davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Weekly Tallahasseean., 1900-09-20

fered to dig out stumps fur rs, cents a
day, he couldn't hit a job. He had
made up his mind to hang himself
when he found a stray mewl in the
woods. He knew he ought to advertise
the mewl and restore him to his owner,
but dishonesty carried the day. He
sold the critter to the f1rEt man who
would buy. and with the $12 he re-
cefved he went into politics and pushed
along until he finally became one Of the
greatest men Of his time. He lived
fur 80 years after stealth that mewl,
and he was honored and respected
and had a good time and died lamented
by all"
That's tally mark on the negative
side" said the deacon. land the p'ints
seem to be about even"
But whar did Jonas git his facts?"
asks Ebenezer.
'iWhar did you git yours?' asked Jo-
mas in reply.
The deacon said the speakm had best
continue, and he called upon Aaron
Bradshaw, who was on the affirmative
side. fur his argument.
"Foller me back to the days Of julius
Caesar" began Aaron, with wave of
his hand. but when he had got that fur
both Ebenezer and Jonas tried to yell
him down and appeal to the referee.
"I've got to give Aaron fair show" "
replied the deacon. IF he wants to be
follered back to the days of Julius
Caesar, this society has got to tag along
behind him. It's rather a GURUS coin
cidence that the three of you want tc
| be follpred hack to the same man, but
The Weekly Tallahasseean., 1900-09-20

ClantOn. Ala, March 8, 1877 GER
tify that have been cured of kidney
and bladder troubles by Halls Great
Discovery, (St. Louis), and can fully
recommend it. Rev. L. B. POUNDS.
The Weekly Tallahasseean., 1900-09-20

w. b. HENDERSON,
Chairman.
Attest-P. @. WALL, Secretary.
The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-12-27


score or even four OF 1901 AND 1901.
score and ten, ventured out to take the
first view of the locomotive or perhaps
a first ride on the "steam cars" AS
for bicycles, horseless carriages and
the transmission of the human voice
by wire for hundreds of miles, the in
ventor who predicted them in 1901
might have escaped burning for witch
craft, but he would have been in dan
ger of the ducking pond.
Other marvels that would have shock
ed the most credulous In 1901 are the
typewriting machine, the typesetting
machine and the six and eight decker
printing press, three stories high and
turning out $4,000 or more complete
folded newspapers per hour.
The protector of cars for city streets
on the surface would have been looked
upon as a dangerous schemer. Much
more would the idea of elevated tracks
or swift motors for busy tboroughfares
have been looked upon as harebrain-
ed invention doomed to ridiculous fail
ure.
Republicans and Federalists were
the chief opposing political parties in
1901, and Jefferson was the prophet of
the former, having been elected on that
ticket in 1900. Burr was the prince OF
The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-12-27

Of the past generation. Their Christ
mas lasts until after New Years. With
their ancestors, however. life In this
quiet and distant land was an almost
perpetual Christmas.
Now, as In former times, the vii
layers make presents more Of useful
nature than otherwise, such as poul-
try, vegetables, fruits and perhaps
sheep or an Andalusian pony. The re-
turn presents are Of equal value. This
is a point of honor, and to return
bauble to the donor Of valuable pres
ent would subject that person to end
less ridicule.
On New Years day the principal don
Of the village or settlement gives a
grand dinner, to which everybody Is in
vited. And they generally come. The
don In the olden days sent his major
domo around with verbal invitation
for everybody to honor the don by at
tending his annual New Years din
ner. Now there is not 80 much for
mality. This dinner lasts all day and
the next or as long as any Of the
guests continue to honor the host by
their presence.
Tables are arranged under arbors,
and the barbecued meats. the fruits.
wines and other edibles which have
been collected for the past week are
served by the pretty senoritas Of the
don's household, some Of his numerous
relatives OF course assisting in dispens-
ing the honors. During the day there
are the usual horse racing, cooking
mains and perhaps a bullfght. The
latter, however, is not so fashionable
now as in the early and good old
days"
In the evening the amusements lead
off with what is called the lottery of
love" BY this lottery it is determined
who are to be sweethearts for the COM
ing year. The name Of each young
lady present Is written upon slip OF
paper and placed in a box, and the
another box. A little girl and little
boy are blindfolded, and each draws q
name simultaneously. The senior and
senorita thus mated by chance are tC
be "compadros." or companions. for thu
year beginning with that evening. Tht
senor must accompany her to every
feast baile or public entertainment
that takes place in the village or set
tlement. At least he must invite her
end If she refuse he is then at libert
to invite some one else. When tn
couple are not happily mated, this re
fusal Is usually the case, and, Will
both understand that the Cupids hav
mismated them, the formalities mus
; be kept up nevertheless.
, After this lottery the baile. or "gra
dance" Is announced by the ion. wh
The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-12-27
IlUeaI SIU6 OI HIc
played on the harp
sicord, with very

embracing half the AND ITS SUCCESSOR.
front of the colonial mansion, was
lighted with tallow candles, and after
the crane had been swung back, sup
per being over. logs were piled high IN
the fireplace to furnish both heat and
light. They did have fiddlers, and they
did have the minuet in 1901, two In
stitutions to enliven the monotony OF
q sparsely peopled land and encourage
sociable ways.
The war with France, fought on the
sea, was staple topic of conversation,
and Commodore Truxton was the naval
hero whose exploits were celebrated In
fireside tales. The stanchness OF the
wooden ships, the closeness of the ac-
tions, the daring of the boarders and
the effectiveness Of the American hull
shots were features Of the fighting to
glory over. The land battles talked
The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-12-27

intrigue and the prince Of notoriety as
we'll and sat In the vice presidential
chair. Hamilton was a leading FEEDER
alist, and the storm was brewing which
was to end in his death at the hands of
Burr.
The center of population at the be-
ginning of the century was in Mary
land, near Baltimore, and it took 80
years of progress westward to transfer
it as far as about Parlersburg, w. Va.
The people spread from the Atlantic
coast between Boston and Phi]adel-
phia, north and south, but emigration
beyond the Ohio was very slow.
And, after all, the most startling fact
of the nineteenth century, one unparal-
leled in the history Of civilization, Is
the development Of the United States
of America from narrow belt Of po-
lltically disorganized, weak and jeal-
GUS colonies into a realm stretching
across a continent and holding rank
among the nations of the earth as first
in wealth. first in enterprise, first in in
telligence.
The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-12-27

In few Howery compliments again
thanks his guests, and the baile opens
with contra dance, the first step be-
ing a half turn to the right and en-
brace partners, the senor very delicate
ly putting his arms around the senorita
as If about to waltz. This figure Of the
dance is omitted only when intimate
friends compose the "set." 1t Is very
pretty figure, and the grace with which
the senor makes a feint to embrace
the shy senorta is captivating.
Casqueronis are still In vogue, and 1t
Is high compliment to senor when
senorita crumbles one Of these egg
shells of gilt spangles and cologne over
his head. He must then ask her to
dance with him, and. though she may
refuse, he should ask again, for that Is
why she did 1t. Not to ask for dance
In return for this testimonial is con-
sidered to be a slight.
At midnight there is supper cf
fruit, cakes. wines and other light del
icacles. The dance Is resumed and
continues until morning. When the
festivities are at the highest, the cas-
queronis are brought into action more
lively. When they begin to fly like
snowballs, the senor1tas also begin to
let down their hair. AS rule the hair
Of the senorita Is as black as night, and
1t falls to her waist. A number Of
pretty Spanish Mexican ladies, dressed
in the brightest colors, with their hair
hanging loose over their shoulders. II q
picturesque sight. The particles Of
eggshells and colored bits Of paper give
to the hair the appearance of being
powdered or as II the senoritas had
The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-12-27
THE GOOD OLD
DAYS OF 1901.
BY G. LUTHER LANGDON.

"7T is so difficult when the mind
I8 Is filled with modern environ
ment to apprehend the COM
IXDRI parative poverty Of the past
The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-12-27

about were border skirmishes between
men in buckskin bearing flintlocks and
painted savages armed with toma-
hawks and bows.
Kentucky was on the wild border in
1901, and the Mississippi valley. as
well as the gulf states and all beyond
the Rockies, was peopled with In
dians, Spaniards and French. The
New Englander called it 'going west"
II he took up home beyond the Hud-
son in New York or PENIS woods.
Maine had no political existence, be-
ing part Of Massachusetts, and the
Mexican west coast was scarcely
known to the people Of the states.
Hence the phrase, From Maine to
California" had yet to be invented to
express the wide extent of the land of
Washington.
Ohio in 1901 was a new territory
knocking for admission as a state,
while Indiana, Michigan and Illinois,
also Minnesota, were in the Northwest
Territory. Chicago was undreamed Of
then, for Fort Dearborn hadn't been
built.
Communication between towns was
by means Of common dirt roads, for
the principles Of Telford and Macadam
had not yet been adopted. Water was
supplied in towns and villages by pri-
vate and public wells, and the town
pump was rival for the tavern as a
gathering place for gossips. There
were no artificial means for lifting wa
cI DC Pow frih hrIf
Water was the only power outside of
muscle for driving machinery. Lum-
ber was cut by upright saws, and plan
ing was all done by hand. Moving and
reaping were done by hand, and the
songs of the haymakers and harvest
ers, as they swung in irregular line
across the fields, filed with music the
valleys which now tremble under the
clamor of the modern machine.
Far easier is it for the dreamer of
1901 to conjure up the picture of the
dawn of the nineteenth century than
for the dreamer Of the past to look for
ward hundred years. For that day
illuminating gas was a startling inven-
ton when it pushed aside the oil lamp
for public illumination. The candle,
however, held its place for so years
until petroleum cast it into the shade.
Electricity was power to be feared,
not to be utilized, and it required two
generations of experience with the tel
egraph to reveal the motor power and
the Illuminating qualities locked up In
the invisible currents that scientists Of
today declare fill the air above and the
earth and waters beneath.
The locomotive and the steamship
belong to about the same period as the
telegraph, and, If not invented togeth-
er, their Introduction into general use
10
The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-12-27
Paid Dear For His Log.

B. D. Blanton of Thackerville, Tex,
in two yeors paid over 100000 to doctors
to cure Running Sore on his leg.
Then they wanted to cut it off, but he
cured it with one box of Bucklen's Ar
MICA Salve Guaranteed cures Piles. %
OTIS. box. Sold by R. w. SMITH, drug
gist. "a
The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-12-27
WHEN THE FESTIVITIES ARE AT THE HIGHEST

WHEN THE FESTIVITIES ARE AT TIE HIGHEST
been out In a snowstorm. The parti-
cles Of paper and eggshells are difficult
to weed out; hence the senoritas let
down their hair at the beginning Of the
battle of casqueronis. 1t is a very
pretty custom, and this, with the lot
terry Of love, will no doubt be continued
in these settlements as long as there
are enough descendants Of the ancient
dons to celebrate the day.
SICK HEADACHE ABSOLUTELY
and permanently cured by using Moki
Tea. A pleasant herb drink. Cures con-
stipation and indigestion. makes you eat.
sleep. work and happy. Satisfaction
guaranteed or money back, 25 cents and
! so cents. G. L. Williams, druggist.
The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-12-27

80 QlluCulL w uCh lhC lLilA
|8I is filled with modern environ
SseA ment to apprehend the COM
I&0RI parative poverty Of the past
that It Is necessary to go to sleep and
dream in order to look backward to
New Years, 1901. Greetings for the
day between friends only a couple Of
hundred miles apart came to hand
week or ten days after they were pen
ned-that is, if the mail coach didn't
get blocked by snowdrifts. In that
case, on some much travelled roads, too,
they might lie over until the spring
break up.
Fortunate dwellers in New York,
Philadelphia and Boston read news
anywhere from week to three months
old in a newspaper printed on q hand
machine much resembling letter copy
ing press of today. Other folks were
glad to have weekly or semiweekly
delivered through the mails a week or
so after it was printed.
The average man who set his heart
upon turning a new leaf for lSOl and
the nineteenth century began by cord
ing I'D his bedstead with the aid OF his
Oldest sons to drive wedge pins at ev-
cry twist of the cord. He opened his
New Years records in book made OF
paper birch bark, using quill pen and
ink pressed from wild berries.
In regions where Dutch customs pre-
vailed industrious Marthas received
their callers while they piled the spin
ming wheel or knit or sewed by hand
and the Marys who cultivated the
== == ideal side Of life
The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-12-27
NEW YEAR WITH
YANKEE DONS.
By J. NJ. sCANLAND.

HE Spanish Mexicans of Call
fornia and the southwest cele-
brate their New Years In the
kz same romantic and pastoral
style that their ancestors brought from
the mother country" This celebra-
ton is not SO replete with Acadian
simplicity, however. as in the Acadian
days before the "Americanos" came in
such large numbers. In those "good
old days that come no more" the dons
led the customs Of the country, and,
though some Of the forms are observ-
ed, the spirit, charming simplicity and
much Of the genuine hospitality have
gone with the actors who figured In
these pretty scenes. Each village still
has Its holiday observances, In which
are reproduced the beautiful customs
The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-12-27
Greeting the New Century.

The wide discrepancy between the In
dications of various timepieces, which
covers a range of perhaps quarter OF
an hour, even in clocks which enjoy
reputation of being well regulated.
naturally results in rather ragged be-
ginning of the welcome to the infant
year. The early birds have the ad-
vantage In the total amount Of noise
produced, but their premature efforts
are purely local in effect. The real
symposium Of hubbub does not make
itself heard until at the exact Instant
when the last minute of the dying year
has breathed It's last. Then 1t rolls
forth in chaotic volume, accompanied
by engine whistles, bells, firecrackers,
yells and every variety Of horn toot
that has ever been devised by the In
genuity Of man. 1t seems to endure for
many minutes without an appreciable
break, although there Is an uncon-
firmed report that individual noise
makers have been known to stop for
breath or to give their second wind a
good flying start. Chimes which in or
binary times are irresistible in sweet
ness can scarcely be heard on New
Years morning except by ears close to
the belfry or during lull in the babel
of noises all around.
n ID
The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-12-27

THE PRINTING PRESS
itants of some Sc
cluded wales, hav-
ing passed four
The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-12-27

was contemporaries
Gus, and 1t Is but
"a few years since
the oldest inhab-
The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-12-27

DYSPEPSIA CAN BE CURED BY
using Acker's Dyspepsia Tablets. One
little tablet will give immediate relief or
money refunded. Sold in handsome tin
boxes at 25cts. c. 7, Williams, druggist
The representative., 1900-01-25
LOST OK, STRAYED
Three Hundred Miliion Dollars OF
Gold-Mint DIRECTOR Cannot Ac-
count for Tha4 Much Of the Es-
timated Gold In the U, 8.

Editorial from the Chicago Daily Tribune
tStraight Republican,, Dec. 80, 1899
Lost or strayed. $500 .O00, 900 in Ameri-
can gold coin. Any person who has in
formation as to it's whereabouts will please
communicate with the director of the
mint" This is the substance Of circular
which Is about to be sent out by the direc-
tor to manufacturers of jewelry, to gold
leaf supply houses, and all dealers and
manufacturers who use the precious metals
in their work.
Let it not be supposed that the treasury
or the mint has lost three hundred mil
lions in gold coin and wants to recover
1t. Nothing so serious as that has hap
pened. What troubles the director of the
mint is that, while he knows the where
abouts of the greater part of the gold
coined in, this country since 1879, as large
a portion Of it as $500, 600, 900 has eluded
his search. It has disappeared from circu-
lation. and he does not know where 1t is.
II It has been melted down, then the mint
statistics OF the amount of gold coin in the
country are at fault. The accuracy of those
statistics was questioned recently by Pro-
fessor Faulkner. He doubted whether the
stock of coin outside the treasury and the
banks was what it has been assumed to
be. Mint Director Roberts seems to have
been impressed by Professor Faulkner's
statements. and is going to find out whether
there has been flaw in the customary mode
of calculating the amount of gold in the
country.
The mint officials have been able to Keep
close track of the gold In bars used by
jewelers., dental houses and others. They
have guessed that gold coin to the value OF
$500, 900 was melted down annually and
used in the arts 1t occurs to them now
that that guess may have been far out of
the way. Henceh20,60O circulars are to be
sent out to firms using gold in the arts
asking them to say how much gold coin
they have melted down during the present
year. II their replies indicate an annual
consumption of, say, $40, ,OOO. 900. instead of
81 900, then the director of the mint
will know where aHgood part of his three
hundred millions has gone, and he will have
to revise and cut down his estimate of
the amount of gold in circulation. But il
the replies show ethat the million and one
half guess is about right, then the mystery
as to the whereabouts of that three hun
dred millions Of gold coin will be darker
than ever.-Missouri World.
Suppose the demands of the arts
should absorb every dollar of new gold
mined, and the old stock is depleated
by abrasion, fire and shipwreck while
the world is rapidly increasing in popu-
lation. what will mankind do for
money?
Business would shrink to the measure
OF the currency, and the inhabitants of
the world fall into Chinese conditions,
with wages four cents a day. Id.
The representative., 1900-01-25
OUR CONVENTIONS.

1t was proposed, as announced in our
issue of Jan. IL, that we should hold
three conventions in st. Paul, from Feb
6 to IL, of the Farmers Alliance and the
Grain Growers association of the state
and nation. These dates were named
because at that time st. Paul was to
have an ice palace and a mid-winter
carnival. But "man proposes and God
disposes;" and God sent such warm
weather that st. Paul had to abandon
her celebration, and with it the re-
duced railroad rates fell to the ground.
We accordingly wrote letter to Mr.
J. c. Hanley, who had charge of our
conventions, and have received from
him the following reply:
ST. Paul, Mimi. Jan. 3d. 1900
Hon. I. DOnnelly, Minneapolis, Mimi:
Dear Sir-Have just arrived home from
Washington where l have been on business
o. our association and find that the win
ter carnival has been talked of abandoning
on account of warm weather.
AS l do not know what effect this will
have on securing reduced rates for our con-
vention it will take me a couple of days to
nnd out this information. l wish you would
publish this item and say that l made ap-
plication Jointly with the carnival associa-
tion at a meeting of passenger agents OF
lines running into st. Paul and they granted
the request of the carnival association and
Grain Growers Association for reduced rates,
which would be applied to both the carnival
and our conventions.
The question of whether this will hold good
now for our associations if the carnival
falls through is a matter that / can not
answer without further investigation.
will have all information at hand ready
for your next issue and hope you will aid
me in securing big meeting.
Yours respectfully,
]. c. HANLEY, Sec. G. G. A.
p. 81 leave for Fargo, N. D., tonight
to attend the Tr-State Grain Growers con-
vention, where I am billed to speak.
AS the carnival idea is given up
there is no necessity to hold our con-
ventions in the beginning of February;
they may be postponed to the middle or
end Of that month.
In our next letter we will print Mr..
Hanley's letter giving all the necessary
information. /. D.
The representative., 1900-01-25
A MACEDONIAN CRY!
HELP: HELP! OR I DIE.

Ny Dear Sir: Knowing you to be a
firm and true Populist, who has at heart
the best interests of our cause, take
the liberty to address you on matter
Of the most supreme Importance to our
party, which is now face to face with
the crisis of it's career
The authentic publications in the
copy of the Southern Mercury, sent
under another cover. will disclose to you
the ill-disguised efforts Of the practical
politicians in the party to once again
commit the Peoples party to fusion and
fellowship with the Democratic party.
It is not necessary to argue to you.
after the bitter experience Of the past,
the result of repetition Of that folly.
You know as well as that such con-
summation means the downfall Of the
Peoples party forever. It means con-
fusion added to the present confusion,
The representative., 1900-01-25
WHAT SHALL WE Do.


A writer in 'the Missouri World has
this to say:
Am emphatica1ly In favor of the initiative
and referendum. bat how and when are we
going to take the initiative?
Shall we attempt to make nominations be-
fore we are organised into clubs? say no.
II we do it will be as great a farce as old
party primaries are. Let us not destroy our
reform movement by crossing the bridge
before we get tQ it but let us advance step
by STEP Interviewing our system as rapidly
as possible. AS our clubs are organized, let
them use the system in all their affairs.
Whenever county has enough clubs in
working shape let them adopt the plan, and
so into district. state and national affairs,
but we must not do away with conventions
until we are organized. AS bad as it is, a
representative voice is better than none.
Let us hurry up our club organization and
get ready. Some states and many counties
will not be represented II vote is called
any time in the near future. Now let us
suppose case. In Jack county we want
to nominate a county Walliepew ticket,
pledged to certain reforms. How are you
going to proceed? Men belonging to the
opposite elements would vote to nominate
their men. and who could draw the line as