davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-12-10

provisions means an extra expense,
and so it is reckoned that fighting
man requires % cents DAY for his
maintenance. Now, at this rate, the
government is obliged to pay $50, $40
a day for food for the 277, 900 men en-
listed. Each man is entitled to an
allowance of twenty ounces OF fresh
meat day, which means total o!
346, $50 pounds for the entire army.
OF -four the allowance is eighteen
ounces, amounting to 1889 barrels a
day for the whole army. Reckoning
things on the same basis, the army as
at present constituted requires 1871
barrels of potatoes daily, and for the
same period 81, TOO pounds OF coffee,
Al, $50 pounds Of sugar. II, 279 pounds
of salt, 5639 pounds of soap. 4424
pounds of candles, 692 pounds Of
pepper and A hogsheads of vinegar
During the war the loss to the
Spaniards by ships destroyed has
been $24, 500, 900. The cost OF thu
war to the United States may reach
billion dollars. York Sun.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-12-10
Church Built Out of Cricket Matches.


The cost of building the native
church of the London Missionary So
ciety in Apia has been betrayed chiefly
by cricket matches! Once q week
the chiefs ordered all the people. men
and women, boys and girls, to play
the game. Any one who disobeyed
this order was fined a dollar. This
did not often happen, for all usually
mustered ON the ground for play.
The matches were played in different
parts of the town, and from three to
four hundred players would take part
in one game. Each player Of the
losing side had to subscribe twenty.
five cents towards the building OF the
church. The scheme became very
popular, and after while folks OF al
denominations, people from Other
parts of the world, white and black.
desired to participate in the game. Il
was finally arranged that any person
not belonging to the church could in
dulge in an innings upon payment .
twenty-five cents to the church. a
number of young men who otherwise
would not have subscribed q cent Il
the church became large supporter
and subscribers, and many quarters
were gathered in each day of the play
and now the Apia natives are in thu
proud position of having one OF tn
finest and most handsome churches il
the islands, entirely free from debt. =
Australian Correspondence, Western
Daily Mercury, England.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-12-10

The following from Outing describes
some of the birds which breed 80
plentifully In the land of the Kion-
dixie:
seNo sooner had the twilight settled
over the island than new bird voices
called from the hills about us. The
birds of the day were ct rest and their
place was filled with the night deni-
zens of the island. They came from
the dark recesses Of the forests, first
single stragglers, increased by mid
night to stream of eager birds, pass.
ing to and from the sea. Many, as-
tracted by the glow of the burning
logs, altered their course aud circled
about the fire few times and then
sped on. From their notes we iden-
tilted the principal night providers q
the Csssin's auklet, rhinoceros auk,
murrelet and varieties of petrol.
Gall through the night our slumberG
we're frequently disturbed by birds
alighting on the sides of the tent, slip
ping down with great scratching into
the grass below, whore our excited
dog took hand in the matter, day
light often finding our tent strewl
with the birds he had captured during
the night. When he found time to
sleep do not know. He was afts1
birds the entire twenty-four hours.
s'In climbing over the hills Of thu
island we discovered the retreats d
these night birds, the soil everywhere
through the deep woods being fairly
honeycombed with their nesting bur
rows. The larger tunnels Of the rhi
noceros auks were, as rule, on tn
slopes of the hill, while the little bur
rows Of the Cassin's auklet we're Of
top in the fat places. We openc'
many Of their queer sbodes that raj
back with many turns to distance 2
ten feet or more. One or both bird
were invariably found at the end, GOV
ering their single egg, for this species
like many other sea birds, divide th
| duties of incubation, both sexes dom
an equal share, relieving each othe
ct night.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-12-10

The prevalent idea that slow eating
is very favorable to digestion is largely
fallacious, says the Journal Of Mental
and Nervous Diseases.
"The important point is not that
we eat slowly or fast, but that when
we do eat we chew with energy. OF
course, where the haste is due to
some mental anxiety, this may inju-
riously inhibit the secretions. Slow
eating begets a habit Of simply
mumbling the food without really
masticating it. while the hurried eater
is inclined to swallow his food before
proper mastication. Hence, hurried
eating is bad, but rapid mastication
is advantageous. It concentrates oul
energies on the act in question, and
hence more thoroughly accomplished
it. Moreover, energetic chewing
stimulates the secretion Of saliva II
the most favorable manner. These
various points are so commonly mis-
understood, at least by the laity, tha
they demand our frequent attention.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-12-10
WOMEN AS BOOK AGENTS.

Boundless Field Of Opportunity for
the Sex In This Line.
"There is one pursuit captured by
women" said Washington lawyer to
the Star man the other day, "that has
hardly attracted any attention. That
is the selling of law books. There is
a boundless field of opportunity for
the sex in this line of work. The
multiplicity of courts, the rapid in
crease of business and of lawsuits,
and the ever-swelling host OF young
lawyers, together afford an excuse for
vast amount of printing. There are
dozen or more large publishing
houses running at full force on new
law books, which must be sold. Some
of them are indispensable and every
good lawyer must have them. But q
large proportion are reports OF the
decisions of out-of-the-way courts,
collections of cases in special lines OF
practice, or digests of all manner OF
obiter law in every petty court in the
land. OF course the only way to sell
this stuff is to put travelling statesmen
out on the road to get right at the
profession and cram the books down
the lawyers throat. Nearly all tho
publishing houses employ handsome,
bright, quick-witted women to do
this part of the work. Some of them
are attractive and do not allow their
charms to drive away business. Most
| of them, however, are middle-aged
women who have had good deal OF
| experience in business and know hui
man nature to q dot. They invade
the lawyers office and by their thor
ough knowledge of law and practice,
together with the knack OF telling
good stories and dealing out modi-
cum of fattery, soon inveigle fellow
into subscribing for a shelf full Of
wood pulp, lampblack and sheepskir
that he had far better let rot in thu
publishers cellars. And the young
student who has greatness, fame ane
fortune by the throat, he falls an cas-.
prey to the lady law book agent. On
way she does it is to get hold of
professor or some bright student, ant
from him learn all about every clas
in the various law schools. Then sh
sizes up each man and knows just VIII
is likely to be an easy victim. 1t i
safe to say that where there was ont
law book sold in the primitive ant
class times of Daniel Webster ant
Henry Clay, there are twenty sol
now. Every two-year-old practitione
in the country nowadays has NOR
books than Webster and Clay eve
dreamed of owning. The lady bool
agent is largely responsible for it.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-12-10
sit in the Middle Cars.

aI'm very particular" said a COM
mercial traveller to a Washington
Star reporter, what car of the train
I select. l travel thousands of miles
a year, and have made it rule to OBJ
serve in the accounts Of railroad &C.
cidents which cars OF the train are
the most often demolished. The re-
suit of my experience-for l have
been in a dozen smash-ups-and OBJ
servations are that the middle cars
are the safest. / never under any
circumstances ride In the rear car.
I avoid the car next to the baggage
car. though this Is selected by many
as the safest. The greatest danger
at present In railroad travelling IL
telescoping. When man has been
in wreck and has seen the engine
of the colliding train half way inside
of the rear car, or rather what's LEFT
of it. it impresses him most forc1bly
The baggage-car is usually heavily
loaded. and in the collision its weight
together with the ponderous engine
generally smashes the next car Il
splinters, while the central cars ar
comparatively uninjured. When tn
train is derailed the baggage car ant
next coach, as rule, go over In
roadbeds of our great transcontinenta
lines are so solid, each section Is s
carefully examined, the rolling stoc
is so much improved, that broke
wheel or axle and like mishaps ar
reduced to a minimum. But wher
trains follow on a minute or two LEI
| way and the blocks or automatic slt
nails don't work-well, look IN tn
| Star the next day for further particl
| lars and see if my judgement Is nc
correct
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-27

easily run his employers into bankrupt
cy, says "Harper's Bazaar
ON the outbreak OF the war the staff
vessels TO carry correspondents to the
cable offices were increased astonish-
ingly, and were chartered at the ex-
orbitant prices that shipowners were
able To charge under the circumstances.
One journal had no less than ten sea-
going craft in commission, at an aggre-
gate expense of over 81 800 per day for
their use only, and as IL cost from 80
TO so cents per word to send press mat
ter from st. Thomas or Jamaica. and
$l.45 to $l.S0 per word for press cables
from Hong Kong. "A correspondent was
put to his wits TO know where TO stop.
one New Yark correspondent paid
Sc 400 in American gold to get his de-
scription of the fight with Cervera to
his newspaper. A writer in McClure's
gives good idea of the absolute neces-
sary expenses that were forced upon the
newspapers in order TO accomplish the
remarkable feats of news-getting that
last summer saw. Owing TO the threat
ened hazards of the war, shipowners
exacted from $1,000 to $4,000 a month
for the use of each of these boats, and
the newspapers were required 10 bear
the additional expense of fire. marine,
accident and war insurance. which the
alarmed underwriters of New York had
fixed at the enormous rate of per
cent. "a month-equal in a year TO near
ly the total value OF the boat.
one managing editors salary list for
a single week, including only war cor
respondents, amounted to $1.463.51.
single correspondent representing an
other New York paper is said to receive
$4,000 a year
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-27
tablished both by sacred and profane
MUSICIANS AND STAGE FRIGHT.

That nervous condition known as
stage fright. or trema, we are apt to
think of as the peculiar bugaboo of
the tyro. But among musicians, at
least. this is not the case. On the con-
trary. says a writer in the Musical
Courier il attacks the greatest artists
most frequently. and increases with in
crcasing age In the long list of its
victims are such names as Rubnstein,
List. Bulow and Joachim. The writer
says:
"Trema. or fright, declares its pres
ence in the most different forms. 1t
makes one man tremble, another pers-
pire, the third has headache. the
fourth thirst Its most fearful mani
festation-chiefly among the strings
is the tatterich that can be detected
in the nervous trembling of the bow i'm
long protracted tones. There is. per-
haps. no violinist who does not suffer
from it, Master Joachim does pretty
often. A Violinist i'm Berlin-he lives
now in Australia-had IL not only in his
hands. but also in his legs, so that
when he stood on the PLATFORM ne feit
pushed forward by some Invisible pow
er without being able TO check III. But
pianists. singers and Observation-Disclosures
all suffer similarity. Some have it i'm the
fingers that run away with them; oth-
ers in the throat: others in the lips
"Rubenstein notoriously suffered very
much from this nervousness. IL went
so far that when he once had to play in
a concert. at the very moment of his
appearance. he vanished from the ar
lists room and could not be found
again. The concert had to go on with
out him.
alfred Grunning. the brilliant Wen
ma pianist. on the days of his concerts,
used To make plans for the future-h ne
will settle down in some village, ne
will teach the village youth the nrst
principles Of piano playing. The rest OF
the time he will pass i'm digging pota-
toes and fattening ducks, and thus lead
a auiet existence that cannot try the
nerves. He will never give any more
concerts Today Is the last time.
Then If the concert Is unusually sue
cessful and he has no other concerts
for the next three days, he feels himselt
the most unfortunate man in the world.
among great singers Johann Beck
of Vienna the baritone OF baritoneS.
was severely attacked. Down To his
last years. every evening and before eV-
cry performance, he stood. quivering
like an aspen leaf, I'm the wings. and
crossed himself ten times before he en-
tered the stage. Alois Ander. the tenor.
died mad. The nervous stage fright
had no little To do with this tragic
fate
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-27
'TWIxT YOU AND ME-.

We'll. VIC all had them on this
morning.
Coming down i'm our trolley car.
Our sample Christmas present ]
mean.
There was our bank man eve run.
one bank man TO the car on our route.
which distinguishes us from some of
the cars which couldn't, show a bank
man or even "A Westminster street mer-
chant anywhere for the whole length OF
their route-but our line is different
We. are very swell--the cars don't pre-
tend to carry any passengers until half
past eight in the morning), wen, as /
was saying
There was our bank man. lie had
an umbrella that had christmas"
stamped all over il as plain as a sign
or the side Of a barn.
lit looked awfully new and just as
dry as could be. There was big
wooden handle that must have remind
ed him of the coal shovel when he
graspcd it. and a little silver plate lay
on it, and on the plate. OF course, there
were his initials. The silver plate lying
there ON the wooden handle suggested
a pretty miniature coffin.
The bank man observed tc every
new passenger that came In and saluted
him that III looked like rain" This re-
mark seemed to explain the presence OF
the umbrella on some other ground
than that he was showing il of as a
new thing.
The motorman had n new pair of
quarantine yellow leather gloves.
The conductor proudly displayed a
pair of scarlet mittens which he pulled
oft To take every fare and pulled on
again after taking IL with an affeCta-
tion of unconcern as If scarlet mits
were the regular thing in his business.
He and she came down together as
usual. she had on a new pair of gloves
which | II bet anything he gave her,
and he had on another new pair which,
of course, she gave him. They looked
into each others eyes much as usual on
the way down town, and now and then
glanced approvinsly at one another's
Christmas gloves.
Il heard hin, explain that his sister
gave him the spick and span new neck
tie that seemed To concern her "A trife
But. tween you and me. | think he was
trying to fool the poor girl.
The brunette typewriter in our car,
who always studies her stenography
book en- route-which leads me to sus-
peot that she reads novels all day at
the olIice-had a new muff which she
exhibited with great gladness TO the
law student who occasionally passes
the time of day with her, and explained
that pepper gave il to me-"
Il didn't see anything that looked
new on the law student-no newer than
he always is; that is.
Perhaps his star Christmas present
was the same as mine.
Il had mine on, but OF course, you
couldn't see it.
1t is n gray mixture and said TO be
all wool.
My landlady gave them to me--two
pairs of them, in fact, with undervests
To match.
They come in real handy these
chilly days. THE CRANK.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-27

be no such opposition II the Democratic
party were in control OF the govern
ment and It's administration was re-
sponsible for the solution OF the prob
lens now before the Mckinley admins
tration. For il Is a fact OF history that
the Democratic party has been re-
sponsible for much of our national ex-
.pansion in the past though It may be
argued that. while the partisan name
has been maintained almost from the
beginning of the nation, the party itself
is not necessarily the same today as II
was. for instance, at the time OF
Thomas Jefferson, The Philippines,
which are the chief bone of contention.
since. except for the principle Of the
thing. even the opponents OF expansion
do not seem 10 be worrying about well
ordered Porto Rico or little Guam, are
not an imposing territory TO tack on TO
a great country like the United States.
their area being only little more than
three per cent. Of that OF our big coun-
try, or about the proportion that Flor
ida bore 10 the national domain at the
time il was annexed. Under successive
Democratic executives from Jefferson
20 Franklin Pierce, there was annexed
territory amounting TO nearly three
hundred per cent. OF their area OF their
country. beside which record the Phil
ippines seem only small bite to chew.
And of our fellow citizens who are
scared of the job OF taking them over
or who lind a principle i'm opposition i'm
volved. there seems to be only a feeble
showing either i'm influence or numbers.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-27
D..

BENT-In Worcester. 25th inst. Mrs.
Elizabeth Il. Bent widow of John
Q. A. Bent. aged so years.
CAFFERTY-In this city. 26th inst,
Alice Irene, only child of John A.
and Alice l.. Cafferty OF 26 CARING
ton avenue. aged years 2 months
and days.
COMMINS-In this city, Path inst, Eliza.
wife of Alfred Commins, aged IS
years.
GRIFFIN--At Saranac Lake, New
York. 18th inst, Annie L.. wife OF
George NJ. Griffin of this city, aged
Al years.
MOWRY-In this city. 25th inst, ,Olney
Mowry, aged u years.
PERRIN-In Pawtucket. 25th inst.
Sarah A., wife OF Frank l.. Perrin,
aged "a years.
ROBINSON-In this city. cath inst,
Anna Balch, wife of the late James
Robinson.
SWEET-In Chepachet. 25th, inst, Lena
NJ. Sweet, aged % years.
STEVENSON-In this city. 26th inst.
Annie VIII Stevenson, aged % years
WHEATON-In this city. 2Gth inst.
Catherine g. Y. Wheaton. wife OF
Scars.
YATES--In this city. e6th inst, Ste
phen Yates, aged s6 years.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-27

Meantime the disposition of the ter
ritory that Dewey's skin and valor won
is in dispute. but as a whole the Ameri-
can people evidently are not worried
over the outcome. The protest OF those
singular folk over in Massachusetts
who are subscribing TO petitions against
expansion and the proclamations of
William j. Bryan fall as soft as dew.
The sound sense of the American peo-
pie is not moved to make mountains OF
mole hills We folks, as a rule. decline
60 be frightened by bogies. The ma
tion has had TO grapple from time 10
tiHse=ss44t t4as=frs-obfrrTrs so big= that whnt
It shall do with the Philippines doesn't
strike IL as a hard one TO answer. And
Senator Morgan Of Alabama punctures
the Bryan tire when ne declares that
neither the foyner colonel of the Third
Nebraska regiment nor anybody else
can control party's opinion on the
subject or assume 60 lead party or
ganization since no party has yet de-
clared itself on the expansion question.
and the views of individuals, however
distinguished they may be are nothing
more than personal opinions. having
only the force OF such pending action
by national convention The circum-
stances under which the new ideas have
arisen are entirely moved and peculiar
aud every man I'm the United states Is
at perfect liberty 20 form an opinion
for himself without respect TO party
lines as TO the new possessions. And II
IS encouragingly clear that the Bryan
idea Will not have much more influence
with the Democratic party than the
similar ideas as enunclated by senator
Hoar. are having with the Republicans
who just now control the government.
Furthermore II seems likely that the
expansion problem viii be well on its
way toward solution before the national
conventions meet in 1900, and the coun-
try VIII be ready Tor issues that are
not over ripe.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-27
It'd BITS
chilly days

Theatrical posters must have the APP
proval of a committee of the City Coun-
ell I'm Hartford.
Experiments seem to show that
large ocean steamer going at ten knots
an hour will move more than two miles
after its engines have been stopped and
reversed.
Valuable discoveries of amber have
been made i'm British Columbia which.
it is claimed. will be able to supply the
pipemakers of the world with amber
for 100 years.
The population of India increases at
the rate of 5000 900 annually.
The new mayor of Atlanta is a type
setter. So was b. Franklin.
In Connecticut clocl<makers give en-
ployment TO 5000 persons
The finest emeralds known are said
TO be those belonging to the Spanish
crown.
A man-eatlng shark. IA feet long,
weighing LOO pounds, was captured.
together with her brood. i'm the Fair
haven Canning Company's fish trap at
Cherry Point.
Sir Thomas Lipton's latest scheme
for furnishing meals TO the millions
for very small sum is still being crit
icised by the small tradesmen and shop
pers i'm London.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-27
DID DR.. JOHNSON EAT HORSE ?

Or Johnson i'm his journal mentions
the interesting fact that he had on a
certain day had "palfrey for dinner
Now these three words have caused not
a little trouble To the critics. and for
this reason. that they know not what
palfrey really is. IL has been suggested
that pafrey is clerical error made by
the doctor himself for pastry. But the
doctor wrote so legibly. and there is So
much difference between the words PAL
frey and pastry that this position Is
not AT all tenable. Palfrey Is defined in
Johnson's celebrated dictionary as "a
small horse nt for ladies' and some
have thought that the doctor twhosc
feats as "A trenchman were nOtorious)
may have broken record on the day in
question. and disposed of a small horse.
All these aud other ConiccturCs are
wrong. aud We win proceed to give the
correct explanation.
The word palfrey sometimes PAM
Trey by the interchange OF } and mn is
SIN in use among the rustiCs or Scot
land and the North or Ireland, and
means young cabbages when they first
come 20 table i'm the spring such cab-
bageS have not begun Co close" or be-
come solid in the center. They are gen
orally spoken OF as early pamfrey"
and are considered a luxury. Dr. John
son probably picked up the word from
his friend Boswell on from some other
Scotch acquaintancc.-N0 Notes and Qucr-
les.