, and he was
son Of Nicholas of the Crimean war
era. a son Of Alexander who was a son
Of Cray Paul." son of the licentious
Catherine and the brutal Peter III.
OF these ancestors one was strangled
in prison by order Of his wife, another
was murdered by band Of his mobiles, a
third was assassinated by the nihilsts.
a fourth died Of grief and disappoint-
ment, and Catherine died in a At
brought on by excesses. Nicholas H..
son and successor Of the late Alexander
III, is said to be quite free from tho
family failings. He was born May 10
1868,
The herald., 1897-12-13

estimate the value exactly, but the
above figure Is fair approximation.
II it is a day Of bear market" the
value represented is Con the principle
that thing is worth what it will fetch)
somewhet less; If it is day Of bull
market" more.
THE OFFICIAL WATCH-DOGS.
1t is an interesting object lesson in
the affairs of men to see this stream Of
leather boxes spread itself over the
Wall Street district in the morning and
to watch it recede and seek its caves
at night. Some Of those boxes which
started out gay and buoyant in the
morning seek the seclusion Of their
steel dungeons at night sadly detected.
and some that went forth timorously
come back with an opulent swagger.
While this transfer is being made,
about a dozen well-dressed men, who
seem to take only q languid
interest in life, may be seen
lounging or strolling about at
the place where Wall street divides
Broad from Nassau, or in that imme-
date vicinage. They are Wall Street
detectives, who, appearing to see moth
ing, see everything. And under their
care this half billion of property is
The herald., 1897-12-13
Copyright, 1897.
A Tobacco Habit.

A curious fact is the tobacco plants
haplt OF erecting its leaves at shutdown
and dropping them at sunrise. OF
course it is only possible while the
plant Is immature-while the upper
leaves are not more than two-thirds re-
veloped-but 1t is so marked as to
made wide difference in the looks of
Held at evening and twelve hours
later. And the results are SO beneh-
cent as to make 1t seem the result IT
reason, for If the dewrall is heavy it
all runs down to the stalks, trickles
down 1T to the root, and thus fortifies
it against the blazing sun: while, if the
leaves remained in pendulous spread.
the moisture would either drop from
their points beyond reach, or else evap-
crate in the morning sun.
The herald., 1897-12-13

All up and down the sidewalks these
moving bags and boxes can be seen
during the half hour which is devoted
to their transportation. There Is little
cash in these bags and boxes. Some
times a few thousand dollars which
the broker has received after banking
hours the day before and put in the
safe deposit vault over night-but no
great amount.
It is securities. stocks and bonds,
The herald., 1897-12-13

dies on either end of the box, by which
the clerks carry it; and the carriers
walk with brisk step. The represen-
tative Of the firm who walks behind
Keeps on a line half way between the
carriers, and has one eye on the box
and one on the people about him. Some
OF the small firms instead Of having
q box for their securities have lea
Their bag, which is carried by one man
and watched by another.
The herald., 1897-12-13

CO. he swan 215 feet without COM
ing to the surface. Speaking Of
thin act, Tustin said: II take one
long breath before dive, and
then am all right. There is much
The herald., 1897-12-13

where, by the way. they daily encoun-
ter the American school mistresses on
vacation trips. who live In cheap
boarding houses Of Bloomsbury and
Torrington Square, and to less extent
they preach their doctrines in the East
End. So long as they commit no covert
act" they can and do advocate bloody
murder in seventeen languages in pub
lie without interference.
In return for this right Of asylum,
very convenient for men who are
wanted" on the continent, the An
archists, by a sort of tacit understand
ing. commit no political crimes In Eng
land. 1t is the one great country Of
The herald., 1897-12-13

carried through the streets in perfect
safety.
Yet even II one could invent some
KIND OF fish weir which would catch
all these peripatetic boxes, and could
then get away with them, 1t would do
him no good. There would, of course.
be on Wall Street for a while-until
STOCKS and bonds to replace the stolen
ones could be made OUTPUT the stolen
securities would promptly be declared
VOID. and as soon as the new ones took
their places wall street" would reap
pear.
Another sight which one frequently
sees In the Wall Street district, which
ados not a little to the sense Of reality
IN the transactions of the Street, Is q
oray being loaded with bars of silver
py stalwart men-who pile in the white
metal as II they were putting on a
ioao or bricks-or another dray driv.
ing along loaded bags and boxes of
gold.
MOST or these drays are bound to or
from steamers, though there is some
carriage OF coin and bullion within the
district itself.
On one Of these argosies on wheels
tnere are generally four men, besides
the driver, to guard the treasure.
Wnen the load is of extraordinary
value other guards are scattered along
the route taken by the dray. But gold
and silver is not an easy thing to steal,
anyway, it is so heavy. A box Of gold
cannot be "prigged" as easily Jas a
lady's pocketbook.
For fiffU-thraa xyaorc m ,><f~~ -
coin and precious metal to and from
the Wall Street district and in 1t was
almost entirely done by ]. F. Barley.
About three years ago Mr.. Barkley
died, and now his son continues the
business. They have carted more bill
lions OF dollars in bullion and coin than
any other firm in this country, and
probably any in the world; and in all
this time only once have they had any
thing stolen from their care.
A few years ago they lost two bars
of silver, worth then about 5000 each.
The silver was being taken to a steam
er, which lay at a North River pier.
1t was a foggy day, and SO thick in
West street that one could not see a
block ahead distinctly. In the dense
jam OF vehicles, which always encum-
pers west street In the busy hours, and
in the obscurity of
!: {: {: :: :: !
/ the fog at a mo-
I nm @sGND&S>NN ment when the
IfW WA guards were not
k\l looking, two
thieves managed
49, III to steal each a
~ + bar Of silver out
y of the truck. and
y to get away un-
observed.
The thieves thought they had stolen
lead, and sold their booty to a junk
dealer for pigs" Of that metal When
the papers the next morning told of the
theft Of the silver bars, one Of the
thieves went to the junk dealer and
demanded more money, saying that as
what he had sold for lead turned out
to be silver he ought to have the diff
ference in the price. His greed was his
ruin, for he was caught, tried and sem
fenced to as long a term of imprison-
ment as the term allowed.
It is not an unusual thing for Barkley
to carry a million dollars in coin or
bullion on one of his trucks, and he
has double truck" as he calls it,
upon which he will sometimes trans
port two millions.
Copyright. 1897.
The herald., 1897-12-13

Europe free from them.
The other nations hold
that Great Britain Is sci.
Fl / in this; that she pur-
chases immunity from dy-
Mantle outrages in Lon
don and at Windsor by
harboring men who make
plots against the peace
Of Rome, Madrid, and
Paris, and it is undeni-
ably true. This feeling,
which is always particu-
larly bitter
after a fresh
~ outrage, has
ES much to do
with the growing conti-
mental hatred Of Great
Britain.
But would take strong
pressure, indeed, to force
the Salisbury Cabinet icto
any repressive measures,
which would prove so I'M
popular at home.
AN ABODE OF HOR-
RORS.
An island prison for the
confinement of the Anar-
chists would be an abode
of horrors.
All the Siberian afro
cities, of which KEENAN,
and others have written
might be repeated, and
worse. The island woulc
be patrolled as st. Helena
was by gunboats. II
would be far away anc
little inspected. It woulc
h ave an internationa!
force of keepers, interpre-
ters and spies to guard
against outbreaks. If one
Of the Philippine islands
was chosen. the convicts
would undoubtedly be set
at mining, as these ISL
ands have considerable
mineral wealth. Spain
would probably give VI
for the purpose one of thu
least valuable Of the isl
ands, probably one Of the
smaller ones nearest to
the equator. The eli.
mate is not unhealthful
because tempered by the
ocean currents, but it is
one in which white men
cannot with impunity do
heavy work. If the genius
Of Spain were the leading
one in the enterprise, the
horrors of Ceuta might be
repeated tenfold.
If such On international
prison-island could be hui
namely managed and re-
stricted for Anarchists
who have committed
outrageS, no one would
grieve. But if the conti-
mental governments could
The herald., 1897-12-13

representing the ownership of $500, ooo,-
900 worth Of actual property, that is In
them. It IL, Of course, impossible to
The herald., 1897-12-13

in the obscurity Of
the fog. at a mo-
ment when the
guards were not
! o o X l n g, two
thieves managed
to steal each a
bar Of silver out
of the truck. and
to get away I'M
Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-27
TARIFF BILL OUTLOOK.
Republicans Expect to Complete
Consideration by Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, June 96.-The Republi-
can tariff managers are very hopeful OF
being able to complete the consideration
Of the tariff bill in the Senate by next
Wednesday night. a result which would
bring the end i'm the Senate within the
present month. They are led to this con-
clusion because the Republicans have adj
iusted most OF their differences. and sec
their way clear to the settlement OF
others. The Democratic leaders do not
concede the possibility of so early a con-
clusion. They generally place it week
further on. or about the eth or Sth o,
July but admit that the end may come
by Saturday of next week.
The expectation is that the bill will not
be long IN conference. The House con-
ferrees have been In touch with the SEN
ate managers from the beginning Of the
consideration of the bill in the Senate
and have already, it is stated. practically
concurred i'm many Of the changes which
have been made.
Both the Senate and House managers
will agree upon the necessity for as early
an agreement as possible and working in
this spirit, they will not split hairs Sem
ator Aidrich is expected TO return in time
TO act in the conference. He is looked for
on Sunday.
Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-27
News Notes of Fulton.

There will be an entertainment at Cor
coran Hail. beginning next Monday eve
ming. at o'clock. by the young people
of Fulton. The programme consists Of
"Tramway," by Misses Overman and Rup-
pert. solo. by Mr. Albert Samue.s; The
Doctors shop" by Mesars. Booker Cobb.
Robertson. and Bagby; duet by Misses
Canova: duet by Misses Minson; "Over
the River" by Messrs. Robertson, Cobb
Bagby, Booker, and Minson; Her Reel
taton." by Miss Canova; solo, by Miss
Dixie Minson; duet. by Misses Overman
and Rupert. The Mitchell Quartette
will also participate. closing with the
comedy. Pretty Elsie
The members of the Fulton Baptist
church here are being congratulated on
the completion of their church. Though
the pews and gas fixtures are not in
place. yet the edifice is virtually com
plete. with this exception. The audi
forum is spacious and amply lighted by
beautifully stained glass windows while
the ornamentation is done in light-colored
woods. that give a bright and cheerful
look TO the place. 1T has not been de-
cided yet when the dedication will take
place.
Mr. Charles Clarke and Miss Alice Ben
net were united in marriage on Thurs
day evening at o'clock by the Rev. j..
r. Harrison. at the home of Mrs Free
man. on Fulton Hill. A reception fol-
lowed the ceremony. Their future nome
will be in Henrico.
As yet the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail-
way Company has made no start TO erect
the station and switch tower on Orleans
street
The Mission Boat. mention of which
has already been made here. still remains
moored I'm the river just opposite the
Richmond Cedar-Works. 1t is under
stood that it will be sent out at an early
date.
Mir. Thomas J. Enrlght. who has been
detained at his home some time. suf-
fering from an indisposition, is now i'm
proving.
Miss Clara L. Whitney. Of James City
county. Va. is visiting her uncle at No.
525 Denny street
Mr.. II. il. Pollard, of Fulton Hi, who
has been quite sick. is much improved.
Rev. John w. Daugherty is carrying on
a series Of meetings at Pioneer chapel
in Narna.
Mr.. David Fulton and wife, OF Old
Point. are visiting his brother-in-law,
Mr.. Ed. Shipman. on Fulton HILL
Mr.. William Watson. Of Lester street,
will spend his vacation at the seashore.
Mrs. James Grant who has been quite
sick. is now able 10 sit up.
Captain Henry Coghill leaves next Sat
urdav for Baltimore on a pleasure trip.
Misses Annie and Bessie Hardy, OF
Chase City, Va, were visiting their uncle,
Mir y. Reeks. last week.
Messrs. John Boiler, W. r. Moorecock,
and several of their friends will visit
charles city county next week, to remain
q week or more.