davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-15
FIVE, EDUCATED SEALS.
They Play Football, Balance Stick.
and Perform Many Other Won-
derful Tricks.

A seal football team has come to
town. 1t plays at the circus.
Its members also sing, play orches-
trail selections and perform feats of
balancing and sleight of hand-sleight
of snout would be better term-that
would equip any man or boy to earn a
living at country fairs.
There are five of these seals, big,
clumsy fellows, so glossy of skin that
when they lie motionless with shouts
pointed to the roof they look like mon
sters in highly vanished mahogany.
Their marvellous feats are one of the
two chief attractions at the circus in
Madison Square garden.
But when they hear the voice of the
trainer, Capt. Woodward, messieurs
the sea lions hasten to show that in
stead of being carved out of mahogany
they are compound of agility, obedi-
ence and brains.
First they sing, in solo and chorus.
The writer does not wish to dwell upon
this part of their performance. It is
enough that they evidently know what
Is required of them, and that they
really sing very well-for seals.
Nor is it necessary to bring Wag-
merriam critics standards to bear upon
the seal orchestra, consisting of bass
drum, snare drum, tuba and French
horn. The zeal of the musicians is
their most admirable trait.
In other realms of vaudeville, how
ever, Capt. Woodward's seals can chal-
ienge comparison with many biped
endowed with hands and feet instead Of
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-15

+ 81
"Were there many out p inquired
his mother. She was putting the din
ner on to the table. ..I
"Quite a sprinklin', but mighty few
of 'em went to the graveyard. Hon
est, If my whiskers had been any
other color think they'd have frog.
and snapped OF up there.
1T must have been terrible hard OF
Maria" ,.s 49, Il
Eyes, reckon it must" He looked
searchingly, into the old lady's face
Smother, you said the otner day that
you'd be happier If I were married
and had somebody to keep the home
goin' if-when--'' = {.
when I am gone." The old lady
spoke eagerly. "Yes, Thomas, I did
And it's SO. I amt long for thi,
world, dear boy. I was 50 last June
l hate to think of leavin' you here all
alone. But why? What's put the no.
ton into your head so sudden? You
amt"
mo, amt. Only I was thinkin
that you mustn't let your mind dwell
l
er now than plenty of women who
haven't lived half the years. That's
all. mother"
At the corner store that afternoon
he told cold-weather stories and
cracked jokes, while he nursed his
frozen nose and ears. But that night
after his mother had gone to bed, he
sat long before the fire. with letter
"a letter yellowed by age-in his
hand, reading and rereading.
dearest Tom," it said, Il have been
thinking of what you said last night
of staying by your mother. 1t does
you credit-yes, it is noble in you, but;
dear, it hurts. l am not so good as
you. Ny parents are not so fortu.
nate in their child as your mother is
in you. Sometimes I feel that I could
defy the whole world, if by so doing
I could take you to myself-alone.
But in my soberer moments I can see
| that such thoughts are foolish.
must do as father wishes, presume
and sacrifice myself. It is hard-O, sc
hard-to marry one whom I neither
love nor respect. Perhaps, some
| time
The letter ended at this point in q
great blot.
"Perhaps some time," repeated
Tom, slowly. wiping his eyes, "per.
haps-some time. She felt she had tc
break away from me, poor girl. She
couldn't help it. Her folks were cruel
hard. I'm glad I told her the lie
about stickin' by mother; it sort OF
made it easier for her.
He pushed his chair back from the
fire and glanced at the door of his
mothers room.
"It's been for the best, I s'pose," he
murmured "Motber'd been alone else
or if she hadn't been alone maybe she
and Maria wouldn't have hitched
But, perhaps-some time
He raised his face and drew long
breath. Then a glad look came into
his eyes.
Seems to me it's gettin' warmer"
he said Philadelphia Press.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-15
=
a ST. LOUIS IDEA.


St. Louis is congratulating- itself just
now upon having successfully solved a
difficult problem and upon the carrying
out Of a unique and interesting idea.
In fact, she has wrought out new YER
sion of the old story of Mohammed and
the mountain and a new application.
Like the mountain, it has been found
necessary that when scholars will not
come to the school, the school must of
necessity go to the scholars. This, on
the face of it, might seem a matter Of
extreme difficulty. AS it is, however,
the problem has been solved, and the
solution has been found not to be hard
to arrive at. It might be little mis-
leading to say that the scholars are not
always DESTROYS of going to school.
But when the school is too far distant
or there is not room enough in those
already existing for the accommod.-
ton of all who apply then it becomes
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-15
CALAMITY Amone Aninal.,

Farmers, and horsemen in general,
know that although a horse will
promptly attack any other horse that
may interfere with him, either in the
field or in harness, he will very seldom
attack a mare. Farm horses which
cannot be worked alongside of any
other horse on account of their savage
temper, may be safely yoked in double
harness with a mare. It is not so gen
orally known that dogs have this same
chivalrous trait. No self-respecting
dog will bite a female, except in the
most extreme need of self-defense.
though the female, as rule, has no
scruples whatever about Furnishing, to
to the full extent of her power, dog
of the opposite sex that happens to be
Inferior to her in size and strength.
So, strong is this unwillingness to fight
a female that few male hounds will
attack a she-wolf or even follow her
trail. .-.." .:~-. L.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-15
Animal Actors.

The training of animals of different
species to act together upon the stage,
or in the ring, is an art especially -four
ishing at present in Paris. Horses and
dogs are found to be the most tractable
when trained together. A trainer at
the celebrated Nouveau Cirque has,
after two years of effort, brought out
a horse and four dogs, which, together
with the trainer himself, perform a
serpentine dance to the sound of
music. One dog dances between the
horses fore legs, another between its
hind legs, and a third rides on its back,
while the horse itself dances, and the
fourth dog dances between the legs Of
the dancing trainer. .assS
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-15
OLD HOMES.

Old homes among the hills! I love their
gradens,
Their old rock fences, that our day In
herits:
Their DOORS round which the great trees
stand like wardens:
Their paths, down which the shadows
march like spirits:
Broad doors and paths that reach bird
haunted gardens.
see them gray among their ancient
Severe of front. their gables hchen-
sprinkled-
Like gentle-hearted. solitary Quakers,
Grave and religious, with kind faces
wrinkled-
Serene among their memory-hallowed
Their gardens. banked with roses and
with lilies
Those sweet aristocrats of all the
Where springtime minis her gold in DAT
And Autumn coins her naarigolds in
showers,
And all the hours are toilless as the
lilies.
woodpecker
Fits, flashing DER you, like a winged
jewel;
Their woods. whose floors Of moss the
squirrels checker
With half-hlllled nuts: and where, In
cool renewal,
The wild brooks laugh, and raps the red
woOdpecker
Old homes! old hearts! Upon my soul
forever
Their peace and gladness lie like tears
and laughter:
Like love they touch me, through the
years that sever
With simple faith: like friendship, draw
me after
The dreamy patience that Is theirs for
ever.
Madison Cawein. In Myth and Romance.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-15

self-evident that some remedy is an alb
solute necessity. And right here is
where the school goes out in search of
its scholars, and. settles down comfort
ably for the time being in whatever
locality the prospective pupils are
found in sufficient numbers.
st. Louis has found much difficulty
in providing room for all it's school
children. Rented rooms were expert
mented with in many parts of the city
with more or less success, but the gen.
eral result would hardly be called a
satisfactory one. In districts where
the population was scattered the plan
seemed scarcely applicable. After
much consideration and many expert
ments it was suggested that school,
house or schoolhouses of such nature
that they could be readily removed
from place to place, set up wherever re-
quired, and when no longer needed
taken down and removed to some other
field of action, would fill the bill. There
fore consultation of local carpenters
was called and school building such
as desired was the result.
These buildings have been construct
ed in such manner that when no long
err required at one site they can quick
~ be taken apart and, if need be-,
moved to another. They are "a by Sc
feet, inside measurement. The floors
are constructed in eight sections, the
es1 IN c. <ho ~,
sections and the roof in Is sections.
Each section is strongly put together
on frames, and these are bolted in such
manner as to make tia perfectly tight
and secure room. The joints between
the sections are covered both inside and
out by movable pieces. which are held
in place by screws. The heating and
ventilating are furnished by an indi-
rect furnace with double casing. The
fresh air is taken directly from the out
side. and the supply cannot in any man
ner be cut off or reduced beyond prop
er limit. The vent is at the opposite
end of the room from the furnace. The
through the upper part of the vent
pipe, thus making a perfect ventilation
and also preventing any possibility o.
fire.
When these novel schoolhouses are
set up and ready for occupation they
will accommodate 60 desks, and have
been found to be satisfactory and COM
Portable in all respects. The cost is ex-
tremely moderate when the results
achieved are considered.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-15
BALLROOM ETIQUETTE.
Customs which Polite. Society An.
proves a. Being In Good Form
and Quite Correct.

When a man is presented to a young
woman at dance he usually says al
most at once: MAY have the pleasure
of this dance?"
After dancing and walking about the
rooms two or three times the young
man may take the girl back to her
chaperon and plead another engage
mentor better. she suggests that he
take her to her place near her mother
or chaperon.
The lady is the one to first intimate
her desire to stop dancing.
If man holds a. girl too tightly she
should drop her hand from his shout
der, so as to bring it between her part
ner and herself. If he does not take the
hint let her stop dancing at once under
some pretext so evident that he may
realize her disp,easure or disapproval.
A chaperon should not be lacking in
personal dignity; nor should she dance
while her charge is unprovided with a
partner.
A girl should be attentive to- her
mother or her chaperon, presenting
her friends to her and occasionally
stopping to say few words: +
Both young men and maidens should
be careful to remember that their
dancing engagements must be kept.
A girl must not refuse to dance with
one man under some pretext, and then
dance with another; neither should
she dance with the same man more
than two or three times. ,..r~s-
A. young man invited to a house
should dance as early as possible with
the daughters Of his hostess. and pay
them every possible attention.-Mrs.
Burton Kingsland, in Ladies' Home
Journal. E'l3'
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-15
JUGGLING FOOLS CAPS.

flippers and tail. One of them catch
es football on his nose. and there spins
it until it occurs to him to toss it back
to his master.
Next he balances on his nose stick
surmounted by the football. With his
ripper he knocks the stick away,
catches the ball on his nose, and mo-
ment later transfers it to the nose of
another seal. which losses it back to
Capt. Woodward.
The trainer takes pyramid of those
funny clowns hats that fit into one an
other like baking tins. One by one he
throws them over a distance of IS feet
to the biggest seal.
Mr.. Seal watches each missile mar
rowly. lodges. reaches or ducks, ac-
cording to the exigencies of the case,
and catches all in succession on his
head. He afterward takes one of them
in his mouth, throws it in the air and
catches it as before.
Then comes balancing feat that re-
minds one of pet dogs tantalizing or
deal of holding a lump of sugar on his
nose until permitted to, eat it. One of
the seals balances on his snout stick
surmounted by ashland no pug ever
liked lump of sugar better than seal
likes a fish. One does not wonder at
the yearning look in the performers
big brown eyes as the aroma of that
tit-bit floats down to him.
Hey, presto! At the word of COM
mand he knocks away the stick with
his ripper and catches the fish on his
nose. Next moment it is down his
throat. and the spectators shrek at his
solemnly beatific expression.
AS an appropriate climax to their
amazing performance the seals juggle
with barbells at the ends of which are
blazing torches.-N. Y. World.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-15
MAKES GOOD SCORES.
14diana Girl Of sixteen Has Shootinn
@ Records Which Have Already
Won Ease Tor Her. ri .

Miss Edith, daughter Of w. d. Rick
81, of Auburn, Ind, Is developing rare
skill with the gun, and promises
soon to equal the average sportsmen
of the world. Miss Rickels expert
ence at the trap only dates from Jan.
uary !, this year, and her rapid ad-
vancement has created a sensation
among the lovers of. that sport, and
her scores have been prominently
mentioned by the trade papers.
Miss Edith's mother died last sum-
mer, and since she has taken the ar
duous responsibility of keeping house
for her father and at the same time
attending school, she incidentally took
up the gun. She is but 16 years of age,
weighs 135 pounds, and stands five
feet high. She is a splendid example
Of. the best type of Hoosier beauty.
Her large, dark eyes, black curly hair
and charming good nature make her
q noticeable figure wherever she
goes.
Her love for the field sport came to
her like vision, and. after express
ing fond desire to take up the gun,
she was the recipient from her ia
Their of an exceptionally good Win
chester, weighing ~ pounds. The
services of Mr.. Romeo Tarney, of Au-
burn, were also secured, and he, be-
ing a marksman Of recognized abil-
ity, soon Instructed her in the art. Her
first experience, at the trap was on
January 8, 1900, when she shot at so
targets, ten yards rise, known trap
and angles, scoring 90 out of a pos
sible so.
On January Is, her second attempt
at the trap, she shot IS birds in
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-15

&c, Sc, If, 2g, 2h, 81, TX, An, 10, p,
1r, St, III, ", TX, 2y in the spaces.
Arrange them so that 1-3 is used in
weighing; 2-3 is necessary for re-
ligion; 3-s is necessary to success in
all undertakings; 3-4 is another word
for hope; SIS is the age of greatest
promise; ~ is the part of intelligent
men. If the letters have been ar
ranged correctly, you will read 1-s,
balance; 2-3, believe; 3-5, energy; 3-4,
expect; SIS, Youthful; A., thinking.
To make new puzzles for your friends
work backward from words with the
proper number of letters to fill the
spaces, and describe them so that
they are guessable. The necessity for
having two words end with the same
letter that begins two others, of the
proper number of letters. will afford
endless enjoyment.-St. Louis Globe
Democrat.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-15
THE SCISSORS PUZZLE.
genaity e Work It Ont, Bat 10
Very EntertaininG. s

Here's a new kind Of puzzle, one
that will afford many hours of amuse-
ment, and at the same time tax the
ingenuity of those who make it or
guess it. Draw the picture Of a pair
of shears, putting the numerals from
l to at the points shown in the
diagram. Divide the blades and han
dies into sections, as shown there.
and the plan of the puzzle is ready.
There should be 81 spaces in all.
Each one of the spaces is to be filed.
with q letter, SO that words can be
spelled from the numbers. The two:
words from 1-3 and 2-3 will, of course.
end with the same letter, which is the
first letter Of the two words running
from ga to 3-5. The way to offer
the puzzle is this: There are "a, 2b,
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-15
: -
THE EEsT You.cAN.

What use to frown when things &
wrong?
: A frOwn won't set them right.
Be brave of heart, and sing song
To make the burden light.
That this is true I quite believe:
He Is the wisest man
Who sings when care and trouble como,
And does the best he can.
The man who broods DER trouble finds
His burden heavier grow,
AS he climbs up the hill Of life.
The wise man does not so.
He gathers flowers beside the way;
He says to fellow-man:
Lets make the most of pleasant things
And-do the best we cam
In thinking Of another's need,
We oft forget our own:
So let us think of others more
Not of ourselves alone.
Keep up brave and cheerful heart,
It's aye the wisest plan
To sing when care and trouble come,
And-do the best you can.
-Eben E. Rexford. In Golden Days.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-15
ABOUT SLEEP WALKERS.
How Two of Them Were Cured of the
Habit Before 1t Had Become I'm
alterably Fixed.

Somnambulism is phenomenon
that has not been solved, either its
cause or cure, and the stories related
about sleep walkers are never ending.
Usually the eyes are wide open, but
it is frequently agreed that the SOM
nambulist cannot see at those times.
A gentleman relates that when he
= was young man an acquaintance
was badly given to the habit, and he
would often go out into the yard and
wander about. One night a number
of his friends lay in ambush for him
just to watch his operations. By and
by the door opened in business-like
way and out came the young man.
He went straightway across the street
into lot where there was a nut tree
and proceeded to pick up nuts and
put them in pile. A few moments
at this task, then he started toward
the house. In getting over the fence
he made misstep and fell. THIS
awakened him, and while he was, In
the first act of collecting his thought.
he saw in the darkness the young
men who were watching him. Just
at that time their appearance %
startled him that he fed like a deer:
The circumstance was so impressed
upon his mind that he never after
ward INDUCED in the habit.
Another gentleman tells an anus.
ing incident that happened in hi,
early life, when he was not more than
six years old. He often found him.
self at the far end of the long. nm.
finished chamber where he slept, and
usually could not awake sufficiently
to find his way to bed again, so one
or the other of his parents would
hear him crying and come to his res.
cue. Naturally they got little tired
of the bother and no one should be
blamed for what followed. As stated,
the chamber was an unfinished one.
and in place of the guard rail at the
danger end of the stairway a number
of barrels had been placed. When the
nights somnambulistic tour culminat.
ed that left a lasting impression on
his mind, as well as his body-he was
near those barrels and it seemed had
been struggling to get through be.
tween them when he must surely
have been killed by falling down the
stairs. The noise aroused the parents
and on this memorable occasion the
father visited the chamber and jus,
in time to save the lad from getting
through. He was on his hands and
Knees pushing through and the on
portunity for administering the usual
punishment of those days could not
have been better arranged to order
'Talk about spanking,"' said the
relator; "why, that must have been
40 years and more ago, but can feel
the sting as if it was last night! But
it cured me, you may be sure -
Golden Days: -
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-15
CHICAGO MAGNATES OF OLD.
Early Citizens, Broken by Fires and
Financial Panics, Are Still
on Deck.

Now and again they are seen in the
resistless tide of travel on the streets
of the city of to-day. Those who have
watched Chicago's rise from great
acreage of ash pits to potential me-
tropolis know them and are glad to
greet them, for they are people OF
more than passing interest, these mag.
mates of past days, says the Chronicle,
They do not 60 back to earliest Chi.
cago, to the Kinzie period, nor were
they interested in the ventures which
resulted in making the little settlement
on Lake Michigan prosperous city.
But they are of the men who contrib.
uted to the most important epoch OF
the city's history; the men who, after
the close of the civil war and up to the
great fire of 1871 and for nearly ten
years thereafter, were the active forces
in the great oncoming life of the city
they had done so much to create.
No sooner were they on their feet
again after the fire and involved in the
debt incidental to rebuilding the city
than the bad times of 1873 and 1874
struck and shook them up badly while
the succeeding panic of 1877 closed out
many of them completely. Burned out
in middle life and in the full fruition of
their life's business, dead broke, for
many of them had insurance that was
not worth the having, and which paid
but few cents on the dollar. victims
of fire, bankruptcy and two financial
panics within dozen years; what
pluck and grit these Chicago men have
shown, for quite number of them are
III business tc~1ay.
Those who are not, who no longer
are in the swim and with the tide of eff.
fort, they come downtown yet, but it
isn't with the vim and push of the old
days. Some of them are well to do
and members of the clubs, but the club
doesn't satisfy them any more. Ger
tain corners in the rooms hold ghosts
for them, wraiths of old chums who
have gone on before. So they take a
stiff drink and try to forget. Others
of the "old guard" not so well off in
the luxuries. of bank accounts, car.
riages and clubs, can be seen on the
great streets in fine weather. They
like to linger around the blocks in the
very center of town. They have known
and quoted the value of every foot OF
this land for 40 years. To them each
street is full of the history of intense
human effort and every block has its
story. They peer into the faces of the
thousands who pass them and the
crowds which surround them in the
restaurants and stores, and to each and
all, rich and poor alike, the day gener.
ally ends with the same sad impress.
sion translated thus: I'm all the
thousands on the streets to-day not one
familiar face. Not soul knew me-"
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-06-15
Sachem'R Plain.

In 1912 a battle occurred on this
plain, located,near Norwich, Conn, be-
tween the Narragansetts and Mohegans.
Miantonomoh, the chief of the Nara
gansetts, after whom one of our war
vessels is named, fell MORALLY wound
ed during action, and in 1912 granite
monument was erected to his memory =