davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09

would take to die. He watched the
firing squad as it slowly filed into po-
sition: He counted them as, they
wheeled into place. One. two, three,
four, five, six, and the officer. Why
did it take so many to kill man?
But, then, not all the guns were
loaded.
It seemed to take a long time to
get everything ready, thong b perhaps
~his,thoughts were running little more
rapid y than usual. One thing brought
him satisfaction-t there would be
plenty of time to sleep after it was all
over.
His imagination must be playing
him false again, else how was it that
he saw the white, agonized face OF hfs
m6ther there; breaking through that
solid line Of blue on the right? He
wanted to rush to her and tell her 1t
was all dream, that he would not be
hurt, but he could not bring his
limbs to obey his will, and then in a
moment the stern, fixed faces of the
men in front brought back with sick
ening force the reality and awfulness
of it all.
Is 1T must come3to al end some time.
Yes, the officer at the head of the
squad had stepped pace forward, and
d command was given that he could
not understand, but .he guns wele
lowered with a jerk; another command,
and with q jerk -and clang the guns
]-eame to ''aim' and Ill seemed point
ing directly into his eyes. 1t would
I soon<be over ?. -
There was flash, but he could hear
no report. Would those bullets never
come, OF must he. stand there through
all eternity waiting for the end? Gould
they have missed him? Perhaps he
was dead already: Death had come
with the flash, and death WIS not so
different from life, after all. Then
eyes, lam hit, after ALL" he shouted;
grabbing frantically at his left arm;
which suddenly seemed q mass OF
molten iron. tOf all those guns only
one was loaded, and that has taken off
my arm"
Dazed and, stupid: from sleep and
pain, he opeped his eyes to see there
lief still some 20 yards away, but NOV
ing with the brisk swing of! the regu-
lars to his post. His left arm seemed
on fire yet, but he managed to bring
his gun into position and challenge III
the usual manner.
''How is this?" said the officer.
"Wounded? Itmust Lave been that
shot that just came from across the
canyon Eyes. believe I'm struck
a bit, ., said Morton, ''but it don't
amount TO much, and I'm mighty glad
! to get ont of this-hole even if my arm
is broke. It's sight better thai hay
ing the whole six in my carcass.
With thoses rather unintelligible
words Private Morton '.fe'l' i'm and
marched away to his quarters.
After the surgeon had fixed up his
arm it was some time before he could
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09

The British Colonlnt~ retary,
splrredion by,Cecil @J. Rhodes, Eng
lands empire: maker in South Africa,
has been persistently trying to extend
his authority so that the entire law
making power of the Boer Volksraad
should be under his jurisdiction and
control. He has demanded that all
laws and treaties, whether relating to
the Internal or external interests of
the republic, shall be referred to him
for his approval before operative, and
he has asked that old laws which are
not favorable to English interests in
the Transvaal shall be repealed. This
interference has naturally been pro-
vocative of~much ill=feeling not only
between the heads :of The two Govern
ments, but between the individuals as
well.
To understand the Transvaal sltua-
tion thoroughly one must know that
every British subject in the Transvaal
considers that every inch Of Transvaal
soil is rightfully the property of the
British nation, and that the Beers are
merely interlopers, with no rights
that ARE deserving the,respect.,o of an
Enghshuan. They regard the3Boers
as SO many ignorant, 5uncleanly saw
ages; whofdp mot know jhow to govern
themselves, much less others. Every
Englishman in the gold-felds, or in
any other part Of the republic, still
smarts under the sting q, ,the;Jameson
failure, and nothing willwipe. out that
score but the sight of he British flag
flying over the whole of the Trans
vaal. Everything that ingenuity can
devise is done TO embarrass the Gov
ernment.
The amazing part of the situation is
that none of the American, German,
Dutch md French residents of the
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09
London School Children.

The London board of trade has just
issued an elaborate report on the Diff
ferent classes Of employment into
which the boys and girls attending
elementary schools in England and
Wales went on leaving schools during
tho year 1884. From the returns
relating to London it appears that of
.5,76S boys who left. school between
3 and per cent. went to each of the
following trades: Building, wood
working, metal, engineering and ship
building, clothing, printing and al
lied trades, newsboy and street ven
der; of %, IT'S girls in London, 6l9l,
or 26 per cent. went into domestic
service; 2231, org per cent, went to
dressmaking or millinery, and l0,471,
or 43 per. cent. remained at home.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09
Elaborate Preparations For
War Made by the Trans
vaal Republic.
PRESIDENT KRUGER'S STAND
General P. j. joubert, an American,
is the Commander Of theEBoer i
Army Consisting of $500 3
Well-Armed Warriors

In little whitewashed cottage in
South Africa sits COON" PaulK Kruger,
defying the whole British nation: 1t
is one of the, strangest- spectacles OF
the age to witness this seventy year
old Boer, the head Of one off earth's
weakest natious, raising himself against
the aggression of its strongestpower.
1t is like fawn pitting its strength
against that of. a hon. sitts
/. The present differences between the
British Colonial Secretary Ind the
South African Republic are ,pnt q con-
tinuation of the old troubles with the
addition of q new phase. For fifty years
England has asserted that the Trans
vaal is mere dependency, with no
right to make laws for herself unless
they are sanctioned by the Imperial
Government. The Bocrs hayesteadily
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09
THE BLooMER-cIRrs scoaM
Lord so.oeslns he rose from his balm

Lord sc.osgins he rose from his balmy
sleep, -,
And he saddled his horse Of STEEL.
He muttered VOW Of import deep
As he sprang on his pIunging wheel:
VI will speed me east, and will speed mo
west,
Eor ever cease from my ladye's quest,
Till f1nd her, fol- woe or veal u
The ladye stepped from her silken bower
and she was g gay laydee!
For naught but agreat composite Hover
Could rival Ger braveree!
With her boomers red, and her knickers
tan, ;,
She looked like link between monkey and
man,
As she hied her over the lea!
Lord Scroggins he saw that lsdye ride
Astride In her naughty state;
And he airily cried, as he seorched to her
side-
"Do I find thee OF Last, my fate2"
But she wrinkled her nose with scorn
divine
"sir Fossil, avaunt from path Of mfheI
For the wheel that ride Is q '99,
While thine Is a 49,"
Detroit Free Press.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09
TRAMPs AND THE RAILROADS.
Success of One Company a in stopping til.
StesI;uC 1f Rides.

olcdltuS VI 1siooo'
At the request OF the general man
ager OF a large RAILROAD company, Mr..
Josiah Flynt, the tramp expert, spert
two months recently in. investigating
the company's efforts TO put stop to
the stealing of rides. He found that
of all the roads in America this one
had the worst reputation among the
shoboes:: The RAILROAD fever" is
hard to cure, but 1t Is one that it be-
hoores the companies to treat heroic
ally. Writing in the Century, Mr..
Flynt says:
Can the tramps be driven off the
railroads? 1t was to satisfy my own
curiosity in regard to this question,
and to find out how successful my
employer, the general manager, had
been in his attempt to answer it IN
the affirmative, that I undertook the
Investigation which 1 have described.
Previous to his efforts TO keep tranps
off railroads, it had been thought, as
he has stated, that.it was cheaper to
put up with them, nuisance though
they were, than to pay the bills which
q crusade against them would occa-
sion. 1t has at last been deman-
strated, however, that tramps can be
refused fee transportation by one Of
our greatest railroads, with saving
Of expense to the company and with
great Benefit to the community, and
the time has come wien the public is
justified in demanding that all the
railroads take d similar stand in re-
gard to this evil.
If all the railroad companies would
agree upon concerted action against
tramps, in few years the following
very satisfactory results would be
achieved: First, very few tramps, if
any, would try to beat their way on
trains; SECOND, an appreciable number
of them would give up tramping en-
tirely, because their present railroad
privileges are to many the main at.
fractions of the life; third,a,a few
WOulu cry W UGeoh!o, ~ t1N> -
criminals again, partly out Of revenge
and partly because tranping Oh the
turnpikes would be, too disagreeable,
and, fourth, large number would
take to tile highways, where some
might be made to do framework, and
where all would, at least, be in touch
with farm life. The reader may take
exception to the third possibility, and
think that great harm. would come Of
an increase in the professional crimina!
class; bit as I have said, tramps are
really discouraged criminals, and re-
turn to the old life, of which they
made failure, would on J y land them
in the penitentiary.
1t is probably impossible ever en-
tirely to eliminate the vagrant ele-
neht in a nations life, and no such
hope is held out.in connection with
the reform advocated in this article'
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09
ASLEEP on PICKET.
An Incident of the War in Cuba
BY z. z. FLOYD.

not tell. It seemed ages to.him; it
might have been only the latter part
of his time of duty, but at last the re-
lief was coming. He could not be
mistaken-that WAS the sound of his
approaching delive cance-yes, there
was the head of the line within so yards
OF him. Now he could sleep. sol
how tired I am; how blessed this
sloepl"
And so they found him, sound
asleep at his post It might have
been for amoment; it might have been
for two hours. Asleep he was, at any
rate, when relief arrived. His post
was the most important on the whole
line,, and it's sentinel asleepi, How
could they know he had Tfought so
hard to keep awake-and~he had only
fallen as they were at hand? They
had found him so, and it was death.
He knew that. He had not been in
the service six years to forget that.
There was 10 excuse that would save
a sentinel from death who fell asleep
at his post in time of:swar aud. in the
face of the enemy. .As-the grinr"faces
of the men that fell in about him to
takeshim to the guardhouse showed no
sign OF compassion, so Morton real
lied that he could expect none from
any quarter, but. must suffer the;full
penalty of his crime. ..
1t did not occupy much time, his
trial and conviction. The days. were
too busy for that those days before
Santiago, between Ell Caney, San Juan
aid the surrender -
They were grim and powder black
ened, with torn and faded uniforms,
that group of officers quickly called
together. for, court-martia, but they
were stern aAdsjust. The evidence
was clear--tbere was no defence-the
sentence brief. Private Morton for
sleeping on post was to be shot to
death, in the presence of his regiment,
the following day at noon. The action
of the court-martial had been approved
by the. commanders nd but few short
hours remained fo' the condemned
man between this and another world.
In the old San Juan blockhouse,
that served rs aprison now, lay Private
Morton, stretched on the rough floor:
and covered with his blanket. There
was time enough to sleep here, and
that sleep which seemed so precious,
but a short time ago, and which would
finally cost him his life, .whyrwould it
not come to him now and shut out the
awful realities of his position? Why
| IL j
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09
QUEER THINGS ABOUT ANIMALS.

The California woodpecker will carry
an acorn thirty miles to store it.
It takes q snail exactly fourteen
days and five hours to travela mile.
The land crabs Of Cuba run with
great speed, even outstripping horse.
:, That, sleeping ,-or~ waking, snakes
never close; their :eyes is a curious
fact.
The elephant has 10, 900 muscles in
his trunk alone, while man has only
SIT in his entire body.
Ants have brains larger in proper
ton to. the size of their bodies than
my other living creature.
The dragon fly can fly backward and
sidelong, and can alter its course on
athe instant without turning. ,a7!
1t is estimated that. there are62, ,05Q,-
900 horses in the world, 1875, $50, 600
cattle, aud 434, 500, 900 sheep.
When chameleon.-is blindfolded.it
loses all power of changing its color,
and its entire body remains OF a uni.
t-form-tint.
There are three varieties, of the dog
that never bark--the Australian dog,
athe Egyptian shepherd dog, and the
"Iion-h headed dog of Thibet.
The lantern fly of Surinam, South
America, has two sets of eyes, so as
to catch the light from all directions.
It is much more brilliant than our
freAy. 49,:
THE oldest living creature in the
world belongs to Walter Rothschild. IT
is.a giant tortoise, weighing quarter
of q ton, and it has q known life of
$50 years.
There are several varieties of fish
that cannot swim. In every instance
they are deep-sea dwellers, and crawl
about the rocks, using gtheir tails sand
fins as legs.
Some animals can live many years
without water. A paroquet lived fifty
two years in the London Zoo without
taking drop of water. Anumber OF
reptiles live and prosper in places
where there is no water. -
The heron seldom flaps his wings at
q rate of less than 100 to $50 times a
minute. This is counting only the
downward strokes, SO that the birds
wings really make from 24O to 800 dis
tinct movementsa minute.
One OF the longest-lived birds on
record died recently in London. It
was parrotsnamed Ducky, the prop
erty of the Prince OF Wales, and was
a century, and quarter old. up to
so years of age elephants ARE. useful
members of society.
In China carrier pigeons are pro-
tected from birds Of prey by an ingen-
ious little apparatus consisting OF
bamboo tubes fastened to the BIRDS
bodies with thread passed Beneath
the; wings. rAs,.the pigeon flies, gthe
action Of the air passing through the
tubes produces shrill, whistling
sound which keeps the birds OF prey
at a distance. ...,.. - .....,
Pie antipathy of animals for certain
things is unexpleinable, but the fact
| remains. for example, that rattlesnaEes
| Have 4 decided dislike for the leaves
of the.Mhite ash. Experiments ihave
shown that they would ratherlrn
over live Goals than touch white ash
leaves, Philadelphia Inquirer,
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09

sat MS pacK, zauuz4iU.4ios- os-VIorctvro.-oaoy
for him to command the respect of all
the neighboring tribes and govern
ments..
The people of Nepal are strange
mixture of races. The ruling tribes
are the Ghoorkhas, whose prowess
has given them the supremacy. The
capital city is Kathmandu, where the
raiah, or King, lives in a queer palace
made up of large. number of small
pagodas surrounded by shrines erected
to the Hindu gods. These are often
smeared with the blood OF the sacri-
foes brought to the gods.
This rajah is too young now to
do the actual ruling, which is in
the hands OF his chief Minister; but
the power of the ruler is absolute,
and he can order life or death for any
one who displeases him.
The people are so afraid of foreign
influences that they will not permit
Europeans to even enter their domin-
ions, so it has been impossible to
survey the country and, ascertain the
height of the mountains, which tower
thousands of feet in the air.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09
many commissioned officers in the
Boer service learned the art of war

many commissioned officers in the
Boer service learned the art OF war
fare in the German army. There is
good reason to believe that there ere,
even now, many German officers with
the Boer troops, who are simply
absent from their regiments in Ger
many; on leave. The fact that the
German Government permitted,
;openly, German officers to take service
with the Turks. in the war between
Turkey and Greece lends additional
confirmation to the report. =. 3.
In the opinion of many well.posted
American officers, the Beers are in
far better shape, to-day, for war than
is generally supposed: ..A;war be-
tween the Beers and English will
mean, it is said iu official circles here,
q much stouter affair than. Great
Britain, has. had to: deal with in the
last thirty-fiye years. The Bocrs, at
the present time, are in much better
shape: and are more ably officered
than they were in the last struggle
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09
PRESIDENT KRUGER AND HIS ESCORT.

tie. General Joubert is an American,
having been born in Uniontown,
Penn, in 1S4, and few men have had
q more picturesque career OF know as
much about the relation Of the Trans:
yaal to the Swaizes. When fourteen
years of age he left this country and
went to Holland. His taste for war
was always keen, and when the rebel.
lion broke out he came to this country
and served in the navy under Admir-
al Dupont. Later he became captain
of colored company under General
Weitzel. After the war he returned
to Holland, and later went to South
Africa. When the rule of the Eng
lish became intolerant to the Dutch at
Cape Colony and Cape of Good Hope;
and many Of them went north to the
Transvaal, General Joubet went
with them. After he had assisted
them materially in driving out the
wild beasts, conquering the savages,
settling the country, discovering AMI
developing the diamond fields, the
English suddenly discovered that they
had a claim to this far away country.
He was only plain Boer, or farmer,
when his fellow subjects determined
to resist the British. In 1881, at the
head of handful of Dutch farmers,
he met the British army at Maiuba
Hill and put it to flight after great
slaughter. This secured liberty for
the Beers, and they accordingly look
upon General Joubert, now Vice
President Of the South African Re-
public, as the Washington Of their
country. General Joubert visited
this country in the latter part of 1890
for the purpose Of arranging an ex-
hibit at the Worlds Fair. for South
African products. While in New
York the Holland Society arranged
many receptions and dinners in his
honor. - ~.,.f .,,.,
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09
a Pretty Child Story.

The prettiest child story that have
seen lately is in French. a mother
tells her. little girl that because she
has been naughty she will not kiss
her for q week. Before two days have
gone by the clild's lips hunger SO for
her mothers kiss that she begs her
not to punish her any more. The
mother says: "No, my dear; I told
Won that l shoull not Kiss yon, aud I
must keep my word. I" ''Bat, mamma,
aamma, "says the little girl, would
y.bs. breaking your word if you should
/ iIisa me just. once tonight when I'm
asIeept9--BostOa Transcript. z
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09

Itwas the night otter the tsrribie day
at San Juan, and Private George Nor
ton of the regulars was doing picket
duty on the heights. Not much to make
story ont OF, for after the exciting
events of that day, ever to be memoir
able in our history, anything else that
can betold must seem simple and COM
moaplace. But to Private Morton
shere at his post by the deserted
trenches it was destined to be even
more eyentful than the scenes he had
just been through.
Ever since the landing of his regi-
meat, two days before, the moments
had been filed with excitement and
raugh work that left little time for
thought. But Private Morton, as q
general rule, was not much given to
thought A private in the regular
army must be made into part Of one
splendid fighting machine. So Pri-
vate Morton was content to do his
duty aud let the officers do the think
ing. ''''"
Enough apparently not over 80
years Of age, be was now serving his
second term of enlistment and had
seen enough of active service in the
Indian campaigns in Arizona and the
Bad Lands to make war for him no
novelty. He was counted good sol
tlier, dnd he knew by heart all the
<trules of war; by which the sharp
discipline of the regular army is en-
forced.
But tonight it seemed to the soldier
that the burdens of the service were
more than ordinarily oppressive. For
nearly 4S hours he had been on con-
Slant duty without rest or. respite,
marching through the tropical rain,
wadiug streams, plodding in the mud,
fighting, famishing; for in all that mad
rush Of the preceding days there had
beenno time for ;rest and hardly a
thought for food and drink, for even
the regulars had caught the infection
and we're nearly as reckless and i'm
provident rs the less disciplined and
thoughtless volunteers. The one
thing to do was to possess that Span
ish line before it could be reinforced
and before the dreaded fever should
thin their own lanks. 1t was death
in front, but just as certain death
was stalking in the rear. And so
during those last two days there had
been no rest from duty, nc, moment in
which to catch little sleep or relieve
the muscles OF mind from the terrible
strain. The line had been won and
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09
HUMOROUS.

s'Did you enjoy the circus?" 'sNo,
forgot to get bag of peanuts before
I;went in.
Maxim-Only the good die young,
you know. Brattle-Oh, no. Only
the young die good.
"What do you think about this uni
versal peace movement" ut will do
to quarrel about as well as anything.
He lat Miss Tartlet's)--It is not
good for nan to be alone. She sboredf
Then hadn't you better go home to
your mother?
Uncle-Well, my boy, what have
you learned at school today? Nephew
II don't think you would understand,
even if. told you.
Caller-Is the exchange editor in?
The Editor-I am he. Caller-Well,
L want to exchange this summer suit
for winter overcoat.
"Giving your son liberal educa-z
tion?" eyes. I'm giving him lib
eral education; and he's giving me IN
education in liberality."
Absent Minded Professor latter the
wedding ceremony)-So now, dear
Emma, we shall always belong to each
other. Emma-Yes, Ferdinand; but
please make note OF it and don's
forget it.
Speaking OF new vehicles.
Wouldn't 1t be nobby-
It's up to the inventors now
/ To ride an auto-hobby?
ls:5t'The phrenologist," said the proud
father, ''said he had head you see on
very few boys" $50 he has" re-
piled the proud fathers friend. In
fact, I don't believe I ever saw that
head on any other boy"
Bslia--So you're engaged to Mr.
,Grcosum. How on earth did he ever:
propose? Stella-Well, lie took me
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09
Cuba as a Future Winter Resort.

The entire island of Cuba is great
park that needs no artificial training
to enhance its beauty, and it is destined
to become the winter resort:of all the
Eastern States. But great admins
tratiye improven ents in the ports, be-
sides the police and material ones
noted, will be necessary before this
can happen. For instance, it would
do much for the island if the port of
Havana could be freed from the high
pilot fees, anchorage fees, docking
fees, and fees of all sorts that make it
impossible for small craft to enter.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09
A Rare Record,

= When Tom Caufeld, some years
, ago, at the Point of Pines, ran mile,
swan a mile, walked q mile and roll
ler-skated'a mile in an hour, he did "a
rare thing; something that; standa
alone. for where can one .fnl a roller
skating rink and a running track
handy to the seashore nowp - Z. Z $
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-09

For soldiers use in excavating the
earth to form Notifications a new in
trenching tool is formed of a metalio
blade designed to be attached to the
cap aa Yizor when on the march, with
q short handle on the blade by which
to SCOOP out the earth.