davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27
ATMosPHEREs OF PLANETS.
The Gaseous Envelope Which Sur
rounds Venus Is Much Like
Our own.

DR.. Johnson Stoney's name has long
been associated with a theory that the
composition of the atmosphere of a
planet. and, indeed, the question whether
it shall have an atmosphere or not, de-
ponds upon the size of the planet, which
determines the force of gravity at its sur
face.
1t is more particularly with a reference
to the moon that the theory has usually
been presented: Stripped OF its scientific
pharaSeoloSy, DR.. Stoney's view is that
the gravitational force of the moon,
which is only about one-sixth as great
as the earth's, is not strong enough 10
prevent the indefinite expansion of such
gases as form the earth'S atmosphere, and
that consequently if the moon ever had a
gaseous envelope these gases were probably
long ago dissipated in space. Water vapor
upon the moon would be as truant as a
gas. Hence the moon has lost, by evapora-
uon into space, its seas as well as its at
mosphere. The latest conclusions to which
DR.. Stoney's Investigations have led him,
and which are set forth very fully in the
transactions of the Royal Society of
Dublin" are thus summed up by Nature:
Limiting the inquiry to a temperature
Of 81 deg. Centigrade below zero, DR..
Stoney applies the theory to all Of the
members of the solar system, with the
following results: From the moon. all
gases having a vapor density less than SO
will escape with a greater promptness than
hydrogen and helium do from the earth.
Hence the present airless and waterless
condition of our satellite. 1t may be said
here, parenthetically, that DR.. Stoney's the
DRY accounts for the absence of free hydro
gen and heiium from our atmosphere, these
gases both being too active in their
molecular to be kept in check
by the earth's gravitational force. On
Mercury water cannot exist, while nitrogen
and oxygen would gradually dribble away.
The conditions of Venus resemble those of
the earth: but the case with Mars is Of
exceptional interest. DR.. Stoney says that
1t is legitimate to infer that on this planet
water cannot remain. The atmosphere of
Mars he thinks to consist mainly of nitro
gen. argon and carbon dioxide. Upon this
view there can be no vegetation, as We
understand the term, upon the planet, and
its SHOWS, frost and fog do not arise from
the same cause as on the earth. Jupiter is
able to imprison all gases known to chem
lists; but whether the more distant men,
bers of our system can retain hyrogen is
doubtful. Helium and the denser gases
probably float in their atmosphere: but the
lighter gases are gathered about the sun.
the velocity which their molecules can
acquire enabling them to escape from
planetary control. but still being INSULT
Gent to liberate them from the gravita-
tional influence of the sun
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27

a man. But she plucked victory out of i'm
pending defeat by Il marvel of strategy.
Ignoring every other eye in the room. she
turned a stern gaze toward the corner in
which the inquisitOr sat. Then she pinioned
him to his seat with a glance.
Things / saw there she said, with
scorn in her voice and in her look. why
they were utterly beyond your power of
comprehension"
The sympathy Of the club went out to the
speaker with the same unanimity that it
turns toward the conductor of a cable car
when an offensive passenger asks him to
open the ventilators and rescue the par
boiled travellers. They may be hot, but
they sympathize with the conductor. The
man in the corner shrunk up until he was
hardly visible. The old lady finished her
story, which recounted an achievement of
faith thai was not to be compared to the
credulity that her mastery strategics had
inspired in that chapter of the Don't
Worry Club. Beyond a triumphant light
in the tail of her eye as she sat down.
there was no further recognition of the
man in the corner that night.
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27
One Florida Stream That Seems I'm
decided What to

Every variety of river in the world seems
to nave a cousin in our collection. What
other country on the face Of the globe af-
fords such an assortment OF streams for
fishing and boating and swimming and
skating-besides having any number of
streams on which you can do none OF these
things? One can hardly imagine rivers
like that: but we have them. plenty Of
them. as you shall see.
AS for fishing. the American boy. may
cast his flies for salmon in the Arctic
circle. or angle for sharks under a tropical
sun in Florida, without leaving the do
main of the American flag. Blu the fish
ing rivers are not the most curious, nor the
most Instructive as to diversity of climate.
soil. and that sort of thing-physical geog-
raphy. the teacher calls it.
idea of what tropical heat and moisture
will do for a country. slip your canoe from
a Florida steame into the Ocklawaha
pears to be hopelessly undecided as to
whether it had better continue in the fish
and alligator and drainage business. or
trees, with Spanish moss for mattresses
as q side product.
In this fckle-minded state IT does a little
of all these things, so that when you are
really on the river you think you are lost
in the woods. and when you actually get
lost in the woods. you are quite confident
fusion is due to the low, fiat country and
the luxuriance of a tropical vegetation.
To say that such a river overfiows its
banks would hardly be correct; for that
would imply that 1t was not behaving it
self: besides. it hasn't any banks-or. at
least. very few. The fact is. those peaceful
Florida rivers seem to wander pretty much
where they like over the pretty peninsula
without giving ~offense. but IL Jack Frost
takes such a l~iberty-presto! you would
see how the people get after him with
weather bulletins and danger signals and
formidable smudges. So the Ocklawaha
river and a score of its kim roam through
the woods-or maybe 1t Is the woods that
roam through them-and the moss sways
! from the live oaks. and the cypress trees
stick their knees up through the water
in the oddest way Imaginable,
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27
SHE LOOKS LIKE A MERMAID.
Cincinnati Girl, Who Is Suffering
From Icthy osis, Subject of Much
Interest to Physicians.

Miss Fanny Minks, at present a patient
in the Cincinnati city hospital. might easily
pose as a real mermaid If called upon to
enact the role. At 20 she is afflicted with
what in medical parlance is known as
%ichthyosis. a term derived from the Greek,
meaning fish-scale disease. This Is not a
misnomer in the case of this particular
patient, as her arms and limbs are COW
cred with scales their entire length. The
scales are similar to those Of a fish and
could not be distinguished from them. The
disease Is extremely rare, only one other
case being recalled in the history of the
institution.
The present case is exciting considerable
interest in medical circles from the fact
that 1t is well developed and its symptoms
so well pronounced. Very little can be
lone for Miss Fanny. except to keep the
affected parts as soft as possible with fire.
Guent hot baths and the application of
u~nctuous ointments. for once the scales
become dry they break off at the joints
n leave ugly and painful sores.
The disease, as far as the investigation
has gone, seems to be due to imperfect
capillary circulation and the failure of
shedding particles Of dead skin. which in
the normally constituted being goes on un-
consciously. Miss Minks is receiving every
attention that the hospital with its facil-
tiles can afford. and the best OF nursing.
although a cure can not be effected.
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27
PIGEONS TO CARRY MESSAGES.
Advantages of Their Use for Rapid
Concentration of Naval
Forces.

The twenty-third volume OF proceedings
of the United States naval institute, just
issued. has among its contents several ably
written papers on subjects interesting to
the navy. Lieutenant f. W. Eberle con-
tributes a paper on "HOming Pigeons as
Messengers Of the Fleet in which he re-
fers to the advantages and practical work
ings of a messenger pigeon service. and
points out conditions under which it may
be used with advantage to the Ileet. In his
paper Lieutenant Eberle says:
From its geographical surroundings Key
pigeon station on the Atlantic, and Port
Townsend. which controls the straits of
Fuca and entrance to Puget sound. will
be the most important on the Pacific. Port
Townsend station can control the entire
entrance to the Western possessions OF
Great Britain, and this would prove of
great value in the event OF hoStiiltieS with
that COUNTRY.
The rapid concentration of naval forces
at the point of attack or the movement of
forces to intercept the enemy is only made
possible when we have Il system by which
we can communicate rapidly with the shore
station from long distances at sea. and the
messenger pigeon service is the only system
by which We can obtain such communica-
ton. This service might be called. very
appropriately. a sea telegraph system, and
although its messages cannot be dispatched
with the speed and absolute certainty OF
the telegraph. yet the system has the adj
vantage of forwarding. its messages from
any DOSlt1OH WltIlu tliiil W anu
therefore it is not necessary to seek the
telegraph station in order to send d mes
sage.
messages than those given in the above il
Illustrations would be sent in order to insure
the receipt of important information. and
II only one Of the many little messengers
should arrive in time to enable our fleet, to
maneuyer so as to engage the enemy be-
fore he could inflict appalling destruction
of life and property upon some one of our
seaports. then this service would prove
itself most valuable to the government and
well worth the small annual sum required
to maintain it's efficiency
at requires but one practical Illustration
To strike home and to open our eyes to the
merits of this service. Let a single human
life he saved from shipwreck in a time of
neace. or let one maneuver of the enemy's
fleet be frustrated in the midst OF war by
the timely arrival of one of these swift
winged. trusty little carriers with its ur-
gent message, and all the country will APP
plaud the result and will realize the value
of a messenger pigeon service upon the
seas
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27
HOW SHE SQUELCRED HIM.
The SkepticaI Man Is Down-Faced BY
the Old Lndy's Story of
Faith.
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
One of the Don't Worry clubs held a
meeting last week at the residence of one
of its members. The discussion concerned
speakers told from time to time of the good
which they had derived from their faith
or had known other persons to derive. Some
of the experiences seemed to demand a
good deal of faith from the hearers them
selves. Their intensity increased, as every
speaker felt it his or her duty to tell a lit
tie better story than any that had been
heard. One of the speakers who came
rather late in the evening was an old lady.
She felt the responsibility of keeping up the
average.
"Once 1 was ill.," she began. Every. very
Ill. The doctors told me that 1 could not
live and ! continued to sink. Finally l was
world. j felt myself going. and finally l
realized that I had really died. When my
eyes seemed to open again | found myself
in the other world. l had literally died and
passed out of this world into the next,
and it was"-the old lady hesitated a mo-
ment after the word-'.it was a terrible
The symposium had brought out nothing
better than this. and the speaker stopped
to let the story have its full effect. In one
corner of the room sat an elderly man who
had set the ball rolling early in the even
ing. His story was not nearly so thrilling
as this one. and the looks of astonishment
on the faces of the Don't Worry crowd
were too much for him.. Maybe it was only
curiosity, however, and not envy that in
spired him to ask for further information
concerning such a remarkable experience.
AT all events. the old lady was just pre-
pairing to continue when Il voice from the
corner said:
"Will the new member kindly tell US
some of the things she saw there?'
This was something for which the new
member was not counting. This complete
exit to another world was only one incident
in a long story. She had not prepared de-
tails. There was a rustic in the room as
the other members, settled in their chairs
to listen to the explanations. There was a
suggestion of doubt in the atmosphere
which the old lady plainly felt. The Don't
Worry" Club seemed to be against her to
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27
PASSENGERS ON SAILING SHIPS
Ii Various That Prompt
Them to Take n Long Sea
VOyaEe.

From the New York Sun.
Almost everybody that travels on the sea
nowadays goes by steamer, but there are
still some persons who, for one reason and
another. take passage on sailing vessels go
ing usually long voyages. AL big ships
have one or two. or perhaps more. spare
staterooms in their cabin. and so are able
to carry comfortably 4 limited number of
passengers. American ships sailing out OF
this port carry passensers-one. or if it
may be more-on probably half the voyages
they make. Sometimes there are appIica-
tions from more than can be accommodate
ed. sometimes there are none at all.
For a long time it has been a custom to
some extent to send on long voyages men
whom it was sought thus to cure from a
craving for liquor: for the benefits of the
voyage. and for enforced abstinence. There
are yet such passengers. but some vessel
owning firms now decline them.
Passengers making these long voyages
in sailing vessels go some for pleasure and
others are actuated by various motives.
For Two young men who were
friends went out from here to Japan. One
of them was a son of a New York importer
who was going out to be a resident agent
in Japan of his fathers house. This house
charters ships and has constant dealings
with ships, and it was desired that its rep
resentative should have some practical
knowledge of them. which he could acquire
On this voyage expected to follow the Sea
as a profession on steam vessels He took
this voyage as u sort of preparatory educa-
tlcIl VI dtIuIIIHS d NieuSt VI SHIPS
Men sometimes make the long voyages to
gather literary material. There are some
times passengers who take passage simply
to get 10 some port of destination.
a while ago Il New Yorker of ample
means and of perfect health and with d
love for the sea. who went out from here
to San Francisco in a sailing ship. liked
the ship and the captain so well that he
sailed in the ship for three years. He went
in her from San Francisco to Liverpool and
back to New York: out to San Francisco
again. once more to Liverpool and back
to New York and then to Japan in her.
But while some men make long VOYAGES
simply for the pleasure of 1t. probably
more go for their health; the number OF
those who go TO recover from the effects
of overwork, men who are pretty nearly
worn out and who need rest. Is consider
able. They get here three to five months
of absolute rest and Freedom from care.
and the results attained in some cases
seem almost marvellous.
The charge for a long voyage on the FILL
est ship is 5000. A long voyage would be
that TO San Francisco. Il hundred to a
hundred and fifty days.to Japan the same;
or to Australia, a hundred to Il hundred
and twenty-five days; II the passenger re-
mains on board In port the charge for
that week is $40 a week.
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27
A Most Peculiar Incident.

A Macon, Ga. special February 13. runs:
Mrs. Noble. the aged murderess, who was
taken to Twiggs county. the scene Of her
crime. yesterday. to be for the third time
sentenced to death, was brought back here
during the night.
She was driven hurriedly across the coun-
try. and happened to pass by the grave
Of the husband whom she had slain. She
was Mortified TO find a tombstone erected
over It by her own daughter, on which
was the inscription:
Murdered by His Wife"
This daughter is very bitter against her
mother. but the latter was wholly unpre-
pared to read the grewsome charge record
ed upon the slab.
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27
Lost on he Atlantic.

From March, 1910. until March. 1892. 122
transatlantic vessels-steamships plying
between Europe and America only-were
lost en- route. and as a direct result of
this $3.50 lives were lost TIL estimate OF
lives lost from various other causes is 800.
The number of steamships ever heard
from after leaving port was II. The num-
Der burned was 9, and the number foun-
dered was u. The other wrecks were
caused by collisions. being washed ashore.
collision with icebergs. etc From March.
1895. to the beginning OF the present year
the loss of life on the Atlantic has been
very much less than in former years.
though one or two large steamers have
had serious mishaps and one was never
heard from.
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27
A Little Too Previous.

From Spare Moments.
A teacher was asking a class Of school
bows questions on history.
':Tell me, boys. who reigned before Queen
Victorian"
No ole could answer.
VERY WE'LL" said the master, II will give
you till tomorrow to find me the answer
Next day he asked the same question.
For a few minutes no one answered. un-
til suddenly the smallest boy put out his
hand:
Thereupon the teacher said:
Are you not ashamed of yourselves that
the samllest boy in the class should beat
you all? Now. then. Johnny. what have
you got to say"
'Please. sir. Jamie Dow's stickin' poems
in me-"
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27
FOUND In A LUMBER LOFT.
TWO RARE PAINTINGS RESCUED
FROM DESTRUCTION.
The Only Examples of MaEgiOtto the
Country Boasts of Have just Been
h for n Song nj q
Sale Of Old Rubbish.
Ernm the New York Herald.

From the New York Herald.
There are but two paintings of Francis
CO Maggiotto known to be on this CONT
nent, and they are the property of Mr..
Thomas F. Kennedy, a wagon painter, of
No. 225 East 125th street. Thanks to Mr..
kennedy's knowledge of art and his dis
corning eye, the rare pictures We're saved
from destruction, after having been for
gotten and neglected for years.
Some little time & Mr.. Kennedy was
looking over a lot of old furniture and
stored in a Water street loft. when his
attention was attracted to two unframed
canvases. IS by 50 inches in size. that
were so covered by the dirt and dust OF
years that they showed nothing save here
and there a little spot of paint. Being fond
works, he examined them with some care.
and saw that what paint could be seen was
remarkably bright, and he made up his
n,;nd that a master hand had mixed it.
When in the course of the auction that
followed the canvases were reached, they
We're sold to Mr.. Kennedy for a song. and
he took his purchases home and began
to carefully clean them.
Venus and Bacchus.
AS the cleaning process proceeded there
was a wonderful revelation that delighted
the owner of what had been supposed to
be worthless lumber. As the accumulated
dirt was carefully removed beautiful color
ing and most artistic lines of the human
figure stood out upon the canvas, until
at last there was revealed exquisite fig
parently of the Italian school. but sur
rounded by details that tell of French art
of a hundred years ago.
The owner was indeed astonished and
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27
STORY OF A GIRLS S W
Uuon the eyes" or "NO" of an Ohio
Girl Depended the Fate Of
the Union.

81 don't believe 1t is generally known.
said a local war veteran, that the fate of
the republic. so to speak. once hung on
the YES or no of an Ohio girl. Yet it is
true.
Early in the century Noah Grant. father
of Jesse. and the grandfather of Ulysses.
settled in Deerfield, Portage county. in this
state, and in later years young Jesse oper-
ated a tannery at Ravenna- He wasn't
presently removed TO Georgetown, in the
southern part of the state, where he
thought the advantages were better. Be
fore he left he made the acquaintance of
near Ravenna. and paid her marked atten-
ton. So faithful was he at the shrine Of
this rural goddess that the n%eighbors took
1t for granted they were engaged. How
ever that may be-. Jesse removed to
GEORGETOWN without her. But after he eS-
tablished his business there he came back
to Rayenna, and everybody intjmated that
it was to marry the Charlestown girl.
| Nobody knows the particulars of just how
the wooing sped. but in a few days Jesse
town maiden had given him the mitten.
Then he met Miss Hannah Simpson and
from their union sprang the great defender
of the nation.
| the fate of the republic hung on an Ohio
| girls YES or mo- If the Charlestown girl
had said yes instead of mo- the pages OF
history would undoubtedly have revealed
foundations of the nation might nave been
overturned.
Grant may have been regarding his dis
was understood the Charlestown girl had
| found a more pleasing lover-the nation
| certainly has strong reasons for feeling
thankful that it was mo- instead Of yes.
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27

Maud-"Are you Sure that May and
Charlie are engaged" pora-"Why, GER
tainly! I heard them guarding least
night!"-Up-to-Date.
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27

Hicks-"I felt so queer last night after I
went to bed. My head was spinning around
awfully." W~icks-"You probably slept
like a top "-Boston Transcript.
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27

Aim thinking of dabbIing a little In
stocks. What's a good thing to put your
money in?" B-"Your inside pocket."-Tit-
Bits.
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27

On Sunday. March g.. Drs. Thomson &
Minor, the famous specialists in piles. ifs
publish a half page lad" in The Journal.
Containing many names and testimonials
from prominent people all over the coun-
try. whom they have cured. II you are
afflicted, watch for this ad.
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27

of the irrevocable past, for, in his Ssth year.
he says: II do not remember to have felt
lowness of spirits for a quarter of an hour
since / was born"
Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-27
QUEER AMERICAN RIVERS.

1t will thus be seen that the greatest
mortality is among the publicans.
Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1898-08-04

individual should have the equali-
ties and defects requisite for car
rying out what the author calls
the '.national dream"
America has therefore formed
the American in the proportions
required for the work to be accom-
plished. She has given to him an
unbelievable endurance and a pow
er of activity before unheard of.
As to the role which Europe has
played in the history of the United
States, the author looks upon it as
neither brilliant nor clever. He
likens 1t to the surly parent who
gives to his son nothing but cross
looks, leaving him to meet all sorts
of exisencies in life as an Offset
for having brought him into it.
The French, he thinks, have left
the transatlantic thought to form
itself outside and beyond them:
1T is fault no longer reparable,
anu Out llldt Will WtlSI ucdNIy ou
the future. 1t is possible to establish
some commercial relations between
two countries which have even been
strangers to each other; some intel
ligent effort, little perseverance, is
sufficient for that; but when it comes
to connecting intellectually two
worlds of which the thought is no
longer in unison, there is every
chance for failure Let us not be
deceived by travellers tales, by the
manner in which We have been re-
ceived over there, by the thousand
nothings that constitute amiable but
puerile politeness between two
countries. We are for the Americans
what Greece and Egypt were for
Rome-a country of the past. We
have committed the error of not
that money and mer-
camille interests alone are not all that
go to create a nation, and that when
a people becomes rich and powerful,
even IL they never before had ambi-
tions, then do ambitions come
Translated for The Literary Digest.