davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18
when Jay Gould wrestled.

John Burroughs, the writer was in
his boyhood days a schoolmate of Jay
Gould. To Theodore Dresser, who tells
the story in 1.-THE New Voice" Mr.. Bur-
roughs gave this anecdote of Gould:
He was shrewd but not bad fellow at
all. / remember that once we had a
wrestling match. AS we were about
even in strength, we agreed to abide
by certain rules, taking what we called
"holts'' in the beginning and not
breaking them until one or the other
was thrown. l kept to this when we
began wrestling, but when Jay realized
that he was in danger of losing he
broke "holts'' and threw me. When
said he had broken his agreement, he
only laughed and said, Il threw you,
didn't II" That irritated me, and
kept arguing the original point, but he
only laughed the more and covered
my taunts with the same answer. He
had won, and it pleased him, though
often wondered how he could take any
satisfaction in it.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18
PRINCE OF MoNAco's WIT.
why the American, Who Had No Tact,
Wilted.

why the American. Who Had No Tact,
Wilted.
Il noticed an interesting sketch OF
the prince of Monaco" remarked a
prominent New Orleans educator to a
New Orleans Times-Democrat man. 1T
is not generally known that the prince,
besides being the greatest gambling
house proprietor in the world, is also
a scientist of high repute. He has made
a study for years of deep-sea forms OF
life, owns the best-equipped vessel
afioat for that sort of investigation
and has written several valuable works
on the subject. In fact, some of the
text books used right here in New Or
leans contain contributions from his
pen. His speciality is the cephalopoda,
or octopus family and unkind people
might detect evidences of the eternal
fitness of things in the circumstance.
Nevertheless he has made some very
important discoveries and has brought
to the surface scores of strange and
unknown types of those curious mon
with his scientific pursuits | was once
told a curious story by Harvard pro-
lessor who once visited the prince at
his home, and l don't believe the yarn
Ifhas ever been seen in print. At the
time of the visit couple OF other
Americans were present and one of
them had the execrable taste to ad-
vert to the gaming casino which is the
principal feature of Monaco. i like to
go there to look at the frescoes,' he
said. but | keep away from the rou-
lette wheels. To my way of thinking
a man who plays them might as well
throw his money in the ocean. That,
my dear sir replied the prince imper-
turbahly. is precisely what he does. He
throws his money in the ocean My
entire personal income for the last five
years has been devoted to deep-sea
study. You will allew me, he added.
to compliment you upon your singu-
lar perspicaeity The American wilted.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18
THAT Blessed Prince. /"

The captain of liner running to the
east tells this story of the duke of
York: Some time ago ! was warned
at Malta to man the yards for the duke
of York, who was going home with US.
The coaling operations took longer
than usual that voyage, but every
preparation was made TO receive his
royal highness. the men at the same
time being employed in clearing up
and standing by for the order to run
aloft The officer Of the watch was
anxiously looking out for him, when 4
shore-boaT came alongside containing
a quietly dressed gentleman. The OIL
Ger hailed him. AS you are just from
the shore can you give me any idea
when that blessed prince is coming
Off" Il suppose you mean me- good
naturally replied the gentleman. l
stepped forward then tc receive his
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18
cYANlDE's ATTRACTION.

Those Who Handle the Drug Drawn Al
most IrresistibIy to swallow IT.
Just now we are engaged in the
making of tons of cyanide of potas-
SUM, said member of firm of man
ufacturing chemists, land of all pos-
ons, this, to my mind. is the most dam
gerous, because of singular quality it
possesses. 1t is in appearance SO very
attractive TO those who handle it that
they are often seized with an almost
overwhelming desire to eat it. To one
man it probably suggests sugar, if he
have fondness for saccharine sub
stances. and to another snow newly
fallen; but to both it is so alluring that
they may only overcome the tempta-
ton to put it in their mouths by great
force of will power The very men who
make it and who are most familiar
with its deadly properties are pursued
by an unreasonable desire to eat the
| poison, and as long as they remain in
| its vicinity this extraordinary craving
endures. They know that to give way
to the craving means death almost in
slant and horrible, and as a conse-
quence are usually able to resist the
strange temptation, but during the last
ten years we have been engaged in the
manufacture of the drug four of our
most intelligent and steady workmen
have committed suicide in this way"
Ever feel like eating it yourself?"
asked the reporter Yes the manu-
facturer replied Many times when
in contact with the cyanide fumes and
have had to leave work precipitately in
consequence. SO well is this curious
fact known in all works where cyanide
of potassium is made that there are
always two men at work together, and
a jar of ammonia, which is the anti
dote to the poison. is kept at hand Po
tassium is one of the most interesting
substances known to chemical work
ers. The metal itself is scarcely used
at all in the arts, but its many salts
are of immense practical value, being
used largely in the production OF gun
powder. fertilizers, medicines and dye
ing compounds. Cyanide is com
pound of cyanogen with metallic
agent. Cyanogen is a colorless pois-
onous liquefable gas which has the
odor of almonds and burns with a pur-
pie flame. Cyanide OF potassium is
made by burning potassium, an alkali
metal. in cyanogen gas, and is really a
prussiate Of potash. 1t is produced also
in blast furnaces in which ore is smelt-
I ed, with coke or coal, and is pernna-
nent when kept dry, but decomposes
readily in moist air. 1t crystalliZes in
dry, octagonal blocks and is extremely
soluable in water. 1t has the odor OF
prussic acid and kindred bitterness of
, taste. Cyanide OF potassium is also
used in electro-metallurgy and photog-
raphy to considerable extent. 1t will
remove metallic oxides the juices OF
fruits and indelible ink"
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18
singular Dwellings.

Adobe houses are dwellings peculiar
to Central and South America. Mexico
and Texas. made of unburnt brick.
They are usually one story high, and
their durability is much greater than
would be expected, as there are num-
Der now in existence which have been
standing for considerably more than a
century. The composition of the brick
is loamy earth, containing about two
thirds fine sand and one-third clayey
dust. This is mixed with water and
pressed into the required size in molds,
and then taken from the molds and
placed on edge on the ground and
left to harden in the sun. The adobes
are laid with mortar, the same as an
ordinary brick, and at the completion
of every two feet of the structure an
interval of two weeks is allowed for
drying, and a similar space of time be-
tween the completion of the walls and
the putting on of the roof.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18
CfiAUNCEY NJ. DEpEW AS A SENATOR

stantinople, 1874 hours being the tins
for the 2,052 miles between these
places. The North express takes 43
hours for the 1897 miles between st.
Petersburg and Ostend, while London
is six hours further off. The st. Pc
tersburg- Vienna-Cannes express runs.
only in winter and travels 1916 miles
in 60 hours. The best known of the
trains to the south is the Peninsuiar
express between Calais and Brindisi,
1853 miles in 391a hours and four
hours more to London. The South ex-
press goes from Paris TO Madrid, 900
miles, in 361a hours, and from Paris
to Lisbon, 1,176 miles. in 361a hours.
Germanys long-distance train is the
North and South express from Berlin
to Verona, 6S7 miles, in 1919 hours; it
will soon run to Naples, 1886 miles,
but the time has not been calculated.
All of these trains that can connect
with Paris will run more frequently
during the period of the exhibition
next year.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18

story of one of these little fellows:
What pleased me most during the
whole business" he says, was the
gallant behavior of a little midship-
man, mere child, 10 or IA years of
age. About the time when the fire be-
came pretty hot ] happened to come
across him, and, as he seemed to be as
much out of job as myself, | touched
my cap, and took the liberty of OBJ
serving that it was fine day. to
which he politely replied that it was.
Encouraged by his urbanity, | ven
tured to ask him how long he had
been at sea, to which he answered. L
have only left my mamma six weeks.
but | amt going to cry on her majes-
tvs quarterback a remark which I
think as worth recording as MANY a
one made by more illustrious heroes.
Soon after this. however, a man was
killed close to him, and the little fell
low tainted, and was taken below
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18
SCRAPS.

Instruction in the English language
is now obligatory in Russian CONNER
cial schools.
BY order of the Russian government
court officials are being instructed in
Oriental languages.
Out of 100000 in Massachusetts en-
gagged in gainful occupations, only 81
600 are employed on Sundays.
One hundred and nine vessels for the
transportation of troops have been
chartered by the British government.
AT the commencement of Berea Col
lege, in the Eastern Tennessee noun
tains, l,500 saddle horses were picket
ed on the grounds.
Tree and shrub planting along the
Suez canal to protect it from drifting
sand is in progress. Reeds have been
placed along about nine miles of water
line Of the canal proper,
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18

The Sanitary Home is authority for
the statement that potatoes contain
poison known as solanin. New pota
toes contain comparatively little OF
this poison unless they grow above the
surface of the ground and have green
skin, when they are generally known
to be poisonous. 1t is not, however,
generally known that old potatoes
contain much more of this poisonous
principle-so lanin-and many cases OF
serious poisoning have occurred in
late summer when old potatoes are
used. In 1892 and 1893 there was al
most wholesale poisoning among the
troops of the German army. The symp-
toms were frontal headache, collie.
diarrhoea, vomiting, weakness, and
slight stupor, and in some cases dila-
tation of the pupils of the eyes. Meyer
investigated the case, anu found in
old potatoes, kept in damp place and
beginning to spr ut, twenty-four times
as much solanin as in ew potatoes.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18

Senator Depew's advent in Wash
ington society and Washington politi
cal life is being observed with more
than the usual interest attaching to
the coming 20 Washington of new
senator. The senator's fame as a
teller of pat and amusing stories has
set the senators 10 wondering whether
he will spring any of them in the Sc
date senate. while his generosity as
an entertainer is likely to make him
prominent figure IN tho social life OF
the capital
The junior senator from New York
has leased the famous Corcoran man
sion, occupied at different times by
Daniel Webster, the French minister
and Senator Brice, the scene of many
gorgeous functions.
The new senator's probable course in
the senate is subject of speculation.
In any event Depew's acquaintanees in
Washington are anticipating some de-
lightful bits of his amending fund of
wit and humor this winter
Here are some of the best of the
Depew stories as retold by the Phila-
delphia Saturday Evening Post:
Here is typical Depew story, and
its author is particularly fond of this
offspring, born as it was under sunny
skies and reha5ilitated to point NOR
al in one of the senator's famous po-
litical speeches:
Last time l was travelling in the
south | had to put up over night at a
seeond-rate hotel in Western Georgia.
said to the clerk when | entered
Where shall | autograph
Autograph? said the clerk.
Yes; sign my name, you know
Oh, right here AS ! was signing
my name in the register in came three
roughly clothed unshorn fellows. inn
mediately recognizable as genuine
Georgia Crackers. One of the men adj
vanced TO the desk.
Will you autograph? asked the
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18
CHApTER XIV.


II was A cold, boisterous day, but /
had shopping to do, and was out alone
all the afternoon | came in to find
Meg sitting pensively before the fire,
her hair untidy, her morning dress I'M
changed. her elbows on her knees, her
chin on her hands. She was looking
before her into the fire with a far
away gaze. and started when | entered
the room: she looked round at me,
her eyes laughing and yet with some
thing OF mingled melancholy in their
depths
why. what are you doing. Mes?"
asked.
Thinking. dear IAN uncommon
thing" answered she: and she shook
back her fair. ripping, pretty hair, and
seemed as though she would shake
away her thoughts with the same inn
patient gesture I've seen a ghost,
she said The vision has been haunt
ing me all day Don't l look like it,
I've seen the ghost Of an old love. Kit
~"
She spoke lightly. scofIingly, and yet
there was an undercurrent of deeper
meaning in her tone. knelt down
upon the rug beside her chair, and she
nut her elbows once more upon her
knees and her chin upon her hands,
and again looked musingly into the fire
before her
You didn't know had an old love :.
she said. still in a scofiing tone You
eidnt know that went about the
world with the smallest possible
fraction Of heart. did you, Kitty!
on the whole. got on very well. one
enjoys the world better without heart
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18

and il again struck me that he did not
read ii.
Meg came down stairs. gaily hum
ming as she came. AS she passed
through the hall the postman arrived,
and she brought in the letters, looking
carefully in a perfectly open way at
each one. Suddenly the smile faded
from her face. she glanced quickly at
John with half questioning, half
startled look
John rose and put out his hand to
take the letters. He was more eager
than usual to obtain them. Meg gave
them to him slowly. one by one.
only three" she said. "One from
Madame Arnaud One from person
who ought to so back to opy-books-"
John took the letters she held out
10 him. She still retained the third.
Let me have the other, Meg" he
said In tone OF tired forbearance.
She nut the letter down upon the
table. but she was still holding 1t.
Whose writing is that?" she asked.
lohn's face puzzled me. He was
evidently striving against a sharp, i'm
patient answer. He was anxious TO
obtain possession of the letter, and
anxious that Meg should not any
longer examine it. Meg, too, was
grayer than her wont as she stood
looking doubtfully, first at him, then
again al the handwriting on the en-
yelope.
Il know that writing" she said half
defantly
II think not, said John.
"Tell me whose il is"
Il am very sorry. l cannot tell you
1t is a private correspondent"
Meg said no more. She relinquished
the letter meekly and John took 1t un-
opened into his study and did not APP
pear again.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18
SYLVANUS TuRTLETON.
How He Saved Time ana Money and Got
1--WE New Suits Annually

Tws New Suits Annually.
Some folks are neat about clothes. .
said Col. Calliper land some are care
less; the most careless man in this
respect | ever knew was my old friend
Sylvanus Turtleton who formerly
lived in Storkville Center, Vt; but he
carried his carelessness to so high a
degree that it became an art, and gave
him, twice year, a new suit Of clothes.
For he brushed his clothes only twice
in fiftytwo weeks, and they looked so
different after brushing that they
seemed to be new. Sylvanus said that
this was due to the fact that they were
new; or a good deal newer than they
would have been if he'd brushed EN- all
the time; he said that brushing clothes
wore EN- out faster than wearing EN-
did; and | think there's something in
this, myself. And then. he said that
brushing your clothes so much wore
out the brooms. and they cost money:
and the brushing took time. which was
just the same as money to every
49, my BNi sui. M. Il ui tttlOi1 uSSu ~
enjoy the jokes that went around
about him, when he brushed his
clothes, as much as anybody: if he
happened to hear somebody say: 'Syl-
vanus has got on his new suit. why, he
laughed himself. the same as the man
to whom the joke was spoken; but he
could afford to do this He had not
wasted the time he might have spent
in dusting-SIr. Turtleton was man
of means. ! don't believe in careless
ness about ones personal apparel,
though | confess always was rather
captivated by the sublimity of the care
lessness of Sylvanus Turtleton; but
do think it is possible for man to
spend too much time in welding the
clothes brush.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18
HOW MUMMIEs WERE MADE.
Three Different Methods Practlced by
the Egyptians.

There We're three different ways OF
mummfying the body practiced by the
ancient Egyptians. the price being the
chief mark of distinction and cause for
the differences. In the first and most
expensive method the brain was ex-
tracted through the nose by means of
an iron probe and the intestines were
removed entirely from the body
through an incision made in the side
with sharp Ethiopian stone The
intestines We're cleansed and washed in
palm wine. and after being covered
with powdered aromatic gums were
placed in Canopic jars. The body was
then filled up with myrrh and cassia,
and other fragrant and astringent sub
stances. and was laid in natron for
seventy days. 1t was then carefully
washed and wrapped up in strips of
fine linen smeared with gum. The
cost mummifying body in this fash
ion was talent of silver, about 81 200.
In the second method the brain was
not removed at all and the intestines
were simply dissolved and removed in
a fluid state. The body was also laid
in salt and natron, which, it is said,
dissolved everything except the skin
and bones. The cost of mummifying
in this manner was % minae, or $3.50.
The third method was employed for the
poor only. 1t consisted simply of
cleansing the body by injecting some
strong astringent and then sailing it
for seventy days. The cost was very
small. If the friends of the dead were
too poor to go to the expense of even
the cheapest of these methods, the
body was soaked in salt and bituman
or in salt only. In the salt and btu
men process every cavity of the body
was filled with bitumen, and the hair
disappeared. Clearly it is to the bod
les which were preserved in this way
that the name mummy" derived from
the Arabic numia or bituman) was first
applied The sailed and dried body is
easily distinguishable. The skin is like
paper, the features and hair have dis
appeared, and the bones are very brit
tie and white. 1t may be noted that
the eyes were sometimes removed and
their places supplied by others OF
ivory or obsidian. The hair was also
removed and made into packet COW
cred with linen and bitumen. At a
late period the flank incision was COW
cred with a metal plate, on which
symbolic eye was engraved. The lin
en- bandages employed to swathe the
body were three or four inches wide;
the length was sometimes as great as
400 yards.-Chattanoo Times.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18
CHAPTER xiII.-( Continued


After much opposition on my part
and quiet, steady determination on
Johns, Meg was sent for. She was
not very attentive, but she was
very CHEEKY nurse. She forgot my
medicine one hour. and gave me a
double dose cheerily the next, and
laughed gsily at her own mistakes.
And in spite of her mistakes, got well
quickly.
But, long after was we'll, Meg con-
tinued to stay on with me.
You have nicer dinners than we
have at home" she would confess with
sweetest candor, "and your chairs are
softer. And feel that | am doing an
act OF benevolence in staying. / save
You and John from eternal tete-a-tete
Now confess, Kitty, that you are duly
grateful"
was silent.
Silence means confession" Meg de-
clared.
she stayed through almost all Nov
ember with us. Whenever she spoke
OF going ohm gravely interposed and
begged her to remain; and she re-
manned willingly. Sometimes | wished
ungratefully that she would go and
leave me alone; but John seemed to
have more fear than | of those tete-a-
tete talks from which she saved us.
Yet. one day, it struck me that John.
too. was growing tired of her long
visit. Meg was late in coming down
stairs; he and were alone for a min
ute at breakfast He held his paper,
but he was not reading it; presently
he put 1t down. CHANGING across at
him. was panied to see how worried
and anxious he was looking.
Meg is staying all this week.
Kitty?" he asked me suddenly as. he
caught my questioning glance.
You asked her to stay, John"
YES. know" he said and he took
up his paper again with little sigh
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18


country III know what I'm talking
about.
AS back-handed slap at we'll
known member of congress who is too
fond of looking upon the wine when it
is anilined. Mr.. Depew tells this anec-
dote:
The member of congress was being
shaved by an aged colored barber in
Washington The shop was flvorite
one with the prominent men OF the
capital. and the old darby who presid-
ed over it often boosted that he had
shaved every great statesman since the
Madison administration, which may or
may not have been true. The member
OF congress referred to was being
shaved by the veteran one day, when
he said to the latter:
Uncle. you must have shaved
many famous mem
Oh. yes. sab: | has. indeed
And great many of those famous
personages must have sat in this very
chair where am sitting, eh?'
LAT > lAGANs Sein- Icy > set JES
whar yo' is settin' dis moment. sab.
Yes. sab. An Use jes' been a noticin'
a mighty Gurus similarity between yo'
and Daniel Webster. sab.
You don't say, exclaimed the
highly delighted lawmaker. Is the
similarity in the shape of my head,
uncle@
oh. no. sab. 'Tain't dat
Is it my Manner
No. Dos. faint yore manner, mud
der: hits yore breff
And he got it, too. added Mr.. De-
pew
Senator Depew does not tell how the
following came to be reported to him
but it is such good story that he uses
it continually in dismissing dignified
bores or influential beggars from his
Office. The senator was on his summer
vacation when a pompous little mar
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18
Ills Classic Mansion in lafayette Square, Facing
the Executive Mansion.

called to see him and encountered the
colored porter who guards the outer
gates of the depot sanctum.
Il want to see Chauncey Depew,
said the little man.
You CANT. sab. He's gone to Eu-
rope, sah.'
Well, then. I'll see his secretary"
Sorry, sab. but Mistah Duval, he's
done gone to Europe"
Then I'll see Cornelius Vanderbilt
He's in Newport. sab"
well, is W. K Vanderbilt in?"
'No. sab. He's done gone to New
port, too"
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-18
Europe's Long Distance Trs;,.

There are some long distances in
Europe that are covered by through
trains, starting generally from London
or Paris The trains do not run daily,
but usually once or twice week. and
the fares are much higher than on or
binary express trains. The oldest
train and longest run is the Orient ex-
press that goes from Paris to Constan-
tinople twice week by way of Mu-
Mich. Vienna, Budapest. Belgrade and
Sofia. 1921 miles, in 64la hours. The
observation-disclosures express covers
1890 miles in 5S1a hours. and connects
at either end with London and Con-