davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20
Old Engiisb Customs.

1t was customary in former days. In
Cornwall. England, for the people to
meet on Christmas eve at the bottom
of the deepest mines and have a mid
night mass.
In some parts of Derbyshire the viii
lage choir assemble in the church on
Christmas eve and there wait until
midnight. when they proceed from
house to house. invariably accompa
MED by keg of ale, singing Chris
tians, Awake!" During the week they
again visit the principal houses in the
place. and having played and sang for
the evening, and partaken OF the
Christmas cheer, are presented with a
sum of money.
In Chester and its neighborhood
numerous singers parade the streets,
and are Hospitality entertained with
meat and drink at the various houses
where they call.
The ashton fagot" is burned in
Devonshire. 1t is composed entirely
of ash timber. the separate branches
bound with ash bands and made as
large as can be admitted to the floor OF
the fireplace. When the fagot blazes
a quart of cider is called for and
served upon the bursting of every
hoop or band around the fagot. The
timber being green and elastic. each
band bursts with loud report
In one or two localities 1t is still
customary for the farmer. with his
family and friends. after partaking
together Of hot cakes and cider (the
cakes being dipped into the liquor pre-
vious to being eaten) to proceed to the
orchard, one or the party bearing hot
cake and cider as an offering to the
principal apple tree. The cake Is for
mally deposited on the fork of the
tree and the cider thrown upon the
cake and tree.
A superstitious notion prevails in
the western parts OF Devonshire that
at IL o'clock at night on Christmas eve
the oxen in their stalls are always
found on their knees as in an attitude
of devotion.
One John Martyr. by will, on Nov.
2S, 1923, gave to the church wardens
and overseers OF the poor of the par
ish. St. Mary Major, Exeter. 920. to
be put out at interest, and the profits
thereof to be laid out every Christmas
eve in twenty pieces OF beef. to be
distributed to twenty of the poorest
people in the parish. said charity to be
continued forever.
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20
DriVin9 Our "ExJI One. :.

The Japanese little folks know moth
Ing of the mysterious joys of Christ
mastide. but the name Of Hotel, a
celebrated priest who was kind to
children, signifies TO the Japanese boys
and girls, in measure, what Santa
Claus does to young America. Hotel
Is represented with an immense sack,
gathering good things for his young
friends. He Is said to have eyes in
the back of his head and to be able
to see around corners. thus finding out
whether the little ones are good or
naughty.
The Japanese New Year was form
erly movable festival like that of
the Chinese. but it is now celebrated
on date corresponding to our first
Of January. This is day of universal
rejoicing with both old and young
The ceremony of name maxi, bean
throwing. Is a leading feature in the
preparation for this holiday. There
Is superstition prevalent among the
japanese that there may be evil spir-
Its in the house which must be driven
out before the dawn of the new year.
Accordingly. on the last night of
the old year the house is swept and
cleaned and the windows and doors are
hung with ferns. Then the house IA
ther. arrayed In his very best clothes,
goes through all the rooms, the little
ones OF the family. undismayed at the
thought of possible hobgoblns. skip
ping gayly after him. He has provided
himself with quantity of dried beans
and these he throws into the corners
and recesses. crying aloud: "oni wa
soto. fuku wa uchi." demons depart.
good luck enter) The young folks
join joyfully in the cry. frolicking and
laughing till the tour OF the house is
completed, and the horned demons
and other evil spirits-who are sup
posed to have a great aversic to
beans-havo made their escape
through the open door.
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20
CbriSfmos LonG .6go.

Along the country roads the trees
wrung their hands in frightful agony.
and there was no sect or nobility be-
yond the reach and comfort OF the
plebelan earmuff. A veil across the
nose didn't 20 so bad carly in the
morning on the way to the turkey raf-
flo. The Christmas shooting match
was reached through banks of ethereal
frosts. and before 10 O'Clock In tho
morning the snow had been swept
from the mill pond The beeches pop
ped like the ring OF a patrolman's 8
mace against "A metal lamp post. On
either side of Old Sol sat u sun dog
and the stalactite was n fixture be-
meath Grandfather's mustache. No
man stood in danger of losing his lifo
by asking his neighbor II 1t was cold
enough for him. for 1t was q pleasure
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20

Directly opposite, and on the same
level with wilkins apartments. were
the central Offices of the telephone
company and as he looked across
he saw the harnessed heads of half a
hundred or more of the hello girls.
With his own room dark he felt
justified in boldly studying the busy
picture before him. AS he looked, he
thought of the dividends he received
regularly from the telephone stock he
owned and then reached the conclu-
sion that he was entitled to know
something of the details of the busi-
ness. And SO, forgetting his resolu-
ton to make a night of it, he won
dered as to the wages paid to the
girls, and then, dreamily tapping his
fingers against the pane, he reached
the conclusion that the world is liv-
ing altogether too fast, our impetus
is too great; we have no time to be
even decent toward each other; we
grind ourselves and crush others
and"
The sentence was never finished,
because Wilkins walked slowly back
to his bed, and within ten minutes
was sleeping peacefully.
Early the following morning the
bachelor millionaire and cynic visited
the Office of the telephone company
and was busy for nearly an hour with
the managers and a stenographer
Then, taking coupe, he was driven
to the markets, the dry goods stores,
and department stores and elsewhere
and on the morning of Christmas
every one of the girls in the service
of the telephone company Received the
Compliments of the Telephone Co."
attached to large turkey which
rested across two large boxes, the one
being filled with groceries and the
other containing a fine four-button
coat and various smaller articles, such
as gloves, handkerchiefs and the like
On the day following Christmas.
Wilkins entered the reading room at
the Ego club just in time to hear
one of the members reading from the
morning paper; Among the many
benefactions of public character,
which were bestowed yesterday, were
liberal and useful gifts to every girl
employed by the telephone company.
Strange to say that while the girls
believe the gifts were made by the
company the manager of the company
says this belief is incorrect and that
the company hasn't spent a cent for
such purpose.
And among the comments made on
this item of news was one by Wilkins,
who said, as he lighted a cigar:
That's a pretty newspaper romance
all right. but I'll bet the company
bestowed the gifts. I've got no faith
in these mysterious. unknown bene.
factors
And the other members OF the club
were of the same opinon.-Detroit
| Free Press.
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20

In those days to be plain and perpeta.
ate both the virtues and the Gstab-
lished wit OF the human family. By
this time of the year the cattle had
been comfortably weathered in, the
poultry had been housed and the win
ter wood was beyond the reach Of the
trusts. The nude form of the rabbit
lay frozen upon the woodshed, and
the spelling bee as well as the husking
fete were not to be despised. A wool
en- comfort around the neck was bet
ter than rope, and fire crackers were
a luxury not to be scoffed at.
In those olden golden days red
candy fish couldn't get so near the foot
of the Christmas stocking as to make
its digestion difficult, while the jack
in-the-box never failed to please. That
was long before a toy railroad train
ora moving universe in miniature were
necessary to stir up the sentiments of
the gilded urchin 1t was not so hard
then to get up and milk half dozen
cows, carry fodder to them, feed the
rest of the stock. and split a cord of
wood before breakfast, as it is now to
get into the bath tub, Notwithstanding
1t was bitter cold. So cold in fact, that
every potato in the hole was frozen,
as well as the apples in the celler.
The weather forced the grease from
the pores of the boots, and before noon
many an ear came up magnified by the
frost. While it takes facile imagina-
tion to realize it those were the days
before underclothes were considered
indispensable. A pair of jeans trous-
ers. properly ventilated. were good
enough, and the boy that had a new
pair was the possessor of lucky num-
ber in the lottery of life.
Every bush was an etching. and
every woodland scene q phantasy OF
beauteous shapes and colors. The deep
snow defed the sun and held up a
world of glittering crystals to his earli-
est courtesies. Jack Frost was a big
boss in those days. Christmas came
when the patient toilers who had
tanned the forest lands sent upward
their last prayer. and found a resting
place on the sloping side of the little
graveyard still in sight, though tears
dimmed the eyes of the old cold Christ
mas,
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20
Che Days Height and Depth.

Christmas realm is 5000 feet thick.
1t reaches in "a girdle round about
the EARTH" spreading its breadth
from Greenland's icy mountains" to
where "Afric's sunny fountains roll
down their golden sand" and in
height and depth extends from the
hospice of st. Bernard to the lower
levels of the great sale mines of Eu-
rope, 1000 feet below the surface Of
the ground where men and entire fam
lilies have lived and worked for the
last six centuries. From bleak st.
Bernard to blossoming Salisbury is
about 800 miles, but around one is per-
petual winter. with snow. seldom alb
sent, and the fringe OF its continuing
mantle ever near at hand. while in the
mines of the other is unending sum-
mer. At Christmastde 100 degrees OF
temperature separates the two. and
while the boundless snow-covered hills
of one glisten in the broadest diffused
and brightest light known to Garth. the
contracted crystal walls of the other
scintillate under the feeble rays from
restricted lanterns.
Thirty degrees below zero is fire.
quent temperature at the hospital
monastery of st. Bernard on Christ
mas day. There is seldom traveller
over the famous pass OF the Penine
chain of Alps In that season. but there
is never u Chistmas eve or Christmas
day the visitors do not join With tho
two score monks of the Augustinian
order In the mass OF their church and
In the Joys of the feast.
and thousands OF feet below. are all OF
these things, for in the vaulted cham
bers. amid massive pillars OF salt, Is a
population of human beings not only
miners who work 1000 feet under
ground, but permanent population
living In homes along streets hewn
out OF mountain masses OF crystal that
glistens under the artificial light neces-
sary In these depths. Many of the pop
ulation seldom see the light OF day. On
Christmas eve and on Christmas day
the echoes of the rock-rlbbcd caverns
are awakened by children's voices. Tho
song, the merry laugh. the joyous
shouts in childish games and sports.
are heard. There are music and the
dance. feasting and merry making. the
brilliantly lighted and decorated gift
bearing tree that illumines diamond
like crystals that gather up the light
divide It into prismatic beauty "a
cast It back again.
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20
CbrfSfmos UEIoifS.

In England the waits" are musi-
clans who play throughout the towns
and cities at night. for two or three
weeks preceding Christmas. They call
on the inhabitants for donations. At
one time 1t was the custom to let out
this privilege to one man. who was
privileged to hire as many waits as
he chose and to take goodly per-
centage of the profits, none others but
his players being allowed to engage
in this occupation.
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20
u: = =: =; - y: X y: \: II :. s
A Ml|iO00he'5 Christmas. !

X \: i: X X X \: X X X \: y. i: * X \: X \:
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20
LSbfinG the Tree.

We have our share of ups and downs.
Our cares like other folk;
The pocketbook is sometimes full,
We're sometimes nigh dead broke;
But once year, at Chrismastime.
Our hearth is bright to see;
Then baby's hand Just touches heaven
When daddy lights the tree.
For weeks and weeks the little ones
Have lotted on this hour;
And mother, she has planned for 1t
Since summers sun and shower.
With here a nickel. there a dime.
Put by where none should see.
A loving hoard against the night
When daddy lights the tree
The weest kid in mothers arms
Laughs out and clasps her hands,
The rest of us on tiptoe wait;
The grown-up brother stands
Where he can reach the topmost
branch,
Our Santa Claus to be.
In that sweet hour of breathless JOY,
When daddy lights the tree.
Our grandpa says twas just as fine
In days when he was young;
For every Christmas ages through
The happy bells have rung.
And daddy's head is growing gray,
But yet boy Is he.
AS Eierry as the rest of us,
When daddy lights the tree.
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20

he hates children, guess" she said.
opening the door wider.
A big lump. which she tried to swal-
low, came up in Dorothy's throat.
Eyes, 1 do, but may just see him a
minute? l won't bother him"
well, don't know what he'll say.
I'm sure" said the girl. as she led the
way through the beautiful hall to a
door at which she knocked. =
Here, sir, is one of them children
that lives next door. She's got some
message. guess"
And In one second Dorothy found
the door shut behind her, and there,
in the chair before the fire, sat Mr..
Jorden.
We'll. what is 1t you want. little
girl?" said he as he turned toward
her. BE quick, for l am very busy"
"Oh, are you busy" asked Dorothy.
surprised, because he, was not doing
anything but looking at the fire. q
I only wanted to give you these. sir,
and I'll go right away.
The man stared hard at the white
paper parcel she held out to him.
"Flowers?" said he.
"Yes."
For what, may ask?"
Just for Christmas. because you
live all alone. Goodbye" and she was
gone.
The pretty flowers had begun to fade
by the warm fire before Mr.. Jorden
came out of the brown study into
which he had fallen.
God bless her brave little heart
said he. as he held Dorothy's flowers
The first Joy of the Christmas tree
was over, the presents were all dis.
tributed. and every one of the little
Bertrams were sitting around admir-.
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20


ing the candles and the clever trim
ming Of the tree.
There goes the door bell again.
said someone.
DO you think Santa Claus has come
back?" asked Marjorie.
1t was a great disappointment to her
when she saw her mother shaking
hands with Mr.. Jorden. He looked
rather sad, though he smiled at them
all. There was bright carnation in
his buttonhole, the sight of which
made Dorothy want to get behind
someone.
How happy you look" said the Wis
itor, sitting down. Il could see you
through my side windows-I have Of
ten looked in upon you. and tonight
took the liberty of joining you for
Not at ALL" said DR.. Bertram. you
are very welcome"
Mr.. Jorden drew Dorothy toward
him and kissed her
DO you know" he said, turning
to look at them all. that u man may
grow to be fifty years old and learn for
the first time what he should always
have known. 1t is this little girl who
has taught me how sweet and COM
forting n child may be. and / used to
think they were put into the world
only to annoy people"
This was Mr. Jorden's conversion.
and though all the children grew to
love him. 1t was Dorothy who became
his daily companion and friend.
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20

rams wondered how it werN possible
for 50 many children to live in SO
small house. When DR.. 6ertram
built the house it was considered Of
very good size, but that was many
years ago, and since then five bright,
happy children had come to crowd the
little brown house. On one side OF
them lived little boy who was an
only child and the idol of his father
and mother. He had the enviable
reputation of having everything he
wanted. When some Of the little Bert
rams wished they were as fortunate
as Lawrence Cole, their sister Helen.
who was IA. would say:
'Oh, it wouldn't be nice to have all
the things we want-there wouldn't be
anything to wish for, and wishing is
such fun!"
OF their neighbor on the other side
the children stood in great awe. He
was a bachelor named Samuel Jorden.
who lived all alone. and who detested
children: and how in the world he
happened to build house right next
to the little brown house full of them
is not known.
But. in spite of all the wealth on
either side of them, the Bertrams were
the happiest, most contented Of fami-
lies. There was always such fun
there. with never dull day. so that
every child in the neighborhood loved
to go there. but after dinner at night
was the jolliest time, when Dr. Bert
ram was at home. They would all
gather around the open fire in the IL
he and she had been doing all day.
Then they would have a little music
from Helen and her mother, and the
girl would transfer them all to an
ideal world with the music from her
violin. Then came the procession to
bed, where Marjorie would be carried.
half asleep. The queer thing about
the Bertram family was that everyone
was utterly different in look and char
acter. so that one never knew just
which one they loved best.
1t was only the third day before
Christmas. when Dorothy, who was
Just half past six" went up stairs
to ind her mother She had a wistful
look on her little face that one could
never resist.
Mother. dear, have l got something
for everybody now?"
YES. Dorothy. think you have.
and you have helped me very much.
besides" answered her mother.
We'll, then, would you please give
me just fifteen cents more and let me
go out all alone and spend it?"
why, yes. my child, you may have
that. suppose it is some great mys-
terry, isn't it. and l mustn't ask?" said
Mrs. Bertram.
mo, please don't ask-ever!" said
the child earnestly.
"Ever!" thought her mother. as the
child went out. what can she be going
TO do with It?
It was almost dark when Dorothy
opened the door OF florists little
shop, two blocks down the street. New
er was a child who loved flowers more
than this little maid, and she would
talk to them as she would to her dolls.
She was a frequent visitor at this
shop, and when the other children
hurried off to a candy store with an
occasional five cents, she usually spent
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20
Car Care to tho Wind.

Cosf Care TO the Winds.
Holly berries red and bright.
Wealth of candles fick'ring light,
Christmas in the air!
Childish faces all aglow,
Outside sleigh bells in the snow
Banished is dull care.
Older wiseheads for the time
Join in sport and song and rhyme
Happy Chrismastide!
Mem'ry brings back golden youth,
Eyes then seeing only youth,
Ever at its side.
Joy tonight is crowned the queen
OF the festive Christmas scene.
May her rule be long,
None can claim a rebel heart
With her foll'wers forms part
Theirs a gladstone song!
a Brf of Deception.
She stood beneath no chandelier
Entwined with mistletoe;
l glanced the hall-length far and near,
l looked both high and low:
No license for a kiss was hung,
Twas near a failure fiat,
When 10, spied sprig among
The feathers on her hat.
Roy Farrell Greene
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20

Do not dare to live without some
clear intention toward which your liv-
ing shall be bent. Mean to be some
thing with all your might.-Phillips
Brooks.
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20

II WANT ALL YOU CAN GIVE ME-"
hers for few pretty flowers. So as
she stood there hestatingly. the man
smiled and asked her what she
wished
II want all you can give me Of some
kind that smells sweet, for fifteen
cents. / suppose the flowers are all
very dear, aren't they?" she added du-
biously. but the man had disappeared
inside the glass closet. and when he
brought out lovely bunch OF Doro-
thy's favorite cinnamon pinks. she
fairly danced He was very generous
with his little customer and gave her
eight blossoms. sweet and fresh.
It was quite dark when Dorothy ar
rived home. but she went straight on
past her door. and. wonder OF Won
ders! she turned in at the gate Of Mr..
Jordens house!
please might SEQ Mr.. Jorden for
10 minute?" she asked the astonished
maid who opened the door Just wide
enough TO look out.
well. nevsrl you don't know how
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20
She kncts.

what are pauses?" the teacher
asked tho first class in grammar.
Things that grows on cats and
dogs" answered the smallest girl.
Gilpin observer., 1900-12-20

Old Sanity is no phantom prim-
The cheer he brings cures many Ills;
Thro' dreamland's door we follow him.
And lose the thought of New Years
bills.
The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-06-16
HOWE & STETSON.

halted at Paardekop, eighteen miles
northwest of Volksrust. Boer parties
are still near Volksrust and fire occa-
sionally upon the British pickets.
A dispatch from Lorenzo Marquee.
dated yesterday, says: Persons have
arrived here who have seen the prepara
tions of the Beers and learned that they
will retire, when forced. through the
Lydenberg district into the Zoutpans-
berg region, adjoining Rhodesia and
GaZaland."
The Daily Mail has a dispatch from
Bloemfontein dated Wednesday saying:
General De Vets attack on the rail-
way was made after he had succeeded
in luring Lord Methuen from where he
had destroyed the line. Then he clever
ly seized it north Of Kronostad, blew
up the bridge and destroyed a long Sec
ton of the line with dynamite.
The Cape Town correspondent of the
Daily Teleglaph in a dispatch dated yes
The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-06-16
SUPERIMPOSED TURRETS.
Naval inspection Boards Report Leaves
the Question Open.

Washington, June 15.-The report Of
the naval inspection board upon the
final two days sea trial of the Kear-
sarge leaves the question of the super
imposed turrets still open In it's re-
port the board says: THE four guns
in the forward turret were fired simul-
taneously at four thousand yards range
and three of the projectiles apparently
fell in the same place. One fell about
three hundred yards behind, but in q
line. The four guns of the after turret
also We're fired Simultaneously and three
projectiles apparently fell in the same
place. One eight-inch projectile fell to
the right. During the tests the blast
from the eight-inch guns in the super
imposed turrets did not inconvenience
the people in the thirteen-inch turret."
The automatic one-pounders in the mil
itary tops, when fired, vibrated and
Jumped SO as to make further firing
dangerous. They will be replaced with
lighter guns. The board found 10 de-
fects in hull or machinery Of the Kear-
sarge.
The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-06-16
CRONJE'S SON SURRENDERS.
Kl rksdorp Fails Into British Hands
Important Strategic Point.

London, July 15-The war office has
received the following dispatch from
Lord Roberts:
Pretoria Residency, June 14--
Klerksdorp surrendered on June to an
armed party sent on by Hunter Kitch-
ener reports that the Beers attacked q
reconstruction train early this morning
few miles north of Rhenoster river.
He sent out mounted troops and drove
off the enemy before they could do any
damage. One man was killed and elev-
en-, including two officers, We're wound
ed.
"a messenger from Klerksdorp re-
ports that Cronje, who commanded
there, determined to surrender as senn
as he knew for certain that Pretoria
was in our possession. His example
has been copied by many in the neigh
borhood The courthouse Is now said to
be full of arms.
BY the peaceful occupation of Klerks-
dorp the British have gained strate4
gic position of some Importance, as the
town is not only the terminus Of an
other railroad to Johannesburg, but 1t
is within easy reach of the IIroonstad-
Vierfontein railroad
The Cronje who surrendered the place
is son of the famous General Crouie,
now a prisoner at ST. Helena The for
mer was prominent during The siege of
Mafeking.