davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-13
THE NEW CENTURY.
Friendly Islanders VIII he the First to
Greet It


The first people to breathe the breath
of the twentieth century will be the
inhabitants of the Friendly islands.
Though they are not by any means the
most progressive people on the face OF
the globe they will be living in the
twentieth century while all other peo-
pie will still be living in the nineteenth
century. 1t will be Tuesday, Jan. l,
1901, to the Friendly islanders at a
time when the rest of the world will
be at the flag end of the nineteenth CEN
tury; will be eating, or working, or
playing, or sleeping during some phase
of Monday, Dec. 81, 1900. The first
dawn of the new century will break
upon a point in the Pacific ocean just
to the east of the Friendly islands,
along a line conforming in general to
the meridian of 1s0 degrees east and
west longitude from Greenwich. On
date line. The date line in theory
follows the meridian, but in reality it
varies from the theoretical line in
number of places. At the date line
comes the change of day which ,navi-
gators in the Pacific ocean experience
A vessel sailing eastward skips day
when reaching this line. but vessel
sailing westward repeats day. The
Friendly islanders will, for a brief pc
riod, be in advance of the century, so
far as we or any other nation are con-
cerned. In New York people will be
at breakfast on Monday morning, Dec
81, when the Friendly islands will be
celebrating the advent of the new
year At that time San Francisco will
be sleeping the sleep of the just after
a well-spent Sunday. At London 1t
will be lunch time on Monday, while
at Melbourne it will be about 10 o'clock
in the evening. At Calcutta it will be
about 6 o'clock in the evening. So
over this whole globe there will be q
time when the Friendly islanders alone
among the people of the earth will be-
long to the twentieth century. OF
course, it may be that some ship may
be crossing the meridian at the point
in the Pacific where the twentieth CEN
tury will begin. Then those on board
the ship will get anead even of the
Friendly islanders. Indeed, just at the
moment of crossing the date line the
people In the forepart of the ship
would be in the twentieth century,
while those in the rear would be still
in the nineteenth. An east bound ves-
sci approaching the meridian at night
might have the unique opportunity OF
celebrating two New Years day.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-13
Celestial Chan.
known.

The young daughter of a former
Philadelphia is schoolmate of little
Wu, the son of the Chinese ambassa-
dor at Washington. During a recent
visit here she often talked about the
little Celestial, and told tales about
him that seemed to indicate that little
WI at times gently guys his Christian
schoolmates. He is awfully cute" she
said, land speaks very correct Eng
lish He's just my age, yet he's ahead
of me. What he likes best to eat he
says, is milhi. That is young mice,
dipped in honey and swallowed raw.
A horrible thing, isn't it? But WI
says that milhi aren't half SO squashy
and Shiny as raw oysters. His moth
ers feet are so tiny that she can hard
ly walk at all She is pushed about
in a wheeled chair. l asked WI once
if he didn't think it was cruel to tor
ture the Chinese ladies' feet like that
He said: Virginia, my papa says that
whenever any person asks me that
question must make the following re-
ply: 1T is not more cruel than for
American ladies to torture their waists
in steel corsets until their noses are
beet red and their shapes like an hour
glass; Then he gave a loud laugh
and walked away with his little hands
in the pockets of his baggy brocade
trousers. He looks awfully grave and
funny. y."-Philadelphia Press.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-13
ENrERpR,slNo YANKEE WIDOW
She Kew the Value of u Life Pass and
Made Use of It

u
Made Use of It.
One of the islands in Panama bay
used to belong to an enterprising old
woman from Connecticut, the widow of
sea captain, and she lived ali alone
there in little cabin for several years
after her husband died. In the course
OF time-that is, about ten years ago
the Pacific Steam Navigation COM
pany desired that particular island for
warehouses and repair shops. and when
1t came to make the purchase the an
cient Yankee dame drove very hard
bargain. She made it a condition of
the sale that the company should give
her life pass upon it's steamers be-
tween Panama and Valparaiso for her
self and a maid to be used at her pleas
ure. This was done without misgiv-
ings. The manager of the company
thought it was only right to give the
old woman sea voyage now and then,
but experience caused him to think diff
ferently, for as soon as she had con-
veyed the title to the property, and had
received a card signed by the presi-
dent and general manager granting
hci passage dt all tllueS OH lHelr line,
she calmly moved aboard their best
steamer, selected stateroom and
cruised up and down the coast for sew
eral months. At Guayaquil, Callao.
Valparaiso and other of the large ports
she would go ashore while the ship was
loading and unloading, but she always
left most of her traps in the stateroom
and came aboard again before the sail
ing date. When she got tired of one
steamer she would try another, and was
not contented with getting her living
free of cost. but actually attempted to
make profit out of the arrangement.
The old woman had never enjoyed the
luxury of a maid in her life before she
entered into this contract with the
steamship company, but on several oc-
casions brought woman aboard whom
she introduced as such, and she de-
manded that she be allowed free pas
sage. The company's officers discov-
cred that she was collecting fare from
these women-that is,scalping her pass
and declined to carry any more Of
them The old woman made a terri
BILE fuss about it, and threatened to sue
the company for violating its agree
ment, but a lawyer she consulted ad-
vised her not to prosecute the case,and
she reluctantly abandoned it. She
continued to live aboard the Pacific
ago.-Chicago Record.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-13
Bad Spelling "a Disease.

A medical authority claims that bad
spelling is caused by disease. In
certain conditions of brain and nerves
the patient frequently writes "ot" in
stead of to-" In another slightly
varying form, instead of the" the
first letter is omitted, and so in many
other short words The malady usual
ly affects the brain only in connection
with words of one syllable, but cases
have occurred where longer words have
been so distorted that it was difficult
to get their sense. 1t is a question
whether one would be comforted by be-
ing told that bad spelling was caused
by mental disease, or whether one
would prefer to have this lack of ac-
curacy set down to ignorance or care
lessness. That 1t is not always proof
of defective education is quite GER
tain.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-13
Type as Ammunition.

At the time of the Maori war in New
Zealand newspaper correspondent
had strange experience. The pub
fishing Office of newspaper was close
to the scene of some of the hottest
fighting. During the struggle the
Maoris ran out of ammunition for their
guns, and. raiding the newspaper Of
fees, charged their guns with type and
stereo blocks. This novel ammunition
proved very effective. One of the
white invaders was severely wounded
with patent medicine advertisement,
and another was crippled for Nfe by
church bazar announcement, and the
editor. who had taken refuge with the
British troops, had a narrow escape
from being hit with one of his own
poems.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-13
WHEN HE LAUGHED.

When Larkins laughed all Digger
City laughed with him. Never was a
laugh more merry, more contagious.
The men of Digger City were a sober
lot. and to them the bright side of life
was generally reflected in and meas
ared by the gold they dug, but be luck
good or bad, not one of the rough men
that made up the mining camp ever
had the temerity to dispute Larkins'
right to laugh and make others laugh
with him.
And yet there was a suspicion that
Larkins laughed because he was sad.
Larkins arrived in Digger City one
stormy winter night, no one knew
from where. With him was a child,
4 chubby golden-haired boy of years.
Some one asked how long the journey
had been. and Digger City then heard
the laugh it was to know so well.
THE kid and l." said Larkins, with
n wave of his hand toward the east,
come from there. We didn't leave
much behind, and mebbe we haven't
got much in store ahead. But Wen
stick together, won't we, old boy? Dad
and his kid will stick together, eh?"
Then Larkins smoothed the baby's
hair and laughed until the crowd had
caught the infection.
Months passed and still Digger City
learned little of Larkins or his boy.
In mining camps a man is judged for
what he is. The man with past can
bury it. Digger City learned to know
and to love Larkins for himself and
fnr hau
child, and when other miners were at
the Screech Eagle bar trading their
dust for drinks Larkins might be
found at his cabin humming some lul-
laby to the baby.
Often Larkins and the boy would
visit the Screech Eagle. Its just to
give the boy a time" Larkins would
explain. His dads too old to care on
his own account" Yet the man could
not have been over 80 at the most.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-13

Then Larkins and the boy would
proceed to have the time" and while
It lasted the onlookers would declare
that the frowzly- y-headed baby was quite
as old as the big. bearded miner who
would toss him in the air and gallop
about the room as horse for the little
driver. To the baby this play was a
serious matter. as it clutched its ia
TIERS suspenders and lisped commands
for which he labored all day, and the
room would ring with merriment.
One day while Larkins was at work
the child wandered from the cabin and
was drowned in otter creek. That day
every pick in the camp was laid down.
No man could work when Larkins'
kid" was dead.
The miners went at once to Larkins'
shanty and found him there, sitting on
IA barrel, his head buried in his hands.
He did not look up when they ap-
preached, and Bill" Wheeler, gambler
who was with the party, touched him
on the shoulder and said:
.Larkins. we've come to do what we
can 1t amt much. but we can search
the creek for the boy Cheer up"
Larkins raised his head. glanced
about him. and smiled. No one but
Wheeler. perhaps. who was accus-
toned to reading the faces of men, no.
ticed the CLEAN in his eye.
Thank you. boys said Larkins,
simply. You're good, but you don't
you can't-understand. The kid is
gone, and it's a fathers place to find
find him I'll start out after a time,
when l feel better. I'll find the kid.
boys, never worry. You don't think
his dad would desert him now? Good
by"
Larkins spoke earnestly, and the
miners left him by himself, still sitting
there on the barrel. They knew that
nothing they could do could soften his
grief
That night practically every man in
Digger City assembled at the Screech
Eagle, but there was little drinking
and no stories. They were there to
wait and could not tell for what. Some
Dne had suggested that Wheeler and
another go to Larkins' cabin to find
how he was coming on, when laugh
it was Larkins'-was heard just
outside the door. Then the man, with
4 dripping burden held tenderly in his
arms. stalked into the room.
Late, amt 1. boys?" said Larlins,
sheerily. Couldn't help it, though, for
The kid and have been having a romp
that pretty near played his dad out.
Pretty soon now he'll be too old to
play, and his dad won't be much use
then. But we had great time, didn't
We, my boy? Now, baby, let's play
horse. Come on! Ha, ha! hal"
But Larkins laughed alone, for they
knew that he was mad.-Chicago Tri-
bune.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-13
A KING OF FINANCE.
FRANCIS p. OWINGS' GREAT
MONETARY DEALINGS.
Ee Owes More Than Five Millions of
Dollars and How He Got That Far
Into Debt Is One of tho Marveis OF
the Age.
Chicago Letter.)

"A Chicago man remarkable in the
world of finance Is Francis p. Owings.
He is remarkable not for his vast
wealth. but for the enormous debts he
amassed. his liabilities amounting to
exactly $5,564.917. The fact that he
owes this huge sum makes the situa-
ton more notable than il he had ac-
cumulated the amount in the same pc
riod, a decade While it is, to the
majority a hard matter to become rich.
it Is granted that it Is easier of accom-
pllshment than to get so deeply in
debt as has Owings. The story of the
man who deals in debts so splendidly
and who has failed on the most mag
nificent scale yet known is a part of
Chicago's history. Francis p. Owings
is the man who originated the idea of
using the 99-year lease as a basis for
building operations. He invented the
process and put up at least thirty
buildings in the business district of the
city. For ten years the theory which
he originated controlled real estate
values In the downtown district and
led to the erection OF three-quarters of
the skyscrapers in Chicago. Owings
started practically without a dollar, but
his dealings in the business world
brought him so prominently before the
public as a successful promoter that he
can, as soon as his affairs in bank
ruptcy courts are settled, secure unlim-
tied capital for a new start. 1t was
he who brought to the west the idea
of building skyscrapers. Architects
nuyfn tn wi ind nd
to the quicksand formation upon
which downtown buildings rested, to
be responsible for damages in case the
buildings were wrecked, but Owings
accepted the responsibility and they
were successfully erected.
Owing to unfortunate circumstances
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-13
RAILS ARE MADE TOO HASTILY
They Cannot Withstand tho Wear OF
Present-Day Heavy TranHc.


Present-Day Heavy Tramc.
high authority on railroading says
that with locomotives Weighing 14O
tons and upward and freight cars of
100 900 pounds capacity and a steadily
increasing speed, the time is fast ap-
preaching when all the old rails will
have to be taken up and heavier rails
laid. For some reason the steel rails
made now are not as durable as those
made twenty years ago. One reason is
that the blast furnace iron, instead of
being cooked and run into pigs. is run
fluid from the furnace to the mixer,
thence to the converter, where it is cast
into ingots. Eleven passes through
the rolls turn an ingot into a bloom,
and the bloom, before it has a chance
to know it. is tossed into a heating
furnace and turned into rail, with
only nine passes through a train of
rolls running at a terrific speed of 900
feet a minute. The rail is, it is said,
finished too hot and too quickly by the
last passes through the rolls being
made with the rail at a temperature of
1000 to 2,200 degrees, while twenty
years ago it was not hotter than 400
to 500 degrees. This lower tempera-
ture allowed the steel to take a GER
tain 'set," and it was, therefore,
stronger.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-13
ORIGIN OF THE WALTZ.
Is Supposed to BE a Rolic of HeatheA
WOrshIp.

worship.
Like everything else that touches
humanity, the waltz did not emanate
in its present form from the brain OF
a dancing master. Long before 1880,
the time we find it first mentioned
under this name, its graceful curves
and cadences were displayed on the
village greens, as well as in the grand
salons of the palaces; it had its alter
natives OF vogue and neglect, its sup
porters and detractors. The waltz, like
many other secular things, we find
first in the church, where, in spite OF
barbaric disorder, it serves to trace the
union between ancient civilization and
that of the middle ages. The sacred
dance of the pagans is preserved to
certain extent in Christian rites; it is
transformed to a series of revolutions
made to the sound of the tamborine.
st. Isadore, archbishop of Seville, porn
about A. d. 5SO was intrusted by the
council of Toledo with the revision cf
the liturgy, as it was then practseed
in the Roman Catholic church, In
which there was a tamborine danes.
The council decided to adopt the Iss-
fered but little from that used in other
countries at that time. This rite, eel
ebrated before the eighth century,
when the Moors first invaded Spain,
was still celebrated by the Christians
in the seven churches of Toledo, which
the Moors abandoned after their cap
ture of the city, and was, after that
time. called the Moorish rite. rms
was known and employed in Provence
and Italy The tamborine in use IN
this religious dance was called by 81.
Isadore ''moite de symphonic, ana
evidently corresponded to the instru-
ment which, in the ancient sacred
dances. accompanied the flute, sort
of bagpipe invented two centuries be-
fore Christ And thus, as the religious
dance of the middle ages is allied to the
ancient sacred dance, so the waltz Is an
evolution of this religious dance, haV-
ing passed through many changes be-
fore arriving at its present form. In
the eleventh century, when the Gre
gorian rite supplanted the MOORISH rlte'
the dance disappeared from the church'
1t appeared very quickly in society un-
der the name carole. word derived
from the Latin ''caroler," afterward
under that of basse dance, in which the
grand relates, kings and dignitaries did
not disdain to join, composed OF three
parts. two very slow and one very
lively. The people-and at this time
all who were not of the clergy or roy
atty were the peonlc used the latter
part-called the tourdian, which, light
er and more lively, appealed to them
and, little by little, it became changed
In Italy it was first separated from the
rest under the name of romancesca,
and from there it passed into Provence
and southern Germany. IN Germany
it was developed into the gaillard and
volte. while the Germans, more dreamy
and slow, changed the romancasca In
to the aNemand and waltz. The volte
succumbed, while young, to oblivion, IN
the sixteenth century, by the very rea-
son of its excess, but the German lived
long, and produced the waltz which
reigns today.-London Musical Courier.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-13
MANS MECHANISM
Delicate Machinery That Needs
Constant Care.
Absolute Cleanliness and Regulation as keces-
sary as for ANY Other Kind OF
Machinery. How TO Keep II
in Working Order.
There.s a screw loose somewhere!

There's n screw loose somewherel
One little screw in the big machine gets
n trihe loose and the whole apparatus
clogs, balks and refuses to work properly.
skillful engineer can tell by the feel"
of his engine when there's screw loose.
Occasional constipaton-call 1t costive-
ness or biliousness-needs prompt atten-
ton. 1t clogs the whole delicate mechan-
ism of man, and must be removed skill
fully without force or shock. Only
vegetable laxative should be used. and
Cascarets Candy Cathartic which you
can eat like "A piece of candy, are the
most agreeable. natural and effective of
all laNatives.
Cascarets are the only antiseptic cathar-
tic. and not only make the liver lively. re-
move Instructions in the bowels. strength
en- the intestines but kill all germs of dis
ease in the body. Therefore prevent as
well cure.
Buy. and try .Cascarets. to-day. You'll
find that it's what they do not what we
say they'll do, that will please you. All
druggists, 10c. 25c and soc. or will mail for
price. Send for booklet and free sample.
Address Sterling Remedy CO., Chicago;
Montreal, Can; New York
This is the CASCARET tab
let. Every tablet of the only
| f ITN genuine Cascarets bears the
" " v magic letters &C c c." Look
n at the tablet before you buy,
w and beware of frauds, imita-
tions and substitutes
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-13
LAMP BULBS HIS WEAPONS.
Burglar Put to Flight by lombard
ment From tho Householder.

Burglar Put to Flight by a lombard
ment From tho Householder.
"Of all the outlandish weapons ever
employed in a fight" said a business
man of the south side, 81 think l
brought the most fantastic on record
into play one night last week. My fam
lily are away on a visit at present and
/ am keeping bachelor hall out at the
house. On the night to which / refer
/ was aroused at about 8 a. m. by
noise somewhere in the region of the
dining room and, thinking | had shut
up the dog there, | jumped up very
foolishly and came down stairs in my
night clothes, without so much as Il
pocketknife. When | opened the din
ing room door l was startled to see a
big, rough looking fellow bending over
the sideboard at the far end of the
room, and after we had stood there en-
tableau for moment the fellow made
rush at me. | leaped back into the
hall and glared around for a weapon.
On table near by were a dozen incan-
descent light bulbs, which | had
brought home to replace some that had
burned out and purely by instinct /
grabbed one of them and threw it at
the burglar. 1t hit the door casing
close to his head, and. to my amaze
ment, exploded with a noise like a
young lyddite shell. | suppose 1t was
a still greater surprise to the other fell
low, for he let out a yell and broke for
the rear, followed by a rapid-fire bonn
bardment of 16-candle power incandes-
cents, which | continued to chuck at
him as long as he remained in range.
They smashed against the furniture
with series of crashes that alarmed
the whole neighborhood, and have
been gathering up fragments of broken
glass ever since. The burglar must
have thought | was chasing him with
hand grenades. 1t was the first time
| ever knew incandescents made such
a row when they broke. An electrician
tells me it is caused by the air rushing
into the vacuum. New Orleans
Times-Democrat.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-13
FEAsTED UPON FOES CARCASS
MerrymakInr of Frisco Neighborhood
Over Death of a Ghost.


Over Death of a Ghost.
Two hundred residents and property
owners of the Sunset district particl-
pated in a novel entertainment the
other evening. For some time past a
voracious goat belonging to Philip Diez
has been constant source of annoy
ance to its owners neighbors on ac-
count of its depredations in their yards
and it's beligerency when disturbed on
these occasions. All sorts of schemes
were devised and executed for the pur-
pose of circumventing this unwelcome
visitor, but with persistence worthy of
a better cause the goat overcame all
obstacles, overruled all objections and
continued to show an extremely bold
front to all who sought to discourage
his raids. Finally, in desperation,
committee of his victims called upon
the goats owner and demanded salts
faction. Recognizing that his goat was
incorrigible and anxious to concillate
his angry neighbors. Diez consented to
sacrifice the animal to the public good
and suggested that his visitors help
him to eat the carcass of the brute.
This idea was accepted with avidity
and the committeeman left, highly elat-
ed over the success of their mission
On talking the matter over with their
friends, however, other victims of the
goats idiosyncrasies expressed desire
to attend the obsequies and the idea
suggested by Diez was finally adopted
as the keynote for a public demonstra-
mi re
was accordingly appointed, formal
program drawn up and some 200 invi-
tations were issued. The affair took
the form of a banquet at Park View
hotel, followed by an entertainment
The goats meat had the distinction of
being served on a separate table. p.
]. Diez was given the place OF honor
as toastmaster in recognition of his
generosity in sacrificing his pet.-San
Francisco Chronicle.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-13
Cold Doc. Not Caus. Colds.

According to its natural meaning
1t would seem that cold was an af-
fection produced by exposure to low
temperatures, to cold weather. Moth
ing could very well be farther from
the truth than this. Colds are not
NEARLY SO common in extremely cold
countries as in the temperate zone.
They are not nearly so frequent high
up amid the Alps as in the cities at
the foot of the mountains. Nansen,
the Arctic explorer, spent over two
Years amid the Arctic SHOWS, with
the temperature so low most of the
time that the mercury was frozen in
his thermometer, yet he and his men
never suffered from cold. They had
been back in civilization scarcely a
week before some of his companions
were laid up with the grip.