davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
rhe Moon,s Atmosn,,ere.

The recent conclusions of the French
scientists, MN. Loewry and Puiseux,
as to the possible presence of some
gaseous envelope on the moons sur
face are of very general interest. Aft
er giving reasons for concluding that
the formidable volcanic eruptions of
which the moon has been the theater
belong to recent time in the history
of our satellite, they point out that
these eruptions must have set at no
erty great quantities of gas or vapors,
while the diffusion of cinders on the
lunar surface to great distances infers
a>gaseous envelope of certain densi-
ty. Has the time. they ask. which has
elapsed since the great eruptions SUI
feed to bring about the total disap-
pearance of this gaseous envelope ?
Considering that the already solidified
lunar surface could only have alb
sorbed the gases slowly and with diff
ficulty, they conclude that from their
examination Of the lunar surface there
are serious grounds for believing that
there exists at the prese1st time 8
residue of atmosphere OF i1as
detection. surrounded as 1t
great difficulties, may yet be
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25

regiment in New York city, when
Howard Mosher, N. G. A. rider, was
allowed to compete In one race and
barred out of another. The situation
was discussed in all its phases, and
the general feeling was that the A. A.
U. or l.. A. w. were not called upon
to Interfere SD long as the events were
open only to the regiment and no one
who had been declared a professional
was allowed to compete. The repre-
sentatives of the three bodies agreed
that 1t was reasonable that the mill
tary league should receive the same
concession granted to the Intercol-
leglate Athletic Association to pass on
the entries for meetings held under
Its own rules and open only to its
own members.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25

race at the Music hall rink. The track
was only a polished floor. unbanked.
making the turns extremely danger
GUS. Gibson fell at the second turn,
but was up on his machine as Runck
came within six yards of reaching
him. Gibson plugged away and grad
ually wore out his opponent, winning
at the commencement of the seventh
mile. The entire distance made was
SIX miles and one lap on ten-laD
course. The time was 1910
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
Australian Volunteer.

AT recent Australian military re.
view the commanding officer of q large
volunteer infantry regiment was un-
expectedly absent, and the onus OF
marching the men past fell upon the
second in command. heavy, stolid-
looking trader, who knew nothing OF
drill. Ere he had time to hunt up the
adjutant for instructions, a generals
aid-de-camp galloped up with orders
to march. I'm! Yes, of course" said
the amateur warrior. gazing leisurely
around. Beautiful day, isn't IT? Have
cigar?" The aid-de-camp replied that
he thought the general would be very
angry If the regiment didn't move on
at once. "Of course-of course!" calm
ly said the heavy fire-eater; fine body
Of men. these" waving his arm
around). Wont move OF for anyone
but me, you know-er-try EN-" The
aid smilingly told the trumpeter to
sound the march, and the regiment OF
course moved OF. Good" said the.
volunteer warrior. admiringly. You
can't stop 'em. though" The aid mo-
toned to the trnmpeter, who sounded
halt and the men Immediately
stopped. N.Y. said the ponder0nso IT.
fieer, with genuine admiFatl9a :; kl1
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
HISTORY OF SHOE BUCKLES.
How the Gentlemen of tho East Century
Dressed Their Fast

How the Gentlemen of tho last Century
Dressed Their Feet.
Once on time your shoe was moth
Ing without the buckle. Indeed, It was
case of the 'tail wagging the dog"
for the buckle was the attraction and
the shoe but the accompaniment. Be
1t observed that at first, however, it
was not the size, but the costliness Of
the buckle which was conspicuous.
Thus among royalties, people of high
rank. and those who were the glass Of
fashion and the mold of form at court,
wore diamonds. Needless to say that
then, as now, those who desired to i'm
itate them wore paste buckles, happy,
perhaps, in that self-complacency
which imagines nobody else shrewd
enough to estimate possibilities. In
1870 leader of fashion would wear a
full flowing curled wig reaching in
ringlets half way down back and
arms, laced coat cut straight, with
buttons put on every possible place,
and square-toed, black shoes, with an
enormous flap on the instep, high heels
and on the flap a small but brilliant
buckle. Next to the buckle of bril-
liants came those of gold. Rich land
owners andl equally rich merchants
wore gold buckles larger than the dia-
mond ones, but still small in proper
ton to the shoe flaps. Your thriving
shopkeepers wore buckles of silver and
your opulent farmers those of shining
steel, and the poorer classes had
buckles Of brass or iron; but of some
material every one wore buckles on
the shoes. When, at the time of the
French revolution, people took to shoe
ribbons the buckle-makers petitioned
George III. and parliament that shoe
ribbons should be forbidden under
penalties, clamoring for the renewal of
the sumptuary laws of Plantagenet and
Tudor with an apparent inability to
read the signs of the time. A spas
modic attempt was made by the
prirSes and their encourage to bene-
fit the buckle-makers by wearing
buckles as ostentatiously as possible;
but ribbons, decidedly far more I'M
picturesque though much more prac-
teal. carried the day.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
When Signs Fail

Scientific inquiry is sometimes curl
ously baked. A professor of one of
our colleges who is summer resident
of little New England village, on his
first rounds this year met native
townsman who told him, among other
items of local interest, of the illness
Of his wife. II am sorry to hear it,
said the professor, all sympathy at
once. What is the cause of her ILL
ness?" This her husband was not pre-
pared to say, but at length admitted
that some called it one thing and some
another. BY judicious questions, how
ever, the professor learned enough to
satisfy himself that the sick woman
was suffering from epilepsy, and began
to inquire for familiar symptoms. The
answers he -eceiyed were, In general,
convincing. Finally, he asked: docs
your wife grind her teeth while
asleep?" We'll, no, s'v. never no.
ticed that she did" was the eaply; but
/ don't know as ever rems1nber of
her wearing her teeth to bed
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
THE RLooDrHlRsTY YAoul.
Americana Driven Out by Their Rnids
In the Mountain of Maxico.

Americana Driven Out by Their Raids
In the Mountains OF Mexico.
II there is any particular place on
earth that is wilder than the part of
Mexico now being deprecated by the
Yaqui Indian warfare then that place
has not been located, unless 1t is the
counterpart of No Mans Land in west
Texas. The Yaqui have their reserva-
ton In the spurs of the Sierra Madre
mountains For hundreds of miles in
any direction that you choose to turn
you find nothing but the widest will
derness surrounding you. There are
hundreds of Americans, however, who
leave Ell Paso and plunge into these
mountains in search of that alluring
commodity in this great world of ours,
gold. During the past two or three
years hundreds of Americans have dis
appeared in these mountain Businesses
and wave never been heard of since,
or at least until the last few weeks,
and now they are pouring out of the
mountain dells every day like rats
leaving sinking ship. 1t is getting
too warm up in those dark recesses and
those narrow gorges for the average
miner in search of wealth and not
bloody Indian warfare. For awhile it
was thought that the American miners
In the mountains would be able to hold
their ground by being neutral, but that
is something the Indian knows nothing
at all about. For a while the big
chiefs were able to hold the young
bucks in hand and nothing but Mexi-
can soldiers were selected as targets
to shoot after. One or two of these
engagements, however, and everything
was at an end. The young buck, like
the tiger, had smelled blood, and he
was beyond any future restraint He
went charging and tearing through the
mountains, laying everything in waste
before him. Hundreds of the Ameri-
cans in those mountain ranges with
free grass and no fences to interfere
had begun the raising of cattle in adj
dition to their mining prospecting,and
were having fine time of it up to the
time that the uprising came. For
awhile they stemmed the tide, but only
for awhile. The Indians swooped down
on some of the ranches, laid the small
adobe houses close down against the
sod and killed the men. The few
women there were were carried into
bondage. Now the wives and ranch
men are pouring out Of the mountains
and rushing to the border.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
NOTES OFTHE WHEEL.
MATTERS oFINTEREsr Dew
oTEES OF THE BICYCLE.
Eastern Railroads Agree to Garry
Bicycles Free of Chnrge--some Echoes
OF the Recent Six bay Racing Meet
In New York.
Eastern Road. to carry cycle, rr,..

Eastern Roads to Garry Cycles Free.
The threatened movement of the
railroads to make uniform charge for
carrying bicycles of passengers in the
entire territory east of Chicago has
been defeated by the trunk line oper-
ating between Pittsburg and buffalo
and New York. When these roads
voted against the proposition the
transportation companies between Buff
ialo and Pfttsburg and Chicago were
FORCED to drop the scheme The re-
Iusal OF the eastern trunk lines was
not optional. however, but was caused
by the fact, as pointed out in the Cycle
age some time ago, that the proposed
measure was in direct conflict with the
laws OF a number of eastern states
which require that railroads carry BIZ
cles as baggage. Officers OF nearly
every road in the territory named were
IN FAVOR of making uniform charge
lot bicycles, but as the lines travers-
ing states where such a charge could
not be legally made it was found ip-
practical for competing lines in ad-
Joining states to attempt to levy a tax.
Inc action of the east-bound railroads
"ill be hailed with delight by bicyclists
generally, and by professional riders
ID particular, as charge such as it
was proposed to make would have
meant the expenditure of thousands of
dollars every season. When the ques-
ton of making charge was talked Of
lew weeks ago wheelmen's clubs and
organizations throughout the country
strongly protested to the railroad Off
GERS, and the position of the bicyclists
had some influence undoubtedly in
causing the proposition to be voted
down. At meeting of the general
passenger agents of the roads running
west from Chicago, which lines charge
lot bicycles as excess baggage, it was
agreed to that hereafter crates and
trunks in which bicycles are shipped
must be charged for in addition to
che machines.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
Frlghtened the parkex.

Gen. Nicolls of New Orleans sacri-
feed an eye. leg and an arm to the
cause which he believed just, and came
out of the war, as he declared, "only
half man." But the half that was left
enjoyed joke as keenly as ever. Sci
ence replaced the lost members SO sue
cessfnlly that nobody who was ignor-
ant Of his misfortunes could detect it.
The general often told the following
story: Stopping at hotel in Mobile,
a negro boy was detailed to help him
prepare for bed. After his bag was I'M
packed. and his coat laid aside, he
SAID: Now. Sam. take off my leg.
Sam started speechless. Don't know
yet how to take off legs, Ell? Now.
look here!" He unscrewed the leg.
and keeping it carefully covered with
his long black stocking, laid it aside.
Now, take Off this arm" mo, sab.
no sab! Neber took off no gentlum's
ahm in my life!" gasped Sam, turning
gray with terror. You're q pretty
valet. Nothing easier" The arm was
taken off and laid beside the leg on the
table, and the general prepared for
sleep and got into bed. ooh. by the
way. we'd better take an eye out!"
He took it out. Sam backed to the
door, afraid to turn his back on the
terrible guest, who stretched himself
sleepily, and then said: Now, Sam.
take off my head" Sam rushed out
OF the room to the Office. and could
only find strength to gasp out: Its
de debhil heself. sab! He's taken his,
self to pieces in room fohty-eight!"
Exchange.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
HER RULING PASSION.
Couldn't Forget 1t, Even in a House o,
Mourning.


Mourning.
There goes a woman" said the girl.
who hasn't thought on earth except
dress. know that superior man at
tributes this particular weakness to all
women-but it's canard, as, of course.
are nine out of ten of the male esti-
mates of women" She conquered a
refractory button on her glove before
she continued, says the Philadelphia
Press. But that woman who passed
us is, without doubt, the most dress
crazy woman have ever met. She
knows no topic save dress-can speak
on no other subject. She spends one
half of her time at her dressmaker's
and the other half is used in exploit
ing the handicraft of the modiste.
Goodness knows when she manages to
get anything to eat. She's dead to
every feeling, believe, except that
which has to do with dress. And what
do you think she said the other day?
I met her as we were going out of a
house of mourning. A young woman
whom we both knew had died-but
the feeling of sorrow was too fresh
upon me to permit anything more than
nod of recognition. For half a
square we walked side by side. Then
I said: Poor, dear Clara-alive and
well one week ago, and now-now she's
gone! Yes answered my friend.
blandly-'but wasn't she dressed beau
tifully? Really, it was treat to see
her!'"
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
THE STORY OF "A BET,

Three Johnnies sat at a little table
overlooking the rink. The skaters
we're waltzing with all the poetry of
I their Rhythmic motion to the dulcet
strains of the Tzigane band. and a
small crowd of people, like our three
Johnnies. watched them, noting tho
special grace of one and the scarcely
hidden clumsiness of another.
The hall was full of light, and the
electric glow lamps were reflected from
the real ice floor. The gay dresses Of
the ladies, the red and white Canadian
costumes of the attendants, helped to
make pretty and eXhilarating spec
tacle, which our three Johnnies were
drinking In.
Two Of them were young Johnnies,
and the third was an old Johnny. The
young men were acquaintances; the
eldest one was stranger to the other
two. They had met at the rink for
the first time. exchanging salutation
as they sat over glass of wine and
watched the scene. The conversation,
growing upon them, had resulted in an
- SASAeAA60 VI CdIuS. u0 ulOSL I'LL
etent Johnny was Robert Richards, ac-
cording to his pasteboard. The other
two were Algernon Duke and Mowbray
Smith.
There's one or two decent girls
here" asserted Mowbray.
Decent? There's some decued fine
frocks about. if you want my opinion.
What do you say?" So said Algernon.
am entirely Of your opinion" COIN
cided the elderly person, as he slipped
his wine.
Look at that one. now" pursued
Algy; "as pretty as picture"
And nearly as well painted" said
Mr.. Richards.
You're a cynic," laughed Mowbray.
You don't like women"
Not In the aggregate. There are
one or two that know that I am
rather fond Of
Now, as for me-" said Mowbray,
m fond Of the whole crew, fair and
dark, handsome and plain, demure and
slashing. old and young"
"A gay Lothario," chimed In Algy.
Well. what do you say to this?"
This" was charming creature,
dainty of figure, exquisitely costumed,
and with the healthy glow of exercise
upon her pretty face. She was Just
leaving the ice floor, and an attendant
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
JOHN FISCHER

track in the Missouri town on the Big
Muddy the Other night Repine was
paced by John Chapman and Will
Stafford. Fisher was paced by Gus
Lawson and Oscar julius. and up to
the time when the sprocket chain on
the Lawson tandem broke. the Chi
cagoan had the race well in hand.
After the motor left the track he
sprinted and tackled On to Repine's
pace. but the effort told on him. and he
had a hard time finishing in front.
The race was run in 28:s9. an average
of mile in 1854 and fraction.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
Too Obliging.

The ameer of Afghanistan must
surely be a very obliging man, If q
story told of him be true Not many
years ago queens messenger or some
other official was on his way to Ca
bull, when he had the misfortune to be
robbed. He was in no way injured by
the robbers, but the British govern
ment preferred complaint, which
came duly to the knowledge of the
ameer. No reply was received, and the
months passed. At last the ameer
wrote. and his letter showed the ear
nestness OF his desire to oblige the
queen. ''The matter you mention, {"
said the letter. has been thoroughly
investigated, and not only have the
robbers of your messenger been put to
death, but all their children, as well
as their fathers and grandfathers. I
hope this will give satisfaction to her
majesty the queen" Nevertheless it is
dous '.Il IL it did.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25

The first murder known to have been
committed at bicycle meet in this
country occurred at Madison Square
Garden recently. when Fred F. Slater
was deliberately shot in his grand
stand seat by young man who later
gave his name to the police as William
Rosser, aged twenty-one. The fellow
who did the shooting appeared to be
under the influence of intoxicants.
Rosser overheard Slater remark that
Banker was sure winner in one of
the sprint races, and took exception to
the opinion, which Slater offered to
back with dollar. whereupon Rosser
pulled out revolver and shot him.
Slater was removed to the hospitcL.-
where he will probably die.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
Figures Tell the Tale.

AS chairman of the rights and privi-
leges committee of the L. A. w. Con
way Sans recently needed a list OF
the racing men now registered with
the L. A. W., and sent to Chairman
Gerlach for the list. When it came Mr.
Sans was astonished to find that 1t
contained only 200 names OF the more
than 5000 racing men in America. "At
that rate of loss we will soon have no
body to control. and the question will
settle ITSELF" was Mr.. Sans comment
When Chairman Albert Mott relin-
pushed control of the sport there were
hardly more than 100 racing men and
fewer than half dozen tracks out
side of the L. A. w. fold.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
behind a dense wood. they were mad

behind dense wood. they were mad
to return by another route, mound
their horses, and again file by, as cav
airy, over the road along which they|
had just paraded. The captives were
then permitted to escape. and as For.
rest intended, made their way to thed
nearest Federal commander and in-|
formed him Of the great strength OF
the Confederate force, the soldiers q
which made no secret of their inten-
ton permanently to occupy and hold
that section of the country. The pres
ence of Cheatham's division OF infantry
is repeatedly mentioned in the official
dispatches of the Union commanders
at this time. and while Forrest did not
have more than three thousand sol
diers in his little army of invasion, his
stratagem caused Gen Grant to detach
twenty-five thousand men to drive him
across the Tennessee
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
Eaton ca.tures the Mile Hana,ca

-.
The mi professional handicap at
the six days race in New York was
run in the fast time of 2:04 2-5.
Banker started from scratch with
Eaton at Is yards, Ruiz at 80 and
Stone, Judge and Ireland at 80 yards.
There was no jockeying this time by
the back men, who pursued the long
markers at terrific clip from the
start, catching them at half a mile.
Eaton jumped at the seventh lap, his
old starting point for most of his sue
cessful indoor victories. and could not
be caught, winning by three yards.
with Banker second. half length
ahead of Rutz. Banker again claimed
foul riding against Ruiz, who was
fined SIS by the referee for the ofrense,
though it seemed as though the flying
Eaton could not have been caught un.
der any conditions.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
Pit I'm the Sword

fut Up the sword.
/ have sung of the soldiers glory
AS 1 never shall sing again;
i have gazed on the shambles CORY
l have smelled of the slaughter-pen
There is blood in the ink-well clotted.
There are stains on the laurel-leaf,
And the pages of Fame are blotted
with the tears of u needless grief
The bird is slaughtered for fashion,
And the beast is killed for sport;
ana never the word compassion
Is Whispered at Moloch's court.
For the parent seal in the water
Is slain, and her child must die,
mat some sister or wife or daughter
Her beauty may beautify
And the merciful thought we smother
For such is the way of man
AS We murder the useless mother
For the unborn astraknan"
But season Of rest comes never
For the raresl sport of all;
VIII HIS patience endure forever.
Who noteth sparrows fail?
When the volleys of hell are sweeping
The sea and the battle PLAIN,
DO you think that our God is sleeping,
And never TO wake again?
When hunger and favenous fever
Are staying the wasted frame.
Shall we worship the red deceiver,
The devil thai men call Fame?
We may swing the censor TO cover
The odor of blood-in vain;
God asks us, over and over,
Where is thy brother, Camp
James Jeffrey Roche. in Decembe
Century.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25

Europe's- unique transportation way
is the Forst Rope Road. In the can
ton of Grisons, on the dizzy precipice
of Via Mala (the bad way, deep de-
file of Switzerland along the Rhine,
walled in by precipices in some places
LOGO feet high, it is SO difficult to get
the felled trees across the valley that
wire rope railway hangs from the
mountain top across the valley down
the Rongellen. To this cable are
fastened big logs by rope and pulley,
which slowly are carried across the
valley. When severe storms sweep
down from the mountain passes. fire.
quently the system gets tangled, and
then it is necessary for some one to
make the perilous journey out on the
rope to unravel the mass
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
Banker and ru,z Meet and Tic.

George Banker and w. A. Ruiz, the
new and very successful professional,
had tier mile heat contest in New
York the other afternoon In the first
heat the New Haven boy, In attempt
Ing to cut in on the inside. was
thrown. and Banker won the heat in
2:l5. Ruiz won the second heat by a
sprint at the finish in ESQ, though
Banker lodged claim of foul, which
was not allowed. The bitterness en-
gendered between the two over this
prevented the running of the final heat.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-01-25
HOW THEY RAISE GEORGIA MEN

All This Poor Widow Had to Raise
Them on Was Prayer, and Hickory.
Gen. Wheeler was being entertained
when one of the gentlemen said, laugh
ingly: How is it, general, that the
sleepy farms of the south produce such
whirlwind fighters in such small pack
ages?" We'll. gentlemen" said the
little general, putting large mans
cigar, Il believe I'll have to give you
the answer of an old cracker woman
once gave me when asked her SINH
lar question. Not many years ago
had occasion to make a saddle journey
through the pine barrens of Georgia.
where most everybody is a cracker
and mighty shiftless. One day, how
ever, l rode into little community
that showed such signs of thrift as to
be quite out of keeping with the gen.
eral character of the barrens, I do as
sure you, gentlemen. l rode up to a
cabin where gaunt old woman stood
in the doorway, and asked her who
owned the little farms that were so
we'll kept. That farm on the left be-
longs to my son Jabez,' said she, and
the next one to my boy Zalem, and
the next to my lad Jason, and the next
is my boy Photiphar's place, and
Hold on, sister, said I. How did you
manage to raise such fine lot of boys
way off here in the woods?' Wal,
stranger she answered. I am wildly
woman, and all had to raise 'em on
was prayer and hickory, and raised
'em powerful frequent Current
Literature.