davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
POPULAR RULE.
II RaS Always Proved to BE a Fla.
Failure Among Back
ward Races.

Anent the proposition to make our
newly-acquired dependencies self-gov-
erning, it is interesting to note that par
liamentary government has invariably
proved a fiat failure in semicivilized
coun tries.
The negro republics of Liberia and
Hayti form the most glaring example;
but it would hardly be correct, after
ALL to describe their government as
parliamentary. With the exception of
Chill, which, thanks to very large ad-
mixture Of English and Scotch blood in
it's best families, stands far ahead of the
rest, nearly all the Central and South
American republics are pitiable paro-
dies on popular government. The
grossest corruption and incapacity are
thinly yelled by paper constitutions
and clouds CT high-sounding verbiage.
In nearly every case they are ruled by
political adventurers, who govern really
by force, and will rather plunge the
country into the horrors of a revolution
than forego the spoils of office. The re-
suit of this Geplorable state of things
is to be found, first, in almost con-
slant turmoils, which are merely fac
ton fights on a huge scale; and, second
", in the backward condition of the
countries, in spite of their very great
natural advantages; and in the further
fact that, where these advantages are
developed, it usually by foreign brains
and foreign capital.
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
BLOOM AND oDOR.
A Close Connection Has Been Dis
covered Between Color and
Perfume.

An exhaustive examination of flower
ing plants reveals that orly about ter
per cent, of them are odoTiferous. The
red flowers and those which have com.
bined colorings approximate to this
average, while yellow flowers arr
slightly below it. Of blue flowers
only five per cent. are scented, and in
those of violet color the proportion is
still farther reduced. White flowers are
most odoriferous, Is per cent. of them
being fragrant, and it is a matter of
common observation that the white va
rieties of garden flowers are generally
more highly scented thar the colored
members Of the same spec-es.
1t has been noted that flowers of a
brownish hue have usually disagreea-
BILE smell, and in the case of the stapel-
las or carrion flowers the odor is scarce
ly distinguishable from that of putre-
scent meat. and proves attractive to
those insects which feed on decayipg
substances. AS a rule where the inf1or-
escence is brilliant and conspicuous
perfume is deficient, but many striking
exceptions will readily suggest them
selves. The perfume, like the coloring
of flowers, plays an important part in
securing cross fertilization by the
agency of insects, and the presence of
one attractive factor enables the plant
TO dispense in many cases with the
thor
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
A DIMINUTIVE REVOLVER.
1t Is Only One Inch and Half Long
Yet 1t Shoots With Great
Accuracy.

Perhaps the smallest revolver ever
known has been discovered in Germany.
1t is 1Hinches long and is made OF
steel, gold-plated. The handle is made
Of pearl. The hammer and trigger
work exactly as in regular revolver.
and the cylinder holds seven cartridges.
Each cartridge is so small that TO load
the revolver a rammer and pair of
pincers are used. These are attached to
the handle by ring. The cartridge is
picked up with the pincers, inserted in
to the chamber and rammed int 0 place.
The cartridges are charged with full
minite, and the ball is about the size
of No. s shot. When the trigger is
pulled and the hammer strikes the car
fridge there is an explosion about as
loud as when a gun cap is snapped.
This little revolver shoots accurate
ly, but it is so small that one cannot
handle it so that it may be aimed ex-
actly. The ball has force enough TO go
through a heavy cardboard. The hole
where it enters is very small, but it has
tearing capacity when it comes out.
The revolver was bought by Mr.. c. J.
Schneider, who tested its shooting
powers in his Office one day. lie placed
card on his desk and fired There
was little scream from the stenog-
rapher on the other side of the room,
who was rubbing her neck and insisted
that something had stung her. The
ball had gone through the cardboard,
struck the lock OF the desk, glanced off
across the room and hit the young
| Woman. ~
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
THE BULLFIGHT.
An Eyewitness Describes the Cruelty
of the Spaniards and Bravery
of the Animals

The trumpet sounds again and the
2spada takes his sword and his muleta
md goes out for the last scene, says tht
saturday Review. This, which ought Il
Je, is not always, the real climax. Th,
)ul is often by this time tired, has hat
nough OF the sport, leaps at the bar
Ter, trying to get out. He is tired OF
running after red rags, and he brushes
them aside contemptuously; he can
scarcely be got to show animation
enough to be decently killed.
But one bull that saw was splendid-
ly savage. and fought almost to the last,
running about the arena with the sword
between his shoulders and that great
red line broadening down each side OF
his neck on the black; like a deep layer
Of red paint, one tricks ones self into
thinking.
He carried two swords in his neck
and still fought; when at last, he, too
got weary and he went and knelt down
before the door by which he had en-
tered and would fight no more. But
they went up to him from outside the
barrier and drew the swords out of him
and he got to his feet again and stood
to be killed,
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
SAVED FROM SPANISH SHIPS.
Guns and Other Relics Recovered by
the Navy from Cervera's
Vessels.

The United States collier Leonidas
lately delivered at the Washington
navy yard and ordnance factory vast
amourt of valuable salvage recovered
oy the wrecking companies from the
hulzs of Admiral Cervera's warships
along shore near Santiago. which will
be preserved by the navy as trophies OF
the war with Spain. The relics. some
of which are massive in proportions
and in fair state of preservation, con-
sidering that they were exposed to the
conflagrations which swept the Span
ish ships and to the action Of sea wa
ter for nearly two months, will be put
into thoroughly effective condition as
far as possible in the ordnance shops
and will probably be distributed to
various points Of the country for ex-
hibition, the majority of them being
destined to ornament the naval acad-
emy grounds at Annapolis.
Among the trophies are four 51s-inch
guns, with their mounts and shields
taken from the Tnfanta Maria Teresa
and the Almirante Oquendo, and ten
guns of various caibers from the Girls
tobal Colon. The breech plugs of ali
the high-power rifles were not recov-
cred, but they can be duplicated in th'
gun factory from working drawings
which the naval attaches long ago Sc
cured abroad. Much of the salvage,
notably the gun shields. show the re-
suits of the terrific fusillade main
tanned by the rapidfre weapons of the
Brooklyn and other American ships
during the stern chase of July 3.
Among the other articles saved by the
wrecking company and brought to
Washington in the Leonidas were
large quantity of shells of all caibers
including 100 Of 13-inch diameter; an
anchor and a lot of chain, 40 barrels
Of wine and the safe of the Cristobal
Colon, which has up to this time sue
cessfully resisted all efforts made to Sc
cure its contents.-N. Y. Tribune.
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
MULE DENTISTRY.
An Expert Dentist Who Operates on
Twenty-Four OF the AMI
mails Every Day.

A Mexican mining company which
owns 300 mules keeps dentist on its
staff simply to Look after the mules
teeth.
One of Mr.. Mules amiable weakness
es is the habit of boiling his food,
which frequently causes dyspepsia. or
other diseases. This boltng of his food
is not caused by desire 10 hasten his
meal, but because his Eolars, or back
teeth, having more work to perform
than his front teeth, wear away in the
course OF few years and become
much shorter than the front ones, thus
allowing the food to pass into the stonl-
ach without being properly masticated.
In cases of this kind the incisors, or
front teeth. have to be filed down an
eighth or quarter of an inch.
The molars OF mule are 2H inches
in length, while the incisors measure
.2R inches, and judging from his signs
Cf pain, the nerves are as sensitive as
those of human beings. An expert
dentist operates on "a mules a day.
The extracting instruments are from
two TO three feet in length, and the
entire case of instruments weighs
fully so pounds The teeth of every
mine mule are examined and treated,
if necessary, once or twice year.
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
BEFORE BELLS.
The Sounds Which Were Made in
Olden Times to Call the Egyp-
tians to Prayer.

Before the time Of bells various in
struments were used to summon con-
gregatiors to worship. Ia Egypt they
are said TO have followed q Jewish Gus
tom in using e trumpet. In some ori-
entail churches kind CT rattle gave
the signal. In monasteries monks
took it in turn TO 60 round The cells
calling the inmates to their devotions
by knocking with a hammer, which
was called the 'awGkening instru-
ment." Bells Of one kind or another
are. however, OF very great antiquity,
having been used in religious cer2-
monies by many CT the ancient nations
as a means Of honoring their gCds and
summoning them to the feast. For
example, the feast of Osiris and Isis
was always announced by bells. PliDy
says that bells were in use long be
fore his time, being called Tin tin
'nabula." The use of small bells (nolae)
in this country says William of Malmes-
bury. may be traced back as far as
the fifth century, and it is clear from
Bede that even those OF the larger kind
(campanae), such as sounded in tie
air and called a numerous congregation
to Divine service, were employed in
England as early as the year $50, being
that in which tie Abbot Hilda died.
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
CFFICE REQUIRED TACT.
The Indian Wanted a Letter and
Proposed to Have 1t and
He Got 1t.

The day was cold-very cold in fact
and the postmaster at Susquaha, a
small Canadian town, fell asleep over
the stove in his easy chair before he had
read half the postcards, says Pear
sons Weekly. The noisy brushing
aside of the reed curtain that served
for a door brought him back from
dreamland with a start. A strapping
six-foot Indian in all his glory of top
hat stood before him, calmly majestic.
want letter." impressively com
manded the dusky caller.
"Name, please?" urbanely inquired
the postmaster.
"Guahano my name. Want letter."
Sorry, Guahano, but there's nothing
here for you."
want letter."
'But there isn't any for you"
"Inoso got letter?'
"Well, somebody wrote him one,
then"
''Me chief. Inoso no chief"
Cant help that, old man. You see,
its"
Give Inoso letter! No give Guahano
letter! | fight! 1 kill! Want letter!"
Whats the matter here?" cried an
old British resident, breaking in at
this juncture.
Hes going to kill me because I
won't give him letter, when there's
none for him"
'Pshaw! Just tear off a piece of
wrapping paper, sprinkle some ink over
it and give it to him. You've got to use
some tact and judgment in officiating
this office, old chap"
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
KLEPTOMANIA A DISEASE.
Fashionable WCEaen Entertainers
Often Victims CT the Unfor-
tunate Mania.

Kleptomania is much more preva-
lent social crime than people are gener-
ally aware, says a New York exchange.
Thieying, it is called with the lower
classes, kleptomania is the veiled title
for the same Cffense with those of high
er rank, but, all the same, it is one and
the same thing, and it is not always the
servants who cause sticl1pins and other
attractive trifes to mysteriously disap-
pear from milady's dressing table or
bric-a-brac from the dressing
Every woman who entertains much
knows the inexplicable way in which
certain articles are lost, and, elthough
her guests are, of course, beyond sus-
picion she feels sure that it is not the
servants who are always in fault
Il simply cannot keep stickpins in
my cushion" said a social woman re-
Gently. MANY women who are simply
without conscience in regard to them
l have lost six this winter, and several
were really quite valuable"
That's not so bad as having a niece
CT silver taken before your very eyes
and not daring to remonstrate,' said
another. "One of my Dutch toys on my
silver table was actually taken by per
son we both know, and saw her do it
and did not dare to say word!''
Another woman who has recently
returned from Europe, and whose
hobby is collecting odd and valuable
rings, brought out her collection te
show some friends recently at small
tea she was giving, and found, after
the company had departed, that two
were missing, and yet there had not
been a servant in the room. The infer
enCe was unavoidable.
And yet women claim the same sense
of honor that characterizes the men,
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
A PATRIOTIC BABY.
He Was Born with "U S" and Stars on
His Breast After the Fight
at COaElO.

Near the quiet little town of Coamo,
in the province of Ponce, Porto Rico,
was born on Thanksgiving day a re-
markable boy baby. His mother, says
the New York Sun, was a half-breed
West Indian negress and his father a
full-blooded negro. The baby is almost
white. More remarkable still are the
markings on the child's breast. On the
right side there is a bloodred letter
u" while on the other side appears
the letter IS" in bush-purple tint.
About these letters are many white
scots like stars, two on either side of
the neck being five-pointed.
A visitor who saw the baby learned
that during the fight of Coamo last
July, when the Pennsylvania troops
were sent to the rear of the Spanish
pcsition, the mother was alarmed while
at work in the field near the road by
the approach Of the American troops.
She was frightened at their sudden ap-
pearance, and, crouching behind a
hedge, watched them pass.
The reglmental colors were sudden
ly planted against the hedge near her
"a the color bearer rested for a few
minutes. She had never seen a full
blooded white man before except the
sunburred and dark-hued Spaniards,
and the Pennsylvania men appeared as
a different race to her. The excitement
of the battle that followed added to
her first surprise, prostrating her for
several days. Nothing was thought of
the experience after she had fully re-
covered until the birth of her baby.
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
Too Mucb of a Contrast.

writer in recent number of the
Scotsman has been gathering up the
traditions, literary and social, connect
ed with the buildings displaced by the
alterations consequent on the recent
reconstruction of the North Bridge,
Edinburgh. Among other buildings
new being swept away is the shop in
which Adam Black, the founder of the
well-l<nown firm of publishers, A. d {.
Black, for many years carried on busi-
ness as a bookseller and stationer, and
where the reputation of the firm was
made; and in this connection the anus
ing story giving Mr.. Blacks reason for
refusing the offer Of knighthood made
to him in recognition of his great civic
services is recalled. ''Na, na,'' said he,
lit would never do to have the iaddles
comm into the shop and. sayin': SIT
Adam, I'll TAX a pennywoyth OF
nans!'"
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
AMERICAN GENERALS.
Two Who Are Splendid Types of the
Courageous American
Soldier.

We had not seen the fight of the cav
airy brigade. says Frederic Remington
in Harper's Monthly, because we were
not at the front. We would not let it
happen again. We slung our packs and
most industriously plodded up the Via
del Rey until we got to within hailing
distance of the picket posts. and he
said: 'Now, Frederic, we will stay
here. They will pull off no more fights
of which we are not party of the first
part" And stay we did. If Gen. Law
ton moved ahead, we went up and cult
waited Lawton; but if Gen. Chaffee got
ahead, we were his friends, and gath
cred at his mess fire. To be popular
with us it was necessary to have COM
mand of the advance.
But what satisfying soldiers Lawton
and Chaffee arei Both seasoned, pro-
fessional military types. Lawton, big
and long, forceful and with iron deter
mination. Chaffee, who never dis
mounts but for a little sleep during the
darkest hours of the night and whose
head might have been presented to him
by one of Williams Norman barons.
Such head! We used to sit around and
study that head. 1t does not belong to
the period; it is remote, when the race
was young and strong; and it has "war-
rior" sculptured in every line. 1t may
seem trivial to yau, but 1 must have
people "look their part" That so many
do not in this age is probably because
men are so complicated; but "war is
tion had to Won Moltke, with his sim
pie student face. He might have been
anything. Chaffee is soldier.
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
RICHES OF THE NORTHLAND
Newly Found Gre Fields in Sweden
Which Have Proved of
Great Value.

There may be future for Canada S
northland that we little dream of now.
The close of the century disclo.-s for
the first time in the worlds history a
practical purpose to develop the re-
| sources of the arctic circle. The dis
covery Of gold in the Klondike has
sent Il flood of immigrants into terri
tory which was supposed to be almost
uninhabitable.
And now scientists of Great Britain
are making careful investigation Of
enormous deposits of iron and ore some
distance from Stockholm, Sweden.
within the area included in the arctic
circle. These new ere fields are appar-
emily limitless in extent and of the
greatest possible value to the iron in
dustry Of Great Britain, which is rap
idly finding itself unable to compete
with the cheap products of American
ore. These Swedish deposits are said
{ 0 be among the most valuable ever dis
covered on either continent.
Following the discovery of gold in
Alaska. this may be taken as an in
dication that the mineral wealth Of
The arctic regions may ultimately lead
to the establishment of a large pOpu-
lation in those parts of the world
nearest the north pole, which have hith-
eEto been little explored because of
their inhospitable climate.
An ingenious philosopher has out
lined the theory that the precious met
ais of the world will be found in great
est abundance in the arctic regions, be-
cause when the world was a molten
mass revolving on its axis the tendency
Of all metals was naturally toward the
axis, or the poles. and that when the
plastic mass solidifed the gold and sill
yer were concentrated near the poles.
Should this theory be confirmed, the
finest deposits of precious metals will
be found the further we get to the
lorth and south, and arctic explorers
viii have something else to seek in
future besides glory. Nature evident
y intended to lcck up its treasures in
an inaccessible storehouse. But in
these days man aspires to be the mas
Ter of nature herself.-Montreal Her
o11
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
MATRIMoNY III AFRICA.
HIany OF the Native Traders Have
wives IA Every Town
They visit.

The sailor who had a wife in every
port he visited has his counterpart in
the native trader of West Africa who
has wife in every village with which
he trades. There is one Important diff
fererce-Jack's wives helped to spend
his money, whereas the traders wives
help 10 make it, Mrs. Kingsley tells us
Of the custom, and also gives the expla-
nation.
1t would be useless for the trader to
sit at home and wait for his customers
to come to him, because each village is
usually at feud with all the neighb5r-
ing villages and the inhabitants dare
not venture beyond their own district
on pain of being robbed at first and
eaten afterward. On the other hand,
it is obviously risky thing for black
trader TO travel from village to village
with an assortment of The very gocds
best calculated TO arouse the cGpidlty
of the guileless African. To lessen the
danger he resorts to frequent matT1-
mony. In every village he takes wife
from one of The most important fami-
lies and so secures faction who favor
him. The African wife IS not subject
TO jealousy. and so each Of the wives is
more than content-tohave q husband
who can keep her supplied with cloth
and beads to outshine her neighbors.
Her male relatives are proud of her con-
nection with so important man. and
hope besides TO be especially favored in
matters Of business. In return they
take his part in disputes and help him
to collect his debts and treat him gen.
orally as a respected member of the
| farnilr-
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
A BOOK OF FATE.
The Keeping of One often Helps
Make the Keeper Quite
Miserable.

A Young woman who revels in woe
has evolved, or at least revived, an ex-
cellent way of keeping herself in a
state of perpetual gloom, says a New
York exchange. She has a diary with
two pages for each day. On one page
she writes what she expects TO do,where
she proposes TO go and whom she hopes
to see during the day. On the opposite
page she writes what she has done,
where she goes and whom she has seen.
The pages, says the young woman,
never agree and are usually fat con-
tradicti0ns of each other. The silver
lining of the cloud of pessimism which
such & perverse state of affairs would
otherwise engender is that she has no.
ticed that when she predicts and ex-
poets gloomy day, filled with disa-
greeable duties CT monotCn JUS dull
ness, the opposite page is sure to glim-
mer with pleasant surprises = calls
from pleasant people, letters from ab-
sent friends, invitations of an especial
Iy tempting character and all sorts of
rniooked-for enjoyment. The writer
Of the diary says she finds it an excel
lent antidote for undue elation of spir-
its and a check TO despair. When she
feels down" she can turn TO her blue.
days and see how well they turned out,
and when she feels particularly exuber-
ant glance at the records of days
Joyously anticipated but niserably
spent has wonderfully SOLDERING eff
feet. The book keeps her in a state of
tranquil neutrality very restful for the
nerves. The absurd young woman has
had the old diary bound in pink and
purple, typifyiag joy and woe, and calls
it her book of fate.
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
MALAY CHARACTER
A misrepresentation of Long stand
Ing That Is without FOun-
datiOn.

In character the Malay is impas-
sive. He exhibits a reserve, diffidence
and even bashfulness, which is in some
degree attractive and leads the OBJ
server to think that the ferocious
blood-thirsty character imputed to the
race must be grossly exaggerated. He
is not demonstratiye. He is slow and
deliberate in speech. Children in the
company of men are silent, and are
generally quiet and obedient. When
alone the Malay neither talks nor sings.
He is cautious of giving offense. He
does not quarrel easily about money
matters. Practical joking is utterly re-
pugnant TO his nature. The Malays of
the higher class are exceedingly polite.
They are proud, and, if ill-treated. re-
vengeful; but under generous treat
ment are gentle, kind, humane, CRATE
ful, docile and faithful. They are duti-
full children and kind parents. They
treat their aged kinsmen with the
greatest kindness, and feel it duty to
relieve the wants of an INDECENT reia-
ton. Old men ard women are always
regarded with respect, says the En-
cyclopedia Of India Q858).
DR.. OXley described the character of
the nnsophisticated Malay as remark
able for its simplicity and honesty.
They have a regard for truth. and may
generally be depended upon in their
statements. What has so OFTEN been
written of their revengeful spirit, he
says, is much exaggerated; polite in the
extreme, according to their own ideas,
they never indulge in abuse one to-
ward the other
The Winslow mail., 1899-02-11
Collection of SkuIIs.

A missionary returning to Basel
from Patagonia brought with him col
lection of Patagonian skulls. The Gus
opened the chest, inspected the con-
tents and informed the owner that the
consignment must be classed as animal
bones, and taxed at so much the pound.
The missionary was indignant, and
persuaded the officials to reconsider
the question. When the way bill had
been revised it appeared in the follow
ing form: "Chest of native skulls.
Personal effects, already wcrn."