davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The leader., 1898-10-26

Dueling between men has long gone
out of fashion in England, and it is
left to nations and lower animals to
settle their differences by an appeal
TO arms. In Kew gardens, in the pres
ence of considerable number of spec
tators, an affair of honor was settled
between pelican and duck. The
birds had had words together, so to
speak, and the pelican determined that
the next best thing o making the duck
eat his words was to eat the duck.
So, after a little thrust and parry on
the water, he made for the smaller
bird and snapped it into his pouch.
Then battle-royal began inside the
pouch of the pelican. The duck strug-
gled, kicked, quacked, and occasional
ly managed to get leg or wing
outside, while his captor threw his
beak high in the air, then dipped it
into the water, and kept it there, as
if trying 10 suffocate or drown its enc
my. From the look of the agitated
by no means one-sided, but that the
pelican was having rather rough
time. AT last the duck got his head
and one wing out, and then, with a
magnificent effort, managed to get en-
tirely free. Once again on the wa
ter the duck declined further combat
and fed, while the pelican remained
looking as if honor were thoroughly
atisfed.-London Telegraph.
The leader., 1898-10-26
D WV ~~~ ~~F@~F@"~~~~~S
3 PICKET POST STORIES 3
By CHARLES B. LEWIS e

By CHARLES B. LEWIS.

i was in the service for three years"
saio the man with the wooden leg,
ana was never downright scared but
once in all that time. OF course | had
an attack of the nerves now and then.
as was the case with all the boys, but
that didn't mean anything but being
laughed at. This little affair of mine
happened at the most unexpected time
and place, and IL hadn't been alone
should have been drummed out Of the
army for my cowardics. There was one
thing ! dreaded more than a battle,
and that was being on picket post at
night.
ION this particular night was sta
toned about 90 rods north of a log
cabin occupied by family, and the
confederate picket was supposed to be
about the same distance on the other
side. was not in the road, but in a
fringe Of bushes in a field. 1t was a
darkish night, with breeze kicking up
shindy all around, and when | was
dropped off at Post No. 6 and told 10
keep my eyes and ears open as valued
my life, | got homesick at once. The
first thing ! did was to move to the
right about 30 feet and lie fat down.
| could see out across the field though
but dimly. There was no light in the
house, and no sounds came from 1t. |
was as safe as picket could be, but
The leader., 1898-10-26
VENETIAN GLASS.
It's Fragile Beauty and Exquisite Col
Oring Is Unsurpassed by Mod
ern Art and Workmanship.

Venetian glass owes its extreme
thinness and !ightness to the want of
lead in its composition. All the orna-
mental shapes were blown, and owed
their beauty to the skillful manipula-
ton of the worker, whose delicacy of
touch and artistic taste were often a
heritage from generations of glass
blowing ancestors. The most priced
of the Venetian productions was the
beautiful "vitro-di-trina," or lace
glass, generally known as filigree. OF
this there are two kinds, the "ritorto'
and the "reticelli." The former was
the less elaborate, and consisted of a
single tube twisted and given spiral
direction, the ground of the vessel be-
irg of different color. The "reticelli
designs were more varied. Sometimes
the twisted tubes were powdered with
gold and made vertical, horizontal,
diagonal or curved; indeed, every
variation was given that ingenuity
could suggest or fancy devise.
Aventurine glass was invented by
the Venetians, it's secret being discov-
cred by the accidental dropping of
brass or copper filings into pot of
melted glass, which resulted in the
diffusion of gold specks or threads
throughout the mass. Its name is said
TO signify adventure, or resulting
from chance-a word half Italian, but
coined probably for the occasion, to
denote the peculiar variety. Marbled
or variegated glass was made to re-
semble chalcedony, jasper, lapis lazuli
and tortise-shell. There was kind
Of green and purple which became red
by the transmission of light. a frost
ed glass which showed an icy coating
was made by dipping the vessel when
half blown in pounded glass, the par
ticles of which readily adhered to the
warm mass, which was reheated and
wrought into shape. Sometimes
pounded glass of different colors was
used with fine effect upon the same OBJ
ject These, with delicately gilded
glass and some ornamented with
jewel patterns like those of Damascus,
formed the principal kinds of Venetian
glass, which was too thin for engrav-
ing and could rarely bear enamelng -
Orlena l.. Shackleford, in Woman's
Companion.
The leader., 1898-10-26
SCHOOL AND CHURCH.

Mr.. and Mrs. A. q. Peters, of San
Francisco have studied law together
and were recently admitted to the bar.
Prof. J. w. johnson, of Oregon state
university, who died recently, crossed
the plains driving an OK team with his
parents in 1850.
During the last rs years the number
of college students in the country in
proportion to population has in
creased over 100 per cent.
1t is a mistake to suppose the insur-
gent leaders in the Philippines are not
civilized; one of them is graduate of
a Paris school of engineering.
The will of the late Rowland Hazard,
the wealthy wooden manufacturer Of
Rhode Island, includes a bequest OF
100000 to Brown university. The tes-
tator was a member Of the Brown cor.
poration.
Prof. Agar Beet, a distinguished the
ologian of the English Wesleyan Meth
odist church, recently wrote book in
which ii was asserted that the souls
OF the wicked are annihilated at death
His church has made him promise not
to teach or preach the doctrine.
The Irish Presbyterian church has
rejoiced in steady increase in every
department.. During the past ten
years the number of families has
grown from 1891 to s3,s57 and com
municants from 1O3,449 to i06.602. The
ministerial force is CSC. There are
9,076 Sa bbath school teachers and 1884,
754 scholars. The total contributions
for all objects during the year amount
ed to S947,4S5, of which very nearly
100000 was given for missions.
The annual statistical return to the
alliance of the Reformed Churches
holding the Presbyterian system"
show that there are so distinct
churches throughout the world, in
| Guiding such bodies as the Dutch Re
| formed church of South Africa, with a
total membership of 4,627,149 in 30
ga congregations. In England, since
the synod was constituted in 1876, the
number of congregations has in
| creased from 271 to 1927, and of mel
bers from 34.146 to 1904.
The leader., 1898-10-26

| hadn't had any too much sleep for
three or four nights, owing 10 an ach-
ing tooth, and as ! sat there, hum pee
up like a ribbit, was too drowsy to let
my nerves get away with me. ! didn't
intend to 60 to sleep, of course-no sol
der ever does-but from nodding and
cat-napping | passed into dreamland
and but for luck would have slept OF
until relief came around. That would
have been the end of me, very likely
for sleeping on post in the face of the
enemy was considered as serious as de
serting / seemed to dream that some
body was calling me, and the dream
started me up like an electric shock
| didn't know where | was for few
seconds. Then heard a voice calling:
"'Yank! Yank! Whar' ar you at!
81 rose TO my feet and peercd around
me, and it seemed as if | could make
out human figures around the tree"
Say, Yank, we want to be took
in!' continued the voice, and then
began to get it through my head tina,
confederate deserters were around.
dSkeu WHO was lutIt, duu iuls tillC II
other voice answered.:
"'Come up yere, Iank. Thar ar
16 of us who want to go into your lines
and surrender
81 advanced TO find that his count
was correct. They were all from the
same company, headed by sergeant
and all had their guns along. They had
deserted from the reserve picket, and
while l was sleeping they were crawl
ing up to locate the post. | lied to
them about being asleep, and when the
sergeant came we mustered the II
in behind the relief and tramped them
in under the shadow of old glory.
ought to have got at least six months
in the guardhouse for sleeping on post
but instead of that the colonel called
me up and had many words of praise
and made me a corporal. 1t went
home to the papers that | captured II
confederates, and there are people who
still insist that am a hero, but have
given you the truth about it. If they'G
been anything but deserters I'd bave
got bayonet into me or been booked
for Libby prison"
The leader., 1898-10-26

81 had neither seen nor heard any
thing TO alarm me, and couldn't make
out why should be knocked over that
way all of a sudden. ] didn't do any
investigating, however. On the con-
trary, | slipped backwards off the log
into a mass of briars, and there meant
to remain until heard the tramp OF
the relief. Lee might be advancing
with his whole army to make mid
night attack, but | wasn't going TO
leave my shelter to try to drive him
back. Nerves. Well. DOW you bet
had EN-! ] trembled like leaf, and
I'm telling you had to hold on to my
chin to stop the clicking of my teeth.
] wouldn't have run away for $4,000,
but instinct told me that was in peril
and the fact that could neither see
nor hear ii ate up my nerve. Withou;
knowing what | was doing | got my
gun around and rested the barrel on
the log ard made ready to fire. don't
know how long the situation lasted,
but ! should say for a good ten min
utes. Al! this time my heart was
humping away ard ] was trying to
draw a full breath. You've heard of
goose pimples. of courseP They come
with a chill of fear, and ] had EN- to
beat the band. | felt 'em on every
square inch of surface. | sat there
looking over the log when something
slowly rose up between me and the sky.
didn't say to myself that | would
fire; didu't even know that had fired
| until | got the kick and the report of
| the musket. The sound somehow broke
the spell, and | was on my feet and
feeling great deal drawer when the
corporal Of the guard came running
out to see what had happened. Wha'
was il? We'll, on the other side of the
log, with his head as good as blown off.
was one of the ugliest and most vii
famous looking bushwhackers or
guerrillas any man ever saw. He was
armed only with a big knife. and his
plan was to creep upon me and give me
the cold steel His fingers were
clutched about the handle of the knife
as If boted there, and he had removed
his boots to aid him in making quiet
approach | don't know whether he
expected to find me behind the log or
among the bushes, but be was thirsting
for my life and was out TO hunt me
! down"
The leader., 1898-10-26
The sixteen Deserters.

and l had my turn at the pickle;
post and something in the line of ad-
venture" said the man with the shat.
tered hand as he lighted his old corn
cob. at was just before the last cam
paign that / got my scare and promo
ton with it. A good many confeder-
ates were deserving to our lines, and
all night pickets were warned to give
fair challenge before firing. | went on
a single post one night a. ten o'clock
1t was rainy and dark. and the post
was within so rods of strong force Of
confederates. | was left under beech
tree, with orders to keep the most Wig.
liant lookout, but no sooner had the
relief passed on than moved off to the
right and crouched down under bush.
The leader., 1898-10-26

in d quarter of an hour my chin was
shaking. The wind made all sorts of
noises. and every sound was taken to
be the approach of the enemy. |
hadn't been on post 80 minutes when |
was crying. | didn't realize it until
felt the tears, and then got up and
kicked myself all around and did some
tall swearing | realized that had
to break the spell or bolt, and there
was a hard fight before | conquered
my nerves. ! had got the better of
myself, and was thinking of going back
TO the spot where | was first posted,
when suddenly caught a sound which
jumped my heart into my mouth and
shook me from head to heel with a
chill. 1t was the sound of light foot
step, and it seemed to come from be-
hind me. | was standing up, and as |
whirled about expected to feel knife
in my breast or back or a club on my
head. | found nothing, but as faced
the other way and peered into the
darkness a human figure stood face to
face with me.
~ saw and realized but if a thousand
lives had depended on it I could not
have raised finger. ! choked up and
gasped for breath, and it seemed as if
WAITED for hours for the bushv hacker
to drive his knife home. Then it grad
ually came to me that it was woman's
figure. and after making half dozen
efforts to do so / managed TO call out
and ask who was there. 1t was well for
that woman-for woman il was-that |
was unnerved by my fears. There was
a spring within a few feet of me, al
though | had not discovered it, and she
had come down for water for one of
her fevered children. She did not know
the exact location of the picket post
for the night, and instead of making
her presence known and escaping all
peril she had hoped to slip down to the
spring and back unchallenged. But for
my being unnerved do you know what
would have happened? Shed have
been shot down in her tracks the in
slant she was made out. The shot
would have routed out the guard and
sent an alarm all along the front, but
the pickets were taking no chances of
being assassinated in the darkness.
Why. when | came to discover who ii
was in front of me | was that weak
that | had to sit down, and no doubt
the woman went back to the house
feeling a contempt for me as coward.
If it was cowardice I've always been
glad of it. never should have gotten
over il if had shot her down for an
enemy"
The leader., 1898-10-26
THE WEST HAS MOVED.
Montana Man I'm New York Objects TO
Former Geographical Class
sfhcatfoB.

1--WE of the east" said New York man
l"do not appreciate how the country has
spread, as a result Of the war with Spain, al
our fellow citizens in the west appreciate
it. | was in the office Of my hotel, near the
counter, when a new arsival wrote his name
and town and said he wanted front room
with a private bath. Ny business keeps me
on the alert for people who live beyond the
Mississippi, and as soon as ] could do so
with prOpriety looked a. the register and
saw that the new arrival was from Helena,
Mont. Then | made my advances by ask
ing him how business was in the west. AT
that he hared and asked:
How do you know where / am from
what makes you think ! am from the west 3
81 explained that had looked at the reg.
ister, and IN order to appease any suspicion
on his part that had gold brick to dis
pose OF ] handed him my card and apollo.
giZed, for when you have done that to a
western man he is yours.
But | am not from the west he pro-
tested
"'You are from Montana" asked.
That's what; but you don't call Mon.
tana the west, ] reckon, he replied, with a
combination of southern and western &C
cent.
81 said as mildly as I could that it was SO
classified in the geography knew and so re
garded by people in the east.
Not since the war he replied
"For a moment / did not know where
was at But he came to my relief:
." 4 reckon you know we've recently took
the Sandwich islands in out Of the wet ?"
81 acquiesced with proper American pride
" Il reckon you know about that other IS
land. Luzon, or whatever they call it? That:
Just as good as ours as long as Dewey;
there
81 followed him in his enthusiasm, for il
was infectious, and assented
We'll, then he asserted as a clincher
If you want to know how business is in the
west, you had better call up Honolulu oil
Manila. Strikes me, if there was no mis-
take made by Dewey-and I don't think
there was-that Helena, Mont, comes pref
~ nigh being in the middle Of the United
States as they lay at the present writing -
N Y. Sun.
The leader., 1898-10-26

edge. The closest call | ever had was
one night in the spring of 1868, just be-
fore the opening of the campaign.
When the enemy was very lively we
used to double up the posts, and where
YOU had comrade for company of
course you didn't suffer as much with
your nerves. Things along the front
had been quiet for couple of weeks,
and on this night | had post on a
tongue of woodland running down into
an old cotton field. 1t wasn't woodland
as much as bushes, and right at the
very front was fallen tree. Crouched
down behind that tree, with head just
above ii, l could sean the ground be-
tween me and the confederates. II was
starlight when l relieved the post, and
In the course of half an hour ii thick
ened up until i could not have seen a
man ten feet away. i crawled up and
sat down on the log and smoked my
pipe and / had worn away an hour Of
my time when my heart suddenly
jumped into my throat and began to
tremble.
The leader., 1898-10-26
PLYING THE POOR.
Crust from n Needy Wom-
ans Mouth.

Sometimes the tramp gets the better of the
thrifty housewife. The mistress of a pretty
little cottage at Sausalito-she only inherited
about $50 100, and SO is obliged to be frugal
is the object OF a little criticism from her
friends because Of her reputed parsmony
Last Saturday, as she was sitting on her pi
azza, overlooking the water, and waiting for
Ted to come home, a passing knight OF the
road humbly solicited a bite. The young
woman could not withstand the petition, SO
she went herself to the bread box, which was
filled with freshly baked loaves, and brought
ont to the waiting vagrant two slices of
boardlike consistency which had been baked
many days earlier As she presented her
bounty she felt just trit1e ashamed of it.
I'VE are very poor ourselves she said, in
muttered apology.
The outcast received the crust with a
courteous Thank you, and turned away.
A moment later he returned and handed
the young heiress the crusts and also a
nickel.
Il am very sorry for you, he said, in gen.
tie tones of genuine sympathy.-San Fran
cisco News Letter
The leader., 1898-10-26
He Revised His Prayer.

Little Archibald was saying his
prayers. the other evening. while his
mamma was stroking his curry head
and thinking of something else. Sud
denly it struck her that the child had
wandered from the text of the sup
plication that he had been taught to
repeat.
what is that, darling?" she inter.
rupted; go over that part again
please"
Give us this day our daily pie and
cake and forgive"
"Why, my love. that isn't right" the
surprised mother broke in; that isn't
what mamma taught you to say"
II know" little Archibald replied
but | don't want any more dali,
bread. I'd rather have pie and cake
and when you're prayin' for things you
might as well ask for what you want
The most. Cleveland Leader.
The leader., 1898-10-26

itaIs of all the leading countries Of
'he world. These agents should be
graduates of our state agricultural
colleges, who are practical farmers
anu who have had at least ten years ex
perlence with the world after they
nave been graduated from the agri
Gun uraI colleges. With such men a:
'nese at the capital cities of Europe
we could obtain all the inforba tioI
winch We desire and which we need.
100 much cannot be said in praise
OF our state agricultural colleges
lhey are developing practical, intelli
gen! and intellectual farmers who are
oeeomlng scientifically acquainted
win the surface of the world on which
We I'VE, and who are thereby develop
Ing food products which strengthe
mankind and increase longevity. From
'nese colleges would draw the agents
VINO are to look after our agricultural
interests throughout the civilized
world.
The congress has been dealing
quite literally with this department
curing the past session. Everything
'na' we have asked for has been grant
'u US, and we are not now hampered in
cur important experiments as we have
peeh heretofore. With the money on
Lana | propose to send milk, butter
'sSs' cheese and all valuable dairy
PRODUCTS across the ocean. accom-
PANIED by men scientifically skilled
VI course, these products will be sold
over there, and thus this department,
VIII be able to use the money over and
ever again; condition which has not
heretofore prevailed.
propose to have these agents re.
port FULLY and in detail the condition
OIL our products after the ocean voy.
age SO that We can find what evil be-
idiis them, and thus be able to avert OF
ward off any injuries that may come to
our products. 1t is very important
matter, If we want the markets of the
world, that we should deliver our farm
products in European ports in as good
condition as we can deliver them to
.n'eago or any other metropolis OF
our own.
shall also send car lead of cattle
una car load of our best horses to
liverpool. or London, or some other
Eufpean port, and shall have reports
concerning the effect of the voyage
upon them. believe that we can raise
.ne best cattle and the best horses in
the world; and SO far as this depart
men' Is concerned you may say that
every effort will be made to enable our
s'ock men TO demonstrate that fact
Inc dairymen of this country have
never had a fair show st European mar
The leader., 1898-10-26
WILSON'S PET HOBBY.
Wants Farmers Appointed Consuls
and Diplomatic Agents.
vbv Men Nersed In Agricultural
Affairs should lie Sent Abroad
BY the Government, Espe-
chilly to Europe.
Especial Washington letter.

your people will undoubtedly he in
terested in knowing that we are con
stantly trying 10 send dairy products
into the markets of Europe" said the
secretary of agriculture IN his office
room the other day.
There is one matter of vast impor-
lance which the people ought to know.
propose 10 keep hammering away at
this one idea during my entire term
of office il order to accomplish the re-
suit. If | can do so that one achieve
ment will be sufficient to satisfy me
that my term of office has not been in
vain.
Every foreign government has here
at this capital an agent who is thor
oughy informed on agricultural af-
fairs. Everything that we do is re-
porter 10y these agents to their gov
ernments, SO that they know what we
are doing as we'll as we know ourselves.
For example, when our fruit entered
Germany, and the San Jose scale was
discovered, all they had to do in Ber-
'''' '''S ~ Nui u ~ u SOPy VI u II
issued by this department, which is
OIL file in Berlin, and there they could
learn all about it.
Our ambassadors, ministers and
consus are bright and capable men.
We send abroad only the best men for
diplomatic positions. But not one of
the corps knows anything about agri-
culture and agricultural affairs.
Therefore, it is almost impossible for
this country to have definite informa-
ton concerning he agricultural stand
ing and development of other coun-
tries, although they know all about
US.
MY proposition is that we shall
have agricultural agents at the cap
The leader., 1898-10-26
Diminution of Cavalry.

Carefully collected figures show tina
the proportion of cavalry to the other
arms has been steadily diminishing for
a long period. In the great battle OF
Eylau the proportion of cavalry was
$50 horse to 1000 infantry. In the
Franco-German war the proportion
was from 20 to 140 cavalry to 1000 in
fantry. The artillery has been in
creased, the cavalry diminished. Aus
tria, Turkey and Spain are the only
countries whose cavalry exceeds theil
artillery force,-Chicago Chronicle.
The leader., 1898-10-26
wheat So a BusheI.

Some farmers are holding their wheat be-
cause they think the price viii 60 to 81 a
bushel The price, however, may go down
instead of up, and thus great losses will tol-
low delay in selling. In all matters delays
are dangerous, particularly SO IN sickness,
At the iIrst sign of biliousness, dyspepsia, in
digestion OF constipation cure yourself with
Hostetter's Stomach Bitters. Don't wait for
your condition to improve itself, for 1t is apt
TO get worse still.
The leader., 1898-10-26

IF you do not marry me shall hang
myself" exclaimed a lovelorn Denver
young man.
swell. II You do. please go down q
block" was the cheerful response. .'for
heard papa say he did pot want you
to hang around here."-Denver Times.
The leader., 1898-10-26
A Picket's Close Call.

~ have always commended" said the
veteran with the empty sleeve, that
standing picket on lonely post tried a
soldiers nerve far more than the roar
of hattie Even when | had a post
where no danger was TO be apprehend-
ed I've conjured up perils till my hair
stood on end and my teeth were on