davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1898-11-05
SLANG FROM THE SAILORS.
Aerms Ihat Come From the Lam
Euage of the Sea.

Kuage of the Sea.
From the Chicago Chronicle
In the vast amount of narrative which
mas OF late been read regarding ships and
the sea few persons have stopped TO think
to what an extent the English language has
been enriched by sea terms For Instance.
in response to the everyday query, How
are your" many will answer, First rate,
thanks" The latter speaker has no idea
that ne Is perpetuaung the remembrance
OF the old line-of-battle ship, First Rate.
Inc navy In past days had six rates" or
classes, of vessels. Sea proverbs are also
met In daily use. For example, The devil
to pay, and no pitch hot" One never thinks
why devil or pay" should be mentioned.
The saying originates in the mystery of
calklnS the seams of ships deck. The
outside seam. called by sailors the water
way seam, obtained among calkers the term
OF fhe devil through the difficulty Of
calking 1t; to pay" is to run hot pitch
along the calked seams. We say of a man
who rs going wrong. He is on the wrong
tack, sometimes in error using the word
track. A vessel on the wrong tack may
drive ashore, or, If in hurricane, be en-
gulfed In the heart of the storm
Suppose some one spins you yarn" He
may tell you Of the unlucky fellow who is
among the breakers" of the villain sail
ing under false colors;" the heroine show
ing signals of distress" the hero striving
bravely against wind and tide" yet true
to his love as the needle to the pole"
presently tie two are waited" by ia
voring gale safely Into port" In politics
the ship Of state blunders on with Lord
Tom Noddy ''at the helm;" occasionally
some high official is thrown overheard
by his party.
Colloquially. We growl at an interpreter
for showing in his oar" we speak of two
scoundrels as "tarred with the same
brush;" We advise our friend to go with
the current" and we speak of him to others
as all fair and above board" Jack is a
bit ''rakfsh." and sometimes half seas
over" il he does not reform he will some
day find himself high and dry" and laid
up for good
Such terms as in good TRIM" "snug
BERTH to carry on" at CLOSE quarters" ."
to ''fit out" and so on, are familiar to all
Here are the derivations of three of the last
mentioned: "Rakish''-in the old war days
privateers, pirates and such gentry de-
pended upon the speed OF their vessels: !:
these had their masts ''raking." or slanting;
such vessel was said to be "rakish," that
is, fast and doubtful customer. ITO carry
on is to keep sail set longer than very
prudent man would do; recklessness
Close quarters"-the modern meaning is
well understood; the derivation is curious.
Close quarters were strong wooden bar
riers stretched across the deck and used for
retreat and shelter when the ship was
boarded The old slave ships were thus
fitted In case of the slaves getting loose
In the old naval wars the term meant two
ships in action, with their sides touching
was often the case.
Evening star., 1898-11-05
Some Odd Book Stores.
From the New Orleans Times Democrat.

From the New Orleans Times Democrat
Hidden away on the side streets of thu
city are several old book stores that never
seem to have any patrons. How they exist
is a mystery to the casual passer They
are grimy and cavernous, the perfunctory
display of stock at the doors is anything
but inviting and the folks In charge ara
apparently Indifferent TO sales. A man who
used to be in the business himself threw
some light on the subject while in CONVEX
sation with a reporter the other day.
Those little shops" he said, ARE prac-
tically independent of casual trade; in fact,
they hardly want 1t. Each of them has a
clientele for whom they collect books along
certain lines. One, for instance makes a
speciality of ecclesiastical works: another
of history, particularly of Louisiana history:
another of medical literature, and so on
They know exactly what their customers
want, and every now and then they send
them package on approval. A great
many of their customers are scattered all
over the country, and know of n shop here
that has several in Europe. One recon-
mends another, and you wouh be surprised
at the extent of some of the lists Casual
customers as / remarked before are not
especially desired. because, to begin with
they are apt to handle and disarrange the
stock, and then the chances are that they
will want some volume that Is needed TO iii
a set in the library OF a regular patron
Such shops are kept open more as a matter
of form than anything else and to give
the established customers a place to leave
their orders
Evening star., 1898-11-05
PLANTS IN THE LADRONES
Many Queer Things to Be Found On the
Islands
A Man Who Owns Farm is Inde-
pendentty Rich-Can LIVE
Without Labor.

From the Richmond Times
The queer things in the Ladrones include
a tree the fruit of which is so obnoxious
to the nostrils that a man cannot keep
his stomach and smell it. But once past
the nose 1t is SO delicious that he will eat
until too full to walk. This fruit riDens
once month. and is plentiful.
A nut which can be eaten shell and all
is another queer product. The shell is
brittle like a cracker. sweet and good. The
inside has a kernel which can only be Bit
ten when the fruit IS fresh.
Another fruit is so rare that it is used as
a coin.
A very queer mineral product is q stone
which changes color In the atmosphere.
Cold days it is black hot days 1t is bright
red: when rain threatens it is pinkish, ard
in cloudy weather it is blue. This stone
lies on the highways, and the pedestrian
can forecast his own weather.
A great yellow flower which opens and
closes to the sun at noon is another nov
city This flower takes only five minutes
to open and shut; for one minute it is wide
open, showing white center with golden
Eeart. 1t opens directly up to the sun and
closes tight with dropping head. 1t varies
not one minute in the whole lifetime of
the plant. On cloudy days it opens, but
its petals point downward, for the stem
does not rise as on sunny days. This flower
acts as a clock to the natives. The domes-
tic animals of the Ladrones is. small bird
called Laughing donkey 1t laughs like
parrot, but has projections at the side of
its head which give rise to the name. An
other household pet is the Japanese poodle,
which here is very small and very curly
haired. This dog catches It's own fish in
the lasoons, and eats fruit from the guava
tree.
The man who owns farm in the Lad
rones Is a rich man. for he can support life
without labor. Bread fruit trees grow wild,
and with the cocoanuts are the shade trees
of the islands A grove of bread fruit
trees to q Ladrone Islander is what a herd
of western cattle is to a ranchman. Fruit
grows all the year round. and every quail
fty of queer edible tropical fruit is found
there. Rice, corn, indigo castor oil, guavas
and bread fruit are exceedingly plentiful,
while sugar cane, cotton, tobacco and cas-
tor beans grow without planting. They
are natural to the soil, and spring up in
such quantities as to be regarded as weeds.
A very valuable possession which Uncle
Sam will use Is the palm grove, which ex-
tends in a belt across all the Islands. This
rise side by side so close together that you
can hardly, except for the slenderness OF
the trunks Of the trees. penetrate into the
depths of the palm forest. They grow
vegetable ivory, which in commerce Is as
good as the elephant tusk. This ivory can
be used in all cases that do not call for
great durability. and for ornaments, it
cannot be surpassed
Evening star., 1898-11-05
Life's Mirror.
Madeline s. Bridges in Demorest's.

There are loyal hearts, there ar" Spirits brave
There are souls that pure and trne!
Then give to the world the best yoa have
And the best win come ba tx 10 you. y
Give love- and love to your life will flow,
A strength In your utmost need;
Have faith, and score of tearts will show
Their faith In your word and deed.
tive truth, and your gifts will be paid in kind,
And honor will honor meet;
And a smile that Is sweet will surely find
smile that is just as sweet.
Give pity and sorrow to these who mourn:
You will gather in flowers again,
The scattered seeds from your thought outborne,
Though the sowing seemed but vain.
For life Is the mirror of king and slave,
lis Just what we are. and do:
Then give to the world the best YOU have,
And the best will come back to you.
Evening star., 1898-11-05
MEAT INSPECTION IN LONDON.
Movement to Do Away With Priynte
Slaughter Houses.
the Phils delphia Medical Journal.

From the Philadelphia Medical Journal
For the last three or four years the
medical officer of the London county
council has been making extended obser-
vations of the methods employed in the
large European capitals for maintaining a
wholesome meat supply to the community
He has embodied the results of his inves-
legations in a report to the public health
committee of the council and the com
mittee has adopted the suggestions of his
report and are now pressing the council to
give effect to them. The principal sug-
gestion is that private slaughter houses
should be done away With and that cattle
for the London markets should only be
Killed in certain public places under the
supervision of the county council This
seems so reasonable, it is, indeed so
clearly the only way to combat the dam
gers of tuberculous food that the ordinary
man would consider the matter unworthy
OF debate Unfortunately the London
county council is very large body, and
IN that body there can generally be found
one or two people to speak in behalf of any
vested interest. Now, undoubtedly, the
butchers of London would suffer to a GER
tain extent in their pockets by the pro-
posed reform. Many of them have private
shambles for which they have paid con-
siderable sums and which would become
useless If the London county council car
ried out the wishes of the medical officer
The butchers are wealthy trade and
have a powerful association, which has all
ready given formal notice of an intention
to oppose in the council the adoption of
any resolution confiscating private sham
bies. The result of this move may be to
irritate the council into treating the
butchers with exactly that want of con-
sideration which those excellent trades
men fear; but it is more likely to lead the
council to consider some terms of COM
pensation. 1t is almost impossible to con-
ceive that the council in the teeth of their
public health committee and their medical
officer, would allow to remain in the heart
of London such focuses of disease as
private shambles. How soon shall we see
a similar movement in the United States
Evening star., 1898-11-05
Banboozling Grandma.

From the Nebraska State Journal,
There never was grandma half so good,'
He whispered while beside her chair he stood
And laid his rosy cheek
With manner very meek
Against her dear old face in loving mood
There never was nicer grandma born:
know some little boys must be forloIn
Because they've none like you
1 worder what I'd do
Without grandma's kisses night and morn ~
There never was a dearer grandma, thersl"
He kissed her and he smoothed her snow-whitt
hair;
Then fixed her ruffied cap
And nestled in her lap
v hile grandma smiling, rocked her Old arm clair
When m man what things to you IL bring;
A horse and carriage and watch md ring
All grandmas SO nice
Gust here he kissed her twi,e,
And grandmas give good boy everything
Before his dear old grandma could reply
This boy looked up. and with a rogntsh eye,
Thea whispered in her ear
That nobody might hear:
Say, grandm1, have You any more mince pie?''
Evening star., 1898-11-05
SEA BIRDS AND THEIR Eggs.
Hunters Contest With GulIs for Pos
session of the Spoils.
From Harper's Maga'

r rom harper s Magazine.
If the murre is disturbed by an egg hunt
er and its single egg taken 1t will return
and replace its successfully stolen ovum
until eight have been laid. 1t is loath to
leave its nest even when the despoiler ap-
proaches, and when he comes up she leans
away from him and moves over to the far
side of the nest. But presently, yielding 20
the alarm within her breast, she emits a
sudden squawk and flies off, flushing the en-
tire rookery as she moves toward the sea,
leaving the pickers to fill their pouched
shirts with the booty. They must hurry
the work. for as soon as the eggs are un-
covered the gulls hover close and become
thick upon the scene. These the men musi
fight off, for they brazenly interpose them
selves and battle with the humans for the
possession of the eggs.
The opportunity being open, the gull
sweeps down upon the murre egg, seizes il
In its mouth and goes sailing aloft cracks
It in Its bill and gobbles what of its con-
tents it can. the residue falling on the rocks
below. Then it takes another swoop away
and balances itself to spy out new egg.
The gulls egg is palatable.
That these islands were great repository
or edible eggs became known in the early
hftfes. AT the time of the discovery of this
fact provisions were scarce and gold plenti-
full in San Francisco, and the rookery eggs
offered in the markets of that city brought
one dollar dozen. The opening of this
new and free opportunity to acquire wealth
precipitated numbers of people upon the
islands and in the business of egg gathering
Quarrels ensued between the competitors as
to their respective rights in the premises
with the result that a company was form
ed among a number of the pickers. which
bought out the claims of the others This
company managed to hold onto its advan-
tageS Tor some years, not, however, with
out experiencing contests and encroach-
ments, until the chickering's ultimately grew
so fierce as to attract the attention of the
United States district attorney at San Fran
cisco. He sent a detachment of government
soldiers there and deperted every egg
picker.
Evening star., 1898-11-05
Courage.

because hold 1t sinful to despond
And Will not let the bitterness of life
BIND me with burning tears but look beyond
Its tumult and its strife;
Because lift my head above the mist,
', Where the sun shines and the broad breezes blow
by every ray and every raindrop kissed
That Gods love doth bestow
mink you find no bitterness at ALL
NO burden to be borne like Christians pack?
I4ihK you there are no ready tears to fall,
Because l keep them backi
Why should hug life's ills with cold reserve,
10 curse myself and all who love me? Nay!
A thousand times more good than deserve
God gives me every day.
And in each one of these rebeIlious tears
Kept bravely back he makes a rainbow shinei
1Irateful L take his slightest gift; fears
Nor any doubts are mine
Dark skies must clear, and when the clouds arr
past
One golden day redeems a weary year;
Patient listen sure that sweet at last
Will sound His voice of cheer.
Evening star., 1898-11-05

of reports. The haphazard forwarding OF
these, according to the energy acumen and
mercantile knowledge of the consul, Is
gradually being systematized.
American manufacturers ready for export
business now turn naturally to the bureau
They formulate with the exactttude of bus
iness men series of questions covering
precisely the points on which they desire
information, and the bureau procures an
swers through the consuls. The useful, but
homely, sausage casing has not been
thought too triffing a subject upon which
to ask reports; leather has had attention,
white lead has been examined, credit Sys-
TENS of different countries have been re-
ported on, markets for manufactured iron
have been diligently searched for, Ameri-
can proprietary medicines have been looked
into. pianos and markets for them have
been eXploited-these are few of the SUBJ
JeC Is, recalled at haphaZard, that are dealt
with by American conSulS, under direction
from headquarters.
The One Fault.
The bureau of commerce, besides initi-
ating inquiries. publishing the results in
special numbers and editing and controlling
the usual monthly volume of reports, sys-
tematizes the department statistics and
maintains and develops a sort of foreign
intelligence bureau. l am told this latter
feature is appreciated and commended by
exporting inquirers.
The fault in the American system Is, of
coming administration; but ] am told that
opinion is working fast for permanent ten
ure; and when this reform Is accomplished
American CcnSulS will be, even more than
now, active alert and successful 'forerun-
ners of their countrys foreign trade"
Evening star., 1898-11-05
Venice is Drying Up.
From the London Chronicle

Venice without it's waters would be a far
less picturesque place than 1t actually is
And such a state of affairs, we are led 10
believe, may eventually come about. The
regular increase In the delta of the Pc has
been studied by Prof. Marinelli. Compare
son Of the Austrian map of about 1873 with
the records of surveys made In 1893 shows
that the mean annual increase during those
seventy years has been about threee-tenths
of q square mile; and from all known data
1t appears that the total Increase during
six centuries has been about le6 square
miles. The increase rs continuing, and the
Gulf OF Venice is doomed In time to tlisap-
pear. No immediate alarm need however
be excited, for Prof MarfneIn calculates
that between 100 and 120 centuries will
elapse before the entire northern Adr1atis
viii have becoms dry aand.
Evening star., 1898-11-05
A Vast Rice Field.
om the New Orleans Picayune.

From the New Orleans Picayune.
There is vast stretch of fine prairie
country between Lake Charles and Crow
ley said A. V. Eastman of Lake Charles
at the St Charles Hotel last night, "that
is fast being converted into fertile rice
belt. Pumping plants are being put in all
through that section. which are converting
the place into one of the richest and most
productive countries in the south. This has
been a big rice year. The crop was dam
aged by the September storm but not so
very much All through the Lake Arthur
region the irrigating system is being adopt
ed The planters are not depending upon
Providence rice any more. They found that
It was too uncertain. and they could not af-
ford to get only one crop out of every
three or four. But with canals of water
penetrating the prairies and powerful
pumping plants scattered here and there
for raising the water, the Louisiana rice
belt is assuming new proportions and new
possibilities"
Evening star., 1898-11-05
Requiescat In Pace.

Oh. perfect rest, divinely full and deep,
Safe from the storms which earthward DER III
sweep;
For so He giveth His beloved sleep"
Ee though our eyes with bitter tears are wet,
We do not mourn him with a wild regret,
As II his lffe's sun had forever set.
Nay, for we know tits only ris,n more bright,
In that fair land of everlasting light,
For In Gods heaven there never eonieth night.
He Is safe anchored, where no storms e'er toss,
Wearing crown who bravely bore lffes cross,
Henceforward he shall never suffer loss
We wander lonely on life's downward slope,
And mid the gath'ring shadows blindly grope-
Shine Thou on US, "Jesus Christ our Hope
Scatter the shadows nerve for coming strife,
Shine on our path with unseen dangers rife,
And ere long give ~ everlasting life.
u. u. d.
Evening star., 1898-11-05
Some Other Day,

There are wonderful things are going to do
Some other day;
And harbors we hope to drift into
Some other day.
With folded hands the oars that trail
We watch and wait for favoring gale
To fill the folds of idle sail
Some other day.
We know must toll If ever we win
Some other day,
But we say to ourselves there's time to begin
Some other day;
And so, deferring we loter en-
Until at last find withdrawn
The strength of the hope we leaned upon
Some other day.
And when old and our race ia rim
Some other day
We fret for the things that might have peen don,
Some other day
We trace the path that leads us where
The beekoning band of grim despair
Leads yonder ou. of the here
Some other day.
Evening star., 1898-11-05
INDIANS AND THEIR SIGNALS.
They Utilize ingenious Devices to
Communicate With Each Other,

They Utilize ingenious Devices to
Communicate With Each Other.
From Leslie's Weekly.
| The Chippewas are a great sugar people,
| who do not pass the pipe, have no sun
| dance. and excel in making canoes The
Sioux call them "the fast-running-water
| people" The Chippewas or Ojibways get
| their name from the peculiar lacing of
their moccasins. A list of the authentic
signs in use between the various tribes
would fill many books-that is to say, all
American Indians have a universal sign
language without regard to tribal dialec ts
Long-distance signals are sent with light
nlng-like rapidity, and messages go be-
tween distant points quicker than ordinary
telegraph messages with the messenger-boy
attachment. The especial war signals are
| in six divisions-the pony, the blanket, the
mirror, smoke, fire arrows, flint and STEEL
and We might add drawings and sketches
On distant bluff a pony and rider beg gin
racing for dear life. AS If by magic, the
plain becomes alive with red men, who
seem to come out of the ground with the
commotion of an army of ants; the signal
man holds up his blanket by each corner
meaning attention, then, wig-wagging his
blanket, he says, 1.-The enemy is discoy-
cred one thousand strong" At last he holds
up his blanket as sign for the warriors to
disperse, and they at once melt into the
earth like falling snow in a lake.
Another signal-man, on q distant hill
overlooking the village, flashes the news
with small mirror to the old men, war
women and wives, not forgetting, however
to flash 1t on the tepee Of his sweetheart,
who suddenly finds 1t imperative to go for
firewood in the direction of the well-known
flash. Two straight lines of blue smoke 60
ing upward indicate victory, two being
the Indian lucky number, or, maybe at
night a tsnderfoot notices some falling
stars in pairs. Burning arrows" said our
guide The Sioux do not use them, how
ever They say Many fire-fiies In the cool
october air." Indian fire talk" says our
guide The signal man, it seems, has
blanketed himself that a small hole is
left facing his friends. Inside the blanket
tent ne strikes flint and Steel giving the
numerical details of the battle.
Along the red pfpeclay beds and the BLUFFS
of the Big Muddy river strange sketches of
tomahawks and broken pipes, drawn with
Evening star., 1898-11-05
His Last Voyage.

There is sea from whose remoter shore
No vessel ever wanders back to this,
To tell what sands the silent waters kiss.
Or brings word from sailors gone before
whether they landed safe the freight they bore
On some fair isle Of everlasting bliss
Or sank with 1t to some unknown abyss
We cannot teil-but they return no more.
Each makes the voyage for himself alone;
Or II a line or message there may be,
'Tfs written In a. tongue to us unknown
Some language uAf6 which We have no key;
If they return, we5have no sight to see2
BIO it THE HFSPERIAN
Evening star., 1898-11-05
Tie A&nOstic.

1 do not know where heaven may be.
When parted from the girl l love;
There's naught1about that's sweet to see,
And the dun clouds hang low above.
When she loye is fur from me
l do not know where heaven may be.
J.,
To solve the mystery of life
In vain l trywhen she's away.
Then these fewsyears Of wrong and strife
Seem useless; and the fiinty way
we tread, with, tears and gloom Is rife.
When she's away, What use is life?
nt'1 z
But when Tmdwfthsher, then know
That heaven Is shining in her eyes;
That life is given ihe, to go
Holding the little hand prize.
Iife's purpose then is plain to me
Nor do doubt where heaven may be.
Evening star., 1898-11-05
A SILK Worm of the Sen,
rom the New York Herald.

-NtW
Silk is obtained from the shellfish known
the pima (mytiIidael, which is found in
the Mediterranean. This shellfish has the
power of spinning a viscid silk which in
Sicily is made into a regular and very
handsome fabric. The silk is spun by the
shelfish, in the first instance, for the pur-
pose of attaching itself to the rocks 1t is
able to guide the delicate fflaments to the
proper place and there glue them fast and
The material when gathered (which Ia
done at low tide) is washed In soap and
water dried Strengthened and carded one
pound of the coarse filament yielding about
three ounces OF fine thread, which when
spun Is Of a lovely FURNISHED golden brown
color.