davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1898-10-29
Deaths Ferryman.

DR.. John a. Gilbert IN Cleveland Plain Dealer,
I am q ferryman, old and gray,
And the river is deep and wide;,
And whosoe'er crosses by night or by day
Can never return. but forever and aye
Must remain on the other side.
The waters are cold and the current is swift,
And the mists hang heavy and chill;
And backward and forward they slowly drift,
With never break, and they never lift,
Though they seem to be never still.
The heavens dark and the course Is long,
Bat my boat is stanch and true:
And the waves rough. hut my arm is strong
And safely | ferry the ghostly thrOng
To the shore mist hidden from view.
All are equal who cross with me-
Beggar and millionaire:
Vassal and king, and bond Rndi free,
Peasant and noble of high degree,
The maid and her lady fair. .
The weary toer who longs for rest,
Brave youth and manhood proud:
The erring with his sins confessed
The sinless babe on the mothers breast
And the mother with sorrow bowed.
Some on their journey set fsrth~hione,
With trembling and anxi0as fears:
Some amid wailing. with sob and moan.
And prayers that their lives had never known,
And heartbreak and bitter9 tears.
Man brought nanght into the world save death.
And naught can he take Away:
Naked was he when he first drew breath,
And naked will be when he goes with Death
On his silent mysterious way,
SO all are equal whom Death sets free
To cross 10 the distant strand; n
And king and vassal and bond and fres,
Whether of lowly or high degree, .sty...s .. 49,
Must all cross the river OF Death with me
Tc enter that unkpown land .-; ~-
A.
Evening star., 1898-10-29
ICELAND GEN SERS.
tourists Have Injured Them by
Throwing Stones Into Their Craters.

From the International
Barren as the place really is, the artist q
eye would revel in the beautiful effects on
the snowy jokulls, the twilight softening
shades or mauve, greens and grays on the
Instant lava peaks. and the luminous mid
night sky. The intensity of the blue water
OF lake or ocean is superb, and the mighty
waterfalls are grand. And the geyser
fields. All the warm tints. from cream 10
russet, are found in the mineral deposit
around the basin of the Great Geyser, Lit
tie Gcyser. Strokkr (the Churn, and
the Little Strokkr. while Blesi (the Blue
Ono is lined with exquisite white like
porcelain, making it a fitting vessel for the
cooking OF food, and for furnishing boiling
water for our tea and coffee 1t was so
smooth and beautiful that l seemed TO be
mutilating somethi1 rare when | chipped
on pieces OF its lining, but l knew they
would be valuable souvenirs. and the an
easy. bubbinS water would soon amend
the deficiency.
The mud pools on this plain are the most
dangerous, for they spout hot mud diagon-
ally out of the earth. Coming upon them
in one direction they are not seen and
many a visitor has gone home with a
scalded foot. The hydraulic display is now
very fitfui and inconsiderate tourists have
injured the spouting fountains by loading
stones into them to see them cast out so
you must take your tent with you. and
encamp on the plain to await the pleasure
of their maiesties. Blesi will serve you
well while waiting. The Great Geyser had
not SDOutcd for a week when we were
there. and such suriness indicated a near
activity. The water spouted unusually
high when it finally appeared, $50 feet, and
showed all the tints of the rainbow ma
jest at the same time and mysterious II
played for fifteen minutes. and then It's
beautiful cascades subsided In a feathery
mist, refined and graceful withdrawal.
Evening star., 1898-10-29
In Jail for Debt.

From the Pail Mall Magazine
The Kings Bench was the largest OF all
the debtors prisons. 1t formerly stood IN
the east side of the High street, on the site
OF what is now the second street north of
st. Georges Church. This prison was
taken down in 1853, and the debtors were
removed to larger and much more COM
modious place on the other side of the
street south of Liant street.-the site Is now
ugly houses and mean streets. In the wear
1II6 the prisoners had to lie two in q bed
and even for those who could pay there
We're not beds enough, and many slept on
the floor of the chapel. There were 500
prisoners; in addition to the prisoners many
of them had wives and children with them.
There We're 219 wives and 275 children "a
total OF 1888 sleeping every night In the
rriSon. There was a good water supply but
there was no infirmary, no resident sur
geon, and no bath. Imagine a place
containing 1889 persons, and no bath
and no infrmaryt Among these prisoners
about a hundred years ago, was
a certain Colonel George Hanger, who
has left his Memoirs behind him
for the edifcation of posterity Ac-
cording to him the prison ''rivaled the pur-
lieus of Wrapping, St Giles. and St James
In vice. de5auchery, and drunkenness 3"
The general immortality was so great that
it was only possible, he says, to escape
contagion by living separate or by consort-
ing only with the few gentlemen of
honor who might be found there Other
wise man will quickly sink into dissina-
ton: he will lose every sense of honor an
dignity, every moral principle and virtuous
disposition"
Evening star., 1898-10-29
THE HARMLESS RATTLESNAKE.
1t Does Not Always Strike When
Given the Opportunity.
From the Atlantic Monthly.

Given the Opportunity.
From the Atlantic Monthly.
1 have seen a good many rattlesnakes-
perhaps a hundred or more-in the Sierra
Mountains. but 1 have never Intentionally
disturbed them. nor have they disturbed
me to any great extent. even by accident,
though they were oftentimes in danger of
being stepped on. Once. while on my knees
kindling fire. one gided under tho arch
made by my arms.
The last time / sauntered through the big
canon L saw about two day. One was
not coied. but neatly folded in a narrow
space between two cnbblestones on the side
OF the river. his head below the level of
them ready 10 shoot up like Jack-in- the
box for frogs or birds. My foot spanned
the space above within an inch or two of
his head. but he only held 1t lower In
making my way through a particularly
tedious tanSle of buckthorn, / parted the
branches on the side of an open spot and
threw my bundle of bread into it, and
when. with my arms free, l was pushing
through after 1t, / saw small ratt!esnake
dragging Its tail from beneath my bundle
When he caught sight of me he eyed me
angrily. and with an air of righteous in
dignation seemed to be asking why | had
thrown that stuff on him. He was so small
l was inclined to slight him, but he struck
out so angrily ! drew back and approached
the opening from the other side. But he
had been listening, and when / looked
through the brush found him confronting
me still with a come-in -you-dare ex-
preston. In vain l tried to explain that
only wanted my bread; he stoutly held
the ground in front of it. and / was afraid
that as he came nearer he might close in
on me and strike before / could get away
In such tangle; SO | just went back a
dozen rods and kept still for half an hour,
and when returned found he had gone.
Evening star., 1898-10-29
Vienna.
From the Spectator.


Here We have a proud, imperial city,
rather disdainful of trade aristocratic and
easy-going, conscious of a long past, its
rulers still animated with the conviction
that they are the successors of Charlie
magne and Otto, looking on Berlin as par
venu, on London as merely commercial. on
Paris as half crazy. Excepting in the do
main of music, Vienna is not a home of
art and culture, but it is a center of digni-
ty and grace. and certain calm air of
superiority, which, however, does not Of
fend. 1t is content to look on while other
places explore and write and toll and push
and strain; it stands on its rank it can never
forget its sixteen quarterings and its
claims to high estate.
Vienna Is most interesting, perhaps, as
the meeting place between east and west;
where the fine gentleman rubs shoulders
in the afternoon lounge along the Graben
with the Bosnian peasant. The guardian
of Europe's ancient order, the center of a
great and most interesting empire the city
of leisure and of a pride SO lofty that it
does not know itself to be pride at all
Vienna is both a charming city and an i'm
portant political center, as she will con-
tinue to be. no matter what is the fate of
the Austrian empire.
Evening star., 1898-10-29
a Natural Fog Horn.
From Harper's Magazine.


At the Farallcn nes the erosive agents have
worked WITH queer caprice. This rock he
ing granite. has been acted upon by the
sea at all levels, and throughout the long
period whel it has been rising out of the
water depths. Through a long, narrow
hole. santing and communicating with
the ocean. there comes at intervals a ter
rife stream of air, forced by the spasmodlc
heaYing of the waves against the lower
orifoe The government, which uses this
island for lighthouse purposes. inclosed the
upper end with the nozzle of q fog horn
and every few seconds there was bloHn an
ear-splitting brawl which was heard far
out at sea and above the din of the break
ing rollers. 1t was allowed to roar only in
foggy weather, but It was eccentric In that
II would only sound at high tide. When
the tide was low. although the weather
might be very thick. the thing was silent
For lack of its warning a ship went ashore
upon the island rocks, and then II was that
the government abandoned Its location on
the wind hole and erected a steam siren. or
mechanical fog horn, which has since very
faithfully performed the necessary service.
Evening star., 1898-10-29
THE CHINESE CALENDAR.
some Queer Divisions of Time and
Names Applied to Them

From the Stats Zeitung
Inc Chlnese do not compute their time
by centuries, but by periods of sixty years
Nuck shiapsix wcod); each year in this
space OF time has its own name, partly re-
lating to the five elements adopted by the
Ihlhese sages, viz, wood, fire, earth min
eral ana water, partly connected with de-
nominations Of live creatures, such as rat,
cattle, tiger, hare, etc. From the combi-
Eallon or these two factors into double
word results, at the same time whether
the year IS a lucky or an unlucky one If,
Ior instance, wood and cattle meet in the
name OF year, this signifies a good crop.
Hre ana tiger prophesy d year of war The
year 1897 bore the name of dingh -dan-fire
ana rowland signifies year Of peace
The Chinese attach great value to these
names, and are frequently governed in
tEeir enterprises by the fact whether the
name OF the year implies luck or bad luck
Inc division of the year is a two-fod one
II being divided into twelve months and
t"enty-four semi-months. The latter bear
the signs Of the old Chinese zodiac and
are called rain water, vernal equinox, pure
hght' rain for the fruit. morning flush of
summer, little rainy season, seed of the
herbs summer solstice, commencement Of
the heat, great heat, sign of autumn end
or the heat, white dew, etc. Like us, the
Chinese have four seasons tmua) The
months have alternately tWenty-nine (Weak
i'Nhth9i anu tHHty dayS tStfOng monthS};
frequently leap months are introduced for
the sake of equalization. According to the
Chinese calendar, there are also two kinds
or weeks, some of ten days and others of
fifteen days, so that a month IS divided
either into two or three weeks The first
days of the months are designated by num-
bers, but the first day is also called that
or the weasel and the last one that of re-
turn. every day of the full moon being
styled the day Of hope. The night is taken
at seven hours, the day at five. The count
Ing of the twelve hours, each equal to two
or ours, commences at II o'clock at night.
frequently. however, the hours are also
designated by animal names; thus the mid
night hour is called the hour Of the rat,
while the midday hour Is that of the horse
Each hour Is divided into double minutes,
minutes, and seconds
Evening star., 1898-10-29
The First Elevator.

From the PAilsdclphio Record.
Elevators. or lifts, Jas they are called in
England. are Low considered Indispensable
in high buildings, but on the European con-
tinent they arc but seldom found, even in
the better hotels. This is the more surpris-
ing since the invention originated i'll CEN
trail Europe. The earliest mention of the
elevator is n ade in a letter of Napoleon I
addressed to his wife, the Archduc hess
Maria Loaise He writes to her that, when
in SchoaabrUun, then the summer resi-
dcnce o. tbs Austrian emperor, near Vi
eI.na. he used the 'chaise volante" flying
chair in that castle, which had been con-
structed for Empress Maria Theresa to
save her the annoyance of climbing Up the
long flight OF stairs. 1t consisted of a
small square rocm, sumptuously furnished
with hdnSings of red silk, and suspended
by strong ropes. with CONFERENCE.-The, so
that 1t could be pulled up or let down with
great ease in shaft built for the purpose
about 116O. The great Corsican mentions
that when he first entered the flying
chair ne as asked for his weight and
that of his two companions, probably in
order to employ the proper cOunterweights
since ii was difficult for the operators to
step at the right point unless weights were
about eSeu.
similar elevator was built in the castle
of Duke Charles of Lorraine abo,;t tho
same time, but this one was SIMMER cono
sistlng only OF chair on a platform.
Evening star., 1898-10-29
BEARS SLY AS FOXES.
They Throw Lnmps of Ice at Wal
ruses to Stun and Capture Them.

From the London Telegraph.
In his native home the polar bear does
not often meet with small boys anxious to
treat him to buns and other dainties. The
consequence is that Bruin has to devise
many curious ways of securing his food,
and none are more strange and interesting
than that related by two trustworthy trav-
elers in Greenland, that country of strange
sights.
They have known the polar bear to take
stone or huge lump of ice in his fore
paws and from a favorable height, as a
cliff or a precpitOus ice hill, to hurl the
missile down upon the head of walrus-an
enormous brute. often twice the size of the
bear-and SO stun him that Bruin could
rush in and complete the destruction at his
leisure, thus securing a months rations.
The most useful food of the ice bear. as
the Germans very appropriately call this
beast, Is the common seal of the arctic re-
giOns. The latter is the wariest animal of
the north. and both Eskimo and polar bear
need their best strategy to catch it.
In the summer time, when the snow is off
the ice of the ocean shore and islets, the
seals can be plainly seen as black dots on
the ice, probably asleep, but always near
their holes, which lead down through the
thick ice to the water below, and into
which they can throw themselves by the
walks up as near as he deems safe. and
then begins crawling on his wary prey.
The seal If the weather be sunny and
pleasant. takes short maps, relieved by
shorter moments when it is scanning the
vicinity for signs of an euemy's approach.
During these times the bear is very quiet
aud as still as death itself. with eyes ap-
parently closed. though really corner of
each is kept open, and in this way he hopes
the seal will take him for heap of snow
an appearance which his coat readily helps
him to assume.
During the maps he creeps forward with
eater or less rapidity, according to his
nearness to the seal and consequent fear of
being heard or seen. When but ten or
Twelve yards away. and the seal is in the
depths of a good nap, the hear rushes upon
him. and with a single blow of his power
ful paw knocks the smaller brute SenSeless
ana so far away from the hole that he can
not escape by that way, even if the blow
received is not Immediately fatal
In winter time the ice is covered with
snow, and this Is followed out by the seal
INTO snow house. covering the hole in the
Ice and connecting at the top Of the dome
with an aperture about the size of a shil-
ing, called the blow hole. for # is through
this that the seal breathes when he is in
want of fresh air.
Here the bear watches for many long
nour, II necessary, and when the snorts of
lhe seal are heard he crushes in the fragile
dome or the snow house with his paw. i'm
pallng the seal on his curved claws and
proceeds to practically demonstrate how
polar bears can subsist in an arctic winter
Evening star., 1898-10-29

Over the Hills and Far Away,

Over the hills and far away
little boy steals from his morning play
And under the blossomng apple tree
he lies and he dreams Of the things TO be.
~ battles fought and of victories Won
or wrongs oerthrown and of great deeds dome
0i 0r tne val0r h.1r that he shall prove some day
Over the hills. and far awayl
Over the hills and far away,
IT'S oh. for The toll the hveieny day!
BUT It mattereth not to the soul adnme
with love for riches and power and famel
On. man! while the sun ia high
On to the certain joys that lie
Yonder where blazeth the noon Of asy
Over the hills and far away
over the hills and far away!
Over the hills and far away.
an oid man fingers at close of day;
Now that his journey is almost done
n his Datties fought and his Victories won
The od-ttme honesty and truth
Ihe truthfulness and his friends of youtb
Ion nome ana mother-where are they?
over the hills and far away
over the hills and far away!
EUGENE FIELD.
Evening star., 1898-10-29
Zinc City.
From the London Tablet,

"A City of Zine" Is the name which may
appropriately be given to the mushroom
city of Portuguese East Africa, Beira All
the houses. all the hotels and public build
ings. barracks and warehouses; arc built
of zinc. So great has been the speculation
In building and so urgent the need for sup
plying the inhabitants with cheap and
speedily erected dwellings that a city has
been built up in six months. Thousands of
tons, of zinc from France. England and
America supplied the material. The un-
pleasant impression produced by the as
pect of this zinc town is heightened by
the thought that men have to dwell In
these houses under tropical heat Eyery-
thing in this strange city Is under the
dominion of the metal. Even when a per-
sen falls ill he is carried on zinc
stretcher to hospital, which Is also, of
course. made of zinc. And If he dies he is
laid to rest in zinc coffin.
Evening star., 1898-10-29
THE EGYPTIAN AT HOME,
In Hospitality and POliteness He
Stands Pre-eminent.

From Pearsons Weekly.
The Egyptian of today may easily be sur
passed in honesty, courage and the manlier
virtues; yet in hospitality and poiiteness he
stands pre-eminent. No Egyptian sits
down to a meal without asking all passers-
by to partake of it; during his thirty days
fast every year his doors are open to all, no
introduction is needed; to the poor he gives
ungrudgngly.
Though allowed to have four wives, the
Effendi is almost always a monogamist
Marrying early, he is, rule, good
husband and father, and fond Of and kind
to his children
To show the direction in which the ideas
or marriage are setting, we may say that
one OF the first teachers in Mohammedan
law in Egypt some time ago laid down this
maxim, that the prophet has allowed four
wives to any man who would engage to
love all four alike but as he had never met
any one capable Of doing so, he would rec
ofnmehd one wife as the Interpretation of
the prophet S words Indeed, the relations
of the wife so resent a mans marrying
again that it is hardly ever done
In abstinence from drinking to excess the
Whole Egyptian nation stands a head and
shoulders above U.s. The hospitality of the
sheikhs, or village headmen, is boundIess
and takes the shape of feasts at which
Athelstane might have presided and Cedric
peen entertained, and both found them
selves at home.
We have seen men sit down to a banquet
or twenty-one heavy courses where a huge
turkey was the seventeenth course: and the
hrst course alone consisted of a whole
sheep, inside which was goose, inside that
chicken, then pigeon, and finally an
egg, which last was presented to the nrin-
cpal guest, as containing the essence Of all
fhe weakest point of the Egyptians arm
or or Is ms lack of courage, and very feeble
idea of what fair play means. An Egyptian
EHendl, or man of the upper classes, told
me with great satisfaction of a duel one of
his countrymen had with an Italian. in
which the Egyptian chose clubs as the
weapon to fight with, and then disabled
the right hand of the Italian by a sudden
blow before the duel had begun He actu-
ally could see nothing to blame In his coun-
tryman, but rather commended his promnt-
ness in action
On the other hand, recent events In the
soudan nave shown that the EGYPTIAN
makes good fighting man, provided
he mas faith in his officers, and is not called
upon to act for himself. He cannot take
the initiative.
Evening star., 1898-10-29
Fined for Wearing knickers.
-Drra tho L .dar.

When a German official goes by the name
OF Staatsanwaitsschaftsr he feels that
he is entitled to a certain reverence.
witness must not. for instance, appear be-
fore his sesquipedalian worship in the cos
tune OF the complete cylist, and so recently
In the correctional tribunal of the Berlin
iahdsericht No . man O the wheel was
nned - marks for appearing In what tie
Indictment termed "pump-hosen and fri
cot-jacket with jacket external" The presi
dent made an appropriate little speech. in
which he explained TO the culprit that II
was not to the man, but to the magistrate,
@ ne had peen wanting In respect, and the
accused assured the president in replv thar
ne mad as great reverence for his name
as for his office" The latter was. as 81
ieany sa1o' Observation-Disclosures and
the former was merely Smith. which shows
that the gloTieS of our berth and state
even legal berth and judicial state-are
shauoWs' not substantial things. The wear
er of the pump-hosen was then disrnisse5
minus 20 marks.
Evening star., 1898-10-29

his dinner In rad handkerchief. Behind
comes another and another. then two, then
group You notice that they all step on
ward as with purpose, so differently from
the loafers of the night. These must be
morning people, beginning their day. not
ending it. Then you turn the corner Of Liver
pool street and thick column of men IS
streaming out of the Great Eastern station,
heading across the road, plunging forward
into the streets all around.
And suddenly, all at once, 1t is morning.
Dawn steals up shyly under electric lamps,
but now you see that the sky has lightened
from dark gray to nearly white. Things
begin to clothe themselves in their day col
ors. You fesl the breath of the morning on
your face and it's indefnable stirring in
your blood-yes, even in Finsbury you feel
it. People crowd in around every corner
from every opening, as at a cue. They
might be the chorus filling up the stage or
an opera From Broad street now, as well
as Liverpool street, on foot, on bicycles,
leaping down from the tailboards of rail-
way wagons, they come and come. A pub
lie house, closed a moment ago, is sud
denly open.
Torrent of People.
For two hours they pour in steadily;
faster and faster the stations vomit them
out till succeeding train loads merge into
one continuous torrent of people Nearly
all men, which is characteristic of the land
where the workman brings a cup of tea
to his wife's bedside; abroad 4 large pro-
portion would be women. The wonder is
where they all go to. For though London
is clearly awake and has already absorbed
it's thousands, it hardly seems less empty
than before. A few men a. work on
building, an electrical engineer on a door
step just getting to work at his dynalDcs,
man removing a dust bia--that is all,
so far. London is so vast that they soak
in no deeper than this.
no ri 10 in
every station pours in its fresh hordes.
Presently the shops are opening. The first
tall hat rises splendidly On the scene, and
London is awake indeed.