davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-01-26
SNAKES IN PACIFIC ISLANDS
hawaii, Samoa and New Zealand En-
tlrely Free from Reptiles.

HAWAII, samoa and Now Zealand En-
tirely Free from Reptiles.
For the most part the Pacific islands
are destitute Of snakes. That is abso-
lutely the case in Hawaii. In New
Zealand, equally free of these reptiles,
the only knowledge which the Maoris
had OF snakes may be found in a le-
gend OF monster called the taniwha
concerning which the authorities differ
as to whether it is the ancestral and
dim recollection of a snake or of an al
ligator. All the eastern islands Of
Polynesia between these two outposts
are snakeless. Westward from Hawaii
down among the Gilberts and the
Marshalls and the Carolines, the
square-bodied water snake begins to
make Its appearance in the lagoons and
harbors. By the time the PHILIPPINES
are reached the water snake becomes
both common and deadly and the
jungle Of those islands are abundant
ly supplied with snakes. From the
PHILIPPINES as one follows down the
chains of islands snakes are found
both abundant and venomous. In the
wild lands Of the western Pacific the
reptiles are frequently objects of wor-
ship, and in some legends are credited
with the creation of the world. Samoa
seems to lie just on the boundary line
of snakes in the Pacific. In the east
ern islands of the archipelago no
snakes are to be found; in Upolu a
few are seen at rare intervals. In Sa-
vail only few miles to the westward
they are common and attain great size,
in the case of some kind at least None
of them Is venomous and the islanders
neither fear them nor exhibit any of
that repugnance to their presence
which is commonly called instructive.
This indifference to the reptiles is
made most markedly manifest at the
hamlet of Iva on the northeast coast
of Savaii. Here are to be found small
snakes of the most brilliant red color.
They are so common that a basketful
may be easily picked up in any banana
patch. The dancing girls of this
town are in the habit of employing
these gaudy snakes for personal
adornment in their dances. They tie
them about their necks, their ankles,
and their wrists, festoon them in their
headdresses, and tuck few extra ones
in their belt in readiness to replace
such as escape in the dance. At their
best these sivas danced by the Sa-
means are either dull or revolving
shows of savagery. 1t can be easily
imagined that they are made no more
attractive when the taupou or village
maid and her crew of attendant girls
go careering about with an assortment
of writhing red snakes. Still the Sa-
means, who have no stock of snake
prejudices, look upon this as one of the
most successful and artistic dances in
their islands.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-01-26
HANDLED THE BIG WAR LOAN

Assistant Secretary Of the Treasury
Frank A. Vanderlip has been one Of
the busiest men in the government
since the beginning of the war with
Spain, for the event thrust upon him
a great undertaking, with proportion
ate responsibility. He it was who
was given personal supervision Of the
5000, 900 bond issue.
Since July 10, the day congress
passed the act to provide ways and
means to meet the expenditures Of ths
war, Mr.. Vanderlip has been engaged
night and day in carrying out the I'M
usually complex provisions Of the war.
The prompt manner in which the large
extra force Of clerks was organized
the effective business methods put in
force, and, indeed, every detail of the
handling Of the accounts and all busi~
ness connected with the three hundred
thousand persons who subscribed tor
.he war loan has passed IS scrutiny
! Oh y keen CIV
/ high e ~ nun bic. testify alike to tnJ
industry and ability of the assistant
secretary. To get at ana drive az q
task with determination, dispatch Il
promptly, and to do it as thoroughly
as possible, was but characteristic OF
the man. Mr.. Vanderlip was trained
in the school of self-reliance. 1t is but
few years ago-for he is yet young
man-that he was a newspaper repor-
ter in Chicago. He had learned stem
! ography while serving as an appren'
tice in a machine shop. He showed
himself apt in journalistic work, and
had attained the important position OF
financial editor of a Chicago daily
when one Of the leading bankers of the
city. whom the young man had inter
ested by his sterling qualities, Lyman
]. Gage, having been called into the
presidents cabinet as secretary of the
treasury, appointed Mr.. Vanderlip his
private secretary. So well did MI
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-01-26
THE IOWA'S NEW COMMANDERS

Capt. Silas Wright Terry, who is to
take Capt. Robley D. Evans place IL
command of the battleship Iowa, Is
now commanding the receiving ship
Franklin at the Norfolk navy yard
Fighting Bob" was placed on the
naval inspection board. Capt. Terry
has a grand record as fighting sailor
in Uncle Sans service. He entered
the academy in 1858 from Kentucky,
and went through the civil war with
extraordinary honor. He was in the
Red River expedition as commander
of the transport Benefit. Admiral Por-
ter. in a letter to the secretary of the
navy. wrote several hundred words OF
the highest praise for Terry, who was
then an ensign. The president ad-
vanced the young man five numbers In
his grade for the gallant work he did
on that expedition. In 1864 he was
placed on Admiral Porters staff and
served in that capacity until the end
of the war. The past twenty-five years
of Capt. Terry's life have been spent
in shifting from one post to another
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-01-26

ness in his every action. That Is one
reason why the people of Georgia love
him so much today.
He whirled into the law business at
first but speedily reformed because
there was nobody who had either any
use for law or any money to pay for
1t If they did. Then he became an
editor, and with the late Henry w.
Grady founded the Atlanta Constitu-
ton, and made it in a short time
newspaper whose voice was listened to
In the journalistic councils of the
country. 1t would have been difficult
indeed in that day-or in this, for the
matter of that-to find two men so
perfectly equipped for the work they
undertook, or better qualified than
they to aid in the upbuilding Of the
section which they both loved so well.
A thousand and one stories could be
told of their long partnership, but it
would require book to print them.
In matters outside the paper, and es-
pecfaily in politics, they frequently dis~
agreed, and at one time they were
chairmen of executive committees OF
rival parties seeking the municipal
control of Atlanta, but in their editor
ial and business policy they were al
ways one, and always right.
A year ago Captain Howell sold a
one-fourth interest in the Constitution
| for $125,000 and retired from the ed
itorial management Of the paper, to
which position his son, Clarke Howell
was at once elected. He has since de-
voted himself to his private enter
prises and to the enjoyment of the
rest which his long years of hard la
Dor have entitled him to. At the time
OF his appointment he was spending a
few weeks in the north with portion
Of his family, and his selection as a
member Of the investigating commits
sion came to him as a complete sur
prise. When he received 1t he said to
friend that he felt 1t the duty Of eV-
cry good citizen at such times to accept
any call that the chief executive might
make on him, and as soon as he could
arrange to do so he went to Washing
ton to see the president.
In politics Captain Howell has al
ways been democrat of the old school,
but bolted Cleveland and Clevelandism
in 1884, '88 and '92. During the last
fifteen or twenty years he has been a
delegate from the state at large to all
the national conventions Of his party
and during the late campaign was one
of the most active supporters of Bryan
in the country. In social life he is
one Of the most popular men of the
state, and as stump speaker he is
without an equal. The late Charles A
Dana once said that he could tell. q
bad story better than anybody or
earth, and that els teller Of goot
stories he beat the world. He hal
several times been urged to accept thu
nomination for governor Of Georgia
but has steadily refused, giving as hi
reason the statement that he alread!
has sufficient troubles and did not wan
more.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-01-26

One ol .4s latest Parisitn 5cisr Size
toys is q picture hoo in which -lc
ear as well as the eye is app sle' 10.
It is a book Of animals, and each a-'
NAL utters its own character, site CRY
The title of the book is the Liyre
d'Images Parlantes," or book of speak
Ing pictures. Monsieur Leroy contrib
utes to La Nature a description Of this
new toy. The pictures represent the
most familiar domestic animals, and
each animal speaks its own Ian
guage. To cause it to break silence,
nothing is necessary but to pull lit
tie string at the edge of the book. In
the book are to be seen a rooster, a
COW, a lamb, little birds in their nest,
donkey, a cuckoo a goat. On the
last page are children who are welcom-
ing their parents. By pulling the string
at the right page, the cry of any par
ticular creature is ELECTED. The lis
tener hears the donkey heehaw and
the rooster crow. The growing is very
well initiated. The string is pulled
again, and the lamb beats, the birds
twitter, the cuckoo sings, the COW
moos, or the little children call out
papa" or mamma" These inter
esting results are obtained very sim
ply by the aid Of small bellows placed
in a box hidden in the book. When
the string is pulled, the air enters the
corresponding bellows, and is thence
expelled by a spring. The air makes
its exit through a special tube appro-
pirate for each cry, and at the same
time the bellows meets with certain
obstacles placed on a wire. These
arrangements have been carefully stud
led with view to producing the proper
effects.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-01-26
THE UNITED STATES ARMY.
Recruiting for the Regulars Is Going
Steadily On.


AS fixed by statute the numerical
strength of the regular army is now
$1,000 men. There are at present in
the regular army about $4,000 men, and
the work of recruiting is going on
steadily for the purpose Of attaining
the maximum strength. Regular army
officials say that all of the complaints
of neglect, starvation, etc, come from
the volunteers. The regulars are suf-
fering as much as the volunteers, but
no complaint is heard from them. An
officer of the war department declares
that the volunteer army is practically
disorganized, owing to the criticisms
made by certain newspapers on the sec
rotary of war and his bureau officers.
He says: THE war with Spain is not
over and We may have serious trouble
before peace is formally declared. We
may need troops to enforce our policy
in Cuba and in the Philippines, and as
the matter stands today We should not
depend upon our volunteer troops, af-
ter all that has been said about the
war department in the newspapers.
DoIOlS we COulu get Iuem 10 20 "
Cuba or Porto Rico we should have to
have complete reorganization. I'm
der the circumstances we must place
our dependence in the regulars. Not
one word of complaint has been heard
from the regulars, and they should be
given every attention in the present
emergency, and every effort should be
made to promote their comfort. I do
not say this to the disparagement of
the volunteer troops, for they have be-
haved nobly and the entire country ap-
preciates their patriotism. The de-
moralizing influences of overzealous or
designing friends In behalf of the vol
unteers have brought about this dis
content and disorganized spirit The
regulars know that there is no inten-
ton on the part of the government to
wilfully neglect them or ill-treat them.
Consequently they are going right
along performing the brunt of the bur
den without murmur.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-01-26
Cleveland,

nave a thorough and honest inquiry.
Before he accepted the place Captain
Howell said: IF the commission is to
have unrestricted power in the investi-
cation and am assured that It's
scope Is to be unlimited, I will take
the place, and If I serve 1t will be with
the understanding that I will 'hew to
the line, let the chips fall where they
may The country demands that If
there has been any official neglect of
duty in any of the branches Of the war
department the blame should be fixed
so that those who are responsible be
held accountable and the innocent not
suffer from the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of
those guilty of any incompetency. II
l serve on the commission 1t will be
solely for the purpose of going to the
bottom of the whole situation"
Those who know Captain Howell
and there is nobody in the south who
does not know him-will understand
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-01-26
A Horseless Sleigh.

An adaptation of the Bollee horseless
carriage, driven by gasoline engine,
to winter use, is described in the Scien-
tific American. DR.. Casgrain of Que
bee is the contriver of the new form Of
vehicle. In place of the pneumatic
tired wheels of the ordinary Bollee
carriage he substitutes steel runners
for the forepart Of the carriage. and a
driving wheel, whose rim is studded
with steel points, for the rear part. The
steering apparatus acts upon the for
ward runners. The gasoline reservoir,
containing seven quarts suf1ices for q
run of fifty miles.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-01-26
WHY HIS SHOES HURT.
Jabbit Discounts His Friends Stories
About Footwear.

Jabbit Discounts His Friends Stories
About Footwear.
They were seated in the back room,
and after exhausting all exciting top
les of the day the conversation turned
on the subject Of shoes. One man held
that there was no sense in paying fan
cy prices; it was better to get cheap
shoes and buy them oftener. Another
claimed that he found it more econom-
ical to pay Waxend $12 pair for his,
as they outlasted three cheap pairs
and looked better all the time. A third
raised his foot to the level of the
table and said: There is a pair l
bought eighteen months ago for S..
I have worn them all the time and
they have never needed repairs and
never hurt my feet for minute" Then
Jabbit broke in. He was on the third
day of spree and he pointed wabbly
finger at his feet and said: That's
funny. There's pair have had on
only two days and nights and they
hurt my feet already"
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-01-26
AGNES HISTORY.

She was born in the prison ward OF
The big hospital.
Her mother, a slender, dark-eyed
girl of barely 20, had been arrested for
fortune telling only two weeks before,
and now lay sad and silent, unheeding
of the doctors, the nurses, or even the
chubby bunch that kicked and cried be-
side her.
She did not seem to remember about
the baby. Even when they held it up
before her she did not realize that it
belonged to her, and that if her life
ended another weaker one would be
left to fight and face the world alone.
And so that night she died. The
doctors knew they could not save her,
because she did not care to live.
How beautiful she must have been,"
the night nurse whispered. DO you
know anything about herr"
The doctor shook his head. NO." he
answered, nothing beyond the fact
that she told fortunes to save herself
from death, ans so brought on this
last misfortune, which made her wish
to die. When 1 asked her if she had
no home, and where the baby's father
was, she just began to cry. You see"
and he took the limp, white hand be-
tween his own, "she wears no ring"
No. the nurse said, quickly, but
she has 1t here" and she drew out a
little cord that lay about the slender
neck, and on it hung a plain gold we'd
ding ring.
In the morning the question arose,
what shall we do with herr" AS
usual thing the babies whose mothers
deserted them in this fashion were
packed off to the founding asylum,
but doctors as we'll as nurses had fallen
In love with her.
AT last it was decided, and with the
warden's consent she was carried of to
ward where not shadow of the hate
ful prison bars was left upon that
small, bright face. But there arose the
necessity of a name, and little con-
clave was held around her bed l. one
morning.
1t was easy enough to decide upon
the first name-it should be Agnes,
after the nurse who had known and
loyed her first down in the prison
ward, and so, with the aid of the chap
lain, she was christened, but when they
came to decide the second name that
was not so easy, for some wished her
TO Keep the name her mother used, but
others, knowing it was false, rebelled,
and SO they let the question rest, and
she was only agnes"
And, though she ruled them all, yet
what a good baby she was, and how
bright and pretty, with dimples in her
cheeks and on her toes and fingers,
and great Greasy bracelets round her
chubby arms and legs.
80 things went on and every one was
happy, when suddenly it dawned upon
the older ones that this could not go
on forever.
One Of her own special doctors I'm
ished his term and went away, and
then one of her nurses went, and the
others began to see that in time they
: aISwould go, and that the hospital au-
thorities were not in the habit of bring
Ing up orphan babies in their wards, a
TACT which was emphasized one day
when the warden, who had forgotten
all about her. stumbled over her when
she came creeping up to him, and
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-01-26

that this means business. AS a soldier,
editor, lawyer and politician, Captain
Howell has ever manifested a strength
of character and an unruf1ed determi
nation that has won him success in
everything he undertook. He Is as
courageous mentally and morally as
he is physically, and there is so much
about him that is picturesque in a per-
sonal way that the south is glad the
whole country is going to get a glimpse
Of him in his new position. In Wash
ington he is already well known, and
the newspaper men of New York and
Chicago and other northern cities are
his firm friends, but outside Of an &C.
casional seat in the state legislature
he has consistently refused to accept
any public office.
The captain is not yet So years of
age and is one Of the most perfect
types of the southern manhood which,
not born to work, was forced by the
devastation of war to earn Its own
livelihood and to aid in the support Of
an IMPOVERISHED and disheartened
community. AS a soldier his record Is
one Of the most brilliant in the annals
of the confederacy and he has been the
REGIMENT of many tributes from those
who served with him. He was artil-
lery commander, recruiting his own
company in Georgia and leading 1t in
nearly every engagement that took
place between southern Georgia and
northern Virginia. He served with
Stonewall Jackson until that gallant
soldier was killed, and there is tale
about him which says that he did not
believe the story Of Lee surrendering
when he heard it and kept on fighting
for some days afterward.
During the recent Atlanta exposition
Captain Howell was called upon to
make the speech of welcome to a re-
union of federal and confederate SOL
diers on Ohio day, Governor Mckinley
making the response. During the
course of his remarks he said that he
had spent most of the four years Of
the war running. During the first two
wears he had chased the Yankees and
during the last two the Yankees had
chased him. And, he added, amid
whirlwind of laughter and applause;
that it wasn't until the tail end of the
unp1easantness that he knew what a
sprinter he was. Governor McKinley's
reply to this sally was remarkably
clever and the blue and the gray had
love feast in Atlanta that day such as
they have never had before or since.
The war over, Captain Howell took
an active and aggressive position in
the dark days of reconstruction. The
homes of southern planters, which had
been the abode Of aristocracy and in
dependence before, were desolate and
unproductive, families were scattered
and cities burned to the earth, women
and children had no one to protect or
to provide for them, and the worst
part of the situation seemed to be the
almost utter hopelessness and helpless
ness for the moment Of the remnant of
Georgia's magnificent population that
remained. A few brave men took hold
of the situation with an earnest effort
to make the most of the wretched cir
cumstances, and among them no one
served with more fidelity or with great
or success than Captain Howell He
not only was possessed of unlimited
brain and Drawn, but there was always
sunshine in his presence and cheerful
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-01-26

very rich, indeed-and the girls moth.
er had believed him, and the girl-she
dld not care whether he was rich or
poor-only that he loved her.
AND SO at last priest came, and the
Two We're married, and went away to-
gether to America, and the other lover
stald at home and worked, and grieved,
and waited.
one day there came a letter, telling
on Its blotted. blistered pages that pitt
LUZ story OF mock marriage, cruelty,
neglect, and then, at last, desertion-
assertion not only of her, but of an
unborn child.
lie was a wealthy mamie had
prospered more than ever lately-and
ne said that he would go and find her
and bring her back with him.
FOR weeks he had hunted the great
city in vain, and then had found this
clew. The girl was dead, but there was
yet the child.
He must see the baby now. What
was the address?
Then at last the doctor spoke, but
his voice was strained and hard as he
said: I'VE put her there SO she should
have more love and care, and we all
go to see her often We have loved
her much. If you wish to see her you
must come there with me now, for L
l." and his voice sank SO low that they
could hardly hear hint am going to
her funeral. She died two days ago."
Elk.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-01-26

wanted to know what the dickens that
great healthy baby was doing in his
place.
that they call certain philanthropic
young lady whom he knew into their
counsel, and when she came she really
had some thing to suggest.
She knew of such a nice place up
town, half charity and half pay, where
they took limited number of babies
and gave them special, individual, and
wonderful care.
There was vacancy there at pres
ent, and for small monthly payment
she could get Agnes in-the question
was, could it be done?
So Agnes moved away from her first
home, and to the disgust of her assort-
ed parents, seemed to rather enjoy the
change, and began to grow fatter than
ever.
At the hospital all had been we'll. 1t
was not hard to steal one unwelcome
baby from among so many, and none
of the authorities ever knew-that is,
for q good while.
But one morning something happen
ed. A carriage drove into the great
court, queer, dark man jumped out,
asked Tor the warden, and was closeted
with him for an hour.
Next there was great running
among the clerks, and turning over OF
records-a few blasts from the warden,
and protests from his assistants, and
then at last certain house physician
was sent for in post haste
And then, swiftly, clearly, sadly, he
was told the story of that dark-eyed
girl who had died there so many
months before, leaving behind her no
name or history-only little, helpless
child.
The swarthy stranger told this
own dark eyes burning first with an
ger and then with tears.
He had known the poor young moth
err years ago in-well, in another coun-
try-and he had loved her, too.
She had meant to marry him, until
one day stranger came, who had won
her quite away from his old rival. The
stranger had said that he was rich
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-01-26

The poet Keats wrote to his brother
George in Kentucky in 1918 as fol-
lows: RUSSIA may spread her con-
ouest even to China; 1 think it very
likely thing that China itself may fall.
Turkey certainly will Meanwhile Eu-
ropean north Russia will hold Its
horns against the rest Of Europe, in
triguing constantly with France"