davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03

was almost arrived at womans stature;
not very tail but with an admirable fig
ure and with the beautiful hands ana feet
Tor which she was always noted through
out her life. She was particularly fond
at that time of taking long rambles
through the woods with her faithful nurse
Adee, ana II was on one of these ramblos
that the seeress invited Josephine into her
hut and fOretold her future career
The prophecies declared that Josephine
would meet with good fortune. that she
would make long and stormy voyage ana
would marry happily that she would be
released by the death of her husband and
that she would become the bride Of the
greatest man the modern world had ever
seen. The prophecies declared this mans
star would rise with JosSphine's; but thar
when hers set then his, also, would sink
beneath the horizon OF the Verihcatlon
of this prophecy history bears witness.
II was shortly after this, amidst The
fears of her parents and the lamenta tons
Of her devoted adherents. her father s
slaves, that josephine departed for the
convent of the DANES de In Province"
at Fort Royal, where she remained for
five years and then returned to the home
Of her parents
She had by this time borne out the
promise Of her youth and was Indeed ola
Belle Creole" on the island Of Martini
que her beauty was unquestioncd. And
some news of this extended over seas to
France where her aunt, Madame Renau-
dine, resided and who insisted that her
beautiful niece should pay her visit
Josephine gave no evidence of desire 80
accede 90 her aunts wishes for IL was
not until a year later that she set sail
for the shores of that country over which
she was to rule with a grace and dignity
the memory of which is uudimmed by
time.
The main object of this visit to France
was that Madame Renaudine wished to
secure a husband for her beautiful niece
She already had selected the man-Alex-
ander de Beauharnais, who although he
was born at Fort Royal and of whom Jose
phine had doubtless often heard, she had
never seem Many tales are told of the
circumstances that led to the marriage OF
Josephine to Alexandra de Beauharnaia
But after all, it was purely a marriage
of convenience and turned OUT In the end
more happily than most of them.
Josephine's history from her marriage
with Beauharnais to her death in the If
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03

the surplus with the contractor willing
to present such a bill-it can readily be
seen that of the limited amount of money
Spain has been able to eXpend on such
work in late years very little of 1t has
gone into actual work on MORO Castle
and the other forts.
The Moro Castle al San Juan is an
other antiquity. San Juan is a perfect
specimen of a walled town with portcullis,
moat, gates and battlement. Built over
$50 years ago, it is still in good condition
and repair. The walls are picturesque.
and represent stupendous work and cost
in themselves.
Like the town the Moro is picturesque
but useless. After the recent lombard
ment it was found that there was little
damage to the Notifications at Moro.
Owing to the soft condition of the walls
because of age, not enough resistance was
furnished to shells to cause their eXplo-
sion upon contact, so they simply plough
ed through the walls and lost their energy
unexploded in the soft soil. Yet this is
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03

the brick wall surrounding some old
English country house. And from its in
terror there rises to the view above the
parapet, a structure not unlike the ordin-
airy American, farm house-and quite as
threatening. At either end Of the forti-
fications is a weed grown moat which is
quite in keeping with the rest of the
fort" in its appearance.
To the average young Spauiard of
good family there are only three pro-
fessions open-the church, army or navy
and the governments civil service. Next
to the church, the armyas the riost sought
for by these youths. for it is more profit
able than the navy or the civil service.
To have the command of one of these for
tresses in one of Spains few remaining
possessions is prize greater than any
their beloved lottery holds For while the
lottery may pay big prize, the conduct
and repairs on one of these fortresses
must pay.
To the average Spanish officer, the
control of MORO Castle is of much great
CT value than all the kiondykes this side
or the Equator. w. p. Bakoff.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03

il was seized by the English who held 1t
until that beautiful morning of the 23rd Of
June. 1853, when the booming Of cannon
announced its restoration TO France and
also, unwittingly, saluted the birth OF the
future Empress OF the French
JOsephines parents were descended on
her fathers side from the French family
of Taschery the first Of whom had set
ted on Martinique in 1726; and on the
mothers from the Creole family Of San
nOis from whom their estate took its
name. Josephines father was a lieuten-
ant in the French service but he retired
at the age of tWenty-seven 70 live there
after the life of planter broken only by
such struggles as are known 70 the Our-
suit Of that avOcation in the tropics
The childhood Of Marie Joseph-Rose
Tascher de La Pagerie-which formula
bic appellation was soon abbreviated 70
Josephine-Was one calculated TO enhance
those physical charms for which she was
always noted. The great house" in
which her father lived, was built on
terrace of one of the great hills overlook
ing Fort De France bay. On this hill
side. surrounded by all the beautiful fol-
iage of the tropical island, Josephine be-
came the empress OF a domain comprising
her fathers estate and all the slaves that
dwelt thereon while she was yet an IN
FAINT.
Two great events marked her child life.
cured on her third birthday.
On-the morning Of that day, just as her
nurse the faithful Adee, whom she never
.fotgot and often referred TO In her letters
in after years, was about TO
give her her bath, D frightful hurricane
swept over the ISLAND, completely wrecking
tho great house" Of the Sannois, destroy
ing nearly ali the plantations, the slave8'
houses and part of the mill
This destruction told heavily on her
father. VINO from that hour, was a.chahg-
cd man The loss he suffered was great
enough 10 prevent his ever rebuilding the
OLD home The family went to dWen 81
the upper floors Of the sugar house and
so for the remaining years Of her life at
home tho future Empress Of the French
lived in what was practically q huge ioft
over g grinding, crumbiing sugar mill mat
stln remains standing almost as IL di0
ehea Josephine turned for a last glance
az H. on leaving home somo years later.
The second great event Of her chid
life was IN her 10th gear. when the Cdrib-
bean prophecies foretold, 80 accurately,
what WIS 70 befall her At that age She
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03

For two recent weeks the interest of the
world has been centered on the island Of
Martinique at this end Of the nineteenth
century much. as the island held the at
tention of the world one hundred years
ago.
But with this difference Our interest
in that most beautiful of the Caribbean
isles is due to its connection with he
movement of the American and Spanish
fleets; while at the end of the
eighteenth century, Venus was the
ruling deity, not Mars; and Mar
Unique won undymg lustre from
having been the birthplace OF Josephine
Tascher de La Pagerie, known in after
years as the wife Of Napoleon. as Jose
phine, Empress of the French.
II is a singular coincidence that the life
of the Empress Josephine, whose name in
after years was linked with one Of the
greatest generals the world has ever
known and who won his first spurs as an
officer of artillery, should have been be-
gun at the moment when the cannous of
fortress across the bay from her
home were booming out the glad tldngs
of the recession of Martinique TO France
And not only did the sound of the guns
bring JOY to the hearts of Josophine's
parents for their country's sake, but
mainly for the reason that now indeed
was their child true daughter Of France
The life begun under such romantic
circumstances bore out in every respect
the warlike augury. For 10 think of Jo-
sephine is to think of Napoleon-of his
armies. and battles, and victories; sell
dom of his crushing disasters. defeats and
death.
Josephine's home, the island of Nlarti-
nique from the time of its discovery by
Columbus in 1902 until 1885 when the
French colonized it, was no different from
most of the isles of the Caribbean sea
during that period. Visited by buccaneers
and free hooters it gradually became set
tied by the French who drove the natives
hack into the mountains From 1875 I'M
til 1862 1t was held by the French. vixen
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03

Tho keys of these boxes are kept by the
gunner of the ship. Near them is a stock
of candles ready for use in case the cleo
trio current should fah. Entrance TO the
magazine is from the top but ont of what
is termed the handling room. The hatch
of this s In line with the crown of the
magazine and the floor OF the room "
lcad-covered.
For vent.laung purposes. air Is pumped
In at the bottom. and passes out through
a specially constructed up-take; but on
very dry days air is let into the magazine
naturally in order 60 prevent TOO much
moisture accumulating on the cases, and
thus causing the powder Co deteriorate. In
an engagement the magazines would be
kept closed down. SO as 20 prevent the
enemy's shot from entering them. and air
would be pumped in. or the men work.
ing inside could live but a very few min
utes. Before entering the magazine tho
men have to leave behind them their
knives. pipes and matches. and TO put on
special boots that are studded with brass
nails.
with the old-fashloned powder a spark
caused by the friction OF nail in ones
boot with the floor was sufficient to cause
an explosion. Nowadays there Is far less,
danger Of accident. Many of the explO-
sives now used will only ignite By detOna-
ton. Prsmaiic and pebble powders it,
set on fire viii frizZle away like fuse,
while cordite. If handled with ordinary
care, Is quite harmless
An the bays that is, recesses. are mark
ed with the number Of cases that are TO
be slowed In them, and they are provid-
ed with strong wooden uprghts to prevent
the cases from being thrown out of place
by the motion Of the ship. Tho doors OF
all the magazines open outward, so that
If In violent storm the cases broke loose
they would not block the entrance. No
fuses, tubes or other articles that contain
their own means Of ignition are ever stow
ca in magazines. An such articles are
placed in special store rooms far away
from the powder. Quck-hring ammuni-
ton cartridges for machine guns and rifles
ana dry gun cotton also nave their sep
arate compartments. All magazines are
fitted with a flooding arrangement, so that,
should the ship catch fire, they can be at
once filled with water. No one but re-
sponsible officer Is ever allowed to handle
the keys. and he must first obtain permls-
sion from the captain
The heaviest charges are placed nearest
the doors. In the old days the powder
monkey used 90 carry the cartridges from
the magazine to the guns in case. Now
the ammunition goes up a hydraulic life
that works on armored shoots. Carry
ing II would be an impossibilty. as como
of the charges weigh $50 pounds Tanks
containing fresh water and drinking cups
arc fixed IN the handling room for the
use of the men, and all the floors are
sprlnkled with water before work begins
Speaking tubes dead from outside the
magazines (Which, by the way, are usually
below the water line) 10 the gun decks.
the bridge and the coming tower.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03
rIsh Discarded the charm.
From the chicago rnfer-Ocean.


Austin, Tex, june 2G.-Hamiltou Fish,
Jr., and III. Alsop Barrowe, with other con-
vivial companions. were seated around a
table al San Antonio few weeks ago. One.
Of the party pulled from his pocket a d.
minutive pewter e1Esy of st. Joseph ana
the infant Jestis and handed It to Fish. He
explained that it had been blessed and sent
TO hun by lady friend. and that it was
supposed TO be a protection against sudden
death, and served as a charm against evil.
Fish took the thy thing and the next day
he was promoted 10 sergeant. He also re-
ceivcd some money from New York which
had been delayed in some manner. and
everything went swimniugly with him.
suppose ! lose this thing?" Fish unused
one day. In that case" said one OF his
companions, the first time you so up
against the Spaniards they wih kill you the
first rattle out Of the box
Finally for some unknown reason, Fish
discarded the charm. with che remurk that
he guessed he'd take his chances without
it,.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03
EXPLOSIVES ON a SHIP.
The Methods of storing I'm Vogue in
the British Navy.

From Invention.
The British navy has not been without
its Maine disasters, though, fortunately.
these have been unattended by any ques-
lions OF foul p.ay-and they have taught
US a. lesson The last such catastrophe
was in 1882. when the gunboat Dotterel
was sunk and ls5 lives lost through an ex-
plosion in one OF her magazines.
Since that time great attention has been
paid TO The storing Of high explosives on
board an tho ships Of our navy. The mag
azines are now huge IRON tanks built sep
aratcfy into the ship The sides, bottom
and crown Of these are made OF thick steel
p.atcs Weighing ten pounds TO the square
foot These plates are Appointed and
strongly riyeted.
Should any side Of the back OF a coal
bunker be exploded, that side Is built Of
plates that weigh twelve aud a half pounds
10 the square foot. This additional strength
Is in order 70 prevent any explosion of coal
gas that may occur IN the bunker from
tearing open the magazine. Further, the
plating IS Suffered with heavy bars that
make all parts OF the surface OF equal
strength. Should the magaztne be placed
where there Is a high temperature, II is
coated with asbe stos Electricity is used
for hghtng purposes.
All the lights are IN what are called
night boxes" placed outside. the light
pene rating into the niaapzine itself
through Thick glass iilamiaators. which
are protected by gratIngs Of brass wire.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03

J. Pierpont Morgan as the responsible par
ty.
It was not until six months after he be-
gan operating that Letter admitted he was
the power behind Broker French
81 have always been a western man,
said he, in explaining how the deal start
ed, "and have consequently always had an
eye on the gram markets. I have had
ranch interests to look after and have each
year found il part Of my business to stock
them with cattle. There has never been a
time when ] have not been somewhat IA
miiiar with the grain situation. II was nat
ural enough that | should have theory
as to wheat conditions and not unnatural
that l should act on them"
He declared the interest was entirely
his although he had the sympathy of
his father and would be able to avail Of
his resources in financing his deal He
al this time made the statement ridi-
culed at the moment, but shown since
to have been made in sober earnest that
he proposed to carry on a great iner-
chandising operation, and that he CON
templated no corner and cared nothing
about the size of the short interest. He
was after the wheat. he said, not after
the sealperS
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03

service when the war began but two rifles
We're hurricdly mounted there after the
Wampatuck made her midnight scouting
trip. They were put out of action by the
ST. Louis six-pounders, however. on the
night those two vessels cut the cable.
Down near the shore, on each side of the
entrance, is a sand battery. Commodore
Schley's bombardment 90 May 3&unmask-
ed another battery on the beach. under
Moro, and still another on an island in
the narrows.
But the most absurd of all of SPANS
grandlloquently named haTbor forts Is
that at Manila. The works that
Deweys squadron silenced on Correg-
dor and Cavite We're at least armed with
some modern rifles But only six small
Krupp guns are on the ancient fortress
behond the esplanade &C Mania to add a
touch of dignity to the line 81 old muz-
zle-loading guns that stand in a row on
the low walls of the castle.
In appearance the walls of this struc-
ture are not much more formidable than
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03

Chicago, June SO.-Hated by the work
ing people of Europe.
the farmers of the Western states!
Lampooned by foreign cartoonists as
the insigator of the recent bread riots on
the continent!
Regarded as the greatest wheat manip-
uator of the world!
Such As Young Joe" Letter of Chicago!
Many men have won undying fame in
art ana letters at comparatively early
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03

aga mug it remains for the United States
nave given to the world a man who
one year. and that his twenty-ninth,
''' ''mmanded such a position and such
immense interests In the business world
a. '' have not only won the admiration
'.1 envy Of every spectator in the great
''''" 'enters of the universe, but to have
'T' Boon held responsible for causing
Jaws 'a't at one time threatened the rul-
WASTES Of two of Europe's oldest
'''..i'fs namely, italy and Spain.
's. his is what Joseph Letter Of Chi
cso hes done.
""'' all the greatest wheat specula-
All 7 country ever knew-from Keene
r,5 .'arper In 1887 to "Old Hutch'' and
sT3 %. later years-had tried TO DO
,s 'tHed' this young stripping this
a This fathers SON." accomplish
Rs..N an because he worked his gil
a 9eal on the honelessly simple plan
eo 95' tIs at a low agire what beople
,pt nave to purchase iatePA-but at a
"'t nine months after Letter began
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03

his enormous dealings in wheat before the
world knew who it was that was behind
this new Corner" When the old hands
learned that it was Joe Letter they all
smiled in their sleeves, thought of him
as the mildest of baalng lambs-and wait
ed, with i'll concealed anxiety, for the
shearng!
But when the shearing was done the wool
all went into Young Joe's" bags; and the
results of the years shearing netted Lett
er-on no less authority than the president
of The largest bank IN the city-nearly ST.
100000.
Think of that for a years work. And
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03

ture on the great continents or the seven
seas. -
Thus when the government constructs a
ratification at a haTbor's mouth it usually
calls it not only Morro-which means
"fort'-but also Castle, to give it the
proper touch of Castlian magnhficence.
And the proud Don is so happy over his
Fort Castle'-though 1T may be the YER
lest mud-works ever thrown together by
a thieving cOntractor-that he generally
sticks that name on every Castle"
around his coast So that the newspaper
reader who runs across the statement that
Moro Castle was reduced to ruins dur
ing the engagement" has of necessity to
refer to the date line to see whether San
Juan, or Santiago de Cuba, or Havana
in Cuba, or some fort in the Philippines
is meant For there are Moro Castles in
all of those places. There are also other
MORO Castles belonging to Spain.
The most famous of all of Spain's Nor
TO Castles however is the one that is pre-
sumed to defend the mouth of the harbor
of Havana. 1t was built at the close of
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03

of the country and In that one month plac-
ed nearly 5000 900 bushels In Paris alone.
Throughout the spring and summer this
great speculation continued with the addi-
ton of two side lines of oats and corn.
In all of these operations he handled the
finances IN every detail, including the for
elgn exchange, contracts for transpOrta-
ton by rails and steamer, handling the
receipts, and doing his own banking The
figure seems too extraordinary to be rea-
sonable, but the advance in wheat since
Letter has been the largest holder of il Is
beyond any comparison. Never in mod
ern times" says an English authority,
has there been such an irresistible up
ward rush in wheat prices. The nearest
approach to it occurred during the wet
harvest of, 1879, or two years previously
in 1871 at the time of the outbreak of
the Russo Turkish war"
That all this was carried out at ire
mendous risks goes without saying. On
one almost fatal day the young mans
father put up $9,0o0,Cc0 of choice collate-
raj and thus saved the fortune of Young
joe" But that the fathers faith in his
son and heir was fully justified has been
shown by the balance he had to his ac-
count of 100000.
Up to the time Letter began his wheat
deal in April, 1897, he had spent the six
years that had elapsed since he was grad
uated from Harvard in various kinds OF
speculation, and, il must be confessed, not
very profitable speculation at that. 1t is
stated that on leaving college young
Letter was given million dollars by his
father with an Injunction to see how
much he could make out of H. and also
that he was not to expect any more.
The wheat deal saved him for time.
Ana two weeks ago he was quoted as
intending to spend the summer abroad,
where, he added with a twinkle in his eye.
some of the European SPECTATORS might
get some of their money back from him.
The twinkling eye was wide-awake one,
however "a
Now the word comes that he is ruin
ed" This means that he was forced to
sell below the price at which he bought
and that he could not pay those with
whom he was involved
on the other hand quiet rumor Is
afoat to the effect that he ID lying low
to allow his name to die out; and that
the whole affair is a clever letter ruse.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03

the sixteenth century, and at that time
bristling with the heaviest artillery of the
period, frowned defiance to the navies of
the world. Previous to the war Moro
stronghold that crowns the rock eminence
al the left of the entrance of the harbor
hundred years ago its massive oastions
capable of offering any serious resistance
to attacks either by land or sea.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03
sa7niard everything he,

.,--rv owns can only be described by a
srnerlatlve. Not because of the thing un-
5sr discussion, for he may never have seen
minis a possession of his country; but
Ep.,-I, because it is Spanish--therefore
sn+stripoiag in costliness, or beauty, or
g-ardenr. anything else of a similar ma
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03
4 Poisonous Cuban Tree.

Chiekamauga Letter Philadelphia Record.
Members of the Ninth Pennsylvania
have received circulars from the state
forestry department of Pennsylvania
warning them against the manchineal
tree when they invade Cuba Each man
was given a circular Il reads:
1t Is from forty TO fifty feet high, has
oval pointed, tOothed. shining leaves
which are from three to four Inches long
When The fresh leaves are pulled off q
drop OF milky juice comes from the leaf
stem. The fruit Is yelowish green, fra
grant, and somewhat resembles an apple
in shape. If bitten into it makes the
mouth very sore for a time and may pro-
duce serious results
After handling any part OF the tree
root leaves or fruit-ntbbing The eyes may
cause them to become seriously inhamod.
If poisoned by the manchineal and be
yond reach OF your surgeons help, the
best thing 60 do Is 10 wash the part af-
fected freely with salt water.
1t Is sometimes called by the natives
manzanilla pronounced man-za ne yah.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03
The ROMANCE OF MARTINIQUE.
Birth Place and Early Home of the Empress
Josephine,

story of Her Residence an
seeress-Her Fathers by a
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03
THE RISE AND FALL OF A KING.
The MeteOric Career Lived by Young Man
in the New World.
TacatiOn-StOry

Forced
Wheat Deal.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03
THE MORO CASTLES OF SPAIN,
The One at Santiago the Most Picturesque
of All.

Formidable
Mount Modern Guns-Spanish ulcers Grow
the