davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
A Bismarck Duel.

a duel IN which Bismarck was once
engaged had a very amusing origin. It
occurred when he was chief secretary
of the Prussian legation at Frankfort.
He went much into society, and one
Christmas attended big ball. During
the height Of the festivities Bismarck's
attention was directed to an exceedingly
Ponpous individual who strutted about
the room. This was a N. de Clancy, a
noted French duelist. Later on this i'm
po1taut individual took part i'll a dance,
but having omitted to leave his hat ut
the proper place had perfoIce to hold it
out almost at arms length while he
danced. The spectacle tickled Bismarck
immensely, and as the Frcnchman came
sailing maJssticaliy along Bismarck
stepped forward and dropped coin in
10 the hat. y duel was one of the next
day. events. Though it was with pis
tolls Bismarck escaped uuhurt, while
his adversary was wounded.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
A Military Trick.

One Of our German American citizens
related the following incident of the
German revolution of 1913:
I'VE were short of men and had n
large number Of prisoners TO look after.
That did not worry Us as long rs we
We're not moving. but one day We had
10 make a forced march. The country
through which We were TO pass was
hostile, and extreme watchfuluess was
necessary. We had few enough men as
il was, and we knew that those pris-
orers were ready 10 make "a dead run at
the first opening.
FINALLY young officer made bril-
liant suggestion, and II WAS promptly
carried OFT We ripped the sUspenGer
buttons from the prisoners trousers,
took away their belts and knew we had
them. Their hands were busy after
that, and fast running was ont Of the
question. We made the march safely,
and do not believe that even Yankee
ingenuity could have invented a sim
pier solution. New York Tribune.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
The Howell Torpedo.

Commodore John y. Howell. who
has inst been promoted 10 the rank Of
rear admiral. Is the inventor Of a self
propelling torpedo that differs in sew
eral respects from the Whitehead The
chief novelty of the American system
relates to THE mode of driving the screw.
Whitehead stored compressed air in
n chamber III his torpedo and placed IL
an adjoining compartment small en-
CINE which should be operated thereby
at the right juncture. Howell employs
i heavy fiyvyheel. which Is put in rapid
revolution, just before the torpedo Is
launched, by connecting its projecting
axle with steam engine that j. entire
" independent Of the torpedo. The
Howell system has been improved since
it was first patented in 1871, and it mas
been extensively used III the United
States navy.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
The English Flag.

highlands national flag has been
called "a triplet of crosses, " for it is
composed of the cross Of st. George, the
cross Of st. Andrew and the cross of
st. Patrick. Thus: The flag Of "St
George for merrie England, . red cr-ss
on I. white ground. the red lines drawn
straight from top to bottom and from
side TO side; the flag Of St. Andrew for
Scotland, a white cross on 4 blue
ground; the flag of St. Patrick for Ire
land, red cross on a white ground, tho
narrow red lines drawn from corner to
corner. BY placing the cross of st.
George on that of st. Andrew VIE have
the Jack" as ordered in 1905 by
James l, whose signature was always
Jacques" hence the expression, 1.-THE
Jack. d" BY laying the cross Of St. Pat
rick over that of St. Andrew and then
placing that Of st. George over both,
we have the union jack" as borne
since the union with Ireland IL 1900
Boston Transcript
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
WHAT THE MATTER WAS.
NittIe Game of Two Choir Members Which
the Minister Spoiled.
\ ministers widow tells this:

4 minister's widow tells this:
my husband, - she said, chad brown
eyes that turned deeply, darkly black
when he was angry, and which danced
with most miraculous mcrriment when
he was amused. Naturally, in the
course Of long life with him, came
20 know the varying expression Of those
eyes pretty well. | used to watch his
eyes when he was preaching TO know
how things We're going with him and,
incidentally, with the congregation. l
remember once in the midst of a most
earnest discourse TO have seen him stop
suddenly for the space Of 4 minute, not
more. his eyes growing strangely black,
then Frightening again with that IRE
sistible twinkle, though the rest of his
features remained quite grave through
ont. As 1 said, 1t was only for mo-
mcnt; then he resumed his sermon as
before.
- What was the natter / asked
when church was out and we were on
our way home.
Why, 1 came so near laughing out
in church that there was no fun III il,
he said. OF course the choir is hidden
from the congregation behind its pro-
tccting screen ia the rear Of the church,
but II chances 20 be exactly III my line
of vision as / stand on the ros;rum.
When | stopped III my sermon today, IL
was because l happened to glance choir
ward and saw our new soprano and new
tenor having quiet game Of cards be-
hind the screen. They must have felt
NY gaze upon them. for when they
looked up and caught my eye those
cards disappeared so suddenly and mys-
tcricusly thought that III spite of cv-
erything l should burst cut laughing"
-Philadelphia Times.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
An Island of Flowers.

The Scilly islands may very justly
be termed flower islands, for q large
part OF their surface is given up to the
cultivation of flowers, and the great
majority of their people spend their
lives III attending to the plants, from
which all the wealth of the islands is
drawn.
The inhabitants have had other occu-
pations before they settled down to
flower growing. AT one time they were
wreckers and at later period they
went into a more legitimate business
and devoted themselves to the raising OF
early potatoes. There was money to be
made out of them, and the islands pros
prred until prosperity bore its usual
fruit in the shape of competition. The
Channel islanders took TO growing pota-
toes, and the potato trade of the Scilly
islands was killed. Thereupon the is
landers betook themselves TO flower
growing, giving the greater part of
their attention to the narcissi In st.
Mary's alone nearly quarter of the
cultivated area OF the island Is devoted
to flowers. Youth > Companion
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
CO-kPrS.

At London club there is the most
unique pair of curtains IN existence.
This portiere Is formed of hundreds of
champagne corlls, taken from every
known brand of champagne, each of
which bears the tin top which adorned
it when the cork was i'll its parent bot
tie. The corks are made into strings.
there being 90 OF them to each string
Between every cork there are three big
Chinese beads of turquoise blue. Alto
gether there are "a strings, and ut from
l2s. to los. a cork, the portiere repre-
sents a total expenditure of about
81, 600. The corEs are tied 70 4 white
enameled pole, with fancy ends and big
sashes of blue ribbon adorn the brass
knobs. The total effect is distinctly
pretty. What makes this unique por-
there doubly valuable is the fact that
each cork bears the autograph of a IA
nous actor or actress of the present day
London Standard
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
Swapping Telephones.

The following story comes from the
Grand Rapids Press and has to do with
a man and woman who are employed
in different offices IN one Of the large
buildings Of that city. Each Office has 4
telephone. bUt is il happens one Is an
instrument belonging to the Citizens
company. the other a Bell instrument.
One day the man had occasion 20 use
the Citizens line and stepped across the
hail to the lGdy's office.
"Have you a Citizens phone:" he
asked, and she replied il the affirmative.
well, " he ventured: I'm a citizen.
May L use it,"
Why, of course he might use it. but
inwardly she was inclined to envy his
ability to stand Up and assert his clti-
zeuship i'll this way, for some of her
wonauly propensitias were of the new
ish" sort. An hour later she balanced
accounts with him.
Have you a Bell telephone" she
asked on stepping Into his Office. He did
not try to deny it.
well, I'm belle. May | Use it?''
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
THE GREAT DESERT.
Prsar of the Winds on That Barren Waste
of Sands.

With a feeling that my words will
carry little weight with those who
think otherwise, venture to suggest
that the Sahara is not exactly what it
is commonly assumed to be, and yet in
many ways it is not very different. Its
first sands, when approached from the
side of El-kantara, are giant rocks,
burned brown and red under the glow
of the southern sun, standing out in
wild pinnacles from the gently undu-
latirG surface. This is not the desert
that is ordinarily pictured by the mind
that fiat, endless expdnse which fades
off unmoyed and uubroken 70 the limits
of vision-but it is the desert, neverthe-
less, just as much as the mountain
SHOWS of the far north are part of the
great arctic ''sea of ice. !" Beyond, how
ever, is the great plain itself, its swell
ing undulatious hardly relieving to the
eye the appearance of absolute fiatness
which the picture offers.
The truth is, the Sahara presents
itself in a double aspect, that of the fiat
and sandy plain and that of the rocky
ridge or mountain, the Hammada. 1t is
the Hammada that is more particularly
dreaded by the caravans, for among
their wind swept Crags there are few
cases, and only the blowing sands and
"a relentless sun are the companions of
the footsore pilgrim. In many parts of
the fat desert travelling IS moderately
easy, for over long distances the surface
has become coated into a hard, Shiny
crust-a solid basement rock. one may
call 1t. Along our route OF travel there
were no sand dunes of any magnitude,
the highest perhaps scarcely exceed
ing - or 90 feet, but was informed by
the distinguished French explorer, NJ.
Foureaud, who was then stopping at
Biskra, that beyond TugSurt they rise
to the prodigious height Of from l, 200
to l, 400 feet. This speaks even more
eloquertly for the power of the winds
than do the high tossed sands of coral
islands.-Popular Science Monthly.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
The Honexmoon Train.

BY such a name does the $50 p. IN.
train from Sydney to the Blue noun
tains go by. The Blue mountains are 10
Australia what Switzerland is 70 Eng
land, the place where the fashion
abIes" go to find ''ccolth" throughout
the summer months.
1t is also the haunt of the newly
married, and the train hardly leaves
one day week without having several
happy couples on board-hence its name
To railway men IL is known as the
fish train, the drivers name being
Herring, that of the fireman Pike. while
the guard has that OF the lowly but
honest Cookie. -London Standard.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
ORIGINAL TACTICS.
Unique Manual of Arms Prepared by OK
ira Billy"


ira Billy"
The most remarkable company of sol
Giers ever drilled IL this country fought
under Extra Billy" Smith, twice gov
ernOr Of Virginia. He acquired the nick
name through connection with the eX-
tensivc mill contracts which he had be-
fore the war, his charge to the govern
ment Of extra work OH his star routes
being so frequent and large as to keep
the postoflico department in a state of
constant fCrmCut.
He was a grand old man of the rough,
honest type IF Blue Jeans" Williams,
Lincoln, Thurman, Jerry Rusk, Craw-
ford and Jenkins. His education had
been sadly neglected, but he owned
brains TO spare and horse sense enough
for three ordinary governors. He drilled
his men according 70 Extra Billy's'
Tactics an unpublished manual of
arms.
\ drill lesson: Colonel Extra Bill
ly''-Now, boys, git yo'selves in persi-
ton. Are yo' ready? Tote armsl De-
liver armsl Rest yo' muslets! Tote
armsl Ground yo' ritlesl That's tol'ble
good. Are you ready again? Well. here
we go. Fix yo' stickers! elk bayonets.)
Now charge 'cm and stick 'emi
One day he led his men into blind
lane about a mile long, and arriving at
the end could not see his way out eX-
cept by tearing down fences and going
through n wheatfield guarded by an
angry farmer with 4 dangerous looking
gun. The objective point was the oppo-
site side of the field. After studying
Gravely the situation he gave the order,
"Disband, boys, IN meet me tomorrcr
mornin on tho tother side of the field
whar we aimed to git this evening. -
Kansas City Journal.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
Hope Came to Him.

a number of persons were talking
about condolences. when a Clergyman
gave an instance i'll his own experience.
when l was very young man, before
entered the ministry" said he. II met
with a series of misfortUncs and was
nearly discouraged. One day was seat
ed on a bench i'll the park of foreign
city. My head was sunk upon my hands
and black despair covered me like a
cloud l had about concluded to strug
gle no longer when q slight noise at
tracted my attention, and l glanced up
to see standing before me and contem-
plating me with big. solemn eyes the
most beautiful little girl L have ever be-
held. What is your name, my pretty
child?' was my natural inquiry. Hope
she answered i'll q clear, sweet voice.
Then she turned and ran away, and the
little earthly form whose lips lad
brought me message of comfort disap-
peared forever, but the white spirit of
her name she had left i'll my heart, and
from that day L prospered. My eldest
daughter IS called Hope. "-Exchange.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
Nothing PIebeian About 1t.

She was an honored member of one
Of the hereditary societies and was as
tonished to learn that she was accused
Of wire pulling in connection with an
election Of officers
Wire pulling" she exclaimed.
such an INSULT Why, it is common.
positively common. People do that IN
politics %
Very true, " returned her husband
consolingly, but i'll politics it is prob
ably just common, ordinary wire, while
have no doubt II your case the refer
ence was TO the very highest grade Of
insulated copper wire. "
Naturally that made it seem differ
ent.-ChIcago Post
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
THE LAST MAN SHAVED.
An Explanation by the Barber That Did
Not Quiet His Nerves.

Not Quiet His Nerves.
There were five of us hunting and
fishing in the Queensland bush when
one rainy day stranger appeared. He
said he was a tramp barber, and as
none of us had been shaved for u fort
night we gave Kim half days work.
About four hours after he had left US
a band of six men rode up, and the leader
inquired if we had seen tall, roughly
dressed man pass that way. We told
him of the barber, and he looked from
man to man and exclaimed:
Good gracious, but You are all
freshly shaved!"
Eyes, we gave the barber job"
"And he shaved each enc of you?"
"He did, and did it we'll.
Boys, do you hear that?' shouted
the man rs he turned to his companions.
What of it?'' asked one of our party.
"Why, he went insane yesterday and
cut mans throat i'll his barber's chair
over at Unadilia, and we're after him
to put him III an asylum"
They rode away at a gallop and next
morning returned 70 our camp with the
man, who had been captured after a
He seemed to remember us when he
was given a drink OF water, and as he
handed the cup back he quietly OBJ
served:
Il say, gentlemen, please excuse me.
I meant TO finish off the last man who
got shaved. but 1 got to thinking of
something else, and it slipped my mind. "
Cape Times.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
VEGETABLE GEMS.
Bamboo CpaIs and Cocosnut Pearls Found
In the Philippines, Though Rarely.

Bamboo Cpals and CoCCsnut Pearls Found
In the Philippines, Though Rarely.
Among other queer things found in
the Philippines are vegetable gems.
There are not many of them, though.
The bamboo is empty normally. One
might cut open 4 jungle of the giant
grass and find unaltercd hollowncss
But once in d million times or more aC-
cideIt brings TO light in the bamboo
stem gem. Nature has nodded into u
lump a little of the fiinty material
which makes the outer stem so hard.
The nOdule usually presents the appear
anCe of an opal, and several specimens
are il the museums which reproduce
the characteristic lines of that gem.
These nodulcs are known as tabaceer.
Il is interesting to note that the first
chemical and meteorological eXamina
ton of them was made by the James
SmithsOn whose munificencc establish
ed the first of the scientific bureaus Of
the American government.
In tho condition in which the fruit is
known III the United States the milk
in the coCCanut is considered its only
content. The really ripe nut, however,
is filed with n white spongy mass, rich
in the finest oil which the nut produces.
This sponge is exposed to the hot sun
for two or three days III Il wooden
trough until thoroughly pulped. The
last of the oil is then extracted by
squeezing the soft sponge in the hands.
Very rarely this careful handling has
developed the presence CT small spheres
which have much of the ldstcr of the
pearl. Eight or ten Of these cCccanut
pearls, all discovered in the Philip
pines, are treasured in European muse
ums. They range from the size of pin
head to that of very small pea.-New
York Sun.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
LONG DISTANCE MAILS.
Time of Letters From New York to Far
away Destinations.

away
A letter sent from New York to Bang.
kok, Siam, travels overland TO San
Francisco and thence by water, reach
ing its destination in about 43 days,
having been carried nearly IS, 900 miles
y letter mailed here for Adelaide, Aus
tralia, also goes via San Francisco,
travels 10, $40 miles and is delivered
usually within 50 days. New York mail
destined for Calcutta goes by way Of
London, travelling II. 100 miles in 80
days. while mail sent from this city to
Cape Town, goes les miles farther in
two days less time.
Mail communication between New
York and HCngkCng ordinarily con-
sumes one month Of time. The letters
go by way of San Francisco and cover
10, 500 miles of distance. To reach Mel
bourne, Australia, from this city let
ter will travel IL, 265 miles in about 30
days, and 10 reach sydney a letter Will
travel IL, $50 miles in 81 days. The
mail route from New York to Yoko-
hama, via San Francisco, is 7,34S miles
long, and about % days are consumed
in transit To go to Honolulu from this
city letter travels 3, G45 miles il l3
days.
Leaving New York on steamer days,
mail matter is scheduled TO reach Rome
in about ten days, Madrid in ten days,
London and Liverpool in eight days,
Rotterdam in nine days, st. Petersburg
in IL days Vienna in nine days, Paris
il eight days. Berlin in nine days and
Athens and Alexandria in Ii days.
Communication with South American
ports is much slower. 1t takes 81 days
for letter to go from New York to Rio
Janeiro, which is only about so miles
farther from this city than is Ale2an-
dria. Mail matter going from New
York TO BuenOs Ayrcs, which is S,045
miles distant, consumes 20 or 80 days
New York Times.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
Questioning Is Not Conversation.

The man who imagines that the art
of conversation consists in asking queS-
tions spoils conversation as much as the
man who never asks any. People of tins
description will interrupt q speaker as
frequently as they do III the French
chamber, and run anXiously from sub
ject to subject with their interrOgatories,
like cackling hen that is going to lay
an egg. Horace Walpole, when eXilcd
at Houghton, bemoans the existence of
such pest i'll the person of an aunt
Writing TO his friend Sir Horace Mann,
he says: Il have an aunt here, Il family
piece of goods, an old remnant Of in
quisitive hospitality and economy. She
wore me so down by day and night
with irterrogations that l dreamed all
night she was at my ear with a who's
why's, when's and what's, till at last
in my very sleep I cried ont, For
heavens sake, madam, ask ne no moro
questions.
DR.. Johnson's dislike of being ques-
toned is well known, and he gives tho
classic REPUTATION of the habit in his
own inimitable style: Sir questioning
is not the mode of conversation among
gentlemen. 1t is assuming a superiority,
and it is particularly wrong to question
n man concerning himself. Cham
berS' Journal
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14

The rarest bird in existence is a GER
tain kind Of pheasant III AMMAN. For
many years its existence was known
only by the fact that its longest and
most splendid plume was il much re-
quest 10y mandarins for their hcadsear.
= single skin Is worth 500. and tie
living bird would be priceless, but II
soon dies il captivity.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14

Even III these days of liberal educa-
ton young women sometimes show
how confused are the ideas shut up in
their heads. Illustrative of this Is the
naive blunder which Edmoudo de
Amicis reCoUnts i'll his story of voy
age from Genoa to Buenos Ayres:
The captain of the steamer which
numbered the charming young blum
derer among its passengers met her one
morning and said:
"Sigrorina, we cross the tropic of
cancer today"
"Oh, indeed" she cried, with en-
thusiasm. Then we shall see some
thing at last"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
How They Do In Dau.on.

up at Dawson CITY," said return
ed KlOndiker, 1.-The people seem strange
20 you. Now, while 1 was at hotel mp
there burglars entered and swiped near
" 5000, 600 in gold nuggets -
what did the boarders do during
I'll this excitement" asked the clerk
kept perfectly cool. 4" was the quiet
reply. Times
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
rses OF the Ear In japan.

The uses of the fan are many and
various in Japan, where it Is carried
by men. women ard children. y but
terfy shaped fan IN the hands Of the
umpire NJ wrestling and fencing matches
is made to express number Of messages
perfectly understood and promptly at
tended 20 bv the colnhatants
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
4 Useful Mule.

TON. that old sway hacked mewl o
yourn ain't no good under a saddle. Is
hc:''
Nope; too slow an clumsy"
"Ner IN tn buggy CT waggin?"
Nope: too awkward fer that "
"Ner at pullin ov the plow:"
Nope; wants ter Craze too much 3"
"Wbut you keepin him fer. them"
"WaaI Won sec we AIT cot no
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14

Ocean waves have on a number Of
occasions dashed over the tops Of light
houses which are $50 feet high. As
wave IN the open ocean Is accompanied
by depression as deep as the wave is
high, n ship IN the trough OF the sea
encouutering such waves would be
banked by hills of water. if the term
may be used, 300 feet high.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
Cuban Custom.

In Cuba 4 bereaved family keep the
windows Of their house shut and dark
eued for six months. They destroy the
value OF the clothing ON the dead and
hack the coffin before burial. This is
done that there may be nothing III the
grave worth rhicyiug
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14

clock at our house, an that ole mewl
brays at dinner time jest ez shore ez the
yearth tourns over. Yassar, I've been
called to dinner by that nevis bray
fer the last five years an I'm allus right
plum on time. ''-Atlanta journal.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
An Immediate Necessity.

Mrs Watts-What is on that button?
Watts Remember the Maine
Mrs Watts-It would do more i'm
mediate good if you would get a button
with Don't Forget the Groceries" ON
t.-Indianapolis Journal
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
The Sf-u.

MA, the minister is coming.
What makes you think so: Did you
zee him.
mo. let I saw pa take the parrot
ard lock it up IL the Stable. i'-Boston
Traveller.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-14
Origin of Cuba

Haiti is q native name, meaning
mountainous country. The name Cuba
is of native origin. The meaning is un-
known