davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
NEWS SPREADS FAST
Even tho African Natives Havo rheii
Systems of Communication.

Systems of Communication.
Both South African and British In
dian papers refer to the keen interest
taken by the natives of the two coun-
tries in the war between the British
and the Beers. A regular system OF
communication is said to have been es-
tablished between stations on the west
and the northwest frontier Of India and
the hill country, by which all Informal
tion concerning the progress of the war
is transmitted with extraordinary ra-
pidity among the tribesmen. How it is
done is mystery yet unsolved; but
one Indian paper affirms that the news
of the beginning of hostilities in South
Africa was already known across the
frontier when it was received at Pesha-
wur by telegraph. The effect of it was
seen in the agitation that began among
the tribes. and in call sent out by the
Mullah of Povindah for 5000 men to
assemble, ostensibly to march against
some recalcitrant chieftains. He also
issued a proclamation ascribing the de-
feats of the tribesmen last year to the
want OF harmony among them, and
pointing out that if they wanted to re-
cover their independence they must
rise all together. In consequence of
this agitation a British force has been
sent to the frontier to the point threat
ened. A Rhodesian paper, in announc-
ing the outbreak of the war, laments
the absence of telegraphic communica-
ton between Beira and the coast towns
of Natal and Cape Colony, by which
news could be received of the progress
Of hostilities, and says that If all other
means Of communication fail, they will
have to fall back upon the native house
boys. 1t says that it has certainly been
more than surprising in previous At
rican wars how early and correct was
the information the natives seemed to
possess. An instance is given in which
during the last Mashona war, the Mas
honas in the Umtali district knew of
the battle at the Shangania river on
the evening of the same day on which
it was fought. How such speed of com
munication was secured is still puz-
Gle. Whether it was done by shout
ing from hill to hill. or by fleet run
ners in relays, the result. the covering
OF 40 miles in eight hours, was mar.
vel:
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
hut the Cheers Died Away.

Gen. Lee rode Traveller, his pet horse
that carried him through the war, to
Lexington when he went there to as
sumo the presidency of Washington
college. says the Ladies' Home Jour
nal. One day he met rusty, weather.
beaten mountaineer lounging drowsily
upon the road in his rickety cart.
Gen. Lees cordial Good morning"
aroused the old confederate instantly.
"Whoa!" he called out to his old nag.
Amt that Gen. Lee?" he inquired, as
he climbed down and caught Traveller
by the bride. Yes, SIR" said Gen.
Lee wonderingly. We'll, then" said
the old fellow in glow OF excitement,
Il want you to do me a favor" II will
with pleasure, if l can" was the re-
spouse. "All right. you just get down
off Traveller" Gen. Lee did so, and to
his amazement his horse was led away
and tied in the bushes, while he stood
alone in the road in great perplexity.
Now" said the excited veteran, II am
one of your old soldiers, Gen. Lee.
was with you all the way from Mechan-
icsville to Appomattox. / was thar all
the time. And just want you to let
me give three rousing cheers for .Marse
Robert ;" Gen. Lees head dropped In
most painful embarrassment as the
first yell went sounding along the
mountain sides. The next yell was
choked with sobs as the old soldier
dropped upon his knees in the dust
hugging Gen. Lees legs, and the third
died away in tears.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
Gold Bearing sand for Ballast.

Golden sand for ballast is the latest
development in Cape Nome mining af-
fairs, and it may revolutionize things.
Though the matter has been kept quiet,
it Is a fact that the steam schooner
Aloha, which arrived few days ago
at Seattle from Cape Nome, carried fif-
ty tons of beach gravel ballast John
H. Bullock, one Of the managing own
ers of the vessel, speaking of the bal
last, said: "It is true. Some Of 1t is
the ruby sandi which, we know, con-
tains gold, and the rest is coarse grav-
ell. We are taxing 1t to San Francisco
where it can be treated cheaper and
worked to much better advantage than
at Cape Nome. But for the severe
weather, which made it difficult to get
the sand, we should have taken $50
tons. Our steamer Albion will proba-
bly, bring 200 tons of this sand. She
is en- route frdh Cape Nome either to
this city or Sal Francisco. Should the
Aloha's ventuI Improve profitable, the
! spectacle of a Reet of vessels taking
said ballast Nom the Cape Nome
beaches next s,1 hmer will be witnessed
Mr. Bullock sta ed that he believed the
Aloha's sand uld assay 500 to the
ton.-St. Louis lobe Democrat.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
A Dandy In tho wnr,

The Hon. w. Dawson was surrounded
by muleteers, with whom he was bar
gaining to provide carriage for innum-
cradle hampers of wine, liquors, hams,
potted meat and other good things
which he had brought from England,
Sc ys The "reminiscences and Recol-
lections of Capt. Gronow." He was a
particularly genuemanly and amiable
man, much beloved by the regiment;
no one was SO hospitable or lived SO
magnificently. His cooks were the best
in the army. and he. besides. had a
host Of servants of all nations-Span-
iards, French, Portuguese, Italians
who were employed in securing the
country for provisions. Lord Yelling
ton once honored him with his COM
pany; and, on entering the ensign s
tent, found him alone at table, with a
dinner fit for a king, his plate and
linen in good keeping and his wines
perfect. Lord Wellington was accom-
panied on this occasion by Sir Ed
ward Pakenham and Col. du Burgh
afterward Lord Downes. 1t fell to my
lot to partake of his princely hospital
ity and dine with him at his quarters
farmhouse in village on the Bid
assoc, and never saw a better dinner
put upon the table.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
Ttme-Gun Fired by Spider.

4 time gun was once fired by a spi-
der at the castle in Cape Town. The
time gun of the castle is fired by cleo
tricity at 1870 p, m. daily. One day,
however, all the military and civilians
IT, Cape Town were asionished to hear
the gun go off before the proper time,
and the officials were puzzled at this
extraordinary occurrence, and could
give no explanation as to the cause.
The general in command of the sta
ton, being of opinion that there was
mismanagement somewhere, gave or
ders for strict search to be made by
the officials to discover the guilty par
ty. The electric current for firing the
gun is supplied by the Royal Observa-
tory, and goes from there to an instru-
ment known as a relay, in the central
telegraph office, Cape Town. The ac-
ton of the current going through the
instruments main moves a sort of
liEht tongue. which is SO finely set
that the least little thing would affect
Is This forces the current directly
dksS the time-fuses which have the
firing the gun at the castle.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
"Little Dorrlt'." Church.

The public authorities who are re-
moving the human remains from Lit
tie Dorrit's" church IN Southwark,
have cleared away upwards Of thou
sand bodies. In the process of doing
SO they have discovered vaults the ex-
istence of which was unknown or had
been forgotten, and these are chockful
of collins. 1t is stated that the clear
ing out of the whole OF the vaults and
the refinement of the remains at Wok-
ing will add fourpence pound to the
rates of the parish. The bodies are
presumably those Of persons of local
standing or distinction whom the
parishioners or the church in past
times desired to honor.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
How Napoleon Detected a Spy.

On one occasion, while he was fortl-
flying the island of Loban, Napoleon
became suspicious that an Austrian spy
had gained admission to a certain regi-
ment. He Immediately ordered this
regiment to parade drill, delivered a
speech to the troops and told them OF
his suspicion. He then commanded that
every man closely scrutinize his com
rades to the right and left. In this
manner man was discovered who was
not known to anybody. He turned out
to be Partisan, who had fed from
the French capital to Austria, had
secured a French uniform on battle
fed, and thus did the service of spy
for Archduke Charles. The spy was
promptly executed.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
rorre.t,s Humor.

One of the fercest and most deter
mined fighters in the civil war was
Gen. N. B. Forrest, commanding the
confederate cavalry. His name was a
redoubtable one. and few of his OPP
ponents were aware of humorous side
of his disposition, familiar to his
friends. For many years the general
loved to tell the story of an incident
which occurred near Cowan's station.
The troopers he had with him were
being hotly pursued by the federals,
and tsle general was galloping along at
top speed. A fiery southern dame hap
pened to be standing by the roadside
and when she saw the flying confed-
crate officer her indignation boiled
over. Shaking her fist In scorn, She
screamed: why don't you turn and
fight. you cowardly rascal? II Ole
Forrest were here he'd make you
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
THE ROSE OF WILTON
A GIRL OUTLAW OF THE FAR
EAST.
She HAS Given the Authorities Much
Trouble - Remarkable Career of
Young Connecticut Girl Outlaw Still In
Hor Teens.
(Norwalk Lottery

Within the gloomy walls OF q Con-
necticut prison, dropping and pining
for the wilderness Of the forest lam
gushing for the lack of the sunlight,
is 1.-The Wild Rose OF Wilton" Not yet
out of her teens, Minnie Sturm, brown
eyed and beautiful, has had a career
that we'll might puzzle philosopher
to account for. Reared in quiet, old
fashioned house near Norwalk, this
girl, with rich profusion of dark
brown hair, with hands soft and white,
with beauty such that many maid
en- of lordly birth might envy her, I'M
tutored and in tatters, is yet queen
of men. lawless men though they are.
Not more than mile from her home,
beneath the shelter of two great rocks,
was the rendezvous of marauding
band of idlers. There this farmers
daughter found them about two years
ago. She cast her life with theirs
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
Til. CITY Entire,y Own, It..,t.

The town of Huddersfield, Yorkshire.
England, stands unique in the world
as the only town which absolutely
owns itself in every respect. Begin
ming life in a municipal artisans
dwelling, the young man rides to his
work on a municipal tram, He gets
his gas or electricity from the city.
His wife rents gas stove from the
city, purchases her produce from a
municipal market, and buys meat that
has been prepared by a municipal
butcher. Both use the public baths,
enjoy the city's parks, and send their
children to the city's Fairgrounds.
Their house refuse is moved by the
city. When Ill they go to the city
hospital; or, if unfortunate, to the city
municipal lodging room. Their letters
are collected by a city postman. And
in a thousand other ways their daily
life comes in close contact with the
city government. At last they are
buried in a city cemetery.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
COMBINES NAMEsAKE.
A Negro Orator Whose Name Commend
rates Kind Act.

Roscoe Conkling Bruce, negro stu
dent at Harvard. is proving himself
an orator Of great eloquence and de-
batter of profound capacity. Harvard
has been amazed by his brilliance
Young Bruce is a son of former United
States Senator Blanche K. Bruce, of
Mississippi, who for many years was
register of the treasury. Young Bruce
was named for Roscoe Conkling out of
gratitude for favor the eloquent New
York statesman once did for the elder
Bruce when the negro leader first went
to the senate. Bruce's colleague from
Mississippi declined to introduce the
colored statesman to the president of
the senate. All the other senator's were
disposed not to interfere, and Mr..
Bruce found himself in a most embar-
RAISING position. Mr.. Conkling took
in the situation and his generous heart
was touched. He promptly introduced
Bruce to the president. and the Mis-
stssippi negro never forgot the kind
ness. The younger Bruce was prepared
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
Old Lovers,


Heart Of my heart. when the day was
young,
Hope sang to life with silver tongue;
Hope beckoned love down fiowery way,
where twas always morning and always
May.
And two true lovers need never part
DO you remember. heart of my heart?
Heart OF my heart. when the moon was
high,
Work showed the way we must travel by:
DUTY spoke cold and stern In our ears,
bidding US bear all the toll and tears.
Partinss and losses, sorrow and smart
aave you forgotten. heart of my heart?
Heart Of my heart in the setting sun,
we Sit at peace, with our days work
done;
In the cool Of the evening we two look
back
On the winding pathway. the moons
rough track,
And the morn's green plcasance. where
roses tWine,
Heart of my heart-with your hand In
Heart of my heart. when the night is
here,
Love will sing songs of life in our ear;
We shall sleep awhile meath the daisied
grass,
Till We put on the glory and rise and
pass,
TO walk where eternal splendors shine,
Heart of my heart-with your hand in
mine.
Il. Nesbit, in the Argosv.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
An Extraordinary Lake.

One or the most remarkable lakes
on the earth's surface is situated at
Tar Point, on the island of Trinidad,
and bears the suggestive, name OF
Pitch lake. At first view The surface
of this lake, which is not a lake,
gives one the impression that it is a
large body of placid water, but a closer
examination proves it to be vast
plain covered with hard and and hard
ening pitch. IN the winter months the
surface of this lake is perfectly smooth
and of consistency sufficient to bear
any weight.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
Naming Babies Is Left to Chance.

In Persia and in Japan the naming
OF children is a matter of chance, a sort
of lottery deciding what name the in
FAINT shall carry through life In Per-
STA this ceremony, performed in the
house of birth. is important and elab
crate. All the relatives, even those
living at distance, are brought to-
gether, and the priests of the locality
are invited. After the meal. which is
served as welcome, is eaten, the new
addition to Persia's population is
placed in the center of the room on
rug. The guests form a circle
around the child. One OF the priests
writes five names, previously agreed
upon, on five slips of paper, and dis
tributes these among the leaves of the
Koran. He then reads a chapter from
the book and at random picks one OF
the slips. Whatever name this slip
bears then becomes the name of the
child, says the New York Press. 1t
is whispered into the ear of the new
born by the priest, and the slip of pa
per is then hidden in the baby's
clothes. In Japan the christening takes
place the thirteenth day after birth.
The parents, accompanied by the
child, repair to the temple, and the
father gives to the priest three names
written on pieces of paper. After re-
lig;ous ceremonies the slips are thrown
into the air, and the one that reaches
the ground first decides the little ones
name. This name the priest writes on
piece of consecrated paper and gives
it to the parents. At the end of the
exercises the child receives presents.
il a boy, he gets two fans; if girl
the gallant priest gives to her dror
of pomade for her future beauty. In
I. both cases, however, the newborn re
ceives package of flax, which denote!
health and long life.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18

TIE officials found inside Of it q big
brown spider. 1t appeared that while
having an exploring trip around the
instrument the unfortunate spider
must have touched this tongue su1li-
GENTLY to move it and fired off the
gun. The general sent the spider to
the Cape Town museum, where he is
now to be seen. Beneath him is a card
emitting him The Little Gunner"
and giving a full account of his adj
venture with the gun.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
Castles.


THERE'S picture in my brain
Tha/ only fades to come again
TbA sunlight, through veil of rain
To leeward, gliding.
"a narrow stretch of brown sea and sant
A lighthouse half a league from land,
And two young lovers. hand in hand.
A castle building.
Upon the budded apple trees
The robins sing by twos and threes.
And ever, at the faintest breeze,
Down drops a blossom;
And even would that lover be
The wind that robs the burgeoned tree,
And lifts the soft trees daintily
On Beauty's bosom.
All, graybeard. what happy thing
II was, when life was in it's spring.
10 peep through loves betrothal ring
AT fields Elysian:
To move and breathe in magic air,
To think, that all that seems is fair
An, ripe young mouth and golden hair.
Thou pretty vision!
Well, well. think not on these two
But the old wound breaks out anew,
And the old dream, as if 'twere true.
In my heart nestles;
Ihen tears come yelling to my eyes,
For yonder. all in sanity guise,
As 'tWere, a sweet dead woman lies
Upon the trestles
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
The Bread-Fruit Tree.

The bread fruit tree is native OF
the islands of the Pacific ocean and Of
the Indian archipelago, and grows to
height of from forty to fifty feet. 1t
has large. pinnatifid leaves frequently
twelve to eighteen inches long, dark
green and glossy. The fruit of the
bread-tree, which in shape and size
resembles musk-melon, supplies the
principal part of the food of the in
habitants of these islands 1t is at
tached to the small branches of the
tree by small, thick stalk. and hangs
either single or in clusters of two or
three together. 1t contains a some
what fibrous pulp, which, when ripe,
becomes juicy and yellow, but has then
rotten taste. AT an earlier stage,
when it is gathered for use, the pulp
is white and mealy. and of consist
ency resembling new bread. The COM
mon method of preparing this fruit
Tor eating is to cut it into three or
four pieces, and then take out the
core, then to place heated stones in
the bottom of hole dug in the ground.
to cover them with green leaves, and
upon these to place layer of the fruit,
then stones, leaves and fruit alter
nately, till the hole is nearly filled.
when leaves and earth to the depth of
several inches are spread over all.
In rather more than half an hour the
bread-fruit is ready for eating. 1t has
little taste, and more resembles the
plantain than bread made of wheat
flour. The inner bark of the bread
fruit tree supplies considerable part
of the clothing of the islanders. and its
timber and its milky juice are en-
ployed for economical purposes.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18

for Harvard at Phillips Exeter, and en-
tered the university last year. His
splendid abilities were brought out in
the trials for the Princeton debate, In
which he surprised everybody by his
mastery of thought and by the plain
evidences he gave OF an Unborn elo-
quence. Last year he earned much
praise by winning the medal offered
by Baron Coubert, of Paris, to Harvard
students for excellence in knowledge
OF French politics. I It is predicted that
he will surpass the famous Frederick
Douglass in oratory.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
A Mile "a Minute In an Automob,le,

Chief Engineer Croker, of New York
rides to fires in an automobile that
travels at 60 miles an hour. 1t is called
and is really a fire locomotive. It is
propelled by steam generated by gaso-
lime. The machine carries a pressure
of 120 pounds of steam. could be speed
ed to rs miles an hour in any 100 yards.
and 60 miles in a furlong. and could
be stopped in its own length. In a
hundred yards It could attain the speed
az IN expreaa train.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
Tic cork&Tree.


Some children fancy mat cofhs
grow out of bottles, insteAH Oh pe'hs
made of the bark of tree whNeh sfo"s
in Italy, Spain and other Au'helii
countries. The cork tree is am ever
green about the size of our appleA Tree
The bark is stripped in order to on
the cork, which is soaked and Wen
dried. The moment the bark is peeEea
Off the tree begins to grow anothVi
cork skin, and each new one is bettar
than the last so the older the betteN
the cork The trees are stripped about
every eight years, and so strong does
it make them that they often live to
the age of 200 years. Besides it's chief
use as shoppers for bottles, cork is
made into buoys, in making life pre-
servers to save people from drowning,
soles of boots and slippers, fancy rock
work, largely for lifeboats, and some
times for artificial limbs. After the
bark is stripped Off it is trimmed and
dried and fiattened out. Then it is
packed and shipped to all parts Of the
world.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18

The children Sof the Beers. females
as well as NAILS. are taught to use
the rife before they are ten years OF
age. This. explat ns why the Beers are
such excellent harksmen. a
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
Fish That nevelea in Being Caught.


Fishing Gazette: Fish seem to have
no sense OF feeling, and many people
believe that the angry and energetic
movements of fist when it is caught
are due rather to annoyance at losing
its liberty than to any sense of pain.
| can confirm this, because | have over
and over again taken an understood
pike that has been once or twice
caught and put back into the water.
Upon one occasion three OF us-boys
of the old brigade-were fishing in a
small pool in a narrow, sluggish river.
Jones caught small pike, and as it
was undersized-being barely four
pounds-he cut the hooks out of its
gullet and threw the fish in again.
Inside of thirty seconds Jones caught
the same fish again. Once more he
cut out thel hooks, and this time he
had AlauDit very much. Once more
it W Kicked in. Then caught it.
stilSfeeding. | got the hooks out with
difficulty, and before could throw the
fish in again a terrier dog bit it half
through. Then kicked the fish in,
and Brown caught it. At last we got
so tired of catching this fish that [
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
IegAs31ihE S6eNS. and from rhSfSx

down to the roof. Curious to see
the cat was about, Mrs. Brown got TN
very quietly and went to the side of
the window and watched the cat emp
tying the bag on the ledge and then
spreading the contents for little dis
lance with her paws. When all was
reaay she jumped back to the sill and
took her accustomed stand behind the
flower pots. Some few minutes after
Fanny was making meal of two
sparrows-the result of her successful
trapping.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-18
gAllPFIRE SKETCHES.
SOME SHORT STORIES FOR
THE VETERANS.

The Old slave of General shelby
Forests Hsmor-A Dandy In the
war-He Had His Own Plate, Llnon
and Wines.