davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Imperial press and farmer., 1901-12-28
Fl Dorado for Farmers.

The emigration from this section to Imperial is subisiding. Everyone who comes back from there tells the same story-it is the new colorado for farmers. s.-Escondido Times.
Imperial press and farmer., 1901-12-28

Niagara. though not the highest waterfall, holds the record for size. Thirty.two million tons of water roll over the cliff in the course of a single hour.
Imperial press and farmer., 1901-12-28

with the Hoe. Within three years 1t is estimated the fertile land will be increased to 800. 900 acres. provid- ing a livelihood for thousands of set tlers-Des Moines, Iowa. News.
Imperial press and farmer., 1901-12-28
Give Good Furnitur

Nothing makes practical Xmas gift than some good article o Furniture the and always be pleasant remembrance of the giver.
Imperial press and farmer., 1901-12-28

The California Fruit World refuses 10 accept advertising of patent medi- cines and spirituous liquors. So does the Imperial Press and Farmer. If all the papers in the country would take similar stand, the people would he much better of. and mil lions of money would he saved that are now worse than thrown away.
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21

the arrest the girl declared the value of the trinkets did not attract her so much as the danger of detection, which fascinated her and caused her to repeat her crime time and again as she noted the efforts to discover the thief. She knew she was doing wrong and that de- lection meant disgrace and perhaps a term in prison, but she could not resist the impulse to steal articles that would be missed and cause efforts to be made for their recovery. She told her father that on one occasion she stole a dia- mond ring belonging to her roommate, and then, filled with remOrse, replaced the ring before its absence was noted. Within twenty-four hours she again stole the ring. She declares her steal ing gave her a mental eXhilaration which was enjoyable. and that after the first offense it was impossible for her to stop the practice.
 Some of her friends believe the girl to be a victim of hypnotism. Others think she is mentally unbalanced as the result of an accident about<a year ago, when she received an injury to her head that rendered her unconscious sev- eral hours. Two prominent physicians have reported that Miss Burt is suffer ing from mental Arrangement and should receive treatment.
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21
His Shining Future.

A cab driver of the nighthawk spe- cies, who begins to look for his prey even before the sun goes down, patron izes little Italian bootblack named Tony. Every evening about o'clock he pulls up in front of Tony's stand, climbs from his perch, seats himself in the chair and demands a shine. Tony always responds with great alacrity, but never gets any pay. Still he seems satisfied. How is it you shine his shoes for nothing" asked another GUS toner last evening, as tue Jeau climbed up to his seat and drove off. Oats Jeem," replied Tony, smiling until his white teeth fairly gleamed "Jeem is-a ma frien'." "Yes, he seems to be your friend" said the man in the chair. ''YOu give him a shine every night, don't you? What has he ever done for you?" "Oh, Jeem. he's-a all right" replied Tony. He's a gooda fel. He say to me once: Tony, you give-a me a shine eyra day, an some-a time tak-a you out an give-a you a ride.'" ''How long ago was that?" asked the customer. "T'ree year ago." said Tony, still smiling. "Some-a time, Jeem, he tak-a me out. Jeem, .he's good-a fel." Philadelphia Record.
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21

portant papers. AS he made hurried investigation of his bag he said:
 eff did leave those papers I'm a fool"
 He continued the search. and a mo- ment later eXclaimed:
 "Ill bet it'll turn out Pm a foolp'
 For the third time he rummaged through the bag, and as he reached the last bundle he repeated:
 Yes, sir, believe it'll turn out Pm a foolv'
 Now the travelling British public greatly resents any disturbance of its solemn silence, and a man on the other side of the compartment, who had list ened frowningly to the farmers defini- tion of his own status, looked over his newspaper and said, with sarcastic in- terest:
 -"Oblige me, sir, by laying little money that same way for me-"
 The proposition was not accepted, partly because betting is immoral, and partly because the farmer felt that his companion would have sure thing.
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21

It may or may not be true that King Humbert's assassin, Bresci, was tur- tured by his guards. Probably he was not dealt with very gently. But no amount of mere physical suffering which his keepers could have inflicted without running the risk of kill ing him could have been worse than that made necessary by the very nature of his sentence. He was in solitary confinement. with nothing to do and just sufficient food and exer- else to make it impossible for him to sicken and die. The human mind can not get along without occupation and remain sane. To be placed in a small chamber with only stone walls to look at would soon shatter the strongest nerves. To be confined thus with the certainty that the confinement is for life probably would result in partial or total Arrangement for almost any per son living. Italy considers the death penalty too severe a measure for any crime, but it may well be doubted if the few minutes of terror before guillo- tine or scaffold is not a less fearful punishment than the slow process which drove Brescl to madness and then to suicide.
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21
from the Bible some passages alluding

from the Bible some passages alluding to the ceremony.
 In the meeting houses the back of every third bench is so arranged that it can be turned on a pivot and trans formed into a table, about which the faithful gather for the sacrament of the Lords supper. The pew back is covered with a white cloth, upon which are placed large bowls of soup. Three or four people help themselves from each of these bowls. After this the communion itself is administered, and the services conclude with the singing of hymns and preaching.
 In case of sickness among the mem- bers of the church the orthodox mem- bers cling to the ancient ceremonies of amounting the patient with oil and pray ing over him. Word of each case of i'll. ness is sent to the elders of the church, and at an appointed time they appear, pour oil upon the head of the sick man, lay their hands upon his head, and of. fer prayers in his behalf. Baptism is administered in. running water and by threefold immersion.
 Almost all of the Dunkards are en- gagged in farming. They will suffer wrong rather than go to law about it, and are not accustomed to take any part in politics, though more and more of the young men of the church are to be found among those who vote regularly and take an intelligent in- terest in matters of public policy. The Old-fashiOned Dunkards pride them selves on the peculiarities which sep arate them from other people, and are accustomed to refer to the members of thir church as Gods peculiar people," But it is the disincliration of the young people of their church to cut tbem- selves off from others of their own age that has proved to be the greatest weakness of the church. It is said to be barely holding it's own at the pres ent time.
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21
Remorkable Tree i'm Germonv

Naturalists in Germany are much in- tereSted in wonderful old tree which has been discovered near Homburg. It is an oak, and is notable not only on account of its great bulk, but also for the fact that at the base of the trunk it is entirely hollow. The trunk, indeed. is not more than eight or nine feet high, but it is more than twenty feet in cir conference. Some idea of the size of its interior may be gathered from the fact that four persons recently found ample room in it.
 In winter the old oak looks very bare and gaunt, but, according to peasants in the neighborhood, who have known it for many years, it regularly puts forth new twigs and foliage every spring, so that. ancient and decayed though its trunk may be, it is neverthe- less crowned and surrounded with masses of green leaves, just as it was in the days of its youth. The people of Homburg are very proud of this nat ural curiosity.
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21

The refusal of the Secretary of War to remit the penalties imposed by court martial on the rowdy West Point ca dets will do much to enforce the whole some reign of discipline and good order fin that institution. His course is ap- proved by the President. United States Senators of the highest influence inter ceded unsuccessfully in behalf of the cashiered cadets. The offenders must take their medicine, some in expulsion, some in suspension for different periods and others in loss of rank. The penal ties appear to have been equitably dis tributed according to the demands of justice in each case. If the egregious violations of discipline at the military academy had been condoned the stu dents there at school to learn the duties of a soldier-the first duty being obedi- ence-would have been corrupted by a taint which would have been virulent throughout their future careers. They never would have unlearned the bad lesson. The education of students at West Point is to fit them for the future duties of commanding officers in the army. If they do not learn first to obey they never will learn to command. The outbreak at the school was nothing less than mutiny. The mutineers were just ly punished.
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21

servances. Altogether they now num- Der more than 100000 members, though there is not much if any growth in their numbers of recent years. The young people who grow up in the denomina- tion seem to be more and more inclined to leave it in recent years for some faith which will give them more lib- erty of thought and action.
 Every congregation of the Dunkards is entirely independent of the rest and elects it's own deacons, ministers, and Bishops. None of the clergy is paid a regular salary, but if he is poor the church members will contribute to his support. When there are questions which involve more than one cOngrega- tion district and general conferences are held, and the Dunkards meet by the thousands in the open air to settle them.
 At every conference, as we'll as at the lOvefeaSts which are held in every congregation twice year, the first cer- emOny is that of the washing of feet. All the men of the congregation sit on one side of the meeting house and all the women on the other side. Then. as the candles are lit, the members on the front benches remove their shoes and stockings. Men and women come in. carrying tubs of lukewarm water, and a man on the mans side and a woman on the woman'S side then wash the feet, one by one, shaking the right hand of each individual as the washing is completed and giving the kiss of peace. Closely following the person who does the washing comes another person, girded about the waist with a long towel, who wipes the feet and bestows the kiss of peace and the right hand of fellowship in his or her turn. As one benchful has the ceremony per formed another takes it's place until all the congregation has taken part. While the feet washing is in progress the min ister makes a brief speech or reads
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21

flying admission that the American woman leads very different life from Ter French sister. It will be news throughout the millions of homes on this continent to learn from our recent visitor that fin America home scarcely exists People live in hotels or employ housekeeDers." This is so many leagues
 from the truth that it merely provokes
 q smile. but what do our readers Of the gentler sex say to Sarah's asser- tion that the American woman mar ries as late as possible" and that while
 in Europe the girls make haste to escape from the family hearth ana get
 married" in America the girls are Ill
 no hurry to enter the bonds or matrl-
 mony. because to them marriage brings
 an obligation from which the unmar-
 ried are free" It would be interesting to know from what shallow gossip about American family life the divine but lax Sarah derived her stock of mis- information in regard to American homes and American girls. So far as our girls are concerned, no one has ever known them to show any backward ness about assuming the obligations of the married state. It is only a ques- tion with the great majority of them of meeting the desirable and desired mate. Instead of marrying as late as possible our girls are a great deal more prone to marry in haste, in spite of the ancient injunction about repenting at leisure, than their cautious and canny brothers. The American girl, guided by an instinct that seldom fails her, regards the fresh bloom of early womanhood as the most fascinating possession of her sex. It is the charm that brings the suitors to her side ill droves so she can choose. After it has passed she knows that, save in excep- tional cases, her matrimonial fate will be summed up in the aged spinster's prayer, Good Lord, any man."
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21

It is reasonable to suppose that the first successful attempt to travel by automobile from New York to Chicago will cause other automobilistS to make similar experiments until the perform anee will cease to be regarded as un- usual. The Chicago gentleman who, with his wife and a machinist, enjoys the honor of establishing the record, succeeded in covering the distance in less than eleven days, while the time actually consumed in travelling was only about ninety-eight hours. In oth- CT words, the automobile, if it had pro- ceeded continuously, would have GOV cred the distance from New York in only little more than four days. The success of this experiment may be talk en both as a sign that the American roadways are probably improving and as another inducement for continuing the good-roads movement. If the jour ney can be made now in approximately ten days, allowing for stoppages, break downs and delays due to imperfect roads, the time schedule should be re- duced much further when the roads have been brought to the standard of perfection of European roads. With cheap and rapid automobiles. good roads and well-appointed inns lining the route, what would few hundred miles matter to the traveller bent on see ing the country?
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21

The Dunkards originated in Ger many, out of which country they were driven by persecution early in the eighteenth century. They came to Pennsylvania on the invitation of Will liam Penn, and in that State they throve and grew numerous. Until re- gently Pennsylvania has been the head center of the Dunkards, but so many of them have emigrated to the farm lands of the far West that the center has now shifted.
 It was from one of the Pennsylvania communities that sprang an even more curious and interesting development that of the monastic Town of Ephreta, Pa, once a manufacturing and com mercial metropolis, now mere will lage.
 Nearly POO years ago Conrad Beissel, of Dunkard parentage, was baptized into the German Baptist Church. He was a man of great study and pious zeal, and he became convinced that the seventh, instead of the first, day of the week should be observed as the Sabbath day. He wrote tracts in sup port of this view and urged it so strongly that, to avoid trouble, he was finally compelled to withdraw from membership in the society. He retired into what was then a wilderness and made his home in an old cave on the bank of river, where he lived the life of hermit. Gradually some of his friends and others who were convinced that he had the right way of thinking gathered about his cavern, and in 1732 communiStic life was entered upon by those who followed him. The men of the society wore long white flannel gowns and cOwlS, with shirts, trousers, and vests of the same material The women were attired in the same way. with the exception that short petit coat was substituted for the trousers. There were no vows of celibacy taken nor required, though the idea was
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21

taught by Beissel. Both the brothers and sisters were known by mOnastic names. About these two monastic communities gathered a good sized community of people who believed in the doctrines taught by Beisscl and wanted to follow him. All property was held in common, and in a few years the farm lands held by the com munity and worked by the brothers and sisters became extremely productive and valuable. Gradually also Touring mills, paper and saw mills, and woolen mills were erected on the banks of the river by the community, and at one time they were the largest mills of their kind in the United States. The in- come from all these enterprises was large, and it all went into the con- mon fund and was used for the con- mon support. The community was also active in proselyting, and set up one of the first printing presses in the country to turn out its own books and tracts.
 Now the mills are almost all in ruins. The great estate of the old community has practically passed out of the hands of the few surviving members of the society, and the last of the brothers in white gowns has long since passed away.
 The old cloisters, where the brothers and sisters lived until few years ago, are now leased to a number of families and are fast crumbling into decay. Within their walls one will first be struck with the strange fact that all the doors are extremely small and of the same size, measuring exactly five feet in height and twenty inches in width. This, it is explained by the old Dunkards who still live about Ephreta, was intended to be a constant reminder to the faithful, as they stopped and twisted to get through the doors, that the way which leadeth to eternal life is narrow and steep.
 These Dunkards are inclined to live together in communities, though this is less pronounced than formerly. They are cut off from the rest of the world not only by their peculiar dress but by many of the religious beliefs and ob-
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21
Dromedaries Smoke Tobacco.

Dromedaries are said to be partieu- larly fond of toOaccO smoke. and can be made to do almost anything while under its influence. Travellers. it is as serted, rely more on their tobacco smoke for their control over these huge beasts than anything else When trav- cling on long journeys the drOmedaries are in many cases required to travel night and day without rest. and they are kept up to their task by smoking cigars. The drlver carries triangular niece of wood. which is pierced at one point like a cigarhOlder. This Is in serted in the mouth of the animal the cigar being lit and pressed into the hole. The dromedary closes it's eyes and puffs away through its nOstrils until the cigar Is burned away. The indulgence appears to refresh it. and the keeper has no difficulty in persuad- ing the animal to plOd on without further rest.-Pittsburg Dispatch
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21

The real wealth of nations is not to be computed by statisticians, who can do no more than make rows of figures representing what they judge to be the value of its material possessions and resources and foot up the items to grand total. The character and capa- city of nation rather than its stores of wealth, whether in one form or another, make and keep it great. The editor of the London Statist a few days ago ob- served that the natural resources of the United States do not wholly account for its present keen industrial rivalry with European nations. He keenly re- marks that the red men had the same country and the same resources, though they never seriously competed for the trade and commerce of Europe.
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21
Origin of "Grass Widow.n

Society in India, it appears from the Bengal papers, is being disturbed just now over the origin of the term grass widow" and a considerable amount of research has been directed to the subject So far the inquiries made have succeeded in tracing the word back to the year 1914, when it was used in the Calcutta Review. In the opinion of qualified philOlOgists the term is a corruption of the much older one "grace widow" This is derived from "yidua de gratia," which may be in terpreted literally as widow by fla or."-London News.
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21

Vicious tendencies in children, if un- checked, develop alarmingly, and the career that begins in mere loaferism and the bullying and plaguing of neigh bors is liable to end in prison. Corporal punishment may no longer be admins tered in the institutions of the State, but the law does not reach into the home, and a good spanking just at the right time and place may save shoot ing later.
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21
Creat Men,s PIavfeIloxys

Thomas Jefferson's happiest hours were spent in working and playing with his children and grandchildren. Charles Dickens found his best recrea- ton in the same way. Abraham Lin coin soothed the anxieties of war days by romping with his boys in the White House. And New England's grand old man, Everett Hale, has kept young in spite of a long life of hard public labor by cultlvating the society of his chil- dren and their children.-Indianapo
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21

''Your love letters" wrote Boston man to his New York fiancee, gently but firmly, "are not couched in the ex- actest English"
 My love letters," replied she, "are not for publication, but merely as guarantee of good faith. ."-Detroit Free Press
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21
The Snhtle American Joke.

'Did you ever hear the joke about the guide in Rome who showed some tray eIers two skulls of St. Paul. one as a boy and the other as a man?" asked an American of a German friend, who claimed that he had acquired the real New England sense of humor.
 ''No," said the German, beaming in of a good story. Tell it me at once, mein friend, dat joke"
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21
The Biggest Clock in America.

The biggest clock in America is in the tower of public building in Philadel- phia. It is 351 feet from the pavement. It's bell weighs over 10000 pounds. The dial is % feet in diameter, the minute hand F feet long, and the hour hand 9 feet, the numerals on the face being 2 feet 8 inches in length. A three horsepower engine winds the clock.
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21
COLLEGE GIRL WHO FOUND
 STEALING FASCINA TING.

kn irresistible craving for excitement is held responsible for the thefts con- mitted by Mabel Lawrence Burt, the daughter of an Edgerton, Mass, lawyer, who was arrested at Northampton, Mass, for stealing jewelry to the value of $3,O00 from her fellow-students at Smith College. In her confession after
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21

that state. AS a girl Mrs. McEaroy joined in all her fa- t h err S sports and lived an out-of- door s-life. This manner of living she kept up after her marriage, and it was while riding to hounds with her husband that she was thrown from
 her horse and made on invalid for. Iifo
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21
Came Back Yiew.ess.

Mrs. Gushington-l suppose. now that you have been abroad, you have your own views of foreign life.
 Mrs. Newrich-No, we ain't got no views. We didn't take no camera along. It's so awful cOmmOn.-Phila- delphia Record.
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21
Of Two Evils the Lesser.

Papa-Didn't I tell you, Willie, if 1 caught you playing with Tommy Jink again 1 would whip you?
 Willie-Yes, sir.
 Papa-Then why were you playing with him?
 Willie-Well, got lonesomer than I thought. a ickin' would hurt, so I just went over and played with him, that's why,
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21
Easy for Her.

Mrs. Muggins-Mrs. Bjones is very regular in her attendance at the moth CTS meetings. She never misses one.
 Mrs. Buggins-Why should she? She hasn't any children to keep her home- Philadelphia Record
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21
Twins.

Quite an interesting thing happened at Nupop's house last night"
 ''There were two interesting things T only heard of one; the arrival of a son and heir. What was the OtherT'
 "The arrival of another son and heir Philadelphia Press.
The St. Johns herald., 1901-09-21
Belated.

"I understand that Frailman has come to the conclusion to contest his wife's will'
 Well, what is there courageous about that; she's dead, isn't tsheW-RichmOnd Dispatch.