davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-08
polnr stnr peonlIaritIeu.

Some of these starry nights take a
look at the North star, which is away
up toward the top of the sky at pres
ent, and see if you can make yourself
believe that the bright white spot is in
reality three balls of light. 1t has
recently been discovered that this
so-ealled star is composed of three
suns, swing around in great orbits, like
the sun, earth and moon. When we
consider that this great guiding light
of the heavens is 255, 900, 900 miles
away, or 1854 times as far off as our
sun, however, We feel inclined to be-
lieve almost anything about it. The
three suns composing Polaris, or North
star, cannot be distinguished through
the most powerful telescope in the
world, but were discovered by means
of a s~pectroscopic photograph taken at
the Lick observatory. Two of the suns
of the North star triplet revolve
around each other every four days, and
these together revolve about a third.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-08
THESE ARE SWELL DOGS.
How Fashionable Pets are Costumed ii
PnrIN-

How Fashionable Pets Are Costumed in
Paris.
Dog tailors have a good time in
Paris. Under the impression that ma
ture has not provided the right kind
of coat for a dog, the dog lovers-or
fashion lovers-of Paris has fostered a
new industry, the providing of clothing
for ladies' pets. Some very interest
ing and suggestive facts about this
industry are collected by Good Words.
"Our clients belong to the very highest
classes of society,"" said one of these
Partisan dog tailors. I'VE recently had
a very remunerative order from the
daughter of a diplomat in Paris for a
set of gala clothes for her dog to match
the liveries of her fathers lackeys.
She was about to be married, and as
she entered the residence after the
ceremony, her three dogs were to be
waiting for her at the top of the grand
staircase. They were to be dressed in
their liveries, and each was to have a
to it's collar" Even this was exceeded
by another bride, who ordered for each
of her half dozen dogs a regular brides
maids costume OF white faille en-
broidered with lace and garlanded with
orange blossoms. White satin slippers
were also made to measure for each
four-footed pet. One step further have
these lovers of fashion gone in making
their dogs an excuse for fresh display.
Sets of fine linen must now be pro-
vided for the society dog. No self
respecting animal would think of pos
sessing less than half a dozen under
garments of fine lawn, If he is in
health. and of silk or surah If he il
subject TO colds. A dozen embroid-
cred cambria handkerchiefs must be
added to his equipment II he is trou-
bled with watery eyes, A further trial
awaits him in the shape of boots Of
leather or rubber, as the case may be
Bracelets and tie-pins, perfumery anc
fancy soaps, ivory combs and brushes
make up the dogs toilet necessaries
Surely II a fashionable Partisan dos
could speak. he would explain hat his
foolish friends lead him the life of {
dog In the worst sense.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-08
when Irving was a Boy.

Most Of the young people Of today,
judging by his pictures, look upon
Washington Irving as a venerable old
gentleman, chiefly interesting as the
author OF rip Van Wrinkle" and 'The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow" Back in
the days Of the revolution, when he
was a mischief-lovlng little boy who
was the cause Of great anxiety to his
mother, he was passionately fond
OF music, and devoted to the theater,
to the great horror of his strict par
ents. Whenever he had amassed a few
pennies he would steal off to an old
theater. Now, as the family always
had prayers at 9 o'clock in the even
ing and attendance was compulsory
little Washington-who, by the way,
was named after the Father Of His
Country-would rush back home in
time for the evening devotions, and
when over he would go to his room,
and while his family thought he was
asleep in his bed he crept out OF his
window, down the veranda to the
ground and off to the theater to see
how the play ended.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-08

Sometimes it requires more bravery
to do a little thing all alone than to
do some great thing in company Will
others. Thus a soldier may be a here
on the field OF battle, but lack the cour-
age to stand up alone on a platform
and make a speech. Ralph Waldo En-
erson. in his essay on "Heroism,' says
that genuine heroism is persistence
AS an Illustration he tells how his
little son Waldo on his way to schoo
had to pass a house where lived 9
French family. The child heard the
| family talking their native language
which he could not understand, and
that made him have a sort OF supersti'
tious fear of them. So Mr.. Emerson
used to walk to and from the schoo
with the little fellow. But n day
he decided that the child was ole
enough to overcome his fear and pass
the house Of the French family by him
self. He went to school with the lad
and told him that he must return
alone. After school was dismissed
Waldo walked manfully toward home
until he had nearly reached the French
house. Then he stopped, and, leaning
against the fence, began to whimper
Miss Elizabeth Hoar, a neighbor, saw
him, and went to his rescue. Come
Waldo, l am going your way, and you
can walk with me-" she said. The
child looked up tearfully into her eye;
a moment and then said in the mos
doleful voice: Il don't think that was
what my father meant for me to. do
Then he trudged on by himself. II
such ways boys and girls may prove
their heroism in the little duties o.
life.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-08
A ONLY WHISKY.
ror Thirty Years a Man Held 60 o
Strange vow.

Joshua Reddik, an eccentric charac-
ter, died here recently, writes a LET
1er's Station correspondent to ths
Chicago Inter Ocean. For thirty-one
years past lie had not taken a drink Oh
water voluntarily, rcr had he allowed
himself to take a bath. There was 6
feud between water aEd Joshua pa
thetic in it's Inception. Reddik wa'
one Of the first settlers in this section
In due course Of time a young Joshua
came to the family. lie was a likely
youth, who could plcw a straight fur
row when he was IL years old. The
family prospered exceedingly. During
the civil war it is a matter of tradition
that they sold hay to the government
at a price approximating nine gold dol
lars a pound, and weighed it on their
W scales. A few miles from the
Reddik homestead flowed a placid riv-
er. In this stream Reddik and his son
were accustomed to swim. They went
swimming one fine warn day in July,
1868, and young Joshua was drowned.
Mrs. Reddik, Frustrated by the shock,
died. Standing by her coffin, Joshua
Reddik swore that never SO long as he
lived would he drink water or volun-
tarily come in contact with it. Joshua
Reddik decided that whisky was about
as far away from wafer as he could
get, and he stocked his house with
whisky. He bought it by the barrel,
and as time went on his thirst in
creased. 1t happened that Reddik's
oath kept him from travelling. He was
virtually surrounded by water. His
oath would not allow him to cross
water for fear he might fall in, so he
was condemned to spend his life in a
territory about three miles square.
Rain and snow were the bane Of his
existence. He became an expert in
prognosticating transforms and was
always able to avoid getting wet, but
In winter he was compelled to spend
most of his time in his lonely house.
He would stock up with provisions in
the fall, having a few barrels of whis-
ky rolled in and prepare to hibernate.
Whisky as a steady beverage palled on
the old man after a decade of indul-
gence. Moehn's brewery was a short
distance from the house. On one side
OF the brewery was a pond, and to
avoid the pond in reaching the brew
cry the old man was compelled to
make a wide detour and slide down a
bluff. A special brand Of beer was
made for him in the brewery and a
fight of stairs was built down the bluff
for his benefit.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-08

The Queens thoughtfulness for 9th
ers is quite wonderful; from the mis-
treSs Of the robes down to a footman
each ls considered individually and
their pleasures thought of. Abroad
the Queen always arranges that the
servants shall see the principal siebte
galleries, etc Years ago, in a for
eign city almost everyone had left the
chateau except her majesty and tba
lady in waiting. The latter heard q
tap at her door, and on saying come
in" to her establishment the Oueen
came in, bringing her a souvenir Of
their time together-a beautiful brace-
let, with medallions of the various
places they had visited, behind nor
traits of the various members of tbe
royal family, surrounded, if I remem-
Der right, with jewels and an inscrin-
ton: ITO the -, from her affec-
tionate but sorrowing friend. the
Queen of England"
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-08
Unique Four-in-Hand

There are three girls in New Bruns-
wick, N. j., who devote a good part of
their leisure time in rearing and train
ing turtles. They have about three
dozen Of them now, and of these four
are so intelligent that they are trained
to do all manner of queer things.
Among other things they are harnessed
together like a four-in-hand, and made
to draw a dolls baby carriage. Tho
mere matter of feeding them is in it.
self a big task. These reptiles eat
most anything, but they have a par
ticular liking for snails and worms,
and, like grown people, they acquire a
taste for almost anything. Last sum-
mer, when strawberries were plenti-
tul.these three dozen turtles made away
with two quarts of them, and then,
by way Of entree, they disposed OF 217
angle worms which a boy had been
specially hired to dig for them. So
you see, catering to a turtle is not the
easiest thing in the world.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-08
In an Apricot Orchard.

AS soon as an orchard of apricots
into bearing, advertisements arc
inserted in the newspapers of adjoin-
ing towns for women and girls. Thou
sands Of women leave their domestic
duties, taking with them their fam
lilies, to engage actively in the sheds
of the ranchers, cutting the fruit for
drying, after the men have collected
it from the trees. Sometimes five hun
dred people will be engaged upon a
large orchard. Rules and regulations
are laid down for their conduct; the
women and girls sleep in the tents pro-
vided at a low rental by the manage
ment, and either cook for themselves.
or board with what would be termed in
railroad circles a "boarding-boss"; the
men, not so many, occupy tents in
some other and distant part of the
orchard. The sole requisite being the
ability to pick and cut fruit, an aggre-
cation of humanity representing all
classes of society, from the impecuni-
GUS English family with cultivated
and aristocratic connections,
to the nondescript, who travels from
town to town in search of employment,
is collected together in industrious ac-
tivity for the revenue to be derived.
Each woman has a small tray in front
of her, and, after cutting the fruit with
a knife, she lays it open on the tray.
Each tray is furnished with a raised
end; when five are filed they are
piled up, and the operator shouts
tray" %whereupon an attendant ap-
proaches, punches a ticket with which
she has been previously furnished, and
takes the five trays to the sulphur
a box, each box containing sixty
pounds of fruit. All fruit has to be
placed in the sulphur house for several
hours, for the purpose of bleaching it,
or causing it to retain its natural color,
as well as to destroy all insect life
that may remain, otherwise the sun
would cause it to turn black. The trays
are then carried out and placed upon
the ground under the steady rays Of
the glorious California sun. Should
clouds be hanging over, the trays are
placed one above the other until that
great purifier and drier of the universe,
old Sol, makes his appearance. The
fruit requires from three to seven days
to dry. At the end of this time men
go out into the orchard with what are
called "sweat-boxes," and scrape from
the trays all the fruit into these boxes
in which it is left until full dried.
Finally it is hauled to the ~storehouses
and piled up in heaps, perhaps ten feet
high, awaiting the eye Of the critical
buyer.-Pearson's Magazine.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-08
TRACED BY FINGER PRINTS.
Remarkable Cases in which Criminals
Were Thus Dsts ctsd.

Remarkable Cases In which Criminals
Were Thus Detected.
The fiasco of Berlin in the recent
Dreyfus trial at Rennes gives some adj
ditional interest to the discussion on
finger prints that took place at the lat
est meeting of the British Association
for the Advancement of Science. Gal
ton read a paper on the finger-prints of
young children, in which he main
tanned that these prints, If properly
taken, would suffice for a~fter-identiti-
cation by an expert. The grave defect
in the Bertillon system is it's reliance
upon a system Of measurements de-
feet that does not exist, 1t is claimed,
in the more accurate system of taking
prints. At the same meeting Mr.. E. r.
Henry, inspector general of police in
Bengal, gave a demonstration with a
magnifying lantern of this same meth
cd. He claimed that the personal
equation, which ~vitiates results in the
Bertillon system of anthropometry, is
entirely eliminated in the printing
method. Finger-prints, being absolute
impressions taken from the body, are
not SO uncertain as a set of measure
ments usually are. The method de-
scribed by Inspector General Henry is
as follows: A thin film of printers
ink is spread over a piece of tin, and
each finger in turn is pressed on the
film and then pressed on paper, by
which means a clear impression is Sc
cured. Mr.. Henry gave some remark
able illustrations of cases in which
criminals had been identified by their
fnger-prints-one by finger-marks on
the soft paint of a windoW sill. and
another by blood marks made by the
fingers on the covers of a book. In
consequence of these remarkable facts.
the legislature in India had amended
the law of evidence. With such re-
spectacle authority to vouch for 1t. this
method may yet rise in esteem in
American courts of justice. English
prison officials are not, as a class, like
ly to become enamored of any mere
theoretical scheme-a reproach to
which the French will possibly be ex-
posed by the e%xtravagant demonstra-
ton made by Bertillon. At any rate,
this system Of Identification by means
of fnger-prints seems worthy Of fur
Their experimental trial, and would be
a good field for some of our srison Off
Gals to utilize in order to demonstrate
that they take an interest in the sci
encs of neutrality-suspicious. Journal
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-08
AVOID DANGER.
Ehe Danger of Catarrh Ointments That
Contain Meroury.

she Danger of Catarrh Ointments That
Contain Meroury.
This journal, although more particu-
aarly devoted to all that interests
finance, commerce and manufacture
ing, Is nevertheless always awake to
the need and wants of its readers, let
the subject be what 1t may. We we're
asked to investigate and report upon
b merits of the various catarrh rene
dies on the market. The production
pf preparations Of Injurious compost
tion cannot, unfortunately, be stopped
or restricted at present, or until our
state legislatures can be induced to
pass such suitable and stringent laws
ms will effectually prevent their APP
pearance on tho market. In the mean
time, the people must look out for
themselves. In this matter, we have
made a most careful and ~painstaking
investigation, realizing the confidence
chat would be placed In our reply. Our
medical staff employed to make such
Investigations were most favorably
Impressed with the preparation known
Rs Halls catarrh cure, manufactured
by It. j. Cheney q Co. OF Toledo. Ohio,
and agreed that this peerless remedy
deserves our highest Endorsement
Many of the eatarrh remedies on the
market contain mercury, which de-
stroys the sense of smell and deranges
the whole system when entering
through the mucous surfaces. From
analysis we found that Halls catarrh
cure contains no mercury. 1t is taken
Internally, acting directly upon the
blood and mucous surfaces Of the sys-
tenn. We have no interest whatever
In this matter beyond faithfully serv-
ing u readers. and as our indorse-
ment Is extended without reward of
amy kind, and Is wholly unsolicited by
this company, and will be received
with the full credence that all our
statements have met with for the past
eighteen years.-southern Review of
Commerce.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-08
Uncle SANS Fence and Its Paint.

Some one has said that the govern
ment must pay twice for what it gets
The white house fence, which surrounds
the presidents residence, and is about
a mile long, seems to have more than
proven the rule. For fifty years that
venerable fence has been painted an.
nually. 1t is a high iron structure. and
when the proper season comes a III.
Tie gang of painters first scrape and
then paint the fence. This is SLOW
work, especially in sunny weather. TO,
then hosts of strangers make ~inopiries
OF the workmen, who, in self d~efenso
must talk much and paint less. II IL
estimated that the painting lob costs
n government 5000 each year AS
this has been going on for saw aftv
years, the paint on the national sonco
has cost some $4,000.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-08
PEEP AT SIEGE TRAIN
WHAT IS MEANT BY SOME RE-
CENT DISPATCHES.
Some Points About the Wonderful En-
gines of War First Introduce d by th
Beers of South Afrioa Accuracy o
Fire IA Certain Element. a

The announcement recently made
that a siege train was being modified
for service in South Africa no doubt
conveyed very little information to
the non-military mind. as was shown
a few days go, when a writer in the
London Daily Mail was asked, in all
sincerity: What is the difference be-
tween a siege train and an armored
train?" AS a matter Of fact, a siege
train is the name applied to the COM
plement of guns, ammunition and
store wagons, and men employed to
conduct a siege. According to the
Siege Artillery Manual" a siege
train may consist of any number Of
divisions. heavy. medium or light, ac-
cording to the requirements Of the
service. A division, as a rule, con-
sists of sixteen pieces Of ordnance,
exclusive of machine guns; each divi-
sion requires @ personnel consisting
of four companies of garrison artil-
lery, with the following staff. One
Northumberland, one adjutant, one
quartermaster, two staff non-commis-
stoned officers, and two staff clerks, in
addition to a total Of 596 officers, nom
commissioned officers and men. In
the present instance the armament
consists of the new ~ive-inch breech-
loading howitzers throwing lyddite
shell. All siege guns and howitzers
are fitted with special sights known as
"French's sights which enable them
to be laid on an object that is invisi-
BILE to the gunner With this advan-
tage 1t is possible to place the battery
behind a hill totally obscured from
the enemy's view, and to pound away
until either all his guns are dismount-
ed or the fort preached so as to en-
able the infantry to carry the place
by assault. Siege gunnery has now
arrived at such a pitch of perfection
that there is absolutely nothing that
can withstand the attack OF a we'll
organized and well-eduipped siege
train. The shell fire is so accurate
and searching and the high explo-
sives so destructive that 1t is only a
question Of time in demolishing any
defense that can possibly be erected.
BY means of an observing instrument,
invented by Capt. Tancred, each shot
can be accurately observed as burst
ing so many yards short or over the
object, thus enabling the necessary
corrections to be made for the next
round to strike the exact spot desired
and insuring extreme accuracy of fire.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-08

A piece Of fiction entitled 1.-THE Kill
Ing of the Mammoth, published in Nc
Clure's some months ago, was taken by
many readers as a record OF fact-as
much to the surprise "a to the regret of
the editors. In the present number,
Mr.. Frederick A. Lucas, of the Ma
tional Museum, gives us "The Truth
About the MAMMOTH and the RUTH,
rs Mr.. Lncas, out Of his ample scientific
knowledge, presents it, is so extremely
interesting that even those who were
most misled by the Inventions of the
story writer will feel that ample amends
are here made.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-08
A FoBMER AMERICAN SAYS
Doubled Their Cultivated Lands and
More Than Doubled Their stock.

More Than Doubled Their Stock.
The following letter, written by Mr..
John Cummings Of Wetaskiwin, AL
berta, Canada. formerly of Washing
ton, to a friend In the United States,
Is only one of a hundred similar cases
and what was done by Mr.. Cumming
can more easily be done today by any
good, sober and industrious farme
who chooses to make his home In the
dominion.
Dear Sir. You want to know how !
got along since | came into Northern
Alberta. ! am happy to inform you
that / am not ashamed to tell.
We located five miles northeast OF
Wetaskiwln; left Pennington, Wash,
IN the 29th day OF hay, driving all the
way. We had time to build our
log house the first fall. and to make
us comfortable fer the family and
stock. We then built four stables, 1sx
30 inside. so that we could put every
thing inside thesa when the cold gos
down to the fifties, and worked hard
getting UP the stables. and got through
clubbing on the LIST Of December; but,
to our surprise, we had 40 use for the
stables only for the milk COW and two
spans OF horses. The balance Of the
horses lived on the prairis all winter.
and took care of themselves. The doors
of two stables were left open for them
to go into in a cold time, but they
would not do it, but stayed out on the
prairie the coolest Right we had and
looked as spry as crickets.
/ can go ten rods back Of my house
and count ten residents. | know all
of their circumstances. Every one of
them have doubled their cultivated
land, and doubled their animals, and
q great deal more. All of US are com
paratiyely out OF debt and an unusual
ly big crop to thresh and prospects of
"a fair price, and ] expect we are as
well conteHted a lot Of people az there
Is TO be found from Florida to the
klondike.
My son bought two pounds of Irvine
20 the acre, and when we started to
bind some barley we found that in
stead of taking two pounds to the acre,
1t was taking nearly five pounds. Then
you ought to have seen him hitch up a
team and make for town fol 100 pounds
more | cannot say how 1t will thresh.
ali l can say is that 1t Ia w%ell-headed,
and takes an enormous amount of
Irvine.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-08
WHO'S Afraid in the DarkF

~
Who's afraid in the dark?
"Oh, not l." said the owl,
And he gave a great scowl,
And he wiped his eye
And luffed his jowl-"To whoa!'
Said the dog, Il bark
Out loud in the dark-Boo-oo'"
Said the cat, "Miew!
I'll scratch any who
Dare say that | do
Feel afraid-Miew!"
Afraid" said the mouse,
"Of the dark in the house?
Hear me scatter
Whatever's the matter
Squeak"
Then the toad in the hole
And the bug in the ground,
They both shook their heads
And passed the word round;
And the bird in the tree,
And the fish, and the bee,
They declared all three
That they never did see
One of them afraid
In the dark!
But the little boy who had gone to be
Just raised the bedclothes and covere
up his head.