davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

and Irish. She went upon the stage
when far greater degree Of social
odtum fell to the actor than now, but
she lived life over which no breath
of suspicion ever blew, winning for her
self the love and admiration of the pub
lie on both shores of the Atlantic. She
made the great tragedy roles her own
She died % years ago. Is not her
handwriting graceful and elegant? The
original is in violet ink.
The autograph of Anton Rubinstein is
one to interest every musician. 1t is
dated Chicago, 1872, and is a souvenir
of the long-haired Russians American
concert tour. You have probably read
that quasi-humorous composition called
How Ruby Played" or something of
that sort, and purporting to be the i'm
pressions Of a countryman who went to
hear Rubinstein play, and was SO i'm
pressed with the cataracts and cascades
of melody that fell from his finger tips
that he broke up the meeting with his
shouts Of applause and exhortation. II
Is funny--a pretty funny-piece, but
1t has gone the way Of "curfew shall
not ring tonight" and THE Old oaken
Bucket" Her Rubinstein's autograph
is long-haired like himself, and cratic
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23
THINGS SEEM DIFFERENT NOW.


Before I went away with the regi-
ment," said Mt. Pleasant boy, who
is now fattening up again, II was be-
ginning to entertain an exceedingly
small opinion OF this town in particu-
lar, and of this whole stretch of couns
try in general. washington was rapid
ly becoming too contracted sphere for
me- I was falling into the habit of
lying awake at night and thinking Of
chucking up my job and getting out of
here / wanted to roam. ! wanted to so
out west, first of all. My idea was to
take hack at Chicago first, then get
on out to Denver; then on to San
Francisco. After a few months of pipe
dream life in Frisco and down in
southern California, I figured on run
ming over to the Hawaiian islands 1
even had my mind sort O set on shak-
ing Japan up a bit. l didn't particularly
know how l was going to do all this,
but the idea of doing 1t all haunted me,
This thing of living at home in Wash
ington palled on me. 1t struck me as
being altogether too commonplace and
nrosaic.
The young man paused to sample the
contents of seven more plates of ap-
petizing- looking stuff that his mother
and sisters placed before him, and con-
tinued
But l guess, upon the whole, look
ing at the matter from all sides and
from every point Of view, that Wash
ington will be good enough for me for
the next 112 years. That's what the
trenches OF Santiago have done for me.
I don't want to roam. I've completely
cut out the roaming idea. There's moth
4. 7 ~. <l.a
want to be prosaic. l want to be and
am going to be, what the funny ducks
call a home guy I'm going to hang
on to my job here / don't think I'm
so many as 1 did before / went down
below there with the boys. l had a
chance to see how dead easy it would
| have been for the world to continue
going around had l been just wiped
| clean from the map some old morning
| there in Cuba I don't banker for any
more excitement l just want to have
| the weather get cold and rainy and dis
NAL so that / can emphasize the de-
| light l take in clinging to my own fire.
| side--snusgling up to the latrobe that
I didn't much figure on ever seeing
| again very few weeks ago. Washing
| ton Is a comfortable old town, and you
hear me- Every night since I've been
back, after taking a nice cold ducking
| in a really and-truly and sure-enough
porcelain bathtub, and getting on a
well-aired nightshirt preparatory to
going to bed, and hearing my mother
and sisters and the governor talking
downstairs, and hearing the darkey
boys singing up and down the street,
and the cars changing by once in a
while-well, say. I've just gone to the
| window of my room. and looked out at
| the stars, and thanked the good God
| that it has all been arranged this way,
and that I've got home.
That's what the Santiago trenches
did for me. and it's about enough"
| Washington STAR
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

flowing from it's tail. 1t was actually
pumping water. The bull snake is a
harmless, creature. and Mr.. Thomas,
seized with an idea, also seized the
snake How to make 1t throw larger
stream of water was the question. and
after considerable thought, he tried the
experiment of cutting off a portion OF
the tail BY this means the snake was
induced to throw a full head of water
at minimum exertion, and seemed to
enjoy the job. Mr. Thomas captured
many other bull snakes, which, by as
ISOLATION with the original rumper
soon became adopts in the new system
of irrigating. Then their tails were re-
moved and for days the side of the
ranch next the river was lined with
snakes engaged in throwing up streams
of water from an inch to an inch and
half in diamater A mining man
came along a few days ago and was
struck with the novelty of the irrigatins
method adopted. He thought that the
snakes might be used in hydraulic
mining, and a number of them We're
coupled together like garden hose. The
experiment, however, was not entirely
several Of the snakes burst
ing through unevenness of pressure.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23
ARIZONA SNAKE YARNS.
Some Pretty Tall Tales From the
Southwest Territory.
lFrom the Denver Republican.l

(From the Denver Republican,
The mining camp of Kingman was
recently invaded by a host OF rattle
snakes, creating great CONSERVATION
among the people. Snakes were discov-
cred in beds and made desperate fights
when tackled by the owners. People
sleeping outdoors narrowly missed
violent death from the poisonous fangs
Of the serpents. The snakes wiggled
through the crevices of the tight board
fences and were caught while endeav-
oring to enter the houses. People have
taken to sleeping upstairs, and band
stand and pavilion are crowded every
night by sleepers who dare not risk
sleeping on the bare ground. A spell
of unusually warm weather is thought
to be the cause of the snakes leaving
their rocky Businesses for Il cooler
abode in the settlement.
A man at Mesa City has a pet ella
monster. He let 1t go about six weeks
ago in order that it might shed its
skin, as is it's annual custom. The other
day it returned to it's usual haunts,
looking thoroughly rejuvenated. Its
, owner gave it bath, after which 1t
made~a break for it's feed box, where
it has been in the habit of eating eggs
and other luxuries.
loads grow to an abnormal size in
southern Arizona, and often exhibit a
preternatural intelligence. Recently
the arc lights were started at Mesa
City, and myriads of bugs are in con-
sequence attracted at night by the
glare. The toads have discovered this
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23
Of
a Poor Man
AT A FUR OPENING.
Discretion Will Keep Him
-
Away in Future.

Have you ever been to an opening7
A real genuine opening. 1 mean-one
with women in it?
| No? Well, then. don't. I went to one
yesterday. and being only a man and
not up on openings, I naturally got
the worst of it,
l had the afternoon off. and it was
toss-up with me between fur open
ing and photograph opening.
chose the fur opening because 1 rea-
soned it would be a soft thing.
But there is where fell down Say,
that opening was the warmest thing
I've struck yet. I've been to Sunday
school conventions, I've been to
democratic caucuses, but if the time
ever comes when am forced to choose
between democratic caucus and an
opening, I'll take the caucus. It's
heaven compared with what I endured
yesterday.
When l first entered the store it was
very nice The weather outside was
elegant, and having just come from
dinner, was feeling, as the boys say.
out of sight" l was literally filled
with sunshine and coffee.
had been in the store but a few mo-
HleulS, uOWeNeF, Wnen liLtle except the
coffee remained. and that was hard to
locate. The sunshine melted like ice
cream at July wedding.
At first, when only my toes were
trampled on occasionally, tipped my
hat politely and said Excuse me-
Beg pardon" etc, although 1 knew I
didn't have to. But when the polish
had been worn off of one boot and a
good start made on the other, my
watch chain broken through contact
with an umbrella. my ribs suffering
from similar attack and my patience
exhausted, the politeness, sad to relate,
wore off with the shoe polish and I
said things-to myself, of course-that
wouldn't look nice in print.
l concluded that had had enough Of
openings and decided to beat a retreat,
but the crowd said: NAY, nay; not
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

SO, my sweet and pleasant friends
With women to right of me, women to
left Of me, women in front of me, the
condition Of the 900" simply wasn't
to be compared to mine, and whether
willed it or not. I had to see that fur
opening through. II sch
A fieshy woman behind me- weighing,
should judge. something under ton,
glanced at me reproachfully, as
glanced anxiously about in search OF
an avenue of retreat, and turning to
little dried up woman beside her said:
What's the matter with that fellow
any way, why doesn't he go along?a oh,
do look at that boa, isn't 1t beautiful
looked in the direction indicated and
found myself staring into the big blue
eyes of bouncing baby. They were
wet eyes, for (poor thing) that baby
wasn't any more carried away with
openings than | was. / succeeded in
lodging his "swipe" at my necktie and
just ther an opening in the crowd
brought me in front of the counter
piled high with furs. To my bewiIdered
brain it resembled a backyard after a
moonlight night but l must have been
badly muddled.
This" the saleslady was saying,
is Russian sable, very fashionable,
and viii be worn much this winter No,
they don't come as low as that" Then
ing, angelic smile, | called it, then she
added: Was there anything you
wanted, sir?"
"Tll have mine plain" I started to
say, and got as far as I'll" when nv
fat female friend in front exclaimed.
oh do look at these Jackets" and,
stepping back, landed plump on my pet
corn. l had counted up as far as ten
when I realized that the saleslady was
waiting for my reply.
No. thanks l replied, Il just drop
ped in to''-At this point a tall fu-
neral-looking woman at my side ex-
claimed, "Therel l had a coat just like
that last year. Feel of that furi and
swapping her parasol up under her arm,
she reached for the garment in a bust
nesslike fashion, unmindful of the fact
that the parasol had whacked me vi
cicusly across the spine.
That settled it, and that tired feeling
took complete possession of me
threw myself upon the mercies Of that
flood OF fanatical fur hunting feminin-
ity, and simply drifted. The door was
somewhere ahead. and knew It. Fat
women lost their fears for me- lean
women | laughed at, young ones, old
ones homely ones, pretty ones-they all
looked alike to me. Each seemed
smathed in furs, bright CLASSY eyes
cleaned upon me on all sides, the coun-
tiers resolved themselves into walls of
CROSSE covered rock, the pillars and col
umns were transformed into swaying
trees, and the rattle Of the street sound
ed like the rough Of the wind and the
roar of wild animals. When I finally
reached the street. l pinched myself to
make sure / was all there, and, hearing
a sigh of relief, went off home to sup
per.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23
A LOCUST PLAGUE IN AFRICA
CFrom Longman's Magazine.)


The largest locust swarm I ever wit
messed I find recorded in my diary I'M
der date September is of the same
year. Being on that date at the Limb
plantation, about six miles from Blan-
tyre 1 saw them passing. like dense
cloud. someA distance to the westward.
Returning to the mission on the follow
ing morning / saw, as / find noted, the
trees beyond the Nasolo brown with
locusts the streams full of them and
not fit to drink" in fact, it was black
and loathly-the word may pass un-
challenged this time. l remember r@ing
struck, some distance off, by the
strange appearance of the trees; they
looked all brown and dead; whereas,
though this was winter, they should in
those parts, have shown fair proper
ton of green l asked my hammock
boys what they made of this unusual
phenomenon--were the trees burnt or
what ?-and they replied, "Dzombe." As
we drew nearer we saw them roosting
in the branches in elcinging masses
almost like swarms of bees. 1t was a
damp, chilly morning, with driving
Scotch mist, and, doubtless, they felt
no inclination to turn out. Later in the
day I find the following entry Went
to Mlomba's, saw She Ndombo, who
says the locusts have eaten the
mbelemende." They were getting sharp
set this time
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

Rev. Edward Everett Hale's sigma
ture Is not unfamiliar in Worcester, any
more than Is his patriarchal viSage. AS
the first minister OF the Church Of the
United. he is still held In loving thought
not only by the parishioners OF that
church, but by many people not con-
neoted with 1t, who felt the warmth
and the genuineness of his humanity.
1t is surprising how DR.. Hale finds time
for so much literary work, for he has
numerous irons in the UNCONVENTIONAL
and philanthropic fires. Nothing he ever
penned has gone farther and reached
more hearts than the Wordsworth mot
toes. Harry Wadsworth. the author
Of these notices In the story, was
Worcester boy and one of DR.. Hale's
parishiOners
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

Mr.. Jefferson's latest appearance here
Will never be forgotten by those who
were so fortunate as to be present. 1t
was on the evening Of May 20, 1896,
when the all-star cast gave 1.-The RI
walls" at the Worcester Theatre. Mr..
Jefferson was Bob Acres; William H
Crane was Sir Anthony Absolute; Rob
ert Taber was Captain Absolute. Nat
c. Goodwin played Sir Lucius O'Trig-
ger, and the two Holland brothers were
Falkland and Fay. The part of David
was taken by Francis Wilson. Dear
old Mrs. Drew acted Mrs. Malaprop,
Julia NARROW was Lydia Languish, and
Fanny Rice took the part Of Lucy.
The name of Joe Jefferson leads ma
turally to that of Edwin Booth, the
gentle
Mr. Booths signature is marked by
the refinement, the grace, the strength,
the distinction, which characterized his
acting 1t is dated March 5, 1873. Tween
ty years later, on June 5, 1898, he died in
his private room at The Players Club
in New York. "Ah! joe said he, when
on New Years eve, 1892, he was being
toasted as the founder Of the club and
the donor of it's magnificent new home,
.'Ah! Joe, they drink to my honor to-
night; next year it will be to my mem
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

Christine Nilsson! How much sweet
ness and goodness that name recalisi
What a vision of calm beauty, of a
heavenly voice, Of womanliness un-
spoiled by the plaudits of Europe and
America! Not only was she admired.
but the love of her audiences was hers.
She never trified or paltered with her d.
vine gift. She was great in her goodness,
not less than in her voice. The news of
her retirement from the concert stage
came as personal loss to thousands
on both sides of the Atlantic.
The name of Joe jefferson rouses
sentiments of affectionate, tender rev
erence. Joe Jefferson is the Nestor of
the American stage; not only is he the
sweetest. but he is the wisest, the gen
tlest and the best-beloved of American
actors. For how many years has not
his rip Van Wrinkle" been classic?
Not to have seen Joe Jefferson play
RIP Van Wrinkle" is almost as pitia-
BILE state Of things as not to have seen
Edwin Booth play Hamlet" Most
appropriately, Mr.. Jefferson has quoted
as his sentiment" one of Rips most
characteristic utterances-"Your good
health und your family's, und may dey
all live long und prosper
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

around for a source from which to
quench 1t, they discovered the troughs
that receive the drippings from the
beer faucets in the saloons.
They now intrude in the sa-
looms and line up to the troughs
and drink until they are thoroughly in
toxioated many falling to the floor as
though dead. while others upsteadily
hop to the sidewalk and resume their
feasting
James Thomas, a ranchman living on
the Verde river, in Yavapai county, has
discovered a scheme that threatens to
revolutionize existing irrigating meth
DDS. While walking along the canal
bank the other day, he observed an
enormous bull snake stretched at
length, with it's head in the water and
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

Sometimes his temperament and his
generous impulses led him where his
friends could not follow; sometimes
they led him to commit what his
friends regarded as mistakes, but In
this he had but the quality OF his vir-
tues. At least he never descended to
mean, low or trivial things. He was
as large and open and transparent as
his handwriting.
If the two succeeding autographs were
placed abreast Of each other they
would hold the same relative positions
as in the album, where the sister has
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

The next autograph is that of man
of very different type. How character
istic of Wendell Phillips are the ac-
companying words. Peace if possible
Justice at any rate" They bring be-
fore you the image of the silver
tongued" orator-his elegant, polished
persuasive words, his tall, ascectic fig
ure and grave, mobile, dignified fea-
lures. He was a born agitator, a
fighter; man who delighted in an I'M
popular cause, an unfinching adver-
sary, and the heat of battle for
great stakes. Far from him was the
temperate, philosophic mind.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

he was an earnest and, If the amount
of his productions counts, an indus
trious author. In 1S47 he became asso-
ciate editor of the Springfield Repub-
lican; and in 1870 he was called to the
editorship of Scribner's Magazines
more influential position, perhaps, than
it is today. Looking back from the
literary aff1uence of the present to the
flies and sixties, one cannot but be
impressed with the poverty and paucity
of the periodical press. Mr.. Holland
saw the opportunities that lay before
this undeveioped literary form, and di-
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23
Their Names
Interest All.
SOME FAC-sIMILIES
OF Great Men and Women,
At Home and Abroad.

Continuing the journey through the
little brown Russia leather autograph
album, which was begun in last Sun
days Spy, the first autograph We turn
to is that of a great prima donna who
has long since retired from the career
she so brilliantly adorned, ard is liv-
ing quiet life with her husband on
the continent.
The name Of Christine Nilsson which
follows is the only one in the collection
mat does not grow in the album; that
is to say, every other autograph has
been written in the book, while this is
written on calling card which has
been pasted in.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

ory." And 50 it was Mr., Booth died in
the early flush of the following summer,
and the second birthday of the club was
passed by the club, as every succeeding
New Years eve has been, in memory
Of him. The room in which he died has
been kept precisely as he left it. 1t is all
so familiar and intimate that as you
step over the threshold it seems as if
he must barely have left it, as If he
must return. But on the white cover
let of the bed, under the rich hangings
he liked to surround himself with,
lies always fresh laurel wreath.
Henry Irving's autograph is a par
ticularly interesting one, even If the
writing is so superfiuously and ingen-
iously bad One wonders how he coll
trived to make such familiar words and
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

However, if one were a copy-reader
condemned to read copy eternally, but
with the liberty of choosing between
signor salvinis copy and Signor Ben
iamin F. Buffers copy. whose auto
graph follows, one would undoubtedly
choose Signor Salvinis Only man
who felt very sure of himself would i'm
pose a handwriting like this on an in
offensive public
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

]. G. Holland, like Mrs. Stowe, has
become a classic. What is it to be a lit
erary classic? To have a large repu-
tation and few readers. The name of
j. G. Holland will long be revered in
America as that of one of our leaders
during a formative period in American
letters. and the author Of some charm
ing idylls of American life. His flow
ing, ornate hand seems to mark SEN
suous, ornamental kind of person, but
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

are all of talented actors. Belonging
to different schools and different races,
they have in common extraordinary
talents for the stage. One is dead-the
tragedian, John Mccullough; Modjeska
is broken by i'll health and age, and Is
trying to restore shattered fortunes py
another starring tour. Clara Morris
went upon the vaudeville stage last
year with her husband. Berahardt, the
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

.,,ot famous name so illegible. He
sota his sfsp only when 1t suits hiin,
he does not cross his ~; ne uses no
nunctuation marks he writes us hrse
name on one line, his last name on d
line below. -s.s...,. S44a,,
racails the image Of this venerable lady,
orowned with a glory of white
hair hut still alert and active in mind
I'D bssrt Mrs Stanton has been aged
for for SO many years that she has the ct.
fSct Of having been born elderly; but
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

peerless, the superb is still young. still
charming, despite her years; she still
adorns the stage of Paris, and is still
regarded by the tickle Parisians as the
dramatic patron saint of France
histrjonic Joan of Arc Sara Bern
hardt will never peter out or fade away.
When her time comes she will cease,
she will yield to the inevitable, but
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

A fine Italian hand has some joke at
tached to it. but Signor Tommaso Sal
vini did not know it probably when he
wrote his fine italian hand in the little
brown autograph album. Beside, it is
not so fine as he might have made it,
if he had taken a microscope, which is
what some people who write a fine
Italian hand have to do
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

Quite as obscure in a less aggressive
and more modest way, is this auto
graph Of the late James G..
Blaine. Mr. Blaine was so iden-
titled in his later years with poll
tics, that few people knew of him in his
journalistic capacity. He called Maine
his home state, but he was born in
Pennsylvania.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

how such a piece Of flimsy could stir
anybody to do anything.
The history of Uncle Toms Cabin"
may be made to point several morals.
One is that the public will put UP with
the rankest literary amateurism If on
ly the amateur liz earnest enough and
lucky enough to hit upon exactly the
right motive for the moment Why no
penny-a-liner today but writes better
English than Mrs. Stowe did; no tenth
rate novelist but can construct bet
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

ed persons, whose impress on the life
OF the country in their peculiar direc-
tions has been so great. Young people
of today who attempt to read Uncle
Toms Cabin" usually have a hard
time, for with the passing of the anti
slavery atmosphere the famous old
story seems to have lost all its Juice
and SAVIOR, leaving only its shaky syn
tax and commonplace style, it's gro
tesque, enaemic characters and its sick
ly air of sentimentality. One wonders
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-23

of the average young lady of 20 years
ago, but stronger and with more indi-
viduality in it. Many people in Wor
cester recall Miss Kellogg's gracious
presence and splendid voice. She sang
like an angel, but she didn't act like
one! She had lots Of frank, girlish fun
in her makeup, and was about as free
and easy in her department as any
great prima donna, the country has
seen.