davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17
THE ROMANCE OF STATISTICS
Dry Science Made Interesting by an
English Author

Every few people realize the importance
Of statistics" began Mr.. Holt-Schooling,
with whose curious articles most of us are
we'll acquainted, land yet their use lies
at the bottom of all social movements or
legislation. Fewer still realize the ro-
nance that is often concealed beneath
their dry and uninviting exterior. To me
1t is pleasure to find the picturesque and
romantic in these things. Government
pays an immense sum to have Blue Books
compiled, and the pity of it is that they
are not done in more interesting fashion.
I have been engaged in this statistical and
diagrammatic work since January, 1895,
my first signed article on this subject ap-
pearing in The Strand. My father was
stopping with me some years ago and he
happened to take up the paper and read
a paragraph concerning the weight Of the
earth; enormous figures, which gave the
reader no idea of what he read. There
said I, IS an article for me- The illustra-
ton of such an article was immensely
difficult. In The Vision of Gold which
was published as a serial in 1895 in The
Strand, I conceived some very curious
ideas for illustrating it which caught on
well. Some time ago I wrote an article
on ddtcQeS, Matches anu dispatches lOI
the Pail Mall Magazine. The figures l
obtained from the registrar generals re-
port and to illustrate some remarks in it
I had my own baby boy photographed as
coming out of broken eggshell. Do you
remember an article l wrote for the
jubilee number of Pearsons Magazine on
England and her dependencies? That was
a very successful piece of work
II find," continued Mr.. Schooling, that
the schools, are taking up. some of these
articles, as teachers have written to me
to ask permission to use them for their
classes. The Illustrations are reproduced
greatly enlarged, either for lantern or on
canvas. For instance, one lady gave a
lesson to her class on my article on Land
Versus Sea- in order that the children
might see at glance how the sea is prac-
tically nowhere in comparison to the land.
The depth of the sea, as YOU can see by
this diagram, is shown by that thin black
line, while beneath that line you have that
immense depth of something which takes
you to the very center of the earth. Here,
too, is another article which has been very
popular with teachers during the late cpl
denic of imperialism-the contrast be-
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17

the Dreyfus case. Their solicitor came
over and gave me fac smile of the docu-
ment said to have been found in the Ger
man embassy waste paper basket, and
also letters written both before and after
the accusation, In order that might give
my opinion. l gave 1t as my opinion that
these papers were not written by Dreyfus
and, which Is very rare thing, eleven
other experts came to the same conclu-
sion. Then, again, great firms have put
their advertising agents into communica-
ton with me. There is one poster de-
signed in which compare the sale of a
certain celebrated cocoa with the height
of the monument.
"Some time ago was engaged in some
articles dealing with secrets in ciphr. l
went down to Hatfield and spent many
hours in going through manuscripts of
every description. One of the most curious
ciphers / discovered in connection with
this subject was the string cipher, and
which consisted of string that had been
marked with ink and then wound round
specially prepared cards with exactly
similar marks upon them. l invaded the
foreign office only to learn that regularly
after the lapse of forty years the papers
relating to cipher are stored in the public
archives. How few people are aware of
the extensive use of cipher from time i'm
memorial by the governments of great
countries! How few realize the romance
that is hidden away among those gloomy
records And the immense quantity of
them To my dismay the porter at one
place brought up the ciphers in great
trolley. may tell you that it is impossi-
BILE for an outsider to decipher foreign
office cipher documents.
TT is curious" continued my host, as we
returned to his special work, chow almost
anything will lend itself to this fantastical
and statistical treatment. Only the other
day had to prepare an article for Ma
tional Righteousness, dealing with fig
ures and statistics regarding the opium
traffic" How do you get the primary
idea for these fantastic articles of yours?"
/ asked. "Ah, that is difficult to answer.
l suppose each one has its birth In some
sort of friction among the brain cells. But
l get suggestions sent me from all over
the world. Here Is one 1 had from the
northwest provinces of Canada: Puttwo
grains of wheat, wrote my correspondent,
on the first square of chessboard, how
many, by squaring each one, will you
have on the last check?' This is, of course,
an impossible task to tackle, by reason of
it's vastness. No." he went on, in reply
to question 1 had put to him, Il never
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17

itor of the Times) was great diner out
That was one way In which he came into
contact with life, and in London there are
few better ways for the purpose of general
politics, and especially of high politics. He
met at dinner Sir William Gull, then the
leading physician of London. There was
discussion at table upon the effect of eli
mate on constitutions "By the way" said
Sir William, Lord Northbrook was asking
me today whether l thought the climate of
India would suit him." The subject dropped.
No more was said.i Mr.. Delano drove
straight to the Times office, and the Times
next morning announced that Lord North
brook had been appointed viceroy of India.
His sole a, hority was this casual remark
at dinner.-George w. Smalley in Harpers
Magazine.
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17

that 1t takes very many bullets to kill a
man. Tons of lead are wasted on every
battlefield. The proverb that every bullet
has its billet Is very wide of the mark If the
billet in question is the atomy Of soldier.
The vagaries of a rifle bullet have been de-
scribed again and again. No story told by
camp prevaricator of strange wounds re-
ceived on battlefields. however, ever
equaled a true report of soldiers escape
from death by numerous bullets that were
aimed at him In the recent great fight be-
tween the British forces in Egypt and the
soldiers Of the desert.
To have the bayonet on the rifle a soldier
is carrying bent by bullet, the butt of the
same rifle splintered by another bullet, the
toe of the shoe shot off by third ball, and
the mans clothing almost torn off by others
il a chapter Of lucky accidents that reads
like an extract from the thrilling adven-
lures of those dime novel heroes VINO XIII
off their enemies by wholesale and never re-
ceve scratch themselves. The story is
perfectly true, however, and the hero OF 1t
is at present the most talked-of man in the
British army, as we'll he may be. Here is
his signed statement of the marvellous es-
cape from death, or even injury, while bull
lets rained upon him at the recent battle OK
Atbara. when the BriNsh won such signal
victory:
81 suppose I have been reported as slightly
wounded, and pictured as an interesting In
valid Well, was struck. but the effect
was so small that / have often been worse
hurt In a football match. But during the
rest of the day and some day afterwards
have been an object of interest, and have
been questioned by almost every officer and
man in the battalion, referred to as the bull
let-proof' man, and asked If I would mind
letting a section fire few rounds at me to
see if they could do me any harm. The fact
is that / got most of the corners Of my
clothing shot off, while personally l was
uninjured.
Before 1 entered the Zareba I was not
struck, but shortly afterward a bullet took
off the toe of my left shoe without hitting
my foot, the shoe being a size too big, for
easy marching and sleeping at night. Then
my bayonet was struck and bent over at a
right angle. Then shot went through my
sleeve near my left wrist. tearing two
holes, but not hurting myself. Then my
rifle was struck while I was loading, the
bullet splinterng the butt and being
stopped by an iron bolt which 1t met This
bullet would certainly have gone right into
my body but for my rifles being there.
Then a niger in trench let drive at me
with a spear, missed my ribs by an inch
and split up my haversack. bullet then
grazed the back of my hand. just enough
to make it bleed
when l reached the river bank, which
was nearly perpendicular, a shot came
from the bottom, about twenty feet below
and a little to the left, which caused the
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17

as the Philippine islands. That they are
like Russia, a sef-contained country is
their strength. The whole scheme Of
American polity would be shattered were
the globe to be dotted over with American
islands, neither states nor territories, held
under subsection. In all probability the
inhabitants of the Philippines, of Puerto
Rico and of Cuba would be considerable
gamers by Americas annexing them; nor do
l think that we, or indeed any other Euro
pean power, would be in any way damnified.
But the question to Americans should be
whether they themselves will, on a balance
of advantages or disadvantages, profit by
the annexation. We used to glory that we
were a non-military nation. We have
drifted into the position Of nation with
larger ornaments than any other. No
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17
MATANZAS' MULE
Who Would Grudge Spain This Com
forting JestP

Among those who had business to trans
act at the army building yesterday was
Maurice Bernard Fuller. Mr.. Fuller re-
turned on June IS from England. AT the
Liberal club, in Swansea, Wales, friend
handed him a card, copies Of which had
been distributed all over the British isles
by sympathizers with Spain. 1t had a
heavy mourning border, within which was
the following:
.......'.....s.ss.'
: IN MEMORIAM
: HERE LIES
4: (Like an American War Correspondent
: A BRAVE SPANISH MULE,
: who departed this life in a cloud of
/: prismatic dust
: ON APRIL 2S, 1898,
: Az THE BOMBARDMENT OF
MATANZAS,
: The first and only victim of eighty
/: seven shells, fired with unerring pre-
/: cision by marksmen of the United
: States navy.
New York Sun.
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17

wound am supposed to have got, and wan
SO curious that I paraded before the gen.
erai. 1t entered through the lid Of my right
ammunition boxpouch, which was open.
went into my right coat pocket, smashing
a penknife and two pencils. tore four holes
in my shirt, made a surface wound two or
three inches long on my left breast, and
came out near my left shoulder through mf
coat and ammunition pouch braces.
"In the afternoon I strolled over to the
field hospital and got piece Of dressing on.
and 1t has never troubled me at all: In fact.
1t was farce to put 1t as wound, and was
done without my knowledge by the color SER
geant. So you see I've really been, as I'm
told by everybody, wonderfully lucky in
getting off as have done, while other Door
chaps were given no chances.
CORPORAL LAURIE,
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17
A Famous Newspaper "Beat"

Lord Mayo, viceroy of India, had been as
sassinated in 1872 The situation was crit
ical and there was extreme interest to know
who was to be Lord Mayo's successor. Mr..
Gladstone was then prime minister, and it
was never easy to conjecture what Mr..
Gladstone might do, especially where per-
sonal question had to be taken into ac-
count-judgment of men not being Mr..
Gladstone's strong point. Mr.. Delano led
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17
Africa's Ancient Sea

Recent studies of the animal life OF Lake
Tanganyika have shown that that lake diff
fers from all other African lakes in possess
ing inhabitants that belong to the oceanic
species. STILL these singular denizens of
Lake Tanganyika are not exactly like the
marine organisms Of the present day, and
the conclusion is drawn that sea, con-
nected with the open ocean, once occupied
the parts Of Africa where Tanganyika now
lies and that the lake is the last remnan;
Of the ancient sea.
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17

did this kind of thing at school, but I was
always inventing and making things. And
it struck me one day that this same ca
pacity for inventiveness might be turned
to account from literary point Of view.
Here, for instance, is little conjuring
box" And as he spoke Mr.. Schooling took
his watch, put it into the box, and then
gave me the box, very small one, minus
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17

the watch. A very clever trick, but quite
beyond my finding out, until its extreme
simplicity was made plain, to me. That
was one of my little inventions at school,"
he said-IOndOn News
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17

tween our dependencies and those of the
other five powers in which have repre-
scented each power with it's colonies hang
ing from it. My work is capable Of almost
any amount of variety. Professionally,
as you may know, / am an actuary and
Statistician. The correspondence get is
very interesting. Many people write to
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17
The War News They Got in Bremen

A Bostonian now travelling in Germany
writes home that since he read in a Bremen
paper that the Spanish fleet had bombarded
Chicago his previous views as to the thor
oughness of the German public school sys-
tenn, at least so far geography is con-
cerned, had changed.-Boston Transcript.
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17

In recent test Of floor material the
most durable turned out to be a tile made
of rubber. An English earthen tile came
next.
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17
BEWARE OF COLONIES
Trouble the Philippines Would Give
the United States

What I would respectively impress upon
the Americans is that they will make
terrible mistake If they seize the occasion
of this war to acquire territories outside
the area of their legitimate influences, such
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17
Loves Rivalries

"My girls hand is as white as the driven
snow"
Pooh, that's nothing! My girls heart
is as deep as driven well.'-Detroit Free
Press.
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17
The Queens Four-Leaved Clover

An amusing story of Queen Hortense,
daughter of the Empress Josephine, and a
wife of Louis Bonaparte, king of Holland,
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17
A BULLET PROOF Man.
CORPORAL LAURIES STORY OF
MIRACULOUS ESCAPES
HIT BUT DID NOT HARM HIM
Cut His Clothing to Ribbons, Tore the
Toe Off His Shoe and Mauled His
Accoutrements

1t Is comforting to the wives and relatives
OF soldiers who are now In Cuba to know
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17

uremnesw Santiago
nh nsand
9TH
American finvai under Geerls natter
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-17
Not a Bit Of It

"Superstitious" she exclaimed. scornful.
ly; mot bit of 1t. have too much seuso
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-24

even ard saiubrious climate in the world;
second that Il Is reached by the very snort
and pleasant voyage OF seventy to eighty hours
In vessels unsurpassed on this or any -other
coast, and third, that 1t Is = luxurious ana per
petual tropical garden. The,hrst view OF nassau
from the rcadstead, where your ship awa'ts
the boarding officer, is indeed a treat for eyes
that have las. gaxed upon the snow-ciad hiHs
of New-England or the muddy streets OF view
York The vessel Is in dark. deep blue "atef'
but the harbor Is a sheet OF sparkling green
with here and there a piece OF white wnere inc
water is very shoal and oyerles bed OF coral
or white sand. Within stones throw Is tios
Island between the sea and bay. and BACK Vi
all. on a gentle slope. looking white and iresh
and clean TO a degree you would not nave Dc
iieved possible is the capital Of the little kihg-
dom OF Perpetual June The waving palms. tne
bananas. the low smooth houses. the white
streets-these are novelties to an American ana
imagine how pleasant his feelings when ne
learns that the city Is Of the cieancst IN tne
world.
As long as you live you arc likely ia remember
your first impressions on landing. You ghoe
over water SO clear that You find. 1t difhcu't
10 believe that It has the depth they nscribe to
il ut points where You can see the eottom' anu
AZ the transfer steamer reaches the wharf, re".
In the heart OF the town. You find yourscit
surrounded by vessels with strange cargoes'
Here is a load OF sponges, OF which, Tor tne
cheaper grades, this is the supply station OF the
world the yield amounting to at least quarter
OF a million dollars worth year, and furnish-
ing employment for very many little vessels ana
their crews. Here are the most luscious melons
and fruits and vegetables all strange to North
ern eyes. And here IS a cargo OF fish unlike any
thing we have in our waters The critics laugh
at one Of the old masters for painting Holsters
red in a picture now in Rome. but here are red
Holsters fresh from the water. and white craps
as we'll On the wharf are many darkies oiacK
as night, but nearly all possessed OF straish.
and almost Grecian profiles.
Santiago de Cuba, the scene OF the only land
engagement during the late war. has been 50
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-24
METROPOLITAN HOLIDAY SUPPLEMENT.

f5f4 the Oldest in the West Indies. II not IN
America: certainly the Oldest Of any size on the
continent So old is II that in its broad details uts
streets. houses and general external appearance
I. would not astontsh Columbus could he see IL To-
day. Where else could he so and not be aston
ished? Cortcs started from 1t to make the con-
quest OF Mexico. Take a volante--which Is a
vehicle that would make a bigger sensation IN
New-York than q band OF wild Indians In war
paint--and ride slowly about In the cool OF the
day. You see the houses are only one story
high That Is a prccaution against loss OF Ire
by earthquake You can see In and through
them and very neat and cool the ones IN the
incest streets appear. Bent wood or cane-seated
furniture, plenty Of rockers, white waiis, pare
rafters and stone floors the rule. The ex-
ternal walls are either Of limestone, limestone
stained and painted, or of a sort OF primitive
athing of tree-twigs, and branches covered VIII"
plaster You will see then; in all stages Oh d's-
aster and decay. and you will see others tnat
have entirely collapsed along streets fuii OF
guies and gaps, results OF one thing or another'
some time or another. Twenty years or Two
hundred years have passed without their pehs
mended 50 they arc not mended now. You VIII
sec every horse roo.cd with cumbrous scallop-
patterned tiles and every window fenced with
light ironwork.
III you admire female beauty. walk up some
of the streets close to the Plaza just before
sunset, and see the young women in these win
dows. Many are as fair as our wives and
sisters; others have eyes Of ebony. hair like jet,
and the soft hue Of the olive in their complex
ions. How graceful are their attitudes 1t is
the custom TO- them to while away the last cool
hours Of daylight In this langud and most
picturesque manner. while the ever-vigilanf
young courtier occasionally steps up to the iron
bars and steals furtive conversation. Wagons
are scarce az they should be. for they are the
heaviest and most absurd things imaginable
The fact Is that there are few roads, excepting
in the cities. and what there are would ruin any
but the heaviest vehicles There Is exceiieh'
bathing and fishing in the harbor. and the boat
ing amid that exquisite water scenery wouio
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-24

of,entimes described that almost every sc"oo'-
how in the land now knows Its history IL n"s
been under American military government ioi
s.yoral months and has quickly adjusted i'seIi
IN tho new condition Of affairs. In spite oi a''
this the following description from 1he pen VI
ono who visited Santiago before the Wal 10 ''
Of deep interest and attraction:
"After leaving Nassau the steamers continue
IN this mort. some $50 miles distant from view
Providence. a run Of about forty-siN hou'S
Is a most beautiful sail through the CrooNeu
Island passage. round the eastern co"s'
81. 60 o,ose N land sometimes that you couo
almost toss the traditional biscnit ashore ~o
tben before YOU looms up the entrance 10 the
mort NJ Santiago al entrance so beautiiui as W
defy description
"suddenIv YOU come upon an old yellow Caste
that almost makes you rub your eyes ana oo'o'
what they show you. The high green oahA mas
broken off aim Jst precipitously, and at 'he
fractured edge is this ancient MOORISH strong
hold with extensions like roots OF masonry
reaching down the steep incline to the very sur
face OF the water. MORO Castle. at havana Is
modern beside it. IT has little berry ar'"es
everv here and there and singular towers ana
haired windows sitting light into caVerhous Gun
peons and stairs followed by the rect Vi "Ai :"
ecore Of generations OF liioie' ~" - "'-
bere and there, and learn that 1t is used as
no,,t;cal prison. principally. On the ocean side'
under the fort the has cut deeply INTO 'he
roc,. how far u is not known, though IL IS salo
hv tho natives that boatmen who ventured INTO
Tho cavo never returned. swarthy pilot boards
,,our chin orders her about as the soldiers say
snd Won find that you are going into veritaole
eli, in the mountains up what seems a narrow
h,oh- walled river. Older travellers than you
,,ho have made the world their study VIII tell
90, that there is no other harbor to compare
With this. Less than a week ago shivering IN a
s,.at storm in New-Yoek; now cautiously Ieei-
inc vo,,r way between the most luxuriant Vege-
,ot,on under a sky of wondrous clearness, on
...o,or lka molten emerald, and in the atInos-
pbere of midsummer
"Now Santiago les before you. spreading
,n,ss Of low houses on a mountain slope. pre-
| or,inp more than the colcrs OF the rainbow.
Gov the citizens have utilized nearly every shade
and tint in decorating the plaster walls of their
homes 1t looks for all the world as If it might
no in Aleiers Morocco or Tripoli.
"You are In a city founded BY velasquez In
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-24

Children thee to twelve years OF age, halr
rates No extra charge for deck rooms. In ad.
dit,on to these rates, combination tours can b
made over each and all OF the routes rates for
which will be furnished on application TO any
OF the agents named.
The general agents Of the New-York and Cuba
Mail Steamship Company are James r. Ward &c
Company. No. 1l3 Wall-st The Ward Line fleet
r,,udes the following vessels. which can De IN
., ectad al any time wheE in port at the COM
rany's piers. Nos. 10, II and is, East River.
The steamship Matanzas 1904 gross tons;
Santiago de Cuba Cienfuegos: Cometa, Hidalgo'
VicI,ancis, 200 tons: Seguranca 400 tons:
Yucatan 800 tons: Orizaba. $500 tons. City OK
Washington 5000 tons; Seneca, S,O00 tons; Sar-
atoca. 1900 tons Santiago. $500 TONS Manteo.
200 tons; Moran (Progreso tender) and Nassau
NASSAU tender).
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-24
FROM NETWORK

Above rates are for rooms on main deck An
extra charge Of IS per berth will be made for
all hurricane deck rooms taken in any direction.
" ~ LIST Glass.
1st Excur- ID
Glass; sion Glass.
To Santiago de Cuba. $50 xlW S3D
Cianfneoos - 60 100 30
Naeeau - 40 40 20