davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1899-07-22
THE CAMEL DRIVER
All the pathos Of Life Is Displayed
In His Patient and Unhcaufi-
ful Face.

When i saw AIoussa / understood
what the American consul meant when
he spoke of drivers face. / had called
ON the consul few days before with
KhaIed, the camel dealer, who supplies
the Turkish post with dromedaries for
the journey between Bagdad and Da-
mascus. At the time was under the
impression that. Khaled was to accom-
pany me across the desert, but the con-
sui knew better. THAT is not driy
er's face" he said.
Now, Moussa's was unquestionably q
drivers face. It was like an old coffee
colored parchment. The heavy brow
was fnrrowed and pitted with years oil
exposure to the fiery heat of August
and the fierce cold of January nights
in the Syrian desert; the grizzlies. hail
of his cheeks matted his face almost td
the eyes; his beard might have been
sprig of withercd tamarisk bush; his
eyes, neither expectant nor reminis
cent, infinitely patient, infinitely re
signed, were cast from long habit or
the skyline. AIoussa and the camel are
inseparably connected in my memory
When used to wake in the desert from
dreaming Of some English garden on
crowded city + would peer out OF ms
sheepskins to see the camel's arched
neck framing starry ring Of sky, with
head posed so motionless Tint were II
not for slight twitching of the mouth
you would think the patient beast
asleep. Ny thoughts turned instinct
lively to Moussa.
The old man would be nursing BIZ
beaked coffee pot over the scanty ern
bers of a thornbush fire, as patient al
fate. He looked like one who had been
devoted from his youth to a great trust
in which his life centered. eannotre
member ever having seen Moussa ortht
camel asleep. Moussa never looked
die; the jogging swing Of the eamel was
second nature to him, and T have NC
doubt that he would have suffered ex
treme discomfort in an easy chair. The
old man was plainly clad in long black
boots, a very dilapidated, weather-Worn
AO1sht aiieh q 'A0fftA
clasped with single black aagal ! fa
cord of wool or goat hair worn round
the head to secure the turban) al of
which seemed quite Insignificant
against the ICY winds that after sunset
sweep across the desert from Lebanon
Relics Of brass buttons and an edgine
of red braid revealed that there had
bean some pretense Of a uniform.
As might be expected, his figure YVES
slightly bent and his gait rather diff
cult shamble; but lie never lost his pc.
culiar Arab dignity, which was height.
ened perhaps by the burden of his trust
and the memory of that longer journey
of his youth to the prophets tomb at
Mecca. AT least such were my impress.
sions OF Hail Moussa, tlcsola man who,
in oriental parlance, svas my ather and
my mother during the long ride crer
! the desert from Bagdad to Damascus.
obeyed him in all things implicitly,
as one does the captain of Ii ship Ills
attitude was paternai enough to make
me feel a child again, and wonder If i
had been good at the end of each day.
Life in the desert with Aoussa was so
new and nnaccustomed. afacTaiIlan,
Magazine.
St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1899-07-22
WONDERS OF NATURE
None More Impressive Than Those
of the Petrifed Forest.
Among Them Is Natural bridge
Formed of n Petrified Tree-Re-
markabie Sagaeity of an
Old Horse.
Especial Arizona Letter.

Most people have doubtless heard the
story of the Arizona pioneer who was
giving lecture in New York on the
wonders of his far-away country.
When he came to his description of the
petrified forest, it is reported that he
said somewhat as follows: "9es, ladies
and gentlemen, out yonder in Arizona
there is forest where the trees are all
growing just the same as they did cen
turies ago, but all pewtrifed. Yes, gem
tlemen, them trees is still standing and
growing 200 or more feet high, the same
as they did centuries ago, but all pew
trifed. And the branches on them ere
trees is growing the same as they did
centuries ago. but all pewtrifed. And
If you dig down into the ground you
will find the roots of them ere trees a.
growing just the same as they did cen-
turies ago, but all pewtrided. And on
the branches of them ere trees leaves
are growing just the same as they did
centuries ago, but all peWtrifed. And,
flying about among the branches of
them ere pewtrifed trees, ladies and
gentlemen, are number of pewtrified
birds, a-singing pewtrifed songs
A gentleman in the audience here
arose and asked the privilege of sub
mitting question to the lecturer.
Said he: IF these petriied birds are
flying about in this petrifed forest
what becomes of the law of grayita-
ton ?'
Without any hesitation the lecturer
replied: "oh, that's pewtrifed, tool"
Now, whether this story has any foun-
dation in fact OF not am unable to
say, but it is from such story as this
that many people have gained an idea
as to what the petrifed forest is like.
At the outset let it be understood that
St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1899-07-22
REMARKABLE PICTURE.
A Snap Shot That Was Taken al
the Moment of a Fearful
Fatality.

1.-THE most remarkable snap shot pic
ture in the world is owned by friend OF
nine in town in Georgia, ;" said an en-.
thusiastic amateur photographer. Its
story is extremely curious. Tt seems
that he went one day to a blacksmith
shop to get shot at the men at the
forge. The smith was engaged on a
difficult piece of iron work, and mad two
helpers. just behind them, on a shelf.
was pint flask, full of yellowish-white
iquor-evidently the corn whisky foI
which the native Georgian has Pc
culiar liking. As my friend was prepar-
ing to take his picture, one of the help
ers caught sight of the bottle and com.
municated his discovery by dumb show
to his companion. The smiths bach
was turned at the moment, and the first
man reached stealthily for the prize.
while my friend, unnoticed in the cor
ner, quickly aimed his camera. 1t was
a comical scene, and in his mind he had
already named the photo THE Stolen
Drink"
THE helper uncorked the flask and
took a swift gulp, and his comrade
snatched it and did likewise. Then, fol-
brief, breathless instant they looked
1T each other, and as they did SO their
foolish grin gave way to such stare OF
horror as never saw before upon a
human face. | know, because it VISA
then that the camera clicked, and this
picture is as clear as crystal. The flask
contained carbohc acid. Within an
hour both men were dead. When ny
friend took one print he broke she
negative so as to make the photograph
absolutely unique. 1t shows the for
ward end of the shop, in the foreground
is the anvil, with the smith bending
over his work Behind him are the two
helpers, one still holding the flask.
looking at each other. You can see
tragedy in their eyes as plain as print
1t is a frightfnl and dramatic tablear
that could not be duplicated by any
sort of art. IN. Times Democrat
St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1899-07-22

horseback across it. This is one of the
most astonishing and wonderful
bridges in the world, and that trans
continental traveller who journeys from
the east to California is not wise who
fails to spend the one day that is nec-
essary to visit this wonderful bridge
and the equally wonderful forest by
which it is surrounded
To the Indians of Arizona this for
est has been an inexhaustible mine.
For, from here, from time immemorial,
they have secured pieces of agate, jas
per and other petrifed wood, of which
they have made some of the finest ar
row points, spear heads and stone
knives ever constructed. These abo-
riginal specimens have been found scat
tered all over the middle-western por-
ton of the United States. thus showing
that the Indians of this region made
quite trade of petrified wood ar
ticles.
The petrified forest region is really
divided into three distinct sections:
the first section, which we have visited,
and two others. About two miles to
the southeast of the first deposit is
the second. This is about the same
size as the first, but there is much mora
Of the petrified wood in the sama
amount of space. The whole region
is wild, barren, desolate, cut and
scanned. There are SO many wild gorges
in it that now and again it presents an
appearance as if it had been taken in
some gigantic hands and twisted out
of shape.
It is frightful d esert region, and I
had an experience here that was as
| novel as it was unpleasant. We had
come further than we had intended
and were not provided with suffi.
cheney of water. The weather was in
tensely hot, and soon our little stock
of water was exhausted. The thought
of waiting until we got back home
was maddening, but | saw no other
course. Adam, however, knew a trick
far better than waiting. Riding along
until we came to the dry bed of a
stream, that seemed as if not DROP
Of water had been in it for ten years,
hSts atDSAt AAAS oSaddi0 ual0 IA lAtC
from his horse, and, tying rope around
its neck, turned 1t loose. With an in
stinct as unerring as that of the bird
in its fight, the horse went to q GER
tain spot in the wash and commenced
paving the sand with his feet. He
threw il out with almost as great ra-
pidity as dog paws the earth from .
squirrel hole, but in far greater guam
titles. I stood and watched him in
amazement, while Adam said: 'sOh, he's
smart, he is- Did you never see hogs
dig for water? That hoss has saved
my life many time, for he can find
water if it's to be had, where You and
me would lie down and die. Now see
himl"
With intent gaze the horse drew back,
and steadfastly watched the hole he
had made In a few minutes half
bucket of water had collected at the
bottom of the hole, and, though the
water was neither cool nor fresh. 1t
was better than nothing. We quenched
cur thirst, and in The cool of the even.
ing returned to the ranch.
O. WHARTON JAMES.
St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1899-07-22
All Down I

Mrs. B.-Just look, George, at these
beautiful pillows | bought at to-tlay's
sale.
Mr.. B-But really, my dear, I think
we have plenty of pillows now.
s s.Oh, but I eouldn' resist buying
these; they were al marked down. -
Chicago Evening News.
St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1899-07-22

Whatever became of him I never
knew. He was effectually scared away
from Canton, for we never saw him
again. SMITH D. FRY.
St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1899-07-22
The New Insomnia Cure

She You know a Russian remedy for
insomnia is to have dog sleep in the
room.
He-YeIl, / knew that some kinds of
bark were good for sleeplessness. hut T
didn't think dogs bark Nas.- Yon-
kers Statesman.
Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1899-06-29
Travelled in a Care.

A gentleman with very singular cpl
sode in his life has just died in China.
This was NJ. Piry, the father Of the
Chinese customs service, which he en-
tered when it was first formed by the
consuls at Shanghai in 1854. M. Piry
was Frenchman by birth, and in his
boyhood went to sea. Being ship
wrecked on the Corean coast, he was
taken by the natives and dispatched to
the king at Seoul as a great curiosity.
The king, possibly desiring to send a
rare and strange present to his suzerain
in Picking, put poor Piry in cage and
sent him overland to the Chinese cap
ital to the emperor. The latter, after
OBTAINING MI him some time, sent him
down to Shanghai to the foreign con-
suls, who gave him a post suited to his
age in the newly -esta blished customs,
and there he remained until his death.
Cincinnati Enquirer.
Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1899-06-29

hard and keen cravings reminded them
that they had gone breakfastless, din
nerless and supperless.
When True awakened, little shaft
of sunlight shone through the small
window, away up in the dimness of the
steeple. It danced upon the cobwebs
that covered the dusty beams until they
looked as if made of gold thread. "A
great, long-legged spider was dragging
hapless fly into his web. The SPIDERS
web had been partially torn away, and
the dust had been brushed from the
beams in the corner near it. There was
a little scaffold in the corner. covered
with shavings and chips, evidently left
there when the last repairing was done.
But somebody had been up in that cor
ner lately. How otherwise could the
dust have been brushed away and the
spiders web broken? True wondered
idly what anybody could have been:
there for, and then sudden thought
struck him that sent the blood rushing
to his head, and made him for moment
feel faint and dizzy. In another mo-
ment he was climbing up those beams
nimbly as only a squirrel or a boy could
climb. He put his hand under the heap
OF shavings and chips, and it touched
something very hard and cold. He
dashed off the chips and shayings with
which it was covered, and disclosed
the bell tongue.
True wanted to shout for joy, but he
knew that he needed all his strength
Just now, and restrained himself. He
could not have lifted the bell tongue.
even if he had not been obliged to cling
to a beam with one hand, but he could
draw it along to the edge of the scat
folding, and then with one mighty ef-
fort, he pushed it off. It came to the
5aoor with a crash that seemed as if IL
might M arouse all Cherry yield, and GER
tainly did efectually arouse the two
sleeping boys, who sprang to their feet,
bob with q vague impr that it
was the report ola cannon, and that his
time had now come to fight something.
It was happy moment when they
realized that the bell tongue was found,
though Tenney did grumble that they
ought to have been smart enough to
ind it yesterday. True thought that
If he hadn't been awake when that sun
beam struck the corner, they never
would have found il, for who would
have thought that any body would car
~ it away up there to hideit
It was no small undertaking to re-
place the tongue in the bell. but, latter
Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1899-06-29
Independence Day.

Fling out the flag, the starry flag,
The banner of the free! ..
The symbol of the land we love,
The land of libertyi
Our fathers with their willing blood
Baptized that banner gay,
So let it stream, its stars agleam,
On Independence day!
From brave New England's rugged shor
Washed by Atlantic's waves,
To western lands whose pebbly strands
The fair Pacific laves-
From Minnesota's swamps and swalea
To southern hummocks gay,
Fling out afar the stripes and stars
On Independence day!
Fling out the flag, the dear old flag,
The flag our grandsires won!
The emblem Of the land we love.
The land of Washington!
The blood of heroes thrills our hearts
And bids us haste away,
To cOnsecrate with fitting state
Our Independence day!
Helen w. Clark, in N. Y. Ledger.
Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1899-06-29
PUNGENT PARAGRAPHS.

BOY III carry that carpet bag for a
dime. :" Uncle Josh -...Wall, I guess I'll
go you one better and carry it myself
for nothin'. ~ Cleveland Leader.
Teacher IF a man is so years of age
and his wife is half as old, how old
will she be when he is IS? Student
Nineteen. - st. Louis Republic.
"That man always keeps his weather
eye open,' said Mr.. Cumso to his wife.
"Who is he?s HE is forecaster for
the signal service" Detroit Free
Press.
Teddy (who has just begun to go to
school -'Papa, do you know what six
boys and five girls make?' Eyes, an
swered his father, "a racket -Har-
per's Bazaar.
Hicks-''Miss Sweetlips has given
Tom the mitten." Wicks- "Wen, it's
the least she could do, seeing the many
pairs of gloves he has given her. :
Boston Transcript. ,r.e
This Rapid ,Age.-Percy Quick Sir,
I love your daughter and want to marry
her" The Father-'How long has this
been going on, young man." Percy
Quick-"Oh, as far back as early yes
terday morning!"- Philadelphia North
American.
''It's awfully late,' I remarked to my
friend, after a long whist bout at the
club. ''What will you say to your wife ?"
ooh, I shan't say much, you know"
was the reply. "'Good morning, dear,
or something of that sort. She'll say
the rest. '-Roxbury Gazette. ..
''Why do they have those glass cases
with the ak, hammer, crow-bar, etc.,
in on these cars?" asked traveller on
the railroad going to New York "Oh,
those are put there to use in case any
one wants a window open," replied the
facetious manufacturers Statesman.
Father-'What! Another dress
makers bill? My dear girl, you should
fix your mind on something higher than
dress" Daughter have, papa:
I've got my mind fixed on love of a
hat in downtown milliner's window,
and just think, it's only s1e.9S. You'll
get it for me, won't you, papa dear?"
Chicago Daily News. s'5> {!.GL.
Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1899-06-29

here to look, replied True. And nv
mother said I light stay all night with
my cousins over at Borrowsville. She
won't expect me home tiki tomorrow,
and your folks will think you've stayed
with me. Anyway, they would never
think we were up in the church
steeple.''
'sBut when she knows we're lost,
Rosy Movie will tell, if she hasn't al
ready" said Tenney.
"She won't. She's too much afraid of
her father to tell that she gave us the
key" averred True.
'1But he'll find out that the key is
gone, and then he'll suspect that we are
here" said Tenney, who was deter
mined to look on the bright side.
Next Sunday, maybe! We shall be
starved to death before then!' said
Rob, who was not proving himself as
brave as his desire for fighting had led
his comrades to suppose.
Somebody must have got wind of
what we meant to do, or the tongue
wouldn't have been taken out of the
BELL" said Tenney; 'sand no one could
be mean enough to keep us here for
long on the Fourth Of july" /
( SANDY Movie is mean enough for
anything" declared Rob; "and perhaps
they have only taken the tongue out to
repair it, or something of that lzind.''
+ Sandy Movie meanwhile arose at five
o'clock and took a walk around the
church. There was no broken window.
$50 they gavei up, the young rascals,
and have probably gone over to Bor=
rowsville to do their celebrating" said
the sexton to himself, and felt a dsap-
pointment that he should be denied the
grim satisfaction of bringing the young
rascals to justice. "Well, Cherryfeld
will be the quieter for their being out
of it to-day" he added, to console him
SELF
If notexactly out of Cherryfeld, they
were certainly too far above it to inter
fere with its quiet. Afaint echo of dis
tant Fourth of July noises came tanta-
lizingly to their ears now and then. The
minutes dragged along heavily. They
had no means of telling time, and an
hour seemed like day; but night final
ly came, the dimness deepened to utter
darkness, and, stretched upon the floor,
they all fell asleep. Being boys, they
could sleep, although the floor was
Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1899-06-29
be no danger that he would go there
again and discover the absence Of the

be no danger that he would go there
again and discover the absence Of the
key.
B That afternoon Sandy Movie and his
son, "a stout lad of IS, paid visit to the
church. Archie, the son, came out,
looking very warm and tired.
Better have let them do it, and then
make them smart for it, than to take
all that trouble," he grumbled. "Or
just give their fathers a hint of what
they are up to-
''Since they are so fond of jokes, I'm
willing they should have bit of one, y
said the sexton, rubbing his hands,
gleefully. "They'll catch it fast enough
for breaking the church window
Rosy Movie stole out of the house
that night after dark and delivered the
church key into True's hands, receiv-
ing in return an amount of candy and
torpedoes that had cost large share
of the boys Fourth of July savings.
But they were all satisfied that it was
money well spent, for they had learned
from sad experience that the results
of breaking windows were never anus
ing. .rsE
1t was about half-past four o'clock on
the morning of the Fourth when the
three boys unlocked the church door.
It was very quiet for a Fourth of July
morning. Now and then came the
banging of a gun, the feeble popping
of firecraclers and torpedoes, and the
dismal shrek of a fish horn; but there
were very few people astir.
"This stupid old town will get walk
ing up in minute now. And people
ought to thank us. It's a burning
shame to have it so still. You may be
sure they're making things lively over
at Borrowsville by this time.''
Brownsville wassa town on the other
side of the river, where the boys meant
to assist in the celebration after they
had walked up Cherryfield. ..r IN
''They won't thank us, you know
said Tenney Cole. "Boys never are ap-
preciated." EFS
II don't expect it will be just ex-
actly thanks that we shall get,'' said
True, drily, as he turned the key in the
lock behind them. ANYBODY that's
afraid had better back out now.'' sE
Nobody backed out. Six hands seized
the bell rope. There was "a long pull,
strong pull and pull all together"
Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1899-06-29

But no sound followed. They looked
at each other in silent amazement and
tried it again. They could feel that the
bell swayed backward and forward !;
but it did not ring. What could be the
reason? ~sl5i "Et.~#
''Somebody must have mufled it," ex-
claimed Rob. -ls&s
'sWe'l go up and see what's the mat
ter, anyway" said True.
A long, long flight of steep and mar
row stairs led to the first landing in
the church steeple. Beyond that was
a ladder leading to the bell loft. There
was trap door which they pushed
open, and all scrambled up to the loft.
IF here isn't a go! The tongue is
gone from the bell!'' cried True. Snow
who do you suppose did that?"
''Rosy must have told on US. I just
wish we hadn't given her all that can
dy," lamented Tenney.
The great bell hung there empty,
powerless to arouse any Fourth of July
enthusiasm, and looking as sad as if it
realized it's dumbness.
81 should just like to catch the fellow
that did that said Rob, fourishing his
fist at an imaginary foe, as he did so, I'M
fortunately striking the trap door with
his elbow, and causing it to fall with a
crash. It was somewhat dark in the
loft, now that the trap door was closed,
the only light coming from a little
round window, like a portfolio in a yes
sci, far above their heads.
''Lift up the door, Rob. We may as
well go down. Whoever took that
tongue out wouldn't leave it where we
could find it, you may be sure" said
True. ..5
n But when Rob tried to lift the door,
10 and behold!- it stuck fast. The iron
ring which had once served as handle
was broken off, and there was no way
by which they could getsa sufficiently
firm hold to pull with any considerable
amount Of strength. They tried to pry
it open with their knives, but only sue
ceeded in breaking them. And time
was wearing away, and the Borrows-
vile celebration must be getting to-
ward its liveliest. S 4
ITS Of no use to boiler. Nobody
could hear US, !" said Tenney, despair
ingly.
Its a pretty place to spend the
Fourth I'M" said Rob, with a groan.
How q long do you suppose twill be be-
fore they miss us at home and come to
look for US 2? p 5 a.
Why, they'd never think Of coming