davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
SHIPS CLAIMED BY THE WAVES.


Great Britain's Losses by shipwreck
the Smallest I'm the World.
Losses at sea sustained by the merchant
service Of the world in the last year are
set forth in report prepared by the Brit
isl government. copies Of which have been
received here. Great Britain, with over H.
0O0. 900 tons afIoat, has the lowest percentage
of losses.
Startling figures are presented as to the
number Of steamers and sailing. craft re-
ported missing, and now regarded as
lost by insurance underwriters. No less
than twenty-four steamers sailed out Of
various ports last year and have never
been heard from, and seventy-nine sailing
vessels cleared and never reached their
destination, both classes representing to-
tai tonnage Of 72,773 In addition ninety-sfx
ships, representing eighty-five sailing craft
and eleven steamers, had to be abandoned
at sea.
Az result Of all the losses the gross re-
duction in the mercantile marine OF the
world Is shown to be LII vessels of $780,
725 tons, excluding vessels Of less than 100
tons.
Great Britain's rate OF loss Is 2.2a per
cent, the next on the list being Germany,
with z33 per cent. Germany and the Unit
ed States are now making 'neck-and-
neck" race as regards the total number of
vessels owned, the latter having 2113,67
tons and the former 2113,9Sl tons. Austria
Hungary II third In point of rate OF loss.
with a1s per cent, and then comes Rus
STA, with 3.63 per cent, and the United
States. with 4.14 per cent. The other nations
are In the following order: Italy, 4.34 per
cent. France, AS: Holland, = .62: Spain,
SOL; Norway. $50, and Sweden. 5.6s.-New
York Herald.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17

week the Amoskeag veterans from New
Hampshire, and Massachusetts, company,
with military bands. came and paraded be-
fore our house. and Gov Smyth, of New
Hampshire, and one or two other officers
called on me. When they left and / stepped
out to see them civilly off, the men in
epaulets got up a grand military salute,
with music and three cheers to wind up
with! Was ever Quaker in such pre-
dicament? / did, fear, somewhat COM
promise myself by lifting almost invoun-
tarily, my hand to my hat-but resisted
the temptations and only pulled my hat
lower down over my brows by way Of
testimony. Letter of Whittier's to Gail
Hamilton, 1866, In the Ladies' Home Jour-
nal,
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
FLoGCING IN THE BRITISH NAVY.

Rarely Resorted TO NJ = Punishment
Though Common I'm Ola Days.
F1ogging IL almost unknown in the Brit
ish navy nowadays. but It has not been
abolished by law. The lash is used as a
punishment for q limited number OF Of
lenses. and not infequently years pass
without a single application of the lash.
Recently. however, an incorrigible bad
character on board one Of the warshipS
at Cape Town was sentenced to receive
eighteen lashes. He became unconscious
before the punishment was completed and
was sent back to his quarters. The affair
has created a great sensation in England
and may lead to organized agitation for
the abolition Of fogging In the navy. Fifty
years ago sentence OF eighteen lashes
would have seemed to the public simply
normal penalty for an infraction of disci-
pline and would have occasioned no COM
ment. Today 1t Is described as brutal The
difference between 1S49 and 1909 and the
consequent development Of humanity IL
strikingly shown in the different views OF
the two periods Of the ft punishment for
naval and military NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Transcript.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
Tho stars q Timekeepers.

Probably the majority of people suppose
that the observatories obtain the correct
time from the sun. When the average man
wishes to give his watch the highest praise
ne says. 1T regulates the SUM- not being
aware that watch which would keep with
the sun around the year would have to be
nearly as bad as Capt. Cuttle's. The farmer
may safely decide when to go in to dinner
by the sun. but IL the mariner was as con-
fident that the sun marked always the cor
rect time as the farmer is he would be
sure to be at times two or three hundred
miles from where he thought he was. In
other words. the sun-that is, a sundial-
Is only correct or q few days In each year,
and during the intervening time gets az far
as whole quarter hour fast or slow.
These variations of the sun from uniform
time caused no end Of trouble between the
astronomers and the fine clockmakers be-
fore 1t was discovered that sun time is sub
ject to such Irregularities. The better the
clock, the worse 1t often seemed to CO.
But as the variations in sun time are now
accurately known, correct time might be
obtained from the sun by making proper
allowance, were 1t not for the difficulty of
observing its position with sufficient exact.
ness. The large disk of the sun cannot be
located so perfectly as can the single point
which a star makes. For this reason as
tronomers depend almost wholly upon the
stars for obtaining accurate time. 1t Is the
method Of doing this which we propose to
describe.
There are several hundred stars whose
positions have been established with the
greatest accuracy by the most careful OBJ
servations at number of the principal OBJ
servatories of the world. II a stars exact
position Is known. II can readily be calcu-
lated when 1t will pass the meridian of any
given place-that is. the instant 1t will
Cross a north and south line through the
place. The data regarding these stars are
all published in the nautical almanacs,
which are got out by several different OBJ
servatories for the use Of navigators and all
others who have uses for them These
stars are known as ''clock stars"-Apple-
tons Popular Science Monthly.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
COMPANY DINNERS ARE DREADru'
ny Guests, and Keep the Heseeee y
a State of Anxiety.

Writing on Making COMPANY o
Guests" Edward BOX, N the DecemD4
Ladies' Home Journal considers ~ . ~
rious fact that American housewives ~
so loath to believe that dinner WITH fuls
and feathers is dreaded by the YAH -.
jority Of people. The highest complment
we can possibly show a guest At dlnnsf
to let hiEi partake of an ordinary ~
to let him come quietly In and be pae p
the family yet this Is the very 60
ment which we withhold from HIN ~ ~:
stead Of giving a guest what no. Mcs ~.
relish most, we give him what ne f Sc !.
enjoys least Let hostess be eye
graceful and tactful. let there be yesss
experience on her shoulders. yet hotnnae
can conceal from her guests that ne y.
ner which she Is serving Is other tnsA ~
unusual one. II is formal ahAAI. - 80
no amount of grace can make an Al tIa ~
else of I. For nothing speaks 70 ns..s
nor so unerringly as formal COM W
dinner. Every course shows X; ess y.
movement of the waitress prociaims ~ -
every piece of china fairly cries eut ~
occasion. And of course no one y ~
table really enjoys it. The guest cs', 1870
does not, because he knows ne p' 81,
made company Of, and that feeiins . ~ &
ways enough to offset every enlos ssss ~
The hostess does not, for she nasn ~
time. Her eyes are for her faDis - .
servants; not for her guest
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
WOMEN OF GENIUS
QUITE FORGOTTEN.
1nAnNnD LADIES wM0sD NEG.
LnCrnn HOOKS ARE A MoNU-
NEWT 10 OBLIVION.


THE history o. learned ladies. with
= that Of theif works, - = subject Wnfcn
awaits the historian. There have been
learned ladies IN many ages; one would
Ike 10 compare their learning with that
Of the scholars their contemporaries.
Here are . few-are their names "a
m1iar. ana how many Of my readers would
pass an examination In their worksS
HrotsvithA, the tenth century Terence;
Teresa Of Spain. Anne Maria schurmann.
Antoinette Bourignon Of Flanders Ia Mere
Jeanne JuAnA Ines de Ia Crux-what about
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
CROCODILE STORIES
FROM THE NILE.
REPULsIvE ANIMAL OF THE Glass
sizes 10 RAPIDLY APPROACH
ING EXTINCTION.
Pliny's Narrative Of the BIRD That
Picks the Great Reptiles Teeth
How the Ancient Anglers
Hooked Their Prey.

TO say that the crocodile has seen his
] best days IL but feebly to express the
rapidly with which he IL lapsing into
the class Of extinct animals. Az fea-
ture OF modern Egypt he Is perhaps RAJ
Their q curiosity than q plague. and the
traveller has to get far beyond the re-
gions Of the Delta before he can begin to
hope for the chance OF being introduced
to one. Nothing can make the crocodile
attractive and even the man with the
camera Is shy Of treating him as a SUBJ
5ect. whether for personal or artistic
reasons IL not quite clear. Possibly the
crocodile resents being focused as he
formerly shrank from conformation with
a mirror-an ordeal which often led to
his dying Of chagrin. as he was sup
posed. at the sight Of his own ugliness.
Moreover, the experienced photographer
10 wise In taking no risks" remember
ing that the crocodiIes tears are only q
natural solvent which the saurian APP
plies to the tougher forms Of animal
food.
And this is where the legend OF the
toothpick probably comes in. Herodotus
noticed the fact, but seems to have been
misled az to the motives. He discovered
that the crocodile made friends with
particular bird, which he allowed to
enter his mouth In order. an the writer
supposed, to rid the reptile Of the leeches
which infested his Jaws Pliny says
nothing Of these pests. but considers the
complaisance Of the crocodile to be due
to the satisfaction he felt in having his
teeth picked by the bird. HE taketh SO
great delight in this her scraping and
securing OF his teeth and jaws" Both
authors speak Of the bird as wren;
later naturalists described It as being as
large as a thrush. while It has been re-
served for the present generation of trav-
elers to identify this useful friend Of the
crocodile as the spur winged plover. OF
the fact of the alliance there is not the
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
En.Iad,s Ruling Capacity.

England possesses capacity Tor con-
Quoting colonies and rehabilitating rum
down countries which almost amounts to
genius Overbearing and arrogant as
the British functionary out of England
often appears to be, he must be scrupu-
lously honest and generally capable to
find place in the perfect. organized
machinery guided from London. French
men say that Egypt's restoration to pros
perity could have been better accom-
plished by them, and some allege that
this prosperity II more apparent than
real. charging that much Is neglected in
the desire to make a favorable showing In
the yearly balance sheet. But a frank IN
vestigation of what France does with her
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
A WORD FOR WAR.

They say that war 10 HE'LL" the great accuned''
The sin impossible to be forgiven
Yet can look beyond II at its worst,
And still find blue In heaven.
And as note how nobly natures form
Under the wars red rain. deem IL true
That He who made the EARTH lake and the storm
Perchance makes battles, too!
The life he lores 10 not the life of span
Abbreviated by each passing breath,
II is the true humanity OF man,
Victorious over death.
~Dr. william Alexander. in London rmea
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17

own dependencies, nearly every one OF
which is run at loss. gives support to
the belief that Egypt is better off under
British guidance than she could be under
that of France No alien power could
have done better In Egypt than Great
Britain has But her critics claim to rec
ogn.ze scant justification for Britain's alb
sorption of the country Of the khedive
merely because of her ability to do good
work there, and point to the glaring flaw
in her title.
Has England educated the Egyptians to
govern themselves?
Not as yet, certainly.-"Present Day
Egypt" F. c. Penfield.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
Color q Paciac Salmon.

The ughter Of 1cflscolored fish are said
70 be found 81 al times. but their proc
portionate numbers may vary more or
less at different seasons. Thus, for In
stance. on the Fraser river the white
meated fish are reported generally to
form only small PERCENTAGE Of the
spring CATCH though their number may
increase toward the end of the spring
run. Beginning In August or by Sep
tember /, however, the number becomes
very large, and before the season closes
may reach as high as GO to 80 per cent.
In Puget sound and the more southern
rivers, on the contrary, It Is claimed that
the percentage remains more nearly uni
form throughout the fishing season, al
though the average color may turn lit
tie lighter a. the season advances. and
That the percentage of the white. meated
fish II not so large as at the north. That
20 marked differences as Is described
should be manifested in region Of such
limited extent Is striking IL true, but 1t
Is not at all improbable that the state
ments are somewhat at fault. There n
no doubt, however, that a very large
number Of the light-colored fish are
taken.
rich and as well favored as though 1t pos
sessed the deeper color, but by people
generally the salmon are graded accord
Ing to color, whether fresh, canned or
sailed, and prejudice exists against any
which have not the prescribed shade.
There is therefore scarcely any sale for
the paler fish. When placed upon the
market fresh they command a very in
ferior price. while canned or sailed they
rarely find purchaser. 1t Is hoped that
this prejudice will soon be overcome. per-
hitting what Is now essentially q waste
product to be utilized in accordance with
its true vaiue.--Richard Rathbuns Fish
cries In the State Of Washington and
British Columbia.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
POLE OVER 200 YEARS OLD.
Strange Indian Relic Standing Mt
Morris, III.

Morris, III.
In Morris, ILL.,, on the west side Of Wau-
p0nsee street. between Washington and
Canal, stands pole about thirty feet high,
which is known as the Indian pole" 1t
Is protected at the base by close-fltting
piece of tagging. which is surmounted by
an iron fence. these having been placed
there years ago by the city. There is
nothing really known about the old land
mark. excepting that II was where 1t now
stands when the first settlers came to that
community, and, Furthermore, Shabbona,
the old Indian chief. could tell nothing
about the pole. as it had been there as long
as he could remember.
An old Indian named Clark told the fol-
lowing story concerning this monument:
Nacquett a celebrated chief, was killed In
battle at the spot, buried there, and the
cedar pole erected to his memory. His
sQuaw died later. and her body was placed
beside his. Clark said the fight began at
Blue island. the tribe retreated and met
their foe at the site OF lakewood cemetery,
Joliet, and again had hard-fought battle
at Nettle creek, Morris, and the last was
at Starved rock, where most of those who
took refuge persisted. One writer says:
1.-THE death OF Nacquett was probably be-
tween 1880 and 100, and the pole may have
been placed there at that time"
In speaking of this old monument, p. A.
Armstrong, historian of the Black Hawk
war; and "the friend of old Shabbona,"
said: There Is no doubt In my mind that
the pole is nearly $50 years old. When La
Sale and Joliet went up the river where
Morris now stands was an Indian village
containing about 1000 inhabitants and
when Shabbona came here. which was
about the year 1900. the pole was there and
none of the Indians knew when 1t was
placed there. The story given by Clark
to the effect that the chief. Nacquett, was
buried there, is generally believed, for
when the canal was being built some Of
the workmen made some excavations at
the base OF the pole and unearthed the
skeletons Of man and a woman, the
things buried with the man signifying that
he had been great and brave chief, For
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
From . Funeral Sermon.

A wonderful piece or self-anaiysis, worthy
OF st. Augustine. which occurs in one Of
John Donne,s funeral sermons, gives poig-
nant expression to what must doubtless
have been common condition of SO SEN
sitivo brain. II throw myself down in my
schambef, and I call In and invite God and
His angels together, and when they are
there neglect God and His angels for the
noise Of fiy, for the rafting of a coach,
for the whining Of dog; talk on in the
same posture OF prayer, eyes lifted up,
knees bowed down, as though prayed to
God; and II God should ask me when
last thought Of God in that prayer cannot
tell. Sometimes I find that I forgot what
was about. but when began to forget 1t
I cannot tell. A memory of yesterdays
pleasures. q fear Of tomorrow's dangers, a
straw under my knee. a noise in mine ear.
a chimera in my brain, troubles me in my
prayer" It is this brain, turned inward
upon itself and darting out on every side
in purely random excursions that was re-
sponsible. cannot doubt, for all the con-
tradictions Of Career In which the inner
logic is not at first apparent-The Fort
nightly.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
ON a Camel.

"The sensation has been likened to that
which would be felt by mounting stool
placed on a springless cart driven over
pl,wt d field. found 1t all that, and more.
Nsxt to walking barefoot in chains, riding
on camelback is, In the eyes of the Moors,
the worst degradation they can put upon
thei, prisoners."-"In Moorish Captivity"
by II ,nry NJ. Grey.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17

less frequently than 5000 times. Had he
but preserved his scores at all the inns
where ne lodged they would have made by
themselves history OF prices. And
throughout II all he never knew what de-
preston OF spirits meant--though he had
much to try him, suits in chancery and
Jealous wffe.-Augustine Birreli in scrib-
ner'B.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
DEAD ROSES.

The roses that he gave Babette,
One morning when the skies were blue,
Were fecked with pink and set with dew:
sweetheart" he said. do not forget:
Be these q sign 'twixt me and your
Then laughed and spurred his horse anew,
Though on her little heart and true
They rested till the spring was through
They died before the sun had set
The roses that he gave Babette.
He fought and drank and loved and slew
What matter If he cared or knew
That far away one laid Mt rest
With withered roses on her breast?
All, mel The dead hand holds them yet,
The roses that he gave Babette.
II. p. Garrison, In National Magazine.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
y y * y Y ~ Y y y
" Cbe~~~
( Fighting W)e$1
~ X \ *##*

least doubt. The operation has been free
quently witnessed by numerous independ-
emit observers, one of the latest of whom
considers that the bird does actually per-
form the functions Of toothpick, IA
process which the crocodile enjoys" With
such corroboration the narration of Her
odotus, subject to qualifications as 1t
must be. is at least to be taken seriously
and no longer regarded as the visionary
idea Of a mere fabulist.
Herodotus gives an amusing account of
the manner In which the Egyptian broth
ers of the angle used to fish for croco-
ollie, from which 1t would seem that they
had taken a leaf out Of the reptiles own
book of strategy. They baited the hook
with a large piece of hog's flesh, with
which they made a real anglers east"
into the middle Of the river. And they
employed a very special and alluring
form of ground bait, consisting Of Wig
orous young porker. whom they anchored
Irish fashion on the bank and melted by
divers irritating arts into energetic
squealing. Entranced with the melodious
sound the crocodile was drawn in the
direction from which it came and being
unable to get at the hog put up with the
baited hook instead.-London Globe.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17

We seated ourselves round It on cushions.
and each took possession Of the fiat piece
OF scone which supplied the place Of plate
during the meal. those articles not being
considered q necessary luxury. In the
center Of the table stood large bowl full
OF white soup. from which everybody ate,
taking as many spoonfuls as they chose
from, the common tureen with the long,
handled wooden ladies provided for each
guest. When this was removed large
piece Of meat boiled to rags took its place,
and was speedily diminished under the
violent treatment It received from US all,
each one pulling lump Of meat from the
3oink with tho fingers. and eating It OF
with her own nat scone. We then had a
curry OF vegetables. followed by the Tag
axig pudding, fruit and rice. called so from
. native Of that village having brought the
recipe to the harem.
Our meal was concluded by coffee, made
in corner Of the room over red-hot char
coal in . copper pot. and poured thick into
small glasses fitted in gold filigree cups.
I The lady who made this rather Disagree
able beverage was the same who had re-
moved the center dishes during dinner:
she was black as coal and bore the de-
NghtfuIly descriptive name, translated to
US, Of Lily of the Desert.-Good Words.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
John Wesley.

John Wesley contested the three king
doms in the cause of Christ during a cam
paign which lasted forty years. He did 1t
for the most part on horseback. He paid
moro turnp,kes than any man who ever
bestrode a beast. Eight thousand miles was
his annual record for many a long year.
during each Of which he seldom preached
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
Money No object.

II liked her spirit Danny Murray's) In
an instance I heard t'other night. She
was complaining Of want Of money; Sir
Richard Atkins Immediately gave her a.
twenty pound note. She said, DIN your
twenty pounds! What does 1t signify?'
clapped II between two pieces of bread
and butter, and ate it."-Walpole's Letters.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
visual Organ. All Right.

"Can 1 see the mistress of the horse?"
asked the tourist In reduced circumstances
who stood at the kitchen door.
''You can II you have good use of your
eyes," coldly replied the woman confront
ing him. you are looking at her.
II can use them well enough, madame"
he responded with much stiffness, ito see
that you are purist. and not philanthro-
pist. We have nothing In common. Good
afternoon, madam."-Chcago Tribune.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
kissing and HugeIng Take -

It's all very well for you ana 49, nS l.S2
Emslie to unite in millions OF hnkz Nd
kisses, but please consider the time ~
occupy your poor old very busy uhc ss,..sfs
hugging and kissing Emsiie Yor y W. ,ess.
by the watch. and I don't think you ~ Z.
age It more than twelve hours :
Letter Of Lewis Carroll.