davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11
One Touch of Nature

At womans luncheon the other
day the talk got around To human
ethics. and the singular identity of
feeling in all classes and conditions
that moved to mutual expression in
momnets Of appeal. One guest told
how. only the day before. she had
smiled. even laughed, outright with an
utter stranger over little street
comedy. Another spoke of an accident
she just missed seeing and of the
Wholesale way in which the paSScrs-
by, rich. well-tO-dO and humble. stop
ped and interchanged inquiries and ex-
carnations with each nh"r concerning
it. Another told how the most prime
and most strait-laced of spfister aunts
had once relaxed conventionality and
made common cause with her fellow
travellers on account of some quizZical
railway experience, says the New
York Sun.
Well" said the hostess, who is also
an artist. coming up Madison avenue
ut dusk one chill. rainy evening this
winter, saw an instance OF fellow
feeling that impressed me. 4 bclatcd
street organ. run by y Serdy Italian
a waltz. and against the area railing
of the nearest house Il Young man
leaned. somewhat inertly
Down the street came a messenger
hoy in uniform. with the top of a
formidable looking letter sticking from
breast pocket Az he got near the
young man his face kindled. he held
out his hands. took Il few dancing
steps and circled mp to him in time
with the music. The other took the
extended hands and the two did bar
or so in company, when the messenger
let go and pursued his way and the
young man returned to the fence
Neither had said word. They had
never seen each other before and
doubtless would not meet again. but
the music had acquainted them for the
moment. and the Italian woman play
ing there in the drizzle also understood
ami laughed merri!y as the boy scud-
ded on his way"
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11

exposed IN the moonlight. Ter MIN
nave the buckshot, Stewart" I whis-
pered, and the report of his gun ravar-
Derated through the wooded stones
ms was followed by a savage roar
from the bear and stepping clear ~
tlle smoke, | could sec Bruin. the blood
streaming from his head and the great
tongue lolling out staggering wildly
forward. His head has been too tough
stewart; I'll need to spoil him. after
an l said, regretfully, and | pulled
the trigger of my rife and sent a soft
point bullet right into the great yawn-
lug mouth, scarce dozen yards away.
Inc sharp crack of my rifle was fol-
low Cd by no smoke, and | threw the
leVer open and was ready for another
Snot; but it was unnecessary, the great
pear lay dead on the snow, fast stain
ing Its white surface with his blood
we went forward to examine him. and
found that two of Stewards pellets had
penetrated his eyes, while the rest had
nad little effect on his sloping fore
he'd. My bullet had entered his mouth
and large hole in the back of the
Skull showed where that deadly dunn
DUN had made its exit.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11
REMOVING ASEA SAFEGUARD
Removal of One Plimson Mark Was
Followed Ry Disaster.

AAONC1 Iey SlSuSttF.
Part Of the work that Samuel Plim-
soil did for the benefit of British shin
ping has been undOne by the British
Board OF Trade in the abolition OF the
Winter North Atlantic Work" Be-
iore PllmsolIs time vessels were sys-
tematlcally overloaded and sent to sea
10 take their chances of laundering in
the nrst gale they encountered. He
devoted his life to the creation of
system which should give a margin of
safety to seagoing ships. and finally
succeeded in having the "Plimsoll
mark" adopted by the British Govern
ment. The Boa; OF Trade, which has
supervision of such things, ordered that
1t be affixed TO all sea.going vessels
and the work of affixing it according
10 the principles laid down by Mr..
Filmsoll was Entrusted land still isl to
Lloyds.
The first part Of this mark" is
circle crossed by bar. and that bar
indicates the normal safe depth to
winch the vessel can be loaded down.
But as what may be safe loading in
some weathers is not safe in others a
second mark was placed at the right
or the first. This is an upright mark
having four horizontal bars running
out from the right of it and one from
the left. The bar running to the left
Is highest up and is called the Fair
weather mark" The highest bar TO
the right is the Indian summer mark"
the next lowest the Summer" the next
the Winter" and the lowest the Win
ter North Atlantic"
NOW, North Atlantic winter weather
is the worst ship can possibly en-
counter, and therefore it was ordered
tnat she should not be loaded down so
deeply for voyages in such weather as
she could be with safety in any other
weather. Plimsoll had not been long
dead when an agitation was begun for
a modification of his marks. The own
ers and shippers wanted to be allowed
20 take little more chance with the
winds and the waves. The margin Of
safety, they said, was too great. The
result was that the Board of Trade re-
duced the margin of safety required
In all vessels up to and including those
OF 800 feet in length and in vessels
above that length abolished the Win
ter North Atlantic mark" altogether.
This abolition of the old mark means
a considerable gain in freight-carrying
capacity. For example, a vessel of
from 1000 to 5000 tons register will
be able to carry $50 tons more cargo,
or 300 tons out and back, enabling her
to earn, say, another $1,000 for her
owners.
But it is significant fact that within
a short time after the abolition of the
Winter North Atlantic mark" nine
steamers were reported missing on the
North Atlantic. representing in the ag-
gregate 26.754 tons. The loss in value
OF ships and cargo amounts to $2.645,-
900.
This would seem to indicate that the
Board of Trade made a big mistake
when It undertook to interfere with
the Plimsoll mark. Losses at sea are
frequent enough when every care is
taken. To remove any of the safe
guards which have been thrown around
ocean travel is little less than Grim
inal.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11
DATE WAS UNLUCKY.
Men Who Constantly Give the Sur
geons Some Work.

The old proverh. While there's life
there's hope" gains good deal of
force from these brief sketches of men
who triumphantly survived almost
every form of accident:
a few months ago died Thomas
Rushton, of Walkden, Lancashire. Eng
land. Most of his life was spent in hos
pitfalls consequent on his many mishaps.
When five years old he fractured both
thighs. and before he had fairly recov-
cred he fell down stairs and sustained
a double fracture. Thencefurward his
life was one long series of misformnes.
for besides breaking both legs twenty
four times, he sustained many other in
juries and underwent countless opera
tions.
A short time ago the Lancet" mem
toned the case of man who had frac-
tured his limbs six times. and on each
occasion the accident occurred on the
same date-namely, August %. Before
he was Is he had met with five such
mlshaps. so he resolved for the future
always to remain at home on the fatal
10Th. 1t CHANGED, however. that twen-
ty-three years later, forgetting his reso-
luton, he went to work on the unlucky
day, and ON his return slipped down
and broke his leg.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11
She Wanted HairDins.

There is story told at the expense of
David b. Henderson that he calnot out
live. AS everybody knows, free seed
distribution has been his hobby for
many years. He fairly swamped the
farmers of his State with free seeds
from the time he first went to Con-
greSS.
One morning Mr.. Henderson received
postal in his mail written by an Iowa
fai mer's wife. 1t read:
Johns influence can't be got with
fifteen cents worth of free seeds, but
if you will send me box of hairpins I
will look after him. HIS WIFE"
Another postal card called for free
jackknives instead of free seeds. In
that case said the writer, "radish
seeds would not come up poor turnips.
and the poor Congressman would be
saved much ridicule."
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11

1t is not every one that understands
the ordinary system of banking and
the proper thing to do with a bank
check. Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe
was sorely puzzled over the huge check
her publishers paid her for her royal
ties in Uncle Toms Cabin" and her
husband could not tell her how to get
money on it. So, also, was it with
Tom Edison when he got his first
check. When he completed his model
OF the now famous ticker" he submit
ted it to the president of a telegraph
company, who asked him to leave it
for examination. Edison was out of
money, and his landlady had warned
him for the last time He had decided
to ask $1,000 for his invention, but
when the president at the next inter
view asked him his price his courage
ooZed away. and he faltered out that
he would like the company to make an
offer.
How would $4,000 suit your" said
the president.
What" exclaimed the young wiz
ard, all in money"
Certainly; you can have it now"
"All right"
A check was drawn and handed over
to Edison with these words That
Is check for $4,000. Go to the bank
around the corner and they will give
you the money"
At the bank he got into the long line
and worked up to the paying teller's
window. Then he pushed the check
over the sill. The teller saw that it
was not Endorsed, and pushed it back
with fitting remarks, which Edison did
not understand. he being even then
slightly deaf. He retired crestfallen,
and the thought dawned upon him that
he had been swindled. He had an
other scene with his landlady that
night, and visited the telegraph presi-
dent the next morning in sheer desper-
alton. He told of his experience at the
bank and begged for his money or his
model. He was properly identified at
the bank, Endorsed the check and got
his money in big bills.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11
NANNY GOT THE GIRLS
The Mother Sued But She Lost tho
Case

Lizzie Jefferson, an old negro man.
N.Y." of New Orleans, was recently
awarded the custody of Annie and
Lucy Galaw, little girls, and 10
years of age, respectively, her rival
claimant for the children being the
mother The suit, which resulted
in the negress obtaining permanent
custody of the children, was the first
of it's kind ever decided in Louisl-
ana, inasmuch as nanny" is as black
as the proverbial ace of spades, and
the children have not drop of negro
blood in their veins.
But in spite of the fact that they are
white, Lucy and Annie. who were
weeping bitterly during t : progress Of
the case, in fear of being given back
to their mother, rejoiced exceedingly
when Judge Aucoin pronounced judg-
ment in favor of the negress. Behind
the case there is an unusual story.
V. Galaw, the father Of the little girls,
died eight years ago. He was very
poor, and was not on the best of terms
with his wife. He knew Aunt Lizzie"
and just before death claimed him he
asked the old woman to see that his
children did not come to want. The
faithful negress gave him the promise,
and for the last seven years she has
worked night and day for her charges,
clothing them nicely, and, since they
have been old enough, sending them to
the public schools.
Aunt Lizzie" is a caterer in small
way and earns comfortable living.
She announced her intention, not long
ago, of sending the elder girl to Eu-
rope to complete her education, for the
child is very bright. The devotion Of
the negress to her babies" has long
been the talk of the neighborhood.
Not long ago the mother married
again, and demanded that Aunt Liz
Zie" give her and her husband rent
free, room in the house which was
sheltering her girls. The negress re-
fused, and the mother brought suit to
recover the children. All these facts
were brought out in the Court to-day.
After hearing the evidence Judge Au-
coin said he was satisfied that the
children~were better off with Aunt
Lizzie" and so he ruled, much to the
disgust of the mother.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11

THE beautiful and delicate shades
on the eggs of birds are not very fast,
especially if they belong to the lighter
class of col0rs," remarked an ornithol-
Ogist to the Washington Star. In
many instances some of the finest and
most characteristic tints OF eg IS dis
appear almost entirely on exposure to
light A common example is the beau
tiful pale blue of the starling's egg.
which, on exposure to sunlight for
few days, loses its clear blueness of
tone and becomes purpler. approach
ing more to a STATE tint. Such also is
the case with most of the greenish
blue eggs, like those Of many sea birds,
the common guillemets, for instance,
the beauty of which largely depends on
the clear freshness Of its blue tints. 1t
is, therefore, wise for egg collectors to
keep the glass cases containing all such
specimens carefully covered up when
not being inspected, otherwise much Of
the beauty of tint will be lost in course
of time"
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11


Iou say You are. Why should l choose
N, in preference to the reSt?'
"But YOU will marry some day"
"perhaps--it depends. If | do | shall
harry man not in the least like any
h Won. ANY man can he we'll dressed
hi good-looking and sufficiently rich.
fboSe three things are essential, but
lhoy are not all. The man | marry
INST be all that and something more.
want man who is man;
bo mere tailor's dummy, or
eyan reasoning machine. He must
have done something to testify his
manhood: show me something of the
.uength that is in him."
4 week later people turning out Of
BIZ park one swe,tcring afternoon were
Mortified to see handsome cab. the
lorse of which had evidently bolted,
nash furously past the corner and on
I'm Piccadilly. Following it with their
ives up the hill they saw it, after es-
|eapng by some extraordinary chance
|hnumerahlc collisions. ut length come
IA sudden and violent stop. while
Down the wind came round after round
81 hearty cheering.
What actually happened, according
b the evidence of bystanderS, was
bis The cab which contained a
young lady of great personal attrac-
lions. was heading straight for the big
hmpnost in the middle of the road.
collision with which would have meant
little short of humiliation. when
Gentleman. Immediately dressed from
b. to toe, sprang from the path and
Threw himself bodily onto the horses
bride.
For some wards he was dragged vio-
Ihntly along. half on the ground, half
lin the air but still retaining his grip
n the reinS. despite nasty bite in
b. arm from the Infatuated animal.
A moment more and in the very nick
hi time success crowned his efforts.
lhe horse was brought up painting
within foot or two of the lamppost,
while cheer after cleer broke out from
he gapih@ crowd
you have found Your opportunity"
b ran the letter the young man re-
leived next day. land you certainly
hade excellent use Of it. I shall be at
lOme all tomorrow afternoon if you
hTe to call"
As he laid the message down the
fOung man smiled. A child could have
fad between the lines of that letter.
nd this young man. in knowledge at
events, was no child.
If he had been he would never have
Bought of that little idea of bribing
cabman with f100 note to get up a
pOsus bolt or, having thought of it,
Pave carried out all the details Of the
fheme so successfully.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11
Colors of Birds Eggs.

When 5O0-pound shells charged with
Lyddite tumble over a bank with the
mules which are drawing them and the
men who are driving the mules, and
men and mules regularly survive, the
Lord may be said to be good to man
and beast. At Gibraltar new battery
was being constructed on the highest
part of the rock. The shells are placed
separately in small barrows drawn by
a mule, with a man holding the han
dies. The pathsare narrow, and in some
places not more than three feet wide,
with deep ruts in them. Many acct
dents have happened, and in some
cases mule. man and shell have fallen
over the side, but explosions seem not
to have resulted.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11
She ssSees Things,o

An odd case of hysteria is reported
from Abilene, Kan. A lady of the town
has been entertaining her niece,
young woman from another town, and
ever since the arrival Of the girl the
house has been made the target OF
peppers and burglars. In the evening
before the family had gone to bed there
would be crash of glass and then the
young woman would come flying in ter
ror to her aunt with the story that she
had seen the face Of a man at the win
dow and when he found he was OBJ
served he broke the window and ran.
After windows had been broken all
over the house officers were set to
watch for several nights. At last, one
officer, brighter than the rest, discover
ed that all the glass broken from
window fell outward, showing that 1t
must have been struck from the inside.
A watch was then placed over the girl
and she was soon caught in the act Of
breaking a window, after which she
ran screaming to her aunt, with the
sam" old story about man. Her
strange performance is accounted for
on the theory of hysterical condition
in which she ''sees things" and then
does things unconsciously.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11
uors. IsrsedInr in England

Some idea of the attention paid In
England to the breeding Of the useful
horse as distinguished from the ami
NAL used for racing may be gained
from the fact that at the recent London
show Of the Shire Horse Society the
total value Of the cash prizes for ex-
cellence in this breed alone aggregated
f1.227. There were seven classes for
stations, six for mares, and two for
geldings, and there were a number of
cups and special prizes as well There
are also breeders prizes, thirteen in
number, for stations and mares, and
two for geldings, with first prizes off10
In each. This Is certainly an incentive
for farmers to raise strong and sound
draught horses, and an example that
It would be well to follow In this cOun'
try
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11

The first railroad constructed In
China was a narrow-gauge line from
Shanghai to WoOsung, put down In
1876, and intended chiefly as an ocular
demonstration to the Chinese. At the
end of twelve months it was sold to
Chinese official, who straightway tore
I'D the rails and deported them to For
mosa. The single dummy engine OF
the line now reposes peacefully In the
mud of some Formosan harbor, to-
gether with the wreck of the junk In
which It was transported. During
these twelve months OF its existence
the Shanghai-W oosung railroad, with
its single dummy engine and its train
of small cars, which, by the way. were
OF the American pattern, carried 3Oo'-
600 passengers. The Chinese came
from far and wide to see and expert
mont with this new barbarian curios-
ity. and the people in the neighDor-
hood. soon finding it an institution OF
great practical utility, became regular
natrons. The predicted uprising OF the
neople against the construction OF the
road never materialized, and, as for
the graves along the route, every farm
er~would manufacture as many graves
as he could get dollars for PERMISSION
to traverse them.
Language Was Necessary.
His mother profoundly shocked
Johnny. Johnny, you will break my
heart That is the most dreadful Ian
guage I ever heard . little boy use.
Johnny-we're playing street cars,
r,omma I'm the motorman, and Ben's
Srivin' coal wagon and won't get out
a. NV way. -...
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11
nard on a watch.

at is bad practice to be continually
setting a watch by the stem-setter."
observed a watch repairer to report
er, for it has a tendency to wear out
the band that attaches the hands to
the pinion. The hands are frightened
to the pinion as firmly as they can be,
and every setting loOsens them some
what. There is class of persons who
set their watches every day rather
than give little attention to the mat
ter of regulating them. They find that
the watch gains or loses minute or
a few minutes in each twenty-four
hours, and instead Of curing this by
the regulator, which Is put in the
watch for that purpose and no other,
they force back or forward the hands
by the stem-setter or by key. If the
hand pinion wears out, which 1t fire.
uuently does, it is considerable of a job
to put in new one or place new HANDS
on it. and the work necessarily costs
something, for watch repairers have to
charge for their work. II a person
knows that a watch gains or loses
a certain amount in each day, 1t Is
better to calculate back or forward
than to be continually setting it. A
little study of the regulator will do the
work much better, without the risk OF
wearing out anything"
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11

.,,.
AheSe olots are actually blood blots. To
cure them lotions and outward aDDlt
cations are useless Tho r1ooJ ,,,,,st ~,
,,,,rad - ~, ny "io"" mus NC
cured, before the SKIN becomes clean.
That great medicine for the stomach
and blood, Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical
Discovery, is most effective i'll cleansing
the complexion and healing diseases
which detile and deface the skin. II
acts directly upon the stomach and the
organs of digestion and nutrition. 1t
gIaud. ,,,d a~,als g., - -,
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11
Why Birds Eggs Vary in Shape.

Birds eggs differ in shape as we'll
as they do in color" said a wellknown
ornithologist recently. For instance,
the eggs of the owl family are almost
spherical and are thus easily moved by
the parent bird in her desire to secure
an equal amount Of warmth to each
during the time of Matching. AS she
nests in hole, there is no fear what
ever OF any of her clutch rolling away
and being smashed. On the other
hand, the guillemot, which nests, or
rather lays her eggs, on fiat bare rocks
in high, exposed ATTITUDES, lays a sim
gle egg so elongated and curiously
shaped that when stirred by violent
gust of wind or the birds sudden flight
1t does not roll away, but simply spins
around on its axis like top. In the
case of plovers, snipes and other birds
that lay four large eggs, the eggs mar
row SO rapidly toward the smaller end
that four OF them In nest practically
form a square, thus enabling the bird
to cover them the more effectually. =
Washington Star.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11
BREADTH OF LIGHTNING
How Flash Makes a Case It's Ex-
act Size.

act Size.
Did you ever see the diameter Of a
pghtning flash measured?" asked
biologist. well, here is the case which
2nce enclosed a fash of lightning, hit
'fng 1t exactly, so that you can see Just
Pow big it was. This is called a full
.surite, or lightning hole and the ma
|Frlal 1t is made of is glass. Will tell
gou how it was manufactured, though
only took a fraction of second to
Furn it out.
When bolt of lightning strikes
|ged OF sand it plunges downward into
.ne sand for a distance less or greater,
transforming simultaneously into
PASS the silica in the material through
fhleh it passes. Thus, by its great heat,
4 forms glass tube of precisely its
Pwn size. Now and then such a tube
fhown as 'fulgurite' is found and dug
~ Fulgurites have been followed into
the sand by excavation for nearly thir-
Y feet. They vary in interior diameter
run the size of a quill to three inches
Fash.
But fulgurites are not alone pro-
tuced in sand;, they are found also In
sUhd rock, though very naturally or
Shsht depth, and frequently existing
pierely as thin, CLASSY coating on the
turiace. Such fulgurites occur in as
FINISHING abundance on the summit OF
tl.tie Ararat, in Armenia. The rock is
~ and so porous that blocks foot
png can be obtained and perforated in
y directions by little tubes filled with
Soyue green glass formed from the
fuSed rock. There is a small specimen
- the national museum which has the
ppearance of having been bored by
ie teredo, and the holes made by the
o on subsequently filled with glass.
some wonderful fulgurites were
Iunu by Humboldt on the high Nevada
loluca, in Mexico Masses of the
och We're covered with a thin layer OF
cen glass. Its peculiar simmer . in
~ sun led Humboldt to ascend the
ecipltous peak at the risk of his life. v