davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03
INTEMPERANCE OF WOMEN.
The Drink Habit Is on the Decrease,
Says nm Eminent Au-
thOrity.

Mr.. Lawson TAFT. an eminent English
surgeon and specialist, has been deal
ing with the question of intemperance
among women. His opinion is that the
drink habit is on the decrease so far as
the gentler sex goes.
Unfortunately, the registrar gem
erals statistics in his own country do
not bear Mr.. TAFT out in his views.
They show that, while the death rate
among males has been increased so
per cent. by intemperance, it has gone
up 116 per cent. in the case of women,
All the same, Mr.. TAFT makes these in.
teresting remarks:
"A woman after certain point is al.
ways secret drunkard. She does not
sit at the table and openly get the
worse of what she is drinking, as men
do. My wide professional experience
tells me, in terms that are indisputa.
BILE, that it is certainly true that
misery, either mental or physical, is
the cause of the peculiar drunkenness
which we find among women, and not
its result, save, perhaps, in cases so
few as to be negotiable. With this
knowledge, l suspect that the same
must be true, to some extent at least
among men, perhaps to a large extent,
However that may be, my social ex-
perience among men, and my profes.
sional experience among women, draw
most emphatic distinction between
drunkards in the two sexes. Men sit
down openly with one another and get
drunk socially, though to a greatly di-
minished extent than was the case
when l was lad, 40 years ago. Wom-
en- never do this. | never in my life saw
a woman get perceptibly the worse for
liquor at dinner table, whereas | have
seen scores, if not hundreds, of men
do it. l never saw but one woman in
my life the worse for drink at social
dinner party, but then she came the
worse for drink perceptlbly.
Women drunkards are solitary
drunkards, secret in their vice, and
cunning in its exercise and in hiding
its details beyond all description. The
whole of my experience goes to estab-
fish the conclusion that among women
of the middle and upper classes, indeed
among women not included in the
clientele of the hospital and the arena
of the public street, intemperance is
the result of disease or mental suffer-
ing, The great bulk being the former,
real physical suffering, capable in the
majority of cases of being cured by
proper treatment, and in that treat
ment absolute prohibition of alcohol
is not an element, nor, indeed, is 1t
safe plan"
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03
33'315IAl{1ib3l.lI!||!I!!k:Ill'
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NOT TONIGHT.
How the Saloon Robbed Widowed
Mother of Her Only
Son.

Though the summer had been warm
and pleasant, the winter, which made
its appearance early, was cold and Sc
we're.
The little village of was wearing
a thick white robe. The river, which
added to the summer scenery, was
now frozen. The hill, which had stood
in all its glory for so many years, still
afforded a pastime for the boys. From
early morn until late eve all the sleds
in the village were constantly making
their way up and down its steep slope.
Though many homes were comfort
able and happy, there were yet to be
found those of hardships and sorrows.
If you would cross the bridge by the
mill and walk a short distance your
eyes would suddenly fall upon an old
building located at the lower slope of
the hill. You would need no tongue
to explain its purpose. Above the door
there hangs these words: Saloon
James Dwarf"
Could you know of the many hearts
that have ached, the many mothers
lain to rest, the family circles broken,
in short, all happiness destroyed, your
eyes would fall to the ground and
you would murmur regret for the little
town thus disgraced.
Passing on and turning the bend in
the road, you find neat little cottage.
1t was once home of peace; but for
the saloon it would not have changed.
You ask why? Let me tell you a story,
and you need never ask again. Some
years ago a mother sat by fireplace,
and near her was lad of 16 summers.
His every word and action proved he
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03
BLACK FLAG SYMBOLS.

be within the British territory OF
Kowloon, and the members are among
the least reputable of the Chinese.
Most of the observances of this Sc
cret brotherhood are curious, and the
accompanying illustration, which
Black and Write correspondent has re.
ceived from an exclusive and absolute.
ly reliable source, will undoubtedly be
of interest. The cut shows leaf from
out of one of the registers of the
BLACK Flags" and exhibits native
outline of the chief lodge of the So
ciety. The inscription in the upper pa
vilion reads: May the great Ming
dynasty live forever" On either side
are moral sayings of no great interest.
Over the door is the name of the lodge,
"Hung-hwa Ting" and on the pillars
alongside, He is true gentleman
who appropriates no gold" and HE
is great hero who overturns the
Manchu in favor of the Ming dynasty"
All these societies cultivate secrecy
to degree that is grotesque. Their
meetings take place as rule in the
small hours of the early day, and the
greatest possible precautioD Is OBJ
served to prevent the uninitiated at
tending or learning aught Of the de-
liberations. To pry into the affairs of
the Black Flags implies immediate
membership under the strongest oaths,
or death, and it is said that the latter
sentence has been more than once ex-
acted quite recently. In the time of
the Taipings the Triads reserved the
most hideous tortures for their oppon-
ents. and they have been credited with
the reintroduction of the horrible wire
shirt, which was the favorite form of
torture frequently exerted for the ben
eft Of evildoers in China during the
last century. The wire shirt is piece
of wire netting, with a mesh about an
inch across. This is placed under the
victims arms and tightly fixed round
his body, so tightly as o cause the wire
to cut into his flesh, which is
squeezed through each separate inter
stice until the skin projects quarter
of aninch or so outside the wire. Thus
prepared, the victim is adiured regard
ing his treachery, or offense, whatever
1t may be, and he is then shaved with
a sharp knife, the blade being drawn
close over the wire in all directions
After the operation is completed the
miserable wretch is released, with
ing mass of flesh wounds. which are
speedily settled on by flies and other
insects. The victim rarely, indeed
hardly ever, RECEIVERS. Cases have been
known in which salt or sea dust has
been rubbed into the fresh-cut flesh
There is little doubt but that, should
these secret societies ever succeed in
bringing about a successful revolution
in China, the land would speedily be
given over to repetition of the hor.
rors which were so common during the
earlier Mohammedan risings OF the
last century.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03
A MAN WITH A QUESTION.
He Had Cats to Sell, and Advertising
the Fact Did Him No
Good.

He looked like man with a griev-
ance when he came into the counting
room, and the suave and persuasive
clerk who met him did so with a men
tai reservation.
Can l converse with you or any body
On the subject of advertising?" he in
quired, putting both hands on the
counter as if he were going t o ask a
blessing.
with pleasure, I hope" smiled the
clerk, for advertising is our speciality
in this department. What Is it you
wished to talk about?"
He looked at the clerk foxily.
"In view of the fact that l wanted
to converse about Advertising" he
said, advertising is what l wished to
talk about. To particularize, 1 put
an advertisement in your paper re-
Gently"
II am sure it amply repaid you"
at was not SO much that as some
thing else that interested me. 1t was
two-line want notice. Is there any
choice of position for that kind of an
advertisement?
Hardly. They are classified, and
people know just where to look for
them"
Zone place is as good as another?"
81 should say so; yes"
Are there as many people who sell
things as there are who buy them?"
H'Thapa no h,1y oh
say, seeing that very many sellers who
advertise are also buyers. In other
words, all sellers are buyers, but all
buyers are not sellers"
You are prepared to stand by that
as general proposition, are your"
81 think l am. In fact, I'm sure of
It. Take, for instance, the great mass
of laboring people, mechanics and pro-
fessional people; they are buyers, but
they don't sell anything except their
services"
The man stuck his chin into the hol-
low of his hand and stood contemplate
ing the wall for minute.
"These things being So" he said,
after awhile, with great elaboration,
will you kindly explain why, when
put two want notices in your paper,
one at the bottom and one at the top
of the column, the top one reading:
'Wanted-To buy, 24S cats at ten dol
lars each. Call at AHA Fourteenth
street from six to seven p. M and
the bottom one reading: Wanted
Tc sell PAS cats at ten dollars each.
Call at ALA Fourteenth street, from
six a. IN. to six p. M that I didn't
see living soul until six o'clock in the
evening, and then it seemed as if every
body in town was headed for my house.
and every man jack of them had a cat
under his arm that he wanted to sell
for ten dollars. Now, sir, if you will
hang up your theories and statistics
for eleven or eight minutes and tell
me what's the matter. I'll use up some
more of your valuable space, for I still
have 24S cats to sell. Fine large cats,
too."-N. Y. Sun.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03
SECRET SOCIETIES.
Nowhere Do They Flourish as Wig
orously as in China.
Most of the Important Political Move
ments in the Celestial Kingdom Are
Due Directly to Their Clever
chInatiOns.

Among the curiosities of the Chi
nese empire are considerable num-
Der of secret societies which, taking
thei~ rise in the guilds which exist in
connection with every calling. and in
every province, have become devel-
oped until their members include an
appreciable percentage of the popula'
ton. and their propaganda has be-
come disseminated throughout the
length and breadth of the country. In
their organization these societies par
take of the nature of the western free
masonry. In the days of their initia-
ton they were regarded as brother,
hoods, and their announced objects
were the attaining of ideal perfection,
Like most things in China, however,
the outward guise of the guilds in
question has always been very differ,
ent from the published principles, and
there can be little question but that
most of the important political move
ments of the past 500 years have been
In large measure due to the action of
these secret assemblies,
The two societies which are best
known outside China proper are the
Black Flags and the Triads. The
Triads were mainly responsible for
the continuance of the famous TAPPING
rebellion, which, after breaking out
in 1850, was not finally quelled until
Gen. Gordon led his lever victorious"
Chinese army against the rebels in
1868 The Black Flags are regarded
by those who know them rather as
body of pirates and thieves than
political community, Notwithstanding
their announced desire to wipe out
the existing Taitsing or Manchu
dynasty, and reintroduce that of the
Ming, which preceded it during a
period of 400 years. 1t is this society
which has lately been giving signs of
restltssness in the neighborhood of
Canton. Its headquarters are said to
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03
TEMPERANCE TIDINGS.

The japanese name for Woman's
Christian Temperance union is
Kyofokwai.
1t is believed that the temperance
army in Sweden to-day numbers about
half million.
Chicago has a non-treating club,
which attained a membership of 5000
in the first few days of its existence.
Count Tolstoi, the novelist, is report
ed to have said that Russia is utterly
ruined by drunkenness and dishon-
esty.'
Miss Belle Allen in Japan, who was
miraculously spared, though seriously
wounded, when her companion, Miss
Simons, met her tragic DEATH has Or
gained her tenth Loyal Temperance
legion.
The Brewers Journal congratulated
the trade on its remarkable prosperity,
seeing how that, in the face of the
mercantile and financial depression
that has prevailed during the past
year, the internal revenue figures show
an increase in the sales of malt liquors
during that time of 100000 barrels.
Mrs. f. Spencer Large, formerly
Methodist missionary from Canada to
Japan, whose husband was murdered in
Toxic April A, 1890, has been appointed
by the Worlds Womans Christian
Temperance union executive as a resi-
dent missionary, to succeed an Illinois
Methodist, Miss Clara Parrish. She
will enter upon her duties in Septem-
Der.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03
PREPARING FOR DEATH.
Joaquin Miller, the Poet of the Si-
- erras, Has Designed and Built
His own Tomb.

Joaquin Miller, the California poet,
will sleep the long sleep in tomb sat-
isfactory to himself.
1t has already been built under his
own supervision and from his own de-
signs i'll a romantic spot on the top of
a heaven-kissing hill back of the poets
home in Oakland, where big trees.
thrust themselves up into the air and
huge powders dot the ground.
Upon one of these is carved in big
letters: ITO the Unknown" the
poets greeting to the future which
his eyes cannot pierce.
The tomb itself is squarely, solidly
built of $40 rough blocks of stone, to
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03
LIFE ON THE STAKED PLAINS.
The Great Desert Is Being Gradu-
ally Turned Into Good Graz
ing Grounds.

The vast changes that have been
made out on the great "Staked Plains"
the past 16 years are phenomenal.
That large expanse of unbroken prairie
derived its name from the Mexicans
and Indians, who called it "Llano Es-
facade" long before the advent of the
Americans. The scarcity of water dur
ing the summer months rendered it a
dangerous matter to attempt the jour
ney across them, and it is known that
many caravans of MeXicans in the
early days, making their way from the
Rio Grande river into New Mexico, per-
ished among their sandy wastes. For
many years after the country on every
side had been in measure settled up
the plains were looked upon as sort
of forbidden region, The epitome of
everything that was inhospitable in
nature, and totally useless for supply
ing any Of the wants of man.
Those adventurous individuals who
ventured far into its dangerous depths
reported it treeless, silent waste,
without sign of life. except the buzz
yards that circled high in the heavens,
or the coyote >hat hurried across the
trail and disappeared like a flash
among the sagebrush and tall grass
that lined the banks of the dry crroyos.
Huge whirlwinds would appear to
block the way for a time, and then
hurry off, as if disturbed by the pres
ence of men in those grim solitudes.
In the early morning wreaths of dust
went spinning around before the
breeze, as if some desert sands had
arisen and had just begun to envelop
the great eXpanse.
The last case known of anyone per-
shing on the plains was in 1890, when
two Americans and one Mexican, a
sheep herder, attempted to make their
way from Pecos City to Amarillo, in
midsummer, and, being poorly pro-
visioned with water and losing the trail
as well, soon died of thirst, as we'll as
their horses. A peculiar feature of
this accident was that, although the
coyotes and buzzards had picked the
bones of the American clean, the body
of the Mexican had baked and dried
in the sun and was practically intact.
owing to the fact that the diet of the
MeXicans on the border is always COM
posed i'll great part of chilli and red
pepper, substances apparently not APP
preciated by either the buzzards or the
coyotes. Since that day no other ia
tally that is known has occurred or
the plains.
The progressive rancher ard cattle
man has, year by year, coached on
this vast area, sinking wells, running
wire fences, and rearing a better breed
Of stock than is to be seen to-day any
where in Texas. Water is found at a
depth of from 20 to 100 feet, and in
abundance. The altitude of the
'Staked Plains" district insures the
health of the stock the year around,
md fever. anthrax, or blackleg is sell
ON heard of in that region. Such
great cattle magnates as Col. Slaugh-
ter. of Fort Worth, c. c. Goodnight, of
Midland, and many others of equal note
are now heavily interested in this once
forbidden territory.-Chicago Inter
Ocean.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03
A Promise to Mother,

While drinking whisky was the fash,
ion all about him, Abraham Lincoln
never forgot his dead mothers request
to close his lips against intoxicants.
Once, when he was a member of con-
gress, a friend criticised him for his
seeming rudeness in declining to test
the rare wines provided by their host,
urging as reason for the reproof:
There is certainly no danger of man
of your years and habits becoming ad-
dicted to its use"
81 meant no disrespect, John" an
swered Mr.. Lincoln, but l promised
my precious mother only few days
before she died that l would never use
anything intoxicating as a beverage,
and 1 consider that promise as binding
to-day as it was the day gave it,"
There is a great difference between
child surrounded by a rough class
of drinkers, and a man in a home Of
refinement" insisted the friend.
but promise is a promise forever,
John, and when made to mother il IL
doubly binding" replied Mr.. Lincoln.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03

full deed. If had only listened when
you sac Not tonight and oh, moth.
er, if | could only live again ] would
do all in my power to crush the saloon.
Don't be hard on me, mother, for
IL"
Here the woman knelt by her SOB
and cried
Don't cry" said Dick I'm going
to leave you, but Gods merciful-
Gods love. Let me kiss you, there
just once more. Mother, tell-my story
to other boys, for they-may learn a
lesson. Good-by-moth-er, good-by.
1 cannot see-you. Good-by-good-"
The head fell upon the pillow, the
lips closed. Dick was dead.-Letha P.
Smith, in National Temperance Advo-
cate.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03
AT THE AQUARIUM.
Lively GOings On IN the Tanks When
the Trigger Fish Are Hunt
ing the KiIlies.

Pretty much all fishes like smaller
live fishes to eat. and so most fishes in
captivity take kindly to live killies for
food. There are fishes so swift in move
ment that they nip the killies the in
slant they strike the water; and then
there are some slower and clumsier
fishes which the kiAlies may evade fer a
time.
1t is a common thing for kiilie that
has got away to seek and hug the wall
of the tank in the aquarium at he bat
terry, where they are safer, and some
times they seek the corners. where, in
the angle, they are more difficult Of
capture and safer still. Fishes are very
sensitive at the nose and they avoid
humping their noses when they can;
and then it is much easier for the fish
TO take Its prey in open water thar it
is when it is up against something. But
not all fishes are like this; some Of
hem plunge in anywhere for their
prey, regardless of their noses, and
against such the tactics of the killie
fish afford it no protection.
Of the more needless is the trigger
fish, which comes from Bermuda,
though there is one in the lot now It
the aquarium that was taken off the
Jersey coast. Though the trigger fish
is not the quickest fish in the world,
it is handsome in coloring, with its
gray body and blue fins, and it is per
- in, 70
killies fed to the trigger fish in the
aquarium the other day at least half
a dozen at one time and another
sought some corner of the tank, bu;
in every case trigger fish sought the
killie there and rooted it out, making
sometimes two or three pluuees to get
it. The killie fish, in its efforts to
avoid capture, made as much commo-
ton in the water as a fish of its size
was capable of, and the trigger fish, a
fish of two or three pounds weight,
made more. One killie fish, hard
pressed, jumped out of the corner
clean over the head of the trigger fish
into the open water, but that gave il
only a moments respite, for before il
had gone far away it's pursuer turned
and captured it.
When the killies have all been fed tc
tfem the trigger fish will come up to
the surface of the water at the rear 81
the tank. if o finger is placed in the
water there, and they may esaD suffer
being touched. They are tame, very
tame; but their teeth are 10 be avoided
nevertheless.-N.Y Y. Sun.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03

ment her parents possess is an organ,
her playing has been confined almost
entirely to that. Still the youngster
can play on the piano very well ind ed a.,
for it seems to be as natural to her to
play on either organ or piano as it is to
breathe. AT the last commencement
of John Gibson institute she played an
accompaniment on the piano for the
orchestra without even practising the
pieces. Her father says she can repeat
any piece she has ever heard played.
From her earliest years she seemed
to have an idea of harmony. One day
her uncle, Prof. j. B. Vaughan, hap
pened to hear her play. He wrote the
music down as he heard it, and so clever
was the composition that it has found
a ready sale at the music stores.
Eula's touch is remarkably sympa-
thetic. She is very pretty and small
for her age. Her musical talent is not
confined to either the piano or the or
gan, for she has a pleasing childish
voice, which gives much promise for
the future. Often when Eula is play
ing over some music she has heard she
adds variations of her own.
AS Eula plays her face brightens,
and it seems to those who hear her
strange indeed that so much feeling
and expression should be seen in the
little face of so young a child. She is,
as soon as her years warrant it, to be
given a thorough musical education.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03

last for all eternity. Three steps lead
up to it. 1t is ten feet square, and
eight high, so that from the top step
man can look over and see in it's top
only shallow depression.
Here the poet has directed that his
body be cremated and the ashes scat
tered to the winds.
His experience in the Klondike aged
him, but he plans 20 put hiseXperiences
on paper in prose and verse before the
winds watt the ashes of his body from
~ square pile of rocks on the hill.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03

Idaho takes the lead as desira bic
place of residence for women who
want husbands, that state having 00O
per cent. more bachelors than spin
sters. The exact figures are 1854
single men, against ,426 single women
20 years cid and upward. Wyoming is
close second, with an excess of 093
per cent, the figures being 16,1 1873 bach
elors, against 1,4S7 maidens. Best
state for husbands-ldaho. Strong
est bachelor section of the United
States, middle west; weakest bachelor
section of the United States, south
eastern
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03
MUSICAL PRODIGY.
Although But Six Years of Age, EuIa
Vaughan Is Already a Clever
Composer.

Z Georgia has six-year-old girl who
oomposes charming music, both vocal
and instrumental. Strange to say, it
is claimed she has never taken a music
lesson in her life. Her name is Eula
Vaughan, and her parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
c. d. Vaughan, are residents of Bow
man, six miles from Eberton.
When Eula was only two and half
years old she was known to play the
organ, while held in the lap of nurse.
Owing tc the fact that there is no
piano in her home, as the sole instru-
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03
LAW and Conscience, Too.

at strikes me, Mr.. Brief" said Mr..
Dogway, that, your charge of $3.50 for
this opinion is pretty steep"
mo doubt" said Mr.. Brief. but
you see. Dogway, when you come and
ask me for an opinion which violates
all my convictions, you've got to pay
not only for your law, but for my con-
science. Green Bag.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-11-03
Blondes Becoming Extinct.

Fair-haired people are said to be be-
coming less numerous than formerly
The ancient Jews were flir-haired
race; now they are, with few eXcep-
tiors, dark. So it is in lesser degree
with TIE Irish, among whom $50 years
ago dark. haired person was almost
unknown.