davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-03-08
DICKENS IN CAMP.

Above the pines the moon was slowly
drifting,
The river sang below; ,,..,
The dim SierraS, far beyond, uphieins
Their minarets OF snow.
The roaring camp fire. with rude humor'
The ruddy tints of health oaa
On haggard face and form that droopeu
and tainted
In the fierce race for wealth;
TIL one arose. and from his packs scahe
treasure
And care cards we're dropped from hands of
listless leisure
TO hear the tale anew
And then. while round them shadows
gathered faster,
And as the firelight fell,
lie read aloud the book wherein 'he
Had writ of Little Nell"
Perhaps twas boyish fanoy.-for the
was youngest of them ALL
But, as he read. from clustering pine ana
A silence seemed to fall
The pine trees gathering closer in the
shadows
While the whole camp with Nell on
English meadows,
WANDERED and lost their way
And so i'm mountain soltudcs, o'ertaKeh
AS by some spell divine -, 49,
Their care dropped from them like the
needles shaken
From out the sturdy pine.
Lost is that camp and wasted all It's
fire. 40
And he who wrought the spell?
All, towering pine and stately Menus"
spire,
We have one tale to tell!
Lost Is that camp. But let its fragrant
story Int,
Blend with the heart that thrills
With hop-vines' incense all the PehsiNe
glory 80,
That fills the Kentish hills.
And on that grave where English oaf
and holly
And laurel wreath entwine,
Deem it not all a too presumptous loHy'-
This spray of western pine! ~,
Bret Harte.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-03-08
Music From Electricity.

Some workmen were making changes
in city electrical wires a short time
ago and one of the wires accidentally
struck the cornice of a store where
musical instruments were sold. When
the wire struck there was report
like the firing of pistol and flash of
light was seen. Fire hit the instru-
ments, including several music boxes,
which took part in the confusion by be-
ginning to play. The proprietor was
stupefed by the pyrotechnic display
and the concert that Immediately be-
gan.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-03-08

One-third OF the cost OF educating a
king is to be borne proportionately by
each of the 100000 American SOW.
ereigns who make up the population OF
the Republic OF the United States. The
king is Malietoa Tanus, who was made
ruler of Samoa by Chief Justice Cham
bers. and whose ancestry Is so old and
honorable that it is not to be matched
IN the Almanach de Gotha. Since his
deposition and the partition of Samoa
nv the United States, Great Britain and
Germany, Malieto has decided that he
would like European education, and
through United States Consul
Osborne requested that the three pow
era furnish the money to pay the bills.
Secretary Hay. considering that 1t
would be a good thing for the islands
az we'll as the young Samoan, decided
to grant his request so far as the Unit
cd States was concerned, AID addressed
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-03-08

that any one had heard him speak.
You are mistaken" said Miss Dill
bingham firmly. You will only ASSIST
me in adding to my reputation for &C.
centricity. Besides, 1t VIII give you
money which you need for-for restitu-
ton and rehabilitation"
Never mind about the rehapiiita-
tion," said he. but II you can make
the restitution possible shall De at
your service, no matter what you ask,
till the day Of my death.
When, five years later, that restitu-
ton was completed, the firm Oh Dining
ham & Mcknight was celebrated ana
prosperous. 1t had reputation ow-
ing TO its romantic history no less than
to the distinctive and beautitul char-
acter OF its wares.
Now what shall / do?" asked the
village reprobate humorously the day
he returned from the payment OF MS
last cent Of conscience money
You might marry the woman you
love-" said Miss Dillingham;, sharply.
81 am always at your service, he
replied. 81 shall never marry ana
serve YOU"
Nonsense! Don't know you love
Mary Lester? Don't l know she loves
your"
Il will put no interests in my life
save yours"
Don't be fool, Lucius. wen all
be getting old soon, and we've hau
sorrow enough. Marry Mary, and let
me be codmother to your first-born.
You must marry. I've got to nave some
thing new TO talk about.
| So. since he was hers to command
he did as she babe him. On his wed
ding day Miss Dillingham; uttered q
| pronunciamento.
1T takes brains to live down crime,
said she. "a stupid man thinks he is
everlastingly condemned. He can't gel
rid of the superstitions. Now, don
believe anybody is lost who has
chance 20 retrieve the past.
at Is impossible to retrieve some
pasts," ouJected one who listened.
"It is never impossible to save thu
soul alive" insisted Miss Diliingham
| But IL takes Drains W hhaho IhN "0eA
age and the hope"
Brains won't save woman Wh'
has sinned," urged the other
"Oh, yes, they will" cried Miss Dil
lingham with enthusiastic dogmatism
There is a chance even for the sinfu
woman who has sense enough to se
that she can redeem herself. / know
I've seen It done. Courage, courage
That will save any one at last"
81 think Miss Dillingham; needs
little courage herself just now,
thought the listener, but she did no
attempt to explain why.
Miss Dillingham; drove to the statiol
with the wedding couple and wave
them off.
} "She has the courage all RICH
, enough" thought the observer with ad
miration, for she guessed, and rightly
; that Phoebe Dillingham; had deliber
ately set aside her hearts joy.-Se
lected.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-03-08
Conditions In Puerto Rico.

An official statement has recently
been published OF the work done by
the War Department for the relief OF
sufferers by the hurricane in Porto
Rico last September. The report COW
ers a period between September 2oth
and November Goth and contains some
interesting statistics. The population
Of the island is estimated at 91S,926, a
figure which approximates the present
population Of the city Of st. Louis,
Mo. The average daily INDECENT was
221 ,OS7, or one out of every four or
the e.tire population. The average
weekly sick was 1892, or one out OF
every fifty-two persons, and the aver
age weekly deaths 632 persons, or
about one to every 1900 inhabitants.
The bulk Of the relief given was in
the form of provisions, of which H.
! 162,7SS pounds are acknowledged in
the report, 16,54S,316 pounds OF which
have been distributed up to November
goth, which would give to each indi-
| gent person, if the food was equally
| distributed, a fraction over seventy
four pounds in the two months. II
| this represented suitable and nourish-
| ing food it was a generous allowance,
much larger than many of the poor
in our own land enjoy under far hard
er conditions of existence than are
found in Porto Rico.
The money contributions acknowl-
edged in the report amounted to $751;
224, and the report does not state how
this money was expended.
The overflow occasioned by the hur-
ricane benefited the cane lands and so
improved sugar crop prospects that
planters have been able to borrow
money with which to employ the Ia
Dor necessary to care for the crop.
The coffee plantations, which are al
ways on the uplands were practically
destroyed by the wind which swept
away everything in it's course, and In
est. Though the assistance afforded
has averted famine and prevented any
general pestilence, disease has broken
out in some of the more inaccessible
mountain regions, but it is hoped its
spread can be prevented by extending
the relief to such districts and contin-
uing it until the bananas and plan.
tains ripen, which will DO In Febrn
airy. For this purpose it is estimated
that 1000 additional tons of food will
be needed, of which four-seventhi
should be rice, two-seyenths beans
} and the remainder bacon or Goldfish.
In sections where the storm wa
most severe, not wagon road is to b,
found in any direction. The able
: bodied men to whom food has beef
: given have been required to work 70
IL, and by this means considerable
work in the way of cleaning the town
and restoring the highways has BEEF
accomplished.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-03-08
HOLLOW LOG.
WAS Filled With Live Coons, and the
Farmer Caught Eleven.

Farmer Caught Eleven.
Farmer George Brown, of Chester
Vile, went into the woods the other
day to get fuel, and he got better load
than he expected. He saw giant pine
stub or dead trunk, on the edge Of an
icy marsh, cut it down and began to
chop it into lengths. Soon he felt his
ak strike something soft as it broke
through the shell of the stub. Think
ing that there might be bear inside,
Brown proceeded cautiously, using
wooden wedges to split the stub apart.
When the hollow, dry log fell in
halves there in the cavity lay eight
fat coons, snugly housed away for the
winter. Further up in the trunk were
two more coons, while in the stump
was a -pounder-the biggest and
latest of the lot. Brown thus got, be-
sides a cord of dry wood, over 200
pounds of coon meat and eleven coon
skins, and ever since that day he has
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-03-08

fellow, more than six feet high, and
horse, and the horse was losing his
wind. So what do they do but turns
up into one of the deep canyons. think
ing they could ride somewhere,
reckon. Anyhow they started up tho
canyon, with the cowboys after them.
1t was a deep one without any outlet
at the upper end. First thing they
knew we had 'em penned in by the
steep banks Of the canyon on three
sides and the cowboys on the other.
1t was a tight place and it did not take
them long to agree to surrender anS
go back to Jail. / guess we did prom
Use 'em protection, leastwise we said ID
they would &c back with us we
wouldn't hang them on the way to jail.
But we declined to be responsible for
accidents. That's natural enough
How could we help it If something did
happen to ttcm after they got back To-
jail?
Course something did happen. They
knowed and we knowed that 1t was
goin' to- They had been caught in the
act of Ailling bankers and in them
DAYS bankers were held in great re-
spect, so they had nothing else to ex-'
pect We put 'em in Jail safe enough
and pu. handouts on them. Along
toward evening the boys began to ride
in from all over the county. They had
heard about the killing, and after ma
ture deliberation it was decided that
the Jail was no safe place nohow, and
the state had expenses enough OF its
own. So, for the good OF the COM
munity, it was thought best to make
short, sure Job of them and relieve our
selves from further anxiety.
Along in the evening some OF tho
boys went up to the Jail to see how
the prisoners were. AS l told you.
they were all in irons when we left 'em
in the morning, but when we got up
there that night they had got the irons
off. How they done it / never did
know, and they didn't have time to ex-
plain. When the door was opened
they broke to get away. Brown got
such n start that il was necessary to
perforate him then and there. He died
without a kick. His deputy, Ben
Wheeler, had to be winged. They shot
him so he couldn't run and held him
for the final ceremonies. The other
two robbers, Billy Smith and John
Wesley, were cowboys, but, being poor
runners, and having been previously
relieved of their Winchesters and side
arms, they was easy to handle. Be-
sides, the boys knowed 'em and did not
want to disfigure them. They rounded
up the prisoners and took 'em to q
lone tree handy to town and near tho
river. Then the three were strung up,
on the one tree. OF course, as Brown
had already departed this life, there
wasn't no need of stringin' him up. IT
was a big funeral we had the next day.
six men dead, and all died with their
boots on. It was the biggest day we
ever laa Il As-.-.--- --.-e1.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-03-08

The biggest day we ever had in Med
icine Lodge, says a cattleman, was IN
1884. when we had six dead men OH
our hands. all killed with their poo,s
on. medicine Lodge was then an oiu
town, as towns go in Kansas, ana hau
bank OF deposits for cattlemen anu
the usual number Of dance halls anu
saloons. though the latter had degeh-
Grated into Joints" under the prohiDi-
ton reform. Well, on May l, wiley
Payne, president of the bank, end
man named Gebhart, cashier, openeu
the bank that morning little carrier
than usual / was on the way TO inc
bank myself and was about bloch
away when | saw four men ride up anu
tie their horses. Three went into tho
bank. There was an old woman Cross
ing the street, and all Of a sudden she
yelled bank robbers" at the top OF her
voice and began to run. With that the
shooting began in the bank. Both the
president and cashier were shot 10
death by the robbers. Every man in
town who had gun. and we all car
ried 'em, got ready to shoot. There
was a lot of cowboys at the hotel ana
in the Joints. They had ridden their
horses into town and had left them at
the livery stable with saddles on.
When the shooting began to get not
the robbers ran for their horses, Climb
ed on and started up Medicine creek.
The cowboys were right behind them,
riding and shooting. They couidn Z
get in range so it would be convenient
to drop, so they quit shooting anu
made the bronchos climb. They never
once lost sight of them robbers.
don't know whether they'd nave
caught them very soon if the robbers
hadn't made a blunder.
Harry Brown, the city marshal OK
Caldwell, and Ben Wheeler, his deputy,
were the head robbers. Ben was Dig
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-03-08

a note to the other powers asking them
to chip in. II they agree the cash will
come out of the pockets OF the Amerl-
can people. The genealogy OF Male
toa is certainly old enough and hon
orable enough to warrant all imperial
lists in footing the bills. He is the
23d in the line OF descent. Three GEN.
turtles ago the Tongas, brave and
warlike tribe, landed in the Samoan
islands, and, under their soldier king,
Talafeii, soon subjugated the natives.
This king conqueror ruled over the
subjects with a rod OF iron and knew
no law save his own will. 1t is to
this iron ruler that Malietoa traces his
origin, and it is easy to understand
how much the native Samoans revere
his memory of the terrible old king,
who is a demigod, by the way, In the
minds OF the people. "Malietoa" has
the signfcation in the Samoan tongue
O. good, brave warrior"
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-03-08

quit all other work and goes about in
the woods looking for more hollow
stubs with coons in them. The best
time to find these snug harbors for
coons is just after snow storm,
when the warm breath of the coons
melts bare spots in the snow on the
tree trunks, thus betraying their pres
ence.-Bangor (Maine) Special to New
York Times
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-03-08

The poultry business presents pecu.
liar enticements to ladies that have
little money and much time to invest
In It.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-03-08
DIED In THEIR BOOTS
A TERRIBLE DAY IN MEDICINES
LODGE. KANS.

-Four Men Rob Bahx, Shooting t"e
President and Cashier and Arc Ihe
selves Captured and LyIched-t W
cured Back In "a.
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-07-27
RELIGIOUS NOTES.

The diamond anniversary Of the
American Sunday School union will be
held in Philadelphia May "a and 25
The work Of the society for seventy five
years, in part. is as follows: Sunday
schools organized, 1o0,92s, containing
578.6S0 teachers and 4.070,348 scholars;
224,844 cases of aid to schools. having
13,333,96S members. Nearly four schools
day organized for every day Of the
last seventy-five years. Value of publ
cations distributed bv sales and gifts,
over $1,000 900.
The government has officially recog-
nized the Mormon religion by appoint
ing Elias Kimball, Mormon, chaplain
Of the Second corps Of engineers. He
was commissioned in 1898.
Rev. DR.. Joseph Parker, who from
his pulpit damned the sultan so vigor-
ously the other day, paid visit to this
country few years ago and preached
in several cities. but did not make
much of an impression.
A fashionable church in Louisville,
KY, the Walnut Street Baptist church,
of which Rev. DR.. T. T. Eaton is pas
tor, has adopted resolutions practically
Diminishing from the congregation all
members who have any connection
whatever with the manufacture or sale
Of Intoxicating liquors.
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-07-27
THE HELPFUL BOY.

A helpful boy in the house is charm
ing institution" said mother, recently,
who spoke from delightful experience.
And the word institution" was used
meaningly-the spread was not a whit
too big to fit the comfort To this any
woman can testify who has been an
noyed for years with some nuisance
say shutter that won't shut, or door
knob nailed on with a hairpin, or
"stuck-up" brick in the hearth that
won't down, and all this rectihed in a
little while by helpful boy.
Instead of being injurious there prob
ably is no one thing that better helps to
take the nonsense and conceit out of a
growing youth than this giving to him
an interest and practical part in the
daily duties Of the home.
knowledge of any good, useful work
is not going to hurt a boy. Should he
never have actual need of it, it will be
no incumbrance; and it may stand him
in good stead in after years. To be able
to sew his own tears, to put on his
bolted buttons, and to make bread that
is not what our army boys used to call
Sudden DEATH" is certainly an accom-
plishment for which the soldier, sailor,
explorer and camper out generally may
gratefully return thanks to good, SEN
sible mother, as did one of our able
state governors not many years ago in
public address.
And even if he does nothing more
unusual than settling down to the quiet
life Of a good husband and father, what
is so calculated to make him apprecia,
tive and sympathetic as knowledge of
what home duties really mean?
But there is a higher plane than that
of mere selfish advantage from which to
look at the subject. There is the grand
moral effect in the training that teaches
boy to be helpful at home that is not
to be gained in any other way so eff
fectually and permanently.
Every boy has, or ought to have, a
right to the chivalrous and manly pride,
Of feeling not only willing but able to
be of use at home when occasion de-
mands liable to take the broom from
the tired mothers hands, or the bed or
breadmaking from an oxertaxed Sis
ter's; and to help. neither awkwardly
nor Intellectually, but well skilled hands.
1t is wise mother who realizes this
fact very early in the life Of the small
man, who is to be led unconsciously to
form this habit Of constant helpfulness;
for after careless. selfish habits are
once formed there will be difficulty on
the part Of both mother and son to es-
tablish the appreciative, sympathetic
relations which mean so much in the
home life.
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-07-27
ENOUGH TO GO AROUND.

We were wheeling, slowly wheeling, by
the meadows sweet with hay,
When we came upon an orchard, set to
tempt US, by the way.
And we did not care to alter Adam s
timeworn precedent.
For the ruddy, bursting apples told a
tale more eloquent.
Now common. uncouth farmer, who
was laitering around,
Spied our cool commune with nature
and approached without a sound.
Then I rose and begged his pardon for
our bold, intrusive act,
But the rotting, wasted apples still re-
manned a glaring fact.
And, urged, it were better to consume
them in this way
Than to have their glory useless as
they rotted day by day.
"Oh," he said. in backwoods fashion,
as he whistled to his dogs,
"Yew kin jes' have all yew want tew
fer we feed 'em tew the hogs"
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-07-27
LABOR AND INDUSTRY.

The production Of lead in Colorado
1897, and Of copper nearly 40 per cent
more.
The wives, sisters and sweethearts Of
Scranton, Pa, unionists have formed an
ferent unions in q crusade against nom
union and unfair stores of that city.
The French-Belgian company. with a
socket, r. I. The city council voted
capital of S250,0OO, will build a modern
four-story brick mill for the manufac-
ture Of fine worsted yarns in Woon-
a term Of ten years.
The Iowa board Of control Of state
institutions has decided to establish a
factory in one Of the penitentiaries for
making binding Irvine. The board claims
it will produce large part Of the Irvine
used in Iowa and reduce the price from
Is to SO per cent.
A syndicate Of capitalists. headed by
James r. Wilson Of Montreal. has or
ganized with a preliminary capital of
-. 0o0. 900. for erecting at some point
In Canada the largest ore refinery in the
world. OF the immenle output of lead
bullion with which Canada is credited
not a pound is refined in the Domin-
ion. 1t all goes from the British Co
lumbia smelters to the American refin-
cries.
Rev. Charles A. Briggs of Union
40 a Protestant Episcopal clergyman
In st. Peters Episcopal church in West
chester, Pa.
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-07-27
The Author of Memorial Day.

The Author of Memorial Day.
The celebration of Memorial Day is
one of our most praiseworthy customs,
and one which has done much to soften
the bitterness which the civil war en-
gendered between the North and the
South.
This day was born out Of partner
ship between woman's tender heart
and mans noble purpose. Mrs. John
A. Logan. wife Of the heroic volunteer
general. made trip with friends in
March, 1868, to Richmond for the pur-
pose of visiting the Notifications and
battle fields around the city. When they
returned, they reported to General
Logan what they had seen.
Mrs. Logan was impressed by the evil
dences Of desolation and destruction
which she witnessed everywhere, par
ticularly emphasized by the innumer-
able graves which filled the cemeteries.
many of which were those Of confed-
crate soldiers. In the summer before
they had all been decorated with little
flags and wreaths of flowers. all of
which were faded.
General Logan, who was commander
in-chief Of the Grand Army, then con-
ceived the idea Of issuing an order ask
ing the entire people of the nation to
inaugurate the custom of annually dec
Grating the graves Of the patriotic dead
as memorial to their sacrifice. He is
sued the first order for May 30, 1868,
and 1t was SO enthusiastically received
and generally observed, that he decided
to cause it to be national holiday by q
joint resolution of congress. Through
his influence this was accomplished, and
it has passed into history as beautiful
custom.