davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27

my property with partner Pierre La
valle."
He smiled sadly.
This very evening the ten years ex-
pire. If the good Alvarado wishes
to keep his promise he has not much
time left
Two knocks were heard on the door.
There he is now"
He opened the door. He saw before
him a man of large stature, white hair
and beard with the mien of cowboy
and the color of cinnamon.
The visitor addressed him in Span
ish:
Excuse me-" he said. II am late.
You are Mr.. Lavalle?"
"Yes," replied Pierre astonished.
II am Alvarado."
The youA.s man nearly dropped the
lamp.
Alvarado continued:
II have come to pay my debt"
Good" thought Pierre, cit will en-
able me to buy some clothes so I can
see her again."
AIvarado continued: II have made
my fortune, bring you our accounts
as we are partners. Aside from my
personal property which deduct, we
possess between 90,000,000 and 1o0.-
100000 francs. The half of these have
been realized and 25,O0O,O francs are
at your disposal"
The the lamp fell.
"Good," continued Alvarado, you
are content. 1t is natural. That en-
courages me to demand something Of
you. prefer that the money remain
in my family and my family is COM
posed of my sister and my niece.'
Disappointment. Pierre had vision
of his magnificent Chilian and re-
NAMED silent.
II wish that you marry my niece.
You know her already. She is named
Anita Pena."
Pierre threw himself upon the cow
boy and covered his white head with
kisses, while he sobbed for happi-
ness.
"And this" concluded Landa, els
what it is to give 1000 francs to .
+ Chilean who seeks his fortune.
II wish I could find one like him
to stake" groaned Langrume.
| A beggar passed and asked aims in
a piteous voice. Langrume turned
away. why do not the police arrest
these vagabonds?" he growled.
1T will bring you good luck to give
him money" said Landa.
The banker took a franc from his
pocket.
MAKE him write a memorandum in
your Journal" said Songeres.
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27

mas met the test, as all the world now
ADMITS, with success, and on his re-
turn Will receive loyal and patriotic
welcome from the whole people. Yet
throughout the gravest and most try
ing part of his service, General Otis
was far from being held in general ap-
PROBATION. He was sharply criticised
IN the press, blamed for the censorship
which he did not institute, and charged
with incompetence on account of the
very minuteness and industry with
winch he discharged the almost end
less duties Of his Office. The change
OF sentiment with regard to General
otls, and the honor in which he is now
held, are certain proof of the unwis-
dom and injustice of condemning a
public servant when he is attacked by
the press, before he has had cnance
to show whether or not he can do his
duty.
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
Wonderful Variable stars.

In studying the variations in the
light of certain stars in the cluster
known as "Messier g." Professor Bail
ey has found one star whose changes
are SO rapid that in thirty minutes it
gains more than an entire magnitude;
in other words, becomes more than
two and half times as bright as it
was at the beginning. Several others
vary with a rapidity almost equally
startling. Their entire period of yari-
ability from one maximum to the next
is about half day, but they gain light
much quicker than they lose it, It
seems impossible to regard such stars
as suns in the sense of our sun.
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
For the G. A. r. s.afr.


David e. BEEN. commander of the
Department of Indiana, G.. A. R., re-
Gently made public this list of recon-
mendations of veterans from the In
diana department for appointment as
a1des-de-camp on the staff of the COM
mander-in-chief of the Grand Army Of
the Republic:
Daniel w. Wheeler. Terre Haute,
regular army officer stationed at st.
Louis; William D. Mccullough, Bra
zil; A. S. Mccormick, Lafayette; Will
J. Crisler, Greensburg; Michael Ho-
gan, Wabash; Tarvin G.. Grooms,
Greencastle; John B. Winter. Logans-
port; A. S. Reel. Vincennes; Garrett
H. Shower, Indianapolis; John G. Ed
wards, Shelbyville; John l.. Kessler,
Seymour; John F. Hammel, Madison;
Robert w. Harrison, Lebanon; Gran
vile B. Ward, Monticello; William H.
Johnston, indianapolis; E. M. Woody,
Martinsville; John Marsh Stevens,
Rushville; T. H. Sudburg, Bloomine
ton; William H. Ward, Salem; R. N.
Null, Worthington; Frederick L. THE
baud, Vevay; John H. Willie, Indian
apolis; Fremont E. Sunft, Indianapolis;
Ezra M. Stahl. Hartford City: Simeon
A. Snyder, Bedford; Lewis M. Spots,
Ram; David H. Olive. Indianapolis;
Uriah Coulson, Sullivan; Hiram MUIR
ply, Gosport; George L. Gegner, Ridge
vile; Henry M. Bronson, Indianapolis;
John L. Colby, Flat Rock; John w.
Woods, Indianapolis; John A. Abbott,
West indianapolis; Wilbur E. Gorsuch,
South Bend; l. N. Medsker, Ft. Wayne
and Adam H. Kline. JamesborU.
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27

or the sun. She welcomed him as she
did others and her mother seemed to
like him. What did that signify?
Pierre was an impossibility. In debt;
up to his neck he passed through the
most humiliating period Of his life,
fhe chief OF his bureau warned him
that he must either settle with his
creditors or the bureau would be COM
PEELED to dispense with his services.
One evening the poor boy sat with
his head is his hands rejecting upon
his situation. The thought of suicide
entered his brain. A tiny fire burned
In his stove; the lamp with little oil
fickered. He was cold and hungry,
and he felt himself alone and without
a sympathetic friend like an animal
dying in a cave. In the midst of his
distress there came vision of the
Chilian belle and knowing that his
clothes were no longer presentable,
that his patent leather boots were
cracked and that no tailor would give
him credit, his desire for death be,
came greater as he realized that he
could not again meet his goddess.
Mechanically he raised himself and
went to the box where he kept his
souvenirs in the hope that he might
find some Jewel that he could sell.
Some portraits, yellowing letters, locks
OF hair, notes. and leaves and dry
flowers were crushed under his hand.
He encountered the journal of travels
and turned over the pages. The notes
on Chile awakened his interest. 1t
was there that she had been born.
Il was twenty years old then," he
sighed, How could have known of
the misery in store for me?"
He read the lines written by Alva-
rado: "In ten years promise to share
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
An Investment.
RY I II RnsNY

r BY j. II. ROSNY.
Translated by Mrs. Moses P. Handy.
'(Copyrighted 1900: Daily Story Pub. COD
We were strolling along the shore
OF the believing sea. The waves were
magnificent. They advanced in cara
vans, crested with foam, singing crys-
tai songs, they came with great cries
and falling upon the rocks left long
trails OF snow. Rapid, irritable, angry,
humberless, they assailed the cliffs,
sometimes like gorgeous garden of
white and green flowers, sometimes
roaring like ferocious troops of bears,
elephants and lions.
Look" exclaimed I.anda, "There
goes Lavalle."
All turned. In little phateon, they
saw man still young by whose side
was woman Of the Iberian type; one
Of those ravishing beauties who arouse
desire, hate and jealousy in every
mans breast.
He's in luck that fellow" mur-
INJURED the banker Langrume when the
phateon had passed. "By q single
stroke be became owner of 90,000,O0O
francs, and the prettiest woman to be
found from pole to pole. And have
worked thirty years to get my beg
garly half dozen millions"
you are envious," answered Landa.
Don't you know that Lavalle owes his
fortune and his wife to good specu-
lation. It all came from an invest
ment of exactly 1000 francs"
Fifteen years ago our friend Pierre
Lavalle was a lucky young fellow of
20 years. He was rich, good-looking.
robust in health, and of nature to
avail himself of his advantages. His
father sent him around the world. In
Chile he had as guide most intel
pigent man of excellent family and
between them friendship arose. The
guide pretended to have discovered rich
veins of silver in the mountains, but
he feared to be forestalled and dared
TRUST no one. At the moment of their
separation Pierre offered him a thou
sand francs. Jose Alvarado thanked
him with dignified air and said:
In ten years I shall be ricn and
you are my partner"
journal this memorandum:
"In ten years l promise to share my
property with my partner, Pierre La
vale. Jose Alvarado.
Santiago, Nov. 20, 1885,"
y Ten years later. Pierre Lavalle was
completely ruined. His father died of
despair after unlucky speculations and
left the son only heritage of debt.
The poor boy was forced to accept a
Elerkship in a government office.
None the less he still went about in
society. AS he did not try to borrow
money from anybody, as he talked
well and looked well the best hostesses
asked him to their houses. One even
dng he attended ball given by rich
Argentinian, Don Estevan Zuloaga.
Nhe affair was dazzling. All the South
Americans in Paris were there, includ-
tng many ravishing beauties. Pierre
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
THE wl:sp. :

Soy you toss the kites on high
And blow the birds about the sky:
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies' skirts across the grass
wind. a-blowing all day long,
wind. that sings SO loud song!
I saw the different things you did,
But always you yourself you hid. i
I felt you push. heard you call,
could not see yourself at all j
wind. a-blowing all day long,
y wind. that sings SO loud song!
o you that are SO strong and cold,
Q blower, are you young or old?
Are you beast Of field and tree,
Or Just stronger child than me? =.
wind, a-blowing all day long.
o wind. that sings so loud song!
Robert Louis Stevenson.
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
Soldiers, Hard Lot in China.


The lot of the American troops IN
China has been far from happy, ac-
cording to the Tientsin correspondent
of the London Daily Mail He says:
There is a constant friction be-
tween the troops Of the allies, and al
ready there is covert taking of sides
and getting into line for the severance
which officers and men alike feel is
practically certain to come. The
Frenchmen, Germans, Russians, Aus
trians and Italians are gravitatlng to-
gether, not so much because their in
terests are. identical, but because Of
their common jealousy and dislike of
England and the United States. Mean
while Japan sits on the fence. FIRE.
quent misunderstanding are resulting.
The soldiers of one nationality are be-
ing killed or wounded by men of 9TH
ers. Numerous British, Americans,
and Sikhs are the principal sufferers.
chiefly at the hands of the French
sentries. who shoot on short notice.
These mishaps have resulted in
grudges and bitterness. One sore point
with the Americans was the shelling
of their men at long range by the
French troops in Pekin. No harm was
done, fortunately, but this does not
prevent the Americans from cursing
the French for lot of stupid blum
derers. The Russians are also exc
Grated for killing one American SOL
dier and wounding another at Tang
Tsun by shell which really seems to
have been fired by British gun, but
John Bull is given the benefit of the
doubt. Probably all this petty fric-
ton, though irritating, may lead to
nothing more serious than cold looks
exchanged between officers of different
nationalities and between soldiers in
the crowded streets of Pekin and Tien-
tsin. But some such trifle may pro-
woke spark and start an information
al conflagration of which no man can
foresee the quenching."
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
To Protect the Great Redwood,.

1t was reported at the recent meet
ing of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science that the
redwood forests of the Pacific coast
are now practically all in the hands of
private owners who hold them for
numbering purposes. Since the red
wood rivals the gigantic sequoia in
size and interest, it is deemed a mat
ter of scientific Importance that it
should be preserved, and the associa-
ton approved the action of its botani-
cal section in favoring the purchase
and preservation of public park in
the Santa Cruz mountains covering
more than 25,o00 acres. and occupied
largely by the primeval redwood for
rest.
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
.NgE AND
'lRoGRESS

for the development OF the muscles,
but for that of the brain as we'll" It
is becoming evident, he said, that as
much time should be devoted to mus
cular exercise as to Intellectual exer-
else, and children should begin read
ing and writing only after they are
nine years old. Muscular fatigue ex-
hibits phenomena identical with in7
tellectual fatigue. Nerve cells show
on the average every ten seconds a
tendency to rest. 1t is probable that
only part of the brain is active at the
time; the various parts relieve each
other. The more mobile any animals
extremeties are, the more intelligent,
other things being equal, he is.
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
Chlna's Coal Fields.

China contains some of the richest
coal deposits in the world. Last fall
Professor Drake of Tientsin visited thn
coal fields in the province of So
which were examined by Baron
Richthofen in 1870, and fou1d that
they are of immense extent. The coal
area is said to be greater than that of
Pennsylvania, and the anthracite coal
alone contained in these fields has
been estimated at 630,O00,OOO tons.
The Shansi coal beds are so thick and
lie so uniformly in a horizontal posi-
ton that the practicability has been
suggested of running long lines of
railroad tunnels through the beds so
that the cars can be loaded in the
mines all ready for distant transpor-
tation.
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
Latest in Apartment Houses.

The latest innovation in New York
apartment houses is combination OF
hotel and private dwelling. There are
the usual suites on each floor, and. in
addition, number Of bedrooms, fur.
nished by the owner Of the house. and
rented by the night or week to occu.
pants Of flats who have friends visit
ing them, says the Houston Post. This
experiment has proved immensely sue
cessful, landlords say, and the side line
Of guest chambers is sure to be i'm
ciuded in every well regulated apart
ment building hereafter.
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
An Enormous crx.ta1.

Recent notices in newspapers con-
corning crystal of spodumene twen-
ty-nine feet in length, said to be the
largest known, have led Professor
Montgomery of Toronto to describe in
scientific journals crystal Of that
mineral which he measured in the
Eta tin mine in the Black Hills in
1885, and which was no less than thir-
ty-eight feet six inches in length and
tEirty-two inches in thickness. IL was
almost perfect in form. Spodumene is
grayish-white or pink mineral almost
as hard as quartz.
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
Ancient "smooth-Bores."

Two Of the old cannon which the
English took from the French in 1745
and threw into the harbor Of Louis
bourg have now been brought to To-
ronto. They are among number re-
Gently fished out Of Louisbourg har-
Dor and have been purchased by the
government. The cannon have been
lying at the bottom Of the sea for $50
years. Each cannon is about nine feet
long and weighs over 5000 pounds.
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
expire.

admired Spanish beauties with the en-
thusiasm OF the old romancers. Those
eyes where voluptuousness distilled
their magic, those delicious curves of
the figure, those little feet light and
trembling, those magnificent mouths
created for kissing aroused in Pierre
an ecstatic drunkenness. Don Esta-
van had sought to, bring together the
richest human flowers of the Plata,
Peru, Chile, and Mexico. The scene
nearly turned the head of Pierre
when he entered.
But the grace and beauty of all the
other women was dimmed in his eyes
when he perceived young Chilian on
the arm of young and handsorr q
Spaniard. With skin as clear as q
blondes but Of wonderful smooth
ness, with eyes that absorbed the light
and emitted it again in dazzling cleo
trio rays; with divine mouth as in
nocent as<voluptuous; with graceful
rhythmic walk, and the sweep Of her
undulating curves she seemed to pos
sess the auintessence of the charms
and seductions of twenty exquisite
women.
Pierre was overcome with the des-
pair that follows too violent admira-
zion. The love OF such creature
seemed to him something unattainable,
thing to which man could aspire
only by genious heroism or some
other great quality. During the en-
tire evening each time she passed near
the vplace whore he sat watching he1
dancing or walking, "a wave OF pas.
) 1sionate alteration and sadness surged
through his being.
He saw her again. He was intro
duced to her ana an time to her
mother. During the winter he loved
her silently and without the least
hope. What right had he to covet such
love hundred men, the elite Of
Paris would have killed themselves
for her. And shs was fabulously rich,
80 1e loved her as one loves inac.
eessible things, the clouds, the starr
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
Mourning for Ancestors PORTRAIT.

A fire brolss out recently in the 4
ace of the emperor of Korea at {
and completely destroyed the sal -
ary, where tie mortuary tablets q
imperial family are kept. The
Dental part Of the palace seen. ),
have escaped uninjured. A fna l
question will be the issue Of thi (
lamity. Funeral rites, erecting
tombs and constructing Of cenotapA.
are Immensely costly operations In
Korea. and there is no money At pres
ent in the imperial exchequer. Az :
first step the Korean court went into
mourning for three days because tho
portraits Of the imperial ancestors
were destroyed In the co1Aagratien.'
All ofncialdom robsd itself h whats.
and the, inmates Of the palace wore
sackcloth and Jared retighly. -
lany Brown. in Chicago Record.
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
Muscles and Brain.

In one Of his recent lectures at
Clark University. Prof. Angelo Mosso
of Turin averred that Physical edu-
catfish and gymnastics serve not only
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
SOPHIA, THE HEROINE.

SOPHlA, IHE HEROINE.
possible to place beneath table ana
lay upon the top as sentinel.
1t was past midnight when General
Spinner, then treasurer, made his
nightly round. He had long made it
habit to sleep in the building and
to make personal survey Of the de,
partment at midnight.
The negress listened and realizini
whom it was called out to him AM
made her discovery known. Noted flo
his profanity, General Spinner is sait
to have made use of his powers upoL
this occasion, and expressed his wrath
in fiery volume. The frightened
woman, at his command, followed
trembling to room above, where at.
that unusual hour committee meet
ing WAS called. She was absolved
from/ k1ame and allowed to feturn
to (which she did rejoicing.
lnppon her deed OF
|l. (;;s;:1;': : J: :: $:
packages Of money from one elnpioye
to another, at the highest salary paid
to the laborers in the government en-
ploy, which is $50 month.
This position she retained until her
death, always carrying herself with
dignity which won the respect of all
her superior officers.
On another occasion she detected a
man stealing $4,000 from the count
ing room of the treasury and caused
his arrest and the return of the money.
Sophia Holmes was born in George
town, Va, and was married to Mel,
choir Holmes, whose freedom she pur-
chased with her own earnings. He
lost his life in the civil war.
Sophia Holmes was over 70 years OF
age, how much she herself was un-
able to tell, for as much as she was
associated with figures she had no
memory for dates.
Mr.. Sample. now treasurer Of the
United States, requested her to sit for
the accompanying sketch and as she
did SO she remarked 'I'm gettin' ready
to die now; specs it's most time.
cause I'm gettin' my picture sketched.
I've been honest, and I'm glad to give
the world that record"
EDITH A. NOBLE.
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
Attacks Army Trial System.

Frank P. Blair, the attorney en-
ployed by o. M. Carter, the former en-
gineer officer of the army who is i'm
prisoned at the Leavenworth peniten-
tiary for misuse Of public funds, has
made spirited attack on the system
of military justice. In a brief, which
he has filed in connection with the at
tempt to secure Carter's release, he
says: Less than three years ago
there were subject to trial by court
martial only $4,000 soldiers, all serving
within the borders of our forty-five
states and four territories. Now the
summary jurisdiction of these tribu-
nails embraces some 100000 people,
for the most part civilians of an alien
and partly subjected race. If we are to
believe the official reports of the COM
manders in the Philippine islands as
published in the newspapers, men are
being executed for offenses scarcely or
not at all known to the civil law, with
out trial by jury, on the verdict of
from five to thirteen men, unframed
in the law, unskilled in weighing evil
dence. and on the mere approval Of a
soldier in command Of a military dis
trict. 1t is precisely the same system
unimproved in century and half in
this country, long since abandoned in
the place of its birth, under which
Admiral Byng was shot to death, as
Voltaire said, to encourage the 9th
ers.' The same system under which
Fitz John Porter was unjustly con-
demned, woman was hanged and Mil
ligan escaped only. because our federal
Supreme Court staid the illegal SEN
fenceD
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27

Yopng ladies should set good sxasa.
anaraes 4 they rant young msn t.
follow them. az 81
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27
General Otis.

The return to the United States of
Major General Otis, at his own re-
quest, after more than two years OF
arduous and most exacting service, car
ries with it lesson, an admonition,
which it would be well for Americans
to heed. General Otis comes back a
successful mar, n,with the peculiar credit
OF having discharged with excellent
results duties without precedent in the
American military service, combining
a great amount of civi, administration
with the actual conduct Of difficult
war and the solving Of hard business
problems OF transportation and sub
sistence. He has had to settle all sorts
Of questions even religious ones He
The Leon reporter., 1900-12-27

GRAIN-SOWING APPARATUS.
toward the outlet as long as the end is
held downward and the gate left open.
Owing to the length of the tube the
area covered at each swing is consider,
ably greater than could be seeded by
hand.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-08

ing men of the nation; at 20 he was
the confidant of Washington, and at
Il he had mastered the intricate sub
ject of finance.
In our day Sir William Rowan Ham
ilton. whom Wordsworth declared to
be one of the two most wonderful men
he had ever known Che other was
Coleridge), was a still greater marvel
of precocity. When but years and 5
months old he read Latin. Greek. and
Hebrew, the last with the points; at
s he had acquired French and Italian,
and could extemporize in Latin a de-
scription of a landscape through which
he walked; at he had a fair knowl-
edge of Arabic, and was eagerly be-
ginning sanscrit. Before he had COM
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-08

Moscheles, the latter wrote in his
diary: "rhis afternoon ! gave Felix
Mendelssohn his first lesson. without
losing sight for a single moment of
the fact that ] was sitting next to a
master, not a pupl." At 16, the youth
read Wieland's Shakespeare. and. with
all the vigor of he eagle sunplr,S in mis-
newly perfected opinions, threw off the
immortal overture to the "Midsum-
mer Nights Dream" When the boy,
Nicolo Paganini, was sent to Parma
to study under Alessandro Rolla. the
great musician, on hearing him play,
told him to go home. he could teach
him nothing. The result Mas the same
when young Turner, destined to such
eminence as painter, was sent to
school to learn drawing. A short time
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-08
SOME MARvELs OF PREooc1Ty.
Childhood Accomplishments of Sew
eral Great Men.

The stories told in biographies of the
precocity OF many eminent men al
most stagger belief, Yet no fact re-
garding great men is better attested
than that the mental faculties of a
large proportion of them-especially
great artists. poets and scholars-were
developed early. Mozart, who could
write tunes when years old, was the
despair Of his instructors, who could
teach him nothing. At the age of Z
he astonished the Parisians by his per-
Torrance on the organ and by his i'm
provisation, and published two Of his