davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
A Fishing Adventure.

From Forest and Stream.
One afternoon, about $50 o'clock, while
fishing for tarpon, l received terrible blow
in the back of the head, which threw me
out of the boat into the water and almost
stunned me- was pulled back by my guide
into the boat, which was floating full of
water, and found, lying full length in it,
porpoise about nine feet long. which prob
ably weighed over five hundred pounds. OF
course, this fish never struck me, or he
would have broken me to pieces. What
happened was: He jumped high In the air,
as they frequently do. and landed, head
first at my feet in the stern of the boat,
knocking a hole through the ceiling and
bottom of the boat and stunning himself.
The blow I received was caused by his
body falling upon me.
The nearest rowboat was several hundred
yards of. and as we feared the porpoise might
recover at any moment and smash the boat
to pieces with his tail. my guide, Santi Ar
media. tried to push the porpo:se over the
edge of the boat, but was unable to do So
owing to the fish's weight. Rather than
take the consequences Of what might hap
pen IL the porpOise came to before we were
taken out of the boat, we slipped into the
water and rolled the boat over losing ey-
erything IN the boat but glad to do so. as
it included the porpoise, We then turned
the boat right side up and crawled into its
inside, which. although full Of water.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
No Perfect Vision.
From the Philadelphia Record.


OF the many curious facts which are dis
cussed concerning the eye, what Is known
as "the blind spot seems the least under
stood In the eye itself certain things may
go on which give us wrong sensations,
which, although not truly Illusions are
very much like them. Thus when we sud-
denly strike our heads or faces against
something in the dark, we see stars" or
bright sparks, which we know are not real
lights. though they are quite as bright and
sparkling as If they were. When we close
one eye and look straight ahead at some
word or letter in the middle Of this page,
for example, we seem to see not only the
thing we are looking at, but everything else
Immediately about 1t and for long way
on each side. But the truth is, there is
large round spot, somewhere near the point
at which we are looking in which we see
nothing. Curiously enough. the existence
Of this blind spot was not discovered by ac-
cident and nobody ever suspected it until
Mariotte reasoned from the construction of
the eyebali that 1t must exist and proceed
ed to find 1t.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
Great Workers sleep Little.

FROM the British Medical Journal.
Some of the greatest workers of our day
have done with much less than eight hours
of sleep. DR.. James Legge, professor of
Chinese in the University of Oxford, who
has recently died at the age of eighty-two
was, it is said. in the habit of rising at
am. and allowing himself only five hours
of sleep. Brunei. the famous engineer, for
considerable part of his life worked nearly
twenty hours a day. Sir George A. Elliott,
afterward Lord Heathfeld, who was in
command throughout the great siege of
Gibraltar, which lasted four years, never
during all that time slept more than four
hours out of the twenty-four He lived to
the age of eighty -four. "As get old" said
Humboldt, Il want more sleep-four hours
at least. When l was young two hours of
Sleep were quite enough for me-" On Pro-
fessor Max Muller limiting that he found
this hard saying Humboldt said TT is
quite mistake. though it is very widely
spread, that we want seven or eight hours
OF sleep. When l was your age l simply
lay down on the sofa, turned down my
lamp and after two hours sleep I was as
fresh as ever" He lived to be eighty mine.
These examples are, to use the consecrated
phrase Of the photographers. more for ad-
miration than for imitation, but they serve
to show that longevity and a small allow
ance of sleep are not in all cases incom-
patible.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
The Forests of the Philippines.


But it is to the forests of the Philippines
that we are wholly unable to do justice.
Timber exists in great variety and of most
excellent quality. There are to be found
kinds of wood suitable to every purpose.
Many are of dense and tough fiber sus-
ceptible to the highest polish. Four kinds
are so heavy that water will not float
them, nor can they be cut with ordinary
saws. One variety is of a bright emerald
green, and another rich yellow, and they
retain those colors when polished. An
other, 'narra," perhaps the prettiest, and
much used in fine furniture, varies in color
from light straw to deep red. 1t is strong
and hard and takes a high polish. Per
hapS the best known is 'molaye," a very
heavy dark-brown wood, used for finishing
in the interior of the Jesuit church at Ma
Mia, where it is said the carvings are by
master hands and of SURPRISING beauty.
Ebony IS abundant. There are the cacao
tree, the cocoanut palm and the bamboo,
all invaluable to the natives, and also a
tree which yields a kind of cotton
A pitcher plant is found with receptacles
that hold as much as a quart of water.
There is very curious plant with long
pendent feelers that hang near the ground
and have remarkable prehensible proper
ties, taking the strongest hold on anything
that happens to touch them. 1t is with the
greatest difficulty that passer-by can ex-
tricate himself from one OF these many
fingered, hanging hands.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
Ants That Carry Umbrellas.
From Pearson's Weekly.


OF all the insects in South America the
umbrella ants are the most curious and in
teresting. They are also called wee-wees.
They throw up great mounds of earth
along the forest paths and from the mounds
radiate well-beaten roads four or five
riches wide, running in all directions
The umbrella ants, when they build near
a garden, give rise to the question which
is to Survive-themSeives the garden
for they will eat up the plants. They will
strip a good-siZed orange tree in a night
and carry off the spoil cut in thumb-nail
pieces, which they store up in their homes.
1t was necessary in one instance to re-
move mound of the umbrella ants build
ing, and 80 cubic yards of earth had to
be dug. before the task was accomplished.
The ants have four classes-queens, driv-
erS workers and builders. When once they
have made up their minds to strip certain
tree nothing but death Will stop them. A
faint idea of the numbers of ants in a
hill can be gained from the statement that
one of their paths to a tree, nearly half a
mile long, will be thronged with the multi
tudes carrying their umbrella-like loads
above their heads. while thousands upon
thousands are swarming in the doomed
tree. If caught in the rain they drop their
loads and scurry home, for they hate water.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
Chinese in the Philippines.
From Golfers Weekly.

From Golfers Weekly
What water is to the caribao opium is
to the Chnaman. Unless the Chinese were
allowed opium the belly of the army might
starve and the rifle want for ammunition.
Every Chinaman, whether in the supply
train or in the hospital corps, is not a
john as he Is in the states, a boy"
as he is in the English settlements in Chi
ma, but a "Cheeno;' and the "Cheeno,"
like the caribao which he drives, prefers to
live on the country If we would allow it.
But Uncle Sam in his goodness of heart
brings rice out of Manila for him, while
he leaves undisturbed. to be returned to
their future owners, such stores the in
surgents have not burned. little rice and
a few smokes a day and a ''Cheeno" man.
ages to keep pace with the caribao, and at
other times bear burdens that would break
a E'iIipinos back. The Yankee drivers do
not understand his language and he does
not understand theirs. The teamster
swears and gesticulateS, and the China
man ''saveys' the second or the third, if
not the first, time what is wanted. If he
gets lazy and Tolls under the shade of a
cart he is sure to be UP by the time that
the 'bosS''-he knows that much American
English-is within striking distance. From
what they have seen in the hospital corps
our officers are convinced the Chinese I'M
der white officers will make fine soldiers.
They will follow the white doctor into the
most dangerous places on the field. With
out the white mans moral support they
yell and run. When one cried out in his
dream al 1 o'clock in the morning two
thirds of our caribao drivers thought that
the Filipinos were upon them. In their
fright some jumped into the river. Our
soldiers in fishing them out forgot the dis
comfort of being awakened and nearly
bursted their sides with laughter. But
they have cause for their fears. After
squeezing all his money out of a thrifty
Chinaman the Filipinos sometimes shave
of his queue or sometimes hang him.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
PEkING.
Some Interesting Facts About This
Ancient Celestial City.

From the Fortnightly Review.
Picking was originally a fortress, and a
fortress-of medieval type be it well un-
derstood-it still remains. Built as a watch
tower over against the unruly tribes of the
north. the quarter whence all Chinese in
vasions have come. its Tartar conquerors
expanded it into the court and cap, and
this stamp of its origin pervades the whole
of the vast Enclosure at this present day.
Bearing a striking resemblance to the SYM
metrical encampment which the old Roman
discipline required to be erected at every
halt of their armies, this city has Its earth
en- rampant, brick faced and with crenu-
lated top, set four square about it; wide
approach from the southern tower-capped
gateway leading to the commander-in-
chiefs Quarters-now the imperial palace
with the pavilionS of his staff to the right
and left-now the palaces OF the princes of
the blood-with the bulk of the army ar
ranged round about in their orderly rows
of tents set out along wide alleyways, Civ
ing ample room for rapid maneuverinS. The
wide, low, Curyed-roof buildings of today
are but the crystalized tents of yesterday.
This is the modern Manchu city, which
surrounds on all four sides the imperial
city, an Enclosure within an Enclosure, the
former parallelogram three and a half
miles by four, area of fourteen square
miles, having within it a second walled
parallelogram, the Forbidden City" about
one mile square In this latter lives the
him his faithful Manchu bodyguard, who
alone are supposed to inhabit the Manchu
city. This bodyguard is known the
Eight Banners" who form the twenty
four territorial divisions of the garrison.
Outside again, are encamped the suffers
the Chinese-cone to buy and sell to the
army and court. Their quarters cover
somewhat smaller area Give miles by two)
and are also surrounded by q brick-faced
earthen rampant OF the same type, though
lower than that of the Manchu citadel adj
psAEf iS n ont on md y,Jer
is intersected by noble avenues forty and
fifty yards in width and its temples and
palaces, though decayed and dilapidated
like everything in the China of today, stand
with imposing grandeur in the wide PARK
like inClosureS-a marvellous contrast to the
narrow, crooked thoroughfareS of London,
and the shabby framing, generally limited
depth Of, and cramped approaches to her
most ambitious buildings.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
Queer Weddings in Japan.
From the London Graphic.


When young man has fixed his affec-
tons upon maiden of suitable standing
he declares his love by fastening branch
of a certain shrub to the house of the
damsel's parents. If the branch be neg
1ected the suit is rejected; If it be accepted
is the sutton. At the time of the mar
riage the bridegroom sends presents to his
bride as costly as his means will allow,
which she Immediately offers to her par
ents in acknowledgment of their kindness
in infancy and of the pains bestowed upon
her education. The wedding takes place in
the evening. The bride is dressed in a
long white silk kimono and white veil and
she and her future husband sit facing each
other on the floor. Two tables are placed
close by; on the one is a kettle with two
spOuts, a bottle of sake and cups; on the
other table a miniature fir tree-Signifying
the strength of the bridegroom; a plum
tree, signifying the beauty of the bride,
and, lastly, stork standing on a tortoise,
representing long life and happiness de-
sired by them both. At the marriage feast
each guest in turn drinks three cups Of
the sake and the two-spouted kettle, also
containing sake, is put to the mouths or
the bride and bridegroom alternately by
two attendants, signifying that they are
to share together joys and sorrows. The
bride keeps her veil all her life and after
death it is buried with her as her shroud
The chief duty of a Japanese woman all
her life is obedence-while unmarried, to
her parents; when married, to her huS-
band and his parents; when widowed, to
her son.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
THE SACRED CARPET.
1t is No Carpetat All and Does Not
Even Resemble One.

Even Resemble One.
From the Womans Home Companion
1t is England's wise policy in all her col
onies to have her army take part in the
national religious ceremonies, so when the
sacred carpet started from the citadel on
its Journey to Mecca there was rnagnifi-
cent military display. 1t is an odd thing
to call it a carpet, for it not only is not a
carpet in itself, but 1t is not the shape of
a carpet, it is not used for a carpet and
does not look like a carpet.
We were among the fortunate ones who
were invited to the private view of it the
night before, when the faithful We're dedi-
eating 1t. They sat on the floor, these Mo-
hammedans, rocking themselves back and
forth and chanting the Koran.
The carpet Is a black velvet embroi-
dered solidly in silver and gold. 1t is shap-
ed like an old-fashioned Methodist church,
only there are minarets at the four cor
ners 1t looks like a. pail. Every year they
send new one to Mecca, and then the old
one is cut into tiny bits and distributed
among the faithful, who wear it next their
hearts. This carpet was about six feet
long, and was rallied in SO that one
could touch it. A man stood by and spray
ed altar Of roses on you as you passed, but
L do not know what he did it for, unless 1t
was to turn sensitive women faint with the
heavy perfume.
But the next morning the procession
formed, and amid the widest enthusiasm,
the bowling and salaaming of the men and
the shouting and running of the children,
and the singing of the Arabs who bore the
carpet, 1t was placed upon the most mag
nlfcent camel l ever saw, which was COW
cred from head to foot with cloth of gold
ana whose very gait seemed more majestic
because of his sacred burden, and thus, led
by scores of enthusiastic Arabs, he moved
slowly down the street following the COW
ering for the tomb, and in turn being fol-
lowed by one scarcely less magnificent des-
tined to cover the sacred carpet in its
camel journey to Mecca. That was abso-
lutely all there was to it, yet the khedive
was there with fine military escort, and
all Cairo turned out at the unearthly hour
of o'clock in the morning to see it.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
The No hers Prayer.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
Before high heavens golden gateway stood
A host Of souls that were not wholly good
Nor wholly bad awaiting the decree
To fix their fates for all eternity.
Within, the vicar angel scanned the pleas
That had been offered in behalf of these
BY souls on earth; the solemn masses said;
Ip-iitnnies; each service for the dead;
The sweet petitions from uplifted eyes
Mutely beseeching mercy from tine skies.
Looking On these. light of radiant grace
Illumined that fair angels beauteous face
He let his glances softly linger where
There shone dying mothers feryent prayer
For hec lost son. sent with her latest breath
Fofgetful of herself cen when in death!
The angel blotted out his page Of sin
And first of all that host he entered In
-CLUSNEY CROMWELL
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29

beauty and healthfuness, cry of dismay
would go up from the people all over the
country who have been educated by ex-
perience to the higher ideal of a national
capital. The handful of silver-dollar
statesmen who would regard such a re-
lapse with equanimity would doubtless
like 10 hire a President for a thousand or
two a year. We could maintain capital
in an Undrained swamp, beyond doubt,
if we set out resolutely to do so, just as
We could command the services of chief
magistrate of some sort at a bookkeepers
salary; but the descent would not be par
ticularly stimulating to the self-respect OF
the American nation.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29

Heated and supported us and especially
protected US from the possibility of being
bitten by sharks, of which there are
great many large ones in the pass.
have heard that these sharks will
not tackle a man: but it is my opinion that
a shark which can tackle and swallow a
tarpon would not hesitate much at a man.
did not intend taking any risks, and was
very glad to find myself inside the boat
again. Very soon afterward a rowboat
came TO cur help, taking US on board and
rowing US ashore. OF course, / got no more
nshihS that trip. my neck felt almost
oroken, and all the muscles Of the neck and
back were terribly strained and sore
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
The Xcw.
er in the Speaker.

Ethel Wheeler in the Speaker.
o Tree of Night whose pinions scourge
with wings of blackness, days of blue,
y Tree Of Death, mysterious yew,
ershldowing the EXTREMIST verge
Where sound and silence meet and merge,
W here light and darkness blend their hue
with dawn of fruit in gray of dew
. say. what far-of currents urge
Iie waves of sound that surge and surge
my shadow haunted portals through?
wat rumors from beyond? What clue
10 Deaths dim mazes In thy dirge?
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
"AsIeep."
From the London Sun.

from the London Sun.
Dld you hear me when I called you,
Love! You lay so fast asleep;
Dln you listen when ! whispered
. Through your SAUNDERS calm and deepf
summer roses lay beside you,
Slender lilies white and TALL
And you looked 80 still and sanity.
DID you feel my tearlrops fall?
Oh; my darling, but mnrmured
Words so wildly true and fond,
We're you dreaming there serenely
or the strapgS and MAST Beyond?
when whispered how'll loved you
Not token crossed your face,
But you lay all pale aud placid
IN that solitary place
DID you hear me when / called you,
Lover You lay so fast asleep,
Ana the stiffness seemed so holy.
That / scarcely, dared to weep
scarcely dared to take rosebud,
Crushed and crumbled, to my breast,
When left you calmly sleeping
In yoir everlasting rest.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
Thus Are We Judged.


ms is the maxim they swear most by,
AND the young reporter may take the hint:
isn't the stun you write that counts,
But what gets into print
Reams and reams Of paper are filed
Each day by srratchy pen.
with burning thoughts and eloquent words
From the teeming brains Of men,
ANA the editor sits with his pencil blue,
ana winn0ws the wheat from the chaff,
ana what survives of the stun writ down
Is good bit less than half.
Men who win are the men who find
Inc shortest way the best;
They write no more than they have to write,
ana the desk man does the rest,
And this should the adjective worshiper know:
The reporter wins renown
AS much by the stun he doesn't write
AS that which he writeth down.
Marx, then. the maxim they swear most by,
ITS rule OF the office, hard as flint,
It ISN'T the stnn you write that counts,
But Whist gets into print"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
On the Stairs,

iniel Mullen in the Boston Traveller,
Baby footsteps patter
Up the winding stair:
Mother watches smiling
AT her baby fair:
thinks: In this world could there be
Baby quite SO sweet as he,
Now he reaches landing,
Takes his lofty place,
Sees far down below him
Mothers smiling face.
Says through red lips, eyes of blue.
Mamma. amt 90 tCmming. too?''
Mother running swiftly
Up the winding stair,
Catches little baby,
Kisses golden hair:
Whispers in his tiny ear,
Mamma loves you-far too dear"
Twilight shadows gather
All about the room,
Mother by the window,
Sitting In the gloon,
In her hand, no more to use.
Lie pair Of tiny Shoes.
Now the sunset glorfas
Battle the western skies;
Mother looks up sadly,
Through her tear-dimmed eyes.
But for her the suKhaft bears
Just flight of golden stairs.
Far up on the landing
Smiles baby's face.
Little hands are beck.ninG
Through the airy space,
Calls child's voice, sweet and true:
Mamma. amt 90 TURNING, too?"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
Loa8n' Roun'.

From the Detroit Free Press.
Blossoms in the medders-catfsh in the pool
A day of with the daisies, an who would plow
mule2
1 don't keer for the preachin' of tie wise folks
left an right
I'm out o sight in blossouls-go0d folks, I'm out
O sight,
Lilies o the field, YOU know don't foller any rlc-
day off with the lilies, an WHO would plow a
mule?
To the teachin' an the preachin I'm deaf by day
an night
I'm out o sight in blossoms folks, I'm out
o sight
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
A Plea.


lul Laurence Dunbar in the Bookman.
Treat me nice, Miss Mandy Jane,
Treat me nice.
Dough my love has tn ned my brain,
Treat NE nice.
/ amt done a ring to shame
Loyahs all 8c's jes' de same:
Don't you know We amt TO blame?
Treat NE nicei
C0se / know rs talkin' wild;
Treat Inc nice;
l CANT talk no bettah, child,
Treat me nice;
Nhut pusson gwine to do,
Wen he comes a-cou' tin You
All a-tremblin thoo and thoo7
Please be nice.
Reckon / mus go de PAT
0thahs do.
LOvahs lingah. ladies laugh;
Mebbe you
Do mean all the things you say,
An po'baps some latah day
Wen 1 baig you had, you may
Treat me nice!
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
Even SuupOse.
From the Pail Mall Magazine.

From the Pail Mall Magazine.
Even suppose that / could forget
What you Were should know you YETI
Even suppose land my hope is this:)
That bathed In the tides of exquisite bliss
Your face has lost through those clo,ldless years
The lines Of trouble, the stain of tears
shall sec it then. see 1t yet
Even suppose that could forget
Even suppose l might choose to be
Frieud OF an angel. IL seems to me
Hearts choice Is once though the flesh forpet.
Not knowing why. should choose you yet.
Even SUPPOSE that could forget
What VIII Il be that will make you known?
claimed You once: you still my own:
A kiss, perhaps. that left on your cheek
Where all Is spirit, viii kisses speak?
Dead or living. hove you yet,
Even suppose that I could foreetI
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
To the Moon.

Art thou pale for WEAKNESS
OF climbing heaven and gazing on the earth
Wandering companionless
Among the stars that have q different birth
And ever changing. IKE q 1eyless eye
That finds No object worth its constaucy?
-SHHLKY
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29

Author-'You have no idea how many
stamps ] use posting my manuscripts to
various editors"
Critic-"yery likely. 1 think there ought
to be excursion tickets for manuscripts ct
reduced es."-Tit-Bfts.