davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01
WAS WILLING TO BE SHOT.
English Actor Thought He Tad Found
IIrIier

English Actor Thought He Tad Found
an Uglier Man.
John Hare the famous English ac-
cor, is not beauty show prize win
Iner, and his friends declare he is the
ugliest man alive. He has recently
returned to England from tour in
this country. On the night of the
usual concert given on board the
steamer the ugly actor volunteered to
contribute to the program. His fell
low passengers expected a sentimental
recitation rather than personal ex-
perience. But the ugly actor COM
menced thus, Il know, but perhaps
it has not occurred to anybody else,
that l am far from a handsome man.
in brief, am such very hideous in
dividual that l made a vow early in
life that if ever l met fellow creature
more ugly than myself l would in
stantly shoot him dead. But for years
and years I searched in vain
cat last" continued the ugly actor,
when 1 was walking down Broadway
only a month ago l saw an American
approaching who fulfilled my worst
apprehensions. He was an uglier man
than myself. I stopped him calmly
and explained the necessity of keeping
my VOW. A horrible alarm came into
his face. He feared to die. | was
sorry, but it had to be. Am I uglier
than you are?' he gasped at last. 81
was obliged to answer Yes Then
said he with beautiful air of resig-
nation, Shoot me at once.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01
A RAILROAD MYSTERY,
What Has Become of the Creators of a
Hold-Up Epidemic.

Hold-Up Epidemic.
Maybe you have noticed" said tho
western railroad manager cast on a
little business trip, that the epidemic
of train robbing that broke out in Ne
braska. Colorado and Wyoming about
year ago is over. Maybe, too, you
think that it is because the railroad
companies ran the guilty fellows to
earth and sent them up for long terms.
But they didn't
AS matter of fact, the railroad
authorities are just as much puzzled
over the sudden subsistence of the
train robbing fever as anybody else.
Whether the business was so unre-
munerative as not to be worth the
risk, whether some of the fellows got
in Jail for running a little side line
like bank blowing or safe cracking,
nobody knows. It's all big mystery
to u.s.
"A year ago the pistol singers had
the western roads terrorized. They
sent out their detectives the moment
word came in that robbery had been
committed, bloodhounds We're bought
and armed guards employed to ride on
attractive to thieves. But they never
caught anybody.
In most cases the robbers are pretty
hard to trail. Then, if you are ever
lucky enough to catch one you can't
find anybody to identify him. When
train robber with mask over his
face and a misunderstanding gun wav-
ing back and forth in his right mitt is
suddenly projected into your vicinity,
neither trainman nor passenger is
likely to get much of glimpse of his
features or to remember them if he
did.
About ten months ago the Burling-
up at Bradshaw, Neb 1t was only
about forty miles from headquarters
and in less than two hours detectives
and bloodhounds were on the trail.
They followed the three fellows that
did the job over three states within
week of the robbery and although
they kept the closest kind of a watch
on they, they could find out nothing
that would justify an arrest The two
or three hours start the fellows are
certain to secure every time enables
them to hide their plumber in some
cache and to change their DISCUSSES.
THE theory Of the detectives is that
most of the robbers are now in prison
on other charges and they look for a
renewal of this style of holdup in a
few years. The fact is, though, that
nobody knows"
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01
Declares Matrimonial
Association
of Marriage

thinks, be brought about only by hard
work and practical means
de becomes Famous.
In August, 1896, the first session az
the Matrimonial association comnos-e
ed OF couples married by Mr.. Meese,
was held at Auburn, Ind, the home
OF the parson. Nearly 1000 couples
responded to the invitation They all
agreed to work for reform of the
marriage and divorce laws. An an
nual reunion was determined upon,
the story of the session went broad
cast over the country and the Rev Mr..
Meese found himself famous outside
the limits of De Kalb county.
1t was thought that this last re-
union, held at Waterloo, would far
surpass all of the preceding ones in
enthusiasm and results. and SO it
would have, had it not been for the
rain, which caused many to stay at
home. But the day frightened up and
the reunion was held. Parson Meese,
in his black Sunday clothes and derby;
hat, fitted around the grove. attending
to thousand details, greeting new
Corners, showing them where to regis
ter, chucking children under the
chin and playing host to the big gath
ering. Among the resolutions passed
by the members were:
Deplores Divorce Record.
THAT we deplore the alarming in
crease in divorces as compared with
marriages in our community and that
we view with disgust the evident in
sincerity with which many of our
young men and women enter into their
marriage vows. That marriage is not
a failure and he who declares the
contrary questions the rectitude of
the creative scheme of Almighty God.
That we believe the strength and
safety of the republic are dependent
upon the morals of the people, and that
no nation whose people show fidelity
to their marriage institutions can far
depart from the principles of liberty,
justice and equality We therefore, in
woke the aid of all patriotic and
Christian men and women in creating
a sentiment against the present loose
divorce laws and the lack of solemn
ity with which the marriage state is
invested"
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01
OMENS OF BAD LUCK.
Tracing the Origin of Two Once Popu-
lar Superstitions.


Crossing knives at table originally
meant bad luck. The original knife
used at the table was nothing less than
the dagger which all men wore in their
belts, ready either for carving the
mutton or for cutting Threats. In the
days when private quarrels were al
ways fought out with dagger or sword
and that is not so very long ago-the
very beginning of dispute made the
Womenfolk nervous for their husbands,
brothers or sons concerned in the argu-
ment. That crossing of blades was the
sure sign of fight, and it's no wonder
the women found crossed knives sug-
gested misfortune. Splitting the salt
meant once the worst of bad luck. Salt
was until quite recently very expen-
sive, dear necessity, as it is today
among the natives of India. The very
phrase worth his salt" means worth
his wages" The word salary means
salt-money Because it was so import
ant olden usage placed the salt box in
the middle of the table, that all hands
might be within reach. The family and
the guests sat 'above the salt" the
servants below the SALT and so the
difference of rank was created between
gentle" and Simple" Such being the
Importance of the salt box, the upset.
ting of it was something more than
an accident. 1t was an event But sup
pose that the guest of the house, or the
ambassador from foreign parts, upset
the salt, it was taken as a sign that
he betrayed the bread and salt of
hospitality, turned against the hand
that fed him, and was only in this
house as spy to betray it's master.
The spilling Of salt was taken as a
providential warning of coming attack,
of danger. drawing near the house.
That is why it became sign of bad
luck.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01
HISTORIC Trees.
washington Has Many That !

Washington Has Many That wer.
Planned by Famous Americans
It was the custom of the late Charles
A. Dana to visit this city occasionally,
writes Washington correspondent Of
the New York Times, and to spend the
entire day that he gave to sight-see-
ing in looking over the trees of the
city with William r. Smith, in charge
OF the botanical gardens. Mr.. Dana
said of Mr.. Smith that he knew more
about trees than any half-dozen men
of Mr.. Dana's acquaintance. Mr.. Smith
has in his gardens a number of his
torically interesting trees. There is a
Kentucky oak grown from an acorn
planted by John j. Crittenden, and a
story goes with this information about
the intimacy that existed between
Crittenden, Robert Mallory and John
A. Bingham Of Ohio. Not far from
the elm grown from one planted by
George Washington at the time he laid
the cornerstone of the capitol. Work
for the architectural terrace at the
west front. Mr.. Smith propagated the
new elm from the old roots, and the
new tree was planted where it is by
Senator James B. Beck of Kentucky.
While Jefferson Davis was secretary
of war his wife gave Mr.. Smith some
seed of the Monterey cypress, from
which was produced fine specimen
near the end of the greenhouse. Two
specimens Of the bald variety of cyp-
ress are named "Forney" and "For-
rest" one planted by John w. Forney,
an editor, and the other by Edwin For
rest, the actor, IS years ago. A Chin
csc tree was grown from seed obtained
at the grave of Confucius, and was pre-
sented to the garden by Charles A.
Dana and planted by Representative
Amos J.. Cummings fifteen years ago.
Among other well known tree planters
who have left their names are Thad-
deus Stevens, the late Senator Bayard,
who planted an English oak; Proctor
Knott, Daniel w. Voorhees,, ]. S. C.
Blackburn, Lot M. Morrill, and Justin
S. Morrill,, who planted winged elms
thirty years ago; Senator Hoar and
Senator Evarts, and some more recent
arrivals in Washington. There is a
Carolina poplar that is interesting as
the parent of $4,000 other poplars, liv-
ing in many states of the Union.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01

for life begin. Where now was the
dashing tenor whose burning eyes had
so lately pursued her own? Where now
the tickle admirers of the past and
present? She stood alone and the fire
demon ran above her and dropped
down upon her gauze draperies, burn
Ing gegaws which had glittered and
shone but moment before. She in
vlted destruction, she stood alone.
IN that desperate moment, a deep
voice said:
Come with meat once!>
"A heaVy wrapping, the curtain of one
OF the boxes, was twined about her.
she was fairly whirled off her feet by
the 1mpetuosity of race across the
stage and plunge and jump into the
orchestra box. Half dragged. half run
ming, the singer was urged on until she
stood in the alleyway back of toe the
alter, and knew she was safe.
But it was dark and she heard the
rattle of the engines coming. Holding
to her rescuer's arm, they ran to a
side street and at last sank down on
the stone steps of a church. AS they
lay there painting the very heavens lit
up. The theater was doomed.
In the lurid light Milly Ellis looked
at her rescuer. He was tall and broad
and she knew his strength. AS he sat
still, breathing heavily. memory strug-
gled within her to formulate a name. q
remembrance. She leaned forward and
when the heavy drapery fell away, she
smelled the white lilacs.
John Crompton!" she exclaimed
John Crompton! And you have saved
me?"
Everyone else deserted you" he
said, 80 came to you"
She deserved the words. Years he
fore she had despised his friendship
and expostElations against her career.
1T was death" she whispered fear
fully, "it was DEATH"
"a short enough triumph for YOU, !"
he said, more kindly. the triumph of a
few moments. Still, it may satisfy
you-your art may still be more to
you than friendship, love, and even
life."
ouI SIG caught MS arm and chung
to him.
After this? After l have learned
what art means-how cruel it is-how
art is nothing to life? o John, my
heart has been aching all day for the
old time when could be happy"
For answer he wrapped the red dra-
perry about her and over her fallen
hair.
"You are not so changed" he said.
There was a note of tenderness in
his voice.
But you? What has come to you,
John? You are different"
II am man." he said, and as he
spoke the lurid light fell upon his
face, 81 am a man now, and l claim
mans heritage. would share no one
with art. must have all or nothing.
You know me of DID,
She knew him. He had not ap-
preached her or written her for years.
And you have waited all this time?"
II cared for no one else"
The immensely. of the feeling she
had long ago awakened struck. at the
door of her heart. She clutched at his
hand. She wet it with her tears.
1t was art or life," she said, broken
ly. "and life won. John. life has won"
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01

Der CT marriages he has performed.
For all that he is known as marry
ing parson,' he has turned away al
most as many as he has united. He
will not marry couple if he knows
either one has been divorced He
will not marry girl who looks to be
mere child, no matter what the legal
license may say. His Meese Matri-
monial association stands pledged for
uniform divorce law in the United
States.
There are few more picturesque
characters than Meese. Though sew
enty-three, he is agile and quick
lwitted. He has not biblical phrase
upon his lips at every turn of events
THE great social reforms in which he
is now thoroughly wrapped up can, he
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01
DEADLlEsT OF REPTILES.
Compared with the Fer-de-Lance tn

Compared with the Fer-de- Lance the
Rather Is a Gentleman.
The most deadly snake in the world
is the fer-de-lance. Comparatively lit
tie is known of the venomous reptile
oueside of the French West Indian Is
lands of Martinique, Guadalupe ana
the British possessions of Saint Lucia
Martinique is especially unfortunate
in possessing them in large numbers.
The natives, taught by dear expert
ence, regard it with deeply rooted ha-
tired and fear, and rightly, too, for it
can be truthfully said to reign SUI
preme in the forests and byways,
Outlines being found on the more fire.
quented paths and roads, but rarely
Venturing into the cities or towns.
There are about eight varieties, the
most common being of grayish black.
and by it's color, SO resembling the I'M
oerbrush and stumps, is scarcely dis
tlnguishable at times. The head, as
the name implies, is lance shape, fiat.
with reddish eyes, changeable like an
opal, which become very bright at
night and can be seen for some dis
lance away flashing out defiance at an
intruder, whether man or beast.
us length rarely exceeds five feet
with body the size of mans arm
and not of lead pencil thickness as i'm
aglned by some people. Quite unlike
the RATHER" Of the United States.
VINO, to do him justice, is a gentleman
compared to the "fer-de-lance," this
snake never gives warning. hut al
once when approached becomes rho
aggressor, quickly gets into battle ar
ray, darting forward it's trianen,ar
head with lightning-like rapiditv-so
quickly. in fact, that the human owe
can scarcely follow the movements
and woe to the unlucky mortal or an;
NAL that it strikes.
1t Is almost certain death, and If The
services OF physician cannot be Sc
cured Wlthln an exceedingly short
time the venom does its deadly work
causing the flesh to spot, after which
comes-death If the strike has heon
made upon vein or an artery tbara
Is absolutely no chance for life nm less
the limb be amputated at once. and
often then it is too late, as the venom
has gained too much headway through
the blood system to be checked or the
victim succumbs to the heroic treat
ment.
Rivers and Commerce..
In . recent issue the New York
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01
Tobacco Land. of America.

There are in The United States 7OO,-
900 acres of land devoted to tobacco,
of winch ll,000 acres are in New Eng
land. The annual yield of all kinds
in the country is about 100000, 600
pounds, of which New England raises
about 100000 The average yield.
per acre throughout the country is 700
pounds, but in New England it is LOO
pounds. 1t is interesting that all the
tobacco raised in the country belongs
to two or three botanical species, yet.
there are more than 60 varieties grown
commercially--all of them quite dis
tinct in shape, color, and quality Of
leaf.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01

gypsy girl longing for her home, joy
ously saw her return to her wildwood
haunts and her lover. Then the audi
ence rose in applause, and the hour of
a great triumph had truly come to
Milly Ellis.
Her heart swef1ed when she went,
with her jubilant manager, before the
curtains. She longed to cry out:
am little Milly Ellis, who was born
and brought up here, obscure enough
among you-and now-now have
conquered you ALI"
But even in that hour there was to
be something beside AS she bowed
and smiled, speeches. in her deep
emotion, slender tongue of flame
leaped from above in one of the wings,
and caught swaying gilded banneret.
And. in the next second, hoarse cries
of "Fire!" were here and there and
wild screams, of terror In breath the
woman was forgotten in the fear of
death.
The manager flew from her side to
the rear, commanding. half mad with
this sudden change of fortune. But the
fre leapt, like thing of life, from one
h1msy ornament and drapery to an
other and the opening doors famed the
flames.
In that moment when the manager
left her alone, Milly Ellis stood sud-
denly stripped of all she had held most
dear, stood alone and saw a mad fight
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01

Marine Journal remarks that "the
present century seems destined ia
bring the steamboat as means of
transportation to an equality with the
railroad train" That paper says that
great as is the volume of traffic on the
lakes a greater business is conducted
on American rivers, amounting to 100.
100000 tons year, exclusive of boats
plying on the arms Of the ocean inland.
At least half of the interior commerce.
Of the United States is transacted by
boats. Though almost every naviga-
BILE river in this country is paralleled
by a railway the business for both in
creases. The two great systems of in
land waterways in the United States.
the Marine Journal remarks, are the
great lakes and the valley of the Mis-
sissippi. and of the two the latter il
foremost
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01
On "Conxenticn,l Blnck."

An editor declares he is sick and
eired of those wedding descriptions
which have the groom clothed in con
ventional black Every day the writ
err lives" says the editor he devotes a
short space of time to- rejoicing ever
the fact that he was mot married in
the conventional black He wore a
suit Of citizens clothes, for which he
paid only 1880 This may be consid-
cred by many as making rather cheap
start, but it serves now to relieve us of
the odium of ever having been enrolled
in what the antediluyian edition Of
mankind describes as the conventional
hlacs' -
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01
STRANGE IMPs IN THE SEA.
Capt. Moody Caught Ono on Cape
Charlas I.irhtahin

S8Pt' moody CaushG Ono On cape
Charles Light.hip.
Capt. William Moody of Baltimore
believes there are strange imps in the
sea, because he caught one reGantly
while fishing off Cape Charles light
ship. Capt. Moody is commander Of
the lightship, and it is his habit to
keep baited hook, attached to an eX-
tremely long line in the water at all
times. Occasionally this persistency
is rewarded with cod or other tooth
some fish of deep water. The captain
happened to be near the line when the
imp" fish was hooked. He started to
pull it in, and then ensued as pretty
a battle as ever warmed the heart of
fisherman. Several times the creature
was brought to the surface, and on one
occasion it leaped ten feet in the air.
After battle lasting fully an hour the
monster was harpooned and pulled on
deck. The fish weighed about eighty
pounds. The imp has wings, which
are of the thickness of sailcloth, and
are notified with blue checks or
squares. The mouth is filled with par
allel rows of conical teeth, the rows
varying from two, in the back part of
the upper jaw, to eight in 'front.' with
twice these numbers in the lower law.
The tail has three rows of spines, re-
sembling the teeth running it's whole
length. The limp" has no scales.
creature has been shown to govern
ment experts, but as yet remains I'M
classified.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01
"Bufralo B,lr.v Amiab,e weakness.

Buffalo Bill" once allowed himself
to be put to shame by failing to shoot
a couple of deer at an easy distance
Every one has his little weakness, y
he exclaimed; mine is a deers eye
1 don't want you to say anything about
it to your friends, for they would laugh
more than ever, but the fact is have
never yet been able to shoot deer if
it looked me in the eye. With a buf-
falo or bear or an Indian it is differ
ent. But the deer has the eye of a
trusting child-soft, gentle and confid-
ing. No one but a brute could shoot
a deer if he caught that look"
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01
The Early Us. Of conee.

About the year 1900 coffee began to
be talked Of in Christendom as a rare
and precious medicine. In 1915 it was
brought to Venice, and in 1921 Burton
spoke of it in his Anatomy OF Melan-
choly as a yaluble article which he
had heard of but not seen In 1879
Sir Nicholas Crispe, Levant mer-
chant, opened in London the first cof-
fee house known in England, the
beverage being prepared by a Greek
girl brought over for the work. Other
coffee houses in abundance were soon
opened.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01
1T is NOT A
FAILURE...
auburn, Ind, Letter.)


One thousand five hundred couples
IN thirty years is the proud record OF
the Rev William L. Meese, the marry
ing parson of De Kalb county, Ind.
Last week at his behest many hun
dreds of people who had been Joined
by him in matrimony left their labors
in various parts of the state. and
journeyed to Waterloo to- testify their
friendship for and devotion to the
aged parson. Not many other minis
tiers could do what Mr. Meese has done
during the seventy-three years of his
life. The father of eleven children,
he has seen the earth close over al
but three of them,as we'll as over their
mother Yet he is as earnest and I'M
firing in his work as he ever was.
Turn. Many Away.
The great fame that has come to
Mr.. Meese rests not alone on the num-