davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Republican journal., 1900-04-26

tX1QenUlN Work On lne IOduS is cIG-
led on in about the same way all over
the country. At least. i'll Northern
the New York Tribune, the method is
about the same as III Maine. The CORE
spondent says
In country of clay roads, such as we
have here i'll Northern Ohio, there is
always a time in March and April when
tie roads, from travel during the rains
thaWs and drying winds of early spring
holes and hunmocks, making travel
very hard Oh team and wagon for about
four or six weeks. even after the Dad
is perfectly dry. Then, some time i'll
May. after the ruts have become worn
tolerabiy smooth and the road has be
come hard as a rock, out comes the
supervisor and his gang to work out
our tax by Intellectual effort and much
expense to smooth that which already
is worn smooth, and to ''till'' low places
with Jumps and tough sods, a terror to
teams for another month.
Is there not a better, more sensible,
less expensive way to repair country
roads? Is there not a way that will
smooth the roads before the spring
travel rather than after. thus giving
teams the benefit of the work? Ger
family there is.
When the snow melts, and the water
begins to run in the spring, ''the man
with the hoe" could in few hours save
many days work later, and greatly i'm
prove the travelling at the worst season
of the year, by clearing the water
courses, draining off pools in the road
bed, and filling some of the holes and
ruts. Not only would road work in
early spring save much wear and tear
on teams travelling the roads, but with
given amount of labor twice as much
can be accomplished than when the
ground is dry and hard. But this is
never done. When our clay roads, full
of ruts and ridges, have become as hard
as cement the road machine is put on,
and half a dozen horses and as many
men are required to do work that could
have been better and more cheaply done
earlier by ''the man with the hoe"
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
Chinese InQuests.

Coroners' inquests are well known
among the Chinese. One Of the chief
differences between their system and
ours is that the Chinese doctors never
dissect. In fact, Cinnamon have per-
feet horror Of dissection.
There are few things more absurd
than the code Of rules laid down for
the Chinese coroner. In the first place,
he Is hidden to make sure that he has
a dead body before he begins his in
quest. That however, is less ridicu-
lous than it sounds, for the heather
Chinee is tricky and may demand an
inquest on a sham deceased with a
view Of extorting money from some
person who may be denounced as hav-
ing caused the death.
The preposterous part of the code
comes in with regard to the alleged
signs which show the cause of death.
If the deceased is supposed to have
been poisoned, rice is put into his mouth
and then taken out and given to a
chicken. Its effect on the fowl decides
the question. Most of the other meth
DDS adopted are even more absurd and
fanciful, and, as a result, inquests in
China do very little to prevent crime
Chicago News.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
Needed In His Business.

"I've decided" said the dignified old
man, ''to let you have that young Brite-
ley after all If you are positive that you
can't be happy without him."
"Oh, father" the beautiful girl cried,
you don't know how happy you have
made me! Now l can see the gates Of
paradise opening. Dear, dear, good,
old papa! Let me kiss you for those
sweet words! Oh, can hardly wait
to fly to him and tell him the glorious
news. He will be so glad We shall
all be so happy now. 1t seems almost
like a lovely dream! | can hardly be-
lieve that l am awake! But, tell me,
what has made you change your mind? ?
Yesterday when ! tried to plead for
him you said you would never permit
us to see each other again. Ah, if you
had known how those words bruised
my heart! What has happened. father.
to make you relent?'
He kissed her fondly and then. with
tears in his eyes, replied:
81 sat in little game Of poker where
he happened to have hand last night,
and if we don't get that money back
in the family some way my business
is going to fer."-Chicago Times
Herald.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
Horse Racing ON tn. stage.


In racing scenes the horses do run at
full speed. They run, however, not on
the fixed stage, but on what may be
called treadmills, which keep the horses
in front of the house for longer or
shorter periods, according as they are
moved quickly or slowly. A picket
fence, placed between the audience and
the course, not only makes the scene
more realistic; 1t also hides the mechan-
ism of the treadmills This fence has
contributed in another way to add to
the effect by being moved in opposition
to the direction of the horses and so
lending to their apparent speed.
AS to the sounds made by the foot
falls of horses to be heard as though
passing outside an interior scene, they
are reproduced by the dried hoofs of
dead horses or wooden limitations
mounted on handles and hammered
against surfaces of stone, gravel. sod
or whatever the occasion may demand.
They are also more elaborately manu-
factured by revolving a cylinder with
pins protruding from the surface
These pins are arranged, like the spurs
on a hand organ roller, to initiate trot-
ting, galloping or walking when struck
against other substances. If the sound
Of a carriage is to be added to the
trampling of horses, wheels are run on
sand.-Cassell's Magazine.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
A Curioun Shoe Trnst

Doylestown has four odd characters
who pool their issues in buying shoes.
They all have the same sized foot, and
each regards this fact in the nature of
a libel perpetrated upon him by the
other three. Every year each one of
the quartet chips in $1S, and the fund
Of $72 is expended for shoes. Buying
them in such quantities there is natu
rally a reduction in price. One would
think that there would be an equal di-
vision Of the shoes, but that isn't their
little game.
The shoes are owned collectively,
share and share alike, and when not
being worn they are kept in closet in
the express Office, which is the general
lounging place of the quartet If one
man wants to wear new shoes, he goes
to the express Office and puts them on.
If he wears russets in the daytime and
wants to wear patent feathers in the
evening, he goes to the express Office
and makes the change. They have
been doing this for several years and
claim they wouldn't wear shoes in any
other way.-Philadelphia Record.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
Soldiers of Fortune.

at is embarrassing to meet former
cotillon partners as elevator boys and
WATERS" said a European lady now
visiting New York. at has been my
fate to undergo and inf1ict this unhap-
piness several times.
81 went to a fashionable hotel on my
arrival. Wearing his hotel livery with
the same grace as he had borne his
officers uniform when l last saw him
and danced with him at state ball in
foreign capital, was man l had
known. He colored to the eyes as he
saw me, but made no sign, nor did 1.
1.-The same thing has happened since
at restaurants, at other hotels, in rid
ing academies and In carriages. Some
day NJ. lie Baron de Trois Etoiles and
Graf Won Truemmer-Schloss will ap-
pear In European society with new
eclat and full purses. Will l ever say
that know where they made their
money? Why, of course not. 1t is a
far cry from America to Europe, and
in their own country these gentlemen
have an irreproachable social position.
have really already forgotten the
names of those have seen, l assure
you."-New York Mail and Express.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
Took Her Cousin. PLACE.

One day young Swede, a student
at the University of Berlin, received a
letter from his uncle saying that his
daughter, the young mans cousin,
would stop in Berlin for few days on
her way to Ems and would he kindly
meet her and show her the city. The
mail coach arrived and with it the
young lady, who found a fine looking
young fellow with a vivid boutonniere
awaiting her arrival. He accompanied
her to the hotel. The following morn
ing he called and took her driving in
an elegant brougham. These atten-
tions continued during the three days
of her visit. The lady appeared over
joyed at the gallantry of this cousin,
whom she had never met before.
On the day Of her departure, while
assisting her into the mail coach, the
young man said, 81 cannot let you de-
part without making a confession -
The lady blushed and dropped her
eyes. 81 must tell you that 1 am not
your cousin. Your cousin is friend of
mine. He had no time to accompany
you. having to cram for his examina-
tions, so he bade me take his place."
'In heavens name, who are you,
then" cried the lady.
The young man handed her his card.
The position blew his trumpet, the
mail coach rolled away, as the young
lady read this name on the card: lotto
Won Bismarck. Current Literature.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
THE LEADING ARTICLE.
Advent and Development of the Edi
tOriaI In Newspapers.

Advent and Development of the Edi-
tOriaI In Newspapers.
81 know what leaders are, for have
written them," said Benjamin Disraeli
in the course of a speech in the house
of commons, and, though all of us may
not have written leaders" for The
Morning Post and other newspapers,
like Disraeli, we all at least know the
meaning of the term leaders"
For more than 100 years after the
publication of the first daily newspa-
per The Daily Courant, which consist
ed of a small sheet printed on one side
only and made its appearance in Lon
don in March. 1902, the "dailies" con-
fined themselves to what is perhaps
the proper business of a newspaper,
the publication of the largest possible
amount of news, and made no attempt
whatever to mold or direct public opin-
ion.
At the opening of the nineteenth cen
tury "the leading article" first appear
ed in the morning papers. 1t was orig
inally called the 'leaded article" be-
cause of the leads or spaces intro
duced between the lines to spread out
the article and give it an imposing ap-
pearance in order that 1t might at once
attract the eye of even the most casual
reader. After a time it was called
leading article" or leader or "edi-
torial," names by which it Is now uni
versally known in newspaper offices.
At the beginning leaders" were pub
lished only tentatively. Their publica-
ton was irregular. In form they were
brief-we should call them editorial
paragraphs" now-and they were prin-
cipally used to direct special attention
to some important event recorded in the
news columns. But rs years ago they
became a settled and regular feature
of the daily newspaper and a potent
agency for promoting opinions, politi-
cal, religious and social.-Cornhill Mag
aZine
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
Worse Than Death va,Iey.

Dreadful as Death valley is, It's north
western arm, known as Mesquite val
ley, is worse. All the waters upon its
the canyon a hot, suffocating wind
blows with terrible velocity. During
its course through the desert 1t fire.
quently gathers clouds of white sand
that have blinded many horse and
rider, and at frequent intervals it
whirls down the canyon like a cyclone
of sharp crystals. Under the glisten-
ing beds of salt and borax are conceal
ed streams Of salt water which flow
Slugglshly toward some unknown out
let or may be Tapped up by the parched
winds.
One of the strangest phenomena of
this extraordinary place is what from
tiersmen, for want Of better name,
have called raising earth" BY the
action of the sun crust composed of
minerals and clay has been formed on
the surface, and by some curious pres
sure of nature has been lifted from the
earth in irregular curves like pie crust
In the oven. The cavity between this
crust and the solid earth varies from
one to ten feet, and the depth frequent
ly changes after heavy windstorms by
the displacement of the air beneath.
The man or the animal that steps upon
this crust is gone forever. 1t is abso-
lutely impossible for any one to extri-
cate himself when plunging about in
the raising earth. Chicago Record.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
STORY OF THE YAzoo FRAUD
One of the Most Gigantic Trusts Ever
Known In America

Known In America.
One of the most gigantic trusts ever
formed on this continent was In the
early days of the republic. back in
1795. Several gentlemen organized
themselves into a company for the pur-
pose of purchasing from the state of
Georgia her unclaimed western terri
tory. extending from the Mississippi
on the west to the Atlantic on the east
and from the thirty first degree of lati-
tude north of the equator on the south
to the southern boundary of Tennessee
on the north. including what now con-
stitutes the territory of Georgia. Ala
Dama and Mississippi. This vast ter
ritory was purchased for S500,0O0 and
this was the commencement of the ia
nous "Yazoo fraud" about which so
much was said and written.
The bill authorizing the purchase
and sale passed the Georgia legislature
on Jan. 9, 1875, and 1t is said that
members were paid all the way from
eight negroes to 100000 acres of land
to vote for it. Corruption by bribery
was open. Great indignation spread
throughout the state, and upon the as.
sembling of the legislature one year
later an act was passed declaring that
the said resurped act was null and
void; that the records relating to the
same be burned in order that no trace
Of so unconstitutional, vile and fraudu-
lent transaction should remain pub
lie.
"The infamous records were placed
in one vast heap" said a senator,
"and sun glass was used to set it on
fire, that 1t might be said that the fire
that destroyed 1t was from heaven.
This is the first and only instance in
the history of the country where leg
islative body personally superintended
the destruction by fire of it's previous
records Of corrupt and obnoxious
laws. st. Paul Globe.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
why They Keep to the Right.

"It is rare treat for person to go
through Europe the first time," said a
returned tourist. 81 visited one old
palace in Scotland and was walking
down long corridor when / came to a
sentinel, who told me to keep to the
right. could not see any reason why
l should keep to the right and asked
him why, but he said he could not tell.
] finally asked the custodian, and he
said he had looked it up in the archives
Of the palace and found that nearly
100 years ago the floor was painted,
and some people walked over the fresh
paint. The officer Of the day was Or
dered to station a sentinel there to
keep people off from the fresh paint
and have them walk to the right. The
order had never been countermanded,
and from that day to this a sentinel
stands there and tells everybody to
keep to the right. t."-Indianapolis Press.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
GOIdgmith.

Not long before the close of Gold
smiths life he produced the brilliant
and humorous lines of Retaliation"
Varied accounts are given of the origin
of this poem. 1t will be remembered
that in joke Garrick wrote the fol-
lowing couplet as an epitaph for Gold
smith:
Here lies Molly Goldsmith, for shortness called
Nol,
Who wrote like an angel. but talked like poor
poll.
1t was on April 4, 1774, that Gold
smith died. The precise spot where he
was buried in the Temple churchyard
Is unknown.
This is Johnson's summing up of the
character of Goldsmith: "He had rails
ed money and squandered it by every
artifice of acquisition and folly of ex-
pense. But let not his frailties be re-
membered; he was very great man."
William Blacks Life of Goldsmith" !"
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
AN EDITORS APOLOGY.
A Happy Inspiration That Proved to
Be q BOOmerang

DC - oOOmerdnS.
The editor of small provincial pa
per in Austria was in great difficulty
to find fit subject for his leading arti-
Gle, having been too intent upon other
business or upon pleasure to provide
one. The last moment had come. and
the editor was in despair. He tortured
his brain in vain. when he suddenly
was inspired by a happy thought and
dashed off the lines:
After carefully perusing the leading
article written for the present number
by one Of the ablest of our contribu-
tors. we have arrived at the conclusion
that it may be misinterpreted by the
authorities and regarded as an attack
upon the government. We ourselves
consider it to be perfectly innocent;
but. as we are unwilling, for our read
ers' sake as well as for our own. to
have our newspaper confiscated. we
have very unwillingly, though. as we
think. prudently, resolved to withdraw
the article. This must serve as the
apology to our readers for the blank
space in our present issue"
The journal was published in the
evening. and the sly editor. after per-
forming this little piece Of stratagem.
left the office in high humor AS soon
as he arrived in the Office the next
morning a clerk came up to him with
doleful expression and said. Herr
Redaktor, the paper Is confiscated by
the policep For what reason?" ask
ed the astonished editor For mali
cious ridicule of the institutions of the
Austrian empire by the omission of the
leading article" replied the man.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
HMore Soc1abIe.v

A lady who has recently returned
from abroad had curious experience
at the little town of Dinant, in Bel
GUM. She was travelling in a party of
three, including another lady and a
young man. They sought accommoda-
ton at hotel and were shown a room
in which there were three beds and on
deal table three basins and jugs about
as big as slop basins and milk jugs.
The ladies explained that one room
was quite insufficient for their needs,
but it was a long time before they
could get the hostess to understand
why. They were then shown another
room with three beds, three slop ba-
sins and three milk jugs and were told
that they could have that, too, If they
liked to pay for the six beds. 1t was
therefore arranged that the man should
have one room and three beds and the
ladies the other room and three beds.
"Do you always sleep In threesT'
said one lady to the hostess.
"Yes," was the reply; sit is much
more sociable.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
THE BOOK COLLECTOR.
He Made a Swap Which Satisfied the
Secondhand Dealer.

Its astonishing how book collecting
will blunt mans conception of the
rights of meum ct tuum," said the pro-
prietor of a delightful old secondhand
store on the south side of the town. 81
woTldn't trust confirmed collector as
far as l could throw Jackson square by
the monument. They all consider them
selves licensed privateers, and when
one of them wants any particular vol
ume and can't buy it the chances are
it will mysteriously disappear the first
time he pays you visit l am on to
most of the tricks of the fraternity,
however, and it takes a pretty smooth
Individual to secure any plunder In this
Ehop.
'Only recently circumvented an old
gentleman in a manner that is apt to
adhere to his memory for some time.
He is a passionate admirer of Dickens
and has fine collection Of early edi-
tons and books in general relating to
the great novelist. One of his sets, a
very handsome print with the original
Cruikshank plates, is short one volume,
the eighth. have copy Of the same
edition. and he has tried repeatedly to
get me to break it so as to complete his
own, but I have Of course refused.
"Then l noticed that he began to
drop In of afternoons with a book un-
der his arm, looking up and down the
shelves. The volume he carried bore a
close external resemblance to the copy
of Dickens he wanted, and suspected
at once that l would some day find
them exchanged. Consequently lock-
ed up the coveted volume and substi-
tuted a worthless treatise on mathe-
matics bound in the same manner My
visitor knew the exact location of the
book on the shelf, and the other day l
purposely gave him an opportunity to
make the shift. 1t was done in twin
king. and presently he strolled out.
haven't seen him since. The book he
left was a very pretty copy Of Keats.
l am well satisfied with the swap
New Orleans Times-Democrat.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
His Hint For a Raise.

'There is in the employ of our house" 3"
said tie hardware drummer. "a young
man who is assistant bookkeeper. He's
steady chap, minds his own business
and is as shrewd as they make them.
The other day the senior partner Of the
firm, who seldom comes around, made
a tour Of inspection, and as he ap-
preached the assistant bookkeeper he
noticed the solemn expression on his
face. Desiring to be genial, he said:
How are you, young man? | see
you are at your work. That Is good.
Close attention to business will always
bring its own reward. Tell me, what
are you earning now per weekT
'"The young man, without moments
hesitation, answered, Twenty dollars,
SIR, but only get half Of that '"-Phil-
adelphia Call.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
He Won the Bet.

A Snowman was making great
noise at the front of the exhibition of
wonders he had on show. A man
standing in the crowd, with little dog
beside him, cried out:
'I'll bet you quid you can't let me
see lion"
"Done' said the Snowman eagerly.
PUT down your money"
The man placed sovereign in the
hand Of a bystander, and the Snowman
did the same.
''Now walk this way" said the show
man, "and I'll soon convince you.
ThereP' said he triumphantly. Look in
that corner at the beautiful Numidian
lion"
81 don't see any," responded the
other.
whats the matter with you?" ask
ed the Snowman.
'I'm blind" was the reply, and in a
few minutes the blind man pocketed
the two sovereigns and went away
London Answers.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
Afraid to Bid.

At an auction sale of miscellaneous
goods at country store the auctioneer
put up buggy robe of fairly good
quality. An old farmer inspected it
closely, seemed to think there was a
bargain in it. and yet he hesitated to
bid.
'"Think it cheapY" asked the>auction-
eer, crying 10 cent bid.
Eyes. kinder" was the reply.
''Then why don't you bid and get itT'
"Waal, I've bought heaps O. things in
dry goods and so on" slowly rejoined
the old man. land l never yet took
home anything that the old woman
thought was worth the price. If get
that ere robe for even Is cents, she'd
grab it up, pull at one end. chaw on a
corner and call out: Cheated again!
More'n half cottonr That's the reason
| dasn't bid."-Ohio State Journal.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
Antidotes For carbo1io Acid.

Alcohol and vinegar are effective
antidotes for carbolic acid poisoning, a
New York doctor announces. What
ever quantity Of the poison has been
swallowed, four times as much whisky
or five times as much vinegar should
be administered Immediately. No oil Of
any kind should be given. "Thus treat
ed early enough" he adds. "all cases
will recover"
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
A Song About a Man.

81 Will sing you song about man."
said the minstrel. "By the way. did
you ever notice that there never was n
song written about a man? All songs
are about roses and maidens and love
and trysting 1aces and sunsets and
mothers; never one about the old man.
Come to think about it, though. there
was one, Father, Dear Father, Come
Home With Me Now In this song
the old man is drunk in the first
verse. e."-Atchison Globe.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
Daniel web.ter., p.per Cutter.

Joseph NJ. Terry Of Peconic, N. Y,
has presented valuable relic of Dan
iel Webster to the Suffolk County His
torical society. 1t is an ivory paper
cutter which mr.. Webster used for a
number Of years in his library at
Marshfeld, Mass. Webster gave it to
Charles Taylor, then a boy, whose ia
ther was at the time manager of Mr..
Webster's farm. Young Taylor pre-
served the relic and several years ago
while residing near Mr.. Terry's house
gave 1t to him.-New York Sun.
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04

consequence OF self abuse and excess produc-
ing the following symptoms: Saliow Connie
nance, dark spots under the eyes, pain in the
head, ringing in the ears, loss of confidence
OF the heart, weakness of the limbs and back
loss OF memory, pimples on the face, coughs,
DIR. GlBBON has practiced in San Francisco
over 81 years, and those troubled Should NOT
1a1l to consult him and receive the benefit of
ms great skill and experience. The doctor
cures when others fail. Try him. Cures GUAR
anteed. Persons cured at home. Charges reas.
enable Call or write
DR. J. f. GIBBoN, 625 Kearney street, San
Francisco, Cal
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04

A physician calculates that it takes
eight times the strength to go up stairs
that is required for the same distance
on the level
Amador ledger., 1900-05-04

The man who has to be made to go
to church always gets mad when he
finds strangers in his pew.-Indianapo-
lis Journal.