davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald., 1898-03-27

berg professor again broke in, fairly
trembling with excitement.
"Gentlemen, gentlemen" he cried, ais
it that you do not understand? This
Land of Sand and of wonderful fer
tilizing river-what can it be? Cen
! tlemen, it is Egypt! These mountains
of rock that the Martians have erected,
what are they? Gentlemen, they are
the great mystery of the land of the
Nile, the Pyramids. The gigantic stat
ue of their leader that they at the foot
of their artificial mountains have set
up-gentlemen, what is that? 1t is the
| Sphinx"
| The professors agitation was so
great that he could go no further. And
| indeed there was not one of us who did
not fully share his excitement. To think
that we should have come to the planet
| Mars to solve one of the standing
mysteries of the earth, which had puz-
| Zled mankind and defied all their ef-
forts at solution for so many centuries!
Here, then, was the explanation of how
those gigantic blocks that constitute
the great Pyramid of Cheops had been
swung to their lofty elevation. 1t was
not the work of puny men, as many
an engineer had declared that it could
not be, but the work of those giants of
| Mars.
Alma resumed her story:
AT length, our traditions say, a
great pestilence broke out in the Land
Sand, and a partial vengeance was
| granted to us in the destruction OF
the larger number of our enemies. AT
last the giants who remained, fleeing
before this scourge of the gods, used
the mysterious means at their COM
mand, and, carrying our ancestors
with them, returned to their own
world, in which we have ever since
lived"
Then there are more of your people
in Mars?" said one of the professors.
ALAS, no." replied Alma, her eyes
filling with tears, II alone am left"
For few minutes she was unable tc
speak. Then she continued:
what fury possessed them 1 do not
know, but not long ago an expedition
departed from the planet, the purpose
of which, as it was nosed about over
Mars, was the conquest Of a distant
world. After a time a few survivors of
that expedition returned. The stoyy
they told caused great excitement
among our masters. They had been
successful in their battles with the in
habitants OF the world they had ,inva-
ded but as in the days of our forefath-
ers, in the Land of Sand, a pestilence
smote them, and but few survivors es-
capped.
mot long after that, you, with your
mysterious ships appeared in the sky
of Mars. Our masters studied you with
| their telescopes, and those who had re-
turned from the unfortunate expedi-
The herald., 1898-03-27
Smallest Book in the World.

A book small enough to about cover
the thumb nail of a man would be a
curiosity in any circumstances, but
when it is the smallest volume in the
world it is easy to understand why it
is very valuable. This mite of a book
is f1ve-eighths of an inch long, seven
sixteenths of an inch wide and three
eighths of an inch thick. 1t has 205
pages of closely printed matter. The
letters are SO small that a pin point
would obscure one of them, and a mag
nifying glass is necessary to enable
one to read them.
The type of the title page is about
the size of this that you are now read
ing. The book weighs about a quar-
ter of an ounce and is valued at $3.50,
which makes it worth more than it's
weight in gold. 1t was printed in
Italy, in the town Of Padua, and on the
Salmin press.
The herald., 1898-03-27
[Copyright, 1893. by Garrett P. Serviss.]
SYNOPSIS

The inventive genius of Thomas A. Edi-
son makes possible an attack of the earth
upon Mars. This is done to. prevent sec, &C.
trying to relieve their. overpopulat,s,oa :, a
planet; the first having failed through tne s
breaking out of disease and not human ,ea ea ! !
fort. Edison invents n practical electrl,cu'
air, ship and an engine or dSti, destruct,JjiiI viii
called the "Disintegrator," which VIII
cause the constituent particles OF any y 81, SO
Ject at which 1t may be directed ~ ~ ~
yibrate that the object will be immedaaeett nee aaet
ly and completely, dispersed. A large rye meet n,d
manned by two thousand men, among
whom are many famous scientists, sets
out. When several million miles from
of Martians upon small heavenly body
one of the asteroids. The Martians are
Of giant stature, human in form form Itroaf put q
is of solid gold, and to get the precious
metal is doubtless the reason for the Mar
tians' presence. Another party from
Mars arrives in one of their aerial cars,
and an encounter follows, in which. how
ever, the superior efficiency of the disinte-
crater over the enemys eng engines aaH Ha or war var
Mars. But victory has not been won un--
til several ships have been destroyed, and
many men killed. The fleet arrives above
the land of Helas on Mars. and finds a
host of air ships on the watch. The Mar
tians cover their planet with thick cloud
their disintegrators. The Martians launch
their thunderbolts, and do much damage
to the Edison fleet, which finally drops
beneath the smoke curtain and engages
the enemy, in their ships, in close COM
bat. The destruction is awful both on
land and in the air., and the ships from
the earth withdraw but sixty in number.
The next move is a strategic plan pro-
posed by Colonel Smith. an army officer.
The majority of the ships are concen-
trated at a certain point where the at
tention of Martians is held, while a few
are sent to the other side of the planet to
effect landing, and if possible obtain
some much needed provisions for the
fleet. Colonel Smiths ship descends near
a large building. The Colonel and the
narrator. approaching, hear strains of
beautiful music issuing from it. Enter
Ing. they are amazed to find n young girl
"a human being-playing on a strange in
strument for the amusement of several
Martians. The latter are quickly dis
patched with disintegrators, and the girl
is taken back to the main squadron, to-
gether with large quantities of com
pressed food that are found in the build
ing. Although none can understand the
GIRL 1t Is perceived that her language is
OF human origin. The whole squadron re-
pairs to the farther moon of Mars, Del
mos, in order to give the linguists of the
party time to acquire the girls speech
for Mr.. Edison believes that she can give
them information that will lead to a sue
ccssful routing OF the enemy.
The herald., 1898-03-27

of the ancient Aryans. His delight was
unbounded. With prodigous industry
he set to work, scarcely stopping to eat
| or sleep, to form a grammar of the Ian
guage.
You shall see," he said, it will
the speculations of my countrymen
vindicate."
Immediately almost every man in the
squadron set vigorously to work to
learn the language of this fair crea-
ture for himself. Colonel Smith and
Sidney Phillips We're neck and neck in
the linguistic race.
One of the first bits of information
which the professor had given out was
the name of the girl.
1t was Alma pronounced Ah-ee-na)
This news was flashed throughout
the squadron, and the name of our
beautiful captive was on the lips of ALL
After that came her story. 1t was
a marvellous narrative. Translated into
our tongue it ran as follows:
THE traditions of my fathers, hand
ed down for generations so many that
no one can number them, declare that
the planet of Mars was not the place
of our origin.
dwelt on another and distant world
that was nearer to the sun than this
one is, and enjoyed brighter daylight
than we have here.
"They dwelt-as I have often heard
the story from my father, who had
learned it by heart from his father, and
he from his-in a beautiful valley that
was surrounded by enormous noun
| tains fnyVarp,. int
white about their tops with snow thai
never melted. In the valley were lakes
around which clustered the dwellings
| of our race.
1T was, the traditions say, a land
wonderful for its fertility, filled with
all things that the heart could desire
splendid with flowers and rich with
luscious fruits.
1T was land of music, and the
people who dwelt in it were very
| happy"
While the girl was telling this part
OF her story the Heidelberg professo,
became Visibly more and more excited
Presently he could keep quiet no longer
and suddenly exclaimed, turning to us
who were listening, as the words of the
girl were interpreted for us by one OF
the other linguists:
'Gentlemen, it is the Vale of Cash
mere! Has not my great countryman
Adelung, so declared? Has he not said
that the Valley of Cashmere was the
cradle of the human race already?"
From the Valley of Cashmere to
the planet Mars-what a romance!'
exclaimed one of the bystanders.
Colonel Smith appeared to be partic-
ularly moved, and 1 heard him hum
ming under his breath, greatly to my
The herald., 1898-03-27
Brushes From China

A large proportion of the hog bristles
that are made into brushes of all sorts
are obtained from China. Before
Chinese ports We're opened to foreign
ers the residents of China made no use
of the bristles, but now they have be-
come one of the important exports.
The hog bristles used in making fine
brushes are usually not less than three
inches long, but the black Tien-Tsn
bristles of north China are often more
than twice that length, and are famous
the world over. The animals from
which the black bristles are taken
closely resemble the wild boar OF Eu-
rope,
The herald., 1898-03-27

that was the fellow we blew into
nothing! Blast him, he got off too
easy!"
The remainder Of Ainas story may
be briefly told.
When Colonel Smith and I entered
the mysterious building which, as it
now proved, was not a storehouse be-
longing to village as we had sup
posed, but one of the military depots
of the Martians, the girl, on catching
sight of us, Immediately recognized us
as belonging to the strange squadron
in the sky. AS such she felt that we
must be her friends, and saw in us her
only possible hope of escape. For that
reason she had instantly thrown her
self under our protection. This ac-
counted for the singular confidence she
had manifested in us from the begin
ming.
Alma had said that Mars had COM
pleted 5000 circuits about the sun since
her people were brought to it as cap
tives. One circuit of Mars occupies 6S1
days. More than 5000 years had there
fore elapsed since the first invasion of
the earth by the Martians.
But from these speculations and re-
mander of the expedition.
This is all very interesting and very
romantic gentlemen" he said, "but
now let us get at the practical side of
it. We have learned Aina's language,
and have heard her story. Let us next
ascertain whether she cannot place in
our hands some key which will put
Mars at our mercy. Remember what
f1-- ,a1 ,l,nr. ~
the earth expects every man Of us to
do his duty"
This Nelson-like summons again
changed the current of our thoughts,
and we instantly set to work to learn
from Alma if Mars, like Achilles, had
not some vulnerable point where blow
would be mortal.
XXI.
1t was curious scene when the
momentous interview which was to de-
terInine our fate and that of Mars be-
gan. Alma had been warned of what
was coming. We in the flagship had
all learned to speak her language with
more or less ease, but it was deemed
best that the Heidelberg professor, as
sisted by one of his colleagues, should
act as interpreter.
The girl, flushed with the excitement
of the novel situation, fully apprecia-
ting the Importance of what was about
to occur, and looking more charming
than before. stood at one side of the
principal apartment. Directly facing
her were the interpreters, and the rest
of us, all with ears alert, and eyes To-
cused upon Alma, stood in a double row
behind them.
AS heretofore, am setting down her
The herald., 1898-03-27

Three entire weeks were passed in
this manner. After the first week the
girl herself materially assisted the lin
gusts in their efforts to acquire her
speech.
At length the task was so far ad-
vanced that we could, in certain
sense regard it as practically COM
pletsd. The Heidelberg professor de-
clared that he had mastered the tongue
The herald., 1898-03-27

1t was deemed wise that the attempt
should be made with a single electrical
ship, but that the others should be
kept lowering near, ready to respond
on the instant to any signal for aid
which might come from below. 1t was
thought that, notwithstanding the
wonderful defences, which, according
to Aina's account. surrounded the
building, small party would have a
better chance of success than large
one.
Mr. Edison was certain that the cleo
trical network which was described as
covering the power house would not
prove a serious obstruction to us, be-
cause by carefullyssweeping the space
where we intended to pass with the
disintegrators before quitting the ship,
the netting could be sufficiently cleared
away to give us uninterrupted pas
sage.
At first the intention was to have
twenty men, each armed with two dis
integrators, Chat being the largest
number that one person could carry to
advantage) descend from the electrical
ship and make the venture. But, after
further discussion, this number was re-
duced; first to dozen, and finally, to
only four. These four consisted of Mr.
Edison, Colonel Smith, Mr.. Sidney Phil
lips and myself.
Both by her own request and because
we could not help feeling that hei
knowledge of the locality would be in
dispensable to us, Alma was also in.
cluded in our party, but not, of course
as a fighting member of it.
1t was about an hour after midnigh
when the ship i'll which we were tt
make the venture parted from the re
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-23
BRIGHT BITS.

-Sagasta's Chance-.I see Sagasta's res
ignation has not been accepted" Gee,
I'd like to have a thing like that happen
to me " "Why?" I'D strike for a raise of
salary right away. cleveland Leader.
Junior Partncr-Do you think the new
Office boy is trustworthy?
Senior Partntr-Tm sure of it. I've no.
ticed that when he hasn't anything to do
he never pretends to be busy -Tit-Bits.
A New Countersign-"Let me in, dear
ie," he said, rather unsteadily, at $50 a.
m. Repeat the sentence, 'Schley simply
swiped Cervera off the sea- first" she re-
piled from the upper window.-Philadel-
phla North American.
His Experience-A1rs. Younglove-"Do
YOU think absence really makes the heart
grow fonder. Harold?"
Mr. Younglove-I guess it does. At all
events, you are about twice as dear to me
when you're away at one of those high
pItced summer hotels as when you're at
home Chicago News.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-23
PERSONAL.

George Bernard Shaw, the famous
critic. some time ago had to undergo a
painful operation on his foot. Just recent
ly, while trying TO go downstairs on
crutches, he fell and landed so heavily
that he broke his left arm.
Sir John Willoughby and Col. Frank
Rhodes are the only British officers drop
ped from the army on account of their
participation in the Jameson raids who
have not been restored to their rank.
There is much dissatisfaction in military
circles In London over the extended pun
ishment Of these two men.
The fashionable European piano teach
er of to-day. Leschetizky, governs his pu-
pills by iron-clad rules, in the enforce
ment of which he is very arbitrary. His
charge is s. per lesson, and that sum must
be put in an envelope and laid on the
piano by the pupil as he enters the room.
The great master does not believe in TAX
ing chances.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-23
A Chorus From the Camp.

From Puck.
Here's to the maid who is sitting to-
night
Writing letter to charm us!
Here's to the lass who alone has the
might
Just by a word to disarm us!
Welcome the missive sweet-scented and
square,
Fen though she may have declined US
For now any message is ecstasy rare,
From the girl we have left behind us.
Jiggers, mosquitoes and snakes we have
met,
Scrambled through bitches, unway' ring;
Every discomfort we quickly forget
If only the mail pouch is fav'ring.
Never so far from the base of supplies
That Cupid's unable to find u.s.
The slightest pen-scratching We tenderly
prize,
From the girl we have left behind us.
Lips we have kissed (or would like to
have kissed
Speak to us oft through a letter;
Hand we have squeezed (such a dear lit
tie fisO
Make us still further your debtor!
Soldiers and sailors, we fear not the fray,
Careless where fate has consigned us,
Bearing the balm of "a letter to-day"
From the girl we have left behind u.s.
Edwin l.. Sabin.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-23
.eThey Never waked rp..,

There may be rougher, more villainous
and vindictive men than circus canvas
men," said the press agent, according 10
the New York SUM- but in my sad young
life experiences 1 have never known any.
The canvas man, as you may know, is the
| functionary who rolls up the juggler's
carpet and performs other mental tasks
| during the show. He puts up the tents
and takes them down and does all the
| heaviest and dirtiest work that has 10 be
done around a circus. Our boss canvas
man came up to me one morning after we
had settled down on an Illinois town and
said:
Heard anything from last nights
stand
- No I said; 'why?'
" Nothing, he said. and went off grin
ming.
The next morning, in the next town,
he came around and asked the same sort
of question:
" Heard anything from Tuesday nights
stand?
He stiIl refused to tell me what was
behind the question He asked the same
question every day for ten days. On the
eleventh day we crossed into Indiana. He
came and sat down by me on the train
just after we crossed the line.
" I'll tell you about that now he said.
1 tod him to go ahead.
d" You remember that Thursday, before
I got nervous he said, we had mess
with a gang of hoboes who stole all the
stuff out of the grub tents while we were
in the show. Well, they laid out Johnny
Kern SOS he had to have his head sewed
up that night, but they got away. The
next night they turned up again. They'd
followed US on the first freight. There
was nine of them. They caught six of our
Iy,xr in on, hs,1,f 1n
tent, upset the barrel we were playing on
and got some of the money. They knocked
out Jim COyle that night so bad that we
had to leave him behind in the hospital.
But they all got away.
q" The next night was Sunday, and we
was travelling all day and we thought we
had shaken the hoboes. But Monday
night the very same gang raided the grub
tent just before the stuff was cooked.
There wasn't any of US around, so nobody
got hurt. But Johnny Kern, who had his
head In a bandage yet from what they
did to himson Thursday, he saw them go
ing away and he followed them. They
went back into the country most two
miles from the show. BY the time Johnny
got back to the show it was after mid
night. We was to stay over another day,
so there was no packing going on. The
two of us walked six of the gang. We
picked up a few tent malletS and hatch
ct. 1t was as nice walk as ever l took.
The moon was shining down through the
trees and there was soft, warm sort Of
breeze coming up Inc road in our faces.
Johnny took us up to a big barn out in a
hay field They're in there" he says.
We opened the door, and sure enough
there was eight of them, sleeping; laid
out on the hay in one corner. There as
a window or somethln up above, and the
moon was shining down on the feet CT
them They locked liked they was having
lovely Dreams
"Then he stopped. Well 1 said, after
a while.
Well what?' he said.
Did YOU wake them up?' I asked.
Nav he said slowly, as he got up
from the seat. they never walked up
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-23
Atlanta and Her Guests.

The Confederate reunion drew a big
crowd to Atlanta and from all accounts
many of the Confederate veterans were
greatly disappointed. No doubt these dis
appointed ones will return to their homes
with their memories refreshed as to the
cost of living during the latter days of the
Confederacy.
All day Wednesday, it is said, many of
the old veterans sat on the curbs or stood
in the streets in the hot sun expecting
something. and their expectations were
not realized.
Those citizens of Atlanta who We're not
busy advertising themselves for office or
their business were busy taking in the
dimes and the dollars from the citys Wis
itors.
Those who had plenty of money had
nothing to complain Of Nothing was too
good for them. They found satisfactory
entertainment at the hotels, but the poor
veterans who had read of that forth
coming, unbounded hospitality by which
Atlanta was to make up for all past short
comings in the hospitality line, were, to
state the fact mildly, disappointed.
Comparisons, not TO Atlantas credit
were made by Kenmckians, Virginians
and veterans from other states, between
the Richmond, Va reunion and the one
in progress in Atlanta. How many re-
called the generous hospitality of Rich
mcndl
1t is expected, of course, that Atlanta
win always hustle for herself She has
a reputation for doing that which she is
most careful to sustain. She made that
reputation early in her existence aud she
is very proud of it, She hustles for ev-
erything in sight. Only recently she made
great effort to have the United States
volunteers encamped within or near her
limits; then she wanted the Spanish pris-
oners of war and she finally succeeded in
getting some sick and wounded soldiers
By her hustling schemes she doesn't fool
her own people, but outsiders not infre-
quently get roped in. She got the Con-
federate reunion, but unless the senti-
ments Of the Confederate Veterans change
greatly she will never get the veterans to
assemble within her gates again-not, at
least until their number is reduced 70
hundred or so. when their entertainment
wouldn't cost much. But Atlanta wouldn't
want the reunion then, because there
would be no money in it.
Atlanta is a husting md thriving city
and full of thrifty people. She is really a
great city for the opportunities which she
has had What pity il is that she looks
at her guests from a commercial stand
point rather than from a standpoint of
hospitality!
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-23
He HAD just Started.

Speaking of drinks, says writer in the
Washington Posi-, makes me think of what
a newspaper man, just returned from
Tampa is telling of Capt. Paget, one Of
the British military men who are looking
on down there. Capt. PaSet is as English
as-weH, he's as English as the British
lordling in an American play. He wears a
single-eyeglass--why is it, wonder, that
English eyes are so often not mates-and
the eye behind ii is exceedingly wide open.
The other eye droops bit, and, observing
that droop, several of the American Of
ficers down there proposed to have little
fun with the captain
They invited hsm to take q drink one
evening after dinner, and they began on
cocktails Their order was repeated again
and again, till forward march," began to
look like right oblique" TO them. They
kept on manfully, however, for they pro
posed to drink that eye-glass out. The or
der was repeated. More cocktails appear
ed The Americans were compelled to de-
cline. The English officer Strengthened his
broad shoulders.
"Now, deah boys" he said, with an en-
phasis on the now, Tets have something
to drink"
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-23
Green in His Eve.

Walter Savage Lander used to insist
that green eyes were the most wonder
fur in the world, says the London Mail
In support of his argument he told the
following story: 1T so happened that
when I was a young man at Venice ]
was standing in the doorway of the Cafe
Florlan one day watching the pigeons on
the Piazza San Marco when an old gen.
tleman rushed up to me and said: Par
don me, sir. but Will you allow me to
look into your eyes? All, I thought so.
Sir, you have green eyes. never saw
but one pair before and they belonged to
the late Empress Catherine of Russia;
they were the most wonderfully beauti-
full eyes in the world 1 have reason to
remember this," Mr. Lander was wont TO
end up. for while the old gentleman was
examining my eyes l had my pocket
picked"