davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Marble Hill press., 1897-03-18
The Elephant in Warfare.

The elephant has become one of
the most important adjuncts of the
English army in India. He is at
Uached to the artillery in every
sense Of the word and drags the
biggest guns as if they were feath
ers, keeping a steady pace with the
tramp, tramp, tramp Of the infan-
try. He is no laggard at any time
and deep indeed must be the mire
and high the barricade which he
cannot walk through or demolish.
In one respect the elephant in ar
tillery is like Napoleon-he Dever
knows defeat.
The officers and men of the In
dian army have for years been
working with the idea Of making
the elephant more and more useful.
At first the big beast was used on
the Notifications for hauling timber
and all kinds of tasks for which
great strength, absolute obedience
and docility were required. The
elephant is not particularly intel
ligent beast, and therefore his pro-
gress has been slow along the lines
laid down by the disciples of Mars.
Now he knows as we'll what to do
as the best posted artilleryman and
will bring his gun to the regimen,
tai front with as much precision as
the veriest martinez who wields the
the sword could desire.
The particular use to which the
elephant is put in the artillery line
in India, is as a beast Of draught
for the heavy batteries and for the
siege train. These instruments of
war are tremendous in size and ex-
ceedingly heavy. Until the regime
of the elephant, it had been the
custom to have them drawn by long
lines of bullocks. There was, how
ever, no end Of trouble with these
beasts. They were hard to con-
troll and SO many of them were re-
quired that they proved good
deal Of a nuisance. So it is that
the British artilleryman reioices at
the substitution of the elephant for
the bullock. One elephant will
draw without effort a piece of
artillery which long line of bull
locks would have difficulty in NOV
ing at all.
Every one of these heavy batter
les which the elephant moves from
place to place consists Of four 40
Founders, and 6 and 3-inch howit-
zers. While one elephant can
draw, If necessary, a single piece of
artillery, in order not to strain
him at all they are sometimes pair
ed or driven tandem. For instance.
in such a battery Just described,
twelve elephants are utilized.
These are not all employed in draw
ing the artillery at the same time.
for it is we'll not to work an ele-
phant too hard, because if that ls
done, he is apt to become stubborn,
despite his usual tractabiIity. For
this reason the elephants are given
Marble Hill press., 1897-03-18
GLEN ALLEN.

Why were you not out at prayer
meeting Thursday night7 Can't be
very much interested if you let
that little rain scare you.
Our Sunday school has seventy
five scholars.
There will be two prayer meet
ings every week. Tuesday night
a the Baptist church and Wednes-
day nightat NJ. Il, church,
ed-Miss Ehie Eaker, at her
home last week. Her remains were
laid to rest by the side other sis.
Ter in the Glen Allen cemetery.
Marble Hill press., 1897-03-18

at Nichols chapel, no wonder, for
something other than church mat
ters attract his attention down
there.
There seems to be no excitement
whatever over the candidates for
school commissioner, while the Of
flee is not such a paying one, yet it
is one ofthe most important in the
county.
A DEMOCRAT.
Marble Hill press., 1897-03-18

kindly usage and under those cir
cumstances do all that is asked of
them.
The elephant battery, or rather
the guns thereof, is always accom-
panied by ammunition wagons and
baggage. Owing to the fact that
the supply Of properly trained ele-
phants is limited, bullocks are still
utilized as Che beasts Of draught for
the battery accompaniments. The
fact that 262 bullocks are required
to draw the ammunition and bag
gage forms striking contracts be-
tween their powers and those of the
elephants, for the gross weight Of
the ammunition and the baggage is
infinitely less than that of the artil-
lory itself.
The British artillerymen do not
attempt to manage the big beasts
that draw the guns. To accom-
pliSh this task, there is employed a
staff of twelve mahouts, with twelve
assistants, the latter being under
the command of an official known
as jemadar, or captain. All are
natives of India. Then, besides the
elephant company, as it is called,
there are with each battery a jem-
dar, six sirdas and 131 drivers who
care for the bullocks. Therefore,
it can be seen that a battery or ar
tlllery in India amounts to some
thing. In fact, it is q little army
in itself, for every one Of the ma
tives employed is supposed 10 be
competent and ready to fight if
necessary.
Whenever it happens that the
battery is to be transported a great
distance, the railroad is used as an
aid, if it can possibly be made avail,
able. In such cases it is necessary,
ofcourse, to transport the elephants
by rail, and special cars nave been
made for the purpose. These cars
are in appearance like the ordinary
coal car on an American railroad,
the sides being about one-half the
height of box car. At one end
Of the car is small house in ap-
pearance, with one end omitted.
In this little house sits the nahout,
or attendant Of the elephant, who
sees that during the Journey he
does not become frightened, and
has no opportunity of injuring him
self. Over the rest Of the car is
framework. There are three steel
posts at each side. Running length
wise and attached to these are two
sections Of steel about the size of
the ordinary pine board.
At the end, blocking up an op-
portunity Of egreSs, are two small
steal beams Of the size of the scant-
ling. From the highest Of the Sec
tions Of steel on the side rises
thin piece Of steel to a height which
carries it just clear Of the elephant.
Running from the top of these
small pieres of steel in the form Of
the letter Y is another steel sec
ton, and the whole prevents the
elephant from rising or sitting
down. He must lie down entirely
or stand up straight. Straight
across the car and attached to the
lower section Of steel on the sides,
is big beam that keeps the ele-
phant from being thrown against
the end of the car by sudden jolt.
Entrance and exit from the car are
made by means Of a heavy plat
form. In this way the elephant is
able to move by means of the rail
road from place to place without
fear of injury.
Marble Hill press., 1897-03-18

Tennessee has a moonshiner who
claims-though Lot over his sigma
ture-that he has conducted an lille
it distlllery for twenty years, has
grown rich on the profits and vet has
never been arrested by tie revenue
detectives.
Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-08-19
STABLE TALK.

Here is an amusing story of Mr.
John Hare and his coachman. Wish
rs to hear a particular performance
at a certain theatre, Mr.. Hare sent his
trusty coachman to secure the stalls
In due time the plain, blunt man, who
understood more about stables than
theatres, returned heavily laden with
what appeared to be difficult verbal
message.
We'll, did you get the stalls?" in
CURED the great actor.
mo sir" replied the coachman; 1.-The
stalls were all taken up; but they told
me to tell you they would be very
pleased Toto"
Here the message seemed to evapor-
ate, leaving dry, worried expression
on the coachman's face Then. as he
scratched his head, a sudden CLEAN
OF intelligence struck in, and he con-
cluded the message to his own salts
faction, Ito put you in a loose box
sir"
Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-08-19

healthy conditions. They have shown
that the work performed by sound
heart has been greatly overestimated,
and thus the vibrations of diseased
heart have been rendered easier of
understanding. Doctors are now in a
position to learn the size and posi-
ton of the vital organ in cases where
the former methods of auscultation
end percussion would afford them no
help. By the X ray it is possible to
observe deterioration OF the valves at
a much earlier stage than formerly,
ara to gain exact information as to
the relations between the heart and
the diaphragm, as well as to observe
the movements of the membrane. In
the early diagnosis, especially of dis
ease Of the lungs, stomach and kid
acyg, The rays are now of the greatest
service to practitioners, and it will in
future be possible to gain knowledge
of such diseases at a stage at which
they have previously entirely escaped
detection.
Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-08-19
HUMAN BODY LUMINOUS.

One OF the most beautiful of the
multitude of experiments to which
scientists have been melted by the
opening out of new developments in
Roentgen ray work is that described
by DR.. I4uys before the Societe de
Biologie in Paris. DR.. Luys has long
been convinced that actual light is
thrown off by human beings, and has
at last proved his theories by showing
Ne presence of luminous emanitions
which surround the human body. In
a dark room various subjects placed
their fingers for about twenty minutes
on an ordinary Photographic plate
lying in a bath containing the usual
solution of hydroquinone, and after
this exposure the negative was de-
Veloped in the usual way. Not only
were the fingers and the lines of the
skin reproduced. but also their pores,
and, what is still more interesting,
around the fingers was a sort of zone
or halo a third Of an inch wide. DR..
Luys regards this as a proof that we
live in a luminous fluid, which is suf-
ficiently defined to enable a photo
graphic print to be made of itself and
the fingers, as if under the influence
of ordinary light. Dr. Luys has tried
the same experiment on patients
whose hands were paralyzed, be-
numbed or insensble to touch but
in every case no image appeared on
The plate.
Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-08-19
IN AN AERIAL OCEAN
Queer Tales of English Origin Which
Illustrate ar Old Superstition.

The curious superstition that there is
an ocean above the clouds is illustrat-
ed by the following strange story by
an old English writer: "One Sunday
the people of certain village We're
coming out of church on a thick,
cloudy day, when they saw the anchor
OF a ship hooked to one of the tomb
stones. the cable, which Was tightly
stretched, hanging down from the air.
The people were astonished, and while
they were consulting about it sud
denly they saw n rope move as though
someone labored to pull up the anchor
The anchor, however, still held fast by
the stone, and a great noise was heard
in the air, like the shouting of sailors
Presently a sailor was seen sliding
down the cable for the purpose of UNI
fixing the anchor. When he had just
lCosened it the Villagers seized hold
Of him, and while in their hands he
quickly died just as though he had
been drowned About an hour after
the sailors above, hearing no more
of their comrade. cut the cable and
sailed away.
In memory of the extraordinary
event the peole of the village MT no
hinges of the church doors out Of the
iron of the anchor" 1t is further stated
that these hinges "are still to he seen
there" a bit of evidence much like
Munchauseus rome whercwith he once
climbed to the moon. If you doubted
the story you were confronted with the
rope
There is another queer tale about
this aerial ocean. "a merchant Of
Bristol II is sale, "set sail with his
cargo for Ireland Some time after.
while his family were at supper, knife
suddenly fell in through window on
the table When the merchant re-
turned and saw the knife he declared
it to be his own, and said that on such
a day, at such an hour. while sailing in
an unknown part Of the sea, he drop
ped the knife overheard: and the day
and the hour We're found to be exactly
the time when it fell through the win
dow" All of which was once I'M
plicitly believed by many. and regarded
as incontrovertible proof Of the eX-
istence of q sea above the sky One is
at loss to conjecture how that 'un-
known part OF the sea" connected with
the rest of II. A physical geography
| showing this would be no small curl
ity-Science
Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-08-19

leaped cut like swords drawn from
the sky was clearing, and arrowy
den sun, with soothing and soft
beams of pale gold fell from the hid
lustre on the breast of the troubled
water.
Guldmar looked about him, and
heaved deep sigh of -efreshment.
His eyes rested lovingly on the tum-
bling billows-he barred his white head
to the wind and rain.
This is the life, the blood, the heart
Of mani" he said, while sort Of
fierce delight shone in his keen eyes.
ITO battle with the tempest-to laugh
at the wrath of waters-to set ones
face against the wild wind-to sport
with the elements as though they
were children or serfs-this is the Joy
Of manhood! A joy" he added slowly
that few so-called men of today can
ever feel"
Errington smiled gravely. Perhaps
you are right, sir" he said; but per,
haps, at the same time, you forget that
life has grown very bitter to all of
us during the last hundred years or
so. Maybe the world is getting old
and used up, maybe the fault is in
ourselves-but it is certain that none
Of us nowadays are particularly happy,
except at rare intervals when"
At that moment, in a lull of the
c Th al % n Nd
from the saloon She was singing a
French song, and the refrain rang out
clearly
All! lie doux son dun baiser tendren
Err:ngton paused abruptly in his
speech, and turning toward a little
closed and covered place on deck
which was half cabin, half smoking
room, and which he kept as his own
private sanctum, he unlocked it, say
ing
will you come in here, sir? It's
not very spacious, but think it's just
the place for a chat--especialiy pri-
vato one
Gudmar entered, but did not sit
Nv" iSl tliC hooi ueoiihoI
the rain and beating spray and also
remained standing. After pause,
during which the bonde seemed strug-
Cling with some inward emotion, he
said resc'utely-
Sir Philip, you are young man,
end | am an old one. | would not
Willingly offend you-for l like you-
yesi" And the old man looked up
frankly: 81 like you enough to re-
spect you-which is more than | can
say to many men | have known! But
have weight on my heart that
must be lifted You and my child
have been much together for many
days-and | was an old fool not to
Lave foreseen the influence your COM
laniOnship might have upon her. |
may be mistaken in the idea that
has taken hold of me--some wild
words let fall by the poor boy Sigurd
this morning when he entreated my
pardon for his misconduct of yester-
day, have perhaps misled my judg
ment--but by the gods! | cannot put
it into suitable words! L"
ITO be Continued)
Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-08-19
TO PURIFY WATER.
Philadelphia Company Makes Interest-
ing Experiments in This Line.

Among the more recent applications
Of electrical ingenuity in practical
though novel directions mention is
made of a refining and rectilying COM
pany in Philadelphia which purifies
common riNer water olectl iCally. ozone
Being produced by the electric current,
which when diftused in the water it is
claimed, chemically changes and
puriiies it. The company originally
started out roctifying sirups and alco-
hClic products, in the course of which
it was fourd that even impure water
cculd be made potable Similarly prac-
teal is the movement reported as now
obtaining at the west, where coal is
Comparatively dear and water power
abundant, viz, the generating Of
electricity without the aid of coal or
steam m&cl inery. The point made by
advocates of this plan is that the
utilization of water by the use of high
heads, While it takes nothing from it's
emf loymert for irrigation purposes,
must yield a vast amount of power to
be converted into electricity and
transmitted for light and power pur-
poses to considerable distances. The
beginning in this line, some time
since made in California, is thought
to be one that promises wide imita-
tiCn =
Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-08-19
CONGRESSMAN WRIGHT DEAD.

North Adams, Mass, Aug. IS
Congressman Ashley B. Wright was
found dead in the sitting room of his
Tome Saturday night. Medical ex-
aminer Brown gives apoplexy as the
cause of death. Wright's health was
unusually good for months.
Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-08-19
X RAYS IN HEART TROUBLES.

Professor Benedict of Vienna states
that the most important result of the
employment of the Y rays in internal
diseases has been the ascertaining Of
the strength and extent OF the hearts
movement under healthy and un-
Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-08-19

Scn-"Pa, what is whisky
straight" Father-(who knows where
of)-"Er- well, my boy, large swell
ed head; an enormous impression OF
great and sudden wealth, disposition
70 fight a man twice your size: an
aptness for making the wcrld to ap-
pear lopsided and to be revolving rap
idly; and one Of them may be properly
called wh.skv's trait Harlem Life
Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-08-19

lightning kindled a 100000 fire in
Baltimore.
The diameter OF the sun Is so great
time
The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-03-14
!, n N. corner Nv The flre, where It

Sc. in the corner by the fire, where
stayed until warmer days came,
The Egyptians regarded the cay "a
eaered and often had them emtnlinen
when they died. Researches In the cata-
comls at Cairo have discovered munmi-
fled cats. and several were found m tne
Pyramd DIS among the tombs of the pha,
faohs. showing they were considered vi
regal Importance.
taken It's namci from the island OF Ma.ta;
in the Mediterranean sea- They are
very hamdsome breed. large in SIZE. But
the best of all Is the little kitten, %hlte
or gray that curls up in furry bail or
pays iSde-and seek in and out OF tne
corners. aud We ally love. the niue IONS ,s
and h,g folks. too for old maids che pest
people in the world and old bachclors
both pet the cat. When was q bacnei ot
| had one named Moses but he proved
anything but monums,nt Of mee ,sis s.
so ! gave him away. The cat is snid 70
be descended from the tiger family. and
It does show Ms claws in rather q tiger Ter
ish way some.tmes-spt and scratch IKE
come little boys and girls ! have seen.
hone none of the Happyhanmcrs have
hit-den claws though Your grown-up
Han. Linden Gray.
The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-03-14

People who pass up and down certain
street in a suburb of Boston are often
startled by SOUND of waiting and yowi-
ing and mewlng, as At all the cats of the
city had gathered in one spot and were
holding a concert. The sound really does
come from cats. For at Walnut Ridge
farm they don't raise wheat or corn or
potatoes, but just cats-bg cats Eltle
cats, shaggy ITS and cats with Kangaroo
tails and short legs.
Last year tn = farm shipped over 100 cat:
and Kittens TO varous parts of the coun-
try, the prices ranging all the way from
so up TO S25 each.
These cats from BoSton's suburb are MOI
the kind tina; i've in barns and hunt thclf
own living. but long haired, strange look
ing pusS!es Known ns Aneora cars.
The Angora cat. as the name indicates
The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-03-14
rIrr crpAn or LEnANoN.

Alto. Texas Dear H0phammer Wlll
Won admit a little country hooSirr' into
your happy hlnd2 am well. between =
aud - The Hap's taVorltc flower the
voiet-is blooming In every shady nook.
went down on the creek, where they
were planting cane wednesday evening
and gathered great handful of the Haps
f8voritcs. / put thc;n IN water and they
are alive yet. The mocklng bird starties
me with hts pretty song every day or TWO
There are a great many large cedars In
the yard and | know we viii be treated
TO a seronade from the hooking birds
every day this spring. How many of You
know what the cross of Christ was made
or IN tell YOU the legend: when Adam
was Gar advanced In years ana AT rhe
point Of death. he sent his son TO The
AnLcl Michael who kept the gate Of Para
disc. to pray for the oil OF mercy 50 thar
Ne could h : healed. The angel answered
that II could rot be uutl bS1 years, hut he
gave Seth branch OF the tree of whcr
Adam had eaten, bidding him plant II
or Mount Lebanon, ana that when II hor .
fru't his father should he healed seth
pisni.i the branch on his fathers grave
II took root and grew. and from u were
made Aai on's rod and Moses STAN. with
which he struck the round and swectcuod
the waters OF Morah. II also formed the
The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-03-14

them. one at n time, In a bright sun spot
AMID the shade of oyerarcnins pepper
trees.
Suddenly. without sound of warning,
big dog from over tho way swoopeo
down upon the happy family. tearing the
kittens to pieces one by one before the
poor. scared mother had time to interpoSe
in their behalf 1t was an awful tragedy,
and poor Angela grief was almost hui
man.
For days she refused to be comforted.
She would not eat. and her tea cup re-
manned untouched. Miss Hastings de-
SPARED of her Lie and strove in every
way to assuage her grief, but in vain.
FINALLY, when things seemed 20 nave
reached the lowest possible ebb, poor An
effort to discover her whereabouts proved
fruitlcss. Two whole days had passed
when hate In the evening Miss Hastings
was delighted beyond measure TO see poor
Angela coming up the steps, bringing
what seemed to he a young kitten in her
her MISS Hastings discovered that instead
OF kitten Angela's burden was tiny
young prairie dog.
The poor thing, bereft of her own OF
spring. yet with Il heart overfiowing WITH
| mother love- had doubtless wandered
away in her grief to the outskirts of the
city. whore she had found. perhaps,
motherless prairie dog ready for her adop,
ton. At all events she DID adopt It, and
now seems as happy and proud in lavish
ins her love upon II as II 1t We're her very
| own.
Miss Hastings says that Angela's first
act npon getting home was to wash the
| little pralr,e pups face, and begin at once
| to i'm tiate II into the mysteries of tea
| drinking: and though only n few days
| Rave elapsed. the dog Is almost as expert
at s'ppng tho cup that cheers as Angela
The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-03-14
A CAT AND HER KITTEN.

Dacus. Texas--Dear Haphanmer; l
viii tell you story about eat that is
true. and shows how strong the mother
love IS even in the weakest of animals
We had an old ca, that The children
named Mamnay and one Christmas old
santa Claus brought her some KITTENS.
The weather WAS yeyy cold cad 4 began
showing. We forgot all about Marnmy
and her babes. as they were N an Out
house a the yard, for day or TWO But
on thcfh.ri day We heard her scratching
at the dor. | got MP and opened II and
IN cano Nanny with a kitten In her
mouth She ran to tho fire ana laid Il
down rich on hearth, then ran ont again
aud soon brought IN another, until she
brought them all In. | examined them
and found they were all dead but one.
they had frozen so | had them carried
out. the dad ones thrown away and The
ono thai WAS living put in "A good bed In
the clubhouse. In about half an hour
Nanny came back with the kitten in her
mouth and deposited 1, on the hearth as
before We put a back in rs box, hut N
was Of no usc. for the old cat brought Il
back the third t.ms. AMI when she laid 1.
down before the fire shc crouchci down
over " and looking straight up ai me-
said as p,sin as the words OF - eat could
be: You shnn't touch my baby. I'm go
ing to keep II by the FIRE" Nanny won
'he day, | had one o. the children bring
In a box and make a warm bed N II for
the poor. half frozen little thing. II and
Nanny were placed therein and the box