davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-06-09
HOTELS GOOD POINTS.
These Are the Ideas of Man Who
Knows, Too.

These Are the Ideas of q Man Who
Knows, Too.
81 have a record of over 700 hotels
where l have stopped" volunteered
well-known and popular minstrel per-
former to Washington Star reporter.
(which are scattered all over our glo-
rious country, from Maine to the Rio
Grande, and it is to be presumed that
I know something Of hotel life after
living in them and in hotels alone
nine months out of every year for the
past twenty-five years. Besides the
700 and over 1 have a record Of, I
have stopped at some hotels where I
did not make record. At many Of
the 700 I have stopped from ten to
twenty times, generally from one to
six days each time. Now, what l am
getting at is that those who complain
most of hotel life in this country are
those who know the least about it.
During three months of each year I
live at my own home. come in con-
tact with wanderers, travelling people
like myself, and associates, by the
thousand, and I hear what they have
to say about hotels and hotel life. The
professional traveller has no kick like
the amateur or occasional traveller;
he knows enough to know that he is
as rule better fed at even the second
grade hotels than in the ordinary pri-
yate house; that is, he has more to
eat if he desires and a larger selec-
ton to choose from. AS far as the
room is concerned, the travelling man
only has it to sleep in, and, provided
the bed is good, he does not care
ran about the other furniture, or
whether the room is papered or white
washed or not, SO that it is clean. In
the minstrel business ballad singer
IS generally the hardest man to please,
and if we find that he likes a place,
It suits all the rest Of the company.
NV opinion that the hotels feed we'll
goes with them all, north, south, east
and west. Now and then some are
specially good. The difficulty with the
so-called poor hotels is that the eaters
are bad-it is not the food. A poor
sleeper likewise makes very poor
bed. The ballad singers say this, and
what they say goes for all it is worth"
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-06-09

left us, The sun set amid saffron-col-
ored waves, and the western sky was
all aflame, when the sails began to
flll and collapse as the wind came in
heavy puffs, causing the masts to sway
from side to side. and the bellying
courses to crack and flap with sound
like thunder.
At last there came steady breeze;
the courses were left fall, and with
both sheets aft, for the wind was fair.
the Eugene once more walked through
the shining waters.
Full, round, and silvery the moon
arose, and tipped with liquid light
every wave, that seemed to dance on
ward with the brig, which in half an
hour had the snow-white foam flying
in sheets over her catheads.
It was about the hour Of in the
morning that the horrible events
which am about to relate occurred.
l was in the middle watch, relieving
Weston, who, as the tropical dews
were heavy, always ordered Billy the
cabin boy to give me glass of bran
dy-and-water before going on deck, for
fear of ague, and then he turned in.
The sullen Spaniard Antonio was at
the wheel. Tom Lambourne, Ned Carl
ton and l were walking to and fro,
lettering at times, and looking at the
compass to see how she headed-now
aloft to observe how the sails drew
anon over the side, where the water
bubbled merrily past, or ahead at the
patch Of blue and star-studded sky
which was visible under the leach Of
the fore-course, as the briggs bow filled
every now and then, and she rolled
heavily from side to side, as all YES
sells do when running before the wind.
All was very still, for, save the bub-
BILE Of the water in the wake astern,
or a gurgle as it surged up in the rud
der case, the creaking of block, or
the iron sings of the lower yards, not
sound stole upon the first hour of
the silent morning.
Two of the albatrosses we had
caught were hanging by the legs from
the gallows-top abaft the foremost,
where their great extended wings
swung somewhat mournfully to and
fro in the wind and by the motion of
the ship.
(To be continued)
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-06-09
Melting Rats Into Gold.

It is said to be a common practice
for the boys in watch and jewelry
factories to kill the rats which infest
the building and burn the bodies to
obtain the gold. Many oiled rags are
used in furnishing watch cases, and in
time they become impregnated with
gold. The rats eagerly devour these
rags, and few months of this kind Of
diet fills the interior mechanism of the
rat with gold plating.
Twice year the boys have a grand
cremation. The rats are caught by
the hundred and burned in a crucible.
The intense heat drives off all ami
NAL substances and leaves the gold in
the shape of little lump. The amount
of the precious metal obtained in this
way is not large, but it gives the in
genicus youngsters plenty of pocket
money. In some factories young Ma
poleons Of finance buy up in advance
the shares of their fellow workers il
the rat colony.
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-06-09
Thirty Cents.

Colloquial phrases Of popular use
are like poets-born, not made-and
any inquiry into their origin results
invariably in the discovery that, like
Topsy, they just growed up. So soon
as one expression has become trite in
New York it is replaced by another
which seems to rise almost automat-
ically to fill want long felt. Just now
the most popular phrase in colloquial
use as a designation Of inferiority is
$50 cents" There are variations Of it
several. A man looks like 80 cents;
a detected and disconsolate individual
feels like 80 cents; promising VEN
ture amounts to no more than 30
cents, and the idle talk Of an unim-
portant person sounds like 80 cents. In
each case the essential fact is just the
same, for the distinguishing mark of
the expression is 80 cents. Some eff
forts have been made to explain the
Specification of this expression, but
so far unsuccessfully. Thirty cents,
it is true, is not a large amount when
compared with the standard of value,
81, in the United States, but it IS more
than the standard of Germany, which
is the mark, 25 cents; the franc of
France or Italy, which is 20 cents Cor
nearly 2O); the crown of Austria, the
rupee of India, the drachma of Greece,
or the peseta of Spain, worth about 20
cents each. Thirty cents reduced to its
practical purchasing power and with
the existing system Of transfers in
transportation in New York will take
the traveller considerable distance,
il it will not keep him on the move all
day. 1t will more than buy GUAR
ter lunch" and will allow for s.
cent tip as we'll, and by some persons
it is believed that the genealogy of the
expression is to be traced to this, a 30
cent meal, patronized by those who
had previously been able to pay more.
Whatever its origin, "30 cents" is now
frequently heard.-New York Sun.
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-06-09
THE LATE MRS. VIM. c. WHITNEY
New York Letter.)

! Mrs. Whitney was a member OF the
celebrated May family of Baltimore
and was closely related to the Jays,I
Kanes, Oelrichs, Webbs and VIM
Ithrops of New York. Her first huS+
band was Capt. Arthur Randolph ot
the British army. They met at ORES
den years ago. Randolph was marrie9h
but divorced his wife and followed tn
then beautiful Miss May to America,
Her parents violently opposed tn
marriage at first, but finally consented
Randolph died in Canada few 4ho+
after their marriage. The \ low tha
manned single for many year &c -
1896 married William c. Within
was beautiful woman, splendiC
ucated and entertained graciously. -
The accident which cost her life o.
Cured at Aiken, S. c., on February q
1898. She was following the hounds,
and, while going under bridge aftef
the deer, her head 'ruck one of the
timbers. Every ptsE'ble effort was
made to save her al for months her
neck and shoulders re inclosed in
plaster cast. 1t became advisable that
Mrs. Whitney should be removed to
New York, where there were more
modern surgical appliances than could
be obtained in Aiken. The surgeons
were concerned as to how and in what
sort of a car Mrs. Whitney could be
transported.
"Let car be made" said Mr.. Whit
ney, cor train or railroad, if neces-
sary." 1t was done. Four luxurious
Wagner coaches were placed on side
track near Aiken, and for three weeks
they were kept there, attached to an
engine with steam up, while expert
designers altered and planned and car
pentered that Mrs. Whitney might
travel northward undisturbed. Il
amounted to the practical rebuilding
Of car, but it was done at last. Then
the car was run out on the main track
and the strange sight was seen Of a
great New York surgeon reclining on
a bed while the engineer made short,
quick runs, sudden stops and jerks
backward. Mr.. Whitney and DR.. Btu
superintendent all this, and untilno jxrs
whatever could be communicated to-
the bed they were not satisfied with
the work of the car builders.
1t was fairy-like journey north,
and it ended at last in the Whitney
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-06-09
CHAPTER XVIII.
We Cross the Line.

we CTOSS Cne Line.
We were now in the latitude of burn
ing days, of starry nights, and bright
blue seas. The winds were light, and,
as usual, near the line, there was
tremendous swell upon the ocean,
which rose in long and slowly-heaving
hills, without foam or ripple-smooth,
CLASSY and without sound.
On lovely night, when the ocean
seemed to sleep in the moonshine, we
crossed the equator. "a
The Eugene was running with the
lee clews Off. e., with a flowing
sheet-when Father Neptune came on
board, and the usual unpleasant pranks
were played on those who had never
passed the girdle of the world before.
Great preparations had been in
progress all day in the forecastle, and
these were perfected under cloud OF
night. All the crew were on deck save
Antonio, who turned in, having prob
ably q dread of what was about to en-
sue, and knowing that he was anything
but favorite.
Accompanied by the shouts Of tie
crew, and preceded by Will White,
playing "Rule Britannia" on a violin,
old Father Neptune was drawn on a
species Of hurdle aft to the quarter
deck, where Weston stood ready to re-
ceive him, with his hat in one hand
and a case-bottle of brandy in the
other
Under an old swab, which had been
well dried and curled to make wig
for the son of Saturn and Vesta. I
recognized the grotesquely tattooed
visage of my friend Tom Lambourne.
A cutlass was stuck in his girdle, and
he wore huge paunch of canvas
stuffed with oakum.
In a gown made by the sailmaker,
Ned Carlton officiated as Amphritrite;
end both deities were armed with har-
poons. as emblems of their dominion
over the sea.
II The attendant Tritons were got up
in the same fashion, and all wore false
noses Of singular size and great bril-
lance, with low wigs and long tails.
On Neptune and his goddess receiv-
ing q dram and questioning the cap
tain about his crew, 1t was discovered
that Antonio and were the only two
on board who had never crossed the
l line before; whereupon the Tritons
whooped and danced as they laid vio-
lent hands on me. I submitted to the
4 usual shaving and SO forth with a
good grace, and compounded, to avoid
other annoyances, for two bottles OF
brandy, and ascending to the main
cross-trees without going through the
iubber's hole. But for hthe Cubano
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-06-09
CHAPTER XIX.


AS we kept the coast of South Africa
we'll aboard, a few days after we saw
Cape San Rogue, or, as it is sometimes
called, Point Pelinga, the northeast
ern extremity of Brazil, rising from
the blue water like purple cloud.
But it diminished to low black streak
on our weather quarter when the sun
set, and we found ourselves ploughing
the waves of the South Atlantic.
There fell a calm for whole day
after this, and while the Eugene
rolled lazily on the long CLASSY swells,
with her topsails Tapping, and her
courses hauled up, the sole amusement
of the crew consisted in catching al
batrosses, or in killing them, unde-
tered by the old superstition that it
was a bird of good omen," Or by the
story of the Ancient Mariner" of
which they were probably ignorant.
A flock Of these gigantic sea-birds
congregated under our stern, where
they gobbled up everything that was
thrown over to them; so Hislop and I
proceeded methodically to fish them
on board.
We procured strong lines, baited the
hooks with pieces Of pork, lashing
thereto a buoy formed Of a common
cork and lowered four Of them over
the stern.
They had scarcely touched the
water, when amid a furious tapping
of heavy pinions, they were eagerly
Swallowed the hooks and lines began
to bear taughtly, and we soon had four
gigantic albatrosses splashing the
water into froth in their Intellectual
efforts to escape.
We lowed them in, hand over hand,
and after measurement found the
smallest to be eleven feet from the tip
Of one wing to the tip of the other.
Though rank and fishy in flavor, the
flesh of these birds was made into
sea-pies, on which the crew were re-
called for two days after, and they par
took of it with great apparent relish.
But Jack is not very particular, es-
pecially when at sea-
Though none of the crew shared the
superstition connected with the de-
struction Of an albatross, and probably
none, save Hislop and myself, knew
the splendid ballad written by Coler-
idge, it would seem as if our misfor-
tunes commenced with that days wan
ton sport!
The huge sea birds became shy and |
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-06-09
DICK RODNEY;
o.. The Adventures of
An Eton Boy.

~ JAMES GRANT.

CHAPTER XvII.-(Continued.)
Soon after this, when evening came
on we heard noise in the torecastle,
and the voice Of Hislop exclaiming:
Stand clear--sheer of, Antonio! II
Y you come, athvart me, I'll knock you
down with q handspike! What! you
grip your knife, do you? Well, just
DO 1t again, and I'll chuck you over
board like bit Of old junk"
What Is the matter now" said I,
Fastening forward.
"Oh, this rascally Spanish creole has
been swearing at the men again, and
threatening old Roberts"
He vows, sir, he will burn the
ship" said Roberts, who seemed con-
siderably excited.
Burn the ship" reiterated Weston.
II have a great mind to put him in
the bilboes for the remainder of the
voyage"
"'Twere best for all concerned, sir, >"
said Tom Lambourne, touching his
forelock with his right hand, and CIV
Ing the deck scrape with his left
foot; cor set him adrift with some
provisions in the jolly-boat."
Come, come, Antonio" said Wes-
ton, with greater severity than had
hitherto seen expressed in his open
and honest countenance, you must
haul your wind-for some time you
have been going too far. 1 can't spare
my jolly-boat, and, thank heaven! the
days of NARROWING are past among
British sailors, but beware you, ship
mate, or the bilboes it shall be, and
we have pretty heavy pair below.
And as for you, Marc Hislop," he
added, in low voice, when We walked
att, "take care of yourself, for these
Spanish creoles are as slippery and
treacherous as serpents."
I'll keep my weather eye open,"
said Hislop.
You will require to do so, think"
you do?" exclaimed the Scotsman,
with growing anger. IF he proceeds
thus, I'll break either his heart or his
neck" Iz
Next morning, Roberts, the old man
o'-war's man, who had always been
Antonio's chief accuser concerning his
dreams, was nowhere to be found on
board!
All the hands were turned up; the
whole brig was searched, the. fore
castle berths, the cable-tier, and every
place below from the fore to the after
peak. but there was no trace of Rob-
erts, save his old tarpaulin hat lying
crushed and torn in the lee scuppers.
He was last seen when turned up
to take the middle watch, which ex-
tends from IL to o'clock a. M, and
Antonio was then in his hammock.
Roberts was entered in the log as
Having fallen overheard in the
night" but his loss cast a terrible
gloom over all the ship. Suspicion
grew apace, and seemed to become con-
firmed, as open war was soon declared
between the crew and Antonio.
Every man was ready to take his
trick" at the wheel, rather than trust
the Eugene to his steering in the
night, lest he might let her breach to,
ard lose her spars, or do some other
mischief; and no man, if he could
avoid 1t, would lay out on the yard
beyond him. No man would walk on
the same side of the deck with him,
or exchange word, or light for
pipe, or use the same cup or plate; so
he was generally to be seen, leaning
modify and alone, against the wind
lass bits, with his black eyes fixed
on the horizon, as if he expected a
sail or something else to heave in
sight.
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-06-09

mansion of Fifth avenue. Then, for
the first time, the X-rays were used
and the full extent of Mrs. Whitney's.
injury was made out. Afterward She
was taken to the Whitney home on
Long island, but it was not long be-
fore the invalid pinned for the sea
breezes of Bar Harbor. Forthwith
there appeared, at the beck of the same
magician, a yacht that was almre $,
floating hospital, to take Mrs..
to Bar Hsrbor.. ,As.ndges to the Holy
the 81 are undertaken by the Russians.
bacSs estimated that between 20, 700 and,
/ 10000 Russians visit Palestine every
rear.
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-06-09
With Emphasis.

Amy (reading)-He gave her jew
eled NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. do you
pronounce that Uncle Isaac? Uncle
Isaac (gruf1ly)-I pronounce it down.
right foolishness!-The jewelers.
Weekly.
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-06-09
DRY PhiloaOnhy.

There is one thing" continued tho
Dry Philosopher, "that can be proven
by a goats head-a striking counte-
nance is not always a sign Of brain"
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-06-09

A ring around the moon indicated
bad weather, which will last as many
days as there are stars inclosed In the
circle. -
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-06-09


fort, they are tossed every whittier.
How has it been with you, my hearer?
Are you more contented in the house
of fourteen rooms than you were in
the two rooms you had in house when
you started? Have you not had more
care and worriment since you won that
$50 600 than you did before? Some of
the poorest men I have ever known
have been those of great fortune. A
man Of small means may be put in
great business straits, but the ghast-
lest of all embarrassments Is that of
the man who has large estates. The
men who commit suicide because of
monetary losses are those who cannot
bear the burden of any more, because
they have only a hundred thousand
left.
On Bowling Green, New York, there
Is house where Talleyrand used to
20. He was a favored man. All the
world knew him, and he had wealth
almost unlimited; yet at the close Of
his life he says: Behold, eighty
three years have passed without any
practical result, save fatigue of body
and fatigue OF mind, great discourage
ment for the future and great disgust
for the past" Oh, my friends. this is
"a south land" and it,slopes off toward
deserts OF sorrows; and the prayer
which Achsah made to her father
Caleb we make this day to our Father
God: "Thou hast given me south
land; give me also springs of water.
And he gave them the upper springs
and the neither springs" ...
Blessed be God! We have more ad.
vantage given US than we can really
We have spiritual bless
lngs offered to us in this world which
Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-06-09

heart was almost broken because she
was going, yet he gives her south
land; not only that, but the upper
springs. 0 God, my Father, I thank
Thee that Thou hast given me a south
land" in this world, and the neither
spring. of spiritual comfort in this
world; but, more than all, I thank
thee for the upper springs in heaven.
1t is very fortunate we cannot see
heaven until we get into it. Oh, Chris
tian man, if you could see what a
place it is, we would never get you
back again to the office or store or
shop, and the duties you ought to per-
form would go neglected. I am glad
I shall not see that world until enter
1t. Suppose we were ALL led to go on
an excursion into that good land with
the idea C returning. When we got
there and heard the song and looked
at their raptured faces, and mingled
in the supernal society, we would cry
out: "Let US stay! We are coming
here anyhow. Why take the trouble
Of going back again to that old world :?
We are here now; let us stay" And it
would take angelic violence to put us
out Of that world if we once got there.
But as people who cannot afford to
pay for an e. tertainment sometimes
come around it and look through the
door ajar, or through the openings in
the fence so we come and look
through the crevices in that good land
which God has provided for us. We
can just catch a glimpse Of it. We
come near enough to hear the rum
bling Of the eternal orchestra, though
not near enough to know who blows
the cornet or who fingers the harp.
My soul spreads out both wings and
claps them in triumph at the thought
of those upper springs. One Of them
breaks from beneath the throne; an
other breaks forth from beneath the
altar Of the temple; another at the
door of "the house Of many man
sions." Upper springs Of gladness!
Upper springs Of light! Upper
springs of love! It is no fancy
of mine. "The Lamb which is In the
midst Of the throne shall lead them to
living fountains Of water" oh, Savior
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1899-01-19
The Idaho Pea.

During the past two or three years
persistent efforts have been made to
boom a forage plant called the Idaho
pea, which was said to have originated
in Idaho.
The seed OF this plant has been rec
commended as the best known substi-
tute for coffee, and wonderful stories
have been told OF the quantity of valu-
able forage the plant furnishes.
The U. S. Department of Agriculture
has made an investigation and finds
that the Idaho" pea, in what is
known as the Gram or Chick pea and
has been in cultivation longer in Asia
than any other leguminous plant.
1t was one OF the plants cultivated
by the Greeks in the days of Homer and
had prominent place among the food
plant Of the masses in the time of the
Roman Empire.
1t is estimated that there are now
., 200, 900 acres devoted to its cultiva-
tion in India. Next to the cereals it
is the most important food used in
India and in portions of Northern
Africa, Spain and other countries Dor
dering the Mediterranean.
1t is cultivated to some extent in
Mexico, but is considered there infe-
rior as a food to corn.
The seeds have approximately the
same composition as the common field
pea.
The forage is so strongly charged
with oXalic acid as to be decidedly in.
furious to horse and in lesser degree
to cattle, The average yield of seed
per acres in India is ten bushels.
Mr.. Jared G. Smith, assistant agros.
tologist of the Department of Agricul.
ture, advises farmers to be cautious
about investing much money or devot.
ing very much land to the cultivation
of the Idaho pea until more extended
trials have been made.