davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-01

him some questions as to who he was,
and then, 10 their mutual pleasure, it
turned out that Bobbys father and
mother were once good friends of the
Aliens, at whose table Bob was feesting
now, This put them all on still more
amlcable terms After dinner they had
some music. and Bobby sang Northern
songs and the little girl and Charles sang
Southern songs, and they were quite
happy the drummer boy making great
friends of his host, in so much that he
laughed and said:
Being prisoner isn't half bad.
didn't think this morning that I'd have
such a good time this Fourth"
But Mrs. Allen, thinking of the little
soldiers mother in the North, her old
friend, suddenly stopped and kissed the
boy with tears in her eyes.
Don't say prisoner, my dear" she
cried. Charlie here will be going to the
war soon, I'm afraid, and-and l don't like
to hear that word John, he's too young
10 be sent to that dreadful prison For
his mothers sake, we must send him back
TO his comrades. Perhaps he'll do, some
day, as much for our Charlie"
Capt. Allen laughed.
What right have l to release prisoners
of war;" he said. But he's Charles pris-
oner, after all, and"
A Change in the Situation.
He stopped short The lonely house
deep in the woods, where the captain
thought to securely spend his sick leave
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-01

ed forager.
We'll we'll" said the officer. ITS the
fortune of war. young man. You see l
have not escaped scot free myself.
He pointed to his right arm, which hung
in a sling.
And you must have been very hungry,
weren't your" the lady said. and the girl
looked at him kindly. This was so ditor-
ent a reception TO what he had dreamed OF
that Bobby found tongue and eXpIalnsd
how he was caught alone.
Il wanted a good dinner Just once FOR
the Fourth OF july" he said, and was
awful tired of salt pork and bareback.
Well" the officer laughed, i think
YOU can have it. We don't want TO starVe
our prisoners. Charles. suppose you let
your captive have a wash and then bring
him in 10 dinner"
Bobby found Charles a good fellow.
which was another surprise 10 him, for
he had. with youthful prejudice. thought
all Southerners must be terrible lo-
After a wash and brush-up they returned
to the table ana were pleasantly greeted.
They were all very good TO him. aud no"
that he was cleaner he was no disgrace
to the table.
81 don't know what I'll have to do
with you in the way of duty the ON
Ger kindly said, after you've eaten, young
man. but don't let that spoil your appe-
tite We didn't expect TO share with the
enemy our Fourth of July banquet
Bobby raised his eyebrows and gasped.
But you re rebels, amt you? he
cried. DO you keep Fourth of July?'
They all laughed.
Why. didn't George Washington ard
didn't the Declaration OF Independence do
as much for us as for you?" the lacy
asked. and the little girl looked at the
drummer reproachfully.
Bob was so surprised that he had moth
irg to say, but attacked the chicken ana
corn and things furiously 1t was only
after his hostess had seen that he was
faltering from repetition that she asked
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-01
TWO QUEER OLD CUSTOMS.
The sin-Eater Survives to This Day
Mt Welsh Funerals.


The custom OF selling by candle"-an
ancient ceremony-stil prevails In several
towns in England. notably at Aldermaston.
1t is letting land. not selling, however and
the property Is a piece OF meadow, the
church acre" which was bequeathed
some centuries ago 10 the church. The
custom or ceremony is as follows: cam
die is lighted. and one inch below the fame
Is duly measured off, at which point a
pin is inserted. The bidding then COM
mences and continues until the inch OF
candle is consumed and the pin drops out
To the one who is bidding as the pin drops
out the land belongs Every three years
this ceremony is performed.
AT Chedzoy the church acre is let every
twenty-one years by this means, and at
Tatworth a sale by lighted candle takes
place every year At Warton the grazing
rights upon the roadside have been annual
~ let by the same means, a custom which
has been observed since the time of George
III. The one who presides at the auction
produces the old book containing the re-
cord of the annual letting since 1915. An
ordinary candle is then cut into five equal
portions, about one-half inch long, one for
each lot. AT the last auction attention was
drawn to the fact that the sporting rights
over an old gravel pit were included in
lot !, but unfortunately there were no
fish in the pond, Get on, gentlemen,
please; the lights burning" was a fire.
quent exhortation.
Pepys in his diary refers to selling by
candle: After dinner we met and sold
the fellowship milks; here l observed one
man cunninger than the rest, that was
sure 10 bid last and TO carry It; and in
qulring the reason he told me that just as
the flame goes out the smoke descends,
which is a thing I never observed before;
and by that he do know the instant when
10 bid last"
The sin-Eater.
All funerals in some parts of Wales there
Is "a curious custom. A poor person Is
hired-"a long, lean, ugly, lamentable ras-
cal'-to perform the duties of sin-eater
Bread and beer are passed TO the man
over the corpse, or laid on it; these he
consumes, and by the process he is sup
posed to take on him all the sins of the
deceased and free the perosn from walk
ing after death. When a sin-eater is not
employed glasses of wine and funeral bis
cults are given to each bearer across the
coffin. The people believe that every
drop of wine drank al a funeral is a sin
committed by the deceased, but that by
drinking the wine the soul of the dead
is released from the burden of sin.
In some places it is the custom to send
TO the friends of the family, after a death,
a bag of biscuits with the card of the
deceased The funeral biscuit, often
small round sponge cakes-were known
as arvel bread-arvel meaning ale When
arvel bread is passed around at a funeral
each guest is expected to put shilling
on the plate.
In families where cheese is made one is
put aside for the funeral of the master
but should he not die within the year
it is sold and always brings fancy
price.
All the chimes are rung when body is
brought into the church. and the custom
is called ringing the dead home"
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-01

major, that those bad days have gone
forever By-the-bye, I'm writing to my
wife Tonight. Any messages?'
For my sister? Give her my love and
the same to little Bobby and Charlie"
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-09-21

It is expected that the present trouble
in China may aid in increasing the culti-
Iation of tea in the Southern states. Sew
"ral experiments in this direction have
been made in different parts Of the South
under the direction Of the department OF
agriculture, but SO far there is only one
considerable plantation in the United
States. This is situated in South Carolina
and produces several thousand pounds Of
tea annually. 1t is operated by a New
Highlander who spent number of years
III the tea countries Of the East and was
started by him somewhat in philan-
thropic spirit to g we employment to ne
gro boys and girls. lie supplied school
facilities for the employees. Both black
and green trees are produced and some
are sold at 81 a pound. though the aver
age price is much less. This experiment
has proved that tea may be successfully
grown in South Carolina at least, and
it would indicate that there is a promis-
ing field for investment in this line Of in
UuStry.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-09-21

Experiments arc being conducted by
the department OF agriculture with Il
view OF increasing the wheat-produring
capacity Of the United States, and fur
nishing better grade Of wheat. 1t is
desired to procure a winter wheat which
will be available for use in the Red River
valley, 4 wheat which will stand eX-
posture, and which will produce as good
flour as the spring wheat now raised in
this territory. The best wheat in Amer
lea, according to {; writer for the Even
ing Post, is the spring wheat Of the Red
River valley, and the great millers Of the
lake cities prefer it to any other, but
wheat sown in the spring yields only
about half the amount per acre that
wheat sown in the winter yields, if the
conditions are equally favorable. There
fore. it is estimated that should the de-
partmcnt be successful in finding win
ter wheat for the Red River valley which
will produce rs good flour as the spring
wheat and will stand the exposure of the
severe winter weather Of that region, the
problem will be solved. Thus far the
experiments with Hungarian wheat, re-
garded as the best in the world are prom.
Using
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-09-21

It is not known generally that Califor-
MIA owes to the late Coils I. Hunting
ton the establishment On the Pacific
slope of state turf garden. Mr.. Hunt
inGton always was interested in the pro-
mot Oh of agriculture, and for many
years was friend and patron Of James
Bradford Olcott Of Connecticut Mr.. o.
colt is endowed with a strain of quaint
originality, and Mr.. Huntington liked
men Of ideas. Mr.. Olcott made up his
mind many years ago that what this
country needed most was the clothing Of
it's hil!sides and meadows with the an
cit>nt grazing grasses Of older countries
He made two trips around the globe to
collect the finest specimens Of sod that
the world could show, and these are
maintained in grass garden under
the supervision Of the Connecticut Agri-
cultural Experiment station Of Mr.. o.
colts homestead in South Manchester,
Conn. Mr. Olcott desired to start a state
turf garden in California, principally for
the reason that better turf is badly need
ed in that state, and also that his ex-
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-09-21

The plan to put a scaWan completely
around Manhattan Island seems likely to
be- carried out. 1t is estimated that such
a wall of stone and twenty-five miles in
length would cost $4,OO0,000. The sink
ing fund commission recently turned over
to the dock board $1,500,O0O to be de-
voted to this work, and it is expected
ts>:.'rtt9ie rest Of the money will be forth
coming when it is wanted. There was an
attempt to get the money from the Legis-
lature, but without success. So now the
city of New York has taken up the mat
ter and will most likely bear the expense
The waters around New York get on the
rampage very often and stout bulwark
against them is absolutely necessary for
the safety Of the ''longshore" district.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-09-21
Deceived Her Audience.

Many interesting stories have been re-
lated anent Nine. Modjeska; the re-
nowned actress. The following in An
swers is characteristic: "On one occa-
sion when she was visiting at a friend s
house the conversation turned to the sub
ject of her native Poland, and she spoke
enthusiastically Of it's musical languag
and it's beautiful and pathetic ballad
poetry. The other guests finally asked
her to recite a specimen CT Polish verse,
and she consented. Twice she began,
but each time, her memory failing her,
she broke down. At the third attempt,
however, she found something in which
she was quite at home, and poured forth
a flow of impassioned though unintelligi-
BILE eloquence. Her voice rose and fell,
her gestures were now of pathos, now of
exaltation, now of quiet humor Her
various moods were translated to her
audience with such power and yividness
that it was swayed alternately to smiles
and to tears. The recitation ended amid
storm of applause. When the cheers
subsidized someone asked her what was
the name of the piece she had recited.
Modjeska laughed heartily. Il anu sorry
to have deceived YOU she said The
fact is my memory played me trick. I
could not remember a single one of the
ballads | once used to know so we'll, and
as l had to give'you some sort of recita-
ton | recited, as last resort. the num-
bers from l to $50 in Eolish.'''
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-09-21
WESTERN MINING NOTES..

H. B. -Nye of Spokane, owner OF the
Bill Nyt mine in Washington, has
opened rich vein which goes 900
to the ton.
Copper finds have been made eight
cen miles above Murray. Ida, in unex-
gald, lead and silver. Some Of it assays
several hundred dollars a ton.
Vigorous development Of the copper
belt west of Valley, in Stevens county.
WASH, will be begun by Il recentlyos-
ganiZcd company. The ore assays about
$4S, and there are side values Of gold.
Tho sale Of the Camp Bird mine,
owned by Thomas Walsh, Paris commits
Sioner, will probably be completed soon.
The price Will not be less than $1O,O00;-
COO. The mine is located at Ouray, Col.
The approaching sale Of the consol
dated Elk, on property in Colorado to an
Hays Hammond is reported. The price
is to be $4,000, 900. or $3.50 a share. 1t
is now selling for $50.
News has reached Boise, Ida, Of the
greatest strike vet made in the famous
Boise basin The ore here has always
been good, but it is now bonanza, q
streak from 8 to - inches in width run
ming above $4,000 to the ton.
Default and judgment for $685.
court at Denver against the Victor Gold
Mining company. Two years ago the
Victor stock was sold on the Boston
market at 49, Since 1892 it has paid
81, 155, 900 in dividends.
A rich body of ore has been encoun
tered on the May ground. eleven miles
west of Custer, $. D., which is being
place. This mine was discovered by two
cowboys. who found ore that went as
high as $4,000 to the ton, gold.
A remarka BILE mine has been discev
cred in the old I>erber mining district,
Saguachie county, Col. At sixty feet
depth the gold value of the ore in the
mine was little over one-ouarter of an
ounce per ton, but at the 20O-foot point
it increased to about three-Quarters of an
ounce. 1t runs all the way from 40 to
500 ounces silver per ton. There is a
great deal of wire silver throughout the
mass.
La Mcnre, \. D., reports intense ex-
posits of copper and gold. Raney Bros,
ranchmen who live. about sixteen miles
northwest of Edgrly. sunk we'll recent
ly and came upon deposits of ore abound
ing with copper and some gold. Speci-
mems were forwarded to an assayer,
whose report was Of such a nature as to
cause several old miners to HE them
Sc3FeS Will All I)USS1DlC uiSte ~ Tue
scene of the discovery.
A shipment Of stream tin, cassiterite,
has been made from the Bear Gulch min
ing district, South Dakota. the first con-
signment for many years. There are
several hundred tons Of this stream tin
piled up at the miners cabins in the
gulch, which has been saved by them
while placer-mining. The American Tin
Mining company Of Philadelphia and
New York city will commence developing
a big tin ledge on Bear Gulch creek in
a short time. The company has several
veins that will give an average Of 3 per
veins will assay as high as 40 per cent.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-09-21

Among the many schemes which have
cropped up as Il result Of the war in South
Africa is one for establishing Il great
military reservation there to be used as
training grounds by troops from Canada.
Australia and India, as we'll as England
The reservation would be not less than
100 miles square and would be selected
with the ideu Of all kinds of fighting
ground in mind. Aldershot is inadequate
for the purposes for which it was de-
signed, and a new and larger training
ground must be found. The plan Of eS
taLiShin@ one in South Africa is vc:y
good SO far as England is concerned, bat
when it comes to providing ground for
Canada. Australia and India, the matter
takes Oh a humorous aspect. Any one Of
those countries could lose the Tight Lit
tie Isle many times over within it's con-
fines and why it should send it's troops
to South Africa for field maneuverS is
not clear. Maybe the British mind will
grasp the humor in this part CT the
scheme. If Mr.. Punch will draw a car
toun around it.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-09-21

The Dismal swamp in Virginia has
piayt% an important part in the history
of the country. AS far back as 174O it
afforded a refuge for the Indians. who
were being driven out OF the country by
the co!onist>. The hardy patriots of the
/, evolution fled there when hard pressed
Ivy the British, causing the swamp to be
hardly less famous than the morasscs in
which Marion and lickens took refuge
in the Carolina campaigns. During the
Civil VAR thousands Of slaves took adj
vantage Of it's imprnetrablc shades, into
which they were followed after the con-
test by bands Of Confederate Sucrrillas,
" hu held out for a month after Lees
Surrender OF ADpOmattox.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-09-21
NAMING AN INDIANA TOWN.
The Early Settlers Shot at a Target
to Settle the Dispute.

The Early Settlers Shot at Target
to Settle the Dispute.
Resting by the side Of Gen. William
Henry Harrson's saber in the Odd Gu
riosity Shop collection of antiques in tho
old State bank building at Yerrc Hautc,
Ind, is target rifle OF ancient design
that is declared to be the weapon that
gave Logansport her name. The old RI
tie might well come under the classitica-
ton OF heavy ordnance, for it is over I
feet in length. 1t weighs 3715 pounds,
and shoots a bullet SO heavy that twelve
of them make a pound. In firing it, an
is exhibited with the rifle. Maurice
Thompson recently resurrected the rifles
history and made it the subject Of one
Of his collection of Indiana stories.
According to his story, in the latter
part OF the tWenties the settlement 1T the
mouth of Eel Creek had reached proper
tons that necessitated the selection of a
name. The main functionaries met one
afternoon under the branching elms along
the Wabash, and undertook the christen-
ing. Everyone had Il suggestion, and
many settlers pressed claims. Gen. John
Upton wanted to bestow Latin or
Greek name that was synonymous with
the mouth of the Eel" Hugh Il. Nc
4ActAI, WIZ 1OIl1ltlly IeSlueV OH the
Maumet>, near the spot where the Shaw
nee chief, Logan. lost his life while attest
ing his fidelity to the white people, urged
the name Of Logan. Col. Duret joined
with Nckcen, adding the port" as the
town was the prospective great port of
thought TO be navigabi1.
The story has it that. unable to reach
a unanimous decision any other way, the
frontiersmen finally decided to leave the
decision to the aim Of the rifle. The best
smoothbores and squirrel rifles were
brought out, and each man that had Of
fered a name placed the future of his
port man, it is claimed, hit the bull s-eye
of the target, which was placed on an elm
tree down along the river.
AS a rule Indiana towns and cities
have either been named in honor OF
prominent people, first settlers. or In
dians, or have been given their names as
the result Of locality. Elkhart was
named after the Elkhart river, and the
Elkhart river was given it's name because
there was an island in the stream that
the Indians fancied resembled the heart
of an elk. Gov. William Henry Harri-
son, riding through the forests on the
old Eincennes- Ohio Falls trail. heard the
plaintiyc, ballad, "Corydon," and it at
tracted him many times to the Smith
home where he located the first capital
Of the state and named it after the song.
Rockville is a city buildcd on rich
alluvial deposit. and but TWO rocks Of
any size can be found in the town.
There was the usual wrangle between
pioneer settlers, each of whom wanted
the town named after himself! At last
stranger laid his hand on the big rock
and said: well, here's fellow that S
been here longer'n any Of you-name it
after him. The one flask of whisky in
the crowd was drained and the town was
christened by the empty bottle being
broken over the "fellow that's been here
longer'n any Of s.'-Indianapolis Press.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-09-21
THE AUTUMN GIRL.


DO you hear far off
Dim mysterious throbbirg strain
Ot WOndrous melody!
It is the goldenrod
Beating its stalks against the meadow
breeze
TO time her coming.
Soon the sounds will swell
Into gladstone, gleesomc song,
march triumphal.
That's her cue
And with swirl a swagger and Il swish
Enter the Autumn Girl of Nineteen Hun
From the sea- the shore, tho mountain top,
Yacht deck and hotel porch
She swOOps upon us,
A bloomy-eyed, sun-kis*ed symphony Of
girl!
About her clings a certain sadness
For the mad, glad summer,
And not one trace, one whittle one jot
OF all the riante rampantneSS
That marked the years high noontime.
In her eyes, the sky and sea have left blue
distances
The waves have put tangle in her hair
Brine odored, glintinG like golden sand
Touched by the sun to flame.
Rnt why write madrignl> like this
10 her!
She wots not Of a rhyme
Just now;
She's busy hunting lotions almond creams
And other frecke chasers
TO touch her tawny cheek
And bleach her tilted nose.
For while you think her very beautiful
And mayhap tell her so,
She'll let you understand
That she's perfect fright
And hasn't worn 4 hat all summer:
Oh. cheerfulest of liars,
Too we'll you know
The peach crop is no failure,
Autumn Girl
Now you are here!
Kate Mastcrson i'll New York Sum.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-09-21

The First Massachusetts Heavy artil~
!""y was organized in June. 1862. 1t
was Il large regiment of 1900 men. AL
together 5000 men were. on it's rolls dur
ing the Civil war and Of these about 400
survive. At recent meeting OF the sur
vivors, held at Salem. Mass, a design for
4 SpottSylvunia monument was accepted.
This will be placed Oh the Harris farm,
four miles from Spottsylvania court
house, and will stand 81 feet high at
Sputt>ylvania the "Heavies' caught it.
They had been in the forts around Wash
in:ton for more than year. Grant sent
fur them. They pitched in, and lost 1893
men in one hour. Subsequently the
"lIeavies' suffered grievously at Cold
Harbor and Petersburg