davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-22
Stopping a Runaway Horse.

There was mild hullabaloo on Sill
perlor street, and people who ran to
see the cause noticed a black horse at
tached to two-seated carriage scamp-
erlng down the street on a dead run.
AS he dashed along several men made
lnenectual attempts to scare him into
standstill by heading him off as far
as they dared, and waving their arms
ana shouting, but he dashed by them
all. Then it seemed a certainty that
he would whirl the light vehicle
against a cable ear, but a man ran
out from Wood street and frightened
him from the track, and then Selling
the carriage as it passed clutched at
something and climbed in. As the dis
tracted horse swerved aside, another
man ran out and caught him by the
head, and the excitement came to a
sudden end.
The way to stop a runaway horse"
said well-known lawyer who saw the
finish of the affair. ''is to run with the
horse step or two and then throw
yourself on the nearest thill Don't try
TO mead him, you are pretty certain
to get hurt II you do. Put your whole
weight on the thill and jump with the
horse. Grab rein if you can reach it,
and then haul him around Anyway,
bear down on the thill. No horse can
carry your weight very long. You are
sure to tire him out, and he can't do
any serious jumping as long as you
cling to the thill. I've stopped a num-
Der of horses in just that way. Yes, 1t
was some time ago. Now? No, thank
You."-Toledo Bee.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-22
Number Thirteen Not Unlucky.

Old Settler-Talk about the flgger
thirteen bein' unlucky, why I knew q
Teller once who fell out of the thir-
teenth story of buildin' at No. 10
Thirteenth street. 1t happened on the
thirteenth day OF the month, and the
day was Friday. n spite Of 1t all, he
wasn't killed
Chorus-Wasn't Killed?
Old Settler-Wasn't killed, until he
hit the StdRaS SSa1IiEesnak as1 Eater. """"~
Moses Henderson is n sable son Of
Africa and lives two miles from
Americas. Ga, in rocky field, where
rattlesnakes are most plentiful. Moses
makes living by capturing snakes
and selling them. Whenever he can
not sell them he eats them. This Is
the truth. as strange as it may seem.
Last week he killed n large one with
eleven rattles on it. This was rat
snake and Moses ate it. The other day
he brought a very large snake to the
city, trying to sell its hide. There were
twenty-thrce rattles on it. The snake
was very poor, and Moses said it
would not do TO eat, and he stuffed its
hide and sold it for n good price.
Every year Moses makes a good zeal
of money selling snake oil. He says
right down in the vertebrate of rat
tleSnake is a fatty streak of flesh that
makes oil, when fried that will cure
any case of rheumatism. 1t is strange
to how many people he sells this
rheumatic snake oil. He has a long
list of certificates from people he has
cured. Some of them are from intelli-
gent whites, who declare that the oil
has cured when all other remedies
have failed He sells a vial Of the oil
for 81 and guarantees a lasting cure.
Moses says his father was an African
hoodoo doctor and taught him how to
cure all aches and pains with snake
oil. The negroes of Sumter County
venerate and fear him as a mysterious
doctor who can cure when all else
fails. and look upon his snake oil as
-omethin1 enchanted.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-22
King of Linouists,

No man, however great his powers
Of memory, could acquire even smat-
tering Of all the living languages.
They number $50, not to mention
5000 dialects.
Eighty-nine languages are allotted to
Europe, 1913 to Asia, ia to Africa, lit
to America and Ait to the islands of
the Pacific and Indian oceans.
Probably the most remarkable lin
guist the world has ever known was
Joseph Caspar Mezzofanti, who was
born at Bologna in 1774, created Car
dinal in 1898 and died at Rome in
lS4S. The list of languages and dia-
lects which he acquired reached the
astounding total of ia.
1t would be interesting to know
what system was pursued by Cardinal
Mezzofanti in the study of languages,
but little light is now obtainable on
this subject
The most famous linguist of anti
guilty were Mithridates, King of Pom
tus, who is said to have been thorough
~ conversant with the languages of
twenty-five nations over which his
rule extended, and Cleopatra, Queen of
Egypt, of whom Plutarch says that
"she spoke most languages" and that
there were but few of the foreign
Ambassadors to whom she gave audi
ence through an interpreter"
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-22
soME GIANT SCALES
x.v Ones That VIII Weigh . Load
of 100 Tons.

vvervbody is perhaps aware that the
- scales upon which entire freight
Wis Is with their loads Of many tons are
csoiched are considered immense, but
VII WIZ all their immensely Uncle Sam
W. cone all the railroads in this coun-
G Ia one point better, says the Washing
w Times, by installing at the navy
uord one of the largest pair of scales
T. The country. This machine can out
~ the largest railroad weighing
wrochine by fifty tons, and its results
n n he accurate to the pound, while
uailroad scales are considered good
enough If they approach anywhere
near fifty pounds Of being correct The
nsw scales are placed on the track 60
' Hv' south from the great gun shops
md lust opposite the forge shop. They
.re forty eight feet long and twelve
sost wide, and rest upon a cement base
SuIlt upon long piles. The ground is
.omeyhat low, and it was necessary to
Utilize the services Of pile drivers to
..rure a stable foundation, which is
nue Of the requisites of an accurate
Weighing machine. The cost was about
1920
no auparatus was manufactured for
,0ecial use in the new machine, and
thp completed structure is considered a
model and marvel of modern mechan.
Ism and American ingenuity.
In order to illustrate the accuracy of
The ceunterpoise Of the machine to a
reporter the superintendent of the
Yards and docks picked up half brick
that was lying on the ground near by
and tossed it on the huge platform of
the machine. He then consulted the
lOpS brass lever in the reading box
along the side of the scales and found
mat the record Of the of the brickbat
was Just a pound.
Turning to the reporter he said that
The machine was so sensitive that It
could weigh anything from a pound of
sugar to a trio of 13-inch naval guns,
and weigh them accurately, though it
will probably exc cut a long existence
at the famous gunshop without having
tbe chance to weigh an ounce of the
former. The capacity of the new
scales Is $50 tons, or double the ca
nacity of the old scales, which has lust
been replaced. A 13-inch gun weighs
about 55tons, and it can be readily
seen that the new scales can weigh
two of the monsters, reclining on a
ferty. eight foot track, and not tax it's
capacity to any great extent All the
new guns of the navy yard will be
weighed upon these colossal scales.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-22
Carnival Time in Russia

Shopping, shopping, shopping, goes
on without intermission, says Good
Words. Those who can prepare to
adorn their bodies with one or more
articles of new clothing, but all make
preparations for sumptuous feast 1t
is interesting to watch the shops, es-
pecially in the public markets, to see
the avidity with which every article OF
food is bought up. The butchers come
in, perhaps, for the largest share Of
custom, as flesh, especially smoked
ham, is in universal demand. Ham
among all classes of the community
is indispensable for the breaking OF
the fast and the due celebration of the
feast. Dyed eggs are in universal re-
quest. The exchange of eggs, accom-
panied with kissing on the lips and
cheeks in the form OF the cross, ac-
companies all gifts or exchange. The
"koolitch" and "paska" have also to be
bought. The koolitch is a sweet kind
Of wheaton bread, circular in form,
In which there are raisins. It is orna-
mented with candied sugar and usually
has the Easter salutation on It: Chris
tos vozkress" ("Christ Is risen"), the
whole surmounted with large gaudy
red-paper rose.
The paska is made OF curds, pyra-
midal In shape, and contains a few
raisins, and, like the former, has also
a paper rose inserted on the top. These
are sine qua non for the due observance
Of Easter, but what relations they may
have if any, to the Jewish feast of the
Passover 1t is difficult to see, although
in many other respects there Is a strik-
ing resemblance to the sarviee of the
temple in Jerusalem in the ritual OF the
Russo-Greek church.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-22

Mr.. Jacob A. Riis tells an amusing
anecdote of reporter detailed to Pc.
lice headquarters by a well-knowu
newspaper. His special forte was
fires. He knew the history OF every
house in town that ran any risk Of
being burned; knew every fireman. and
could tell within a thousand dollars.
more or less, what was the value OF the
goods stored in any building in the dry
goods district, and for how much they
were insured II he couldn't. he did
anyhow, and his guesses often came
near the fact. as shown in the final ad
iustment. He shifted a firebug from
afar. and knew without asking how
much salvage there was In a bale of
cotton after being twenty -four hours
in the fire.
He is dead. poor fellow. In life he
was fond OF joke, and in death the
Joke chung to him in way wholly I'M
foreseen. The firemen in the next
block, with whom he made his head
quarters when off duty, so that he
might always be within hearing OF the
gong, wished to give some tangible
evidence of their regard for the old re.
porter, but, being in a hurry. left II
to the florist who knew him well. to
choose the design. He hit upon floral
fre-badge as the proper thing, and
thus 1t was that when the company OF
mourners was assembled, and the fun
eral service in progress. there arrived
and was set upon the coffin. in the view
OF all. hat triumph Of the florists art
a shield of white roses, with this le-
gend written acroAs 1t in red immor-
telles: admit within fire lines onIy. Z"
1t was shocking. but irresistible. II
brought dowh even the house Of
mourning. Century MAGAZINE.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-22
THE TRAMP WON THE BET.
How an Ingenious Tramp Won Five
Dollars.

There's q queer story connected
with that chair" said an old caterer
OF this city, pointing TO a substantial
piece OF furniture in his private office.
! had it originally in my bar for nay
own use. but I never got chance. It
was always occupied by some visitor or
other who couldn't resist the tempta-
ton to sit down, 1t looked SO COM
Portable. l got exasperated about the
thing, and one day | was expressing
myself pretty freely when a tramp wan
dered in to beg a drink.
What'll you give me II | fix that
chair SO nobody'll use it but you? he
asked.
Five dollars l replied, never sup
posing he was in earnest.
He went down to the telegraph Office,
stole a small piece Of insulated wire
and wrapped it around the arm of the
chair. There you are said he, now
watch what happens. In a few mo-
ments a customer Sauntered in, edged
over to the chair aud was about to sit
down when he saw the wire. No, You
don't!' he exclaimed, backing away.
You can't catch met He got his drink
and went out, chuckling over his
cleverness. In half an hour FIVE or six
others approached the chair, with the
evident intention Of camping there, but
noticed the wire and beat a retreat.
In the course of the day only one
man really seated himself. He was a
fat old fellow, and didn't observe the
attachment until he had settled down
Instantly he began to struggle to his
feet. Don't you turn on that current!
he yelled, don't you dare do it, or I'll
have you arrested AS soon as he
could get up he shot out l gave the
tramp his SIS and enjoyed undisputed
possession as long as the chair re-
manned in the bar. Everybody sup
posed it was rugged up for a practical
joke. New Orleans Timee-Democrat.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-22
A Quaint Ceremony in Madrid.

The Queen Regent held at the palace
ln Madrid the ceremony of the investi-
CATION of eleven Grandees Of the first
class ,whe have succeeded to Duke
doms, Marquisates and Earldoms Gre
eted between the years 1868 and 1910.
They were invested in the order Of
their precedence, the Duke Of Medina
Coel the Premier Duke and Premier
peer Of Spain, possessing twenty titles
end tl50,000 income, coming first, fol-
owed by the Marquis Astorga, Count
0ropesa, Dukes ARGOS, Luna, Alag,
hueSear. Baena and Arion, the Mar
gus Santa Cruz and Count Castrillo.
The Queen stood surrounded by the
plgh dignitaries and ladies Of the
Eourt in the royal anti-chamber, where
me new Grandees, accompanied by
neir sponsors, who are Grandees OF
pe same class, were successfully ush-
red In by the Lord Chamberlain and
tle Lords-in- Waiting. All the Grandees
present uncovered when new Peer
uttered, and remained so until the SOW
ffelgn said to the new Grandee, "Cov-
= Your head and speak," which he had
y 90 in short discourse on the merits
his ancestors who preceded him In
Itle' After the investiture the Gran
ices passed before the Halberdier
guards drawn up on the palace stairs,
order that the Guards might know
nem and pay them the usual honors
Enen they enter the precincts OF the
palace where alone they have the right
remain uncovered in the presence OF
EOYaltY.-Pall Mall Gazette.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-22
Retraylng Pens.

"Killed by letter" was the signlfl-
cant heading of Havana newspaper
over an article telling Of ex-Minister
De Lome's fall. This legent would be
an appropriate epitaph over the politi-
cal graves of many public men. The
rivalry between Hamilton, the leader
dc facto of the Federal party, and
Adams, the leader de jure, melted
Hamilton's letter during the campaign
of 1916 arraigning Adams, which was
one Of the causes of the rupture and
overthrow of that party and the
triumph of Jefferson and the Democ-
racy. Hamilton's letters attacking
Burr were the cause of the duel In
which Hamilton lost his life.
Jefferson's letter to his old neighbor,
Mazzel, in 1896, in which, by pretty
plain implication, he traduced Wash
ington and other men whom the Ameri-
can people honored, kept Jefferson de-
nying and explaining for many years,
his historic letter to Van Buren, on this
subject having been written shortly
before his death and twenty-eigh
years after the Mazzel epistle vas pen
ned. The reservation and publication
of Jefferson's. "Anas,' or dairy, which
is really sort of letter to posterity,
with its spiteful assaults on the
memory of Hamilton and other emin-
ent men, showed an amazing lack OF
disceroment on LeffersOn's part, and
has called out from all his creditors
and biagraphers excuses which accuse.
"Never write a letter." said Talley-
rand. land never burn one that you
receive" If Nicholas Biddle had OBJ
served the first part of this injunction
the fate of the United States bank,
over which he presided, would prob
ably have been different. Jackson
would not have been able to perform
that second labor Of Hercules in STAY
inc the bank hydra" and the politics
of the '30s would have lost one of its
most picturesque episodes.
An interesting and usually level
headed parsonage, Biddle, had what
.Iuvenal called an "incurable itch for
writing" and this led him and his in
stitution to their doom, defeated Clay
and The national Republican party in
1920. and, as one of the consequences
of the banks overthrow, brought on
tho manic of 1887. The "Rhea letter"
nrccinitatpd the contest of 1880 be-
tween Jackson and Calhoun out of the
line of succession to Jackson's poll
teal heir, dwarfted Calhoun from
national to n local figure. and turned
him TO the partisan metaphysics out
Of which were evolved notification and
fiat morbid and wire drawn political
philosophy in defense of slavery that
broucht on the war which destroyed
slavery.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-22
Mrs. Calliper and the Colonel

Jason" said Mrs Calliper to her abb
sent-minded husband, looking toward
the clouds as she spoke, what love-
ly bluefish sky"
'Bluefsh sky Cynthia?" said the
Colonel, with more than his usual
dazedness OF manner, "'bluefsh SKYE
Oh, you mean mackerel sky, Cynthia,
mackerel sky"
"No, don't, JASON" said Mrs. CALI
per, usually, however, much put out
she might feel over the Colonel's fail
ure to appreciate her little jokes, ac-
cepting his corrections cheerfully, but
this time, at least, revolving. mo,
don't, JASON" she said; II don't mean
mackerel sky at all. II you don't like
bluefish I am ready to call it green
fish or yellow fish, or any color, but not
mackerel. New York Sun.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-22
A PROUD MOMENT
Boy Gets o Ride on tho Band Wagon
Of Circus Parade.


1.-THE proudest moment Of my life,"
said Cleveland professional man who
was watching the circus parade, came
to me when I was ten years old. 1t
didn't happen here. The scene of the
memorable affair was the ancient town
where l happened to be born. There
was a circus there on that ever-to-be-
remembered day, and, boylike, was
at the circus grounds bright and early.
It was the old Yankee Robson circus,
perhaps you remember the name, and
one sawdust ring was then considered
quite enough. To my mind no modern
hippodrome, triple-ringed affair has
ever touched the good, Old-fashioned
tent show for solid enjoyment. Well,
was walking about the Yankee Robi-
son wagon when one Of the circus men
caught sight of me. suppose he was
somebody in authority. Perhaps re-
minded him of boy at home. Any
way, he picked me out OF small army
of other boys.
"T.ike rider he asked with kind
ly grin. ,,,,.nnoss
cup beside the band wagon driver,
behind twelve white horses? the cir"
Gus man went on.
"He read his answer in my sparkling
eyes.
{" 'Climb,' he cried, and boosted me
on TO the high seat. The band men
were putting on their fancy braided
Jackets. and in a moment or two we
started, What driver that fellow
was! 1t fairly rained reins all over
the dashboard as he steered his quo,
decimal team into the highway, ana
how | hung on tooth and nail as the
bulky wagon careened.
"Wel we drove around-you notlce
the 'we'--and went out of town, anu
then circled about and came back
down a long hill, and so on throl On
fine entire length of Main street. That
hill with the heavy brake on, and the
horses plunging and slipping, nearly
scared years growth out Oh me, pt.
I forgot il all when we struck Mal'
street. For there my playmates "
gan to recognize me. They Jeered t'e,
an. tainted me, but what careo lor
ta,nts! $50 o.,
GLOW did it get out of the eager
shriel5ed one embryo humorlst, put
only ran my tongue out at MN. l knew
there wasn't youngster looking up
at me who wouldn't have given ms
eve teeth to be in my place. Ana SO
we swept on, the caparisoned horses
proudly curvetting, the band dlscours-
ING ana diminutive me sitting III
throned grandeur beside that mighty
son of Jehu.
Eyes. sir, that was the very proudes,t
moment of my life, "-Cleveland Leau-
er.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-22
Not His Kind.

Two members of a well established
firm that does business in the whole
sale district INDUCED in the following
dialogue the other afternoon:
Junior Partner-Why didn't you give
that man chance? We need another
clerk here, and | rather liked his looks
Senior Partner-I liked his looks, too,
but he's no good.
Junior Partner-How do you know
that?
Senior Partner-When a man who Is
looking jor job comes to me and
says, Il suppose you don't want to hire
any one to-day, do your" that's
enough. If he had anything in him
he'd come right out and say what he
meant. If he supposed we didn't want
to hire any one why did he waste our
time and his by coming in to bother
us?-Chicago Times Herald.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-22
REVENGE ON The WIND
A Vu.. y
"A western Artist Invents a Cannon
to Kill Cyclones.

n western Artist Inyents a oanron
to Kill Cyclones.
Ohicago has turned ont ano+hor
freak, in the shape of an artist VIII
invented q cannon which is in
70 10 lure poor, innocent cyclones
ueit 9eath. MIR. E. d. Belts. who
mas determined to cease drawing MIC
lures ana instead draw the winds of
heaven to their untimely destruction.
mas spent much time on his invention
anu mas at length completed a tran
t Mnicn' ne Is confident, will puncture
she most virulent cyclone that ever
uouHeu around the saloons TO hit a
Snurcn. He has offered the results Of
MS work to the Government. and ex.
pects great returns, inasmuch AS n
VIII, II successful, settle the question
OF the location Of real estate IN West
ern states like Kentucky. and enable
people IN those localities to invite
l[ienas TO dinner with some likelihood
ot Delng there to receive them.
IL consists Of a cannon with n
weather vane and an air trigger The
gun rests on a vertical pivot, and when
the innocent cyclone approaches the
vane turns the muzzle of the weanon
uirectly toward the unprotected bosom
Vi the WIND storm. The cyclone catch
es It's toe in the air trigger. Bang! goes
.ne charge, and the cyclone, with a
Duilet in Its heart, forgets all about
knocking down a town and goes off
among the clouds to die of a hemor.
rhage of rain.
mis- may seem cruel and unsym-
pathetic to people in the East. but
Westerners consider the scheme an ex.
eellent one and will adopt it.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-22
Story Of "The Lost Chord. -

. In London, in the early part of this
decade Col. Venting was a frequent
visitor at the houses of many of the
nobility, and became acquainted,
through his excellent knowledge of mu-
sic, with many Of the best musicians
OF the English metropolis.
ut was while there" said Col. Wen
ting, that l first heard the story Of
the birth of THE Lost Chord song
that has been sung In every quarter of
the globe, and which will live forever
II ever there was such a thing as in
piraton, the song was inspired.
"There are very few Englishmen
who do not remember Fred Sullivan,
the great comic star and brother of Sir
Arthur Sullivan. He played in all the
original Gilbert and Sullivan operas.
and has never been equalled. He was
later followed by George Grossmith.
Zone day Sir Arthur Sullivn was no.
titled that his brother Fred was very
ILL., He made every effort to reach the
house where his brother was lying at
the point Of death, but arrived too late
to see him alive. The two brothers
were devoted to each other, and the
blow was bitter one for Sir Arthur
He was closeted with the body of his
brother for two hours, at the expira-
|ton Of which time he came down stairs
and went to the piano. Throwing the
instrument open he began to play. and
the bar, The Lost Chord was evolved.
The composer sadly put his new COM
position on paper and stored it away.
to kA 80 ~,
heart the grief Of desolation. All
Through its beautiful harmony can be
heard the strain Of grief. So profound
an impression did the association of
the song with the death of his brother
make on Sir Arthur that he is said to
have, even at this late day, an aversion
70 hearing it performed. New York
Sun.