davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18
Why He Was Sure.

A Washington man, who suspected a
colored man in his employ of tamper-
ing with his private stock of whisky,
allowed the demijohn to become emp
ty, and. instead of filing it again. put
the liquor in bottles in q cupboard and
labeled them Poison One night, as
he came home from the theater, he
caught the colored man in the act.
Selling the bottle. in mock terror, the
employer exclaimed: "Great heavens!
Do you know what you are doing?
Don't you see that what that bottle
contains is marked .P~oison?'" The.
colored man held it off and looked at It,
Then he smelled il, and with a look of
melancholy. replied: ''Tain't poison,
sub. Use done been fooled ag'in."
"How dared you tamper with 1t, whethI
er you knew II YVES poison or not?'''
BOSS, it was dis wa.y. Fun dc way,
yoli acted bout dat demijohn in de cell
lar l done thought yoIh had yoh|
s'picions oh me, an 1t made n c melan1
choly, fob sho'. Use been tryin' foh'
mos two weeks now ter commit sui.|
eide Out'n dat bottle. "-Argonaut.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18
The Funeral Of ~ Cat.

At about this period The Boy ofici-
ated at the funeral Of another cat, but
III q somewhat more exalted capacity.
1t was the Cranes cat. at Red Hook, n
Maltese who always had yellow kit
tens. The Boy does not remember the
cause of the cats death, bUt he thinks
that Uncle Andrew Knox ran over her.
with the dyspepsia wagon so-called
becauSe it had no springs. Anyway.
the eat died. aud had TO be buried. The
grave was dug III the garden of the
tavern, near the swinging gate TO the
stable, and the whole family attended
the services. Jane Purdy, in a deep
Grape veil, was the chief mourner. The
Boys aunts were pall-Dearcls. IN white
scarves, The Boy was the clergyman,
while the kittens-v no did not look at
all like their mothcr-were on hand in
Il funeral basket, with black shoe
strings tied around their nccks. The
ceremony was most impressive; the be-
reaved kittens We're loud in their
grief; when. suddenly. the village bell
tolled for the death of an old gentle
man whom everybody loved, ard the
comedy became a tragedy. The older
children were cGnScicnce-stricken ut
the mummery. and they ran, democrat
lied and shocked, into the house. leav-
ing The Boy and the kittens behind
them. Jane Purdy tripped over her
veil. and one of the kittens was
stepped on in the crush. But The Boy
proceeded with the funeral.-"A Boy l
Knew" by Laurence Hutton, in st,
Nicholas.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18
The schooiboy of siberia.

The military rule that governs all
Russia extends to the schools and col
leges. They are free public schools,
almost as fully as with us. and are at
tended by the children of the peasants
and poor rowns-people as well as by
the son of government officials and
rich merchants, who later are to 90 TO
the university at Tomsk, or perhaps to
Russia. for their college course. But
here. though some are mobiles by birth
and others are mere peasants, all are
treated exactly alike, and all dress in
a uniform closely copied from that of
the army. Even the girls-who always
have separate schools from the boys
wear Il simple regulation dress, so that
there is no heart-burning in little Anna
from the cottage in the back street be-
cause little Lady Anna from the great
house on the square has Il fine dress.
The teachers are all regarded as Off
GERS of the government, and wear a
military uniform. The school is drilled
in tactics every day. and conducts all
it's exercises after military models.
training its boys into soldieriy young
men. Even their play is mixed up
with this.
The uniform is not so pretty as that
worn by the cadets of u w mill
tary schools. and it is comical to see q
little chap. with a round face under his
fiat cap. wearing big boots and a gray
overcoat belted about him with skirts
long enough TO touch the ground; but
when he has earned the rank OF cor
poral or sergeant in his school battal.
ion and feels the marks of his rank on
his collar, he struts about as proud as
Il peacock.
Gymnastics are cultivated every
where, and each school has a large hall
devoted TO calisthenics, and to eNer-
cises upon the bars, ladders, vaulting-
horse, swinging-rings. trapeze, etc;
while many schools have out-of-door
apparatus to be used in warm weather.
Everybody must 90 through these eX-
e~rcises. and some excel greatly in them,
as YOU would expect the sons OF Cos
sacks. as many of them are.-Harpers
Round Table.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18
LIGHTS OF NEW YORK.
Their Picturesque Eject at Night ON
the Great buildings.

the GREAT buildings.
When daylight still gli,nmers in the
west these evenings the great ofiicc
buildings far down town are lit in or
der that some thousands Of busy men
and women may aeon plisll the work
Of ONE hundreds Of days in the last
hour Of the afternoon. The pnrpore of
this illumination is sufficiently prosaic
and practical. hut the illumination fur
LShes to many travellers by ferry boat
from the Jersey shore. n ten-Tinutes'
aesthetic feast unique among the thou
sand charms Of New York harhor. Bet
ter still. the illumination. as seen from
an approaching: farryboat is scarcely
the same on two evenings. When faint
mist wraps the river and blots from
view the high. irregular facade of
downtown New York-all save the
glrttering fires that rise in tiers-tho
effect is of n vast scene upon some the
atrical stage, wider and higher than
any yet wrought by man.
There is a twinkling as of a million
monster stars riolten to a rich yellow
glare. On evenings when no mist In
teryeECS between the scene and the
eyes of the beholder, and when the
o adds a third element to the twi-
light. the effect is MS of n mountain
city trayersed by scores of highways
that are thickly studded with glowing
fires. The dullest Imagination must
revel in the thought OF n vast citadel
browning that black hill, punctured
with myriad fires. and of steep streets
running upward with n tributary viii
iage. When the moon comes to reveal
more truth. but add her own peculiar
touch of falsehood. the scene is again
new. One knows ii then for what 1t
really is, but the charm of reality is
hardly less than the fancy. The high,
irregular sky line bounds, seemingly,
innumerable rows of trembling flame.
Here is a whole giant form aglow with
h soft, yellow radiance of gas lamps;
there are keen lines of diamond-whiteI
electricity. Low down are the street
electric lights, systematically flashing
in alternate gloom and glare. On the.
water itself are n thousand moving.
fires, bare of softly onglobed. willie
here II there upon the troubled sur
face are great bands, splotches and
splashes IF light that seem as liquid
rs the waves themselves. Over all iS
the ethereal snow in moonlight. and
through the bell-like atmosphere come
from crafts that shine with yellow,
green and crimson flames. fiutings.
hoarse or hushed-tle delightful soft
water melodies that serve as warnings
TO n hundred falcon-eyed pilots bcdaZ-l
Zled with the dance of II million lights.
New York Sun.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18
Mirrors of Air.

III
Inc cause of the mirage is now well
uhderstood-so well understood that
there are ways of making small mir
ages for experiment.
The simplest explanation that | can
give Is to say that the rays of light
coming from the same thing that is
seen are bent i'm going through LAYERS
OF air differently heated. When these
rays are so bent as to be almost level
win a layer of air. they do not enter
IL at all, but ESQ TO speak, glance Off,
INT are reflected as If from n mirror
linen the air reflects just as a glass
mirror or a body of water would, If il
lay the eye and the trees or
ship.
ms explanation will give you a gen
eral q G of the cause of the mirage.
In the case Of the desert the rejecting
alr-mirror is believed by the observer
TO be water, and the image changes it's
place as you go forward just as a re-
Election would move as YOU advanced
on a glass mirror. In the case of the
snip, the air-mirror seems to be above
YOU, and reflects the ship which is
IN"h! oub VI SlSHl over the nOElEOU.
But l do not pretend TO explain all
about the different images that may
possibly be formed under different con.
ditions of the atmosphere-that is a
school room task, and a hard one.
The "flta Morgana" is a form or
modification OF mirage often seen in the
straits that separate the toe of the
boot" Of Italy and the island of Sicily,
just opposite. When the sun Is just nj
the right position, and sea and air are
also ready TO help, strange views of OBJ
1ects upon the opposite coast are seen
from Calabria-sumetimes magnified,
and set against n background Of colored
mists. 'Fata Morgana'' means TIE
Fairy of the Sea.
1t is said that sometimes during Il hot
and still summer day by placing the
eye close to the surface of a dry rOau
n mirage can BE- seen; but I have never
tried il.
Before these and other strange sights
We're understood and explained. we
need not wonder that sailors and tray
elers held many strange beliefs in re-
gard to tllem.-Tudor jerks in st. Mich
OlaS. .
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18
MAxIM.s NEW GUN.
~ Promises 10 De More Destructive
Ehan Amy Hitherto Invented.

Than Any Hitherto Invented.
a new machine gin which. it is con-
ildently expected. VIII cause more dam
age to life and property than any other
qulck-frlng piece hitherto known 10
science. was introduced to public no
ice II its construction and capabili-
ties explained by Mr.. Hiram :. Maxim
IN Il lecture ut the Royal United States
service Institution yesterday. a sam
PIE Oh the gun was on view in an ante
room of the institution.
1T was pointed out that this was the
nrst fuily automatic gun above Ia
inches which had been an unqualified
success. With this new terror Il gunnre
VINO knows his business can deal out
iour 9-pound shots in a shade under
three seconds without even so much
as taking his eye off the object to be
attended to or his finger off the trig-
ger. The danger of death to the gun
her by the explosion of a cartridge
while the breech is open has been rem
dered impossible by the application of
Il simple device which prevents the
gun being opened until the charge has
been fired.
This may seem a slight matter, but
Mr.. Maxim holds that nowadays, when
the full mental pressure Of the scien-
list is being brought to bear on the in
vention of new machines for the rapid
annihilation of an enemy, the risk of
accident to those who work the COM
pllcated mechanism is found To in
crease. Hence the emphasis laid by
the lecturer upon the feature of the
new gun.
For the rest. the paper dealt with
automatic guns fro.n the date of the
speakers first attempt (and failure,
up to the present era Of perfected
mechanism. Numerous Illustrations
served to render the lecture still more
Interesting.-London Mail.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18
A WIND WELL.
A trnngc Underground Draft OF Air
Found i'm 70 Deep Sinking.

Found i'm "a Deep Sinking.
Arizona possesses some o fthe great
est natural wonders in the world, not
the least Of which is this phenomenon
of a current of air issuing from or 60
ing into the bowels of the earth.
through sundry natural and artificial
openings made in the eartl's crust.
Something Over a rear ago n Mr..
Couflnan undertook the drilling of a
VOL Mt his place. Everything went
well to n depth of some twenty-five
feet, when the drill suddenly dropped
some six feet and n strong current of
air issued from the hole. The escapin.
air current was SO strong that ii blew
off the mems hats who were recovering
the lost drill.
The well was, of course. abandoned
and left TO blow. but there are some pc
cul!arities aEout it that are worthy of
oil servation. Thc air will escape from
the well for days at Il time with such
force that pebbles the size of peas are
thrc~n oct and piled up about its
mouth until II books very itluch like the
expanded portion of a tunnel. Al tho
same time it is accompanied Ivy a
sound much like the distant believing
of q fog horn. This noise Is not al
ways present. because the air does not
at all times escape with the same
force. Again, there will be for days u
suction current. accompanied by
sound. in which the current Of air pass
cs into the earth. with some less force
than it escapes. and any little object.
rs n feather. piece of paper or cloth,
will. If held in close proximity. be Inn,
mediately sucked into the s1bterranean
lah. rinthe of Aeolus.
Just the cause Of this phenomenon
10 N has yet been able TO determines
but it is supposed that there Is an unY
foreground opening between the Grand
Canyon OF the Colorado. which cleaves
the earth for more than a mile in
depth. and the Sycanore Canyon. soyne
eighty miles to the south of 1t, of the
same proportions. but much shorter.
This would seem possible. from tho
fact that the current of air is alway VS.
passing from north to south or vice
versa. varying, Of course. a few points
If the coIGpGSs fro n the true meridian.
but always i'm these general directions,
as determined by experiment. and then
the stratum underlying the quarternas
ry is of volcanic ciDder. This Is very
porous. and in many places so-called
nottulDless holes eXist.-Popular Sci
ence.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18

90 anything that will 'njure your phys.
ical condition. If. however. you decide
70 take up smoking for one reason or
sth"'Aef II 1t does not iniure you physi-
caiiy' the smoking itself may not be
perfectly right and proper. When.
however, you grow to feel that at cor
laln times ! n the day you must smoke.
then the thing is bad. and should be
stopped ut once. In other words.
stloklng is not an offense against the
Dlpie' as some people seem to think.
u IL may be. and often is. an offense
against health. Whenever health is en-
~aahgered by it, therefore. keep clear Of
it.-Harper's Round Table.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18
Making a Hole I'm GInys.

Everybody who has tried under
stands how difficult it is 10 bore a hole
in Il strip or sheet Of thin glass. The
following method is said TO be success
full; Press a cake o.. we clay upon the
glass. and then make n hole through
tie clay of the desired size, laying bare
the glass at the bottom of the hole.
Then pour melted lead into the hole,
and it will drop through the glass. max
irg Il round aperture. The explanation
is that the sudden application of heat
cracks the glass in a circle correspond
ing in size with the hole in the clay.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18
Danger In Hats.

IL read some time ago." said a cable
a traveller, that one OF the conduc-
tors on the cable line said many Of the
accidents are due to the fact that mon
are too anxious about their hats. As q
a dashes up a hat blows off and the
wner dashes after 1t, and frequently
gets hurt by the cars. Now, these con-
ductors are the very last men to lee
ture us about hats. / have had my hat
knocked off n dozen times by them. as
l am getting on the cars. just as soon
as you put your foot on the platform
the conductor reaches up and jerks the
bell cord, very often jamming your hat
over your ears OF knocking it Off in the
operation. They should look out for
hats themselves. New York Times.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18
A Little Too Late.

Tie boy or girl that, when urged 10
start early for school, habltualiy an
swer "Ol. there's time enoush IL
rre,ty likely To come tardily INTO the
school room. The people that arrive ht
the station to find their train gone.
thot enter the theater afer the play Is
herI,n or come into church too late 10
hear the opening prayer, may nave III
lowed themselves the requisite nul.,ieI
of minutes i'm which To reach tiiel:
destination: but they arrange ior no
%ntpdrances, and they are c~oltihuaii.
occurring. We will do better 10 hlo"
ourselves an extra ten minutes 10 cover
any unforeseen delay.
4 Young woman OF my ac,luaii''dhoc
wanted sewing to do. n she s'l" ah
advertisements in an evening paper io'
a SeamStress. ,,r Sbo
y morrow | will SEE about IT,. =
soid The to-morrow came, anu s,e
sns,t the n crning i'm wondering whetn-
OF. II was best to 90 or not. In the AZ
ternoon she called. but was too lnte.
Here IL a pleasant contrast: "A sl,i
If seventeen was forced, throuSn
stress of circumstance. to go OUT ihoo
The world TO earn her living. she nau
sonpbt in vain for employment. one
evening n neighbor read in his newspa.
nor an advertisement for a
~ a candy store. THAT Is soinethins
thai Molly could do he said o nns
wife CATER tea | shall carry tne pa
nor over" He did so. ON! eh.
IT. the girl. joyfully, I've aireau!
got the place saw tne aa, morr 10.
right over, and I'm going 10 WIN
morrow morning. ,,rs ira
Such alertness generally JULES 700
riahtfnl reward. Failure com,.s roo
often through our being a ho"e W
late Emma C. Dowd.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18
What He Thought About 1t.

A small boy, after writing and
twisting under his mothers attempts
to wash his ears. says the Youths
Companion, recalled what his papa had
said about his own struggles under the
hands of a faithful grandmother. and
vchrmently exclaimed: 'Oh. mamma.
you do hurt So" You must have IN
herited washing ears from papa's
prondmotbpr-"
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18
Pig. the Size of Rats.

A hog that was no bigger than a
house rat would hardly seem much
like n hog. would II? Yet, I'm Australia
there Is a breed of pigmy pigs no big
ger than that. They are like the larger
breeds in every respect, except in the
size of their squeals and their apl,e~
titcs. They are said, too, to be quite as
unclean In their habits as are those
with which we are familiar
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18
Fellow Feeling

"what makes Skimley attudinize 50
muchT
"He thinks he's n great author"
"But he never had anything printed
"No, y.~t lie thinks of all tie cele-
brated literary n.en who tried for
years without success to get their writ
ings published. and feels that he n
right In their -class."-Washington STAG
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18

st man this cCVs|
He was u
.ctual flame tAsl
eight generates
full blaze Of Il
world there va
e ancestral lie|
|, in all those u
planned adequa'
MUS. / think Il
18th Emerson.
With Shakespear
,hed with Coed
Emerson reseI
aatures, althCll
spiritual-mina
in XII
of profdG
ings leave on u
4 TO moods Of u
have been III
V. At such TIM
seemed an inil
But
a amiable y
nsrbers E1
y courtesy. u
rE.aracter intoj
d in his beharl
which
with Franz
lobe.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18

view presents n
| no s%oj0urner a
'mits himself i
h visitors ave d
5 furnished By i
is runs along d
Of the roadba|
tn many whees
all, n 10 tal
ar Is fastened. |
seat in the ca
etween his phs|
hich the gas SF|
has also seyeH|
at hand d
! unique ralhN|
NPFiitOr. baS \
.tc the town, aA|
# filing the 6]
to carry u
mountain is giyG|
the grade hs|
is ready for d
a md
ana the q
III descent benz
hat has been d
e balloon.
ruct the aerost
ID only after q
.igation had bed
There are ElTI
prevent any Il
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18

nm Emersene|
Murpl
ms running W
/, men would Ds]
G rest Of the u
,ly could be n
,tor Casey,
ct, was wei "
nj his men vi
so Murphy wa
aid: dan, ~
me til loan
IN, OiD give VI
. But Casey "
he wouldn'tl, /
git aven via Wiz
:" said Mui,lG1
his men. I'd
O. bricks ,N,,l
stlddE ~
' his bricks Va
Co., do yea all 81 "
above ID ,,,,1
yell three lsS'l
all answer, Ia
hit, boss said ID \
up into the
yelled: "Are. N
~ .'Yis," rps1
Ill wurkinn'F ..ys|
A. T.. A.! ,,;s
$ the 800 %
phia Record
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-02-18

roundIngs, n
Loudleigh me-
was Of the ri
ut we don't II
as the sM.d
than wagner
'urnal. |
The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-16
A DESPERATE WOMAN.
SHOT HER HUSBAND AND THEN AT.
TEMPTED SUICIDE.
The Nun HID Consumption md III 9
Couple Were Living In Affect
Destitution.

Boston, Mass, November 15.--Frank Nc
Laughlin and his wife Mary were found in
an unconscious condition in their home in
South Boston this morning. Both had been
shot and it is thought they will die
The man revived and informed the police
that his wife had shot him while he was
asleep and that she afterwards attempted
to kill herself
Mclaughlin, who is in an advanced stage
OF consumption, had heen ordered to the
hospital today. The poles believe that nis
wife was driven by desperation to end
thair lives. They had lived in AFFECT dos-
titution and there was only a single piece
of bread in their rocms. Two months ago
a child was born to the couple and died
at the age OF two weeks. That event seemed
to weigh heavily upon the woman's mind,
They had been married about year,
The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-16
SOVEREIGN FOR PRESIDENT.
Claimed That II the Reason Gle Ire
signed Grand Mastership.

Louisville KY, November 15.-The
Courier journal this morning says under
the caption "Sovereigns Vauiting Ambi-
tom The great secret is out at last.
Mr.. J.. r. Sovereign. the retiring general
master workman OF the knights of Labor,
resigned his position in order that he might
push his candidacy fer president OF the
United States in 1900.
1t was exclusively mentioned in yester-
days Courier Journal that Mr.. Sovereign
would be assigned to the position OF field
worker" neing new freed from the re-
sponsibilities OF general master workman
and having none OF the former. difficulties
to contend with, Mr.. Sovereign has clear
field before him, and delegates to the gem
eral assembly openly acknowledged last
night that Mr.. Sovereign is an arowed
c. ndidate fer The presidency of the United
States when Mr.. McKinlcy's term rxpnes.
and the movement of paking hi Held
worker" is the initial step OF the aeneral
assembly of the knights of Labor TO
launch MIR. SGycroigns boom
While it is said that Sovereign and the
Hon w. j. Bryan are on the friendliest
terms, the supporters OF Mr.. Sovereign
say he will make every effort to land the
prize which Mr.. Bryan seeks &c secure.
He will spend all his spare time dissemin-
ating his views and in the general agitation
Of all the principles which the Knights of
Labor advocate"