davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-11
BRIAN DORU's HARP,
The Oldest Instrument of the Kind
Preserved in Trinity College.

The Oldest Instrument of the Kind
Preserved In Trinity College.
From Iloyd's Newspaper.
No more interesting relic of Ireland's old
historic days has come down than the in
strument preserved in Trinity College, Dub
lin, and known as Brian Boru's harp" 1t
is the Oldest instrument Of the kind known
to exist in the land of Erin, and probably
in Europe. The legend attached to the
harp gives it the honor of having been
played at the court of King Brian Boru,
slain at the battle Of Clontarf, in the year
1O14, having passed into the possession of
his son Donough. the murderer of league.
in consequence of which act he was de-
posed by nephew. Donough retired to
Rome. Thither the avenger carried the re-
gala Of his assassinated father, and also
the musical instrument. Deposited in the
vatican. it remained there centuries, until
sent over by the pope to Henry VIII, then
honored by the pontiff as the Defender of
the Faith
This is only fiction. One of the greatest
Of Irish antiquarian scholars, the late
George Petrie, has eXhaustively and con-
vincfngly shown that the story has no
foundation in fact. From it's size, peculiar
structure and heraldic decoration~Mr. Pc
trie deduced, to the satisfaction of archae-
ologists, that the harp belonged to the
smaller class of instruments used by the
Irish ecclesiasticS to accompany voices in
the singing of hymns at private devotion
or in the services of the church. The in
strument is but thirty-two inches high.
Thus Mr.. Petrie contended 1t was too small
to have been bardic instrument, quite
untitled to have been played by the min
strel at festal functions. The scholar also
points out that his argument for the in
strument being one for devotional purposes
is strengthened by the appearance of the
letters 81. H. S." carved in relieve in the
Gothic character 1t was the opinion of the
antiquary that this harp was made for one
of the two O'Neills who fourished in the
fourteenth century, the first as bishop of
Clogher, the second as bishop of Derry
One Of the last MINISTRIES who struck har-
mony from the strings Of the instrument
was a descendant of the prelates men
tioned-Arthur ONeil, who played brian
Boru's harp" at Limerick In 176O. Twenty
years later 1t was presented to Trinity Col
lege by Mr.. William Conyngham. The
harp, when perfect, had thirty strings. 1t
is OF exquisite workmanship. The upright
pillar IL Of oak, and the soundboard of red
sallow; the extremity Of the forearm has
. Gaping Of silver, very artisucally
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-11

lated from the body with one blow, and
the legs are folded together one would
fold his arms. They are packed in boxes
of chopped ice and are ready for shipment.
During the summer months the New
York market receives from 5000 to 10000
pounds of dressed saddles daily. The retail
price then reaches the lowest notch of p
cents pound. At present about 1000
pounds pass through the markets every
day. AS it is impossible to take the frog
during the winter immense quantities of
the saddles are frozen during the early
autumn and stored in ice boxes. The meat
retains its full flavor. and is good If
1T had been killed the day previous.
great many attempts have been made
toward the artificial propagation of frogs
from the eggs. but none has ever succeeded
Seth Green. one of the most successful fish
culturists in the country, made many tests
several years ago, but met with failure.
During the past summer Commissioner
Blackford received several orders from
France for live bullfrogs. which were to
be used in stocking the ponds in that coun-
try as the supply was found to be falling
below the demand
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-11
THREE BRAVE GIRLS.
Heroic Conduct of Three English
Young Women.


Young Women.
From the London Standard
The report of the Royal Humane Society
If evidence be wanted Of the strength and
courage and hardihood of our young wom-
en-, here it is-with a vengeance, old-fash-
toned folks would add. The silver medal
is granted to Miss Fullerton of Dudhope
Terrace Dundee; of such heroine every
detail is worth note. Miss Fullerton was
strolling on the Forfarshire coast, appar-
in great distress out at sea. We are not
told whether she threw off any of her
clothes but since the man was seized with
cramp and was drowning, it is to be sup
posed that she did not. The distance was
800 yards and the sea heavy" but Miss
Fullerton swan out, and, "eXhorting the
manufacturer to preserve his presence of
mind'-also holding him up"-she con-
veyed him safely until boat picked them
up midway. This is something like rec
ord" "Our fathers would not have be-
lieved it possible for girl to swim a quar-
ter of mile in her clothes through heavy
sea, bat this brave young athlete actually
supported a nlanufacturer-who run to
weight as a rule-in the agony of cramp.
Miss Joan Harris of Belfast also plunged
into the sea without undressing and res
cued a grown girl; further circumstances
was a feat anyhow. Miss Louisa Bright
of Reading, too, did not waste time in
preparations when she saw Schoolboy
drowning in the Kennel. 1t is not many
years since swimming was regarded as a
dubious sort of accomplishment for woman.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-11
A PLOT FOR A NOVEL.
One offered Rendy-Nnde for the Des-
perate LiterntOr.

| From the Boston Journal
| A novelist in Boston-do not laugh. there
are novelists in Boston. yes. and actually
| living here-said to us the other day. IF I
| could only find a plot!' Here is a plot for
| him free of charge, and the story is a true
| one:
| In 1879 a lady-a real lady-came into
| Birmingham England. with a handsome
| equipaSe, and desired the landlord of tn,
| Inn to get her a husband. being determined
| to marry somebody or other before she left
| the town. The man bowed. and supposed
| her ladyship to be in a facetious humor
| but being made sensible how much she was
| in earnest. he went out in search of a man
| that would marry fine lady without ask
| ing questions After many repulses from
poor fellows who were not desperate enough
| for such venture, he met with an excise
| nan, who said he could not be in a worse
| condition than he was and accordingly
went with the innkeeper and made ten
| der of himself, which was all he had to be-
| stow on the lady, who Immediately went
with him to one who gave them license
and made them man and wife. on which
| the bride gave her spouse f200 and without
more delay left the town and the bride
groom to find out who she was or unriddie
| this strange adventure. Soon after she was
! gone two gentlemen came into the town in
full pursuit of her; they had traced her so
/ far upon the road. and, finding the inn
| where she had put up, they examined into
all the particulars of her conduct. and on
! hearing she was married gave up their
| pursuit and turned back.
| Truly noble dame, one worthy Of full
| length portrait in the gallery constructed
| by Thomas Hardy.
Why did this noble dame offer herself to
| the first conner? And why were The re-
spectacle males of the town so backward?
4 rr-l~1 =, ;,,t dol
| the pursuers? Did she wish by one sudden
marriage to escape one deliberately con-
| trived and repugnant? Was the excise
man a pretty fellow in spite of his abject
| ccEdition? Did she ever him again:
Did she ever regret that she had not braved
| the world and lived with him? Perhaps the
memory Of her apparition haunted him;
perhaps 1t reused him to doughty deeds.
| It's pity that Mr.. Hardy has not account
ed for her action and her fate with his
grim irony.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-11
WINDMILLS.
A Multitude of Thipr. That tn. x,
Will Do.

From the Youths Companion
Inc nrst barley mill was introduced into
scotland from Holland by an ingenious me-
chanlc named Andrew MIeikle. But il was
many years before the invention came into
general use, owing chiefly to the supersti-
tlols prejudice of the country folk who
lccked upon the grain thus cleaned with
Suspicion. as procured by ''artificially crea-
tea WIND. The clergy even argued that
winds were raised by God alone. and that
II was irreligious in man to attempt to raise
ne wind by his own efforts" Scott is evil
oently expressing the popular sentiment
when, in 'Old Mortality" he makes one of
his characters chide those who would raise
wind by human art instead of soliciting
1t by prayer, or waiting patiently for what
ever dispensation of wind Providence was
pleased to send upon the shealing MILL"
Stories are still told in the neishborhood
where Meikle lived, of the labor-saving
contrivanoes he adopted in his own house.
hold. one day a woman came to the mill
TO get some barley ground and was asked
to Sit down in the cottage, hard by. till 1t
was ready. With the first sound of the
Mill wheels, the cradle and the churn at
her side began to rock and to chl.rn as If
influenced by some supernatural agency
No one but herself was in the house and
she rushed from it. frightened almost out
OF ner WIS.
Such incidents brought an ill-name on
Meikle, and the neighbors declared of him
that he was no canny."
He was often summoned to great dis
tances, for the purpose of repairing pumps
or setting mills to rights. On one occasion
when he undertook to supply gentleman's
rouse with water SO many country me-
chanfcs had tried 1t before and failed that
the butler would not believe Meikle when
he told him to get everything ready, as the
water would be sent in the next day.
1T will be time enough to get ready" said
the incredulous butler, when We see the
water
Meikle pocketed the affront, but set his
machinery to work early the next morning;
and so well did the engineer fulfill his prom
Use that when the butler got out of bed he
found himself up to his knees in water.
Meikle reaped no financial reward from
his invention; his name is scarcely mention
ed in Scotch biography; yet the statement
on the monument erected to his memory is
literally true: He rendered to the agricul-
turists of Britain and of other nations a
more beneficial service than any hitherto
recorded in the annals of ancient or modern
science"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-11
S O M CYCLE CHAT

Nothing has been done on the proposed
new third-of-a-mile track, which 1t is con-
templated to locate inside the half-mile
track at the Brightwood Driving Park.
The projectors were undecided to do any
thing this fall or wait until early spring
before commencing the work 1t now seems
as though the latter course has been pur-
sued. 1t was thought to be much better
to commence the work and rush it through
to completion at the same time, thus af-
fording no delay whatsoever
The plans for the new track were pub
lished in The Star several weeks ago. when
it was announced that the contract for the
work had been practically given to Andrew
Gleeson, the contractor. Mr.. John Hayes
the secretary of the Brightwood Driving
Park Association, who seems to be the
manager of the new scheme. was seen by
Star reporter a few days ago, and ne
stated that the work had been postponed
until next spring. for the reasons given
above. When the work Is started" said
he, 1T will be pushed right along and no
time will be lost, and the course will be
ready for the riders in quick time as it
is possible
The work of building the track will neces-
state the erection of a new grand stand
the present structure being too dilapidated
TO accommodate very large crowd. In
audition 10 tnlS work, nigh board fence
will be located all around the ground, SO as
to keep cut these who would otherwise
beat their way into the premises The lay
of the land is excellent for constructing
cycle track, and very little excayating
would have to be done.
Have any readers of the cycling page
tried kerosene or coal oil as a preventive
for the cracking or breaking of the tire d?
Some time ago mention was made In this
column about one or two riders washing
their tires regularly in a pure kerosene
bath. and 1t now seems as though this
practice is on the increase. The original
user of this method claimed that by prac-
teal experience and observation he ascer-
tanned that the kerosene would not only
remove all dirt and other foreign SUBJ
stances, but would permeate the constitu-
ents of the tire and cause them to hold to-
gether more firmly. This being the case
the tire would not crack or break with the
ordinary wear. This must be followed
with the statement that the life of the tire
| is prolonged considerably This of course
does not include occasions where the tire
Is cut by the rim or injured through pune
| ture. The average life of a tire is about
two years; IL anything, less than that
stand longer use than through two sea-
sons, while great many crack and break
when entering upon the second season. If
| the kerosene remedy prevents this 1t must
| indeed be good thing. Those who have
| and are using 1t claim that the Oil Will &C.
! compiish this. 1t may be true, but other
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-11
THEIR NOSES WON THE SUIT.
Heirs to a S3O.O0O Estate Identified
by Their PhysiOgnomy.

rom Tue new JtufHAl
The heirs to a large estate left by an
uncle who died intestate, Nettie Z. V. Pea.
body and Geo. F. l.. Kipp of California,
have thought themselves powerless for
lcng time to establish their identity. For
years the brother and sister have fought
for their share in the estate of their uncle.
Andrew Kipp of Saugerties, N. Y, worth to
them about $4,000. Having no papers Of
their father, James Brown Kipp, the task
of establishing their identity was no easy
enc. But finally they conquered, having
copclusively proved their identity by means
of the peculiar shape of their noses such
noses being a striking characteristic Of
their fathers family. Today, Former Sena-
tor Linson of Kingston, n. Y, referee,
decided the famous Kipp case, celebrated
throughout Ulster county, in favor of the
California claimants.
When Andrew Kipp died, his brother.
William E. Kipp, claimed to be the only
heir. He was appointed administrator OF
the estate. Then the California claimants
put in an appearance and demanded their
rightful share. James Brown Kip, their
father, was dead. He was murdered in Los
Angeles, Cal. in 1856 by drunken husband
while he was endeavoring TO project the
wife.
James Brown Kipp, when Il boy, ran
away from his home in Saugerties, n. Y,
because of an undeserved thrashing that
his father administered to him for breaking
a jug containing rum, which his brother
William had broken. He was never heard
from until his children appeared to claim a
share of their uncle's estate.
The children had photographs of their
father, however, and in each photograph
the enormous and queerly shaped rose
stood out in bold relief. The son. George
F. L. Kipp, had a nose almost exactly Ike
that of his father, and no one who looked
first at the photograph of the dead man
and then gazed at the living son could for
a moment doubt the striking resemblance.
Some lines of writing IN the Kanaka
language, written by the late James Brown
K;pp on the fly leaf of an old Bible. also
figured in court, as a means of identifying
the dead mans handwriting. Though the
Bible was sent all over the country and
submitted to many learned men, IL was
found impossible to find any one who could
decipher the writing and correctly inter-
pref 1t.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-11
FROGS EATEN IN NEW YORK
The Consumption is Greater Than in
Paris.
From the New York Herald

The Consumption is Greater Than in
Paris.
From the New York Herald
Are there many frogs legs eaten In New
York;" the reporter asked of Commissioner
Blackford.
There is not city in the world" said
Commissioner Blackford, that consumes
so many frogs legs as New York"
More than in PARISH
Eyes, indeed" replied the commissioner
While years ago the French were com
monty known frog eaters the New
Workers today should more properly be
called 'frog-eating people, rather than the
Parisans. 1 seldom found the dish on the
menus In the restaurants of Paris, while
in New York you can get them at nearly
every first-claSs hotel and restaurant This
dish is not common in London, and ONLY a
few of the high-grade restaurants there
prepare it,"
According to Commissioner Rlackford,s
figures. fully rs per cent of the frogs for
the New York market are shipped from
the Ontario district in Canada The re-
dacks and the state of Maine Frogs are
very plentiful in all of these districts. and
they multiply so rapidly that there is no
danger of a decrease in the supply for
years to come. ABOUT six of the saddles of
these frogs weigh a pound, and retail at
70 cents
The largest frogs In the world come from
the state of Missouri burt they are scarce
| and do not fsurehlargely in New York's
market. Three of these saddles will make
a pound. Great quantities of frogs are tn
be found in the New Jersey meadows. but
they are small that a pound of dressed
legs cannot be obtained from less than two
or three dozen frogs Occasionally farn,1
er's boy will bringl40 or 80 of these frogs
to market, but the pay is so small COM
pared with theSamount of work required in
the hunt that no one makes a regular bus
mess OF searching the adjacent meadows
The frog-taking SEASON begins about June
1 and continues steadily until Septemher
!. Throughout Canada there are many
men who make q regular business of frog
catching, while in the Adirondacks the
work is donegby the guides during their
srare hours. The animals are caught with
hook bafted with red flannel and suspend
ed from a rod about 10 feet in length
There is a strange fascination about red
flannel that the ordinary croaker cannot
resist. The moment 1t is dangled within
few inches of his nose he makes wild
leap at It, with jaws wide open. and is
promptly hooked. He is released and
placed in big basket carried on the back
Of the frog hunter.
Sometimes the frog is found to he sleen
ing. Then the hGok is placed under him
and a quick jerk lands him. When the
basket Is filled the frogs are carried to a
pen in one corner of the pond near the
huts of the hunters. and are kept there
until there is demand for them from
New York. They are then scooped out of
the pen with a net and killed and dressed.
This operation Is very simple The frog
| is stunned with a blow on the head and inn
EIediately the head is severed Then the
skin Is loosened at the top and in a jfffy It
! GENES OF like glove The saddle IL sepa-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-11

moved by the deft-handed thieves. If
the lamp could be locked to the bracket
and the bracket soldered to the head of the
wheel. there would be a decided dimuni-
ton in the nuAber of thefts.
The total number of bicycles stolen dur
ing the same periodtreached an even thirty,
almost one for every day of the time The
owners Of the wheels were as follows:
w. Lockhead of rs Sd street northeast an
F. v: v. bicycle, stolen from 18th and s
streets. 70 -
B. H. Milliken of Ills X street warw,c.
bicycle, stolen from in front Of 1881 F
R. I. Marshall of sos 18th street north
west, Barnes White Flyer bicycle. stolen
from In front Of residence.
George Pitkin Of 1872 P street northwest,
a Fowler bicycle. y
e. R: Ellis of 1905 18th street northwest.
Rambler bicycle. e
N w. Carpenter, 14th street and New
York avenue. rented a Sterling wheel to a
white man who failed to return IT.
A. F. Rawlings of 1136 9Th street north
front of residence
G. L. Haley of sos E street northwest
rented New Era wheel to white man. which
was never returned.
A. Z. Bergland of 716 10th street north
east, Cleveland wheel
Monroe Wilson of 1923 18th street north
west, Fowler bicycle.
c. A. Barnes of 700 14th street, American
Walter 1sel of 903 North Carolina avenue
southeast. Fowler Wheel stolen from in
front OF 600 New Jersey avenue.
harry Garnett of 1881 Sd street, Comet
bicycle, stolen from the Central High
School.
DR.. J: E. Bliss of 1913 N street north
west, Wilhelm bicycle, stolen from in front
of residence
D. W. H. wunder of sol 7th street north
west, Spaulding bicycle. stolen from in
front or 20 c street northwest.
L. w. Haskell, No. Cooke place north
west, Columbia bicycle, stolen from in front
of residence.
Chaplin Brown, 1913 ~ street northwest,
Lowell Diamond wheel.
e. s. Keys of 1917 I street northwest
rented a Liberty and a Modern Special BIZ
cycle to white man, which were never re-
turned.
c. l.. Cornelius Of 47s street northwest
Adlake wheel, stolen from in front Of resi-
F. G. Berger of 2523 K street. Warwick
bicycle, stolen from in front Of 1000 18th
street.
W, Morris of 11o4 18th street northwest,
Victor bicycle
Samuel Terrell of 1915 10th street north
west, Columbia bicycle, stolen from in
front of Ills Pennsylvania avenue.
c. j. Morton of 2013 Vermont avenue
Tappan Special bicycle. stolen from in front
of Ebbitt House.
w. H. McCuen of 11O4 Connecticut ave-
nue.. Sterling wheel, stolen from in front of
residence.
G. NJ. Day of 2O2 East Capitol street
rented Eldridge wheel to white man, who
never reaDpeared.
T. H. Barnard of 234 n street, an sos BIZ
cycle. stolen from in front of residence.
Theodore Friebus, jr., Crawford bicycle,
stolen from the Carroll Institute.
Fred Grogan of 123 10th street northeast,
Overland bicycle, stolen from 9th street
and Pennsylvania avenue.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-11
STOLEN WHEELS.

Since November I and up to the fore part
OF this week total of forty-seven thefts
had been reported to the detective in the
police department to whom has been as
signed the task of looking up stolen bicy-
cles and cycle sundries. This is an aver
age OF more than one day, and shows
that the risk Of leaving bicycles unlocked
has not diminished in the least Detective
Bob Boardman has charge of the matter
and he has done good work in his line,
managing to recover a large number OF
the stolen articles.
The thieves do not appear to be par
ticular as to what they steal, and in the
Following list no mention Is made of miss
ing repair kits, cyclometers and other
small things which can be detached from
wheel. Only one saddle was reported as
missing. while another case was the theft
OF an entire front wheel of a bicycle, TAX
ing in the cyclometer and everything This
Is the most unique steal of any reported
A F. King of % Lafayette square lost his
saddle while the bicycle was standing in
front of his home. E. B. Stewart of zoos
9th street northeast was the victim of the
thief who removed the front wheel and
cyclometer.
There is large increase in the number of
stolen lamps, aggregating fifteen in all
The victims are as follows:
Raymond Lamb. 1882 Whitney avenue
lamp stolen from wheel
I. c. Bowen of GIG 18th street northwest.
lamp stolen from wheel.
II. G. Kimball Of $50 North Carolina ave-
nue. southeast, Searchlight lamp stolen
from hall of his home.
Harry McKeldon of 1912 H street north
west. Silver King lamp, stolen from wheel.
c. c. Wells Of 1871 21st street northwest,
Searchlight lamp, stolen from wheel.
DR.. F. p. Vale of 1927 L street north
west. King Of the Road lamp, stolen from
wheel.
W. N. Multer Of 1407 New York avenue
northwest, Pathlight lamp. stolen from
wheel.
Miss M. T. Graves of Anacostia, Search
light lamp. stolen from wheel.
Rev. Mr.. Schneider of 1915 10th street
northwest. Searchlight lamp, stolen from
wheel.
r. W. Bretney of 1915 E street north
west, Neverout lamp. stolen from wheel
F. H. Riordan of I'LL 10th street north
west, Frontlight lamp, stolen from wheel
at National Rifles Armory.
Leroy w. Heron, Neverout lamp, stolen
from wheel.
Findley Harris. NJ. and W. lamp. stolen
from wheel.
Leon Sorry of 1928 Maryland avenue
northeast. Searchlight lamp, stolen from
wheel.
The preponderance of the number o,
lamps stolen direct from the bicycle shows
clearly that some method ought to be de-
vised by the rider to fasten the lamp In
such manner that 1t cannot be easily re.