davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14
Royal Dress Allowances.

People sometimes wonder what sum
is put aside for dress by the daugh-
tiers of royal houses. An interesting
fashion writer tells us that before her
marriage the Duchess of Fife had a
very small dress allowance-about
$1,000 year. Besides yachting and
everyday dresses and all the usual cos
tunes required by girl of the upper
class, royal princesses have also to
wear the costly and elaborate dresses
which their rank demands at the
weddings of their near relations. They
are. however, fortunate in having stores
OF beautiful laces, priceless furs and
marvellous jewels, all of which can be
used again and again. On the whole,
it may be asserted that frugal prin-
cess may spend as little as $4,000 a
year on her dress, while her more
wealthy and extravagant sister may
find her dress bills amount to ten times
that sum. Age has nothing to do with
the matter, for the Queen of Italy
spends far more than does Ter beauti-
full young daughter-in-law, the Crown
Princess Of Naples. The Empress of
Russia, who, more than any other Eu-
ropean Princess is able to indulge her
widest fancies. dresses with the great
est simplicity. In the daytime she
mostly wears tailor-made coats and
skirts and in the evening favors the
purest white materials.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14

and its base consists of sixteen ribs OF
aluminium shaped as polygons, with "a
angles. They are fixed and braced in
their positions with aluminium wires,
which radiate from common centers
like the spokes of wheel. This skel-
eton Is separated into seventeen sec
tions which are movable Independently
OF each other The whole is enmeshed
with ramie fiber netting, to hold it to-
gether, so that the airship really is II
balloons fastened together with an out
side covering.
The texture with which each bal
loon skeleton is surrounded to hold the
gas is a new material made of cotton
and rubber combined.
Together the balloons have a capac-
ity of 10000 cubic yards. The carrying
ability Is what Major Baden-Powell
says it is-ten tons. But the inven-
tor and builders say that this weight
can be carried even should one or
more Of the balloons become disabled.
The motive power will be furnished
by benzine. This has been selected,
despite its inflammatory qualities, be-
cause it was found that even the best
of electric accumulators were too
heavy. The engines for utilizing the
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14
TRADING OF ISLANDS.
RECKLESS DEALING IN OTHER
PEOPLES PROPERTY.
How Germany and England Swap Vast
Areas OF Land Belonging to the
Blacks = Settling of the Samoan
Disputs.
Especial Letter.


In return for the title to the Samoan
Islands. with the exception of Tu-
tutla. which goes to the United States,
Germany has ceded to England the
Tonga Islands, Savage Islands, and the
two largest of the Solomon Islands.
The Tonga Islands lie in the south Pa
c1fc. and are close to Fiji Islands,
which are already under British con-
troll They comprise seven larger is
lands, with many low-lying and small
islets about them. The population,
which is almost exclusively made up
OF natives. is estimated to be $4,000.
English missionaries have converted
most of the inhabitants to Christianity.
The islands are nominally ruled by
George H.. black king. though the
German government has maintained
officials In the archipelago who had the
real authority. Savage Island is
beautiful island, thirty miles in cir
cumference, lying half way between
the Tonga Islands and Samoa. It has
population of 5000, all Of them be-
Ing converts to Christianity. Unlike
most of the islands of the south Pa
cific, Savage is densely wooded The
Solomon Islands, of which two Of the
largest are coded to England, lie north
of New Guinea and form part Of the
so-called Bismarck Archipelago.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14
They Don't Like Tin supp,r,.

Seeing cart load Of tin Clippings
being taken into one OF London's larg-
est hotels, the writer inquired the rea-
son. "We use it for rats" the porter
replied. "The hotel rat is bigger.
holder and wiser than any other. He
laughs at traps, fattens on poison. and
the killing or chasing of dogs, cats or
ferrets Is his pet diversion. Even
when energetic measures have rid us
OF the pests they are with us again in
greater force within a day or two.
They will tunnel through anything.
Filling the holes with broken glass
was considered good scheme until
we found that with marvellous patience
they removed the glass piece by piece.
But we think we've beaten them now
With this tangled-up tin we cover all
places where the beasts are likely to
enter our cellars. They can't chew It,
and they can't carry 1t away as they
do broken bottles, for when Mr.. Rat
takes hold Of single strip Of the tin
he finds 1t an inseparable part Of q
network weighing many pounds
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14
VIENNA POLWENNA.

Vienna Polwenna, the elder. kept =
truitshop in Cornish fishing village
"a small and crowded shop, with a
Westinghouse on one side Of 1t and a
great glaring gin palace on the other;
and Vienna did good business with
miners and fishermen, and they said
her stocking was full. But no man
had been bold enough to ask her to
marry again, for common repute held
Vienna for q witch, and no white witch
at that.
Twas said in Westoe that strange
things were bought and sold In her
small. breathless shop. where the air
smelt always of apples. and paid for
IN strange ways; sometimes into the
wrtnkled hand or dirty apron OF old
Vienna, sometimes into the pretty
brown palm Of young Vienna, her
daughter.
Young Vienna was very fair to see;
she was brown girl with leaf-brown
hair, and black eyebrows often knitted
over her large light-gray eyes; for
young Vienna had her mothers own
temper, and that Westoe people said
was the "Old Ones" but still young
Vienna was very fair to see, and her
lips were as ripe and soft as a cherry
that has seen the sun.
l, coming to Westoe to paint its
ruined castle. heard Of young Wenna's
beauty and deviltry and old Wenna's
deviltry and ugliness, and went down
one summer evening to the little shop
to buy some fruit and to see with my
own eyes. Old Vienna was nowhere to
be seen. but young Vienna was serving
behind the counter, and her pretty
hands were stained with the Juice Of
the red currants she was selling.
"Curran's. apples, strawb'ries?" She
held up handful each of the first and
last. and looked at me with laughter in
her gray eyes.
White currants." l said. Vienna
shook her head as she weighed out a
pound of black cherries for boy.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14
IN SOUTH AFRICA.

1t is more than doubtful If any Of
the soldiers in South Africa have seen
as much actual war service as Melton
Prior, who goes out as a war corre-
spondent. In that capacity he is a
veteran of twenty-one campaigns Dur
Ing the fifteen years beginning in 1872
he saw actual fighting in every year
but one. In addition, it is not likely
that any officer in Sir Redvers Bull
ler's command has as thorough
knowledge of South Africa as this
same noncombatant. Mr.. Prior went
all through the Boer war Of 1881 and
In addition has been at the front dur
ing Kaffir. Zulu and Basuto wars in
South Africa. He has been twice
around the world, has explored Ice
land. and knows all Europe as most
men know the square on which they
live. In addition to being an accom-
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14
DETAILS OF ZEPPELIN AIRSHIp

For many months visitors to Lake
Constance. on the German side. have
wondered at huge and curiously
shaped building which has foated
about one half mile from the shore off
frledrichshafen. The structure is
over 500 feet long, Is feet wide and SIS
1eet high. In the front the queer
building comes to sharp point like
ene "edge-shaped ends of the locomo-
yves That have been built recently to
atts'n high speeds by being formed SO
mat there shall be little resistance 20
the air.
Inc building has been guarded night
ana day and none was allowed to APP
preach it. Whenever the doors werc
open for any length of time the en-
frances have been covered with heavy
curtains, so that even the most curious
OF the Inhabitants of the surrounding
towns have failed utterly to find I'll.
what was going on in the mysterious
place. The only thing that could be
guessed was that some government
matter was concealed in the floating
mouse, for what little communication
tnere was with the mainland was by
means Of government vessels.
correspondent for the Sunday
Press has discovered what has been
under way in this building. 1t is the
mammoth dirigible airship of Count
Won Zeppelin, which is being construct
ed under the supervision of the Ger
man government. This is the great
balloon to which Major Baden-Powell,
brother of Col. Baden-Powell, the Brit
1sh commander at Mafeking, has just
drawn his governments attention as
the most important efforts of recent
years. He describes it graphically as
saying that it resembles the slender
skeleton of huge battleship made Of
aluminium, containing large number
Of balloons.
Its total capacity is about ten tons.
About $350,000 have been spent in the
construction. the plans having been ap-
proved by the German government.
Major Baden-Powell says it is hoped to
drive the vessel at the rate of twenty
two miles an hour.
Rumors have been heard from time
to time about this airship, but details
were lacking and none of those con-
nected with its construction could be
induced to say word. The picture
and description of the balloon which
are printed here make the first au-
thentic and detailed news to reach the
world about this the most ambitious
attempt of modern times to solve the
great problem Of navigating the air.
Count Won Zeppelin is a German SOL
der, famous for his desperate ride into
the heart of the enemy's country in
the Franco-Prussian war. He has been
working on the plans for the airship
for years, and long before he began
the building Of his monster he had
examined and acquired every patent
that seemed to him at all available.
Thus, when he was ready to begin
building he had at his command hun
dreds of improvements and appliances
without the embarrassment of having
to dicker with their possessors. EN-
peror William has been enthusiastic
over the matter, and Count Won Yep
pelin has had ample and ready aid in
the last two years during which the
balloon has been under way.
The idea Of building the airsi1ip in
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14

they are hauled to the stern the air.
ship will point upward. If it is de-
sired to sink the craft the weights are
sent to the bow. This arrangement
takes much unnecessary work from the
engines, and enables them to devote
their entire power to the great pro-
pellers, of which there are four. They
are made of aluminium and made like
the screws OF ship, and they are at
tached to the sides, not the ends, Of
the airship. The ends are given up
to immense rudders.
1t is known that great sums of money
have been furnished from official
sources for the work, and the king Of
Wurtemburg as well as the emperor
of Germany has visited the building
often in the last year. The first trip
is to be taken before the end of No.
yember,
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14
a Famous Hindu Dead.

Swami Bhaskarananda. the famous
Hindu Ascetic, Of Benares. is dead.
This devout Brahmin, who kept him
self naked and self-immured. was Wis
tied by nearly all the Indian tourists
during their stay at Benares, includ-
ing the Prince of Wales. He spent his
life in a rigid posture, giving no heed
to his visitors. and patiently waited for
death in tn, holy city, which. accord
ing to Hindu belief, means life ever
lasting. Although Swami was a ce-
lebrity little was learned by his Wis
itors Of his actual life or Of the beliefs
that dictated his peculiar asceticism.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14

ped to bunch Of dull blue berries thai
were stuck in hss belt.
Il can't daren't," Vienna said.
You must give me one or the other.s'
Lei. they call me the Old ons3
wean." s. q
Il don't care"
II do care!" wenna.s eyes flashed
brilliantly into his-"an' you'll get the
berries"
Both hands trembled a little the.
fruit-stained hand which gave and the
sunburnt and rope blistered hand
which took.
"I'll buy them. then" he said. I'm
not have them as gift, Vienna, and
he threw string Of fish on the coun-
ter. They're fresh caught tonight a
"Mammy'll. cook them for supper,
Lell. Goodnight Vienna said. with
dropping eyelids.
Goodnight, child wean."
Then she turned to me, with some
what dazed look in her beautiful eyes.
Red curran's, yes. an black. An are
you for gooseberries. sir, or will you
be for some flowers? Poppies. now
or gypsy roses?"
You haven't any more berries?" I
asked. And she changed color sud-
denly and dreadfully.
"No! 1 have peoples for my fancy
lads. but dwale berries for only one:
man." she said, looking at me with,
eyes that narrowed like snakes
about to strike. "Will you have q
poppy. sir?"
She smiled now, and drew back,
suddenly afraid of her.
Maybe you'll go into the room be-
hind the shop, sir. Mammy1l be glad
to see you. an she's finer things to sell
than ever cross this counter"
Flesh and blood, 1 suppose?" said,
paying her hastily. mo, don't want
any,"
went out from the apple-tainted
air and drew a deep breath OF the
sweet evening. Vienna watched me.
from the doorway, smiling her inviting
smile. threw away the fruit 1 had
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14
TALK is NOT CHEAP.
The I.ong-Distance Telephone Contra
diets tho Old Saying.

The I.ong-Distance Telephone Contra
diets tho Old Saying.
The telephone contradicts the saying
that talk is cheap, says the New York
Commercial Advertiser. Political can
didates often find out the dearness OF
talk; but the ordinary citizen is most
Impressed with 1t when he tries to
phone over 1000 miles of wire. The
recently completed line to Kansas City,
for example. costs 81 minute. and
even 2 cents a minute, the ordinary
rate for short distances, is more than
1t costs to have cab standing outside
the door while one pays calm this
case very appropriately called pay
Ing" a call. frugal man, If ever
the force of circumstances contrives
to have him pay such call. loses
much of the pleasure of the visit, es-
pecially those effective pauses the nov
elists love to dwell on, by the thought
of the cab outside with Its growing I'M
earned increment. And similarly,
whether 1t be for the same reasons or
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14

be suspended under the body OF the
balloon with firm aluminium Orders.
The two gondolas will be connected
with swinging platform Of aluminium
netting.
The crew Is to consist of five men.
Count Won Zeppelin, in command; two
engineers and two machinists. They
will be enough to handle the engines
and the weights which are to deter
mine the position and direction of the
craft. These weights are suspended
under the gondolas on cable which
permits them to be moved from one
end of the balloon to the other. When
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14

crabs. upon being asked for some
frogs legs. replied that she would
not touch one of the horrid things for
ruble." Wherever there ia water in
Russia the frogs abound In such guam
titles that one Is reminded Of the no.
blemen of other days who used to send
their slaves out to beat the marshes.
30 that they could sleep. Russians
never eat rabbits, as they say they
nest With rats, nor will they touch
snails or turtles. which are found in
great quantities all over the country.
Only the aristocrats eat kidneys, and
then only those of the sheep or lamb.
Goose flesh is little esteemed, though
the fat is used for culinary purposes.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14

its rear end to the breeze. 1t will be
possible, therefore, to launch the ball
loon In the direction of the wind at any
given time. In addition, the building
Is so arranged that the part which
holds the airship can be hauled out
like the drawer of deck. and when 1t
is so hauled out it floats on separate
pontoons. This will give to the bal
loon free start at any time, and will
make 1t easy to return 1t to the build
ing.
The balloon is 375 feet long, shaped
like torpedo, and it's diameter is So
feet. The skeleton is Of aluminium,
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14

floating building was adopted for many
reasons. One was that it made se-
crecy easy. Another, the more am
portant one, is that 1t will enable tie
makers to launch the balloon readily
and to make trial trips with it at will.
Therefore. the building was erected on
ninety-five exceedingly buoyant pom
toons, and 30 anchored that 1t can
swing with the wind. always turning
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14

bought think 1t would have pois-.
oned me-and the next morning / LETT
Westoe. l avoided Cornish local pa
pers for the next month or so, there-
fore never knew whether those dwale
berries worked out Lell Trewavas' re-
demptlon or not. Almost hope they
did. I met Westoe man the other
day, and he tells me the ill-omened
little shop has been pulled down and
is In process of rebuilding as registry
office. And old Vienna and young
Vienna have gone beyond seas. 4
wonder where they are plying their un-l
canny trades now?-Nora Hopper.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14
SAMOAN AND TONGA ISLANDS.

because Of the hypnotizing effect o:
the little box one speaks into, one can
take no pleasure In talking socially
through telephone with friend,
even If one has not seen him for a
year or two. However, in business
way, talking through phone, even at
81 minute, is far cheaper in time and
money than going to the other end Of
the wire, SO talk may be considered
relatively cheap, after all.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14

naphtha are wonderfully light, being
built OF aluminium bronze, and they are
designed SO that practically it will be
impossible for fire to reach the bal
loon. In addition the airship is to
be dressed with non-combustible ma
terial.
The engines and the passengers will
be carried In two aluminium gondolas.
each about thirty fest long, which will
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14
Ground-Floor Bedrooms.

From the London Chronicle: There
Is danger in the porous character OF
plaster ceilings, which are often very.
thin indeed. The ordinary ceiling is
only a porous diaphragm permeable
by gases with considerable freedom. =
The vitiated air OF sitting rooms there
fore frequently finds its way through
into bedrooms. The British Medical
Journal asks any sceptic to compare
his bodily and mental sensations after
sleeping in such a room and IN one sit-
uated over similar room well ventil-
ated and not occupied or Illuminated
by gas during the evening. q The REM
edy. 1t says. is tolhaye bedrooms on the
ground floor, and living, working and
cooking rooms upstairs. But how about
noise?
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14

The Lord Jesus Christ has been driv-
en- from craftsmanship largely and
from education. He has difiiculty In
getting welcome from many
churches. Rev. Dr.. Lorimer.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14
Alaslsa.s Great Earthq.ake.

The earthquake in Alaska, assuming
that the stories about it are not over
done, was the worst seismic disturb
ance the Pacific coast has seen since
the Gillian earthquake which wrecked
the American cruiser Wateree. A Curl
Gus feature of it was the splitting of
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14
No Frogs Logs.

Great quantities Of crabs and lob
sters are annually canned in Russia,
yet ny-ircgs ire In little favor. and
= = wote regarded with horror.
-. e. I: s.I sss sold large quantities Of,
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14
A Fatal Error.

Every engaged girl makes the mis-
take Of imagining that she now has
him too secure to be scared away by
appearing in curl papers.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14
The Censor

The Censor
Newspaper Mani should like to tel
egraph home that the commanding
general is an idiot! Censor-I regret
to inform you that we can permit the
transmission Of no military secrets.A
Life.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14

plished writer Mr.. Prior is a talented
artist. He represents in South Africa
the Oldest illustrated paper in the
world.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14

the face of glacier into immense ice
bergs.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14

The evening OF life comes bearing
its owns lamp.
The San Francisco call., 1899-11-15
KING HUMBERT
TO HIS PEOPLE
Opens the Parliament
of Italy.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

ROME, Nov H-Parliament was
opened to-day by King Humbert in the
hall Of the Senate. His Majesty was ac-
companied by the Queen and all of the
royal family except the Duke of Abruzzi,
and by the Cabinet members and the
principal court officials and dignitaries.
In the speech from the throne his
Majesty expressed the hope that the
Deputies would actively resume their la
bors and dispose Of the measures not
dealt with last session. Above all, he
added, 1t was necessary that the budget
be speedily discussed
The King announced the projected bills,
including measures for the mitigation of
the taXasio laws, and dWelt upon .he
notable economic Improvements in the
kingdom.
Adverting to foreign affairs, King Hum
bert said Italy's relations with the pow
ers We're excellent and that nothing
menaced the country in any direction
He alluded to Gtaly's participation n in The
hague peace conference and after en-
largtng on the responsibility Of ParIa-
ment to secure to the country progress
and the development OF It's economic
resources, continued:
The forthcoming celebration of the
holy year will be a signal event for the
Catholic world and our epoch and will af-
ford US an opportunity of showing once
more how dearly we respect and cause to
be respected the obligation we assumed
when, in achieving Italian unity, we
llIeiOe SOOQ the lllle OI rome TO De In9
capital of the kingdom Of the italian
people. 1 am watching you, gentlemen,
and await your labors with confidence.
May they be as fruitful as the events re-
quire. The innate satisfaction arising
from the accomplishment of your duty
will be your most cherished reward, and
the good you have done the country by
strengthening the confidence of the
country in the national institutions. This
is the dearest wish 1 can form to-day as
King and an Italian, that you will so act.
am convinced that 1 will have the
satisfaction of seeing my desire realized.
Everything leads to the hope that the
notable economic revival In Italy will
continue and that by sedulous work. by
the. utilization of our productive energies,
and by the intelligent and assured pro-
lection Of our agriculture and industries,
we Will be able to lay solid and endurable
foundations for the reforms of which so
much has been said, but which have
never been realized"
The royal party was acclaimed by the
people as it proceeded through the troop
lined streets to the Senate chamber and
was heartily cheered on its entrance into
the hall. The same scenes were wit
messed when their Majesties returned to
the Quirinal.