davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
Sea Shells That Explode.

"A contributor describes the ouriors
Phenomena of explosive sea shells. He
says: Walking along the beach on Mo-
blle bay, young woman, relative of
the writer, picked up a handful of little
shells, left by the tide, and among them
were several shells of a small marine
snail the largest of which was prob
ably half inch in diameter and the
smallest some three-eights of an inch.
She dropped them into her pocket and
forgot all about them until several davs
afterward, when an unpleasant odor
In her wardrobe attracted her attention
to them. On taking them out of her
pocket some fell on the floor, and in re-
covering them she placed her foot on
one. The act was followed by an ex-
Ploslon, quite sharp, and loud enough
10 be heard all over the floor on which
her room is. Astonished, she concluded
to try another, and the same result fol-
lowed. The shells were then brought tn
the writer, who on examination found
the mouth of each firmly closed by
membrane of greater or less thickness,
formed by the drying of the animal
slime. This had probably occurred
soon after removal from the moisture
of the beach, and the little inha bitants
of the shell dying, the gases of decom-
position had quite filled its internal
space. On exerting a little pressure
by squeezing the shell between two
blocks of wood quite a loud explosion
was produced, the fragments of the
shell being thrown several feet. Subse-
quently, on trying the experiment, out
of dozen shells only two failed to ex-
Druggist.
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
SWEETS IN QUEEN REss' TIME.
Odd Names of Some Old lime
DeIacacfes.

Odd Names of Some Old lime
DeIacaciea.
During the Elizabethan period there
grew up in England a great national
liking for sweet things. Not merely
was this seen in the general taste for
sugar cinfiture, but it was manifested
in the general demand for sweet wines,
the rich sherries, the charneco, the
sack, the sugary almond-f1ayored sack
posset, and other drinks of the same
class. In drinking, as in eating. the in
crease of appetite for sugar grew by
what it fed on. Though not sweet
meat in the strict sense of the term.
"sack-posset" so largely represented
the taste of that time for sweetness and
flavor that the recipe of Sir Fleetwood
Shepherd, given by Mr.. Howard Staun-
ton in his Shakespeare notes, is worth
quoting: ITO make a sack-posset.
Take two quarts of pure good cream
and quarter of pound of the best al
monds. Stamp them in the cream and
boil with amber and musk therein.
Then take pint of sack in a basin and
set it on chafng dish till it be blood
warm. Then take the yolzs of IL eggs,
with four of their whites, and beat
them well together; and so put the
eggs into the sack. Then stir all to-
gether over the Goals till it is as thick
as you would have it. If you now take
some amber and musk and grind the
same quite small with sugar and strew
this on top of your posset, 1 promise
you that it shall have a most delicate
and pleasant taste" There was an
other mixture of the same class called
'rambooz," made of eggs, ale, wine and
sugar. ~ 4ExArsa
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
IN THE NATURAL GAS DISTRICT
A Very Unattrnctive Place where
NicnY Accidents Occnr

A Very Unattrnctive Place Where
Many Accidents Occur.
Passing through a>gas-beIt Il one will
see near the roadside, in farm lot, a
mud-bespattered, weather beaten der
rick, with the apparently rickety ac-
compartment of crude appliances made
familiar years ago in the oil regions
q small reversing engine, n rusty loco
motive boiler, usually without a stack
AMI leaking at every seam; the pom
derous wooden walking beam slowly
oscillating night and day, stopping ONLY
to give place to the use of the bull wheel
when the drill is raised and the sand
pump is lowered, or a newly-dressed bit
is put in service. Crude as the rig and
all its details may seem at first glance,
every part is soon seen to have it's use.
and the journey OF the bit from the
surface 10 the unknown, and perhaps
barren, depths, is always accompanied
by interesting and ever-varying devel.
opments. SAYS Casters Magazine.
AT night the measured beat and clat-
ter of the rig in the dira light of a few
Pickering torches of gas, piped from
some neighboring well; the trembling
derrick, its lofty top lost in the dark
ness; the driller carefully manipulate
ing the temper screw after each stroke.
controlling the bit at the end of a rope
perhaps half mile below the surface.
all form weird sight. Accidents are
frequent, and the sliPhtst carelessness
may result in dropping the tools, the
recovery of which requires patience
and often great ingenuity.
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
wAsPs IN THE PULPIT.
Nest OF the Fiery Insects Made In the
Minister'S Pocket.

Minister'S Pocket.
A well-known Pittsburgh preacher
tells an amusing incident of his early
career, when he was serving a country
church. The time was midsummer.
One Sunday morning he was unable to
find his conventional black frock, and
at the last moment his wife persuaded
him to wear an ordinary coat which had
been lying on a porch for several days.
A large family of wasps had taken
shelter il one of the roomy pockets, but
in his hurry to get to the pulpit the
young minister did not have time to ex-
anime the contents of the coat.
When he arrived at the country
chapel the congregation was waiting.
The services had already commenced
by singing. As the aspiring preacher
walked up the aisle peculiar buzz was
heard coming from the minister's per-
son. Entering the pulpit he began his
sermon by reading passage of Scrip
ture. Then he started in on his sermon.
He had not gone far with the discourse
until he began to find something de-
cidely wrong. It annoyed him. Soon
the sprightly wasps began to crawl out
of their nest and flew about the min
1ster's head. He stood the ordeal as
long as he could with any degree of
peace of mind. Then the sermon was
brought to a speedy close and with a
hing the coat was cast out of a window.
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
PECULIAR cHINEsE cusToMs.
The Young Are Buried with Few Flu.
neral Rites.

13e Young Are Buried with Few Flu.
neral Rites.
The customs of the Chinese in the
matter of death and burial are certain
ly peculiar. Infants are buried sum-
marily. without cofins, and the young
are inferred with few rites; but the fu-
nerals of the aged of both sexes are
elaborate in proportion to the number
OF the descendants and to their wealth.
When childless married man dies, his
widow may perform all the duties of
q SON toward him, may remain in his
house, and may edopt children to rear
as his heirs, and as worshippers of the
family names. If his widow purposes
marrying again. young male relative
may, with the consent of senior men,
bers of the clan, undertake the services
expected from a son, and may inherit
the estate of the deceased. When one
is about to die, he is removed from his
couch to a bench, or to a mat on the
floor, because of belief that he who
dies in bed will carry the bedstead as
burden into the other world He is
washed in new vessel, in warm water,
in which a bundle of incense sticks is
merged. After the washing the vessel
and the water are thrown away topeth-
er He is then arrayed in a full suit
OF new clothing, that he may appear
at his best. He breathes his last in
the main room before the largest door
IN the house. that the departing soul
may easily find its way out into the
air. A sheet of spirit money (brown
paper having patch of gliding on one
surface) is laid over the upturned face,
because it is said that if the eyes are
left uncovered the corpse may count
the row of tiles in the roof, and that
in such case the family should never
build more spacious domicile.
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
GIANTS OF PATAGONIA.
The TehueIches Average But Little
Under Six Feet.


The tribes to the east of the Cordil-
lcras, in southern Patagonia, belong to
Araucanian stock, and are a superior
race, says the Boston Transcript. The
Tehuelches-as they call themselves
of southern and eastern Patagonia are
the people whose unusual stature gave
rise to the fables of early days to the
effect that the natives of this region
were giants, averaging nine or ten feet
III height. 1t is fact they are the tall
est human beings in the world, the men
averaging but slightly less than six
feet, while individuals of four to six
inches above that mark are not uncom-
mon. They are in reality by no means
savages, but somewhat civilized bar
barians. They are almost unacquaint-
ed with the use of firearms, notwith-
standing some contact with the whites,
but they have plenty of horses and
dogs:
Unsurpassed hunters, they capture
the guanaco and the rhea, or South
American ostrich, and from the skins
of these and other animals they make
clothes and coverings for their tents.
They make beautiful 'capes'' or man
ties, of fur and feathers, which are
highly priced by Europeans and find a
ready market, most of the proceeds
being spent for bad whisky, which is
brought into the country in quantities
by traders.
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
WHISKY SAVED HIS LIFE.
mississippi Steamboat Man Preserved
His Anatomy Intact.

-+-@SSASSAPpA steamboat Man Preserved
His Anatomy Intact.
Charles Gross is a whitelheade1, me-
gro porter on the steamboat st. Paul.
Gays the st. Louis Republic
Charlie has some very pronounced
opinions, which amount to convictions.
One of these is that, while, whisky costs
some men their lives, it saved his.
Seven years ago Charlie was porter
On the Mascot, packet boat running
between st. Louis and Cape Girardeau.
he had been imbibing a prodieious
amount of fire water when a friend of
his came into the saloon on the Ieyee
where he was enjoying himself and
said: You mus hur' up, Charlie. Yoh
boats ringin' her ben.''
What f she is?" said Charlie. ssI'u
go on the mex trip" and he returned TO
1.-THE CAM
The Mascot went ON her way with
out Charlie, and when she was opposite
Neligh's Landing she blew up, killing
most of her crew. So Gross is firm in
the belief that an all-ordering Proyi-
dence gave him that remarkable ca
paeity for fiery fluid in order to save
him from the fate of the sober mem-
bers of the crew.
He has sworn off since at the emphatic
request of Capt. Burke, but what he has
lost in the way of accomplishments in
the line of throwing beer into hisself''
has been the cause of anxiety on his
part. He is superstitious about the
'cuip that inebriates'' and fears that
some day he will be punished, as un-
grateful friends are likely to be, by the
blowing up of the St. Paul and all her
sober crew.
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
Are You Interested?

The o. R. N. Co.'S New Book
On the Resources of Oregon, Washing
ton and Idaho is being distributed. Our
readers are requested to forward the
addresses of their Eastern friends and
acquaintances, and copy of the work
will be sent them free. This is a mat
ter all ehould be interested in, and we
would ask that everyone take an in
terest and forward such addresses to W.
II. HURLBURT, General Passenger Agent,
o. R. & N. Co., Portland.
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
sLAck-TAILED eRuNrs MUCK.
How They Managed to Get Their
Fku OF shrimps Daily.

How They Managed to Get Their.
FIJI OF shrimps Daily.
The varieties of fishes at the Aqua
rum number more than the tanks
there, so it is necessary to double up
some of them, putting more than one
variety in tank. One of the tanks
thus stocked contains three moonfish
from Gravesend bay, and four black
tailed or blue-striped, grunts from the
Bermudas, says the New York Sun.
One of the regular articles of food
on the Aquarium bill of fare is shrimps;
pretty much all fishes are fond of them.
In summer, when shrimps are plentiful
and easily obtained, they are fed more
or less freely to all; in winter, when
shrimps are scarce and difficult to OBJ
tain, they are fed only to such fishes
as need them for their well being, or
that must be pampered along to keep
them. OF this last class are the moon
fish; they must have shrimps, and
shrimps are fed to them.
The moonfish are lively and quick,
but the hlack-tailed grunts in the same
tank are livelier and quicker still. The
grunts, if they couldn't get anything
better. would eat cut-up herring and
pieces of clam, and do well on it; but
they don't eat such coarse food when
they can get shrimps, as they can here.
At feeding time they snap up food in
tended for the moonfish as fast as the
shrimps are put into the water, giving
the moonfish next to no show at all.
Thus the black-tailed grunts are in
great luck. They get their fill of
shrimps daily, and not until they are
satisfied do the moonfishes come in for
their daily meal
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
THE JACK RAesITs OF TEXAS
Not Commonly Used as an Article OF

Food.
The big rabbits or hares that hang in
front of Washington restaurants are
not the jaclkrabbits or mule ears that
abound on the Texas prair;es,'' said Mr..
c. 0. Ker1s, of the Lone Star state, re-
ports the Washington Post. 'The sort
that we have and that are common all
through the southwest are of a brown
color, Identical with their small cotton
tail brethren that abound in Virginia
and Maryland, and that are numerous
all through the old southern states.
These imported hares with white bellies
come from Canada, where all wild ami
mails turn white in winter to match the
snowclad earth, and they are not nearly
as large as our Texas jackrabbits, nor
do they have the enormously big ears
that distinguish the Texas family. ]
should say that ours will get over the
ground twice as fast as their Canadian
cousins. A greyhound is the only ami
NAL, in fact, that can overtake a mule
ear. An ordinary dog never forgets him
self so far as to chase one for even the
distance of a city block. It would be
rank waste of canine energy to do so
The jackrabbit is regarded at home
more as an ornament to the landscape
than anything else. Hungry men IN
camp who have run out of ordinary
grub will occasionally kill them to stop
the pangs of hunger, and they are said
to be really fine eating, but they are
not regarded as fit for the menu of the
average Texas family"
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
The Kniser,s Titles.

In case any of our readers may have
occasion to address the German en-
peror, we have modelled on his brothers
speech of yesterday the mode of appeal
ing to his majesty which is most like
ly to elicit favorable response: ''Most
Sublime Emperor, All Powerful King,
and About-to-be Lord of all the Earth,
Inspired Sender of kilograms, Serene
Annexcr of Foreign Ports, Beloved Mas
ter, Most Mighty and Illustrious Mon
arch, Anointed and Made in Germany,
Ruler of All Men, for ever and ever.
Hooray! Hoo-jolly-ray! Hoo-Billy-
rayi"-London Globe
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
RICH STRIKES YEARS AGO.
Nevada City District EquaIed Some of
the KIOnGiIre Region Records.

Nevada City District EQuaIed Some of
the kIOnGiIre Region Records.
The city papers are publishing ac-
counts of the fabulous richness of the
gravel mines in the Klondike section of
Alaska, and while in some instancesthe
stories appear to be rather highly coll
ored they are not ahead of what hap
Pened in different parts of California in
early days. On September 13, 1850,
says the Nevada City Transcript, A.
Isoard, who is still resident of our
city, obtained from one painful of gravel
S912 worth of gold dust and small mug
gets. The gravel was taken from dig
gings directly back of Mrs C. Beck
mans residence on the upper East
Broad street. From piece of ground
80 feet square in the same claim Mr.
lsoard and partners took out $164,OOO.
The old Nebraska, the Manzanita and
the Hirschman diggings were wonder
fully rich in the early times, as were
many other smaller claims. To obtain
S4OO or $500 from single pan of dirt
was a common occurrence. Many re,
markably rich pockets were found on
Red Hill years ago. In one instance two
prospectors found beneath a bovlder
81, 400 worth of solid gold. 1t was in
one irregular mass, in shape more like
a platter than anything else, the golden
Jumps being joined together with fine
wires of gold.
All of these rich strikes were made
near the city, none of them two miles
away. Notwithstanding the great
quantity of gold that has been taken
out in this vicinity since 1s49 there are
yet untold riches buried here in the
gravel and quartz mines for which Ne
vada City district is noted.
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
EXIT THE ARCTIC WHALE.
Pursuit by Man Has Virtually Extfn-
Euished the Deep-Sea Monster.

Pursuit by Man Has Virtually Extfn-
Euished the Deep-Sea Monster.
Whalers, and especially the man with
the harpoon, have always been popular
characters, and, indeed, the perils and
exploits of their trade form not the
least stirring chapter in the romance
OF commerce, says the London Ora phic.
1t will, therefore, touch most of us with
some slight sense of loss to learn-as a
correspondent OF the Pail Mall Gazette
assures us-that, as far as the arctic
seas are concerned, that chapter is
closed. This is a prosaic age, and the
results of that famous corporation of
Whalers, the Dundee Arctic Fisheries
company, limited, for the last two wears
have, it is said, not only not satisfied the
shareholders, but have resulted in a
heavy loss. The right whale, which
provides the famous bone, has become
SO scarce that ship is nowadays lucky
II it be rewarded by even one small one
as the reward of a whole seasons
struggle with arctic fog and ice. A
parallel might be drawn between the
pursuit of the arctic leviathan and the
African behemoth, the elephant. Mod
ern improvements in weapons of de-
struction have so thinned both their
tribes that, as objects of profit, they
nave almost ceased to be worth the
seeking.
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
NOVEL TREATMENT.
The Russians Take IN Ant Bath tn
Cure Rhcumatism.

The Russians Take nm Ant Ra4I, 20
Cure RhcumatIsm
The Russian peasants, more esnecia1-
Iy those residing in the neighborbood
OF Moscow, have a peculiar and original
method of treating themselves for that
bane of mankind, rheumatism. MANY
cures, even in very bad cases. are. #
is claimed, effected by making the ma
uent take ant baths, says an exchange.
The manner of preparing these baths
is as follows: An anthill is sought. and
when found, sack is filled with ants.
ants eggs, and if it be considered neces-
sary, certain quantity of the earth
which composes the hill The sack is
then closed hermetically and carried to
the home of the sufferer A warm hath
is already prepared here, and the sack
is plunged bodily into the hot water
Soon this latter begins to give off a pe-
cul1ar pungent odor, characteristic of
formic acid. The bath is now ready for
the patients immersion. The action of
the bath on the skin is one of intense
irritation, and the result seems to be n
drawing out of the evil, and the con-
sequent disappearance of the rheumatic
pains.
1t is advisable for anyone who NAV
be tempted to try this remedy to be
careful not to remain too long in the
ant bath, as the consequences might be
total disorganization of the skin.
which would peel off, due to the violent
action of the acid
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
Cattle utilized for Smuggling.

Some of the shrewdest tricks ever
played are by the smugglers of opium, :"
said Fl. A. Tanning, of Seattle. "a very
unique smuggling scheme was un-
earthed few years ago by the United
States secret service officers in North
Dakota. 1t was noticed that an un-
usually large number of cattle were be-
ing driven across the line to the North
Dakota markets, and the secret service
men planned an investigation. For
some time their work was in vain, and
they had about given up hope of dis
covering any unlawful operations, when
an accident revealed the fact that the
nostrils of the cattle were stuffed with
opium wrapped carefully in tin foil.
In this way each steer was worth twice
its normal value. Hundreds upon hun
dreds of animals had been driven across
the border with their nostriIs loaded
with opium, and it was estimated that
the smugglers had cleaned up a profit
of $4,000 before the discovery was
made. But the smugglers were sIy
and they escaped and were never can
tured. st. Louis Globe-Democrat
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
Use wa.hineton,. Mirror.

A family at Warrenton, Va, see them
selves daily in large mirror before
which George Washington used to reg
ularly make his toilet. They have had
it some 35 years, having acquired it at
a sale of the personal effects of Lau-
renee Washington, great nephew of
the great Washing Y. Times.
The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-23
FINDS IN Fill.
Exploration Party Discovers Ne
Wonders on the Island.


A scientific exploration party in
charge of Prof. Agassiz recently paid a
visit to the FIJI islands, making some
discoveries of much general interest,
reports the Japan Gazette. At Maram-
bo they located an extinct volcano, open
on the north side. Dotted over the sur
face of the water in the crater were
numerous mushroom-shaped rocks, and
the water itself in the light of burn
ing sun revealed to the visitors hitherto
unknown beauties of color. At Toloya
a crater of an extinct volcano was
found, into which the steamer could
enter and sail around. Here, as in other
places, the visitors were entertained
with "mili, milxi," which seems to be
something in the nature of corro-
boree.
In the various lagoons visited dredg-
ing was resorted to for the purpose of
securing specimens of coral and marine
animalcule. On the rocks at the base
of the Solos lighthouse, near the North
Astrolabe reefs, at Kandava island, two
sea snakes were caught by Capt
Thompson, who saw no less than ten
of them in as many minutes.
The capture of several live speci-
mems of bulolo, or coral worms, ap-
peared to have caused much gratifica-
ton to the searchers, who, aided by the
natives in canoes. discovered them in
thousands. The worm is said to dis
solve after being about two hours on the
surface. When the results of Prof.
Agassiz's Investigations are made pub
lie they will, doubtless, provide much
interesting and valuable information.