davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
NATURES SCAVENGERS.
In Systematic Way She Keeps Her
Forces Ia Readiness Where
They Are Needed.

Nature, not being a European low-
er, keeps her forces in readiness where
they are needed, in consequnce Of which
the scavengers muster in streng: h in
hot countries, says the Saturday Re
view. VultureS wander but rarely to
these parts, and such sharks as occur
are, with few exceptions, but minnows
of their race. YetWe have. even in these
islands humber purifiers at work, tad
poles and burying beetles, and others
suitable TO the comparatively easy work
that falls to them. One of these days.
when natural history is taught in n
rational manner in our schools, when
the rising generations learn to appre-
cate the living world around instead
of banging pianos and splashing pig
ments we shall have Il recantatiOn OF
the modern geological faith and bet
ter appreciation of the beasts and birds.
We shall find nothing to shudder at
IN the meal of the vulture, but we may,
en- the contrary, even learn to pr ,tect
tlat remarkable bird and its fellow
scavengers as among the worthiest of
earth's children. To the last the yuI-
ture is active in its allotted mission and
when at length it falls no living beast
CT bird or insect will touch its body
and it must crumble quietly to dust. a
lasting-somewha too lasting. as those
know who have camped too near an un-
covered dead vuture for some days
monument to the usefulness of the great
scaven2ing army of which it was once
sc active a member.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
TALLEST IN TIE MORNING.
BY Evening Most People Have Shrunk
Half an Inch-HOw Men Get
Into the Army.

'"The singular fact that people are
about half an inch taller in the morning
than they are in the afternoon has en-
abled many q fellow to slip into the
army" said an officer who has seen a
pcod deal of recruiting service. Time
and again when the examinations were
being conducted at a tolerably early
hour men have been passed in my pres
ence who were barely up to the regula-
ton height, in fact, they were under
it a shade, and the thickness of a card
board would have resulted in throwing
them out. I am perfectly confident
that if these same men had been re-
measured just before taps in the even
ing they would have fallen so far short
that they would never by any possibil-
ity have been accepted. have heard
it said that a man can put nearly an
irch in his height by staying in bed
for a couple of days and mea"w hile TAX
ing several hot baths, but have never
seen the thing tried. The average morn-
ing and evening variation have found
~ a good deal of experimenting on
myself and others to be little less than
half an inch"
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
TIMING A RAILWAY TRAIN.
There Are Several Ways of Ascer
tanning the Speed 1t Is
Making.

Not one person in hundred has any
idea of the speed of Il train, and even
large percentage of the regular train
men cannot tell with any degree of
accuracy. Engineers use their driv-
ing wheel as a gauge. They know its
circumference, and by counting its rev.
olutions within certain time can tell
very accurately the speed at which they
are running.
favorite method of timing among
passengers is to count the telegraph
poles. AS rule these poles are plant
ed 80 to the mile, but in prairie coun-
tries, where only single wire is used,
the number diminishes to 25, so that
rule Will not always work The most
accurate method, and the one most in
use by experienced railroad men, is to
count the number of rail joints the
train passes over in 20 seconds. The
rails on nearly all roads are 30 feet in
length. and the number passed over in
20 seconds is the speed per hour a
train is running.
For instance. if a passenger can count
30 clicks on rail joint in 20 seconds,
the train is running at a speed of 80
miles an hour. Actually, this method
falls a little short, as in the example
given above the speed would be nearer
81 than 30 miles. but it is near enough
for all practical purposes.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
A DESERTED CITY.
Tale Of the Dissolution CT One of the
StraEgest Towns on This
Continent.

In Nevada county, Cal. reposc the
remains of one of the strangest towns
On this continent. Meadow Lake is the
American Pompeii, whose cntombing
lave saT.nit snow storms. which
sea Try il 25 feet deep On
.vY>.. ., - whose annual cXhuming is
LroU.l a.. ut by the summer sun, says
the Eev ERIK Herald.
Ii v..a ia he summer of 1865 that the
name ..caGow Lake was formally given
to the town, previodsly called Excel
sior and Summit City. Until 1858 moth
ing had been done in the way of pros
pecting that particular locality.
Henry Eartly, an Englishman. who
visited the vicinity in June. 1868, IN
search of game and chanced TO discover
fragments Of gold impaired his discov-
cry to his friends. A company was
formed and soon after other companies
and the building of a city was started.
With the close of the fall of 1865
the new city contained about 150
houses completed and number of 9th
ers in course of construction. Then all
hopes were blasted. The adventurers
awoke to the sad reality that, though
there was plenty of gold in Meadow
Lake, it was so combined with some
Substance unknown to the metallur-
gists that it was effectually locked
from the hand of man.
All dreams. the black art. science
and metallurgy were set at naught.
One after another, as they abandoned
hope. the disappointed gold seekers
turned their backs on Meadow Lake
and went down the mountain.
More than S2,CGO,OOO had been poured
into that bottomless abyss Of California
known as dead work" to pay for mills,
roads, buildings and mining.
For years the solitary inhabitant Of
Meadow Lake was Hartly, the English
man who was mainly responsible for
the existence of the town.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
HE IS A FINDER.
The Curious Way an Expert Pick.
pocket Has of Earning LivcIi-
hood In London.

To anyone unacquainted with TIE
complex characteristics of London life
ii would appear almost incredible that
man could make living as pick
rccket by Immediately restoring what
he has stolen to its original owner.
4 detective officer, however, has re-
Gently informed a writer in Tit Bits
that such, indeed, is the case. For
some time past an ingenious individual
has made it his business to wait upon
ladies' as they leave theaters, calling
their carriages and aiding them to en-
ter. He is decently dressed, very po-
lite, and has way of holding up the
ladies' dresses behind-especially if the
weather is wet-which is particularly
pleasing to his patronesses.
But it seems that his action in this
respect is not nearly so distinguished
as it might appear, for he makes this
Ettle courtesy a subterfuge for pick
ing their pockets or removing any arti-
Gle of value within reach. His methods,
however, are not those of a common
thief, for he persistently proceeds TO the
police station nearest at hand and there
delivers up his spoil, coolly stating that
nc has found it outside certain the
ater.
He, of course, furnishes also his name
and address, and in due time his ''hon-
est" action receives its reward. He has
found" so many things recently that
The police are anxious to find him.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
PRETTY ARMS SCARCE.
A Sculptor Says 1t Is Hard to Find
Models with DimpIcd, Ta-
perinE Limbs.

81 find great difficulty in getting
model with good arms" said a we'll
known sculptor recently. 1T is aston
ishing how few women there are with
arms that conform to the standard. A
perfect arm, measured from the wrist
joint to the armpit, should be twice
the length of the head. The upper part
of the arm should be large. full, and
we'll rounded. There should be dim
pie at the elbow. The forearm must
not be too fiat, not nearly SO fiat as a
ma s, for instance.
From well-molded shoulder the
whole arm should taper in long, grace
full curves to a well-rounded wrist. 1t
is better to have an arm that harmon
ICES, even if the parts Go not conform
to the generally accepted lines. For
instance, full, round upper arm which
is joined to d fat or thin forearm has
a very bad effect. Perhaps it is only a
little worse, however, than a graceful,
well-molded forearm tackled on to a
thin, scrawny upper arm.
"Correctness of form is not the only
thing necessary for a good arm. The
owner must possess the power of ex-
preston with her arm American
women are deficient in his as a rule.
Those nationalities which show the
most expression in their arms are the
Spanish, French and Italian. The
warmest admirers of Sara Bernhardt
would not claim that she had beautiful
arms, yet no one can say that the di-
vine Sara ever appears nngainly in con-
sequence. Much more lies in the fac
ulty of arm expression than is general
ly supposed"
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
s'HIS WIFE, BEING A WOMAN. Z"
Strange Sounding Phrase Which
Startled the DiScoreerted Tt
terer Thereof.

If you are a woman, q tin.id one at
that, but imbued with a stroug belief
that the tin,dity should be routed out
Of your character and if possessing
that character and that determination
lou belong to wcrlan's literary club,
5ou know what it is. says the Chicago
Chronicle, to be called upon suddenly
to assist in discussion. Your lack Of
courage makes you cling to your chair
and prepare to shake your head in re-
fusal, but your emphatic effort at self
conquest forces you to your feet and
you hear your voice start a sentence
fcebiy and you realize you are talking
and must say something, not SO much
in order to be impressive as to be able
10 quiet your chattering teeth and seek
the seclusion of your seat.
Some such experience as :his won1-
an went through recently. She is u
member of a literary association of the
West Side, one of the most faithful in
attendance and valued for her sound
knowledge of numberless subjects, net
as George Eliot would protest, know
ing many things badly" but accurately
aud positively.
At one of the sessions of the club at
which she was expected to speak she
was suddenly called upon by the presi-
dent to tell the story Of the companion
ship of Robert and Elizabeth Browning.
Nothing was simpler nor more to her
mind. But the sudden attack discon-
certcd the timid speaker. She tried it.
though, and began bravcly enough.
MI at once, she heard her voice say:
His wife, being woman" and
stopped Immediately, hcrrifed at her
own stupidity. The members smile be-
came contagious and she laughed en-
joyably at her own expense. Ever
since his wife being woman" is
phrase that quickly controls her scat
tered senses.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
AGE OF NIAGARA.
The Latest Estimate Is That the Great
Gorge Was Made $4,000
Years Ago.

Some interesting specuiations con-
cerning the age OF the Niagara gorge
are reported by Nature. This was the
subject Of a paper by Prof G. Fred
erick Wright. read at the Boston meet
ing of the American association. The
late DR.. James Hall early noted the
significant fact that 'the outlet of the
chasm below Niagara falls is scarcely
wider than elsewhere along its course y
This is important evidence of the lat e
date of its origin and it has been used
in support of the short estimates which
have been made concerning the leEeT b
of time separating us from the glacial
period. a close examination made by
Prof. Wright last summer greatly
strengthens the force of the argument,
since be found that the disintegratirg g
forces tending to enlarge the outlines
and give it N-shape are more rapid
than has been supposed. AS the result
Of his investiga tions he concludes that
a conservative estimate of the rate of
disintegration for the 70 feet of Nj
agara shales supporting the Niagara
limestone would be one inch a year,
with a probable rate of two inches a
year. But at the lowest estimate no
more than 12,0CO years would be re-
quired for the enlargement of the up
per part of the mouth of the gorge,
1000 feet on each side, which is very
largely in excess of the actual amount
of enlargement. Some of the recent
estimates. therefore, which would
make the gorge from 10000 to 10000
years old, are regarded as extravagant.
According to Prof. Wright the age of
the gorge cannot be much more than
10000 years, and is probably consider
ably less
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
Had just Been "Adrertised.v

A small boy not many miles from Chi
cago was baptized into one Of the Prot
estant churches of the city. He was in
tensely interested in the ceremonies at
tending the sacrament and watched
every detail with eagerness and apPre-
ciatiCn. He noted the attire Of the cler-
gyman and the rcposes OF his godfather
and godlnother. When he could he an
sWered the questions asked himself and
when the minister addressed his spCp
sors he nodded his head in conformity
with their replies. When the ceremony
was concluded he was eagerly anxious
to get home to his mother to impart his
exciting experiences of the morning.
He rushed upstairs on reaching the
house and burst in upon his mother
breathlessly "Oh, mamma. mammal"
he exclaimed, joyously, 81 belong to
God now. I've just been advertised. .
Chicago Times-Herald.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
The Queen Opposed to Divorce.

The queen Intimates that the pro-
Eouncement on the part Of the prelates
against divorce might have been writ
ten in stronger terms, as she is totally
averse to divorce under any circum-
stances whatever" Her majesty is
willing to admit that in no institution
are there more people wronged than in
marriage; nevertheless, her belief is
that an infinitely more satisfactory
state would arise were marriage made
irdissoluble both by church and state.
The queen adds that she has no objec-
ton to judicial separation. her strong
disapproval of divorce being due to the
liberty which it imparts to divorced
people to marry again, and to the re-
marriage of divorced people, no mat
ter what the grounds of divorce. she is
"unalterably and most strongly op
posed" This is the first official ex-
preston her majesty has given to her
views on the subject.-Nlainly About
People.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
& Wise Man.

Don't you think that fellow who
broke his engagement because the girl
vent to the ieweler and inquired the
price of the ring little sensitfve?''
81 think he was wise. woman like
that would be wanting her husband to
keep an account of his private ez-
penses."-Indianapolis Journal
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
sDanish-Amerlcan Words.

Many English words are taken direct
ly from the Spanish. When you speak
Of a piccadilly collar you are not using
rlang. The ''piccadillo' is collar which
st one time was worn by all men OF To-
sition in Spain. a fewyears since many
American cities bCasted of companies
of volunteer soldiers called grenadiers.
The first grenadiers were in Grenada.
Our marines, of whom we ere especially
proud just now. got their name by clip
ping the last syllable off "marinercs,
which is the equivalent Spanish word.
Rye bread without caraway seeds would
rct be rye bread at all. Caraway is
purely Spanish word, derived from cal
cara Hueya." The hammock on your
veranda got its name from the Spanish
"hamaca, although that is not purely a
Spanish word. Columbus got it from the
Indians 400 years ago. There are many
other examples. Banana" apricot
Canada" duel" and "palavar" are all
directly from the Spanish.-Chicago
Dispatch.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
Bill blue and His Engine.

The Philadelphia Record tells of a
railway engineer named William Blue,
who was master of locomotive No. 2.
One of the hues in the boiler of his pet
engine blew up and he was stalled,
blocking the main line. His report to
the division perintendent was I'M
Willingly as follows: Engine two
blew out fiue; watIl do? Bill Blue"
In 20 minutes Bill got this answer: bill
Blue: You plug the fiue in engine two
and pull her through in time to get out
of the way of twenty-five"
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
A RecfIe Tint Holds On.

The rhinoceros beetle has a tenacious
md as powerful a grasp as the most
ferocious bulldog. Its head may be
two-thirds torn from its body. and it
will not loosen its hold. 1t has real
horns and not mandibles, like many of
its family.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
Cut His Name on Morro,s Cannon.

While the Yale was anchored of
Morro castle, after the surrender of
Santiago, sailor by the name of Nc
Lean, to illustrate his patriotism, rowed
ashore, climbed to the top of the grand
cid structure, and filed his name good
and deep in the topmost of the an
eient guns which point out to the sea.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
Russia's New Fortified Harbor.

Russia is going to turn the harbor of
Iibau, en- the Baltic, near Riga. into a
first-class naval station and fortress.
The port will Ge closed 10 merchantmen
and foreigners, for whom the harbor of
Nlndau is being fitted up.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
Shah Is the cred King"

The shah of Persia is styled the
"red king" because he wears red tur-
ban. There have been three European
rulers upon whom that title has been
Overwhelmingly: Amadeus VII. of
Savoy, Otto II. of Germany, and Will
Lam H. (Rufus) of England.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
IJeoas as Freight Carriers.

Llamas are the chief freight carriers
in central Peru. The usual load for a n
Gnimal is about 100 pounds. If you
put upon his back more than he can cas-
ily carry he quietly kneels and will moi
nudge until the load is reduced.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
Must BE "A Mistake.

He-Where ignorance is bliss, you
know, tits folly to be wise.
She--I know the poet says so, but
still you don't seem to be of a happy
isposition.- Chicago Evening News.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
Loss of Thine from u,,o.s

1t has been calculated that the loss
from illness averages 20.000.000 weeks
OF work in the year, or 2H per cent. of
the work done by the whole population
between Is and C5 years Of age. =
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
nu-.,,e cloth OF old Egypt.

The cloth of the old Egyptians was so
good that, though it has been used for
thousands of years as wrappings for
mummies, the Arabs of to-day can wear
il. It is all of linen. the ancient Egyp-
tians considering wool unclean,
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
TPIsln0EiZin%

Caller (by way of introduction, brisk
ly)-I am a bill collector.
Mr.. Ten Weekly lybones-Ah!-is it
mania with you, or merely a fad?-
1OI1cl
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
women scarce in Egypt.

Egypt is the only country in the
world where there are more men than
women. The male sex in the domin-
ion Of the khediye exceeds the feminine
by 100000.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
Bands DISPLACED by Machinery.

A writer declares that 100000 men
now do the work. with the aid of ma
chinery. which needed 100000 per-
sens a few years ago.
The Winslow mail., 1899-04-08
Bisnarck's FavOrite Spot.

One strange result of Bismarck's
death has been the stimulus that il has
given to lottery speculation in Vienna
Never since the terrible catastrophe at
the Ring thCater have the Offices been
crowded by SO many thousands of su-
Terstitious spectators. The age of the
derarted statesman - 64 = was, Of
course the favorite number. but it soon
became impossible to get even the frac-
ton of ticket. All the factors and
nultiples Of the number were next
bought up with eager interest and
there was a run on every other figure
even remotely connected with the
liero's life. Many serious gamblers de-
spise these aritkmcticaI condolences
and follow the hardbooks which assign
mum bers to incidents and character
istics. One old woman entered an Of
fee and besought the clerk to tell her
what figures represented "Reichskanz~
ler.' The compilers of the mystic lists
had omitted this important word
''However." said the official. "Stag's hill
was Bismarcks favorite spot''-it is, in
fact, his burial place-'and stag is 20
a first class chance" The good lady
planked her hard-earned form on the
stag, but had no luck. Indeed, the
drawings so far have gone dead against
the believers in signs and omens.-Lon-
don Vanity Fair
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1899-12-07
Calico Carnival.

On Tuesday evening at the home of
Mr.. and Mrs, W. H. Cox, q more
unique entertainment has seldom been
seen, it being the occasion of the Calico
Carnival given by the Ladies' Aid So
ciety of the M. E. Church, South. Few
have been more original in conception.
The youth, beauty and gallantry of our
citys favorites graced the spacious
hall and drawing rooms. Rich shaded
lamps giving softening touch, thus
accentuating the effectiveness of the
scene. The guests were charmed by
the gracious personality of both Mr..
and Mrs. Cox who welcomed them
cordially. In the dining room the def
originality of the Methodist ladies we're
expressed, guests sumptuously RECALLED
with a menu of choice viands.
Miss Hickman won the admiration Of
all by the rendition of several pleasing
vocal selections. Miss Anderson, to
the delight Of those present, recited in
her graceful manner! Last, but MOI
least, the most enjoyable feature was
lacking the carpet rags. Miss An
ME Miller lacking with Mr.. Anderson,
received the first prize, having tacket
the largest ball. Miss Fannie Bolton
received the BOBBY prize, having thu
smallest.
With lingering regretadieux spoken
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1899-12-07
Damaged by Fire.

About four o'clock Friday morning
fire was discovered in the store room
occupied by Geo. E. Clark, and the
alarm was turned in. The department
responded promptly and soon the blaze
was put out, but not before consider
able damage had been done. The floor
of the store was covered with sawdust
and coal of fire had fallen from the
stove and set the sawdust on fire. A
large hole, ten feet square, was burned
in the floor The stock of goods was
damaged by the heat, smoke and wa
ter, and is total loss. The stock
amounted to about $1,000 and there
was only $500 insurance. Had this fire
gotten under Roadway it would have
burned the largest block of business
houses in the city. The stock of the
City Grocery Co. was damaged by the
smoke and steam.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1899-12-07
A Long Marriage.

At the residence of Mr.. and Mrs. B.
Z. Chinowth on King street, Thurs
day evening, Mr.. Taylor Dyer and Miss
Tillie White were united in marriage,
the nuptial knot being tied by Judge
Cy Fl. Lyle. The ceremony was per-
formed in the parlor in the presence OF
few invited friends. Mr.. Dyer is a
resident of Johnson City and is an in
dustrious young man, and painter of
marked ability. Miss White is a ma
tive of Virginia, but has been living in
johnson City sometime with her broth
err, R. E. White. They haye many
friends who join The COMET in con-
CALCULATIONS and best wishes for their
future happiness. Being over six feet
tall they are sure of long life.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1899-12-07
Improving the Line.

Manager Parlett, of the Bristol Tele-
phone line has force of hands at work
in the city, extending and straighten-
ing the line. Applications for tele-
phones are received almost daily and
the subscribers have become so numer-
GUS that new switchboard has become
a necessity and 200 drop board will be
put in. A direct metallic line will be
put up to Bristol and this will improve
the service more than anything that
could be done. This company can be
depended upon to give the subscribers
the best possible service.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1899-12-07
Lumber Company Chartered.

The Empire Lumber and Manufac-
turing company has been chartered by
W. P. Cooper, D. J. Hickman, T. A.
Cox, W. II. Cox and j. B. Cox. The
company has leased the old creamery,
and is putting in necessary machinery
to do general planning mill business.
W, FL. Cox is president, D.. J. Hickman
secretary and treasurer, and W. P.
Cooper is general manager. Messrs.
Hickman and Cooper are experienced
mill men, and as the concern is backed
by ample capital its success is assured.