davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-28
AN AUTHOR
who Wrote Books of Travel. Yet Had
Never Ira veied.

who Wrote Books of Travel. Yet Had
Never Travelled.
New Orleans Times-Democrat: Il
used to know man" said New Or
leans bohemian, who made living
writing stories of travel for boys. He
had never been out of Missouri in his
life. but he was famous for the graphic
fidelity of his description OF foreign
lands. His reference library consisted
of exactly three works: An encyclope-
dia. a set of United States consular re-
ports. covering four or five years, and
a copy of woods Natural History"
II the scene of the story was to be laid,
for instance, in Borneo, he would be-
gin by reading the Borneo article IN
the encyclopedia; then he would turn
to the consular reports and look up all
the odd and interesting matter he could
fird touching that particular island,
aid finally he would get description
of it's animals from Woods. He wrote
at an old table on which was glued a
map of the world, covered with sheet
of glass. This was constantly before
his eyes, so he couldn't go astray on
geography, and, as | said before, his
descriptions were marvels of accuracy.
He could draw better and more re-
alistic pen picture of foreign countries
than travellers themselves. People
thought that he had been great globe
trotter and, crazy as it sounds, | be-
lieve he actually got to thinking so
himself The last time l saw him he
talked about Afghanistan in the easy
off-hand vein of a personal observer.
If | hadn't happened to, know that he
had been living in st. Louis all his life
1 would have sworn he had been
there"
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-28

An actor tells of tragic experience
he had recently while playing to an
audience in little town in southern
Texas. In one of the scenes of the
play, in which he acts the villain, he
hides himself in a barrel, that he may
listen to a conversation between the
hero and heroine, whose future we'll
being he is trying to destroy. In the
town hall there was little If any
property" material. A barrel would
do to conceal himself in, so a hired
hand" was sent out to find one. He
succeeded He slipped in the barrel
with ease. The man and the woman
appeared, and while they were in the
midst Of an animated conversation
there came howl from the barrel that
fairly shook the rafters. This was fol-
lowed by the eavesdropper crawling
out with his hands to his face, and
he in turn was followed by, swarm
of wasps. The wasps got among the
stage people and those in the audience,
which created SO much confusion that
the show was broken I'D.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-28
DICKENS EDEN"
American Village He Had In Mind II
Martin Chuzxlewit."

American village He HAD In Mind u
Martin Chuzzlewit."
The place Dickens had in mind when
no sens young Martin Chuzzlewit to
the highly adv drtised city of Eden,
and wt.ra l.ts chief character, as we'll
as hYlSAreds ri other men whose names
are n.t elaborated in story, met wits
suck Great disappointment. was a
scattered sss.lement situated on the
Mississippi RIVER, called Marion City, a
village which, If it had attained to the
Importance designed by those who
urged the project, would have been the
greatest city known to the ancient OF
modern world. Lots in Marion Cay
were disposed of at a premium, anu
many esteemed themselves very for
tunate if able to obtain ground there.
In the spring of 1886 the first event
occurred which was destined to event.
ually cause the total abandonment and
destruction of Marion City. The great
Mississippi, swelled by heavy rains and
melting snow, rose to an unusual
height, and completely flooded the
town. People became disguised with
the place and began to leave. Several
years later the village was almost de-
stroyed by great fire. A terrible
wind storm visited it and unroofe'
many houses and completely tore ot.,-
ers to pieces, and when, in addition to
this, the river again rose to great
height-higher, in fact, than ever be-
fore or since-people hurried from il
in precipitate haste, and today the site
looks exactly as the great novelist de.
picted it,
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-28

upward, their leaves high above water
and caught by the breeze, again reach
ing away in long streamers. They
are among the most striking and 'Deau-
tiful objects of the submarine world
When in shore the huge plants assume
a vertical position and become foat-
ing gardens in reality
In the bay of Avalon they present
so many attractions. that boats nave
been constructed especially TO hoat
over them and afford the occupants an
.opportunity to observe the wonders VI
the ocean world. These boats are pro-
yided with large plate glass windows
get into the bottom, so that the ohser-
ver can sit in the boat and gaze down
through the window and see intensihed
small animals. Some OF these Ooats
are propelled by oars. Others are dou
HE catamarans, which bear sort OF
honsc and hold abovt twenty peope'
and are propelled over the foatlng gar
dens by an engine. The glass as s"s-
gested magnifies objects, and IN hoat-
iny along one can almost imagine MN
self under the water and roaming al
will in these gardens Of the sea. with
the face bent down over the "indo"
series of marine wonders meet the
eye.
Darling through the tangled branches
are fishes of the rarest sort. radiant ID
color and graceful in movement. II
is the home of the gold perch, which
n,ayg together in glittering schools, o.
the emerald fish, which vies WIN ths
towel in perfection of colorlng; OF tht
long-spined Echinous, so curious u
look upon; of giant star fishes' as 'ars'
as the top of a barrel; OF sea cncufn
hers. that do not belle their name u
looks: of the sluggish abalones anu q
the Misunderstanding octopi, VIII
their horrible arms and still more Ter
rible eye. Mingling with these are Tn
ielly fishes of all sizes, shapes ana COZ
ors. fairy ships that captivate the ey
at day or night, for when darhhes
comes they light up the water VIII
tho;r ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and become tn
lanterns by which the big hsh chas
the little fellows. Nowhere else IN IN
world is such sight as this to b
seen.
IT, however, the traveller is in scare
90 snort. he will find in the bay of Ava
lon the finest fishing in many Ion
dav. Two things are especially sougf
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-28
BREAD 1900 YEARS STALE.
Il Was Baked In Pompeli Before the
Ernpti0ns.

Ernptions.
Sufferers from Indigestion are ad-
vised to eat stalls Bread the staler
the better, they ara told. There Is In
the museum at Naples some bread
which ought to be stale enough for any
body. 1t was baked one day In Au-
gust, 70 A. D., III one Of the curious
ovens still to be seen at Pompeli, says
the London Mail.
More than eighteen centuries, there
fore, have elapsed since 1t was drawn
"all hot" and ind,gestible from the
bread in the world. You may see 1t
in glass case on the upper floor OF
the museum. There are several lOaves
of it, one still bearing the impress Of
the bakers name.
In shape and size they resemble the
small cottage loaves of England, but
not in appearance. for they are as
black as charcoal, which, in fact they
closely resemble This was not their
| original color, but they have become
| carbonized, and If eaten would prob
+, ably remind one of charcoal biscuits.
When new they may have weighed
about couple of pounds each, and
were most likely raised with leaven, as
! is most of the bread in oriental coun-
tries at the present time.
The popular idea that Pompei was
destroyed by lava is fallacious one.
If lava stream had descended upon
the city the bread and everything else
| in the place would have been utterly
destroyed. POmpeii was really buried
under ashes and fine cinders called by
the Italians lapilli.
On that dreadful day in August
when the great eruption of Vesusvius
took place, showers of fine ashes fell
first upon the doomed city, then show
ers of lapilli, then more ashes. and
more lapilli, until Pompeii was covered
even twenty feet.
Other comestibles besides the bread
were preserved, and may now be seen
in the same room in the museum.
There are various kinds Of grain, fruit.
vegetables and even pieces of meat.
Most interesting is dish of walnuts.
some cracked ready for eating. Others
whole. Though carbonized, like all
the other eatables they have preserved
their characteristic wrinkles and lines.
There are figs, too, and pears, the
former rather shriveled, as one would
expect after all these years, the latter
certainly no longer Juicy" But per-
haps the most interesting relic in the
room is honeycomb, every cell of
which can be distinctly made out. 1t
is so well preserved that it is hard to
realize that the comb is no longer wax
nor the honey honey.
A piece of the comb seems to have
been cut out. and one can imagine
some young Pompeiian having helped
; himself to it and sitting down to eat,
when he had to jump up and fly for
his life. One cannot help wondering
what became of the piece-whether the
young fellow took it with him and ate
. It as he ran, or whether he left it on
his plate, intending to return for 1t
when the eruption was over.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-28

Sometimes advertisements are funny
enough to deserve gratuitous circula-
ton. The following are from England,
but they will be appreciated by read
ers in this country: Two menageries
arrived in border town, one of which
was under the management OF Signor
-. and the other under that Of his
wife, travelling respectively on their
own account. Here they DECIDED to
unite their forces, and the fact was
intimated ON the bill thus: Owing to
the arrival OF my wife, my collection
of ferocious wild animals Is considera-
bly augmented" This was the work Of
a foreigner. 1t is thought to have been
fairly outdone by native who hung
out the following from travelling ex-
hibition of waxwork: "The public is
invited to see Her Most Gracious Maj
esty, Queen Victoria, in waxwork, as
large as life. and other curiosities."
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-28

"Sunken Garden Of Avalon" Does
the name sound romantic and poetical?
Do visions of Avail, bathing over her
white feet in the tideless summer sea"
return to haunt the reader? They
should, even If they do not, for Sunken
Gardens of Avalon are the pleas
ure ground OF Neptune and the mer-
maids and the most beautiful life 10
which the sea has ever given birth.
Only a few miles distant form Los
Angeles, Southern California, is the
Island of Santa Cataline. 1t is world
in itself, with mountains, hills, and
valleys, rivers and creeks, inlets and
bays, and one of these is the Bay of
Avalon. Surrounded on three sides by
towering mountains, deep gorges and
stupendous rocks, Avalon nestles down
with her face to the setting sun. There
is never any winter there, and in sum-
mer the trade winds blow all day and
all night, so that it is never hot. II
is this same tropic spot that takes
the mind back to Await and the blue
Mediterranean.
For the waters here are as blue as
sapphire. Not the dirty blue that one
associates with the Atlantic ocean. but
the deep, crystalline and vivid blue of
the Pacific, which lends new color
to everything of nature. And in this
blue water lie the Sunken Gardens OF
Avalon, so beautiful that to describe
them seems almost as futile as to paint
the beauty of blush upon the maid
ems cheek.
Deep down below the surface of the
wave there is forest of tangled sea-
weed, variegated like bird of para
disc, brilliant in COLOR as a rainbow
swaying with the life and motion of
the sea. Long streams OF red, blue,
green and yellow float up from the bot
tom of the sea floor and stretch away
through the waters for $50 feet to min
gle with other streamers of different
shades and lines. The color scheme is
green, of rich and deep beauty, and
upon this is embroidered the vivid col
oring of the rainbow.
The effect is to give a perfect forest
of broad green leaves, rising upward
and presenting a sharp contrast to the
blue water in which they grow. Grace
fnl in appearance, they turn at every
whim of the tide; now floating directly
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-28
Manufacturing Fog.

Among the means of protecting fruit
trees against frost, practiced in Cali
fornia, is the production of fog by a
generator in the form of wagon, in
vented by Mr.. George F. Ditzler. The
wagon carries a sheet-iron tank, the
upper part of which is filled with wet
straw, or similar material, kept moist
by the automatic injection of water
from a cask, while near the bottom is
a crate upon which tar is burned, a
blast, operating by revolving fan,
serving to maintain the combustion.
All the heat is compelled to pass
through the wet straw before reaching
the air, and in consequence the wagon
is buried in a dense fog, and as it pass
es between the rows of low trees. it
envelopes them in a mist so thick that
the driver is frequently compelled to
lead the horses.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-28

To remove ink stains dilute oxalic
acid with water, apply with a camel's-
hair brush and dry with blotting paper.
To remove grease spots use pipe clay,
rovet-I with plotting paper and hot
iron. To polish old leather covers,
clean with flannel rag. rub with the
beaten yolk of an egg applied with a
sponge and pass hot iron over the
covers.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-28
M Authority for Her.

A dispute as to the words lunch
and luncheon recently arose between
Mr.. and Mrs. William Dean Howells'
Mr. Howells championed lunch as
the proper term, while his wife de-
Tended luncheon" At last. at MT
Howells' suggestion, they appealed TO
the Century dictionary to settle the
ouestion. "Well, l was right. after all.
he exclaimed in triumph. and he read
aloud the following extract quoted as
SHOWING correct usage. I'VE lunched
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-28

81 saw a statement in the paper that
a German manufacturer has sold an
aggregate of 100000 thermometers"
said Mr.. Manchester. HE must be
very rich" 1T depends upon when he
Sold" added Mr.. Birmingham. How
is that?" "In the winter thermometers
are down, while in summer they are
up."-Pittsburg Chronicle Telegraph.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-28

Jail. and warning him to stand near
the gates, as during the visit the gates
would remain open for two minutes
and any prisoner who could manage to
escape would be allowed to do so. 1t
is curious rumor If this sort OF
thing followed royal visit they would
be extremely pCpuar-among the
criminal classes.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-28
SUNKEN GARDENS OF AVALON.

fairly upon little dishes of rose-leayes
delicately preserved" From what
author is that sentence taken?" In
uuired Mrs. HOwells. why, declare,
from w. ID. Howells." "Pshaw" was
the retort; "heB NO authority"
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-28
PERSONALITIES.

Fridtjof Nansen's sharp eye for the
money side of his ventures has won
him the nickname of "Finanzen Nam
sen" in Norway. He has bought a
number of farms in the Numedal, near
the Tedemarken in the Christiana dis
trict. which he is making into larger
estate, and has purchased summer
hotel for his manor house.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-28

Joseph Chamberlain, the English
politician, is man who Deiieves IN
taking no exercise and acts up to MS
belief. He walks as little as possible,
and an occasional tour of his orchid
houses is big exertion for MIN, MS
usual peregrinations being merely
from room to room. Yet he is spare
man and apparently in excellent con-
dition. AS for his mind, that certain
" needs no Frightening. Other people
may want outdoor exercise to sharpen
their wits. but not so Mr.. Chamberlain.
He has been described as being mar
yelously cute" and though the descrip-
tion seems hardly the right one for
great man, still it certainly fits.
The story is told of Gen. William
Ludlow. now military governor OF Ha-
yana. that when he was stationed at
Detroit, some years ago, in charge OF
river and harbor work, he was visited
by a contractor who wanted to do some
government work. With his visiting
card, by way Of further introduction
the contractor put down ON the table
a crisp $50 bill. Ludlow made no sign
as to whether he had noticed this or
not; but saying they had better smoke
while talking drew forth two cigars,
and gave the contractor one or them'
Then, turning to the table and not
seeing a match, he took the $50 note,
twisted it into lighter, set 1t afiame
at the open crate fire, and lit his cigar
with it slowly and carefully. Then he
handed the burning stump of the bill
to the contractor.
Apropos of the duke of York is
curious story from an Indian source.
A prisoner in Bhagalpore central jail
received a letter from his father tell
ing him that the grandson OF the
queen-empress would shortly visit the
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-28

harbored an actor. Go and seek al
commodations elsewhere, for | cannot
and will not give you shelter, even for
a single night"
The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-04
RISING ALE RIGHT.

If any of our readers think that the
 rising generation in this region isn't
 rising according to Hoyle they should
 have been at. the Yale field Saturday,
 where the football elevens of the Day school and the Eaton school battled for
 the Boardman school cup. The boy
 battlers were as big as life and twice as natural They looked very much like "the Tigers" "the Indians" and the other celebrated children of a larger growth, and they acted just as near like them as they knew how to. They bucked the center, hit the line, tackled etc., etc., In great shape. Occasionally one would 'get 1t in the neck" have 'the stuffing kicked out of him." be "laid out cold' or have something else that was equally pleasant and improv- ing happen to him. Two doctors were present and helped the wounded. The small adllerents of the elevens rooted fervently, beauty smiled on the contest and the contestants, and Fame hovered over the gridiron with her trumpet at her mouth ready to blow for the vic- tors. It was great and a cheering sight for admirers of "the. strenuous life." It is encouraging to see the in- fluence of our large educational insti- tutions working down to the beginnings the Grammar schools already have their football representatives When football is adopted as one of the games of the kindergarten the chain will be complete and very strong.
The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-04

are many. they are not insurmount-
 able. An abundance of good earth can
 be supplied when the tree is planted,
 the use of lime in the ground can neu- ] tralize the subterranean gases, and i remedies through spraying are at hand l to prevent the accumulation of dust on l the leaves and the oily particles that l descend with the condensed exhausted steam, togther with the residue of acids and gases formed by the null titudinous ranges, heaters, and fur naces throughout the city. The iron tree-boX was declared Against as an enemy, as 1t fails to resist the wind
 and other conditions, and is struck by hubs of wagon-wheels, causing portions of the box to strike against and wound
 the tree. The portion that goes into
 the ground breaks vital roots, and rust that forms thereon is injurious. The wooden stake was also condemned, be- cause 1t soon decays and causes a fun gold growth that kills the tree roots and also because the use of supports is dangerous instead of beneficial to a trees proper growth. Wire cloth is as- serted to be the proper thing to use for tree guards. As to the varieties of trees for city planting, the Asiatic but tonball or Oriental plane is one of the best. The Norway. sugar, and silver naples are most beautiful trees, espe- cially the two former. but the silver maple is very desirable when planted under cement pavements and can be used in places less suitable for the Norway or sugar. Other trees favored are the American and European Iindens, balsam and tulip poplars, the former growing where no other tree will exist; the sweet gfm, the pin oak, and the willow-leaf oak, which are most sym metrical growers of the oak family, but are not so picturesque in the first few years of their life as some other varl- cities of trees.
The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-04

discovery in ore treatment made by Dr, J. A. Ogden of Philadelphia, who
 has. been experimenting at Deadwood for a year or more, is destined to work revolution in the method of extract ing the precious metals from pyritic or iron-carryins ore. In the small plant
 now In operation all the particles of iron are drawn out of the powdered ore
 by magnetic action, thus withdrawing the materials which are usually det- riment to the successful reduction or the ore and leaving nothing but sand and the gold or other values As many of the ores in the Black Hills contain 80 per cent of iron to the ton, the mag netic separation would concentrate five tons of raw ore into one ton of sand and precious metals. The iron being out of the ore, the sand and values can be run over the amalgamating plates and practically all of the gold will be caught by the quicksilver. This elimi- mating of the iron from the Homestake ore would mean the saving of several hundred thousand dollars worth of gold every year.
The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-04
BEA UTIFUL BRIDGES.

Greater New York has a Board of
 Art Commission. The Board of Public Improvements has approved the designs for two more bridges to be built across the East river and has sent the designs to Washington for approval by the
 United States engineers, as required by 1 law. The charter of Greater New York
 makes 1t the duty of the Art Commis- sion, when requested,' to pass upon 1 the artistic merits of designs for
 bridges. but 1t appears that in this case
 no such request has been made. So the New York Times says: Where it is a
 question of buildings on shore the repu- tation of the architect is, to a certain degree, a guarantee that nothing very
 outrageous will be done, because a cer- { tain part of an architects professional standing and reputation is founded
 upon the looks of the things he has
 built. It is not so with an engineer Least of all is it so with an American engineer. Some of the most unsightly creations in this country have been ef-
 fected by some of it's most eminent en-
 gineers The professional standing of an American engineer is no guarantee at all that the things he builds will not
 be loathsome to the view. It is not un- fair to describe him as professional Goth and vandal whose performances
 when they are not bridges in the Sou dan or crossings of canons in the re- mote West, ought to be most carefully scrutinized to see that they shall not be an artistic disgrace to the community which allows them to be erected. The European engineer is by no means so much of a Vandal. Such engineering structures as the Mirabeau bridge, or the Alexander III bridge, in Paris, are representative of the artistic as well as of the scientific attainments of the mu- nicipality and the nation. There is no reason why such structures as the | bridges across the East river being, as they are, on far larger scale and hence far more conspicuous, should not be re- garded in the same light here.
 The Times is entirely right. There is | also no reason why some attention | should not have been paid to the looks of the two bridges which New Haven has just built on Chapel street and Grand avenue They are hideous strue- lures for city that has an Art school, and they show that we badly need an Art commission.