davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-01
CHAMPION OYSTER EATER.
New Orleans Dealer Has a Customer
Who Eas an Immense Ca
paclty.

During the last few days two broth
ers from neighboring town in the
yellow pine lumber district have been
guests at one of the local hotels. These
gentlemen are fine specimens OF phys
ical manhood, and not only bear strik-
ing resemblance TO one another, but
have in common many tastes. ons of
which is a remarkable fondness for
raw oysters, upon which circumstance
hangs a tale. Near the hotel is small
oyster bar of the usual sort, and on the
morning of their arrival CHe of the
brothers observed the establishment
and Immediately hungered for bivalves.
In less time than it takes to tell il he
was standing at the counter, and before
he left he had put away couple CT
dozen on the deep-shell. Retul1iine T.
the hotel, he encountered his brother
and warmly recommended the pia<e-
The latter lost no time in rushing
across.
~Here!" he said, gimme three dozeH
like you just served"
Holy smoke!" gasped the opener.
and proceeded to serve the order, which
was swiftly disposed Of. In the course
of an hour the first brother happened
to be passing, and couldn't resist the
temptation of dropping in. That time
he devoured an even so, and while the
oyster opener was wondering what kind
of a. bonanza he had struck the other
yisitor reappeared and ran the score
up 10 62. That. ended the continuous
onf
brother No. / rushed in, hungry as
wolf, and told the opener to start in and
keep it up until he called time.
"Ill bet he comes right back" said
the man behind the counter, when his
patron had departed with a record of
3S. IF you turn him loose in Bayou
creek he'd clean ii. cut in a week"
The words had scarcely passed his
lips when, brother No. . pushed through
the swinging doors and hoped blithe-
ly on STOOL I'm starving to death!"
he shouted; push out some oysters,
double-quicl1 time!"-
"Great snakes!" said the opener, in
an awed tone. How many do you
want?''
'"Oh, 40 or so. Shove 'em right along
till / holler STOP"
The oyster man was kept busy until
the count reached 46, and when the Wis
itor went out he was unable to find
words TO express his feelings. The eli
max, however, was yet to come. The
first brother, on returning to the hotel.
had met an old friend, who presently
remarked that he was on his way to
GET bite to eat.
well, come over and have some
oysters" said the other; "they are de-
licious. I've just eaten few, but I'll
join you in another Dozen"
When the pair walked in the opener
came near having fit. Suffering alli-
gatorsi" he whispered to the bar boy,
''here he comes again! Amt there no
way of film him up?"
The visitors left a large stock of
empty shells, and before retiring the
other brother dropped in again for a
late snack. He was served in awesome e
silence, and as it so happened that both
gentlemen took other quarters next day
the exact facts have not yet leaked out.
II dunno where he come FROM" says
the oyster opener, in telling the story,
'but that feller was the sure champion
of the world."-N. o. Times-Democrat.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-01

him as from the big mining camp.
"Boy play? Boy drink? 81! 81.
buena" (good).
Too cold!' shivered Joe, as he lay
down close to the fire. The night
passed slowly. The boys went out
often to look after the horses and cen
suit together.
Joe" whispered Sam. "Juan asked
how much dinera (silver) boy had, and
they are going to look. What shall we
Coz"
"Sam, they'll soon be dead sleepy
drunk. We must hurry off,"
"But don't shoot, Joe, if you can help
il. They'd kill us, suah."
"Boy play! Boy drink" the half,
drunken Mexican insisted; but joe
pleaded sleep and cold. From under
his blanket he could see Sam by the
door. Artone crawled over to him and
cautiously went through his pockets
but, finding nothing, went back to his
cards.
Their eyes were now turned toward
himself With mods and winks they
whispered, in Spanish: "Plenty money;
buy much; kill him; no kill two; no.
get money first"
Joe's heart choked him; his hand
clutched the pistol. Should he feign
sleep? No! As if inspired thought
flashed across his confused, terrihed
small brain. He threw off the blanket
yawned and yawned. "Too cold tc
sleep on floor" he said, carelessiy. He
sat down at the table and laughed, as
a boy would; looked fearlessly and IA
niliarly into Antone's ugly face anc
asked: "Men come yet? Storm over?'
what men?"
"Americana's guard; wagons with
much ore to city,
The MeXicans looked at the boy
with flashing eyes, then at each other
with low mutterings.
Glow many"'
Joe sprang TO his feet, held up his
over, tossed up his head, and with his
small figure erect marched up and
down before them with the airs and
tramp Of a regiment.
"Come in the night?''
"Ye-s," drawled Joe. "Now-many
mer; guard to city"
The MeXicans hesitated, looked out
of the door. 1t was dark, but for the
white snow piled in drifts about the
cabin. They took another bottle
played another game and by daylight
had fallen into a drunken sleep.
The two boys slipped away to Santa
Fe. The banker sent them safely back
to camp with an escort, and 300 re-
ceived their full pay. The superinterd-
ent was honored and the camp saved
''a strike" The banker said: "Notb-
| ing but Joe's stratagem saved his life!
| Smart little rascal; he'll be heard from
| later!"
Joe is now 23. He wears a naval uni
! form. 4 silver anchor is in the center
OF his shoulder strap, and the regula
| ton half-inch braid on his blue sleeve
marks him as all ensign in our United
| States navy. He has been in Spanish
harbors. and served on great battle
ship, but he says that the thunder OF
shot and shell, the roar and smoke OF
| battle failed to make his heart quake
| and his breath come in gasps as it die
ten years ago, when he lay trembling
by the open fire in Mexican cabin and
/ the drunken devils whispered: "Kil
him. kill hirn."
That was Joe's first military strata
| gem.-Commercial Tribune.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-01
Encouragernent.

Mrs. Hamminfry's daughter was
practicing very industriously when
the good woman came into the music
room ard sat herself down conpla-
Gently. Don't let me interrupt you.
Lcrinda,' she said. 81 like to hear the
duicet strains of q mahogany piano,
and I thought I'd steal in here and
while away a few minutes. You
mustn't iet me disturb your practice"
She nodded in time to the piece the
performer was trying to learn. She
was wont to notice that while she
couldn't measure exactly how high or
how low she ought to go in singing
had always possessed a splendid ear
for time. Presently there was hitch
in the rhythm. The heavy beats III
the music did not come in the right
place and her effort to catch the ac-
cent caused her head to move some
what erraticaily. ''Lcrinda." she ex-
claimed, whats the matter? Are you
playing tricks?" NO. was the an
swer. This part of the piece is rather
lard. You see. there are so many
grace notes in it." "Well, keep right
at it. dear, and don't get discouraged" :"
was the gentle, notherly reply. "Get
that part even if you have to neglect
the rest. It'll Go you good. Some times
I'd as lief see a person play graceful
as to hear her play correc t."-Wash-
ington Star.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-01
SCARED INTO APPENDICITIS.
New Orleans Man Read All About the
Disease and Then Came Down
with an Attack.

81 had appendicitis the other day"
said ST. Charles street business man.
reports the New Orleans Times Demo
crat, that is 10 say had il to all in
tents and purposes. This is the way
contracted ii: About week ago bor-
rowed a medical work from friend to
look up point about which was curi-
Gus. 1t was work on diagnosis. and
among other things it gave a minute
description Of the symptoms of apren-
dicitis. ! have always been much afraid
of the malady, and that chapter had
hideous fascination for me. ! read il
and reread it. and as did so it seemed
10 me that some Of the premonitory
symptoms coincided exactly with GER
tain aches and pains had felt for sew
eral days. | got alarmed at once. and
that night was panic-stricken with
severe cramp little northeast of my
right hip bone. That knew to be the
fatal spot and needless to say didn't
sleep wink By morning | had all the
symptoms of typical case, and could
scarcely get around to see the doctor.
l began to tell him my story when he
stopped me. How do yon come TO
know so much about the disease? he
asked. l replied proudly that l had
been reading up on it. The dickens
you bave!' he replied. Well. you get
right out of this Office, confound you!
and don't waste any more Of my time! =
Then he explained that every medical
student always had all the diseases on
record. in regular order, just as he
studies 'em. and began to feel better.
] went home, returned the blasted book,
and am now entirely out of danger,
thank you. 1t was the quickest recov-
cry on record"
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-01
OUR LITTLE WOMAN.

We have { little woman home,
Her height is only three feet three;
But she is just the sweetest cne
That mortal eyes could ever see.
N matter what storm signals say,
Nor how the heavy rain clouds lower
The little woman in our home
Makes sunshine every hour.
Perhaps 'ti5 scattered from her curls,
I'll tell you what's my firm belief
I think little golden ray
OF sun shine, somehow, came to grief,
And, falling On her dainty head,
Thought mid its ;resses it would hide.
Ard then, en2mored of its nest,
Resolved there to abide.
Ard then, think the fogs, ore night.
When earth was lest in sweet repose,
Pilfered the fragrant. dainty tints
IncioSed within a sleeping rose,
Then stole from out a pansy's heart
Two limpid drops of perfumed dew,
Ard then they bathed her cheeks and eyes
Giving them thus their witching hue.
If pain or worry seams my brow,
Our little woman finds it out,
Ard by the sunshine of her smiles
Soon puts the "vapcrs" all to rout.
There's magic in her gentle touch;
AMI in her laughing, vibrant voice;
The sound of her light sprirging step
Can make my heart rejoice.
She's like a flash-ncw here, now there,
Ard always en- her nimble feet.
She's ell about the house 1t once,
With happy song ard laughter sweet
Whsn, sometimes, teardrops dim her eyes
Like showers on an April day,
They've scarcely fallen ere her smiles
Have chased them all away.
D,2r little woman! Her tiny hands
Smooth many pain and fret away.
She brings iE to the sweet home life
An added beauty every day.
Ard yet she's but a wee, wee maid
A laughing, dancing, merry sprite;
But, al! cur little woman still,
Our treasure, our delight
Claudia ThaTin, in Golden Days.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-01
DEEP SEA LIFE.
Submarine Animals Have Been Ad.
iusted to the Pressure of
the Water.

When marine life began to command
notice. the question of the depth to
which life could extend divided scien-
tifc thought into warning camps.
About 1910 it was generally believed
that the bathyme trical limit was about
500 fathoms, and some strange ideas
were current as to the physical condi-
ton Of the water when under a pres.
sure such as a depth of two miles would
produce. 1t was thought that skelc.
tons of drowned men or even heavy
cannon and the wedges of gold" that
popular imagination places in the sea
floated at certain levels, beneath which
is water so compressed as to be impene-
trable. In fact says the North Ameri-
can Review, water is almost incompres-
sible, and the weight of cubic inch OF
it at the depth of a mile is very little
more than at the surface, but it was
assumed that no living being could
survive a pressure which at 900 faith
oms is about a ton TO the square
inch. We ourselves live under a pres
sure of about Is pounds to the square
inch and are unaware of it. . Indeed
we sometimes waken on a morning
when the barometer has risen, say, half
an inch during the night, and conse-
quently find ourselves sustaining an
increased pressure of several tons, not
only without suffering, but with a pos
tive feeling of buoyancy and good spir-
its. On the other hand, if the tremen-
dous pressure under which we live be
relieved as by surgical cup" severe
injury may follow. Aeronauts suffer
from this cause and marine animals
dredged from great depth often reach
the surface in a most lamentable condi-
ton, with eyes protruding and viscera
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-01
JOe'S Military Stratagem
BY MARGARET SPENCER.
u AY DAY was almost at hand. Three

DAY DAY was almost at hand. Three
hundred men must receive their
monthly wages promptly. Mr.. Rogers,
the superintendent, had never failed
them, but he was now i'll with noun
tain fever. This great gold and copper
mine lay in the heart of the Tuerta
mountains, and shipped thousands Of
tons of ore.
In delirium Mr.. Rogers talked con-
stantly of ''pay day and the bank at
Santa Fe." Not one white man could
be spared from the office to make the
journey, for clerks and assayer were
burdened with work during Mr.. Rog-
er's illness. None but the superintend-
ent himself had ever brought the gold
and silver into camp from the bank.
He was often warned of treacherous
MeXicans and Indians, but felt no fear.
IN his light wagon. with swift horses.
and great sums of money snugly slowed
away in valise or box. sometimes
marked boldly dynamite" But now
the bank, 20 miles away. only Joe, his
son Joe, IA years old, whom he could
trust.
Twenty wild, dreary, perilous miles.
winding in and out the foothills, pass
ing Indian and Mexican villages,
across the valley, into Santa Fe.
Mother, must go! I'm not one bit
afraid. Sam is splendid, and such a
good driver
never consent. What can you do? Such
lad and through such a country. 1
can't let you co."
We've got TO have corn and grain
and lot of things from the city this
week. Mother, now is just the time to
bring the money! Hurrah for Sam and
joe"
There were no telephones or tele-
graphs from the valley camp to Santa
| Fe. Only the weekly mail wagon, or
special messengers brought on horse
| back.
at must be done, my boy. God will
| go with you. The men must be paid,
and the camp saved from strikes and
violence. Your fathers honor is at
| stake"
When the sunshine was golden over
| the hills, and the snowcapped Sandals
sparllled in the distance, the boys set
out from camp. Sam. a colored boy of
20, Mr.. Rogers faithful servant, drove
| the fine horses, and was in charge of
| Joe, the supplies and messages from the
office to the city.
"Good-by, mother!" shouted Joe, as
! he stood up beside faithful Sam, in the
wagon. Don't worry, mother. Well
! bring everything safe by tomorrow
night"
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-01

In the little log house. in the valley
camp, one mother prayed that day as
only Christian mother prays for her
boy in peril.
In one hour puffs of dust flew across
their faces, the sun went under clouds,
and a sudden storm, so common in Mex
leo, swept down the valley. The wind
whirled over the tops Of the noun
tains, and snow came suddenly from
the gray sky. The wind increased and
shrieked through the narrow noun
tain roads. Icy cold, and pitiless, it drove
the boys to put their faces en- the bot
tom of the wagon. The horses, blind
and shivering, stood still. In half an
hour not one footprint or wagon track
was visible.
Sam shouted: "Don't dare lift up
your head, Joe; keep fiat on your face"
How long the storm lasted the boys
never knew. BY some instinct the
horses began plodding along. The sky
cleared, the wind grew less, but only
a white, trackless country lay before
them.
The boys got out and walked ahead.
The landmarks were but snowdrift's.
'Sam, 1 see a house. It's Antone's.
Father never goes that way. It's a
saloon, and a place for Mexicans to
stop. Oh, it's awful"
Sam opened his eyes in horror, but
quietly replied:
"That's no matter; no danger to boys,
and we is goin' the wrong way, for
big money"
"The horses must be put up for the
night, and we must get warm some
where, Sam"
"Can you keep awake, Joe, and help
watch 'em-the devils!'
"You bet 1 can! And mother gave me
fathers little pistol, tool 1 haven't
been shooting at mark for nothing,
either!"
The horses were put up. The dirty
Mexicans, playing cards around their
bottles, on their dirty table, gave the
boys place by the small fireplace. In
poor Spanish and poorer English they
ntade known to each other their wants
"Antoae" and Juan" looked keen
ly at the handsome lad, recognizing
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-01
The par.on and the Prince.

It was an Ayrshire parson, and into
the customary prayer for the royalists
he had introduced q feeling reference
to the accident which had befallen the
prince of Wales. "And, now, breth-
rem" continued the unwilling cleric,
''we will join in singing hymn No. So
and-so, Courage, Brother, Do Not
Stumble. The congregation saw the
joke, though the minister did not
Glasgow News.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-01
A Queer Verdict.

Upon the Isle of Man, where sheep
stealing is evidently serious offense,
John Dixon was recently sentenced to
three years imprisonment for it. The
exact words of the jury were: "Not
having satisfactorily accounted to the
minds of the jury for the possession
of the sheep, we find the prisoner
guilty" What puzzles the lawyers is
this: Can man be legally jailed on
such q verdict?
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-01
From RncheIOrdom

"He has made his bed. let him lie in
it." exclaims the world. How cruel
is the world! Especially since the
world. OF course. knows what terri
BILE thing is the bed which the average
has madei-Detroit Journal
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-01
otter Is n Speedy Swimmer.

The otter is the fastest swim ming
quadruped known. In the water it
exhibits an astonishing agility. swim
ming in nearly horizontal position
with the greatest ease. diving and
darting along beneath the surface
with speed equal. if not superior
20 that of many fishes.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-01
Birch Canoe. for the Orient.

Bangor manufacturers are sending
canoes of birch and canvas to Pales-
tine, Japan, India and China. One re-
Gently sent to India was to the or
der of British officer, and the cost of
transportation was more than SIS.
canoe just ordered is intended for
a trip up the river Jordan.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-12-21
REV. w. B. THIRKFIELD.
Elected to Succeed DIR. Edwin A.
schell ms General Secretary of
the Epworth League.

Rev. Wilbur 2. Thirkfield, who has
been selected to succeed DR.. Edwin A.
Schell as general secretary of the Ep-
worth league, will soon resign the
presidency of the Cannon theological
seminary at Atlanta, Ca, and remove
to Chicago. While he has never been
officially connected with the work of
the league, he has been in pastorate
and educational work for over 20 years,
and his selection by the board of con-
troll has met with general approval of
those interested in the work. Dr.
Thirkfield was born in Franklin, o., in
1853, and graduated from the Ohio Wes-
leyan university in 1877. Shortly after
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-12-21

says the New York Herald He Is do
ing all he can to lure Baden-Powell
from the intrenchments where he can
strike man for man. He has made sew
eral assaults. He can be depended upon
10 stake everything on one desperate
fight at the first fair chance.
Gen. Cronje is greatly admired by the
Beers. They think Joubert is a won
derful tactician and organizer, but
they love Cronje, the silent man, of
sudden and violent action. He is no
mans friend. His steel gray eyes peer
out from under huge, bushy brows.
lie never speaks unless necessary, and
then in the fewest words. He never
asks a favor. When time for action
comes he acts, and that with the force
of fate and with no consideration for
himself or his men.
That is the way he handled the Jane
son raid. He saved the republic then,
in the opinion of the republic. He is
man after the Beers own heart.
Cronje is a soldier and nothing else.
He hates form. He hates politics,
though a born leader of men. He was
strongly urged to oppose Kruger for
the presidency in 1898, but he would
not. He will have none of any rule
but that of the rifle. He despises cities.
He is a man of the veldt.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-12-21

dressed rs I was, onto the bel, and, draw
ing in great breaths of the damp night air,
soon slept as only sleep the tired and
healthy.
| lay like one dead until we'll into the
morning, waking as blthesomely as u child,
only to be shocked as | came to a realizing
sense of the tolls that beset me. Physically
i was new man, and the feeling of antago-
nism and defiance with which met the out
look proved that my spirit was yet un-
broken
But not a hole could l discover through
the network of circumstances that had made
me {. victim. Testing the matter from all
sides, the result was the same. 1t was fight
and die, though | was careful not to betray
this conclusion to either Ames or his sister.
] knew that the youth was equally at sea,
but the girl was cheerful and acted as
though her troubles would be of short dura-
tion, feeling doubtless, as her sex is prone
to do, that with two protectors things would
go not far wrong.
And, indeed, we needed the FLIP of good
spirits from some source, and hers aided
my philosophy to the extent of causing me
to think it were as well to smile at approach
ing death as to sit and quake over it's Ger
tainty.
All that day we fed well, this once maiden
of fashion preparing our food, while by the
aid of the ladder in the attic Ames and my
self kept watch by turns through one of the
half-moon windows which commanded the
high road a mile or SO away. But we were
undisturbed, though we saw numerous
troops going north, and once feared squad
was about to turn toward us, but they went
On, only halting moment where the roads
Joined.
At sunset Burns returned, bringing the
news that double Gordon of the enemy had
been drawn across the island near the Dove
which body was to divide and beat up the
country both north and south, securing
every house, tree, and nook and Granny from
cne end of Manhattan to the other. This
accounted for the unusual number of troops
we had seen that day, and to this extent had
my act stirred to its center the British
army. 1t almost enabled one to count the
hours of remaining freedom, and | figured
that by noon on the day following the forces
would have drawn their line close to the
purlieus of the city and caught us as fish
is caught in a narrowing net.
The thought fairly drove me wild, and IN
my very despair | rose from the table at
which we had been sitting and went to the
window for air, that | might be rid of the
oppression which like a weight lay upon my
chest. Was this fear? Hardly; for, had the
house been assaulted at that moment, the
load would have fallen away as fell the bur
den from the back of Christian. Nay it was
uncertainty and inaction still playing on the
harp strings of my nerves, but it was an
unbearable feeling.
[To BE Continued