davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
Superstition and It. Effects.

wish that some one would write an adequate book upon superstition and it's effects. as distinguished from and op- posed to revealed religion and it's effects. This curse of the world. civil liZed or savage, deserves worthy chren- icler. Walking round the exhibits in the Agricultural hall. it was borne in to my mind that superstition in all its hideous phases is perhaps the most con- crete and tangible form in which the evil one manifests himself upon earth, and think that those who have mixed much with native races will not dis agree with me.
 Here is an instance of its working which has just come to my notice: Not long ago two Matabeles were tried at Bulawayo for the murder of their grand son, child of 3. Poison having failed. the boy was held beneath the water and drowned. The crime was admitted. but the defense raised was that the child had cut its top teeth first. Such chil- dren being unlucky and the cause of ill luck to others, it was customary to kill them, and a witch doctor, on being consulted, had ordered that this one should be put to deathl Well. only century or so since we did things al- most as bad in England. flag gard in Longman'
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
Badly Confused.

Lord Bramwell. says the biographer of that jurist. used to tell story illus trating the complete paralysis which may affect the human mind at trying moments.
 One day when he was on board Rhine steamboat he noticed lady, evil dently in great distress. trying by signs to explain to the officials some matter of importance. Fancying that she was a countrywoman of his own. he asked
 Do you speak English f''
 The poor lady had really lost her head, and she could only stammer out. ''Un peu'-that is. little.
 Then Lord Bramwell continued the conversation in French. but it became evident that the lady understood scarce ly word German and Italian gave equally bad results Finally she mutt tered audibly to herself: "How wish l were safe at home'
 ''But surely you do speak EnglishT exclaimed the baron.
 ''I can't speak anything else, she sobbed. That's what makes me so helpless among these foreigners
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
An Added Burden.

I was taking my dinner one day at mountain farnhouse on the headwaters of the Cumberland river, and the lady of the house, who had four children playing around the front of the estab- lishment, was inclined to repine at her hard luck in having so much work to do.
 ''I run this here whole farm. ' she said in a tone which indicated that she was ready to resign
 "How many acres have you?'' in quired.
 "A hundred and forty-20 in wheat. 60 in corn, 10 in medder an paster. an the balance scatterin an woods.
 "Got any stockf"
 "Ten head uv cattle, two cows, six hogs an work critters fer the place. '"
 "And you run the whole businessf
 "Indeed do-every hide an hair uv it" she sighed.
 Don't you hire some help2"
 ''In course, but 'tain't hired help that takes the load of en body" There was philosophy in that statement. and paused a minute.
 Haven't you got husband2' next asked with good deal of sympathy.
 "Yes," she responded very slowly, 'but I have to run him too Wash ington Star.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17

The Zulu clergyman who recently left New York for his African home had some surprises up his sleeve for his simple countrymen. 'T shall tell them," he said, that in the cold of America water becomes so hard that men can walk on it, and I shall con- found our medicine men with my alarm clock; shall take great pleasure in telling them of cities built upon cit les to twenty stories high, and of the machines which can talk" It was a pity that Mir. Dube could not take an electric cab with him.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
BANDIT QUEENS.
Pair of Desperate Women Who Led -
 Desperat- Gangs.


 Last week two. western bandit queens were captured and jailed. One was Emma Hendrickson, an 1S-year- 0ld Missouri girl, and the other was Mollie Mathes, of Kansas. These young women were desperados of the ype of the James and Younger broth ITS and they followed the methods of .he border fighters of the sixties all most exclusively. Each had her gang and each was perfectly qualified to cad the men under her. The women planned robberies, murders and raids, and then took the lead in carrying out the plans. The men who composed their bands were usually criminals ments had set good prices and they were desperate in the extreme. But they were never so fierce as to be the superiors to their female captains.
 Emma Hendrickson isn't pretty nor accomplished, as accomplishments go n society. She was born on a cattle ranch, has always lived on the plains and knows nothing of the refinement that characterizes the women of the cities. She is an expert shot with eli ther the gun or revolver, and when she levels a firearm at a man 1t means death. Two weeks ago she shot and killed Deputy Sheriff Booth, of Stod- dard County, Missouri. A year ago she and her father organized her gang in Franklin County, Missouri. She was the leader and her father her first lieu tenant. Twenty men of the most dar-
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
Lady Monntaineers

The achievement of Strasburg lady who has just accomplished a consider able mountain ascent at the age of seventy-five recalls the fact that the first of all the lady mountaineers OMad- emoiselle d'Augeville) continued climb ing almost equally late in life Her first ascent, that of Mont Blanc, was accomplished at the age of forty-four; her twenty-first, and last, that of the Oldenhorn, at the age of sixty-nine. Then, and not till then, she concluded that 'it is time to abandon the aIpen- stock before it abandons me-" Other records are those of Miss Brevort, who made first ascent of the Fusshorn at fifty-one; and of Miss Lucy Walker, who climbed the Petit Mont Blanc Ga little thing of 12,75O feeD at forty-nine Liverpool Mercury.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17

ing instincts composed her company and they went forth to make trouble, and they did 1t. They stole horses and cattle, footed stores, robbed travellers and rified banks and postoffices and in their last battle for escape killed three men and wounded several others of posse of citizens.
 Lately they became so reckless that the authorities had no difficulty in To- eating them. With a posse of twenty men the sheriff of StOddard County rode out from Bloomfield, the county seat, to the little village of Dexter A few miles away the band was locat- with his party took cover behind trees, separated and surrounded the place. While they were doing so the rifles of the bandits were cracking from almost every window in the house. They were answered by the men behind the trees and for two hours the battle was kept up. There were nine desperados in the house against the attacking par ty of twenty. The sheriffs were draw ing the fire of the bandits all they could and reserving their own as much as possible, the object being to exhaust the supply of ammunition in the house.
 Evidently the scheme of the attack ing party became apparent to the Hen- drickson woman, for she had her men cease firing and preparations were made for a rush from the house. When all was ready she placed herself at the head of her band and rushed out of the door, rifle In hand and gang at her 'heels.- She dropped on one knee, lev eled her rife and one of the attacking posse fell. All then began a rush of POO yards against the posses position. They fired as they ran. When half the distance was made old man Hendrick- son fell dead. Emma knelt beside his
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17

The woman who stood over a tramp with a potato masher and compelled him to work was wise In her day and generation. If she had had shotgun or a revolver he would not have feared her, knowing full well that the neigh bor's COW would be-in more danger. than he. If she had had a. stone he would have felt equally safe. But when she came after him with potato mashar Inc -rpaiizeds his danger. That was a weapon with which she was fa- miliar, and. being a wise hobo, he buckled right down to work and sawed two cords of wood.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17

In ante-bellum times Cotton was king. Later wheat was on the throne. Now it is corn. Fed into stock it feeds Europe with meats. Shipped in raw or manufactured condition it has be- come a great ration of the nations. In the following quotation from letter written by an Illinois farmer to a Chi cago newspaper a striking proof of its pre-eminence is afforded. He says truly that corn is the most important and extensive crop raised in this coun- try, our annual yield being 2,257, ,OOO,- 900 bushels, and he adds: "Few per sons can comprehend what an amount this is. If we had a railroad track around the globe, and 1t was occupied by one solid freight train, with an en.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17

There's nothing on earth so mySteri- ously funny as an advertisement. The prime, first and last, all-the-time ob- ject of an ad is to draw custom. It was not, and never will Ec, designed for any other purpose. So the merchant waits till the busy season comes. and his store is so full of customers that he can't get his hat off, and then he rushes off to the printer and goes in for adver- Using. When the dull season gets along and there is no buying, and he wants to sell his goods so bad he can not pay his rent he stops advertising. That is, some of them do; but Occa- siOnally level-headed merchant does more of it and scoops in the business, gages to pay the gas bills.
 There are times when you couldn't stop people from buying everything in the store if you planted a cannon be- hind the door, and that's the time wheE the ad is sent on its holy mission. II makes light work for advertising, for chalk sign on the sidewalk would do all that was needed, and have half holiday every day in the week But who wants to favor an ad? It is built to do hard work, and should be sent out on the dull days, when a customer has to be knocked down with hard facts, and kicked inSensible with bank rupt reductions, and dragged in with irresistible slaughter of prices, before he will spend a cent. That's the aim and end of advertising. and if you ever open a store don't try to get them to come when they are sticking out of the windows, but give them your ad right between the eyes in the dull season, and you will wax rich. and own q fast horse, and perhaps be able to smoke cigar once or twice a year.
 Write this down where you'll fall over it every day. The time to draw business is when you want business, and not when you have more business than you can attend tO.-EXchange.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
Using the Left Hand.

The superiority of Japanese drawing can probably be traced to the custom of that land to make the children practice painting and drawing without the use of any stick or supp rting device for the hand. They are taught to draw at the same time they are taught to write the letters of the alphabet. and they are taught to use both hands equally in the task.
 The natural preference given to the right arm has been explained physiolog ically by the construction of the veins and nerves that enter the arms, those of the right arm being more prominent. The reverse is the case in the few who are naturally left handed
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17

A country in which nearly all the people are readers is sure to produce a large crop of authors. During 1898 Is is said that about seven thousand books were published in the United States, including reprints; and New York City alone turns out every month more than a million copies of maga- zines. Then there are all the dailies and weeklies, whose aggregate issues in a year must reach at least three billions. These figures are bewilder- ing, and so is much of the reading mat ter.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17

There need be no apprehension that the action of a divorced husband in sending a $100,O00 wedding gift to his former wife on the eve of her second marriage will become an embarrassing precedent. The average ex-husband's contributions to the comfort of his di- vorced partner is usually in the form of an alimony check, and not infre- quently requires a court mandate to enforce its regularity. There is no op- ton but to conclude that this pioneer in matrimonial affairs will be accorded the isolation of a freak in Hymen's contemporary records.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
HUMOR OF THE WEEK
STORIES TOLD BY FUNNY MEN
 OF THE PRESS.
Odd, Curious and Laughable Phases If Human Nature Graphically For trayed by Eminent Word Artists or Dur Own Day-A Budget of Fun.

Mrs. Dunk Gin the midst of her read ing)-If that "embalmed beef" as they call it, was so dangerous that it killed the common soldiers that cit it, seems to me they'd have some of 'em testify in about it.
 Farmer Dunk-Wa-al, I s'pose the reason they don't is b'cuz them that was killed by the durned stuff ain't in position to testify, an them that wasn't killed by it don't know whether 1t would have killed em or not.-Judge.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17

There has been a good deal of criti- cism on the proposition made by Pro lessor G. Stanley Hall that schoolboys should be taught to fight. Doubtless much of this criticism is based on a misunderstanding of Professor Halls position, and more on lack of infOrma- tion concerning tl:e subject under dis cussion. If the results of school train ing in England may be taken as crite- rion, the teaching of boys to be ever ready to answer an infringement on their rights with a knOckdown blow has brought most excellent results. To teach a boy that 1t is ''wlcked to fight" and that underno circumstances should he engage in a fistic argument is to make a Miss Nancy" of the boy and to injure his future. There is a great deal of difference between bullying and asserting a fearless self-respect. Out in the world the boy, who has become a man, will be greatly influenced by his early training. He will have to com. bat with his fellow men for supremacy in business, profession, or politics, and if ne has been taught that 1t is wicked to fight he will get the worst of the struggle. Courage is a trait which comes to the boy through inheritance, but fearlessness and bravery can and ought to be cultivated. Most assuredly does the timid child need to be taught brsscry To teach the opposite is to ruin the prospects of the lad who has the handicap of inherited timidity to contend with. The youth in our public schools need not be instructed that truculence is a meritorious characteris- tic, but courage should be taught, and when a fight seems necessary it should not be condemned as wicked,
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
Russian Courtshin.

One of the national eccentricities in the Ukraim Russia Is that the maiden is the one that does all the courting When she falls in love with a man she goes to his house and tells him the state of her feelings. If he reciprocates all is we'll, and a formal marriage is duly arranged. If, however, he Is un- willing, she remains there hoping to coax him into better mind. The poor fellow cannot treat her with the least discourtesy or turn her out, for her friends would be sure to avenge the insult. His best chance, therefore, if he is really determined that he will not marry her, is to leave his home and stay away as long as she is in 1t. This is certainly a peculiar way of turning man out of house and home
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
Future Hardshins.

"What do you think of this wireless telegraphyY
 "I think it's one of the worst things that ever happened. It's an impOsi- ton, that's what it is. Pretty soon it'll be so that the man who goes into the woods nineteen miles from the nearest postofiice for the purpose of getting away from his business may receive a message at any moment calling him home to attend to something that, in case it had gone wrong in his absence, he could have blamed somebody else for"
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17

zine and caboose every quarter Of 6 mile, each car holding 600 bushels, we corn growers could load this train with one years crop and have some corn left over. We can supply Europe with a carload of corn every twenty sec onds, day and night. The annual yield of Indian corn in the United States alone is three times the value of all the gold produced in year in the entire world. Our export of corn brings more gold from Europe than any article that is sent there." Corn is king.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
Not Politics.

Father-Ah, my son, it pleases me to see that you are taking an interest in politics. Every good citizen should in terest himself in politics. That Is an imposing lot of figures you have there. What do they represent, the vote for the different candidates by wards?
 SOn-No, father, these are not pOliti- cal figures. They represent the aver ages made by the members of our base ball team in their practice games.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17

George Dewey's crisp refusal to be talked of in connection with the presi- dency Is perfectly characteristic. It Is his perfect understanding of what he wants and of what he can do that has made him the admirable naval officer that he is
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
His Preference.

Cholly-Charming widow, isn't shei They say she is to marry again.
 Algy-I wouldn't want to be a wid- oW'g second husband.
 Cholly-Well, I'd rather be widows second husband than her first husband doncherknow.-Puck
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
Al Necessary Precautiou.

"Yes," said little Archie, addressing the visitor, mamma will be down pretty soon. She said, when she seen you comin' that she s'posed she must slick up little, or you'd think she done her own work and hurry around and tell the neighbors about it."
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
Reserxes Hi. Oninion.

Citterly-Well, you are living in the country now; how do you like it?
 "I haven't had time to find out. I've only been there little over a week and I had to put in last Sunday catching up on the sleep I had lost on account of getting up so early and reaching home so late.'
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17

A Mississippi man has invented a ventilated umbrella. The thing now needed is the advent of transcendent crank who will take out patent on good practical form of ventilated picket fence
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
Human Weakness.

Didn't he once say he would never speak to you again?'
 Yes. But he saw had cold, and he couldn't resist the temptation to tell me of a sure cure."
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17

"So, you see, there are several things that would interest you, aud I'm sure you would enjoy yourself very much Now, can't I persuade you to come tc our next mothers meeting?"
 "We1, yer Leddyship, you're kind but I never was a society womanw- Punch.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
In Kansas.

Mrs. Honks-Whar's your husband, Mis- Travis? ain't seen him fur purt' nigh week now.
 Mrs. Travis-He went over into Paw nee County last Friday.
 Mrs. HOnks-How did he go-cyclone or hoSSback?
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
One Mans Opinion.

"Do you think it pays to send our sons to college? Do they obtain the practical experience in mOney-getting that is so necessary in these daysY'
 "Well, judging from the experience I have had with my son I should say they did. His practical experience in money-getting increases with every let ter that I receive from him."
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
SurDriaed-

"Pll tell you one thing; Kipling's re- cOvery is great surprise to me-"
 II don't see why 1t should be. He has strong constitution and, besides, Is a man of iron will"
 "Yes, but he had two doctors"
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17

Has man a moral right to end al existence that has become burdensOme and intolerable? It is an old ques- ton and New York police magistrate has finally decided it. In spite of the opinion of MT. IngersOll to the con- trary, civilization and social order have decreed that a man has no more right to take his own life than he has to take that of another. But this is the law of morals and of Christianity. It remained for a police magistrate of New York to give legal ruling on the question. A young man was brought before him charged with having at tempted to throw off his mortal burden by turning on the gas. After listening to the young mans story the learned jurist said: ''This is a sad case. l be- lieve in suicide, and 1 think every one has a right to shuttle off when he has nothing in life left for him. When get so that there is nothing left for me I think that is what shall dO." It is not easy to decide which was the sad der case, that of the police magistrate or the dejected young man who had grown weary of living. There is no justification for this unpunishable crime against society and humanity. Notwithstanding the decision of the police magistrate and the opinion of Mir. Ingersoll it Is generally agreed among vertebrates that are capable of ordinary mental perception that the man who commits suicide is a coward. No more pitiful exhibition of coward ice can be conceived than that of the man who is willing to take his life to escape the duties and responsibilities placed upon him by the divine act of creatio
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
Retributiou.

Mrs. Bronxborough-I heard to-day that our janitor is going to get married
 Mir. Bronxborough-It serves him right Now he will find out how 1t feels to be tyrannized.-New York Journal.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
Enc( .agement.

He-'Tis said that the secret of sue cess is cOnstancy of purpose.
 She-Yes, if you keep at it long enough you may even succeed, some day, in catching hold of that mustache you are trying to find.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17

A news item announcing that the skeleton of a man fourteen feet high has been found in Virginia, is corrob- orative of the theory that people lived long in old times.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
HOW He Hid I4

"Oh, yes, my husband has been un- der fire"
 "When and where?"
 Tt was last night. Burglars broke into the house next door and the man who lives there exchanged shots with them. When Jeremiah heard the rack ct he hid in the cellar. Wouldn't you eaD that being under fire?"
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
His HerOisu1.

Kate-What humbug you are, Fred. The idea of your posing as hero of the war when you never had anything to do with it.
 Fred-That's just it, Kate. I want ed to go to the seat of war awfully, but I conquered my desire and stayed at home. Wasn't that heroic, I'd like to know ?-Boston Transcript.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
How He Won Her

Hawksley-Here's pretty gir elOped with a dentisti
 Blunt-H'm! I suppose at the last minute he didn't pull the tooth.-Phila delphia North American.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
As to Az.
''Where do you think Aguinaldo will

wind up?"
 "Wind up! He won't wind up. His finish will occur when he's run down" l"
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
All Pleasure Lost.

Daughter-Here is Bigg, Stocke & Co.'s great store. Let's go in.
 Mother-No, no. No matter what we ask for, they will be sure to have 1t.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
One Feature.

'WOuld you like to see women smOkeF'
 T think it would be handy if fellow wanted a light. Philadelphia Nortt American.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
Very Thick.

They were talking about the New York fogs, and some one stated that his forry buat had stopped every few yards on its way to the city, the fog being so thick that it was impossible to see ahead.
 "Oh, that's nothingw said another man who was of the company. Com ing down from New DOrp the fog is sometimes so thick that the engineer has to get out and lead the engine"
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
Advertisements on Currency.

The latest development of the art of advertising has not appeared in Amer lea, as we might have expected, but in Sweden. The advertisers have ac- tually captured the backs of the Swed- ish national bank notes.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17

What with the perambulator trust and the coffin trust it may be truly said that combinations pursue us from the cradle to the grave.
The St. Johns herald., 1899-06-17
A Mere Compliment.

"Whats an empty title, pa"
 "An empty title is your mothers way of calling me the head of the house."