davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13

others are not. and it is. therefore neces-
sary to make the trip to the basement door
in order to find out whether the bell ringer
S the grocer's or butchers boy, or-tnat
which he is in nine cases out of ten the
hucks'er with many samples of his perish
able wares in his fists. The huckster is
however. in now:se persistent as a rule
and the extent of the fnf1iction which he
imposes upon the community consists in
his incessant ringing of the community's
door bells
The female canvasser for books is a
Cell ringer of experience and of incon-
test1ble nerve. The beauty of her attitude
after she has rung the bell is that the
servant who answers it is bound to be
gracious to her. for how is the servant to
know that the well-dressed woman stand
ing at the door-and they are generally
pretty well attired. these women book
canvassers-is not an intimate friend of
her mistress, just arrived from another
city? The bulge" on the situation of
tie woman book canvasser is. therefore
simply prodigious. Moreover, she is us
ualiy exceedingly sweet to the servant
and hands her a well-gotten-up card with
all the grace in life. Will she kindly hand
that to her mistress. by whom, she Le-
lieves. she is expectation. I'm business, is
not little white one of this sort pardon
able?
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13

says he. ! set down an wrote out a check
IN way Father Kelly showed me- an toss
ed it to him. What's thisr says he a
eheck. says 1. fr five bucks on tn Tinth
Naytional Bank. where 1 keep me capital
Look here. says he. i didn't fix no catch
basin and no beer pump for the Tinth
Naytioi al Bank he says. L done IT FIR
You. an 1 want ye er money NV good
SIR says i, that check is as good as money
an even betther,' / says. Behind it. 1
says. is not only NE own capital, but tn
inure capital. includin' money lint on Al
ley l. stock, Nv tn Tinth Nayt!onal Rank
says. had TIL facts firm tn good ma-an.
More thin that says ], TIL whole COVER
mint Nv tn United States is behind 1T L
says I'll ARMY an navy an tn park
polls will fight FIR that check says. Nc
kiniey vas elected to make that check
eooo. l says. L don't care IA cloth fr
wipin' Jints. he says. L voted FIR Bryan
an want money. an, bedad. had to give
We'll. siI thried that there check on
five difrent men an ne'er a wan iv thin
wud take it, TIL last wan was O'Connor
III butcher. What is IL? says he a
cneck. says l. so it is he says. so it
Is An very purity wan, too. Where's
We get itE i made it, says 1. Did We SOP
says he. Well We dhraw well. What ARE
We goin to do with it?' L want We to take
II again that bill We STINT me- 'wha;y
he. we must think I'm crazy 1 can buy
a pitcher tin times as big as that FIR three
collars, he says. Well sir, wud We be-
lieve il, they've had the story around that
Martha Dooley's gone daft an Is up an
down tn r-road thryin' to pass OF a piece
Nv green paper as money. TIL loot was In
10 see II was vilent just befure We come.
L haven't had a clint Nv money all day ex-
cept what little took in, an yesterday 1
was fair rcwlin' in wealth. What will 1
do about it?"
Get it out Nv the bark" said Mr.. Hem
messy eagerly. 'Fll go down an give that
Kid talk. an do you sneak tn roll
Well said Mr.. Dooley, I'm goin' to
see Father Kelly. 1 hope he amt in on
tn play
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13

OF those Russian rifles. 1t was every man
Tor himself, Of course. and we did not at
tempt to preserve any sort of formation
The instict OF hunted animal flying for
cover made me turn toward the maize field
ara gailoped into the friendly shelter of
the tall stems, bending my head low over
my horses neck and urging him forward
with voice and spur. The maize was tan
enough to conceal horse and man com
pletely, SO that the Russians could not
take aim at any individual mark, but they
poured 1ncessant volleys into the field. and
many bullet fired at random found its
billet. As these hundreds of bullets cut Off
the maize stalks in all directions around
me, must confess that my previous reck-
lessness had given place to a CHASTITY, over
mastering terror. Wherever turned dan
ger was lying by my side. and could only
press biindly forward and hope for the
best. A trooper close by me suddenly threw
up his arms and seemed to spring several
feet up from the saddle before he fell with
a thud among the blood-soaked maize
stalks 1t occurred to me then that he
must have been shot through the heart.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13
Very Insistent.

She all doan want none o. dem"
Nov. my good GIRL said the lamp
chimney man. II didn't inquire from you
whether your mistress wanted anything
or not, and I did not even inform you
that I was selling anything"
kain't All see 20 alfs CONFIRMS a-stickin'
This confab was held while the girl stood
with the door half open and the bell ringer
rad his station in the vestibule. A win
dow was raised on the second floor A
determined feminine voice proceeded from
the direction of the raised window.
''You man, what is it you wish, and why
do you stand there wasting the time Of"
The lamp chimney man stepped out to
the step landing, and said:
Because, madam, have here an article
which should be in every household, and
because I believe II had an opportunity
Of showing it to you you would certain
ly-"
Don't want Hr'
feel yourself in duty bound. in justice
to the needs Of your household"
"Don't want ftr'
"-to have one. It is a truly marvellous
invention of lamp chimney cleaner, and
you see yourself. even from that distance.
how simply and yet how thoroughly 1t
'sWouldn't have 1t in the housev'
You take your chimney that you de-
Haven't lamp chimney in the house!
Burn gasf'
but the student lamp
Bang! and the window came down. The
bell ringer replaced his great contrivance
in his overcoat pocket and tackled the
house next door. to have a similar expert
ence.
The Hucksters.
The hucisters have 1t all their own way
with the basement bells of Washington
houses. It 10 not alone upon the nerves of
servants that they prey. Their visits.
which, Of course. means their yankings OF
the basement bells. very often occur Mt
portion Of the house. when It occasionally
deyoives upon the mistress to attend the
bells. Some houses are 10 devised OF
course. that from the first or second door
windows the ringer OF the basement bell
may be seen and shoo-aied. IL his mission
is the purveyal Of things not wanted. But
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13
IN HIS RYE FIELD.
A Georgian Plows Up Some Interest
ing Prehistoric Relics.
From the Atlanta Constitution.


While piowing IN rye in his field on the
Sereven county, Mr.. Edward Hughes
brought TO light some very interesting
relics. His pillow struck against something
hard, and upon investigating he discovered
two old Indian pots. or urns. just below the
surface of the ground. One was in an up
right position and the other was turned
over 1t. as a cover. Within were a lot of
small pieces of bone, and the pots had
evidently been used as funeral urn to
hcld the ashes OF some brave. The finding
or the bones within pot Is rather an I'M
usual occurrence. as 1t Is not known that
the Indians ever cremated their dead.
POSSIBLY they are the remains of an in
fant but the pieces are so small 1t Is hard
10 tell The vessels are of the usual Indian
make, of red earthenware. and measure
ebout twelve inches In diameter across
their mouth One was broken. but the
otter intact They are now, with their
fCneral contents, in the possession of Colo
mel r. Lee Moore of Statesboro Ga who
was at MI Hughes home at the time,
and TO whom he gave them. That section
OF Screven county for several miles along
the banks OF the Savannah river seems To
have been favorite stamping ground OF
tire Greeks. who lived and hunted there
more than a century ago. Numbers of
relics. In the way of pots. tomahawks and
Inortars for pounding corn, have been
found there at various times. and there Is
an old Indian burial mound somewhere in
that locality, Just on the borders of the
swamp. 1t has been suggested that pos
elbly these last unusual relics which Mr.
Hughes plowed up in his field contain the
dust Of some cid Spanish cavalier who,
two centuries ago. fell In the forests Of
Georgia, victim Of the malaria of the
river or may be an Indian arrow; and that
dying. far away from home and loved ones
lis body was cremated by his comrades
9nd his dust deposited in these rude urns
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13

South Pasadena ostrich farm, and one of
the largest and most valuable of the birds
was ''in the hands of his friends" You
need not waste pity on the pluCked ostrich
He was made 10 be plucked, as the sheep
was made to be shorn. The only painful
thing about ii is the keen sense of hunnilia-
ton he seems to experience during the pro-
cess. but ne - cooler and more comfort
able when it is done, and after ne has gone
through it several times he makes no more
objection to beirg plucked than COW
does TO being MIXED.
AT first, though, we have struggle with
them" says the ostrich farmer. The
ostrich never wholly loses his wild nature
and We have chased a bird all day without
getting him into The corral No man can
stand up and fight an ostrich face to face.
You must get behind him and throw some
thing over his face before you can hold
HIM, Which, You say. il you have ever seen
an ostrich put on full speed. is more easily
said than done To run like deer is sup
posed to be the superlative Of CELEBRITY but
q deer is not in the race with those
scrawny. scaly legs, nor are the horns of
an angry buck SO dangerous as the toe
nails of an excited ostrich"
Afraid of u Small Dog.
Perhaps you have seen rooster fight
An ostrich goes at it in much the same
way. but his dynamo has a capacity of
1000 rooster power. His blow is a sort of
combination of Il Fitzsimmons hook and
mules kick. He thrusts out his leg with
velocity that one can't dodge. and with a
force that breaks a mans ribs without half
trying, but he always thrusts it to the
front; behind him you are safe, for his
kick is not reversible.
And he is nothing if not high kicker.
His blow lands three or four feet from the
ground. and he can't hit under that. The
African ostrich hunters, when pursued by
nladdened bird. simply lie down and let
him cool off and reflect on the impotence of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13

here
The bell ringers of Washington are not
quaint. They are not woolen-stockinged
Nurernburgers, with jaunty feathers in
their caps. They do not yodel between
bell rings. They are common, daily. in
sistent and indispensable nuisances. They
are door bell ringers
OF all American cities, Chicago and San
francisco are the only two chat have COL
Jared the door bell ringer with law. The
householders of these two cities Chose Of
them who have felt the weight and the on
preston of the door bell ringers pitiless
handD are permitted to prominently display
at their basement doors. or for the matter
OF that. at their main doors, a sign reading.
Pedd!ers. canvassers, hucksters and beg
gars are cautioned to ring no door bell at
tached to this residence" If any one of
the classes included in this plain notice dis
regards the warning, the householder has
only 10 nave the offender run in by the
nearest pohceman-always supposing there
Is nearest policeman" which is never
such dead certain. quantity, after all.
This ordinance Of Chicago and San F1nn-
cisco mas proven a good thing as a pro-
tect1ve measure. 1t has filled the tails OF
neither municipality to OVERLOOKING At
nrst, any number of arrests were made of
Coor bell ringers by profession who fell
into the error of looking upon the new or
dlnance simply in the light of a little mu-
nicfpal fad. But when they discovered that
or the men, and even women, door bell
ringers thus hauled up, those who coald
not pay their fines were "sent down. by
police court judges who had probably SUI
the annoyance of the door bell ringers.
they began to regard the neat signs tackled
to the doors or the walls adjoining the
doors with great deal Of wholesome re-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13

When the mistress of the house appears
with her countenance Illuminated with
cur1osity-for the card rarely reveals the
business character of the female book
canvasser's errand-she is as often as not
given what is known a high hand shake
by her stranger visitor
But, you know, you have the advant-
age?" says the mistress Of the establish
ment.
''Oh, yes, true enough" is the female
canvasser's usual reply. But in bust
ness
'Business?"
in business one is often compelled to
make quite unintrcduced calls. Now,
lave here"
Well, TIE mistresses of NEST houses in
this town know the rest. It is a matter of
the greatest difficulty to get tie female
book canvasser out of the house without
the exercise of actual force She is at
once naughty. insisten;, pleading. per
srasive, almost tearful-and finally insult
ing. And she is one of the most frequent
bell ringers in the mos. bell-rung town.
perhaps. in the United States.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13
SCHOOLING OUTSIDE OF SCHOOLS.
Germnny's Bands Of Tramp Students
Have Good Time,

nave q Good Time.
From the CongreSationalist.
A bicycle tour last July brought TO our
notice feature of public education in Ger.
many which might wisely be initiated IN
this country. We arrived one day at
Goslar, on the northern edge Of the Harz
mountains. The proprietor of our hotel
was busy preparing for the coming of sixty
boys. They arrived the next evening with
their knapsacks, on foot, and accompanied
by three or four teachers. In the large
dining hall, after their bread and beer.
brief addresses were made to them and
they sang Justify several patriotic and folk
songs. They were lively but orderly
company. Next morning they gathered in
the public square. near the most ancient
historic building in the town. The events
of interest which had there transpired were
recounted to them, and other songs Were
sung in praise of the Fatherland We
afterward saw them in various excursions
in the neighborhood
Such companies of students were often
met with in the Harz and in the Thurin-
gian forest. We learned that these Jour
neys are an important part of school life.
The pupils come sometimes from small
villages, sometimes from the larger towns
The proposed route is laid out weeks or
even months beforehand. The pupils draw
are to pass. Its features of geographic
historic. literary and geological interest are
pointed out to them. They are told what
they may expect TO see and how TO see Il.
Usually each pupil makes a weekly con-
tribution toward the cost OF the trip tn
the amount needed is secured. OF course
strict economy is practiced and the ex-
pense is small. Often they sleep in barns
or in large halls, covered with straw. They
are instructed as to their outfits. and each
boy carries what he requires strapped
his shoulders. They divide into several
groups-one group marching as leaders,
another bringing up the rear, another act
ing as scout. and so on. They study botany,
natural history. the roads and how they
were mace. the raising and moving OF
crops and many other things. They visit
the homes where men famous in war. gov
eminent or literature have lived. They
learn poems associated with places. From
such a journey, lasting from three days TO
three weeks, they return to their own
communities with many new things of in
terest to talk about and much valuable in
formation. They write essays on their
travels and observations. This outdoor
study in Germany is considered important
enough to be made the subject of an ex-
tended report in a volume just issued by
the English education Office.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13
Dividing Marriage Fees.


Gertrude Sellers and William Lucas. coll
ored hackmen of Cumberland. were before
Justice Anthony today, charged with OBJ
structing the passage Of Norman Bruce
Ribbet and Julia Clark. a young couple
from Johnstown, Pa, who came to get
married. Both hackmen were anxious to
get the fare. and, 1t is currently believed
here, to participate I'm the division of the
fee With the preachers to whom they haul
young couples. They beset the young bride
and groom, pulling at them vigorously,
soaring the bride until she nearly tainted,
and quarreiing with each other. Lucas
pleaded a jury trial, and Sellers, who was
fined SIS. appealed to court. a hackman,
IL is said. has an understanding with a
preacher about the division of fees IN such
cases. He is not to accept the fees from
the preacher, but from his wife, SO IL the
matter would ever come into court he
could swear that he never received a cent
from the preacher.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13

the mistress out on one Of the upper floors
1t Is as simple thing as the Job Of the
fraudulent gas meter man, who goes around
In uniform In the major ctties-not very
often here-and flnds what the crooks call
q first-rate graft at the work. The cam
vasser-thief has done q great deal of bust
ness In Washington in recent years, and
his existence Is another argument in favor
of the making of an ordinance. permitting
1t to be discretionary with householders as
to whether they choose to have their door
bells yanked by people who neither amuse,
instruct nor entertain them, at all hours of
the day, and occasionally even at night"
A Common Nuisance.
Perhaps the most impudent of the door
bell persons Of Washington is the hobo with
the one package of sticking plaster. Every
Washington householder knows him. He
generally pulls the bell after dark, when
the servant or servants are at work below
setting things to rights after dinner. or
have gone to their homes. His idea in
choosing this period is to bring one of the
members OF the family to the door; for his
game Is beggar's dodge pure and simple,
and his purpose is to arouse sympathy.
Experience has fought him the lack OF
sympathy that animates servants. His
best hold in the GENE is to bring the mis-
tress of the house to the door. and most
often he is able to do this. When she does
open the 1oor he doffs his greasy head
piece and executes a salaam that is sup
posed to be peculiarly effective with the
feminine heartily him. Then, between the
index and middle fingers of his right hand,
he holds forth his single package of what
may be taken for granted as court plaster.
Lady" says he, crowding into the vesti-
bule In somewhat alarming way. "a
dimes nottin' to youse, but to me 1t means
bote meal an a bed. Dis is de ony ting
1 got--dis pack of court plaster-to keep
me from starvin'-an' it's ony a dime"
In very many cases the lady of the house
he is addressing has been taken in on some
previous occasion by the self-same beggar;
for it would seem that the court plaster
bell ringers have mapped out territory here.
like the hand organ men, and work a route.
In this case she gently closes the door, and
the hobo shambles down the steps with
some muttering. If he has not, however,
made previous visitation at that house. in
nine cases out of ten he gets his dime.
When the master of the house answers the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13
Rugs for Sale.

The man with the rugs is another of the
door bell men. He always rings the main
bell. and scorns that which arouses the in
mates of the basement. Instances are not
uncommon wherein the rug men decline to
receive the assurance of the servant who
answers the bell either that the mistress of
the house is not at home, or that she does
not elect to buy any rugs, and to manifest
his disbelief in these statements, he nro-
jects portions of his person, or of his rugs,
within the portal to prevent the servant
from closing the door. He is singularly
impudent sort of bell ringer. 1t is often
necessary for the lady of the house to make
her appearance at the head of the stairs or
II ON the doorway of some lower room in
order to convince the rug man that his
wares are not wanted.
The man with his patent lamp chimney
c,eaner is mi!der in his manner, but, never
theless. like all of the bell ringers his boz
sem is filled with very great sco-n and
suspicion of servants. One of him was seen
operating on an uptown street the other
day. He walked up the steps leading 10 the
main door of pretty, substantial house
and rang the bell with the air of Young
man who has called to see his best girl
The servant appeared. With the unerriny
eye of the Washington servant who is
obliged to deal with many door-to-door
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13

when 1t is remembered that the Spanish
nivaaers, bearing the sword and the cross,
must have marched several times mn and
down the banks of the Savannah. and that
an old piece of armor, which undoubtedly
oates back to those days of wild adyen-
ven county near the same spot where the
pones Were discovered. At all events the
pots an bones are a reality, and there Ia
much room for speculation.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13

LIZ " LIkC SS D.
jecting t h e h e a d
ostrich to a great in
dignity. Four men
had grabbed him by
the neck, pulled a
sack over his head
and rushed him in
to the peaked end of
a wedge-shaped cor
raj. where they were
stripping him of his
piumage.
1t happened to be
pIucking day on the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13

spect. The result has been that at the
present time. when the householder of Chi
cago or San Francisco is aching to pur-
chase Life of the Late Archbishop IF
Canterbury in nine Volumes or "Pictur-
esque Tukestan,' in 11S volumes, or pat
ent egg-beater. or a bunch of carrots-the
householder is practically permitted by the
ex-door bell ringers of the two cities to use
his own discretion as to time and place for
making the purchase
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13

door bell for the court plaster hobo his par
ley Is different
Say. boss" says he, I'm up agin it. an
I'D like to dispose of dis pack O. plaster
fur dime"
When he gets to this point, with the nan
OF the house confronting him, he is gener-
ally told to git" and he gifts with less
muttering than he delivers himself of after
he has made failure with the mistress of
the eSta blishment-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13
A Profitable Industry Of Southern
California.
HOW THE BIRDS ARE CARED FOR
Furnish a New Crop of Feathers
Every Nine Months.
THEIR CURIOUS HABITS

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
PASADENA, Cal, November 5, 1897
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13
peddlsrs Who Go 4gboutss Town Ring
ing Doots Bells.
WITH ALL SORTS OF THINGS 10 SELL
Some of Them Will Not Take No
for an Answer.
THERE'S NO LAW AGAINST IT
TNHE BELL RINGERS

Wouio De a queer
title for a book on
Washington life. 1t
would be a title diff
cult of comprehen-
sion by the popu!a-
ton. and a good
many copies would
probably be sold to
persons curious to
find out If any such
quaint people really
had their existence
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-06-18
Some Causes of Failure.

One of the most important things
about good farming that most of us
have to learn is to avoid waste. We pay
taxes on land that we do not farm; we
only half cultivate our fields, and so
waste both land and labor; we leave u
large percentage of the crop in the
field; we waste time and capital rails
ing inferior animals; we waste money
in buying what we should raise our
selves; we waste energy in trying to do
more than any one man can do right;
we waste opportunities to improve our
condition by staying away from in
stitutes and neglecting to read papers;
we waste-in a thousand and one ways.
and then we are ready to say that
farming don't pay" And it is no
wonder.-Rural World.