davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

knacks and handed them over TO Lady
sarah. So. while all England has been
bemoaning the fact that a blue blooded
Young lady should have 10 endure the
hardships Of "a siege. that same ener-
getic little blue blooded lady has been
enjoying life 20 the full-at least as
things go I'm times OF war. famine and
sudden death.
Our colonel also converted the cellars
OF many OF the houses I'm the town into
bombproof places of retirement. and I'm
the meantime called for a volunteer
home guard. There already was Colo
mel Hore, with mis- 200 regulars OF the
Protectorate Regiment. and "A few score
Bechuanaland Rlnes--smart looking
buffers in khaki uniforms and brown
leather souch hats with white pug
garies. handful OF Cape Police and a
squad OF British South Africa Police.
But these regulars could have done
nothing against our 5000 Beers without
the home guard. Indeed II has been
the irregulars, it seems 10 me. who
have always been most itching for fight
most daring i'm the different reconnois-
sanoes and most bitter i'm the stands
against Snyman and his men. When
the siege began. we had, thanks TO the
fact that Mafekng has lorfg been a sort
OF frontier storehouse for the northern
wilderness stretching up TO Bulawayo
plenty of supplies on hand. Just what
ammunition we had ! have never been
able 10 learn but not once have our
men been pinched for powder and shot
Provisions. too. we had i'm great guam
tity but over 5000 hungry mouths soon
make vast inroads into the largest stock
OF foodstuffs. iii this number / am in
cluding, OF course, the 5000 blacks who
make up the Kaffir stadt just outside
our own limits and who have to be
taken care of by us. We get a little
work out OF these blacks. and a few of
them have been useful as runners, but
they are not brimming over with en-
ergy.
But ii was In artillery that we have
been woefully weak. The Beers have
had their huge Big Ben, which throws
a "a pound she'll while for most OF the
time our heaviest guns have been Z
Founders. III you can Imagine a mad
dening situation, you have IL here. 1t
seems like peppering away at a noun
tain with pea shooters. We are out
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

different sections. each Of which had its
own arrangements for defense. The
outside. limits OF the defense lines were
then decided upon. Little outpost forts
and redans were put up and trenches
were made. Each outpost fort was
made little telephone Office. with con-
nections with headquarters This was
the wisest or mov<s, as future events
showed US. A few mines were also laid.
but we could not spare ammunition on
such a medium of defense, knowing
that our shot and shell would
have TO be well husbanded i'm case OF
any prolonged siege. We did not then
imagine that this same siege was 20 be
a matter OF half year. The next thing
done was To sweep the town clear OF
spies and suspects. There was quite a
little army OF them. but they were all
given time 60 take their departure II
they SO chose. Those who did not ske-
daddle were promptly locked up. But
all along there must have been one or
two Boer secret service men in our
midst. for. carefully as had been plan
ned and secretly as had been carried
out Captain Fitz Clarence's midnight
sortie on Big Ben just before Christ
mas. our men, who all wore soft shoes
for the occasion, found the burghers
quite ready for them, and came back to
town and went disconsolateIy to bed.
All the outworks about the town were
then supplied with underground she'll
proof accommodations for ammunition
and the whole OF the garrison OF each.
In every section OF the town big
mounds of earth were thrown up, each
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

having good interior apartments. These
were made OF railway rails, corrugated
iron sheets, odd timbers-anything and
everything that offered. AS time has
progressed, however, there Is a wonder-
ful Improvement TO he noticed I'm the
interior OF these shellproof lodgings.
Some OF them, I'm fact, have been very
sumptuously and luxuriously furnished
and are as comfortable and roomy
chambers as one could look for in an
American hotel. Perhaps the most at
tractive OF all the bombproof cellars in
Mafeking is that OF our popular heroine,
Lady Sarah Wilson. Officers here have
denuded their rooms and citizens have
robbed their homes OF little knlck-
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

Ing !ts big "a pound shells into the town
and the thunder OF their 81 pound how
itZer mingled with the rattle of their
quick firing Krupps. 1t has got to be
an old, old song, this deep. bass roar
and whistle ard scream of projectiles,
with the smoke and smell of bursting
shells. Snyman's men, after n short
rest. have Weakened up today, and from
both the north and east they are now
raining their lead and steel into our lit
tie town. Mafeking Is taking il meekly.
Shell dodging soon loses its novelty and
there Is no excitement. We have all
grown used To the danger, and many
of the people about here, j notice. are
now desperately reckless in exposing
themselves. II Is the dull. tragic, terri
BILE monotony Of IL all that is unendura-
BILE When will Plumer come? That is
the question on every lip. II can only
be answered by despondent shake OF
the head and a melancholy and half
hopeless glance out over the long, wide,
gray veldt. where we can see the dull
white blur OF the Boer wagons drawn
UP in lager. At the outpost forts and
redans men stand all day long with big
telescopes up TO their eyes looking into
the horizon for some glimpse OF the fly
ing column that was TO reach US so
soon, and as yet has>not arrived.
IL Is all very weary work. In Riesle's
hotel, where 1 am writing this. / can
hear the click of billiard balls from the
next room and occasional bursts OF
loud laughter. but IL is the sort OF
laughter one does not like. II has a
strained and forced and nervous ring TO
IL. IL is not drunken laughter. mark
you, for when even beer is 2 shillings a
glass-well. blue ribbon societies are
rather unnecessary.
but, as i said before. IL is growing
weary work. II was on Wednesday. the
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

dent or design / am not I'm position TO
say, but one thing / do know, and that
is that IL aroused great deal of bitter
ness at headquarters. The note from
Cronje, nevertheless was answered
with all due courtesy by our colonel,
who pointed out that the Beers were
violating the very principles for which
they were clamoring. The next day a
member OF the Boer generals medical
staff arrived on the scene i'm state,
dashing up under flag OF truce in a
handsome landau drawn by a team of
spirited gray mares. His name, found.
was DIR. PROV. He brought with him
note from General Cronje asking for
particulars regarding the firing on our
ambulances. and even stating his will
ingness to court martial and shoot the
party or parties who had instigated 1t,
providing any Of our men bad been in
jured.
Before going further had better
point out Just how we had prepared TO
hold out against the Beers. When 1
first came here, last June, there was a
good deal OF war talk In the air. but no
one then dreamed that Mafeking would
be menaced. In fact. Colonel Baden-
Powell was the first man to anticipate
such a move. and though he clamored
for bigger guns and more supplies. the
home officials did nothing in the matter.
So he went at IL, making the most of
the situation.
Now. IL must be remembered that
Mafeking is like no other military town
i'm South Africa. 1t lies like .wart on
the face Of the wide. rolling veldt, with
no hills and no timber about II. II had a
little tin fort that was not worth the
room IL took up. IL also had little tin
battalion OF regulars, not enough TO
hold back 1000 Beers, The first thing
done was 10 divide the town into four
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23
A GROWN WORTH ~, 100000.

The state crown Of Great Britain was
made 81 years ago for the queens cor
onatlon and is among the lightest or
European crowns. Although IL weighs
only two pounds seven ounces. its value
is s2,00O.00O. and IL contains 1000 stones.
many OF them historical. One enormous
sapphire came from the slgnet ring OF
Edward the Confessor and from this
association is reported TO have the
power OF healing disease. One OF the
rubies. however. has a sadly tragic his
tory. IL was at one time In the posses-
sion of one Of the kings OF Grenada,
whom Pedro the Cruel invited TO HE
palace and basely murdered out OF
greed for this gem.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

Perhaps nothing viii show our dearth
OF artillery better than the fever Of ex-
element which was raised by the find
ing of an antiquated old naval i6
ponnder gun not far from the kafiir
stadt, where II had laid rusting for
years. IL Is queer old gun. Weighing
about half ton and stamped mo. 8.
Port. IL was probably made about
lI1O. For some time II was lying on the
farm OF an Englishman who has inter-
ests i'm the native stadt, and there Is "a
tradition that two Germans brought IT,
up from the coast more than 40 years
ago. For Some time II was used up
country by the Baralongs in their inter-
tribal wars and later was used against
Dutch freebooters. This old relic, when
IL was hauled into town. We all looked
upon AZ a g0dsend We went TO work
on II. We cleaned IL out and remounted
IL and polished II up and dS4Aled its
rusted tube. Iand with anxious hearts
ran IL out on it's emplacement and
gave IL its first trial We were
afraid or that old gun. so we gave
IL only two pounds Of powder as its first
charge. Every one was made to get un-
der cover, for il was ten TO one the
crazy old thing would explode. The
shot was fired II was followed by a
cheer for there stood the grim old war
rior OF the seas intact. We found that
IL had thrown ball OF ten pounds over
1000 yards. The charges were. then in
creased carefully by half pounds until
a three pound charge sent ten pound
ball over two miles. After Christmas
day we got ready for regular practice
with our new fieldpiece, and since then
into the Boer lines. We are now max
ing our own balls and shells for "B. p, -
for such the new accession has beer
christened in honor OF the colonel and,
though they are made with laughably
crude materials. their effects are not all
together unsatisfactory So Ladysmth
is not the only town that can claim ma
val guns.
Considering the amount OF ammunl-
tion with which the Beers have honored
US surprisingly little damage has been
done TO the town. Why the loss OF life
has been so small is easily explained.
The lookout men, as soon as daylight
appears. are on the watch for signs of
activity on the Big Ben emplacement,
for their gunners always seem TO go to
bed with the sun. and when a shell Is
seen to be coming our way the alarm Is
promptly given. The telephone bell
down in the little outpost cellar gives its
nervous little tinkle. the word goes to
headquarters that Big Ben has coughed
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23
LIFE IN RELEAGUERED MAFEKZNG

scattered about the track. The Beers
have always denied this. but the next
evening I saw enough blood at this spot
along the track 10 float "A pontoon.
The night Of the explosion we expect
ed general advance OF the enemy. and
no one thought OF sleeping. All the cor
respondents put i'm the night at Dixons
hotel. which Baden-Powell. or "Impee-
ri. the hyena," as the Kaffirs call him,
has since made the headquarters for his
officers and stan, and there ave waited
for the expected rattle OF musketry.
ready 10 go to whichever side of the
towN the first engagement might take
place. IL was not until the next morn
ing. however, that Captain Bentinck, a
real live English lord but good fellow
for all that. with "a handful OF cavalry,
had his brush with the Beers on the
north OF the town. Then came Captain
Fitz Ciarence's scrap, and an incident
which made the garrison here very hot.
our ambulance was sent out To recover
two bodies left on the field. There was
not the slightest suspicion on the part
of our men of any intended violation OF
the usual amenities OF warfare. for only
that day. curidusly enough, communi-
cation had been brought i'm from GEN
eral Cronje suggesting that arrange
nents should be entered into, la
Geneva convention, whereby the usual
principles OF civilized warfare might he
observed by both sides. Our ambulance
had scarcely got out OF the town, how
ever, when IL was met with the merriest
hail OF Mauser bullets that ever riddled
Red Cross flag. Whether II was acci-
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

ranged, and the Beers know Il and al
ways have known IL. The most we can
do Is TO crawl out 10 our EXTREMIST out
post trenches and there send few inn
potent Maxim and rifle bullets in the
direction OF Big Bens emplacement,
from whence come those terrible
screaming. booming "a pound exploding
messengers of death. And I might
state In passing that the Beers sll along
seem to have been most extravagant
and reckless with their ammunition.
Many OF their bombardment move-
ments have lacked both apparent pur-
pose and definite results, for all Of
which. Of course. we are humbly thank
full
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

to object vg- SCOT.
orously TO "a
dachshund belonging to Prince Helm
rich which was very dirty in its habits.
The boys were indignant at a thrashing
their pet had received and planned
vengeance. When, I'm the morning early.
Clara entered TO sweep, she Was seized
by four muscular hands. and her face
was daubed with SCOT.
At this critical moment the crown
princess passed along the passage, and,
hearing Clara's loud protests, came TO
her sons room. The maid tried with
the sleeves of her light gown to wipe
her face, and the crown princess at
once grasped the situation. NOW
said she, you have spoiled Clara's
dress; you must repair the damage.
Such dress costs 10 marks. How much
money have youY
The boys, with shamefacedi express
sion, counted out their cherished saw
ings. There were only marks and 30
pfennigs between the two. II will lend
you the remaining marks 80 from your
next weeks pocket money" said their
mother. giving the maid the money.
and IL will be no good your going to
the Christmas fair, as you have no cash.
so you will both stay indoors"
The kaiser and his brother remember
their chagrin to this day.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

up, and the next moment a native rings
the big alarm bell that has been hung
I'm the center OF the town. And what a
scampering there is them Every one
rushes for the dugouts and bombproof
cellars, and Mafeking looks like a city
OF the dead. Then the expected shell
strikes, explodes. scatters its dust anu
masonry. and before the cloud OF debris
has settled down there is "A merry
scramble for fragments OF the explosive
intruder, to be treasured as souvenirs
or shot back at them from the mouth
OF "B. p"
CHARLES EDGAR HOsKINs.
Mafeking, British Bechuanaland. Az
rica.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23
A STORY OF The KAISER.

The Christmas fair u an. inotitution
IN Berlin. fortnight before the reg
nlar time rows of Wooden sheds filled
With cheap articles OF all kinds are
opened I'm some public street or square.
and the poorer classes purchase their
presents there. while for children OF ev-
cry rank 90 wander Aup and down the
rows OF booths Is rapture. The Empress
Frederick. when crown princess. used TO
go with her husband and children TO the
Weihnachts market, which was then
neld in the big square near the Schloss.
called Lust garten. The children were
allowed to save their pocket money and
spend IL at the fair just az they liked.
A good story is told OF the kali
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

most languid member OF the house.
Most Of the time during the daily ses-
sions he Is stretched at full length on
one of the many couches I'm the cham
ber. Mr.. Wilson hopes for promotion 60
the milllonaires' club" when Arizona
is admitted TO statehood.
John MACEDONIAN OF Clay county. Fla.
claims 10 be the Oldest pensioner i'm the
country. According TO papers now on
file In Washington he Is I2i years old.
lie was born ia Ireland on March 10,
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23
Scenes and Incidents In the
Heroic Siege Endured by
Colonel Baden Powell
and His Garrison

18th of October. you viii remember.
that Cronje and his men came
over the border. The next day
he cut our communications with the
south. and. although the different
correspondents here kept the wires
hot trying TO get through their
copy, not one-quarter OF what we had
to say ever reached Cape Town. BY
Friday afternoon the Beers had torn up
the railway 10 the south. and there we
were, isolated on the lonely. fringe Of
the great Kalahari desert, stretching
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

sorting of hogs bristles as II is carried
ON at Ticn-tsin, China. Bach bristle of
the 100000 Kilograms exported from that
place i'm 1898 had 10 be picked out. meas
ured and placed In the bundle Of hairs
OF corresponding length. and the differ
ent lengths by which the hairs are
sorted are numerous.
John II. Wilson. delegate To congress
from Arizona. Is credited with being the
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23
ALL THE WORLD OVER.

The British ironclad Warrior. which
Is the oldest warship OF its kind I'm her
majesty's navy. has just been stricken
from the roll Of vessels i'm active serv-
ice. The Warrior was launched in 1860
md completed the next year. She has
displacement of ?.2lo tons. and her
iron armor,is four and one-half inches
thick.
An example Of patient industry is the
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

IFrom Our Special Correspondent in
Mafeking.l
"HE merry Siege OF Mafeking!
That is what the outside world
Is calling the struggle OF this lit
tie frontier town against 5000
Beers. ! wonder II any one outside OF
Mafeking today realizes the bitter irony
OF that little phrasel
At the time OF writing this. indeed.
Mafeking has every reason to be far
from merry. Even as I write can hear
the boom Of the Beers Big Ben cough
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

KY, claims to hold the record for con-
tinuous employment I'm the service OF
the Western Union Telegraph company
He has served the company for Al years
and was of great service during the
war Of the rebellion.
William Dean Howells. the author.
was recently asked by the Antideath
Penalty League OF Massachusetts, TO
give his opinion regarding capital pun
ishment, and gave this answer: Il
think IL is a legsl atTocity and one OF
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

the most useless pieces OF wlckedness
in the world'It Is more cruel than most
private murders. because the within H.
always kept long in suspense"
In the famous Wiertz museum at
Brussels where the works of the eccen-
trio painter Wiertz are preserved. ~ a
painting representing Napoleon i'm the
Internal regions. A Dutch artist has
reproduced the picture. but has placed
Mr.. Chamberlain's head on Napolcon's
shoulders. The painting has been ex-
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

hiblted in Holland for the benefit OF. the
Boer fund. ~
The English startling has been brought
to New York and is rapidly domesticat-
ing Itself. Although introduced only -
year or two ago. ia has Increased con-
sideraby In numbers. and in many vf
the up town streets its musical piping
can be heard this spring.
Alb Ak. a Boothbay tMc) nshefman.
claims to have the shortest nsms 90
record. II is not abbreviated, cithers
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

l719, and came tr~this country In 1904.
He enlisted In the Seventeenth Con-
necticut regiment I'm 1863. when he was
~ years old. The pension Officials are
inclined 10 believe his statement.
PostOfflce servants in London ore re-
quired to report Co their superior on
GERS any case of scarlet fever. snall-
pox, typhus fever. cholera, diphtheria.
measles or typhoid fever occurring In
their homes.
George u. Godfrey of New Albany.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-23

ser and Prince
Heinrich when
about II years
old. They had
received permis-
sion TO go To the
fair with their
tutor on the
very day a dis
aster occurred to
them. There was
a grand quarrel
on with the
housemaid who
had To clean the
princes rooms.
Clara had dared
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-04
COUNCIL BLUFFS WAS AFRAID.
by Kel1y's Army, VIII
the Empty Dinner Pail.
Council Bluffs Nonpareil.

Council Bluffs NonpareiL
The governor of this state and other
officials had hurried to Council Bluns
as though great calamity or pesti-
lence or a riot was threatening the state
OF Iowa. demanding tho full exercise or
It's mighty power to stay the plague.
Gen. Kelly stood in ragged garb, twirl-
ing his simple worlingman's cap and as
sured the people:
but, instead. there Is not man among us who
would not be willing to his bread BY the sweat
Of honest toll providing the employment was FUR
uished Adverse circumstances and class legislation
have reduced us to want and misery. Talk about
hard times. This is the richest country In the
world, and there is no reason why q single In
dividuai should beg for bread. Right here In this
state raise corn and wheat enough to feed
half the United States. but instead Of doing 50
you are letting the soil remain idle simply for tss
reason that your produce 10 not marketable. This
is not your fault but the fault Of the men who
your lava We have . mission to perform. which
mission Is to secure legislation and not to steal and
plumber
This community trembled lest the des-
peration of the men with the empty din
ner pair would cause them to become
forgetful of all else but that natural de-
sire for self-preservation which leads n
man to fight for the means OF sustaining
life. Bryan would have made a pretty
spectacle Of himself at that time trying
to convince these hungry men that II
would be an insult TO orfer them the
full dinner pail" as 1t would be as much
as saying they were "all stomach -
Their appeal made through their leader
was for such legislation as would enable
them by honest toll to secure 1.-THE full
dinner pail" The Democracy answered
that appeal by offering them 1.-THE empty
dinner pail" The Republicans then came
into power and there were no more such
armies as those OF Coxey and Kelly
and yet he proposes a return OF those
times when they we're so hungry as to
forget that they had anything else but
tramping over the country.
Now Bryan Is appealing TO these men
20 vote for return OF the empty din
ner pail He tells them that the full
dinner pair is an Insult. He wants
them to forget that they have a stomach
n stomach
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-04

The following prices are being offered 70 the pro
Queer b. the local dealers for delivery in round lots
on the dock and IN the at Seattle:
0rain--Oats s2td16: barley. SIS 5edh; wheat.
chicken feed. gis.2; bran. $3.50: shorts. WV
Hay-Puest sound silaiz. Eastern Washington
Timothy, Sc; Alfalfa 50 30 per ton.
Eco Strictly fresh ranch. Ss@35c.
Hrtter-Fresh ranch. 1sdlGc cresmerv. -sdNr
Poultry Live chickens, ice; live turkeys. iSa3rnc;
eeese. i0r: ducks. lie per 1b.
Live 9tock-Choice beef cattle, cows, Shc;
stesn. sosnc: choice sheep st94c; good hogs.
live n; calves. live, 517c.
Hidss Psiu and Wool Heavy sound saifed steers.
over q 1bs fMc; medium. sound. per ID. ehc
light, sound. under = lbs SIC; cows. sound. all
wsishts eAc;. stays bulls and oxen, &c; saited
than ssitsd: dry hides per h. iihc dry cuils. one
third Len summer deer. per ID. zdaoc winter deer
dry Dpzzc; pspsry deer. i1a1sc dry elk. t4ior:
Js4ser; Eastern wsshingtc. wool s@fie: Western
Wsshineton wool. isc: dirty or timber burned. u
D4Sc; taI1ow, a45Hc.