davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-04-12


"a peculiar feature Of the Braziiii.,,s,y
newspapers is found in ne birthday
cards printed in their columns." saws a
correspondent of the st5nfeago Record.
"They are Outlines eytravagant in Ian
guage. especially wiH6n the puetioal ma
ture Of a swain gets the upper hand.
Birthday festivities are always celebrat.
ed in Brazil. the public officials receiving
a deluge Of good wishes on this auspi.
ciOus day each year. The birthday cards
in the ne .5spapers are something like
these as a rule:
Fluctuations. Hail the 9Th Of De
cember, 1900! At the break Of day was
gathered one more beautiful bouquet OF
viOlets from the garden Of the precious
existence Of Senorita Zulmira Rainho.
For this glorious date many compliments
from one who esteems her
Hail S-12-1900! At the dawn of a
beautiful morning, this seems to have
gone wrong some way. for it was raining
tOrrents) the little birds fill the sky with
their sweet singing and the angels be-
deck themselves with flowers in their
precious couches to felcitate the natal
day Of the distinguished business man,
Antonio F. Villas BOas. / pray God you
may have q brilliant future and a life OF
roses. Always yours lSigned by his
sweetheartD
"'Hail Dec. 8. 1900! It is not possible
that we pass date so glorious as today.
in which our hearts transcend the happi-
ness coming with the morning to collect
one more love knot Of violets in the gar
den Of the precions existence Of our good
father, - -. On this date we offer
Fluctuations and wishes to the highest
that he may have many years Of life. His
Sons
"'Hail. 17-12-79O0. There is collected
today one more radish in the little kiteh-
en- garden Of the esteemed master paint
er, John Ferreira da Silva. For this hap.
py day the compliments OF his friends.
etc. These cards are published by the
column in the editions of the various
morning papers,"
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-04-12
A sLEEPlNe MINISTER.
"AInj." Perry. an Old Negro. breaches
While sound AaIeeD.

While sound Asleep.
Five miles north of the pretty little
village Of Leesville. 5. c.. in the sand hill
region Of the Palmetto State. there lives
one of the greatest wonders Of that or
any other state. He is widely known as
Maj" Perry, the sleeping preacher,
and his case has puzzled the best medical
talent of the country.
For the past twenty odd years this old
colored man lmulattOD has preached six
nights in every week in his sleep. He
sometimes breaches every night in the
week. but generally misses Saturday
night. All Of his sermons are much above
the average colOred brothers attempts,
and many Of them are almost models Of
good advice and entreaties.
His service at which he breaches al
ways takes place between u and ,
o'clock at night. while he sleeps sound
est. He begins by lining a hymn and
singing it in a deep bass voice, which
is followed by a most earnest prayer
suitable to the occasion at which he ap-
pears to be attending Then he quotes
text from the Bible. announcing the
correct chapter and verse. from which he
/ breaches in a loud voice.
His sermons range in length from %
to 80 minutes. during which time he
invariably has several hard paroxysms.
every muscle being drawn and stiffened,
and his pulse stops beating. These spells
sometimes come on him in the middle OF
ls79ssntence or when a woi half pro.
I nor ed. He will stop lii It i.
over afid then take u mon.
word where %, off and proceed ii
same tone of voice
The marvel is that the sleeping preach.
er has no education at all and can scarce.
ly read the simplest words. yet he quotes
long passages from the Bible in his illus
trations. And during his sermon he can
not be walked. Physicians have tried il
in vain and testify that there is nothing
artificial in his slumbers. But as soon
as he is done preaching it is not very
hard to arouse him. and his sleep for the
remainder of the night is quite natural.
Another curious fact in Mai" Perry's
case is that he cannot tell or remember
anything he says during his service when
be wakes, and for a long time he would
deny having preached every morning
when told Of his actions. Then, again,
he cannot preach while awake and never
tried it. He is a member Of the church
in good standing. however. hut win not
lead in public prayer.-Atlanta Journal
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-04-12

The King of London gives this pen and
ink sketch Of the Rev. John Mcneil, the
famous preacher of London: MANY
would like him 10 remember that he was
educated at university and forget that
he once worked on the railway. Blu;
John does not forget it. EIe is still. now
that he is famous throughout the world
the same homely, hearty. charmingly
blunt aud perilOusly frank John Mcneil
who sold railway tickets behind the little
window in GreenOck railway station
nearly 80 years ago. He hogan life as a
gale boy al a railway crossing, aud the
story is told that ono day, after he lad
applied for a better place. an official put
his head ont IF the train and shouted
Are you the young man who considers
himself too good for his situafionT John
said be was. and he was promoted 10 The
booking office at GreenOck.
He has preached on every continent
He has held an audience Of 10000 night
~ for weeks at the Agricultural hall in
London. and he has preached to a SILVER
ing little group Of 40 ON the top Of the
! observatory on Ben Nevis. He preached
then rs near to heaven as any man car
| get in Britain. but there are good people
in the world who are not at all suie that
! heaven will be his home. One of then
was travelling in a Glasgow train with
| him the other day aud. after asking hin
if be was John Mcneil. said. Do you
think YOU are going to heaven| 1 DO.
said John. but | would rather 90 Il
/ Greenock first"
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-04-12

Major A. Craig Palmer has in his pos.
session cup and saucer for which 81 600
reward has been offered and which were
stalen from the house of Napoleon in
1913.
The cup and saucer have been in the
possession of Major Palmer's wife's fam
ily for 40 years or more and were given
to Mrs. Palmer's father by the men who
stole them. They are of the finest china.
and the cup is very large, but no taller
than the average teacup. 1t is said to be
the identical teHcup out of which NaDo-
leon drank his tea.
Some time ago a New York paper con.
;ained an advertisement Offering a re-
ward Of 81 600 for the cup and saucer.
The reward was offered by relatives of
Napoleon who live in OF near Baltimore
and who have the remaining pieces of the
set. Major Palmer says that his wife is
unwilling to part with them at any price
Macon News.
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-04-12
.sBra-own Ca-ounty" ExeIuslveneus

There is not line Of railroad in all OF
Bra-own ca-ounty. Injianner Not a loco,
motive has ever puffed its way around
the sleepy hills Of Bra-own ca-ounty.
Not a telegraph instrument has ever clat-
tered the news of the world into the ears
Of the quiet denizens of Bra-own ca-oun-
~. There is not mandatory nor has
there ever been in the whole "durned
ca-ounty." as Tim Ratigan would say
There is no stream in the county big
enough to allow a full grown rowboat Ia
glide along for more than half a mile at q
time; so OF course such 4 thing as 4
steamboat would be as great a rarity III
Bra-Own ca-OUnty as sacred white che
plant with pink tail Bra-own ca-oun
ty has remai.ed as quiet and unvexed o:
the things that fret the peace and quiet
of the world as a township of Cathay
no railroads, steamboats,, telegraphs
manufactures. street cars. electric lights
or gaslights.-Chicago Times Herald.
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-04-12
THE FIRE ORDEAL.
An American Corporal Braves II and
starts a Row,


An American Corporal Braves II and
starts n Row,
Not long ago the American minister to
Japan and some members of his party,
visiting a Shinto temple, initiated the
priests OF the temple by walking barefoot
over what was apparently a bed Of live
Goals 1t was explained at the time that
the surface Of the bed of Goals was Gov
cred by thin layer of some substance
which was bad conductor of heat, but
through which the. light Of the fire below
would show at night the time when such
performances take place.
Now Corporal Murray Of the Sixth ar
tillery. stationed in Honolulu, has proved
again that Americans can pass unscath-
ed through the ordeal Of fire. There came
TO Honolulu lately a magician who calls
himself Papa tia, the Great Tahitan
Fire Walker" Papa Ita's great feat
consists in walking barefooted over lava
stones under which fires have burned
for hours He impressed the native Ha-
waiians with the fact that he was n won
der among magicians. and their contri-
buttons flowed in to him so profusely that
one might suppose he need not fear that
he would have to work as long as he
staid in Honolulu. But the act Of Cor
poral Murray has aroused the suspicious
Of the natives now as to whether Papa
Ita is a real ''Kahuna." If he is, then
Corporal Murray is one also. Meantime
the contributions are falling off, and
Papa talks of leaving the island.
It was at a big, special fire walking
performance the corporal did his trick.
Papa Ita had walked over the presum-
ably white hot stones amid the wonder
and awe Of the spectators. when sud
denly off came Corporal Murray's shoes,
and lie followed the magician across the
stones in his stocking feet, suffering no
harm. Immediately there was row
The manager of Papa tia went for" the
corporal, and the corporal pummeled the
manager, the exhibition breaking up in
free fight with nothing magical about it.
Papa Ita's performance apparently is
different from that given by the Shin.
tOists, but it is also evident that Cor
pOral Murray is an observing man and
''caught on" to the secret Of the Tahi-
tan's seemingly wonderful feat. - New
York Press.
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-04-12
EMPEROR WILLIAM lNcoe.
scOlding Which Cost an EmbassR~
dor His Position.

AVE MS EOA1tAOns
Emperor William went to the Paris
fair for three days during the season in
coz. So well was his identity concealed
that even the German legation did not
know Of his whereabouts, and it is in-
teresting reading to learn how it discov-
cred its emperor
The third Tuesday in October there
was reception at the German pavilion.
German songs were sung. A German
band played. All the newspaper cor
respondents, who, when they were not
making wars, sowing dissension or over
turning dynasties, are busy hunting para
graphs, were there. One of them was
Algernon Dougherty. the Paris cor.
respondent of the London Express. He
drove up in a cab to the door of the ex.
position that opened on the Rue des NJ
tons, near the German pavilion. There
was a string Of carriages waiting there.
"Wait here for me-" said Mr.. Dough
erty.
The cabman grumbled, for it was expo
sitiOn time, and prices were up.
evil you be long gone, mon hour.
geois" he asked.
"Not more than ten miR6tes," said
Dougherty, with journalistic cheek.
only want to say howdy-do to the emf
perOr Of Germany"
"Allez, mon prince" said the cabby jok-
ingly.
Now, next to the cab was a smart black
and blue coupe. driven by q German
coachman. 1t was the private coupe of
the Prince Won Munster, ambassador Of
Germany to France
Il say" exclaimed the German coach
man. what did he say-the emperor Is
hereg'
"0f course" said the Paris calmly dis.
dainfully. didn't you know that?"
Within Eve minutes the word was pass
ed to Herr Richter. Within ten minutes
he had a telephone reply from NJ. LeDine
declaring that the kaiser was at that
very moment in the German pavilion,
guarded by six detectives. The ransom
joke Of the journalist and the cabby had
come true. Things do happen that way
now and then.
That night the errant war lord was
captured and taken by the Prince Won
Munster to the German embassy, at No.
IS Rue de Lille. Perhaps the Prince Won
Munster dared to demonstrate with his
august master on the folly Of these mas
querades. At all events the next morn
ing Kaiser Wilhelm went back to his
throne and his duty and his domesticity.
Equally true is ii that within six weeks
the Prince Won Munster was displaced.
There is a new German ambassador in
France today. and the old prince is
thinking. thinking
kings are kittle cattle" said a
Scotchman once upon a time.-Saturday
Evening Post.
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-04-12
SECRETARY.
MYSTERIOUS WARNINGS.
Omens That FOreteII to EnEIishmen
Deaths Of Royalties


Deaths of Royalties.
A grewsume story comes from Loudou
of the appearance of the phantom barge
Of the Thames" for three successive
nights preceding the death of the queen.
This phantom barge is believed by the
watermen of the Thames to appear when
a member of the royal family is about to
die, just as the celebrated white lady of
the Hohenzollerns' gives warning Of the
death Of a monarch of that family. And
when this phantom. barge appears gliding
through the low lying shadows and night
mists of the river the great clock OF
Westminster, Big Ben gives Is strokes at
midnight instead Of his ordinary dozen
just now any number Of Thames water.
men can be found who say they have
seen the phantom barge aud heard Big
Ben strike his ominous number
There are well authenticated instances
Of Big Ben having struck - at mid
night. Once soldier on sentry duty at
Windsor was charged with having slept
on post and was sentenced to be- shot
Il was charged that he was asleep there
at midnight of a certain night His de-
Tense was that he was not asleep and
that he had heard Big Ben in London
oAilhG ~ AZ Tue ulOlueuL ne was cuNrgeu
with having been sleeping on duty It
was proved that on that night Big Ben
had struck IL and had been heard in
Windsor. The man was pardOned. This
is a recorded case. but the record does
not say that any catastrophe happened 10
the royal family the next day.
Il is said that the phantom barge ap-
peared on the Thames at midnight and
Big Ben struck Is on the night before the
/ death of the prince consort. and that the
same things happened the night proceed
/ ing the death Of the Princess Alice and of
4 The Duke Of Clarence When the phan.
/ tom barge appeared on Jan. 13. 1892. the
night before the death of the Duke OF
4 Clarence. another boat. pulled by four
men. gave chase. The phantom boat
/ glided swiftly toward the terrace of the
/ house Of commons and vanished The
/ pursuing boat dashed against the stone
/ embankment and was wrecked.
A warning which applies TO tSe death
! OF sovereigus only is the fall of one Of the
stones at, Stonehenge. the great Druid
relic on Salisbury plain. A stone GER
tainly did fall there on the night Of the
death of the late queen.
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-04-12
SIMEON FORD.
An After Dinner HumOrist who IL In
Great Demand.


1T is a source Of regret that Mr..
Simeon Ford does not tap his vein Of en-
tertaining humOr more frequently for the
benefit Of his after dinner admirers" says
George B. Mallon in Ainslee's Magazine.
Mr.. Ford is an educated man who Sc
lected the business Of hotel keeping in
stead of a professional career. 1t was at
a dinner Of the Hotel Mems association
a few years agO that Mr.. Ford made a
humorous speech which won prompt rec
ognition. Since then he has made per-
haps half a dozen speeches each winter,
and the newspapers usually pay him the
compliment Of printing them in full. He
IS not an imitatOr, nor does he depend on
stories to make his speech entertaining.
On the few occasions on which
have been permitted to exasperate an
after dinner audience said Mr.. Ford, I
have been AT great pains to explain that
my remarks were entirely unpremeditat-
ed, and, strange as it may seem, this has
been generally believed, for there is some.
thing about my speeches which deludes
people into the idea that no great amount
Of thought has been expended in their
! preparation and that they are the spon.
taneOus effervescence of a naturally light
WASTED and narrow chested intellect A
hotel keeper, you know, is looked upon
as the intellectual equal of a telegraph
/ pole. Yet even Il hotel keeper has feel
ings.'
Mr.. Ford is tall and thin and, as be
says, Of the Gothic style of architecture
He looks pessimistic, and he never
smiles. A correspondent for an English
weekly, who had heard of Mr.. Ford,
humOr, went to interview him six or sew
en- years ago. He asked Mr. Ford di
rectly what made him so funny. Mr.
Ford tried to enlighten him. He saw
that he told that Engishman all tn,
funny stories which he had heard sine
he was a boy. The Englishman wrot
them all down in his notebook. Whel
he didn't see the point. he asked Mr.
Ford to explain it. Mr.. Ford SAYS tina
the interview was the most elaborate
event Of his life. A few weeks later tn
correspondent sent to Mr.. Ford marke,
copy Of his paper. and there he read:
" One of the prominent tigures Of New
York life is Mr.. Simeon Ford. the famou
humorist. To man overladen with III
cares of life it is most refreshing +
spend an hour or two in Mr. Ford's 50
ciety and listen to his constant outflow O
wit and humor.'
Mr. Ford says that he has been wait
ing to see that man ever since"
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-04-12

One often hears Of people being speech
less from fright. but there was genuine
case of this ailment at the Hahnemann
hospital the other day. The patient was
Clarence Fisher, colored. aged "a, a son
Of Squire Fisher. who is a well known
character out in Germantown. Clarence
is a bOotblaek and has a chair in Hack
mans barber shop. adjoining Magistrate
DOnnellyis Office. on East Chelten ave-
nue.. EIe fen asleep in his chair while
business was slack. and while dreaming
Of cake walks and other diversions Of
which he is equally fond one Of the Gus
toners covered his dusky face with white
powder.
When Clarence woke up and caught a
glimpse Of himself in the mirror, he emit
ted one gasp and became terror stricken.
He thought ne was turning white. For
spme time he was unable to make a
sound, and it was feared that he really
had been stricken dumb. Gradually it
+. dawned upon him that he had been made
the victim of Fprsctieal joke, but still
he could not articulatesa, he was then
hurried to Hahsemann hosp for IT.
ment. The doctors say hes 4 recove
tie use Of his vocal cords. which ha
become temporarily paralyzed.-Philade
tphia Record.
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-04-12

DR.. Caldwell says that everybody has
consumption. which is a somewhat more
radical statement than DIR. Hamilton
that every Christian Scientist is insane.
When doctor sets out TO be an alarnist.
he never stops half way. Whatever things
the Christian Scientists do that are repre-
hensibe from the DOCTORS point Of view,
1t must be admitted that they accomplish
good in demonstrating over fear" Fear
has stain its tens Of thousands, not TO
mention the brown stone Indications II
has built Tor medical men.-NeW York
'World.
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-04-12

There is no truth in the announceme
Of an imaginative daily paper that IL
title Of Prince of Wales is to be dropp'
for an indefinite period. The Duke
Cornwall and York will be created Prime
Of Wales as soon as certain formalitit
have been completed. The present kin
was not gazetted Prince Of Wales unit
month after his birth, and the Duke
Cornwall and York will require to hav,
new armorial bearings drawn out. This
win probably be done by the earl mar
shals officials after an order has been
received from the home secretary, unless
the king grants the new coat of arms to
ais son by warrsnt.-London Truth.
that You were at the surface. and we
began TO rejoice over your redemption
but AZ the moment OF our gladpess Won
sank back again into the world and bach
again into sin. Today we come with
the gospel searching for your soul. We
apply the cr0ss Of Christ FIRST TO see
whether there is any life left 10 you,
white all around the people stand. look
ing to sec whe' Ter the work will be DE-
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-04-12

Browning is one Of the incest people to
pass an evening with in London. - A
clear headed and particularly clear eyed
man Of the world, devoted to society, one
of the greatest diners out in London.
cordial and hearty as a dear old uncle.
shakes your hand as if he were really
glad to see you. FIc seemed to me very
Ike the best of Thackeray's London men.
-"Life Of phiIIips Brooks
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-04-12
LITTLE DISPUTE.

Under the Circumstances the Mis-
take Was Natural Enough.
Glow much 2" asked Arthur P. Raglan
Of Leeds. England, offering to pay his
bill.
Nine pounds" answered Howard L.
alley. clerk Of the st. James hotel.
ling and bowling.
eyes of Mr.. Raglan. which had
pleasantly. now glared and his
nus1aehe curled up perceptibly as
NJ contracted his upper lip.
"S only iahst night
Mr., Daley. still beam
Ne desk at Mr.. RAGLAN.
O'Clock %
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-04-12

Jules Verne has declined to allow his
name to be offered to the French Aead-
envy and. while begging that body to ac-
ceDt the gratitude of an old story teller -
replies: Il have just completed my sew
enty-third year and do not at such an age
aspire to the academy. Dumas the
younger asked me % years ago. / de
elined. and since then 80 academicians
have died. They may he immOrtals, but
they have not been rendered immortal"
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-04-12
THE RoglNe OF c. 3. S.
HIS Vain Protest Against the Dress
of a London Councillor.

of n London Councillor.
Much against his will Mr.. g. Bernard
Shaw, as a councillor Of the borough Of
St. Pancras. is doomed to wear q civic
robe
To representative Of The Daily Mail
Mr. Shaw related his fierce but futile war
against this garment
From the very first" he said, II was
against the robes. When they were sug-
gested in committee. made a long and
excellent speech-my speeches are al
ways eKcellent-against them.
I'm vain, however. ! said that they
were anachrOnisms and ridiculous. Fancy
dress is always ridiculous and surely
there is plenty Of scope for it at Covent
Garden without bringing it to the council
chamber.
81 told them that the beadle was the
only man among them. He did look re-
spectacle and official, for though he wore
gold braid on his hat you could ut least
see that be was wearing trousers.
'The councillors then told me that I
should be the last man to object to wear
the robes, as they would cover up my
disgraceful clothes.
Il then 7i1 .Nat womb rather lool,
s.
it'll a robe. and
IL so.