davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17
Soldiers at Play.

After the battle of Waterloo the
Highlanders amused themselves By
playing checkers on the squares of
their kits with the fired cartridges.
During the American civil war the
Yankees took to the sport of fishing
with rod composed of their rifles,
with some line and a hook attached to
the end of it. The French troops in
the Crimean campaign spent all their
spare moments in singing, while their
allies-the English-spun yarns by the
score. Before the battle of Trafalgar.
Lord Nelson, seeing his men were
much addicted to gambling, ordered:
That all games of chance. such as
cards, etc, should be given into his
charge" His orders were promptly
obeyed, until one evening, while read
ing on the quarterback. he observed a
group of sailors sitting in a circular
form on the deck and not one of them
uttering word. Suspecting them of
gambling, he observed them more
closely. all at once he saw them put
their hands in their pockets and pass
something to one man. His lordship
at once arose, welt to the group Of
gamblers and said: Men, are you gam
bling? Unless you tell me the plot Of
your game l will put every one of you
in irons!" Silence reigned supreme
for few minutes, until at last one old
salt said: "Bedad, your lordship, I'll
tell you! You see. every man there
has a lump of sugar before him. Now.
the man on whose lump a fly first
lands wins bob all around!" His
lordship, much amused with the orig
lnality of the game, let them off scot
free.-AnsWers.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17
The Heaale.s Horseman.

1t is peculiar circumstance that
hardened and trained troops will go
through long fight surrounded by all
the horrors that are inseparable from
war without finching, and with the
utmost apparent callousness, and the
same men will be struck terrified by
single triiing incident. Every war of
any Importance, particularly wars be-
tween civilized nations. is prolific OF
incidents of trivial character in them
selves, but so unusual and unnatural
THAI they appeal to the natural instinc-
tive horror of men more suddenly and
intensely than perhaps the main ter
rors of days of carnage and surround
ing scenes of suffering. Such an in
cident is the one. for example, which
occurred at the battle of Worth, in the
early days of the Franco-Prussian war
In the heat of the great battle wing
of the Prussian army was charged by
the regiments of the French Cuirras-
siers, in the hope of turning the wing
and facilitating the falling back of the
French infantry. But the Cuirassiers
we're driven back by the unflinching
Prussians. Again the cuirassiers
charged, and again they were driven
back b. the whitening fire OF shot and
shell. For a third time they came
down again, and as the enemy waited
for them to draw nearer, a horrible
blood-freezing terror seized the Prus-
SLAMS, and for moment it looked as
if they would turn and fly, or be cut
down without defending themselves.
But in moment they had pulled them
selves together and beaten back for
the third and last time the gallant
cuirassiers. The sight that terrified
the Prussians appears nothing very
much in black and white. 1t was a
regiment of cuirassiers led at a dash
ing rate toward them by a headless
officer sitting upright in his saddle and
apparently encouraging his men, after
having been decapitated by cannon
ball.-Cincinnati Enquirer.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17
The Dog Was Tried.

The negro is famous for his ire
pressible good humor, even under the
most conditions. His ability to see
and appreciate the silver lining to a
cloud, however obscure, might well be
emulated by many a morose white
man. The following story, told by the
late General Lawton, of the night after
the affair at Ell Caney, illustrates the
point: General Lawton's division was
marching back to take a new position
next morning, after the fight at Ell
Caney. The general and his inspector
general, Major Webb, were sitting by
the roadside, watching his tired but
plucky men file past The dawn was
just breaking. They heard, up the
road, a man talking and laughing loud
ly. Other men were chatting and jok
ing. The colored troops were coming.
A big corporal was the loud talker He
seemed especially jolly although in adj
dition to his own accoutrements he
carried the gun and full ammunition
belt of another man, who was limping
by his side. In his arms he had dog,
the company mascot. Here, corpor-
al" called Major Webb. didn't you
march all last night, and didn't you
fight all day, and haven't you been
marching since ten o'clock to-night?"
Yes, sir" said the big corporal, max
ing vain attempt to salute. well,
then" the major shouted, what are
you carrying that dog for?" why,
boss, the dogs tired" was the reply.
Whereupon, according to General Law
ton, Major Webb rolled over and over
on the ground, and laughed and cried
like a boy.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17

water and the ship swung round heac
TO wind as her courses were brailed
up and the men hurried alort to
nand the topsails and topgallant sails;
so she was soon denuded OF her can.
vas.
When the anchor plunged into the
frothy water. making thousand con-
centric ripples run from the ship; and
when l felt, by the instant strain
upon the cable, that she had firm hold
OF the ground, my heart swelled with
unailoyed happiness; for to be in Ten.
eriffe was to be far on the watery high
road to my home.
santa Cruz being the capital of these
Isles, is the residence of the captain
general Of the Canaries, the seat of the
supreme court of law, and of all the
consuls and commissaries Of foreign
powers. whose various flags, when dis
played upon their houses, make the
handsome streets as gay in aspect as
the harbor, which is always crowded
by the shipping Of every nation.
custom house boat, with the Span
ish ensign floating at the stern, came
promptly off with an official, dandied
creole in uniform, with a sombrero on
his curly head, a saber at his side,
and cigar in his mouth. To him
Capt. Estremera made a full report OF
the mutiny which had broken out in
his ship when off the African coast,
and the stern mode Of its suppression.
Hence, in two hours after, we had
the satisfaction of seeing Antonio ell
Cubano, Benito Ojeda, the old tindal of
the Lascars, and Fighter other rascals,
taken off to the castle Of Santa Cruz in
large open boat, guarded by twelve
Spanish soldiers, in charge of lieu
tenant, Don LUZ Pineda
can still recall the glance Of i'm
potent and baffied malignity that An
tonic bestowed on us as he went down
the ships side. 1t combined all the
worst emotions of his angry heart, and
somewhat reminded me of his face
in that terrible moment when he
swung at the end of the studding sail
boom, with despair in his clutch and
death in his heart.
We watched the boat till it reached
the long stone mole. and then we saw
the fixed bayonets of the escort fash
ing, as the whole party assembled the
great stair toward the custom house,
and surrounded by mob of those nau-
teal idlers who usually make a pier
their lounge, disappear in the interior
of the town, as they marched toward
the castle.
Two episodes more will close the
story of Antonio-his trial and punish
ment.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17
ANIMAL LIFE IN MARS.
Why the Martians Must Have Dsvel-
oped Peculiar characteristics.


oped Peculiar characteristics.
Mars possesses so many features in
common with the earth that it is i'm
possible to resist the thought that 1t
also has inhabitants, says the National
Review. This is, however, by no means
equivalent to saying that Marian folk
are constituted in the same way as
human beings; indeed. every consid-
Grafton points to the contrary. What
ever atmosphere exists on Mars must
be much thinner than ours, and far
too rare to sustain the life of a peo-
pie with our limited lung capacity. A
race with immense chests could live
under such conditions, or a folk with
gills like fishes could pass a comfort
able existence in spite of the rarefied
air. The character of life anywhere is,
in fact, nodded by the external cir
cumstances, and as these are known
to be different on Mars from what they
are on the earth, Marian inhabitants
must have developed peculiar charac-
teristics in order to adapt themselves
to their environments-the forms of
life capable of fourishing in attenuat-
ed air have survived, while those re-
curing denser air have dropped out of
existence. The tenuity of the atmos-
phere of Mars is not the only fact
which suggests that the inhabitants
of that planet are not fashioned after
the image of man. 1t is known beyond
the possibility of doubt that the force
with which a substance is attracted
to the surface of Mars is but little
more than a third as strong as it is
on the earth; or, to express the point
in figures, 100 pounds on the earth
would only weigh 80 pounds on Mars
if tested in a spring balance. In con-
sequence of this weaker pull, it would
be possible for a human being to per-
form astonishing feats on Mars with
out excessive muscular exertion. A
man who could jump Eve feet here
could top fifteen there; he could lift
three hundred-weight by putting out
the same strength as it required to
raise one hundred weight on the EARTH
he could spring across a road as easily
as he now leaps over a mud puddle.
and a couple of bounds would carry
him to the top of flight OF stairs. But.
paradoxieal as it may seem, the small
er planet and, consequently, the less
the pull of gravity at it's surface, the
greater is the probability that its in
habitants are giants compared with US.
| Terrestrial giants are generally weak in
the knees; they are crushed by their
own weight. But on Mars they would
only weigh one-thiTd as much and
would therefore be able to move about
in a sprightly fashion, so that an ele
plant there might be quite nimble
animal.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17
The Spade In Warfare.

Probably one of the Sharpest lessons
the British military authorities have
learned from the Beers is the remark
able power of the spadesmen as com
pared with the swordsman in modern
warfare. Provided they are intelligent
ly placed, the judicious digging of
few trenches, carefully protested by
lines of barbed wire ENHANCEMENT or
hastily impTovised abattis. is of in
caicuiable benefit 20 a regiment acting
upon tho defensive. This has long
been recognized upon the continent,
the great armies of which are amply
provided with entrenching tools. For
instance, in the Austrian army 80 and
in the German 100 men per company
carry entrenching spades. In the
French infantry each company carries
rs entrenching tools, 80 of which are
loaded upon a mule; while 20 axes and
81 spades form the Russian allowance
per company. A favorite dodge is to
dig deep ditch in front of the actual
position and to half fill the excavation
with the entangling branches OF trees
The effect of such an obstruction upon
a charging enemy is most disastrous
since. the exact range having previous
ly been measured out, the defenders
have merely to pump lead into the
houndering mass of men and horses
until they either retire or surrender.
Needless, to say, the great art in all
entrenching is to render your diggings
invisible to the enemy until he is right
beneath your guns, an art, by the way,
which the Beers appear to have mas
tered to nicety.-London Daily Mail.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17
HEARD WHEN LIGHT WENT OUT.
Strange Observations in Church Yes
tIbuIe When the Dynamo Quit.

Strange Observations In a Church Yes
tIbule when the Dynamo Quit.
The other night in a Maine village
the dynamo at the electric light sta
ton had fit all of sudden, and
there was darkness on the face of the
land for a little while. A prayer meet
ing was in progress in the vestry OF
the Methodist church. When the lights
went out all the people sat quiet,
thinking that in all probability the
current would flash. back again right
away. All at once there were voices
in the vestibule. Two young men had
come in and we're talking. This is
id funny" quoth one of them pro-
fanely. why, l didn't know it was
anywhere near time for meeting to
be over. That minister is getting lazy
I told Gertie I'd be here at the door
when meeting let out. She'll be mad.
and between me and you don't care
if she is. You never saw such a girl
as she is, never. Wants to go to all
the shows that come along, and even
went down and inquired of the jewele.
row much the bracelet was worth that
gave her for Christmas. She's get
ting altogether too fresh, that's what
she is. There are other pancakes on
the fire, don't you forget that" well,
l don't suppose there is any need OF
waiting round here" remarked the
other young man in robust tones.
Come along up to my room with me.
can furnish something more enter
tanning than walking home with
girl. I've got a little bottle of Scotch
whisky, and you take a little hot wa
ter, and -" Just then the lights
dashed on in the vestry, and the peo-
pie within, in order to drown out the
conversation that was rapidly destroy
ing the devotional spirit of the as
sembly, struck up, Sinner, Oh Sinnerl
Turn from Thy WAYS" And before
the chorus was reached there was the
rapid creak Of shoes on the snowy
walk outside-and two prominent
young mon Of the village retreated to
think it over.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17
An OCEAN OF LIQUID Air.

Sir John Murray. the well-l1nown
naturalist, in recent address, drew a
vivid picture Of the time. in the re-
mote future, when temperatures as low
as those which Professor Dewar pro-
duces in his experiments at the Royal
Institution will prevail all over the
earth. The atmosphere and the oceans
will then have disappeared within the
rocky crust OF the globe, their elements
having entered into new combinations.
In other words. to use Sir John Muir
rays expression, ''the waters of the
ocean will have become solid rock"
But over their surface will roll the
waters of a new and most wonderful
sea, IAN ocean of liquid air about 40
feet in depth" At that time, of course,
life as we know it will have vanished
from the earth.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17
EohenliDden.
odd FavorIte serles.,

(Old Favorite Series.)
On Linden, when the sun was low,
al bloodless lay the untrodden snow,
And dark as winter was the flow
OF Iser. rolling rapidly.
But Linden saw another sight,
When the drum beat at the end of night
Commanding fires of death to light
The darkness OF her scenery.
BY torch and trumpet fast arrayed.
Each horseman drew his battle-blade,
And furious every charger neigh'd,
To join the dreadful revelry.
Then shook the hills with thunder riven.
Then rushed the steed to battle driven,
And louder than the bolts Of heaven
Far flashed the red artillery.
But redder yet those fires shall glow
And bloodier yet shall be the flow
OF Iser, rolling rapidly
Ills morn; but scarce yon level sun
Can pierce the war-clouds, rolling dun,
Where furious Frank and fiery Hun
Shout in their sulph'rous canopy.
The combat deepens. On We brave,
Who rush TO glory or the gravel
Wave, Munich all thy banners wave,
And charge with chivalry!
Few, few shall part, where many meet
The snow shall be their winding sheet;
And every turf beneath their feet
Shall be a so.lier's sepulchre.
-Thos. Campbell
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17

that the right bullet would always find
its mark, no matter how small. Then
he related an incident which occurred
during the civil war. In one of the
engagements of his commando can't
remember now whether or not he men
toned the place-a piece of shell hit
the ground near where a soldier was
standing, and scared him so badly that
he jumped straight up in the air like
a rabbit. AS he did SO minnie ball
knocked off the crown of his head.
That was the one particular bullet in
tended to kill him. said Gen. Lawton,
and he actually had to jump after it
He spoke in a light, offhand fashion,
but there was an undertone of serious
ness in his voice. and 1 inferred from
the story that he was, like most veter-
an soldiers, a pronounced fatalist. =
Golfers Weekly.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17
some ramon. nat.le crIe..

Usually the rallying cry in battles
has been the name of some single
leader or patron saint, but sometimes
it took more special and defined sig
nificance, says Answers. Eminently
effective and appropriate was that of
the charging Huguenots at Ivry, when
Remember st. Bartholomew" was
passed from man to mana politico-
religious harangue in three words.
Sir John Astley's prayer in front of
his troops at Naseby's, is, in its way,
Incompatible: 20 Lord, thou knowest
how busy I must be this day. If for
get thee, yet do not thou forget me.
March on, boys!" In remarkable con-
trast, and typical, it may be, not less
ST the age than of the man, are the
dare devil words of the leader of the
Light Brigade at Balaklaya: Here
goes the last Of the Cardigansl"
The observation recorded of Nelson
at the commencement of the battle Of
the Nile: "A peerage or Westminster
abbey" has become historical. Will
liam His words to the French Prot
estant refugees at the Boyne still live
in the lines of an Orange song:
God will be our king this day,
And I'll be general under"
There is a suspicion of self-con-
seriousness about Francis is letter
after Pavia: "All is lost except honor"
There is, however, an unmistakable
odor of the lamp in the address of Ma
poleon to his army before the battle
with the Mamelukes: From the sum-
NIT of yonder pyramids twenty cen
turtles look down upon YOU"
There is a proud ring of triumph in
Commodore Perry's dispatch to his
government after the capture of the
British fiotilla on Lake Erie: I'VE
have met the enemy, and they are
ours"
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17
Lawton's Fatalism.

A western orator recently attributed
to Gen. Lawton the dying speech of
"Bucky" O'Neil, of the Rough Riders.
who was struck in the mouth by bull
let at San Juan just after he had re-
marked that the bullet had not been
made which could hit him. A brother
oficer of Gen. Lawton in the Philip
pines corrects this report in this wise:
Il had remarked, half jestingly, that
he offered very conspicuous target
for bullet, and he laughed and replied
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17
CHAPTTR XXXv.

The Last OF Antonio I'll Cubano.
The trial came on in a couple of days
after, and proceeded with a celebrity
unknown in England or Scotland eth
er. We were all examined, and pre-
viously were sworn, not on Bible,
but over two sword blades held in the
form of a cross-for such is the old
chivalric custom in a Spanish court
of law.
Without hesitation the judges found
Antonio guilty; he was sentenced to
die by the garotte, and heard his doom
with apparent apathy.
The tindal of the Lascars was re-
leased, as it would appear that he had
acted under compulsion; but Benito
Ojedo and eight other Spanish sea-
men were sentenced to work in the
Notifications or on the highways for
ten years, in chains, as felons or gall
ley slaves.
A few days later we found a great
crowd of colonists, citizens, mulattoes,
creoles and negroes. all in motley and
gaudily striped linen jackets and trou-
sers, assembled in the Plaza, where a
guard of Spanish infantry, with mus
kets shouldered and bayonets fixed,
kept back the people in the form of a
hollow square about raised wooden
platform, which was covered with
black cloth and wherein was placed
the garotte.
what is all this about?" we asked.
at is for the execution of Antonio,
Cuban pirate, who is to die by the
garotte," replied a soldier.
ITO be continued.)
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17
THAcKERAY's oENTLER SIDE
Years of Perfect Happiness-His Own
and His Wife's Love.

The following letter was written in
1888 by Thackeray to his wife:
"Here have we been two years mar
ried and not a single unhappy day.
Oh, 1 do bless God for all this happf-
ness which he has given me! 1t is so
great that l almost tremble for the fu-
ture, except that l humbly hope-for
what man is certain about his own
weakness and wickedness? Our love is
strong enough to withstand any pres
sure from without, and, as it is a gift
greater than any fortune, is likewise
one superior to poverty, or sickness, or
any other worldly evil with which
providence may visit US. Let us pray,
as l trust there is no harm, that none
of these may come upon us, as the best
and wisest in the world prayed that
he might not be led into temptation.
81 think happiness is as good as
prayers and feel in my heart a kind
of overlooking thanksgiving which is
quite too great to describe in writing.
This kind of happiness is like a fine
picture; you only see little b.. of 1t
when you are near the canvas. Go a
little distance and then you see how
beautiful 1t is.
L don't know that shall have done
much by coming away, except by be-
ing so awfully glad to get back"
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17
CHAPTER XxxIv.
The Homeward Voyage.

y, Inc Homeward Voyage.
~ heart beat happily; l was no
III a lonely maroon, but on the
road to home and Old England.
were rescued by ship hailed by
POP and the others.
IL mad several days of the finest
1s,Oal weather, and they passed un-
F,Aed by a greater incident than
s shoal Of dolphins, sparkling
ICY surged through the brine; the
[s'y lying fish leap from one green
LV slope to another, while the
crooked fin of the stealthy shark
~ as usual in the trough Of the
aVe'ween; a piece of weedy drift
f. With Mother Cary's chickens or
ms.osses, floating near 1t, or perhaps
~e horizon the topsails of vessel
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17
Elephants as Nurses.

Siamese women intrust their chill
dren to the care of elephants, who are
careful never to hurt the liltle crea-
lures, and If danger threatens, the sa-
gacious animal will curl the child gent
" up In his trunk and swing 1t up
and out of harms way upon its own
broad back.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17

He-"To prove the sincerity Of my
Intentions. have bought this solitaire
adornment for your engagement fin
ger" She-'I must say, my friend.
that your speech has the true ring
Boston Courier.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17
CAMPFIRE SKETCHES.
SOME SHORT STORIES FOR
THE VETERANS.

Tho UeadIess HorSeman-A sight That
Struck Terror to the Hearts of Soldiers
Soldiers at Play Iawton's Fatalism
famous Battle Cries.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-07-17

When man takes to drink he gen.
orally takes to too many
New-York tribune., 1900-10-29
STRICKEN AT BARGE OFFICE.
NAJEEB ARBEELY. AN IMMIGRANT IN
sPECTOR, a VICTIM OF PARALYSIS.

NAJEEB ARBEELY, AN IMMIGRANT IN
sPECTOR, a VICTIM OF PARALYSIS.
While sitting in the Barge Office talking to
several friends about o'clock last night, Najeeb
Arbeely. an immigrant inspector. was suddenly
stricken with paralysis. He and his friends
were laughing and joking. when his arms
dropped at his sides and his head fell forward
his chest.
His friends rushed to his assistance and Mr.
Arbeely was hardly able to speak, An ambu-
lance was summoned from the Hudson Street
Hospital, and he was removed there in a serious
condition. The ambulance surgeon said he had
received a paralytic stroke. Mr.. ArbeeIy, be-
sides being immigrant inspector. is a mem
ber of the Board Of Special Inquiry at the
Barge Office. He speaks eleven languages,
mostly Oriental and looks after the Oriental
immigrants who arrive at this port.
During the Administration OF President
Grant, it is said that Arbeely was attached TO
the Consulate-General in Egypt. Later he
published the "Kawkab America" a Syrian
newspaper. in this city. He holds a decora-
tion from the Sultan Of Turkey, and his father
was a Turkish official. He was graduated from
the University of Tennessee, studied law and
was admitted to the bar in Tennessee and New
York. He is married and lives in Ocean-ave,
BROOKLYN.