davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03
His Soul Was Heroic.

It was off the Horn. Waves SUCH 81
are epcounted only there in all the
world raced irresistibly. The ship
labored nightly through the night In
lull the cry, Man overboard!" rang
from stem to stern. Without hesita-
ton the helmsman put the wheel
''hard up" The watch peered over
the sides ofthe ship into the foam. All
at once man rushed up the compan-
ionway. He was in his night clothes.
Without waiting a moment, he leaped
the rail, and plunged overheard There
was only death to be found in the boil.
ing benumbing waters. BY some witch.
cry of Neptune, a cross sea tossed the
two men to leeward, and the ship
dipped them up. They were both un-
conscious, and the hero had his man
clutched by the hair. Even to the old
sailors used to miracles of the sea the
safety of the two was not so great q
marvel as the fact that the man had
dared to jump at all; for he was @
timid, seasick landlubber making his
first voyage, and his seeming coward
ice had been the butt of savage scorn.
How, then, had he outdared them all
in recklessness? He was asked the
question. How could he do it?
He answered simply that he had lair
awake nights planning just what h'
would do if he heard the cry, "Mar
oyerboard" 1t was so hard for him
to overcome his instructive fear of the
water that he had mentally and system
atically schooled himself to action
Thus, while his body cringed, his soul
was heroic. This habit of mind made
opportunity impossible to pass by.
The intuitive response to his training
swept him over the rail before he knew
where he was.-Century.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03
Farmers Can Max g Good Roads.

John Gilmer Speed, writing on
Elbow to Have Good Country Roads, :"
in the Ladies' Home journal, pro-
proses 'that in each county there be
founded Road Improvement Asso-
citation, which shall have one or two
days meeting in the autumn of each
year. To the membership and to the
meetings all the farmers should be in
vited, while all those in the country
acting as road overseers, or road su-
pervisors, should be urged especially
to attend. At these meetings special,
definite, practical instruction should
be given in maintaining and repairing
dirt roads. Competent men to give
such instruction can be secured with
out cost to such societies, for the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture has Road Bureau, and this bur-
eau will always supply competent in
structor to tell the people just exactly
what they need, and how to do the
work as it should be done" Mr..
Speed also urges that school children
be interested in the work and taught
the rudiments of bodybuilding and
bookkeeping.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03

driven up to the hilt in the animals
breast, causing him to halt for sec
ond or two, but, at the same time, the
concussion sent the unfortunate sem
try reeling and partially stunned him.
The bull, though fatally wounded,
had still strength enough left to again
charge at his now disabled and de-
fenseless enemy, and doubtless this
would have been the end of "poor
Tommy Atkins" but for the timely ar
rival of the guard, who succeeded in
driving off the beast, which soon after
expired. Tommy is now quite hero
in his way, and has been dubbed by
his chums, "The Matador," though /
must relate that, like most amateurs,
in his confusion and ignorance, he
neglected to claim and appropriate
the usual insignia Of victory, viz, the
bulls ear.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03

No offenders against the British law
are punished so severely as the poacher.
The fields and the woods of all Eng
land are now overrun with game. Hares
are as plentiful as flies almost, while
cartridges, pheasants and the like are
so numerous as to be in some places
actual pests. Yet they are not for the
laborer, or the plowman, or the rus
tic of low degree. Should some poor
cottager, with larder lean and pocket
empty steal out at nightfall to a spot
where he knew hares were feeding,
and making his way through field
gate or through some well known open
ing in the hedge, fire and kill single
hare, he makes himself liable to prose-
cution for trespass, for carrying gun
without license, and for having game
in his possession unlawfully. Ii it
should happen that he is near the
highway when the shot is fired, he is
also liable to be prosecuted on the
charge of firing gun in proximity to
the public road. If he is arrested
there is no escape from long imprison-
ment in the jail.
1t is this stigma that turned poach-
ing over to the moral delinquents of
the parish, although the amateur
poacher" is still to be found in every
observation-disclosures sport-loving rus
tic of good name and standing from
whom the rigor OF une law and the dis
grace that would follow detection have
fe;,od to drive the fascination of a
night spent among the rabbit runs and
hare paths. The amateur poacher is
an eager spirit, and he argues that q
law which declares that the love of adj
venture in the field and genius for
woodcraft are criminal when possessed
by those unfavored by birth or for
tune, is law against higher law OF
nature, and one against which it is no
crime to wage war.-New York Sun.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03
Bayonet Versus Il uII.

A few mornings ago there was an
amateur bullfght in Gibraltar. 1t
appears that o bull went mad, and
rushing to the sea plunged in. This
evidently did not agree with the ami
NAL, for he quickly emerged, and the
first object meeting his gaze was Mr.
"Thomas Atkins, of the Manches-
tiers, restfully standing at ease on
sentry go, whom he thoughtlessly
charged, utterly forgetting the fact
that Tommy" was not defenseless,
being armed with no less formidable
weapon than a rife, mounted with a
bayonet The laundering charge of
the enraged bull did not discomfort
Tommy. He seorned to seek the
shelter of the friendly sentry box
close by, but Immediately, regardless
of consequences, brought his bayonet
to the charge, awaiting results. The
bull-a plucky fellow-gallantly went
for the bayonet, which, in the staunch
and tight grasp of Mr., Atkins. was
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03

"You say you never wore spec.
tacles?" said the near sighted man.
"Well, if you ever put on pair you'll
never wear anything else. 1 wore
eyeglasses for years. 1 thought they
looked better on me, and then 1 i'm.
agined that they were more conven.
lent; that L could take them off and
put them on more readily and all that.
But after wearing pair of spectacles
once for few days-I had put them
on, as thought at first, temporarily
I discovered that spectacles were
the glasses for comfort.
There are, to be sure, people who
do not wear glasses all the time, but
only for reading or writing, and SO on,
to whom eyeglasses may be more con-
venient; and then believe that eve.
glasses are made nowadays that have
more scientifically adjusted grips, and
all that sort of thing; but I tell you
that the thing for real comfort is
spectacles. New York Sun.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03

Governor was satisfied that the haunts
were made known, and no one else
inquired very closely into the matter.
On the return of the expedition
Tacon was about to pay to Captain
Marti the promised reward, when the
latter interrupted him with peculiar
proposition. He sRid he was i'm
mensely wealthy, and cared not for
money, while the treasury of Cuba
was poor. He proposed that, instead
of the reward, to him should be
granted monopoly of the fish trade
of Havana, and that he be permitted
to employ his contrabandists as fish
ermen. In the event of such grant
he promised to build the finest fish
market i'll the world, and at the end
of twenty-five years to return his
privilege of monopoly and the fish
market to the Government.
Tacon accepted the proposition,
seeing in it his opportunity to hold
control over Marti. And for quarter
of century the Havana market was
supplied with the finest of fish caught
by smugglers, absolutely safe from
the law in all that they did.
This monopoly filed to overlooking
the already well-supplied purse of
Marti, and he looked about him for
another investment for his money. He
conceived the idea of a theatre mon
opoly, somewhat ON the plan of his
fish market. He communicated with
Tacon, who granted him the privilege
for twenty years, on condition that
the building be made the largest of
the kind in the world and named
TacOn
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03
pouring Oil on Troubled Waters. ;.

Lieutenant Charles M. McCarteney
writes an article on ocean Storms"
for st. Nicholas. In describing the
great hurricane off Nova Scotia on
August 30, 1891, Lieutenant Mozart
eney says:
The Indiana was kept dry by the
dripping of oil from both bows; and
although tremendous seas were run
ming and breaking, they could not
come on board.
This was certainly most practical
illustration of the old saying as to the
pouring of oil on troubled waters"-
proverb as old as the Bible, but
only very recently applied, thanks to
the photographic Office of the United
States, and now very generally fol-
lowed by seamen the world over. II
was an American also (Redfeld) who
first thoroughly found out and ex-
planned the true character of these re-
volving storms, and to him all seamen
are forever indebted.
In using oil, it is astonishing how
small quantity will suffice-just a
quart or two, in bag stuffed with
oakum, hung over the bows, and al
lowed to drip, drop by drop, on the
sea, where it spreads out in thin,
greasy film over the surface of the
water. Over the film the wind slips,
as it were, and has no power to bank
the water up into waves which would
break over the ship Hundreds of re-
ports are on file in the office, attesting
the marvellous results of this simple
agent of safety.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03
Use full Siwash Dogs.

Ii you are going to prospect in Alas
ka and expect to travel much a pair OF
good "Siwash" dogs are very essen
tial-almost indispensable. These dogs
greatly differ from our domesticated
dogs, taking to the harness like duck
to water. They do not bark at
strangers. They are kind and affec-
tionate, showing the wolf in them only
among their kind. 1t seems to be
against their principles to get off the
trail to let another team pass. This
means a fight, an exciting episode il
the teams number five or six dogs
each. In an instant the widest con-
fusion takes place. Dogs, harness,
and each driver with club in his
hand form one grand tumble, from
which order can only be restored by
some OF the dogs being knocked sense
less. The dogs are trained to ssgee"
and "haw," like an OK, and stop at tho
word "whoal' "Mush" is the word
used generally by the whites to indi-
cate go ahead, perversion OF the In
dian word ''Huseh" The dogs prefer
their master, but if lent for use they
work as faithfully as for their master.
San Francisco Chronicle.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03
Notes of the Crusade.

A sample half-mile of good roads is
about to be constructed on the Fork
and Kingsville road, in Baltimore
County, Maryland.
Stone roads on which earth or CLAW
has been used for Grinding" pur-
poses get very muddy with every rain.
They should be cleaned and scraped
while wet, as the mud can best be re-
moved at such times.
The series of practical articles on
1.-The Value of Good Roads and How
to Make Them," lately contributed to
the press by D. f. Magee, of Ian
caster, Penn, are about to appear in
pamphlet form. They contain much
valuable matter.
at is proposed in North Carolina
that narrow tires be taxed on heavy
vehicles, one-and-a-quarter inch to
pay 81. 90 annually, and the amount to
be decreased down to five-inch, which
should pay fifty cents, while six-inch
and wider ones would not be taxed
at all.
State Highway Commissioner Nc
Donald, of Connecticut, says that the
roads now being built or improved in
that State are very satisfactory, and
ne predicts that in few years the
State will have system of highways
quite up to the standard Of New
Jerseys, which, he says, is the finest
N the United States.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03
EVER LEGAL WORK.
The Service For Which tho Lawyer Re-
ceived His Fee.

The Service For Which tho Lawyer Re-
ceived His Fee.
"Our cleverest work" said the old
LAWYER. reminiscently, Sin not always
done in court.
"NoP" said the young man, in
quiringly.
Possibly you could give an Illus
tration," suggested the young man.
Undoubtedly could replied the
old lawyer, "In fact, I was thinking
of the case of an irascible old fellow
who once locked servant out of the
house."
"For what reason?"
principally because he was angry,
but will have to confess that l have
forgotten the exact occasion for his
anger. L believe there was difference
of opinion as to the amount of wages
the man was entitled to. At any rate,
the testy old gentleman put himself
in the wrong when he elected the man
with violence of both language and
action, and the man was smart enough
to know it. He hunted up lawyer
Immediately and put the case into his
hands, and then was called in. The
wrathy old fellow was mad clear
through, and he was going to fight the
case all the way up to the highest
court and back again if necessary.
However, he was personal friend OF
mine, and L didn't want to see him
waste his money foolishly, SO adj
vised him to compromise it.
"sNot if he offers to compromise
for ten cents' he asserted, vocifer-
ously. .,'rll fight this case clear to the
limit, no matter what it costs.
ST argued with him, but it was of
no use. He'd pay me anything 1
wanted to fight the case, but he
wouldn't pay the plaintiff cent. I
suppose 1 would have been justified
under the circumstances in going
ahead and letting him run into lot
of expensive and useless litigation,
but L didn't like to do it just the
same. So went to sec the lawyer on
the other side. He knew he had a good
case, but he also knew that my client had
lots of money and could make pro-
longed and costly fight. Consequent
ly he was inclined to be reasonable.
He hunted up his client and talked it
over with him, and the client said he
would compromise for $25 clear for
himself. His lawyer made reason
able charge, and closed with them
both on the spot and paid them. Then
I went back to my client, told him I
had put up such bluff that he never
would hear of the case again, turned
in bill that covered the cost of the
settlement had effected, and he paid
it without murmur. He sometimes
speaks to me now of the clever work
did in that case, but he doesn't
know how clever it really was and
what lot of cash it saved him."
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03
Tho Trinidad Pitch Lake.

The famous pitch lake, or great
bitumen deposit of Trinidad, is situa-
ted at Point Librea, on an elevation
at about mile from the sea. It covers
an area of nearly 100 acres, and it's
appearance is that of dull, still, dark
waste. 1t is irregularly circular, and
its surface perceptibly convex, being
more elevated in the center, and thence
insensibly declining on all sides. In
the center the pitch is quite soft-in
fact, semi-liquid-butit becomes more
and more hardened as its circumfer-
ence widens out. Except the soft GEN.
trail parts, the surface is intersected in
all directions by numerous assures or
chasms, varying in breath from two
feet to sixteen feet and from half
foot to seven feet in depth, widening
also at the surface. and terminating
acutely at the bottom, thus pro-
ducing, as it were, inverted angular
hollows, while the sides are regularly
rounded. These crevices are at all
times filed with fresh water. Here
and there where the bitumen is mixed
with earthly matter grows lichens,
MOSES, grasses, etc. The center of
the lake, the pitch pot, or chaudiere,
as it is called, is at all times so soft
that it would be impossible to venture
on it without mourning the danger Of
being engulfed. The lake is govern
ment property, and parts of it are
leased out to private individuals, who
have to pay royalties according to the
amount of pitch removed, which
amount is checked by the government.
The pitch lake is, practically, mex
haustible. No matter what quantity
is taken out, it is replaced by fresh
pitch, which always wells up to fill
the hole. The surface of the outer
edges of this most wonderful of lakes
is quite hard enough to walk upon;
but curious result ensues if you
stand still for any length of time or
one spot. For some yards around
you the pitch bodily sinks until it
forms sort of basin. 1t is quite diff
ferent to sinking in sand, where your
feet gradually disappear without MAX
ing any apparent difference in the
level CT the ground. Wide World
Magazine.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03

"One of the most horrible predica-
ments diver was ever placed in"
said Mr.. Sully, the famous Newport
diver, ''must have been that of one OF
whom [ once heard who had to investi-
gate q wreck that had carried to the
bottom with her a number of cattle.
When he blew off the matches the
bodies foated up, and with rush a
school of hungary sharks attacked
them. They were all around the diver,
fighting and struggling, and he was in
mortal terror less his airpipe should be
bitten in two in the midst of the fear
full struggle that was going on. At
length, unable to bear the suspense
any longer, he signalled to be drawn
up, notwithstanding that he would
have to pass through the thick of the
fierce monsters. In his passage to the
surface he brushed close past the
sharks, and one of them made vicious
grab at him. 1t just missed his arm,
but caught his fingers, and his hand
was badly mangled. Perhaps, how
ever, he was glad to get off as cheaply
as he did,
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03

Commander Thomas, formerly of the
gunboat Bennington, had his life
saved aboard that ship by Cingalese
mess attendant in an odd sort of way.
He was doing bit of inspecting on
the berth deck, aft, one afternoon
when the Executive Officer of the ship
came to the head of the after berth
deck ladder and shouted down below
to anybody within hearing:
els the Captain below there?"
Commander Thomas heard the call,
and, without making any reply to the
question, started from the pay office
for the ladder, intending to go above
to the main deck to see what the First
Lieutenant wanted. The hatch right
at the foot of the ladder had been care
lessly left open by seaman who had
gone forward for bit of gear, and it
was dark on the berth deck. The
Commander had his eyes raised to the
head of the ladder, anyhow, as he APP
preached the ladder, and had he made
another step he would have plunged
to the bottom of the deep hatch and
been mangled to bits. He was arrest
ed by hearing piercing voice behind
him exclaim:
"Blast the shippers eyesl Blast
the shippers eyesW
With his foot still raised to take the
step that would have plunged him in
to the hatch, Commander Thomas
turned his head suddenly.
Who's that?" he asked
Then the Cingalese mess attendant,
leaping out of the darkness, had the
skipper cIutched by the sleeve, and
ierked him back from the open hatch
by main force. Thomas couldn't quite
see into it for q second, until the Gin
galese, who had fortunately picked up
English on a British windjammer,
pointed to the open hatch The Gin
galese explained in his broken dialect
chat the exclamation he had used was
the first bunch Of English words that
car ID when he saw the
49, --nglish equivalent of the
ed stop" soon enough, he said,
and SO ne had blasted the shippers
eyes as the best way Of attracting the
officers attention.
"And so the first thing that crops
into your head is to blast your skip
per's eyes, is it?' asked Thomas of the
Cingalese. The man got all of the
best of it on the Bennington after that.
New York Sun.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03
GOOD ROADS NOTES.
salnlkNEyl0kYYZAKYNENNEA0EAzz7Al(9AIEl7AI19A
rnnotion of ths Road Service.

Function OF the hOau tseiNtces
The function of a pavement or road
surface is very imperfectly under
stood. even in sections where stone
roads have been in use for long}per-
iods. 1t is commonly supposed that
a wet spot or bog will become dry if
filled in; that a good road may be
made anywhere, simply by making a
shallow trench of the desired width
and filling it with stone, and that the
surface of stone road needs to be
protected" from wear by covering it
with loose screenings, sod, earth, or
any old stuff that is handy in hot
weather.
To these erroneous notions are due
many failures to get durability and
satisfaction from attempts at road
building. The Importance OF drain
age is not fully appreciated in most
sections, but it is at the bottom OF
successful road construction, and
neither permanence nor economy is
possible If it is not amply provided
for. A wet spot must be thoroughly
drained before a road is carried over
it, or it will always be wet, at least in
the wet season, no matter what else is
done to it. Water under aroad bed
is as fatal to the life of the road as
water in mans lungs is fatal to his
existence.
The not uncommon practice of allow
ing a roadway to be lower than its
sides makes it little better than mere
drain, for water settles on the sur
face, quickly softens it and prepares
it to be cut up by every passing
vehicle. A raised and crowned road.
bed which will shed water readily is
essential. A dry base with slightly
arched cover of stone, capable o.
shedding the rain, is requisite for {
dry, permanent structure.
The stone roadway is not only tC
serve as a roof for the natural base
beneath, but is to take the wear O
| traffic. and not to be covered will
other material as q protection" to it
In places where earth is used fol
Grinding" purposes, and little regular
attention is paid to the roads and
sprinkling is not done in dry weather
the road surface breaks up rapidly
under the influence of the sun. 1t il
then that it has heaped upon it, t.
"protect" it, quantities of fine screen
ings, or earth and stones, and some
times even clay and sod from the gut
tiers. The result is poor road, fol
months, unworthy of the name
"macadam."
If complete drainage is secured q
the outset, the road crowned and sys
tematically cared for, with sprinklins
in dry weather, and is thorough.
rolled as laid, without the use of ella,
to bind it, it will perform its function
satisfactorily and prove valuable in
vestment of lasting worth.-L. A. W
Bulletin.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03
To Make Better Roads Possible,

The electors of Arkansas will vote
at the next general election, on an
amendment to the State constitution
designed to provide for local option in
road improvements. If the electors in
any county vote in favor of public
road tax at the general election for
State and county officers, then the
county court shall have power to levy,
in addition to the county tax, an
amount not exceeding three mills on
the dollar on all taxable property as q
County Road Tax" to be used ex-
clusively for building and repairing
roads and bridges of the county.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-11-03

At Russian railway stations griev.
ance books are kept in which passeng-
ers may enter complaints. The books
are sent to the central office once a
month and all complaints Investigated,