davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-17
THE Paris exposition mas opened!
The compact little city of cream
and gold, lying in the busy heart

THE Paris exposition mas opened!
The compact little city of cream
and gold, lying in the busy heart
of that greater city of milk white
masonry fringing the Seine, has opened
its gates to the world and at last the
great exposition of 1900 has become an
actual fact. After years of deliberate
and planning, after months of hard
work and weeks of feverish haste the
flags have at last gone up on the new
Alexandrine bridge and all the civilized
nations of the world are now lined up
with their industrial and artistic toe to
the scratch, as it Were all prepared for
the race and all hungering for the prize.
1t is a gigantic competition of civiliza-
tons. And while the great nations of
the world are competing the citizens of
those nations are in Paris enjoying the
amusing panorama. 1t is for it's les
sons, however, and not for its laughs
that the exposition will become one of
the great events of the passing century.
But perhaps it is wrong to say that
every competitor is prepared for the
fair. The wheels of the great machin-
cry have started off with tremendous
amount of rumbling, and visitors are
already pouring into Paris, but it is a
well recognized fact that it will be a
month or more before all the buildings
are completed and all the exhibits in
place. A number of things have hap
pened to delay work on the grounds
and structures, and weeks ago it was
felt that Mile. Paris would hardly have
her house in order by the time the first
, guests should come knocking at her
highly polished front door. Hurry and
fret as might the directors and archi-
tects and contractors, strikes, bad
weather, miscalculations and hundred
and one other things combined to keep
I, Paris from being en- fete to all the
world on the day announced. Paris has
had fairs before this, but none SO great.
She now stands with her arms out
stretched to all the world, and the
world, or at least good part of it, is
responding to the seductive invitation.
Within the gates of this magic little
city within city have been gathered
together examples of the national prog
ress of every country in the world, ev-
erything representative of peculiar ma
tional ideas and customs and every
thing typical of the worlds advance in
science and art during the last century.
All this sounds rather big and preten-
tious, but Paris is taking to six months
of posing as the .schoolmstress of the
world and is already working very hard
at her object lessons. And 1t Is not Of
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-17
LEGENDS ABOUT THE
BEAUTIFUL EASTER LILY.

Lilies, always popular, are in much
more demand about Easter, and florists,
in anticipation of its approach, invari-
ably have large stock of these flowers
on hand. Great as was the demand for
those beautiful blossoms in the past.
the request for them within recent
years has so greatly increased that the
dealers find it difficult at times to sup
ply the trade. Large sums Of money
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-17
supnR1oR1rY OF THE MAusER.

1T would seem that nearly all the
world is to take Spaniards gun as the
best weapon" said well known army
officer recently. 1.-THE Mauser is owned
and controlled by the Spanish govern
ment, its inventor, one of their ord
nance officers, having sold it to them.
This is chance, or, rather, one of the
chances, for that government to recover
its finances, for the superiority of the
arm is very generally recognized
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-17

parsons, have been said to be odious, 1t
is only by such comparisons that the
real powers and the real progress Of a
nation can be determined.
ARTHUR TITCOMB.
The Yale expositor., 1900-02-23
PEOPLES FEET.
Shrink and Expand According to tho
Temperature.

temperature.
New Orleans Times -Democrat.-A
burly man with a red mustache was
seated in a shoe store in the shopping
district and was having a good deal Of
trouble apparently in finding some
thing in footgear that exactly suited
him. This feels first rate" he said at
length, except that it pinches me a
trifie across the instep." I'm that case
l would take a wider last" suggested
the clerk, especially on such a day as
this" why, what the dickens has the
day to do with my shoes?" asked the
customer in surprise. "A great DEAL"
replied the clerk, promptly. 1T is cold
today-unusually cold for New Orleans
and in such weather anybody's feet
shrink from a quarter to half size.
Consequently they" "Oh, come,
now!" interf lpted the burly man,
you're having fun with mel" mot at
ALL" said the clerk earnestly. II as
sure you it is exactly as l say, and for
that reason we have to be very careful
on days when the temperature is low
or we would have a lot of purchases
returned. You have been wearing a
rather thin shoe and your feet at this
moment are more than a quarter size
below the normal. If you buy any
thing with tight instep it will be in
tolerable tomorrow" The man with a
red mustache looked thoughtful and
took a wider last. Il don't go into
these details as rule" said the clerk
after he had departed, "but what told
him was absolutely true and is well
known to all experienced shoe men.
Unless advised to the contrary, a per-
son who buys a pair of shoes on a cold
day is almost certain to get something
too small. Strange to say, the changes
in the weather seem 20 have a great
deal more effect on the feet in a warm
climate, like that of New Orleans, than
they have in the North. l have worked
in both places and know what 1 am
talking about, although l have no ex-
PLANTATION to offer-all / can give you
are the facts. The expression cold
feet has become common in the army,
by the way. Cold feet are supposed to
be a symptom of agitation. If that is
true some of our boys must have found
their brogans uncomfortably large on
numerous occasions"
The Yale expositor., 1900-02-23
where Ruskin Learned English.

The book which begot English prose
still remains its supreme type. The
English Bible is the true school OF
English literature. 1t possesses every
quality of our language in its supreme
form-except for scientific precision,
practical affairs and philosophic an
alysis. II you care to know the best
that our literature can give in simple,
noble prose, mark, learn and inwardly
digest the Holy Scriptures in the Eng
lish tongue. Ruskin as a precocious
boy of five began reading with his
mother the Bible through from begin
ming to end and over and over again.
and got from IL his marvellous instinct
and faculty for noble. vital. always
fascinating expression From f ederie
Harrison's "I.ite~-~'- Esfi~,atss"
The Yale expositor., 1900-02-23
Speaking for history.

Generations of schoolboys learn the
dramatic speeches ascribed to famous
commanders just before famous bat
ties, but unfortunately many of these
fine, high-sounding addresses were
never heard of till after the. event.
We read, for instance, in ancient his
tory of generals addressing whole
armies, when a few companies of SOL
diers at most could have heard them
To show the difference between genu-
inc speeches and manufactured ones, a
contemporary reports an authentic ad-
dress of the captain Of British ship
as the feet was approaching the en-
emy. He wished to encourage his gal
liant tars, and hoped perhaps that a
few heroic words might forever be as
sociated with his memory. Send all
hands aft" he cried, and when the
order was carried out he said: my
lads, there's the enemy, no doubt
about 1t. And now, my lads, IL you
don't take the enemy, my lads, why
then, my lads, the enemy will take
you. Pipe down, boatswain." After
all, the speech was to the point, and
the men cheered it to the echo.
The Yale expositor., 1900-02-23

chitects, form a picturesque group at
the end of the west garden. The larg-
est of these, the Horticulture building,
stands between the other two on an
axis with the garden. The Forestry
building is on the north side; the
Graphic Arts on the south, adjoining
the lake. Arcades connect the three
buildings, forming in front semi-cir-
cular court. Between the arcades the
ground rises slightly to the level OF the
Fountain of the Seasons.
The area of the Horticultural build
ing is $4,000 square feet. The Graphic
Arts and Forestry buildings each cover
1000 square feet, and are similar in
design. In plan. the Horticultural
building is square, with central Ian
tern, rising to a height of 240 feet at
the intersection of the four arms Of
Greek cross, which includes in its
angles four small domes. On the cen
ter of each facade is deeply recessed
arched entrance.
The Graphic Arts and Forestry build
ings have four corner towers, and on
three arches forms the main entrance.
,.-hove the red roofs Of Spanish tile
are numerous lanterns, pinnacles and
Venetian flagpoles, from which float
gaily colored banners.
The broad white wall surfaces are
ornsmented with colored bas-reliefs.
Arabesques Of twining vines of fruit
and flowers, among the branches OF
V-aich are children and birds, decorate
the numerous pilasters of the facades
and arcades.
The decoration of the Graphic Arts
and Forestry buildings is chiefly con-
fined to the vaulted ceilings OF their
loggias, where brilliantly colored deco
rations remind one OF the famous ex-
ample OF the villa Madama.
The west side of the Plaza is bound
ed by a building which Is to serve as
large restaurant. The public pass
through the lower arches OF this build
ing. which are open, in order to reach
Eat portion Of the exposition which
The Yale expositor., 1900-02-23
A Nam moth TuSI<.

A huge tusk from Alaska has Just
arrived at a Pearl street warehouse.
1t was brought from the northern por-
ton of the territory by a Norwegian
clergyman, who was detailed in 1896
by the government to accompany a
reindeer expedition into the Yukon
country. The tusk is said by scientific
experts of the University Of Minnesota
to be from 5000 to 5000 years old 1t
was found sticking out of the bank of
a river, absolutely black from age and
outside decay; near IL were the teeth
and head of the mammoth, but no
skeleton. AS 1t lies in the warehouse
it presents a circular shape, extending
from base to tip ten and two-thirds
feet. 1t is estimated that the broken
tip had a projection of fifty inches,
which would have brought the total
length to fifteen feet. In its present
condition the tusk weighs IT'S pounds
The hollow portion at the larger end
is plainly shown. Experts have said
that the circumference of the base, now
twenty-eight inches, was formerly
larger by layer of an inch and half;
but that much half-decayed matter
was injudiciously scraped away, leav-
ing the ivory a smooth surface. The
owner does not desire to make a COM
mercial disposition Of the tusk, but
he has communicated with the Smith
sonian Institution in regard to it. 1t
is said by experts to be one Of the
largest, IL not the largest, tusk ia the
world.-New York Evening Post.
The Yale expositor., 1900-02-23
ARTIFICIAL PERFUMES.
Tiemann's welI-Known Paper, "On the
Aroma of the Violet"

Tiemann, the German chemist who
died the other day, published in 1898.
along with Kruger, his well-known
paper, -"On the Aroma OF the Violet" 4"
says Nature. 1t was however, the
aroma rather of the iris root. or orris
root with which that of the violet
may or may not be identicaD. that he
investigated. The quantity of the
odoriferous principle contained in iris
root is so infinitesimal, and that of the
root to be extracted consequently so
large, that, as he states, the resources
OF a mere scientific laboratory proved
unequal to the task and this prelim-
mary part of the investigation had to
Oe carried out in the works at Holz-
minden. The substance thus isolated
was thoroughly investigated and it's
constitution established. In order to
indicate its origin and at the same
time its constitution, he termed it
irone. His attempt to synthesize it
was not, from the point of view of the
pure chemist, successful, although for
the manufacturing chemist it was of
the utmost value. Starting with
citral obtained from oil of
lemons or from lemon grass
oil, he condensed this substance with
acetone, converting it into a compound
which he termed pseudo-iodine; this,
when treated with dilute sulphuric
acid, yielded ionone. not identical with
irone, but so closely resembling it in
smell that very few people can detect
the difference. For the purposes of the
perfumer, therefore, ionone is every
whit as good as irone. 1t is now manu-
factured, and the value of the process
TO the patentees may be judged from
the attempts that have been made to
invalidate the patent-attempt that
have been foiled in courts of law both
in this country and in Germany.
The Yale expositor., 1900-02-23
THE MILITARY SPY.
A Courageous Soldier Who Is Indispens-
able In War.

In time of warfare spies are. OF
course, plentiful. The main part OF
his business is, under personal dis
guise. which disguises could often put
those If the smartest detectives quite
In the shade, to extract information
from uAsuspecting scouts and outposts.
Some 0dtposts have been known to ac-
cept bribes, money or presents, from
military spies without knowing who
the later really were, in which case
they VGre not greatly to blame, al.
though their doing so, whether inno-
Gently or otherwise, put them on the
footing of traitors, and consequently
meritei q traitors death.
The 1d Prussian monarchy once ran
the risk of being crushed like an egg
shell but for the spy Mentzel, whose
daring deed not only saved Prussia,
but als1 the life of the king. Austria
and SaxCny, with three other countries,
planned TO overthrow Prussia. Their
combined forces could easily have
numbered 100000, to about 5000 or
the Prussian kings. But a friendly
spy warned the king, who Immediately
set about preparing for the advance OF
the powerful foe. He sent emissaries
into every large city in Europe, partic-
ularly the capitals of France, Austria
and Russia. Mentzel than whom no
greater spy lived, went to the foreign
Office of tne latter powers, and actu-
ally succeeded in bribing the respective
official at each who had charge of the
papers in connection with the proposed
project to raid Prussia, and copied the
whole plan of campaign. Mentze's
mission being discovered, the officials
fed for their lives; one was caught
and shot. Mentzel escaped death, but
being caugbs red-handed by one of the
powers, he was thrown into a dun
geor, where he fingered for twenty
five years. During all that time the
Prussian monarch took no steps to try
to liberate the man, although Mentzel
undoubtedly saved his majesty and his
country from total humiliation.
The Yale expositor., 1900-02-23

is 20 be called Vanity Fair, and which
corresponds with the Midway Plais-
ance at Chicago The Restaurant build
ing itself is two stories high and about
$50 feet long.
On the east side of the Plaza is a
building closely resembling the restau-
rant, which serves principally as the
entrance to the Stadium or athletic
field, although portions are also used
for exhibition purposes. This also has
two stories, the upper story being a
large open gallery, from which views
of the Plaza on the one side, and the
Stadium on the other, are afforded.
Finally, the south side of the Plaza is
bounded by the Electrical Tower, the
designing of which has been given to
Mr.. Howard.
The Athletic Field.
The Stadium or athletic field has
been in all it's details a subject for
careful study. 1t resembles in a general
way that erected at Athens a few
years ago, although this one can be,
of course, only a temporary structure
1t will contain easily $4,000 spectators,
and is intended as a model of'what it
is hoped may be executed some day
in permanent form. 1t has a quarter
mile running track and a sufficiently
large space in the inside Of this for
any Of the athletic games.
Great attention has been paid to
having a large number of aisles to
reach the seats, and in addition TO
the principal entrance on the west,
there are provided seven large exits.
These exits are made Of sufficient
breadth and height to admit, in case of
need, the largest vehicles or floats, as
it is proposed to use the Stadium for
certain pageants.
The total length Of the Stadium, in
cluding the building which forms the
entrance, is about $40 feet, and the
breadth is about 500 feet.
The Yale expositor., 1900-02-23
QUEER sUPERsTITIONs
Among the People of Many Different
Countries.

Among the People of Many Different
| Countries.
Siamese people have so superstitious
dislike for odd numbers that they
strive always to have an even number
OF rooms, doors, windows, closets, ETC.,
in their houses. Among many of the
colored people of the south the super
stition prevails that 1t is good luck"
to meet a frog; they believe the one
thus favored is about to receive money
from some unexpected place. 1t was a
belief among the Egyptians that the
third finger of the left hand was con-
nected with the heart by means of a
slender nerve. From that belief came
the custom of wearing the wedding
ring on that finger. 1t is commonly
believed among the peasantry in the
Ural mountains that for a wolf to see
man before the man sees the wolf
is an omen that he will be Struck
! dumb" and so remain as long as the
wolf lives. A superstition prevalent
among housemaids in France is that to
kill a 'money-spinner" is unlucky;
thus they studiously spare the webs
whenever they can well do so. In Ty"
rol the rose is believed to be a sleep
producer, and rose leaves are thrown
| into the fire for good luck" III
France and Italy it is believed that
the maid who buries a drop of her
blood under a rose bush will be re-
warded with rose-tinted cheeks The
rose was an emblem of immortality
among the Syrians, and the Chinese
planted it over graves. In Holland and
Belgium it is believed that ill-luck is
sure to follow all through life any one
that, accidentally or otherwise, kills a
stork. There was a superstition among
the Romans that it was unfortunate
for person starting on a journey to
meet frog in his road and so strong
was this belief that the traveller would
return and wait until the next day to
| begin his journey. In many parts of
Europe it is at the present day con-
sidered an omen of ill-luck for a hare
to cross the road in front of traveller.
Scotch and English milkmaids believe
their cows will go dry" if they forget
to wash their hands when through
milking
The Yale expositor., 1900-02-23
AMID BONES OF CAPUCHINs.
One OF the Unusual Sights of the city
Nesting on Seven Hills.

One OF the Unusual Sights of the city
Nesting on Seven Hills.
The labors Of the Capuchin monks
in the Catholic church are well
known. The order was one of the
strongest of the auxiliary branches OF
the church, though It's field lay in a
different direction from that of the
Jesuits. The latter were the aggres-
sive arm in battling the world; the
former was given to tho quiet OF mo-
nastic life far from the turmoil OF
men. The Capuchins were very large
ly recruited from the families of the
rich and well-to-do. and found in re-
tirement the opportunity they craved
for, giving themselves entirely over
to saving their souls. The Capuchin
church in Rome has been served by
this order for centuries. In its cham
bers are the bones of 5000 monks fas-
tened to the walls and ceiling to make
effective and striking groups of death.
Skulls are employed in the chamber
almost entirely, while the cross-bones
and other impershable parts of the
anatomy make up the receiving rooms
given over to this extraordinary col
lection. The entrance to this base
ment is on a level with the ground and
at no place are the chambers more
than two feet below the surface of the
earth. The spectacle of skulls by
the thousands suddenly confronting
the visitor does not produce that grue-
some feeling that one would imagine.
and no one shortens an inspection of
the anatomical array because he is in
a consecrated charnel house. The
surroundings of this old church and re-
pository for the bones of its goodly
friars are squalid and unattractive
The entrance to the chamber Of the
dead is through the yard of a livery
stable, dirty to the last degree, but
that does not deter visitors from wit
Messing this unique collection.
The Yale expositor., 1900-02-23
THE COMING PAN-AMERICAN EXPOSITION AT BUFFALO

the same kind of bark and hangs the
ribbons on it. Handmade flowers of
the same material are often added also.
When the kiki is completed the dusky
belle puts it on over her scanty lava
lava, or waist cloth, and goes to the
dance or other entertainment. The
girls thus make their own party
dresses, and some of them show great
taste and skill in fashioning the odd
garments, although the captious might
allege that they might, without being
oveddressed, have Samoa on.
The Yale expositor., 1900-02-23

When a native beauty of Samoa de-
cides to go to special entertainment
she enters the forest to look for her
gala attire. The native kiki, or kilt,
is the only addition to her ordinary
costume that the Samoan girl provides
for social parties. The material for
the kiki grows on the ii tree. 1t con-
sists of a ribbon of bark few inches
wide that is stripped from the tree
easily. While damp the bark, which
is very thin, is crinkled so as to form
wavy outlines, and the ribbons are col
ored all sorts of bright hues. The Sa-
moan gir! then plaits a waistband from
The Yale expositor., 1900-02-23

from his present voyage, he will find
most unexpected Christmas present.
Just before he sailed away sailor ap-
preached him on the river front ard,
saying that he was hard UP, offered to
sell ticket in a foreign lottery, upon
which a prize of $1,000 might be
drawn, for fifty cents, enough to buy
something to eat and, above all, some
thing to drink. AS he had never been
remarkably lucky, the captain did not
consider his chances of drawing prize
at all likely, the Record says, but he
saw that the sailor wanted the money
he asked for, and so he handed over
the half dollar and received the lottery
The Yale expositor., 1900-02-23
Description of the Magnificent Buildings
Ornament the Grounds

The board of architects of the Pan
American exposition which will be held
at Buffalo, N. Y, on the Niagara from
tier, during the summer months of
1901, is composed of eight members;
three residents of New York, two of
Boston and three of the city of Buff
talo.
Machinery and Transportation.
The machinery and transportation
building, 500x350 feet, faces the Mall
This building is designed in a type of
Spanish renaissance, with initial in
spiration in mission buildings found
in Mexico and California, supplement-
ed by later examinations of renais-
sance work in Spain, modified to suit
the conditions of the exposition, with
its gay and festive surroundings.
Briefly stated, the machinery and trans
portation building forms a hollow
square, with arcades on all sides. In
the interior is a court, 100 by 200 feet,
adorned by long pool of water, with
a fountain surrounded with shrubs and
flowers, artistically planted. This sheet
of water, with its calm reflection and
its atmosphere of quiet restfulness,
forms one Of the many little cases
planned for the refreshment of the
weary sightseer. The facades present
an arcaded effect corresponding in ap-
pearance to mission cloisters; the
caves, with great overhangs, adding to
the picturesque. Each facade is brok-
en- by an important architectural fea-
ture, and each corner flanked with low
pavilions, the design giving large plain
surfaces for color, while the caves give
deep shadows. The color scheme is
made up in reds and yellows, light in
tint. The loggias, balconies, pavilions
and other places are to be ornamented
with shrubs, vines and flowers, blend
ing with the coloring of the building.
All the towers, pavilions and other
proper spaces are to be brilliantly il
Illuminated and made gay with banners
and flags.
Horticulture and Forestry.
The three buildings for horticulture,
graphic arts and forestry, Of which
The Yale expositor., 1900-02-23
GENIUS

after his departure the drawing took
place, and it was found that the num-
Der on the captains ticket called for
a prize of $4,000. The ticket was for
warded to the lottery company, and
the cash has just been received by the
agents and is held for the captain.
The latter was last heard from at
Savannah