davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-06-01
ELECTRIC FIRE BALL.
If the Operator Had Touched 1t He
Would Have Been ElectrocuteJ.

ELECTRICITY is like a mule in one re
spect,' said Il veteran operator YOU
can never tell just when it's going t.
get up on its front legs and kick YOU
into the middle of next week | rcmem.
Der, years ago, when | was night chief
operator at the office in Richmond,
Va, very strange thing happened.
was sitting at my table one night at
about ii o'clock, waiting for it to Stop
raining. when | could go bone. There
was big storm up the lire. and while
we didn't feel Il TO any great extent I'm
the city, the lightning had been play
ing the mischief with the wires in the
office, and several of the connections
had burnt out. All of a sudden heard
"A strange swapping sound at my instru-
ment, and the next thing | knew
flash of blush white fire lit up the
whole room. Then n globe of flame
about the size of an orange seemed to
spring from the armature and began to
roll slowly from over the top of the
table. AS nearly as | can describe the
thing, ii was like n globule of molten
metal glowing through and through
with lncandesccnt fire and shimmering
with every color of the rainbow. 1t
was beautiful to look at and fasci-
mated me like Il snake. Moreover. it
seemed as yagile as bubble-as if n
touch would shivcr it to atoms-and
without thinking I reached for it with
a wooden ruler. Luckily my assistant
had more sense. and he yelled at me
so frantically that | stopped before |
touched it. Just then the fiery ball
reached the edge and rolled off. As it
struck the floor ii shattered like n drop
of quicksilver and suddenly disappear
ed. When | recovered my senses and
looked at the table | was shocked. The
instrument was n wreck, and the track
of the electric apparition was charred
into the wood half an inch deep. If l
had prodded ii | wouldn't be telling the
story, for the ruler had metal edge,
and | certainly would have been cleo
trocuted then and there. | have heard
of such balls of fire from a few old OPP
orators, but that's the only one | ever
saw. and I'm not yearning to see an
other. Nobody has ever been able to
explain them OF course the time 1
speak of was before the introduction of
improved current arresters, and nova
days such visitors are pretty effectively
barred out"-Kansas City Star.
Theories are impracticable plans for
doing things that are impossible.
The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-06-01

Theories are impracticable plans fol-
doing things that are impossible.
The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-06-01

is a noticeable progress of civilization.
Along the gulf coast there Is no change.
In spite of the war the succeeding
dccade--ending In 1SIO--was one OF
growth. Kansas. Nevada and Ne
braska We're admitted as States, and
half dozen Territories were organ.
lied. West Virginia took on its sepa.
rate identity. The State of Michigan
took a notable boom" The total area
of population had reached 100000
square miles. This was advanced &c
100000 by 1850, in the lapse of anoth.
er decade. In this later period that
part of the country which made great.
est strides in population was the Kan.
saS-NchraSka region.
In tracing this growth Of population
it is curious to note that within the
settled portions of the country there
are several sections which have re.
manned practically virgin. About L..
600 square miles of territory in the
northern part of Maine are almost
without habitation. The Adirondack
region in northern New York is anoth.
er section which offers serious obsta.
clcs TO settlement. In northern Michi-
gan and Wisconsin, also sparsely set.
tied, the situation is about the same.
Densely wooded lands and severe eli.
mate have scared off the settler and in.
vited only the logger, who enjoys prac,
tically monopoly of the territory. In
all these sections where within terri.
tory that is thickly populated there lie
distinct regions passed by the immi
grant the same condition Of slow and
rapidly accelerating absorption pre-.
walls. The encroachments year by
year are growing in pace, and with the
taking up of the prairie land of the
West these cold and wooded sections
will come within the range of the eX-
plOrcr's vision.
The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-06-01
NOVEL BICYCLE PATH.
Elevated Structure Nine Miles Long
to Connect Two Cities.

In the mountainous region about Los
Angeles and Pasadena, in Southern
California, the lot of the wheelmen is
not an altogether happy one. for cycle
paths are unknown there, and beyond
city limits the way for riders is so
rough and rolling that the pleasures of
cycling scarcely compensate for the
pains. \ change is about to come over
the face of these conditions, however,
by the construction of the most novel
and elaborate wheelway in this coun-
try and probably the world. An elevat-
ed cycle path of framework nine miles
long has been desisI ed to cono.ci tue
two places The ,'atd will lie s1pported
by two pillars Of different heights, 20
equalize the grade, and the floor Will
be of boards. The width will be about
ten feet, and each side will be inclosed
by lattice work rising to a height If
The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-06-01

included within it," Outside of this
frontier line there was yet practically
no settlement excepting small settle
mcnts on the Arkansas, White and
Washita Rivers in Arkansas.
After the lapse of another decade,
reaching now into the historic Jackson
ian period, Florida had become part
of the Union and the tide of empire
had pushed on resistlessly. Missouri
had been carved out of the southeastern
corner of the old Missouri Territory
and admitted as a State. Settlement in
other quarters has continued to spread,
yet it is proper to state that as the
decade from 1910 to 1920 was one for
blocking out work, so the succeeding
ten years was period for filling in and
completing that work. The point
furtheSt west at this time was the pres
ent site of Kansas City, Mo-, and its
surrounding territory. whore quite n
deuse body of population appeared.
Meanwhile the unsettled parts of
such Eastern States as New York
Pennsylvania and Virginia were mar
rowing. The total settled area was
now 100000 square miles.
Michigan and Arkansas had made
their bow to the union ten years later
by 1S4O-and the Indians, who had
delayed civilization in Georgia. Ala
bama and Mississippi. were pushed on
ward to the Indian Territory. leaving
those States open to settlement. Sim
ilarly the Sacs, and Foxes, ana the Pot
tawatomies had been urged by Uncle
Sans iron hand to seek camping
grounds further to the west. This left
northern Illinois and the territory
tributary to Chicago free to the agri-
culturist. Florida was invaded by
new army of settlers. The settled area
Of the nation had increased in the dec
adc 100000 square miles.
Texas and the region involved in the
Guadcloupc-lIidalgo treaty were ac-
quired by the expansive government
before 1870 came around. More States
were admitted to the Union and new
Territories were organized. Along the
northern Mississippi River settlements
sprung up rapidly. The discovery of
gold in California made it necessary
to draw the population circles around
that far western part of TIE nation.
The inhabited portion of the country
now comprised approximately a mill
ion square miles. In 1850 the territorial
changes included the acquisition of that
strip of Arizona and New Mexico
south of the ella River. New Terri
tories continued to be formed. now be
ing nodded out of the unsettled parts of
the Cordilleran region into Utah and
Washington. This period witnessed
for the first time in the settlement of
Kansas and Nebraska n considerable
movement Of population beyond the
Missouri River Even in northern
Maine, with Its uninviting rocks, there
The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-06-01
Unfortunate SimiIc.

There are times when a lawyer re-
grets the use of an illustration which
a moment before has appeared especial
ly felicitous.
THE argument of my learned and
brilliant brother" said the counsel for
the plaintiff in a suit for damages from
a street-car corporation. lis like the
snow now falling outside--it is scatter
ed here, there and everywhere"
"All can say" remarked the oppos.
ing counsel when his opportunity came,
"ls that l think the gentleman who
likened my argument to the snow now
falling outside may have neglected to
observe one little point to which l fiat
ter myself the similarity extends; it
has covered all the ground In very
short time"
The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-06-01
RUSkiN IN HIS OLD AGE.
Declining Years md Powers of the Seer
Who Wrote "Moderu Paintiugs,"

A correspondent who has recently Wis
tied Brentwood says that Mr.. Ruskin
now is able to take but little recrea-
ton. Most of his time is spent in his
study, from which there is Il fine view
of Conlston Lake. and the great falls
at the southern end of II, falls which
were painted 10y Turner, and which fig
ure so prominently in the descriptions
in the "Idyls of the King" For some
years past visitors have been forbidden
an audience except in very rare cases.
Brentwood, as the many know, is quite
a temple of art. Turner's have been
crowded into the place to the overshad-
owing of all other Artists, even men
like old Crome and William Hunt. Mr..
Ruskin's tiny bedroom is hung all
round with specimens of the great mas
ter. There are two studios ut Brant-
wood, and at the time Of the CORE
spondent's visit there stood on the
easel of one of them Mr.. Ruskin's last
study, an enlarged peacoCk's feather.
On being ushered into the professors
kindly. There was an inquirlng look in
the deepset gray eyes. with their evil
dences of faded fires Warning had
been given that long conversation
could not be allowed. but the talk drift
ed round to a subject in which Mr..
Ruskin had been interested nearly for
ty years ago. lie remembered a GER.
The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-06-01
STANDING ROOM ONLY
THAT WILL BE THE &C UNTRYS
CONDITION IN YEAR 1000.
Increase in Population Will Soon Abb
sorb All Territory in the United
States, Giving Only an Average of
an Acre to One Person.

If the population Of the United
States continues to increase at the rate
that has prevailed during the last TWEEN
~ years in the year 1000 it will reach
50 great Il density there will be room
for an average of only one person to
an acre In the vast area. If the rate
of increase shall advance as the rate
has advanced during the last fifty
years, that alarming density will have
been reached many decades earlier.
1t seems impossible to believe that n
territory which n century ago seemed
so immense that no prophet could have
foresecn that it could be filled up with
in many centuries by any ordinary mi
gratory phenomenon, has already come
to the point where standing room
only is only question of years. Yet
the pregnant totals of the census de
partmcnt for the last century impose
that inevitable conclusion.
These figures Tin round numbers are
as follows
179o... 100000 1850. 81 .OOO. 900
1NlD..... 5.OOO.u0 1850. 80, 100000
1890. .13.OOO,UoO 1880. 1900, 900
1850. -. 23UOU,oOO
In the time of Washington, with a
population of only 100000, and with
"A total area less than ut the present
time, there was yet only one person to
the square mile In Jeffcrson's admin
istration in 1900 the density had grown
to an average ~ two to the square
mile. Thirty years later, in the Jack
sonian period, 1t had doubled again to
four persons to the square mile. Two
decades later, in the time of Fillmore,
ii had advanced TO seven. When Lin
coin was President his people were
scattered at the rate of nine to the
square mile. In Garfclds time it had
advanced to fourteen. while at the
present time it is computed that the
population averages about twcnty-one
persons to the square mile.
When the first census was taken,
on the first Monday in August. 1890,
the population was confined entirely to
the Atlantic scahoard. Not more than
, per cent, of the population was west
of the Appalachian system. The great
est density WIS III eastern MaSSHcnu-
sets. Rhode Island and Connecticut
and about New York City. Twenty
years later, at the census of 1910, the
population had begun to spread west
ward. The central portions of New
York State were filling up, the Ohio
River was lined with settlements, and
st. Louis had grown into an important
center from mere fur trading post,
which had been its previous status. In
this decade, however, in 1903, the pop
ulatiOn had taken n stride forward by
the transfer to the jurisdiction of the
United States of the section now
known as Louisiana. The territory in
Cluded in this transfer was immense,
comprising close to 100000 square
miles. In the same time the nation
had acquired from Georgia the terri
tory comprising the larger part of the
State of Alabama and Mississippi. and
the Territory of Illinois had been form
ed. including all of the present State
and that of Wisconsin and n part of
Michigan. At this time the accepted
western frontier line Of the country
The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-06-01

of this period: THE frontier line in
1920 extended from southeastern Mich
igan on Lake St Clair, southwark into
what is now Missouri: thence making
a great semi-circle to the eastward, 1t
sweeps west again around a body of
population in Louisiana, and ends on
the gulf coast in that State. The area
included by it has immensely increas-
ed, but much of this increase is balanced
by the great extent of unsettled land
The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-06-01

tain picture and coutrasted it with a
memory had not failed him nor his crit
zeal acumeni The portrait Is from the
latest photograph, taken by Mr.. Nc
Clelland, discard, aud has not pre-
viously ben published. 1t was taken
In Mr.. Ruskln's study AT Brentwood.
and shows him with all his recent
wealth of hair and silvery beard.
The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-06-01

about four feet The path will be light
ed by a double row of lights, placed 50
high as to alternate, and half way be-
tween the cities park and casino win
be established by the company that
has undertaken TO build the structure.
The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-06-01

was about 5000 miles long and EN-
braccd an area of about 100000 square
miles.
In the period between 1910 and 1920
There were many territorial changes,
causing a marked alteration IN the
frontier line, the surcst index to the
giant strides in the population. \ sta
tistican thus describes it at the end
The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-06-01

If delays are dangerous lawyers must
be brave lot.
The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-06-01

All things come to him who waits,
bad luck included.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-04

neral services the members of the To-
cal lodges of Foresters and Woodmen
met at their lodge rooms and proceed
ed in a body to the Northern Pacific
hospital, where the body of Mr.
Blackie had been lying since it was
prepared for burial. The remains were
escorted to the Presbyterian church,
where the funeral services were held
at 3 o'clock. The pallbearers were
members of the two lodges: j. M. Dix
on. Patrick Callahan, William Wood,
John Noonan, w. A. Houtchens, w.
S. Jameson and A. Himmelbauer Mu-
sic was furnished by the Presbyterian
church quartette and Rev. Walter
Hays preached a touching and i'm
pressive sermon, paying a high tribute
TO the integrity and worth of Mr..
Blackie and voicing the high esteem in
which he was held by the people of
the city.
The lodge delegations accompanied
the funeral cortege to the cemetery
and the procession was the longest
that has been seen in Missoula in many
years.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-04
P. NJ. Reilly & Co.. the grocers.
Hotel Arrivals.

At the Florence-Geo. H. Bowman,
Cleveland: w Florence, S. Hornroy,
Chicago; NJ. L. Isaacs. San Franchises:
w. D. Churchill, Spokane; Joe Don
nell, Hamilton; B. S. Hathaway, Hell
ena: f. Sharp, Helena; c. w. Web
ster, Harry Green, Chicago; G. Nj.
Price, Kansas City: Miss B. Worthing-
ton, Butte; II. r. FIRTH T. w. Young,
Denver; w. N. Dill, Decatur, H.: A. c..
MCGOWAN, St. Paul; Chas. Allard, Ro-
nan: Chas. A. Hodgson, Jos. Oettinger,
city.
At the Rankin-W. A. Poindexter,
city; M. M. Chapman. Hamilton: E. II.
Wilson, Portland; S. Cohen, c. r. Bell.
Helena; j. D. Richards and wife, Po-
tomac; Ed McInny, Florence; S. l..
Vanderpool, L. Brooks, Paradise;
Frank Foster city; l.. c. McHeffey.
Stevensvlle: Chas. Taylor, Yn H. Du-
charme, city; A H. Davis, Chicago; X.
P. Weatherford, Hamilton; Geo. Smith.
Geo. NJ. Kennedy. Clinton; w. P. Capps
and family, Stevensville; William Rey-
nolds. st. Louis; J. w. Chapman and
wife, Florence; B. F. Rose, New Salem,
N. D.; Peter Miller, Hamilton: Robert
Later. l. Bowen. John Conley, Bonita.
At the Missoula-R. W. Holland. H.
Hanson, Stevensville; Mrs. D. M. Dur
fee and family, Philipsburg: James H.
McNeely, Evansville, Ind; Miss Carrie
Connolly, Arlee; H. w. Lehson, Gar
net: w. o. Burrill, w. Wallace, Plains;
L. Roche, Helena; H. @. Reynolds. st.
Regis; Frank Beller, M. r. Wilson,
Livingstone: William Deneen, William
Peon, city; W. Reynolds, St. Paul; T.
Rowland, city.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-04
TheY fYOuldn't ShaYa Him

Missoula, Nov. 3.--Deputy Marshal
Robinson Of Idaho is now In the county
Jail here in Missoua. When he vas
arrested at Thompson Falls the other
day. after his release on bonds on the
first charge made against him, cha
bonds We're taken up and he has been
in the custody Of the constable at
Thompson Falls since. The second
charge being in connection with an al
legged transsression of che law that &C.
CURED at Plains, Robinson was taken
there for hearing. He went into a par
Der shop for a shave and was hustled
out in rather an unceremonious man
ner. and the crowd that gathered man
Tested its hostility by hooting and
jeering. Constable Massey considered
it best to bring the prisoner to this city
for safe keeping, as there is no place
of detention at Plains. Attorney Ev-
ans, who represented Robinson, is ar
ranging to furnish bonds for the APP
pearance of his client in the Plains
case, but will allow him to remain in
Jail on the Thompson charge. Robin
son will probably cultivate a beard if
he remains in Montana much longer,
as this is the second time that he has
had trouble in trying to get a shave,
the first difficulty being on the occa-
sion of his first arrest here in Missoula,
when a barber refused to finish shaw
ing him after having partially COM
pleted the job. The hearing in the
Thompson case does not come up till
Tuesday.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-04
LOCATION OF soLoMoN'S MINES.
Supposed to he Near Where Transvaa
War viii Occur.

The present prominence of the
TransVaal from political aspect
makes everything connected with that
region of special interest. The coun-
try, though it has only in compare
lively recent times attracted the at
tention of our present civilization, has
had a past very remote past. civil
ization of which all records and even
traditions have disappeared but which
has left it's mark on the landscape in
the shape of a number of stone ruins
of peculiar structure, the purpose and
probable history of which is now puz-
cling archaeologists.
These buildings are scattered over
the plateau of Southern Mashonaland
and Matabeleland, from its mountain
Gus edge on the east to the neighbour
hood of Tati on the west. They con-
sist of fragments of walls built of
small blocks of granite resembling paw
ing stones. about foot long by six
inches high, Clipped or trimmed to
uniform size. They are built without
mortar or cement, but the stones are
neatly adjusted and the walls. which
taper from the base toward the top,
are so thick that stability is insured.
The only ornamentation consists in
placing some of the stones at an acute
angle to the other layers above and
below. SO as to produce herring-bone
pattern.
The group of ruins which have at
tracted the most attention are situat-
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-04
Fine watches. Kohn Jewelry Co.
A Painful Accident.

Missoula, Nov. "a painful accident
happened to Margery, the little daugh
ter of Mr.. and Mrs. l.. N. Simons,
Thursday night, which came very near
resulting seriously. Mr.. and Mrs. ST.
mons and the children were out spend
ing an evening with friends. They
started home and while coming past
the Western Montana National bank
the child fell between the two plarks
that are used for descending from the
sidewalk to the street In falling she
struck her head on the heavy plank
Curbing, cutting a cash over the right
temple, about half an inch deep. Nine
stitches We're necessary to sew the
wound. Just before the above accident,
eX-Judge Myers met with a similar MS
hap in the same place. He was con-
siderab bly, shaken up by the fall and had
to be assisted to his home. He was,
however, able to appear on the streets
to-day
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-04
cd II miles from Fort Victoria

ed II miles from Fort Victoria, in
Southern Mashonaland. They are
known by the name of the Great Zim-
babnye. This Bantu word is said to
denote a stone building, but has often
been used to describe the residence of
a great chief 1t is common noun
and not the name of any particular
place. 1t has, however, been applied
by Europeans to these ruins, which
consist of two buildings, one on the
top of a hill. the other in a valley.
Simple and rude these structures un-
doubtedly are but for what purpose
were they built and by whom?
An explanation of a historical char
acter has been suggested. The Egypt
ian monuments teach us that in very
remote times there was a trade from
Southeast Africa into the Red sea. In
the book of Kings we find that Solo
mon and Hiram Of Tyre entered into
a trade venture from the Red sea port
of Ezion-geber to a country named
Ophir, which produced gold and dia-
monds. Other historical facts are con
tirmatory of these and indicate at
some very remote time this region was
visited by people in search of gold,
who were much more civilized than the
Kaffirs, but the mystery is not yet
solved. Are they the lost diamond
mines of King Solomon?
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-04
MISSOULA NOTES.

25c.-"On to Manila. PIC.
The usual services will be held at
the Methodist church Sunday.
Miss Alice Hathaway is in Seattle
visiting her brother, Thomas, Tor
short time.
Miss Ella Carlton is down from her
home at Carlton, and will remain In
the city for the winter and attend col
lege.
The ladies of the Episcopal church
are preparing to give tea at the
home of Mrs. II. r. Wilkinson on next
Wednesday evening.
Thomas Brube, who was arrested on
complaint sworn to by Samuel Brun-
ell for malicious mischief. will have
trial on Tuesday, the 7th.
An Indian was arrested for disturb
ing the peace Thursday evening. He
was taken before Justice of the Peace
Houtchens, who fined him 81 and
COSTS
The frame work on the new acad-
envy of the Sacred Heart is about COM
pleted. The building is under roof
and the bricklayers will soon be at
work.
The Young Peoples Society of Chris
tian Endeavor of the Christian church
will hold a song service and prayer
meeting at the Northern Pacific hosplt-
al on Sunday afternoon at o'clock.