davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25
BENTON, LOUISIANA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1897.

their influence, even with the absolute
iy incorruptible.
Ilr. Mason, as the buyer for a coun-
try town 'emporium," had experienced
these attentions. Whether they had
Influenced his purchases is a matter for
his own conscience. AS they took the
form Of silk dress pattern TO his wife
(sent anonymously, of little odds ani
ends sent variousl y-aftcr os,entatious-
y asking his exact address and the bes,
express route, etc.-and generally af
something extremely useful to young
couple beginning housekeeping, Mr.. Ma
son concluded he might as well accent
the situation and say nothing about
1t. lie bought his goods as cheap as
he could, anyway, and who was the
worse off if he was something the bet
ter?
lie had scarcely registered at the
hotel when he wac overwhelmed with
letters, circulars, price lists, invita-
tons and the rest of it. With only one
of these, however, have we here any
concern. This was request that Mr..
Mason would do Mr.. Eager the favor Of
lunching with him on the day following
Mr.. Eager was very energetic gentle
| man, with very smooth manner, who
managed to sell a great deal of mer-
chandise at prices which frequently
| aroused suspicion in the trade.
Mr.. Mason called at the store of
| Eager & Co., and cursorily examined
goods he did not intend to buy, saying
nothing about what he did intend t.
buy. Then he looked in at other ware
houses, buying little here and there
and repaired to the hostelry, where he
was to be entertained by Mr.. Eager.
'My dear fellow" the wholesaler be-
gan, filling Mr.. Mason's glass, "yor
don't seem to be buying from us as
much as formerly. You're not going
back on us, are you, eh?"
Not at all-not at all! l haven't NO
ticed any difference"
I'm very glad to hear that, because
just now we've got several lines of spe-
cials which I've reserved for one or two
particular friends, and which can't be
duplicated in the market. I'll pledge
you my word no one else in your state
shall even get smell at them if you
care to handle them"
Cigars. More wine. Mason was
listening to his host with lis ears, and
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25
Dogs Made Too Much Noise,

Col. Hurr, of Virginia., was mighty
fox hunter and loved the sport beyond
words. He owned a fine pack of hounds,
and during the season thought of moth
ing but his hunters, his dogs, and the
weather. He was once entertaining
an army friend from Texas, whose
ideas of hunting any animal involved
the use of firearms, and who had never
seen a foxhound. He had been with
difficulty persuaded to go forth one
morning with the colonel and some
friends to a meet, and they were wait
ing patiently for the hounds to take
the scent. Presently there burst upon
their listening ears the din of 80 ca"
| nine voices in full cry. The colonel's
eyes CLEANED, and, as he settled his
feet in the stirrups and stretched his
arm toward the yelping pack, he cried:
major, listen to that heavenly music
The major pricked up his ears for a
Sc cond or two, and then replied: 81
can't hear a thing. Those cursed dogs
are making such a noise" The colonel
put his spur savagely into his horses
side and dashed away, leaving his guest
to his own devices. San Francisco
| Argonaut.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25
THE SAND MAf{

The Sand Man drops in every rig ht
The Sand Man with his saI1,
70 sprinkle grains in little eyes
With unseen, unfelt hand.
He comes about the hour when all
The baby work IS done;
When toys lie scattered round the room
Abandoned one by one.
A hobby horse once rocked with vim
Stands quiet III his stall
A consccrated space between
The trunde bed and wall.
A humping jack, an iron bank,
A painted rubber ball.
A rattle with a whistle on,
A bruised and battered doll.
A dozen little glittering things
So dear to babyland;
Dut now the Sand Man comes around,
The Sand Man with his sand
Two chubby little fists are forced
In two small sleepy eyes.
To rub away the sand which sits
Across some tired signs.
And now the Sand Man yields his place
To fairy with rod,
Who beckons toward that mystic shrine
The babyland Of Nod.
The Sand Man drops in every night.
The Sand Man with his sand;
To sprinkle grains in little eyes,
With unseen, unfelt hand.
Charles Nelson johnson, in Chicago
Times-IIerald.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25

tracing on the tablecloth with G tooth
pick characters which took the form 81
''$54.50."
iii tell you what III do to get your
business,' he said, speaking with un-
usual delibcratioa and rather tentative
Iy: "I'll divide the profit with you il
you'll take all I've got within three
months"
You -" Mason involuntarily
clenched his hand and broke the tooth
rick with which he had been tracing
"S5l.5O."
Mr. Eager watched him keenly, and
added: You see, it's this way: "Th,s
line stands rs in about 20 per cent.
profit, as We bought we'll. We'd be
content with ten per cent. to clean on,
the stuff. There's only about $1,000
worth, and you'd soon sell that i'll you?
store and make quite BOOM And,
insinuatingly lowering his voice, he
added: "And you'd be hundred in CO
this one line, and we'll always divide
with you. Why shouldn't we give our
friends a little acknowledgement for
kindness now and then? Your firm is
none the worse off, because they
couldn't buy the goods a cent cheaper
1t helps us and puts little in your
pocket. l don't suppose your salary
is so large that cool hundred now and
then wouldn't be a welcome addition
Eh? What do you say?'
Mason turned red in the face and was
manifestly feeling much Indignation.
| But $54.5O. $54.5O! And here was Il
| hundred within his reach at the very
moment. lie would think it over. He
did So did Mr.. Eager, who smiled Il
! satisfied, spider-like smile when he
handed the buyer an envelope as he was
leaving town.
Now, the purchase, it so happened
was an exceptionally good one in every
way, and Mason felt little present com
junction about accepting the hon
orarium.
But mischief had been working If
his absence Mr.. Sharkey Scoop had
called to collect that $3.50, and hat
been rather offensive, leaving Mrs. Ma
son no alternative but to go to the dru
and borrow the money. So when hs
reached home Mason found his wift
smiling. happy and relieved, and real
lied that he had virtually sold himsel
to Enge. 4 Co. to relieve himself OF 1
! tgoghIa which had been d!spei!ss3.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25


wrote "Lucile."
On the corner above, facing the white
house, is St. Johns Episcopal church.
long known as the Court church,
1t was attended by every president be-
fore Lincoln. Since the civil war Pres
ident Arthur is the only president who
has been regular attendant and com
municant there. After the death of his
wife, President Arthur caused a a.me-
mortal window to be placed in the
church, and there it will stand forever
as monument to the memory of that
gentle lady who was the wife Of Presi-
dent Arthur. and daughter of gallant
Capt. IIerndon, who said with his dying
breath: Don't give up the ship
Facing the northwest corner Of La
fayet'e park, and diagonal!y opposite
the residence of Secretary Lamont, is
the antique residence which Commodore
Decatur built in 1912. After Decatur's
death the house was successfully oc-
cupied by Henry Clay, Martin Van
Euren, Edward Livingstone, Jackson's
secretary of state; George M. Dallas,
Judah 7. benjamin, and finally Gen.
Bcale, whose guest Gen. Grant has been
for weeks at time. The window in
tie south wall of the house was ord, red
cut by Van Buren, in order that he might
see the signals displayed by Jackson
from the white house.
Only few doors from the old Woods
house is the home of the Cosmos, the
1Ih in world
was erected by James Madison in 1901,
when he came to Washington to serve as
Jetferson's secretary of state. Twenty
years later "Dolly" Madison returned
after her husbands death, and there
| for IS years she held court and dis
pensed during the remainder of her
life the gracious hospitality which made
| her name memorable.
| In the next two houses have dwelt
Secretary Windom, Senator Fenton and
Col. Robert &. Ingersoll. In the next
house below lived Admiral Paulding,
q son of the obstinate soldier, John
Pauding, who captured Maj. Andre.
The house is now owned and occupied
by Senator Don Cameron.
toric square is no longer in existence,
Upon its site now stands grand opera
house. 1t is a shame upon the com
mon sense of our lawmakers that the
old residence should have been de.
stroyed. 1t was originally the elite
clearinghouse of Washington, and
numbered among its guests John {.
Calhoun, when he was Monroe's sec
retary of war, and afterward vice pres
ident, and Henry Clay lived in it when
he was Adams secretary of state. Then
it became the property of the cele-
brated Washington club, of which
Sickles and Key were both members
and the tragedy which associates their
name took place in front Of its door
Later it became the war residence Of
Secretary Seward, and there the dead
ly assault was made upon Seward BY
Paine at the time of Lincoln's assassina
ton. Last it was renovated for the
home of James e. Blaine, who dwelt ano
died beneath its roof. The widow O.
that great man, with characteristic laci
of respect for the brilliant HUSBAND
whose whole life was clouded by domes
tic cares. sold the historic mansion topeo
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25

strikee being eXonerated-the striker
was in heavy humor.
His vis-a-vis, Mrs. John Mason, who,
having been a dry goods salcsWoman,
had eyes and knew how to use them,
watched him closely and anNiously.
There are various ways of chipping an
egg, and each different way is notch
or degree on the barometer of human
temperament. Mrs. Mason knew very
well, by the heavy thud of the spoon
on the eggshcll, that her husbands tenn
permanent was at low ebb, and like a wise
little woman said nothing about it, but
waited.
Had Mr.. Mason chippcd the Shell
with short, snappy taps, Mrs. Mason
would have pursued her usual course
and discussed the business doings Of
the day.
Mr.. Mason was buyer for Black &
Co.'S department store. His salary was
small-$1 800; his duties were mani
fold. He was ambitious; so was his
wife. In the reliance of steady posi-
ton with a prospect ahead he had,
soon after marriage, paid so many hun
dred down and bought house on the
frstallment plan. This was the house
he lived in. AS in all things bought Oh
the instalment plan the payments, Oh
paper, were falIaciously easy. But when
he got down to occupancy and actuaI
payments Mr.. Mason found the period
lcal dun pretty hard to encounter with
out a good bluff, and bluffs don't &C
with creditors when they are three or
four times old.
Mr.. Mason's present bluff was three
times old. That accounts for the weight
OF the spoon against the egeshell
Having laboriously cracked and in
digestibly eaten the egg, with another
and sundry slices of bread and butter.
besides absorbing some coffee, Mr.. Ma
son was just as leaden souled as be-
fore.
+. My DEAR" said he, showing. not slip
ping, his serviette into ring, "if
sharkey Scoop comes to collect while !
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25

am IN New York just say that Ill set
ue with him on my return. Fifty-four
nity; fltty-four fifty. l shall have to
"raw on the firm if he won't wait. |
suppose L might as we'll draw first as
!as', 1or $3.50 isn't likely to fall into my
hands while I'm buying in New York"
II Its going to make you anxious,
oohn, the best thing you can do is to go
etfalght to the firm, state the case, draw
'he money, pay it, and then We'll econo-
mlze and make it up in few months
besides, you'll so away with your mind
easy"
But he didn't There was still thai
possibility that the $3.50 might uiracu,
!ousiy-not to sey nefariously-dror
INTO his hands.
Mr.. Mason knew the people he bought
rom; they didn't quite know him
Like most buyers, he was human. Lit
As astepsioDs and eagEtesies vii. baYt
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25
CURIOUS STORIES OF WHIST.
Favorite Game of Celebrities in the Ga<l
Old Times.

FaVorite Game of Celebrities in the GR<1
Old Times.
Lord Sligo was at a card table when
the news was brought to him tina. his
magnificent residence was on fire. He
stopped only moment to ascertain
whether or not his presence could be of
material service on the s.cne of the con-
'lagration. Finding that it would not,
he calmly took up the hand which had
been dealt to him while he was talking
with the messenger, and resumed
Play.
A case where a single game of whist
was responsible for good deal was that
II which G. II. Drummond, of the IA
nous Charing Cross banking house of
London, lost 6 900 at single sitting
10 Beau Brummel. When his loss be-
came known to Drummond's partners,
:hey decided that a gambler was an I'M
desirable associate in the business re.
Ilring for prosperity the confidence of
the public in its managers. They
therefore forced him to retire.
What is known as a Marlborough hand
n whist is one in which there is no card
above nine spot. The name given to
this hand is derived from a certain
Lord Marlborough, who used to offer the
attractive but very safe wager of 6 900
to 4 that a hand of this sort would not
ht dealt. He may have worked out the
chances or he may not, but the fact is,
such a hand occurs only once in 1927
rounds. 1t is said that Marlborough
on his wager many thousand tines.
At the Union club of Boulogne some
years ago til, dealer dealt the 2G red
tards to himself and partner and all the
black cards to their opponents. When
we come to realize that the odds
| rgainst such round of hands are s,oOO,-
$4,000 to !. we must admit this was a
very remarkable deal.
Metternich, the great Austrian states
mau, owed to single game of whist
ne greatest sorrow of his life. One
evening, while he was engaged in his
| tavorite game, an express arrived with
| The dispatches from Galicia. He placed
| The papers IN the mantelpiece, and
! went on playlog all that night and far
| into the morning.. When the party
| broke up he was horritied to learn that
| upon his immediate reply to the dis
| patches depended the fate of 1000 inno-
cent persons. Had Metternich loved
his whist less passonately, history had
never recorded the infamous Galician
;uassacrc-London Tit-Bits.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25
LEANS ON MRS. LAMONT.
That Lady Is Mrs. Clevelands g
Closest Intimate.
Socially the Last Six Weeks of the Pres
ent Administration VIII Be Very
Auimated-Some Historic
Residences.
Especial Washington Letter.l

Men like political letters. Young peo-
pie enjoy descriptive letters. The
ladies like society letters. The CORE
spondent who would please his readers
and thereby earn his salary should try
to interest and entertain all of the pa
irons of the paper.
The large majority of correspondents
are men, and they know very little about
society; at least, not enough to write
interesting social letters. But when
the editor calls for a letter on social
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25
An Unfair Adyantace.

Suffering somewhat acutely from
the effects Of having just previously y
had spear about the size of cente.
pole crowded through him, the knight
lay supine. AS for his triumphant ol-
ponent, he stood there, just gazing into
the knight.-Indianapolis Journal.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25
The Dog Star.

A ray of light from Sirius can reach
us only after travelling % years with
speed of 1900 leagues second. Ac-
cording to computations Sirius is sep
arated from our sun by a distance OF
not less than 100, ,ooo, 100000 miles.-Chi-
caeo Inter Ocean.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25
Then He Left.

1t had been time for him to go TO,
nearly an hour, but still he fingered.
Then, in some way, the subject of tele.
graph codes came up, and he said:
"Spaking Of ciphcrs, the"
Now, don't be egotistical," she ir-
terrupted.
Then, at last, he decided that it was
time to go.-Chicago Post.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25
A Good Cause for Attack.

Fluff-In England they say the
greater the truth the greater the lii el."
Snuff-Well. the English have to pro-
tect thenGelyes somehow.~N. I. Trib'
uHes
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25
TEMPTATION OF JOHN MASON

} II n NJ \ S O \
cracked his matu-
tinal egg with a
heavine>s Of spoon
W which might con-
Vey the impression
that it was a fore
G o II e conclusion
the egg was bad,
or t h Il t - t h e
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25

Mrs. Marphy-Do you use condensed
milk?
Mrs. O'Fahey-I think it must be
condensed. There Is never more than
! . pint saa . halt in u suas~-ylFRlts, !.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25
The WAY Mt of 1t,

The Hostess--l suppose there is No
use In asking you to stay to dinner?
The Calles-Not in that way.-N. Y.
Tribune,
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-02-25

tracing on the tablecloth with g tooth
pick characters which took the form Of
.'S54l0."
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-05-19
STATE JOURNALS WEDNESDAY,,

were, P. T. Kane, to repair residence; A.
Galaise, to repair residence and build hen
house; W. II. Farrar, to tear down wood
shed and repair house; George Roberts, to
repair house and build a barn; M. A.
Holmes, to build house; #. Leverson, to
sell stationery; Peck Brothers, to lay water
pipe in the street for the estate Of James Il.
Langdon; j. w. Swasey, to shingle shed
and house on Court street; W. K. O'Neil to
do plumbing; L. M. Putney, to lay water
pipe across the road leading to Cutler bury
ing ground, at the Barnard Town place.
Adolphus Barney, to build a house near
the Catholic cemetery. Joel Foster, super
intendent of water works, was instructed to
shut off Berlin water from those who have
not paid their water rent. Only four such
were reported. O. b. Roberts, superintend-
emit OF Streets was instructed to lay plank
sidewalk four feet wide from the corner Of
Main and Prospect streets to the road lead
ing to the residence OF II. S. Town. The
board confirmed Mayor Guernsey's action
in suspending Policeman @. e. Demeritt,
and said suspension was ordered continued
until Saturday, May 90 when Mr., Demeritt
is to report for duty. The appointment Of
Corliss Lafferty as special policeman was
confirmed. The committee on streets was
authorized to make sach settlement with A
II. Haggett as they thought advisable. AID
jOurned.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-05-19
The History of the Kite.

The invention of the kite is usually
attributed to the Chinese. The first
man on actual record as having used
the kite is Archytas (about 400 B. O..
For what purpose he employed it I
have been unable to ascertain, but it is
not probable that he accomplished any
thing of scientific importance; and it
was not until 1749, when DR.. Alexan-
der Wilson and Mr.. Thomas Melville,
in Scotland, used it for taking the tenn
perature of the upper air, that the kite
showed possibilities of becoming use
full and scientific apparatus. Frank
Inns well-known experiment of obtain
ing atmospheric electricity by means of
kite again drew attention to it. 1t is,
however, within the last decade that
the kite has gained nearly all of its i'm
portance, and this is due to its devel-
ment by men who have studied it, and
the forces acting upon it, in scientific
way. Among others may be named
Marvin, Langley, Hargrave, and Eddy;
by their labors a hitherto useless toy
has become an important scientific ap-
paratus. Of photographing from kites,
Mr.. Eddy says: The rush of light into
a camera high in the air is apt to cause
over exposure; and when avery high
altitude is attained above smoky city,
the buildings photographed are not so
clear as those taken when the camera is
nearer the roofs. In some instances
the foreground will be perfectly clear,
while the distance seems to suffer from
slight waver of the camera. Some
times the ground appears to be whirl-
ing, giving only fragmentary glimpses
of objects, while in extreme cases there
is nothing but d rotary streak. Occa-
sional map.like vertical views are de-
sirable, yet it is usually better to get a
perspective horizontal view, which is
more interesting. The mid-air camera,
even with an ordinary lens, makes
buildings and scenes look not 80 far
away as they are. In a photograph
taken with a camera above the City
Hall, New York, the heights of Brook
lyn look very near. The effect is like
a mirage, distant landscape, ordin-
arily invisible. seeming to rise into the
sky. Some pictures have been taken
diagonally, as if the square film were
purposely held inla position resembling
the shape of diamond, while others
appear to be tipped slightly, and some
are perfectly square and regular, as il
taken by hand from a tripod.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-05-19
Domestic.

The movement to secure the adoption of
a universal postal stamp by the postal con-
gress has collapsed. There were too many
difficulties, the chief being that OF currency
fluctuations. in the way of adopting such
stamp, and the general committee, after
considering the subject: briefly, abandoned
it as impracticable and will make an ad-
verse report to Congress.
GOVERNOR BRADLEY of Kentucky has re-
fused to allow Dora Creech, twelve-years
old girl convicted OF perjury in Owsley
county and sentenced for one year. to go to
the penitentiary, and has granted her full
pardon. The governor threatens to pardon
every juvenile convict out of both state
prisons unless the legislature at once pro-
vides funds for state schools of reform.
THERE is great rejoicing in Amesbury,
Mass, and vicinity over the announcement
that charter has been obtained for BIZ
cycle railroad system on proposed line be-
tween that town and Exeter, N. II. Local
capitalists are interested and it is believed
the line will be built. 1t will be ten miles in
length and will be the first Of its kind in
New England. 1t is said a speed OF a mile
a minute will be attained.
GEN. NELSON A. MILES arrived at South
ampton, England, last Wednesday on his
way to the scene OF the Greco-Turkish war.
He was asked whether the conclusion of
peace, when brought about, would change
his plans. He said 1t would not, that he
should start at once for COnstantinople and
that he intends to see the Turkish army and
the armies of Europe generally before re-
turning to the United States.
The practice in Soldiers Homes, of re-
tanning part of the pensions OF their in
mates, to which Commander Stahl Of Tren-
ton, N. j., objects, is in vogue In many such
institutions. The idea is to aid in the sup
port OF the institutions and to do away with
the impression that inmates are entirely de-
pendent on charity. The regulations differ
In individual homes. The complaint from
New Jersey was not surprise to the PEN
sion bureau officials for this reason, though
the bureau is officially uniformed OF the
practice.
HEAVY forest fires are raging in the pine
belt near the government agency at White
Earth, Mimi, and considerable damage has
been done to timber. A party of men was
sent from White Earth to save the govern
ment saw-mill. They returned and report
ed that the country was all on fire and the
government saw, single and planning mills
were destroyed by fire despite all efforts to
save them. The fire cut them off from their
horses and they were compelled to run
about eight miles to a lake to save their
lives. A number Of lumber camps are also
burned with outfits of logging sleighs, etc
Col. ID. 8. HARTMAN Of Kansas City,
who has been recognized as q western rep
resentative Of the Cuban Junta In this