davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16
TEXAS MAN SAYS HIS STATE
HAS BIGGEST BAT CAVES.
Numerous Caverns Inhabited by Millions Upon
Millions Of Winged Animals.
Shutdown Great Streams Of Them Pour Forth 10 Chase
Mosquitoes Probably They Have Occupied the
Caves for Many Centuries

= HE New York man knocked the
ashes from his cigar, rolled 1t In
a his fingers and examined the fire
- end with that bored expression
which means. when are you
going to stop9'
The man from Texas had the floor
Yes. SIR" said he. Texas is a big
place. We've got the biggest state I'm the
Union, and the biggest counties. Why,
sir some OF our counties are bigger than
whole New England states. Our capitol
building Is the biggest in the country
outside or Washington. Our school fund
Is the biggest. We've the biggest cotton
and cattle raisers in the world and"
GU mad the biggest cyclone and food"
suggested the New York man.
That's So" the Texan assented, land
were making the biggest effort In the
world to rebuild our big seaport city,
Anything else in Texas that's blg?''
ventured the New Yorker.
We'll, yes. sir: we've got the biggest
bat caves in the world"
Bat caves!' said the New York man.
What are bat caves?"
They're caves where bats live. OF
course"
'.Oh. didn't know: thought maybe
they might be deposits Of petrified or ossi-
fed bats. you know. / never have thought
much about bats, but supposed they lived
in belfries, deserted castles, ivy-mantled
towers. or any old place where they could
sleep well In daytime. Do they live in
caves In Texasg'
''well. should say they did: millions
of EN-" rejoined the Texas man.
millions of cavcs7"
"No, sir; millions OF bats"
TELL me about them. 1t sounds inter-
esting."
Pleased by the interest shown the Texan
said:
''Out In some parts of my state, where
limestone Is the formation, or country
rock as the miners say. there are hun
dreds of caves; little caves and big caves;
some only about as big as meeting house
and others so big they never have found
the end of em. I know one cave so big
that gang of explorers spent three days
in there and came out as wise as they
went In. so far as its boundaries were con-
cerned."
ANY stalactites and that sort of thing
in there9" asked the New Yorker.
mo, sir; nothing but bats, guano and
daddy long legs. Bats by the millions and
tens Of millions. II looks like, all OF 'em
hanging TO the roof and walls waitin' for
night to come so as they can fiy out and
get a square meal OF mosquitoes. And
never could see how they can tell when
night comes outside--for Its always pitch
dark inside--unless. maybe, II II a change
in the air that notifies EN- The savin'
grace of that country In summer is that
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16
GIRLS BATTLE WITH ALLIGATORS.
Rescues Her Baby Sister From the Saurians' Jaws.

II there was something hot inside of his
head. She pumped few more shots into
his body behind his forelegs and IT was
not long before he rolled over lifeless
The female came crawling into the room.
Savannah sent hot bullet into its body.
The furious animal turned and ran
straight towards the bed with wide-open
jaws. and furious with pain and rage,
she got her forefeet on the bed, and the
women were now worse frightened than
before The horrible jaws of the mad
dened creature were close to their bodies.
Savannah rushed the barrel of the gun
into the alligator's mouth. and fred 1t
was fortunate shot The big bah tore
through the full length of the creatures
backbone, and 1t fell, quivering and life
less, on the carpet.
The smoke had hardly cleared and the
women had not yet dared to venture
from the bed when A. Nelson. neighbor,
entered the gate and asked IL they were
having battle with burglars. The man
could hardly credit his own eyesight when
he saw the carcasses of the two big ALL
gators lying on the carpet. Other citizens
OF the little town were soon gazing in
wonder at the dead alligators and the
wrecked furniture. They proved TO be
two OF the largest alligators ever killed
In the country. The people of the little
town have voted Miss Savannah the BRAY
est girl In Texas. and the young men of
the place gave a ball in her honor and
crowned her mascot of their military COM
pany and the queen of the hunting club,
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16

fence was red. The girl who came 20
the farmyard 70 milk the cows was red.
and she carried red bucket and a stool
with three red legs
I, Z, =
At any other time Dexter might have
excused the color OF her cheeks and for
given Il as a maidenly blu&h. but he
could overlook nothing Of that sort nov.
I. . T.
VITA loud below he made a desper-
sse dash at the red sirawstack and tried
To butt II over. The red chickens the
red pigs, the red ducks. the red geese
fed before bis awful onslaught The
weather boarding OF tho red barn was
shlvered into crimson aplinters. and the
milkmaid with the red dress and the red
hair ran back into the red syrinshogse
in terror, leaving the red bucket and
the stool with the three red legs 10 be
trampled into the red earth BY the hoofs
Of the enraged Dexter.
The bull made several charges around
the yard and then he assaulted the red
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16

where the bears had left the road and
then we easily could track them through
the snow. About half way up the side
II the mountain we found the den where
the bear family lived. There was full
moon and IT was shining right into the
den. so we could see what was going on.
Sure enough, there were four fat cubs,
but they had been put to bed and were
asleep in the corner. Old Mr. and Mrs.
Bear were just hanging up the stock
ings when we reached the den. A bears
paws aren't meant for tying things and
II wasn't any too easy a job. but at last
they succeeded thanks to the strings
which Tom had so thoughtfully placed
on the stockings. After the stockings
were up the bears began filling them.
First they put in lot of nice big nuts.
They they filed the stockings half way
up with choice bits of meat. Then they
put In lot of acorns, and bits of fur
and feathers. and other things which
they had picked up In the woods, and
were evidently meant as playthings for
the four fat cubs. After the stockings
were filled the mother bear placed a
piece of bark directly under each stocking
and put big piece of honey on each
piece of bark Then the two old bears
stood back little and looked at the
stockings--just bubbing over with pride.
the happiest and most contented bears
In Pike county.
~ won't promise never to shoot an
other bear said Tom softly. But I'll
take my oath III never shoot another
pike county bear during the Christmas
season and so prevent Mrs Bear and
the cubs from enjoying merry Christi
mas
Just then the old bears saw us and
came rushing out OF the den. as II they
meant to tear us to pieces. l was on the
point Of doing the vanishing act, but Tom
held me back
THOSE bears won't lay a paw on us
when they see who we are he said
calmly.
And they didn't When the bears got
near enough TO recognize Tom, they stop
ped their low growing and fairly danced
around him with JOY. The mother bear
began waving her head toward the in
side OF the den. IL was plain that she
wanted us to go in and see those Christ
mas arrangements, which both bears were
mighty proud Of But Tom pointed to the
sleeping cubs and laid his finger on his
lips, indicating that he was afraid of
awakening the little ones. The old bears
recognized the sense of that, but re-
luctantly. for their hearts were set on
having both of us but Tom in particular.
see the stockings We stood there few
minutes. holding a sort of silent confab
with the bears and then turned to so
home As long as we were In sight the
two old bears stood I'm front of the den
watching us and fairly beaming with
friendliness and good will.
"The next morning as was leaving
my home | met Tom Wilson ON his way
60 the woods. He was carrying big pot
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16

acting the part of bear highwaymen. but
US IN good cause. and / can't say that
l blame them
The bears kept fumbing about the
bundle, but couldn't seem TO ind any more
stockings Tom. knowing there was an
otner pair OF stockings In the pack. shout
ed Look over I'm that other corner
Ine bears searched In the place Tom
nau pointed out, but, somehow. couldn't
md out what they wanted Tom watched
them a minute longer. Then he began to
slide down the tree.
You had better give those bears a
Wide BERTH I warned him, or a pair Of
pig boots and sweet memories will be all
that Is left OF Tom Wilson.
Tom was shocked
I'm surprised. Deacon he said fndig-
nantly. Those bears know I'm coming 10
assist them. and wouldn't harm me for the
world
Sure enough, the bears did seem TO
appreciate what Tom meant to do.-Fhey
never offered to hurt him, but stood up
on their hind legs and bowed to him, and
looked as friendly as pie. Tom rummag ed
about in the bundle for a minute, found
the other pair OF stockings. and gave them
to the bears. Then he took four little
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16

pieces of string and tied one to corner
of each stocking, so that II would be easy
for the father and mother bear to hang
them up. Talk about grateful. happy
bears! Those two furry parents stood in
the road. bowling TO Tom, and trying to
smile. and giving him friendly little pats
with their paws and acting as IL he had
given them the thing they most desired
In the world. Tom was nightly pleased
to SEQ them so grateful for his Kindness
That's all right he said. 4 have chill
dren myself and know how you feel.
wish both YOU and the cubs merry
Christmas
lust then the bears noticed that Toms
bundle was lying on the ground. the cover
torn and the contents scattered by their
search for the stockings. They looked
drsadfully ashamed. and began picking up
the scattered articles and trying to gather
them into a neat pile.
Don't mind about the bundle Tom
said. as II the bears could understand him.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16

the air gets cool when the sun quits shin
In. Maybe the bats feel the change and
know Il r. sundowu
Anyhow, long about shutdown, IL you
happen TO be In the neighborhood of one
of these big caves you'll see all these bats
coming out Z feed. For maybe an hour
on end they'll pour out Of the mouth OF
that cave In solid black cloud. II gives
you queer sort of feclin' TO watch 'em.
suggestin' Internal regions and that sort
er thing. You'd think that many bats Il
overstock the aerial range, so 10 speak.
but there seems TO be plenty OF insects for
'em. and | reckon the Lord provides for
the bats same as He does for the spar
rows. by daybreak they seem to have
had all the food and exercise they want.
and back they go into their cave and hang
'emselves up on the wall again. It's .
great sight TO watch these flights"
You spoke OF guano." said the New
York man. Isn't that good for some
thingY'
"'rhe finest fertilizer In the land re-
piled the Texas man. ut runs well In
ammonia, and. of course, that makes II
good plant food, There Is millions Of II.
too. In some OF these caves the stun lies
from ten to twenty and thirty feet deep
on the floor Texas Is the land of magnih-
cent distances and the railroads are most
ly a long way from the caves. To sack
and haul the guano hundred miles or so
to the railroad makes profts a minus
quantity. Some day the railroads II Het
down in that region and some enterprisin'
feilow'li make his pile out OF that fer
tilizer
"oh. yes: they've been known about for
years. Look on United States geological
survey map OF that region and you'll ire
bat caves marked all about on II.
They're no new thing probably thousands
of years old. Judging by the deposits Of
guano the bats must have chased mos
auitoes there long before the Conan
che Indians began chippfn filnts TOR
spikes to chase buffalo with.
Some Of the caves are vacant now.
Thou9htless cowpunchers or like fred EN-
to smoke the bats out. Just for fun
Tons OF fine guano and swarms OF bats
have been destroyed that way. Smoked
out once cave always qtays vacant. AZ
the bats don't seem to Nike tho risk oe
going hack again.
And the daddy long iegsi You Just
oughter see 'em In those cavess they
hang In punches as big as your head, all
tangled up together Till It looks like they'd
never get unraveled again. But Just stick
a light under bunch OF EN-. Holy
smokei The move they get on 'eml
II heard the other day." concluded the
Texan. that some ingenious guy had
found use for the 'cuckic bur- Maybe
bats hides and daddy long legs will ma
a market some day, There's big thing
In II in Texas II they do
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16

Jared begat Enoch when he was is3. Me-
thusaieh was born to Enoch when tho
latter was u.s. and when Methusaleh was
1877 he besat Lamech. and Iameeh's son.
Noah. came into the world when his
father was is2. This brings us down to
the birth OF Noah, which. according to
the added ages OF the several patriarchn
at the time their sons were born. occurred
Loss years after the birth Of Adam.
In the seventh chapter Of Genesis the
eleventh verse reads. I'm the six hum
dredth year OF Noah's life. In the second
month. the seventeenth day Of the month,
The same day were all the fountains OF
the great deep broken up ami all the win
dowH ~ heaven were opened This was
the food. and II came to pass In the
year 1855 after the birth OF Adam.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16
in the Old Testament would answer /, at

In the Old Testament. would answer II al
once.
The date of the food was 1855 years af-
ter the birth OF Adam. In the second month
and the seventeenth day. II began then
and continued for forty days and nights
This is how 1t is figured: The third verse
of the nth chapter of Genesis reads thus,
And Adam lived 100 years and begat
son In his own likeness, after his image.
and called his name Seth Then. In the
sixth verse II Is told that Seth lived los
years and begat Fnos. Adam, says the
fourth verse, lived 800 years after the
birth OF Seth. and the latter after the
birth of Enos lived so7 years. SO Il goes
on. Enos begat Canan when he was 30.
Cainan begat Mahalaleei when he was IS:
Mahalaleel begat Jared when he was e5:
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16

81 honey IN each hand. After / had wish
ed him a Merry Christmas I asked him
where he was going with the honey
Tin taking Il up 10 that bears den,
Deacon, said Tom earnestly After the
loving kindness those parent bears show
ed in providing their cubs with Christmas
stockings its only fair the old bears
themselves should have a little something
to enjoy a Merry Christmas With
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16
EXACT DATE OF THE FLOOD.
Bible Facts ON which the Southern
Bishop BASED His Question.

Some people have had fun lately over
the reported rejection OF eight candidates
for the African Methodist ministry in the
South by the examining bishop because
they could not tell the date ~ the flood.
Nevertheless the bishop who asked the
question knew what he was doing. IT
may not have been fair question, hut
there Is a concise answer to II In the
Bible. and he no doubt thought that the
eight candidates, If they were wen versed
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16

fence Tbs red panels gave way with Z
crash, and Dexter rushed cut into tho
orchard and fed under the red frees lie
cFezsed meadow and came suddenly
upon a creek. but his horror tho stream
was olood-c1iored. On the opposite aldo
ne sAw little red man with red gun
shooting red rabbits. Red birds few
through the uudsrbru8h. Rcd hsh swan
through the red stream. Great red clou1s
froNned from the red sky.
Z, 4. Z.
Dexter made another dash for liberty,
and fan bell0xing around the farm until
almost exhausted. After an hour Of ser-
FiDIe misery he was found and the red
goggles were removed. He was too much
fatlgged 10 make another attempt 70 es-
cape, and was quite peaceable when ha
saw bis master. Mr.. Absolute says ne
viii prosecute the offenders, and has Of
fered = reward Of 81 for the arrest and
conviction Of the guilty parties. The bull
Is still suffering from the effects u hiA
terrible chasA
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16
FIorida's Fisheries.

At the beginning Of lSss there were 5.zo
persons engaged In fisheries TN Florida
their outfits, embracing boats vessels.
nets etc. were valued at $40 aao; their
catches exceeded 81 0oc 600 pounds, valued
at ssca,ooo. OF which SSl2 III were shipped
beyond the state. In many places the
waters are becoming depleted by unlaw-
full fishing and II Is the work u the
Florida fish commission 10 endeavor to
supply the waters with food fishes OF i'm
proved varieties NOT native " The stasA,
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16

- HE proserblal hatred Of bulls for
" articles Of red color has almost
driven John Anschutz, a Stowe
township. Pa. dairyman. oft Of
- business Boys entered his prem
ises on sunday night and adjusted a set
Of crimson gogsies on the eyes OF his
black and white bull. Dexter. When the
animal woke Up In the morning he saw
nothing but great stretches % carmlne
landscape. Dexter manifests extreme an
tagonism for the smallest patch o. red.
but when he cast his eyes abo1t and
saw nothing but the hated color In all
directions his anger reached fury. He
looked at the other cattle, bat they were
all brindles- His little sister, whom he
had seen only a few hours before IN
her ermine coat. had donned in a single
night a covering Of scarlet hue. He look
ed at the styawetack in the rear OF the
barn, but 1t was no longer the great
yellow mass. being instead the color OF
bloody butcher corn.
The grass was no longer green, and he
refused 10 eat The barn was red and the
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16

ON WILSON had a sort OF a
conscience and some princi-
Pies" said Deacon Todgers.
reminiscently. when the con-
New-York tribune., 1900-08-09
VOORHEE.S INVESTIGATES.
THE GOVERNOR SAYS PLOT TO KILL
HUMBERT WAS NOT MADE
IN PATERSON.

Paterson y. J.. Aug. s (SpeciaD-Goveruor voor-
hees came this city this morning and was clos
eted for hour with Eugene Ernley Prosecutor
OF the Pleas, and F. G, Graul Chief Of Police.
The Governors purpose in coming here was to in
Of anarchy. After the conference he concluded
cation.
While the Governor would not admit that the
State Department at Washington had requested
him 10 come here. he made no denial. and IT is be-
heved that his visit was the outcome Of communi-
cations between Baron Fava, the italian Ambassa-
dor. and Secretary Hay. He said he desirous
Of learning the real situation for his own beneht,
he was Jealous Of the good OF the State
and wanted shadow cast upon It. He con-
hdent that the plot TO kill King HUmbert had not
been hatched in Paterson. but in New-York.
In interview Governor voorhees, said he
almost afraid TO here after reading blood
curdling tales in the New-York sensational papers.
After the conference he was convinced that there
more anarchy in Paterson than in any other
industrial city Of its size. Paterson had received
an unenviable notoriety from the mere fact that
He had also lived in Hoboken and New York, but
70 Paterson was given all the discredit. The whole
affair. in the Governors opinion. was "a newspaper
scare He had no doubt there were some An
might have been LED 70 DO the deed by the agita-
ton here The Anarchists he said. poor de-
luded people. who sit around saloons drinking beer
and theoriZng.
The Governor would not say what would be done
Il the potters OF the assassination were found
here. They would be arrested. of course. but the
and that would have to be looked up before he
could give answer
New-York tribune., 1900-08-09
CLOSING OF PARLIAMENT.
QUEENS SPEECH MENTIONS RELATIONS
WITH ANIERICA-WARNING
TO CHINA.
TO CHINA.

London, Aug. s.-Parliament adjourned to-day
arter the Appropriation bill had been passed by
both houses
The Queens Speech at the proroguing OF Par
hament after stating that the relations with
the Powers Of Europe and America continued
friendly. and reference to the establishment
OF the Commonwealth of Australia, refers to the
war in South Africa. which has placed in the
strongest light the heroism and high military
qualities Of the troops brought together under
my banner from this country. from Canada,
Australasia and my South African possessions"
The speech then saws:
Believing the continued independence Of the
republics to be constant danger to the peace
or south Africa, I authorized the annexation Of
the Free State as a first step to the union of
the races under an institution which may in
time be developed so as TO secure equal rights
ana privileges in South Africa
Referring to China the Speech from the
Throne says:
The British and other legations at Peking
surgent mob. and IT is feared many OF their
inmates have been murdered. How far the
clous crime and whether the British Minister
and his family are among the victims are mat
ters still in some uncertainty. The utmost ef-
torLs VIII De made by myself ana my allles
TO visit with worthy punishment the authors
OF this unexampled crime.
After a reference to the Ashantee rising the
Speech devotes few words to the distress
caused by the famine and plague in India,
thanks the Commons for the liberality with
which the members responded to the unusual
demands due to the war and adds that the
satisfactory progress of the campaign gives fair
ground for hoping that the excessive require
ments of military expenditure viii soon be
abated.
The Speech closes with the usual references
TO the sessions legislation
The closing hours Of the session in the House
Of Commons were enlivened by the sharp replies
Of the Secretary OF State for the Colonies Joseph
Chamberlain, to his political critics.
An innovation in the Queens Speech which
caused some comment was the mentioning OF
America specifically. The speeches from the
throne usually allude to The Powers generally
or TO the European Powers.
Sir Michael Hicks Beach Chancellor Of the
Exchequer, speaking at Bristol this evening
declared that he was ignorant Of the date when
Parliament would be dissolved
Referring to the growth of the British Empire
he said
There has also been a great growth of pros
perlty ana trade. Putting aside the war eX
penditure, our revenues would have shown
surplus Of f1O00O00 over the ordinary ex-
penditures Of the present year.