davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1899-02-04
Planting MistietOe.

From the London News
Considering that we have really an
enormous number of apple trees in this
country, it is curious that it should be
found necessary to go to Normandy for the
great crates of mistletoe. This parasitic
plant is not a good thing to encourage on
trees, for like all parasites, it is very in
furious, but if it is wanted it is not diff
cult to grow. By lifting the bark from the
wood of an apple tree branch and inserting
the seed where the birds cannot get at it,
it may be induced to grow, only, as the
male and female blossoms are produced as
separate plants, failure is very probable
unless a good many are planted OF course,
care must be taken to get berries that have
not been roasted by a fortnights exposure
to the heat of gas burners. 1t is a curious
fact by the way, that all Old writer's speak
of the ash and the oak the trees upon
which mistletoe grows in this country. Ii
is an exceedingly rare thing to find it in
either of these trees now. The fact prob
ably is that we have not so many oaks and
ashes as had when the Druds went
into the woods to cut it with their golden
blades and we have apple trees in numbers
and of kinds that were unknown in these
islands in early times.
Evening star., 1899-02-04
A Siamese Swell.

From the Centleman's Magazine.
One of my neighbors was an interesting
creature, and evidently well pleased with
himself. He wore long finger nails, and
seeing me look at him spread out his left
hand, evidently for my admiration. On the
fourth finger he wore a large Chinese ring,
and all the nails were long, particularly
those of the fourth and fifth fingers, which
had grown to a length of at least an inch.
They looked like huge claws, especially
when he tried to pick up anything from the
seat. The owners of such nails regard
them with extreme satisfaction, and culti-
vate them so carefully that they sometimes
attain a prodigious length
They are largely affected by Siamese and
Chinese clerks who fancy themselves ex-
Quistes. 1t is supposed to indicate the fact
that their owners do no manual work. Gu
riously enough in SO far off a place as
Mexico the same idea exists; but there it
is generally confined to the little finger.
do not know what else he had to be proud
about. unless it was his right leg, which
was elabOrately tattooed above the knee.
He was dressed in only panung. and to a
cord around his waist was attached a wal
let for his tobacco, betelnut, &c. He also
carried some food wrapped in piece of
green plantain leaf.
Evening star., 1899-02-04
A SACRED TREE.
Strange story of n Thorn That Bios
SONS Christmas Day.

From the London Mail
The sacred Glastonbury thorn having as
has been its custom for numberless Christ
masses, duly blossomed at Yuletide, has
now returned to its normal appearance,
which in no way differs from that of an
ordinary thorn tree
Six miles northwest of the quiet little
episcopal city of Wells rises a lofty peak
called by the Celtic natives of West Brit
ain a tor" 1t is conspicuous for miles
around. with the tower of an ancient
chapel on its top, and with a neat little
country town and the ruins of a noble old
abbey.
Sufficient evidence remains to show that
the abbey was of vast proportions, occupy
ing In all sixty acres of ground. 1t was
founded by Saxon kings. and further en-
doWed by the NOrmans and Plantagenets.
The grand Chancel and its fine chaDels
were built in the finest style of later Nor
man architecture, but now little more than
crumbing walls and pillars testify to the
once great beauty of the abbey.
The porch of St Joseph's Chapel, how
ever. is in a fair state of preservation.
outside there grows the famous Glaston-
bury thorn that blossoms but for one day
in the year, and that Christmas day This
tree has a strange history.
During his long journey from Palestine
St Joseph of Arimathea visited the dis
ITict, ne ana MS twelve companions having
been sent by St. Philip the apostle to con-
vert the then heather nation of Britain and
TO cast out the Druid superstition.
ST. Joseph and his followers found their
way to Glastonbury, then known as
y hiswytryn.' They were all a-weary,
and arriving on the summit of the hill
Joseph, who was using a hawthorn stick
as a walking staff. stuck it into the ground
and it burst into bloom. The present GIas-
tonhury thorn is an offshoot by continued
grating of st. Joseph of Armathea's walk
ing staff.
Evening star., 1899-02-04

board during the struggle for existence and
amid the paroXysms of hunger and despair
The Indians have tradition that many
years ago, long before the whites settled
among them, a vessel laden with wax and
apparently a Japanese junk, was wrecked
on their coast. To this day pieces of the
wax are tossed up, and at one time the
Hudson Bay Company used to trade for it
from the natives.
Very recently a similar case was recorded
in the newspapers; but the above win suf
flee to show that there are no obstacles to
prevent America having been originally peo-
pied from the Asiatic coast. The number of
tribes on the American continent is very
remarkable, and the languages are equally
multifarious, though all of the general ''ag
glutinative" construction. The famous
Thomas Jefferson, President of the United
States, was in the habit of pointing to this
diversity of languages as a proof of the
antiquity of the American aboriginal race.
1t points, however. to nothing more than
that the native races of America have been
always at war with each other and confined
therefore to isolated communities. holding
little mutual intercourse with each other.
and thus the languages have got further
and further separated from each other. In
giving a general sketch of the American
races we may throw them into great groups
of more or less geographical character.
the habits and in most cases the origin of
the tribes being similar in these regions.
Evening star., 1899-02-04
Longevity in Ships.


The average life of a wooden ship was
said to be fifteen years. This probably was
assumed as basis for insurance purposes,
yet a large percentage of wooden ships
ttourished much longer than fifteen years
] could quote many instances of wooden
ships which kept afloat an incredible num-
Der of years, and eighty out of every hun
dred were coasters. Two extra ordinary in
stances of longevity in ships may be worth
quoting here. In February, 1927 the Betsy
Gains of Shields sailed from that port with
a cargo to Hamburg. She met with a
heavy gale from edst-SoUtheaSt, and bore
up for Shields harbOT. The sea was rag
ing on Tynemouth bar; the ship struck was
driven upon the rocks and lost. What ship
was this that was lost in the year 1927?
VIII IT be believed that she was the yacht
that in 1858 brought over to England Will
liam. Prince of Orange, and that she was
then called the Princess Mary? This, at
all events, was claimed for her. How old
was she when she carried the prince? For
a number of years afterward she was one
of Queen Anne's royal yachts, and was
reckOned a very fast sailing vessel.
The other instance is that of a vessel
called The Cosnac Packet, which, as she
was afloat in 1856 may still be trading and
that year when she sailed from Seaham
harbor coal laden for Harwich in COM
mand of Captain Button, and she was then
ninety-four years old, having been built at
BurlesdOn, HantS in 1892 She used 10
carry brandy TO France, and so they named
her above. She was almost a box in
shape.
Evening star., 1899-02-04
A Wonderful Case.

From the Chicago Chronicle
Nelson Mackold of waukesha has lived
since May, 1897, with two bullets in his
brain, either one of which. so the doctors
say would have killed anybody else.
On that date a horrible crime was COM
mitted on lonely farm near Waukesha.
A man named Pouch killed Farmer Alex
ander Harris, put two bullets into Mack
old's head and left him for dead He then
went to the house and, after Mrs Harris
mad given him breakfast, he shot her and
her daughter.
The hired man revived sufficiently IN
crawl TO a reighbor's house and give the
alarm. The whole country was aroused
and some days after the murderer was
found in pond, where he had shot and
then drowned himself.
The grasp of Mackold upon life was mar
velous. All the doctors said he would die
but instead he got we'll and by the end of
the summer was able to work about the
farm. In the interest of science Mackold
was brought to this city and an X-ray pho-
tograph taken of his brain. 1t shows that
one bullet is lodged ar the base of the
brain, right over the spinal column and the
other is in the roof of the orbit Physicians
say that. according to every physical law,
he must of necessity die from the effects of
the bullets in their present position. Yet
the man lives. is strong and well, feels no
i'll effects from the bullets and is sane as
he ever was
Evening star., 1899-02-04
WORLDS WORST PRISONS.
ihe punishment One Man Received
for Presenting n Bill.


for Presenting n Bill.
From Pearson's Weekly.
The prison system and treatment of pris-
oners is worse in Morocco than in any
other country in the world
Men are arrested-often merely TO sDite
some one whom they have been so un-
fortunate as to offend, and who possesses
some poWer-and flung into prison. where
they would be left to starve did not their
relatives or friends bring them food for
10 arrangements whatever are made by
the authorities for the feeding of prison.
ers. All that is provided is a prison, gem
orally crowded with prisoners dying of the
most loathS0me and infectious diseases
dark ana unventila ted; and custodians who
are quite as brutal and savage as the prison
system itself
Prisoners are cast into these hotbeds of
disease, generally without the most farcicai
pretense of trial, to die and rot if their
crimes are light, or their enemies impotent.
Otherwise, they are probably tortured in
some way or another. Starving merely is
too good for them in the opinion of the
authorities.
Not long ago a merchant who had dared
to claim payment for goods supplied to
friend of one of the court officials was
cast into prison without trial, and after
suffering tormentS in the midst of a mass
of diseased humanity f. months was
taken out, showed into barrel fitted with
long spikes, and rolled down high steep
hill. The barrel eventually plunged into
the sea with its torn and mansled cargo
Imprisonment. torture and death for dar-
ing to present his bill
The prisons in Turkey are almost as bad
as those in Morocco. only the Armenian af-
fairs have so aroused the European repre-
sentattyes out there that the Sublime Porte
the Porte of Sublime Deviltry-cannot
treat its prisoners quite as it used to do
Even now, however, most of the men and
women in Turkish prisons would starve
to death were it not for the food brought
to them by merciful and daring friends
daring because more than one has himself
been cast into the prison for bringing food
to another.
Disease is the predominant feature of
Turkish prisons, and the most horrible dis
eases known to modern science. Should a
prisoner be fortunate enough to regain his
freedom-an improbable contingency-it is
hardly possible that he can escape death
for the lodging of disease in a Turkish
prison is by no means easy task
Evening star., 1899-02-04
Poem.

Read by Archibald Hopkins at the dinner given
Gen Wood, January 13.
True Anglo-Saxon through and through
Bone, blood and muscle, nerve and Will
The brain 10 plan, the pluck to do
The steady hand, the practiced skill
The inborn genius for command,
That weighs and once for all decides:
Their takes against the world its stand
Or straight to death glory rides
The sense of duty first of all
Warm heart that seeks all others good
And wins and sways the great and small:
Just such man is Leonard Wood
The Red Mans craft he overcame,
His stars he San Juan's height
And on our country's scroll Of fame
His name is fixed forever bright.
And now he governs hearts and lives
With tact and frmness rare to see;
And stricken Cuba hope revives
With fOretaste of the days to be-
With such he to rule and guide
Where'cr our flag may be unflrled
Wen shrink from no emprse untried
And colonize the whole round world
We've drunk to Dewey, Sanger. SchIey
Greene, Evans, too, good friends sbou1d.
Tonight we drain glasses dry
with three times three for General Wood
Evening star., 1899-02-04
The GRAY Felt Hat,
Tudor jerks IN the Criterion.

ldor jerks In the Criterion
What queer thing is our soldier hatl
who ever dreamed of tile like that
Io deck the head of a soldier boy
Inc battles hero and artists joy?
Where are the feathers, buttons and braid
wherein our forces were once arrayed-
Ihe gay KEPT, the bearskin cap,
Inc fancy helmet and jingling strap?
Gone where the woodbine used TO twine-
tone like the trout that broke the line
Like the Spanish feets-or last years SHOWS
Gone where all the rubbish goest
For the Yankee today is a practical man,
no goes TO war on practical plan
The militant Yankees plain felt hat
LOOKS ODD; but 1t doesn't roof hat.
Do You remember in sixty-one,
Nm men 1ol dEe , tate unpleasantness was begun
a target excursion parade
Big zouave breeches giIt-tasseled boots
Siik-frogged Jackets rainbow suits,
But these lads saw fghtng-bled and died,
AND learned to put fuss and feathers aside.
There's something rather businessike
In that dull gray sloueh without a spike;
II warm against the winters SHOWS;
IL Keeps the sun from eyes and nose;
And, wet dry. it is deviI-may-car
With very taking bulldog air.
nou may POKE 1t up, or fiatten 1t out,
hol IL. stretch 1t, or throw ii about;
In fact. it's rough -and-ready hat
Ihe Yankee himself for the matter of that,
IS much the same, when it comes 10 style,
AS his simple, useful, capable tile
he marches and fights in ''git-thar' way,
ana where he lights he's safe to stay.
Rihe shooting's his national game
On land or sea it's all the same.
And German helmet or Russian cap.
Or French contraptton with fancy strap,
OF any other foreign fakir
VIII find, IL it against this Quaker,
That the slouch hats built to stand a fight,
Goes nicely back of rifie-sght,
And is just the size for Freedoms brat
The Yankee lad In his gray felt hat!
Evening star., 1899-02-04
Last of the Quintains.

From the Westminster Gazette.
A curious clause, taking one right back
to the middle ages appears in the title
deeds of house which is now to be sold
in the village of Offham, in Kent. Sched-
uled as part of the ''messuages, lands,
hereditaments and premises is the village
quintain, which still swings on its stout
oaken post before the house, and the pur-
chaser must covenant to keep the relic OF
a bygone pastime in good repair. One end
of the swinging crossbar of this quintain
tSaid to be the only surviving specimen IN
England) is shaped like a square target.
pierced with number of holes, into which
the point of the players lance would enter.
When struck it would swing round, and
unless the player were n.mhle the sand bag
hung on the other end of the crosshar
would swing round and unseat him. Here
is a chance seldom met with in these mod
eru days Of getting back into mediaeval-.
ism. The owner has only to don the contem-
porary costume. tilt at the quintain, and
imagine that the clock has been put back
q few centuries
Evening star., 1899-02-04
ENGLISH IN INDIA.
What Judges I'm the Lower Courts
Are Obliged to Undergo.
From London Sketch.


A Calcutta correspondent sends a speci-
men of 'Baboo English This speech
was actually made before a civilian magis-
trate at Barfsal a short time ago:
My learned friend with mere wind from a
teapot thinks TO browbeat me from my
legs. But this is mere gorilla warfare
stand under the shoes of my client and
only seek to place my bone of contention
clearly in your honor's eye.
My learned friend vainly runs amuck
upon the sheet-anchors of my case. Your
honor will be pleased enough to observe
that my client is widow-a poor chan
with one post-mortem son.
A widow of this country your honor will
be pleased enough TO observe is not like a
widow of your honors country. A widow
of this country is not able to eat more than
one meal day, or to wear clean clothes
or to look after a man. So my poor client
has not such physic or mind as to be able
to assault the lusty complainant. Yet she
has been deprived of some of her more
valuable leather-the leather of her nose
My learned friend has thrown only an
argument ad honuy upon my teeth that my
clients witnesses are all her own relations.
But they are not near relations. Their re-
lattonship IS only homeopathic. So the
misty arguments of my learned friend will
not hold water. AT least, they will not hold
good water. Then my learned friend has
said that there is on the side of his client
a respectable witness-namely. a pleader-
and, since this witness is independent. so
he should be believed. But your honor.
with your honor's vast experience. is pleas
ed enough TO observe that truthfulness is
not so plentiful as blackberries in this coun-
try.
And l am sorry to say, though this wit
ness is man of my own feathers. that
there are in my profession black sheen of
every complexion. and some of them do not
always speak gospel truth
Until the witness explains what has he
come of my clients nose-leather. he cannot
be believed. He cannot be allowed to raise
castle in the air by beating upon a hush
so, trusting in that administration of Brit
ish justice on which the sun never sits I
close my case @'
Evening star., 1899-02-04
ORIGIN OF AMERICANS.
Contention That Japan Was the Orig
inal Home of the Race.
ENrnr,, of 4Io

Probably Japan, the Kuriles and the re-
gions thereabouts must be looked upon as
the original home of the American race
or at least the greater portion of 1t. In
1884 japanese junk was wrecked at
Queen-haith, to the south of Cape Flat
terry. and the three survivors were sent back
to Japan. They had been driven off the
Island of Yeso, and, losing their reckoning.
had drifted about for several months, dur
ing which time the crew. which had been
originally forty in number, had dwindled
down by hardship and hunger to three.
Again, on the 21st of April 1S47, in Iati-
tude 30 degrees north, longitude 15s de-
grees east, japanese junk was fallen in
with which had lost her rudder and had
been driven to sea in a gale in November
1916. She had on board a crew of nine men
and about 1000 pounds of beeswax and
other cargo. On another occasion an Amer
lean whaler in May, 1S47, fell in with a
large junk of 200 tons burden, dismantIed
with her rudder gone and otherwise injured
in typhoon which had occurred seven
months previously. The crew, originally
consisting of seventeen persons, was re-
duced to fourteen, who were in a most pitt
able condition from famine and all SCARED
from dirk and knife wounds for fearful
scenes seemed to have been enacted on
Evening star., 1899-02-04
Love at n Distance,

rom St Paul's.
Upon my bed room mantel shelf,
With many knck knacks laden
Two figures stand at either end
china man and maiden.
So lovingly they sadly glance,
As If TO say, Come nearer
While each replies. Alas, | canti
But, love, you re all the dearer."
She holds a crook in one plump hand,
Her hair is bright and golden,
Her dress Is Powered and furbclOwed
In dainty fashion Olden.
He wears tnree-cocked beaver hat
And coat of satin yellow
With dark brown eyes and powdered cue
He is handsome fellow.
gun Is slung across his back.
But yop need never fear it.
A heart has long been his sole aim
All, if he were but near it,
And still hey smile and sadly glance,
As If to say, Come nearer
While each replies, Alas. | can't,
But, love, you're all the dearer!''
Evening star., 1899-02-04
The Washington Monument.

On, On, pure, white shaft uIsprin@ing to the light
" " I'm one grand leap of eavenwad-reaching might
taInliy against the blue foreYermorp
LIT thou the changeess type OF souls that soar
Above the common dust of sordid strife
into the radiant ether of life
Shephered by the yastneSs of eternity,
\ heros quckening spirit Hfteth thee
nto the skies that claim thee for their own.
In those vast fields OF light, sublime alone
High commune holdcst thou with the vouue day
With sunsets glowing heart ere twilight gray
Hath stlled its thrObbng fires. and with dim night
That folds thee softly in the silver light
OF many dreaming moon. In majesty
Serene. like the great name eiShrinpd in thee
Thou dost defy the all-destroying years.
Smlte with thy still rehuke our craven fearsI
Point us forever to the highest height
And in our Nations peril l-hOurs shine white
With thy mute witness to the undying power
OF the high that lives above the hourI
Julia LarDed in Scribner's Magazine
Evening star., 1899-02-04
RAN DOM VERSE.
A Modern knight,


Written for the Evening Star by N Moore.
If we had lived, my dearest love,
Four hundred years ago, or more
would have knelt on bended kree
And sworn TO do for thee devoir.
Your broidered sleeve
Should deck my casque
To spread your fame
Would be my task.
Or had we lived when good King George
Sat on the throne across the sea-
You powdered, and with patches decked,
l ruffied as your swain should be,
Would tread with you -
The miEnet
Or pink my rival
Better yet!
But now I cannot fight the foe.
I may not make my rival bleed
Yet love deep as knight or beau,
And for some service. love. l plead.
Nouchsafe one glance
OF love to me.
Your humble caddie
VIII / be.
Evening star., 1899-02-04
If | had been a rose
The Snow.

VIII I. Hale in the Nashville American.
muddy inland sea- the sageSrass stirs
In undulatfons to the wind: the rill
Means IN the agony of winters chill;
Within the woods hide ghostly whispcrers-
Stlned when the startled quails with noisy whirs
Seek safety in copse with neigbings shrill
A stray horse wanders on the darkling hill,
browsing among the mullen and dead burs.
When twilight dieth softly fakes descend,
As thlstled0Wn an eaGre-driyen bark,
An Owls hulk sweeps across the gray, to blend
With the black line of trees: and then the dark
Night passes pass the years, and 10,
Inc badge of age On Natures head-the snow.
Evening star., 1899-02-04
Old Books Are Best.

Old books are best! With what delight
Does 'Faithorne fect" greet our sight
on frontispiece or title page
OF that old time. when On the stage
Sweet Nell set ''RGwley's'' heart alight!
And you. o Friend 10 whom I write.
Must not deny, e en- though you might
Through fear of modern pirates rage.
Old books are best.
What though the prints he not so bright,
The paper dark. the binding slight
Our author. he he dull or sage
Returning from distant age
SO lives again. We say Of right:
Old books are best.
BEVERLY CHEW,
Evening star., 1899-02-04
Worlds Largest Coal Field.


The largest coal field in the world is in
the Chinese province of Human. Baron Won
Rlchtkofen, who investigated the mineral
wealth of China, reported that the whole of
the southeastern part of the province of
Human may be called one great coal field,
covering in all some Il, 100 square miles.
over large areas of this the coal measures
are visible on the surface, and good pro-
proportion of the coal is of excellent quail
NY Hunan also produces iron, copper, sill
Yer, quicksilver, tin. lead and gold. As to th,,
latter mineral. there are sixty-four Iocali-
ties where gold is TO be found, and in some
the mines are indisputably rich. The same
minerals are found in Shansi which in pro-
portion to its area has probably the largest
and most easily workable coal field of any
region in the globe. At the present rate of
consumption the world could be supplied
with coal from Shansi for 10000 years
Evening star., 1899-02-04

Ostrich feathers IN their natural state
are white or gray, but ere passing into the
hands of the miiliEer for use as ornaments
they are often dyed in various colors, and
sometimes, IL the curl is not as decided as
1t should be. the shape is improved by me-
chanical treatment An ostrich will fur
nish, il is said. $40 to $50 worth of feathers
every year of different qualities The
prices vary from 81 to 500 per pound.