davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
scorched. Water-soAked
Bills are
Reconstructed.

| $50. Investigation showed that theee
was $3.50 in the package, and that
amount was forwarded for the benefit
Of the funeral fund. Among the re-
ceipts recently was a large package
of the fractional currency in circula-
ton during the civil war. 1t had evil
IDENTIFY been stored away In vault
that was not over dry, and was badly
discolored, but was yet in such condi-
tion that it could be redeemed. A good
deal OF this fractional currency is re-
ceived, much OF it almost as bright
and clean as on the day of issue. The
best is not destroyed, but kept on hand
and sold at face value to collectors. A
week or so ago there was received a
number Of continental bills, issued by
authority of the continental congress
during the war OF the revolution. The
law does not provide for the rodemp-
ton OF this money, and the bills were
returned. Ignorant people in the south
and elsewhere, particularly negroes,
frequently send in large quantities Of
confederate bills, believing the govern
ment will redeem them. The govern
ment formerly held that the finder of
money was not entitled to have 1t re-
deemed, and when turned into the
treasury it was kept there for the
owner. This rule has now been
changed, and the finder OF money is
the one who profits. A few days ago
Washington colored man took to the
treasury two $50 notes, which he said
had been found on an ash heap AL
though badly soiled, the notes were
easily identified, and the negro got the
500. Another Washington negro not
long ago took to the treasury large
package of bills, which had been
buried in the ground and were badly
water-soaked. The bills were general
ly Of small denomination, and the task
of separating the pieces and patching
them together was a big undertaking,
as the amount of the resurrected roll
was more than $500. The negro ex-
planned that he had buried the money
to get it away from an "extravagant
family" and that when he went to the
place of burial to get out a small
amount he found that the entire store
had been ruined. The history Of the
redemption division of the treasury is
calculated to explode the theory that
paper money is a great spreader of
disease germs. An average Of 81 ,OOO, 900
of paper money in its very worst
forms of dirtiness is handled and
counted three times every working day
in the year, by force composed most
ly of young women. The only precau-
ton the clerks take is to wash their
hands thoroughly with soap and water,
yet there has never been a case of ILL
ness among them traceable to the han
ding of money.-Chicago Journal.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
The Chinese Pig Tail May Go

1t is stated that the statesmen of
The fowery kingdom are considering
the advisability of altering the Chinese
law which requires Mongolians to wear
cues. The Chinese, it is said, wore
their hair American fashion some 300
years ago, at which time they likewise
wore garments similar to those in use
in this country today. With new
emperor came an alteration In the
two fashions, and ever since cues and
blouses have been quite the proper
thing.
Now there is a great agitation for a
change back to the old style. The Chi
nese are of practical turn of mind
and say that too much time is requir-
ed to dress their long braids. There is
considerable objection to the style now
in vogue, and SO persistent for a
change has become the demand that it
is likely the law establishing the style
of headdress will be altered. 1t is
stated that the Chinese will not wear
their hair long, but that their heads
will be kept shaver.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
Queer Custom. Among Passengers.


In cold weather all Japanese travel
ers carry rugs, for the cars are heated
merely by long steel cylinders filled
with hot water and laid on the floor
Spreading his rug out on the seat
Japanese never sits on anything not
perfectly clean--the passenger shakes
off his geta or wooden clogs, and curls
his feet beneath him. The next move
is smoke, in which both men and
women indulge. A tiny pipe is COM
monty used, which never contains more
than a wisp Of tobacco the size Of a
pea and affords not more than one or
two puffs to the smoker. The ashes
are then knocked out on the floor
and another wisp stuffed in and lighted
from the smoldering ashes just re-
jected. At every station there are
vendors of the little mandarin or
anges. Every passenger buys a dozen
or more and eats them in short time.
throwing the skins about the floor.
Boys pass by with tea in tiny earthen
pots, a cup placed over the top. The
price is three sen "a cent and half.
The teapot is left in the car. The
Japanese throw all sorts of refuse
about and the car soon presents very
untidy appearance, or would do so If
it were not for the porters, who come
in at odd stations and clean up.-New
York Sun.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
LYNcHlNo JUDAS lscARloT
A Curious Custom of spanish and Portu-
guese Sailors

A Curious Custom of Spanish and Portu-
Euese Sailors.
Judas Iscariot was lynched in several
old-world places during the recent
Passion tide season. This is in ac-
cordance with curious and remark
able custom that prevails in Spain and
Portugal, and which is observed in
London and other British ports by the
sailors of those nationalities, whose
ships happen to be in those waters at
the time. A dummy figure is made of
man supposed to represent the be-
trayer of Christ. This ef1gy, which is
stuffed with straw, is allowed to re-
main practically unheeded on the deck
until the sailors have attended morn
ing service; but no sooner are the de-
votions concluded than the peace of
Judas is at an end. With one accord
the seamen rush to where the un-
conscious dummy lies, the first to
reach it selling it roughly and stamp
ing and splitting upon 1t until it is
wrenched from his grasp by one of
his fellows, who subjects it to similar
treatment, and so on all around. From
one member of the crew to another the
eftigy is tossed and pitched about,
execrations being leveled at its head.
Presently somebody produces a rope.
which is instantly seized upon and tied
round the neck of the dummy Judas.
For hours after that the efigy is
dragged up and down the deck, being
constantly reviled, spurned and spat
upon. Finally, when everybody has
had enough of it. and is thoroughly
winded. the dummy is hoisted to the
masthead, being left there until the
following morning. Whenever sailor
comes on deck throughout the whole
OF Good Friday he looks up towards
the swaying effgy. spits at it, and ut
tiers curse.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
WOMAN AS A RAILROAD BOSS.
Does Mans Work Successfully on !.
Tennessee Improvement.

Does q Mans Work Successfully ON +
Tennessee Improvement.
The new railroad now in process of
construction from Monterey to the
Laurel coal mines in the southwestern
part of Overton county, Tennessee, en-
joys the unique distinction of having
among it's employers woman con-
tractor. She has been employed to
build one mile of grade, two and one
half miles from the mines, and person.
ally oversees the men at work, both
in the cuts and on the fills, and is a
hustler from baskerville" Some
times when the men do not seem to go
about their work fast enough she in
variably addresses them in plain, typi-
cal railroad lingo, very judiciously
applied, which never fails to have the
desired effect. She is brunette Of
medium stature, with lustrous black
hair and eyes and weighs 100 pounds.
She dresses in the usual attire of her
sex, with the exceptions of a mans
hat, an overcoat, and pair of railroad
contractors lace top boots, No. 8. She
formerly held contract on the Ten
nessee Central, her home being in
Michigan, where she was engaged in
farming until two years ago, when she
gave up her rural calling and became a
practical ailroader-Chicago Chron
icle.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
Fervoniere Coming B.ols !,


News comes from Paris to
feet that the fervoniere is undo,
~ coming back to favor Forty
ago no one would have needed
told what fervoniere was, and
OF the ornaments are in the posses
OF women lucky enough to have
herited jewels. The old-fashioned q
voniere was forehead jewel. usual
large uncut gem. set in heavy gol
work. 1t was worn in the center o.
the forehead, attached to a gold fillet
or more often a band of black velves
which passed around the head. The
ornament was marvelously becoming
to certain classical type of face. but
lamentably disflguring to tho ordinary
woman. The Empress Josephine was
particularly fond of the fervoniere.
which became her, although her face
was far from classic. The uncovered
foreheads Of recent seasons opened
the way for revival of this old fash
ion, and the jewel stars and crescents
which were worn low against the fore
head with the parted fringe Of hair
limited at the fervoniere; but now a
number of Partisan beauties have
taken up the old mode in earnest and
have appeared with splendid jewels
cleaning upon their white foreheads
just above their brow. The velvet
band and fillet have not appeared, the
modern fervoniere being, as nearly as
possible devoid of visible setting and
held in its place by the finest thread
of gold or string of small pearls
Chicago Journal
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
TO POISON LINCOLN,
JAMES ALTMAN OF WASHINGTON
WAS OFFERED 100000.
The Story of How an Attempt was
Made to Indace Him to Kill tho
President Has just Been Told for the
First Time.

| The recent statement Of James AL
man of Washington lends additional
| interest to the assassination of Presi-
dent Lincoln, the saddest incident in
the history Of this country. Mr.. AL
man kept the strange secret for fully
thirty-six years. 1t is to the effect that
about two weeks before the president
was shot, he was offered 100000 to
put poison in the milk OF which Mr..
| Lincoln was sure to partalse.
At the time Mr.. Altman conducted a
dairy where the bureau of printing
and engraving is now located, and fur
nished the president with milk. Mr..
Altman says:
In the early spring Mr.. Lincoln
had habit Of walking over to Sec
rotary Stanton's in the early morning.
between and 6 o'clock, to take a
cup of coffee with him and talk over
the important matters of the day. l
had received instructions from the
secretary to be sure to get around in
the mornings with my cream in time
for the president. One morning in the
early part of April-not two weeks be-
fore the president was shot was
driving along in my wagon, when two
men stopped me, and one Of them
asked:
DO you want to make 500, 900 easy
and quick?'
"'Deed, and 1 do says I.
We'll, here's 100000 in good hard
cash. Now, If you will take this lit
tie box of powder and put it in the
cream you deliver to the president this
morning the money is yours. Pour
out the milk now, and here's the
money. And he showed me big roll
of money, but if it had been as large
as the Treasury building it would not
have tempted me.
The men tried to argue the mat
ter with me, but drove off, while
they called me all kinds of hard
names. They cursed me blue and
black, but 1t is not true that they as
saulted me, either then or afterwards.
l did not much believe that the men
were in earnest and kept the trans
action to myself. but must confess
that it worried me little. 1 didn't
know what the outcome might be as
to myself, and hadn't the least idea
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
Clothes Made Of Fish Skins.


Several garments made entirely of
fish skins, and made to be worn, too,
were recently put on exhibition in the
Museum of Natural History in New
York in remarkable collection of
curios gathered in eastern Siberia by
Professor Berthold Laufer of the Jesup
North Pacific expedition, says the
Philadelphia Inquirer. These fish
skins are the work of the women of
the remote Kilyak and Gold tribes of
the River Amur, and very odd gar
ments they are. The tribes live entire
ly by fishing and hunting. Salmon,
which ascend the river to spawn, are
their staple food, and the salmon skins,
after being treated by the women, who
are adopts, provide material for their
clothes. First, the scales are removed
so carefully that the skin is not brok-
en-. Then the skin is tanned and
dressed to make 1t durable, and final
~ the women sew it into garments.
Salmon skin, when made into clothes
by the Amur Indians, is like kid in
N~pPSs~ANAASS INV oOLLACSS, puL IL Is
tougher than kid, in fact, almost as
tough as parchment. 1t is dyed red
and yellow, and some of the garments
into which it is made are highly or
nate. Curiously enough, much Of the
ornamentation is on the backs. The
garments are sewn together with fine
thread, also made of fish skin. Still
another use to which fish skin is put
is to decorate the boots of both men
and women, sections of highly colorei
skin being appliqued on the elk hide
OF which the boots are made. One of
the fish skin garments in the collec-
ton Is warm weather garment. for 1t
is unlined. If it had been made in
Paris it would be called pelisse. It's
front overlaps and it seems to have
reached the ankles of the wearer In
color, 1t is deep manila yellow and
1t is highly ornamented The outer
edges are bordered with a fish skin
band OF dark indigo blue, and heading
this is narrow strip of red. Up the
side seams blue panels are appliqued
in graceful arabesque design. The
edges of the arabesque are fastened to
the body.with as minute stitches as if
sewed by machine. Bands of simpler
design ornament the tops Of the
sleeves. and there are blue cuffs deco
rative in outline. Another gown shows
three bands about two inches wide,
in dark blue, yellow and red laid across
together. The garment is further or
namented with appliqued scroll fig
ures in blue, each about two inches
long, over the entire surface. Near
the neck, in front, is fair imitation
OF rooster-tail feather and all.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
JAMES ALTMAN.

at the time that every effort was be-
ing made to kidnap the president.
AS say, thought it was an effort
to play an early morning joke on me,
but after the great and good man was
assassinated was satisfied that the
men who had made me the offer meant
every word they said, and were in the
plot to kill or kidnap the president
II was poor man, and thought it
best to keep my mouth shut and go
about my business. l am sorry this
old thing is being talked about now"
Mr.. Altman is well-known citizen
of Washington and held in high re-
spect. He lives at the corner of Fiji
teenth and c streets, s. E., and is now
possessed of considerable wealth. He
is cattle dealer and the owner OF
valuable real estate.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
Tho Toad In the Rock.

OF late days have noted a consid-
cradle number Of reputed cases of the
occurrence of live frogs and toads in
what were alleged to be solid rocks
This is. of course, an old, old story
that appears to possess perennial pow
ers (like the toad) Of revivification. I
had thought that Dean auckland Gath
er Of the genial FRANKLY had exploded
the toad in the rock myth once for all,
The dean enclosed toads and frogs in
cells cut in blocks Of stone, and bur-
led them three feet deep in his gar
den. Here the conditions were even
less rigorous than those under which
the amphibians are reported to survive
for ages in the solid rock" Dean
Buckland's toads were nearly all dead
by the end Of the first year of entomb-
ment. and none survived the second
year. have heard stories Of live
toads being found in rocks Of an cxe
geologically regarded older than those
which contain tSs oldast fossil meme
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
No Stress. No Progress.

Porto Rico is going through the
stress which all backward countries
meet when they feel the advance.
When Spain held the island its inhab-
itants were satisfied with poor fare
and went. barefoot. Taxes were light
on property and heavy on occupations.
The poor man had no chance and ac-
cepted his fate in docile calm. Wages
have risen- wants have come and the
whole population stirs with desire to
improve. immigration follows. It has
its suffering. So does every advance;
but the advance must come. none the
less.-Philadelphia Press.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
WORKS EARLY AND LATE.
Mrs. Hetty Green, Though Rich, Enjoys
E.ittie Rest.

11iGti0 Hest.
Mrs. Hetty GREEN'S life is not to be
enyied by her sisters. Though she is
the richest woman in America, if not
in the world, her manner of living is
more like that of a day laborer than of
a person of unlimited means, says
Frank Leslies Monthly. She rises
early in her cheap little fiat in Hobo
ken, N. j., spends few minutes upon
a light breakfast and hurries to the
ferry. She Is almost the first to ar
rive at her office in the Chemical bank
on Broadway. Here she labors until
after dark Her rise in the financial
world was very swift, and yet it did
not appear to attract public notice for
several years. Before the public was
aware of the fact she had become
banker, railway director, stock opera
tor, real estate investor and capital
list. Her success led many people to
believe at first that she was but fig
urehead for shrewd, unknown specu-
lator. Not until she had defeated
many groups Of hostile financiers and
predatory promoters did the world
realize that she was new and potent
factor in the banking community.
Her greatest achievement SO far as the
public is concerned took place in 1899,
when she lent over s1,OOO.0OO in cash
In single operation. The money
market was tight, the need of the bor-
rover great, and only one Wall street
magnate, Russell Sage, was supposed
to be in position capable OF furnish
Ing the ready money Imagine, there
fore, the general surprise when the
poorly dressed Mrs. Green came for
ward and took up the loan with the
qickness Of an auctioneer selling a
half-heard bid
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
Murderer.s Punlshment.

Lucchesi, the assassin OF the EN-.
press Elizabeth, is to be subjected to
regulations of rather more severe
character than he has been undergoing
up to the present From Geneval
where the criminal is carrying out hid
sentence of lifelong imprisonment. il
is reported that he has lately been
giving some trouble. He has repeat
eddy threatened to murder his warders|
The officials of the Geneva court have|
given orders for the prisoner to be re-
placed in his subterranean cell, where
he is deprived of daylight and cut Old
from all human intercourse. Bread
and water are passed into the cell by
means Of revolving door.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
His r1n,,h.

His Finish.
Win low bowed head the editor sat
In his easy Office chair.
troubled look was on his face,
His brow was lined with care.
His great brain throbbed, his breath
came fast.
He heaved him sigh on sigh;
He clenched his hand and bit his lip
And stifled soul-wrung cry.
On his desk sheet of paper lay
The source of his bitter woe!
And it caused him torture as keen and
great
As mortal may ever know.
For on that daintily scented sheet
His love a rhyme had penned,
And had asked him please to publish
it,
Poor man, he saw the end!
If he sent it back with thanks, he
knew
His offer she'd surely spurn;
II he published it-ye gods! We gods!
His subscribers would ne'er return.
st. Paul Dispatch.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06

bers of the class. But this "reductio;
ad absurdum" does not seem to con-;
vince the public of the inpossibiiity'
of even cold-blooded animal and one
possessed Of exceptional powers of en-
durance, lasting without food and air
for untold aeons. believe whal
careful research is made the q
show that Juvenile toad may
into crevice in rock, may gro
may feed on chance insects -
In its way. The rock is sol
it is supposed to have been
toad hops out and volta
And. Meron in London Chro,
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
Many Little Acts of
Kindness of Francis
Joseph of Austria.

to town, too, looking for work?" he
inquired, confidentially. His answer
was bright gold piece, slipped into
his hand by the Stranger" accompa-
MED by few words of cheer This
unexpected liberality on the part of
his affable companions so fascinated the
peasant that they walked on together
until they reached the palace gate.
Some time later foot passenger found
the bewildered old man stumbling
along the road, looking first at the gold
piece in his palm and then back over
his shoulder toward the emperor's
palace.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
The Lecture Abruptly Ended.

An Oxford professor was giving In.
pupils lecture on Scotland and the|
Scots" These hardy men," he said, |
think nothing about swimming across
the Tay three times every morning.
before breakfast" Suddenly a loud
burst OF laughter came from the center
OF the hall, and the professor, amazed
at the idea of anyone daring to inter-
rupt him in the middle of his lecture
angrily asked. the offender what he|
meant by such unruly conduct. "I|
was just thinking, SIR" replied that
Individual, that the poor Scotch chaps
would find themselves on the wrong,
side for their clothes when they land
ed!"-London Answers.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06
EnEland,s MODEL Mun,c,p,,,tv,

According to the report Of the chief
constable. Birmingham last year
showed a decided improvement from a
criminal standpoint. There were few
er people convicted of drunkenness,
both in the indictable and non-indict-
able classes of crime there was graft
flying decrease. Oyer s2S,00O worth Of
property was stolen. and nearly $4,000
worth recovered by the police. Three
thousand five hundred miscellaneous
ARTICLES, ranging from An artificial eye
to bank daft for s5od. were restored
to the peope who had ldpst them.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06

y, When digging in the gravel beds of
Fputh Kensington for the foundations
4 bf the Victoria and Albert museum in
lIondon great quantities of the bones
pf extinct animals were found, crea-
h lures which lived in the London basin
lat the time that the rivers drift and
brick earth were being deposited.
These wern the bones of the great
stays then common, of the elephant
and of the nrimeval horse, creatures
which lived there before the channel
was cut between England and France.
though not perhaps before man had
appeared in what is now the Thames
valley A scientist, to whom some of
the remains were taken said that they
reminded him OF the great discovery
of similar remains in the. brick earth
at Ilfofd, in Essex, England, thirty
seven years ago, when he personally
saw dug from the brick fields of that
parish the head and tusks of one of
the largest mammoth elephants in tho
world.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06

You may talk of the selfish men
who succeed, but when we talk of sue
cess we don't mean tumblebugs who
roll their treasure home, pigs who SUI
coed in finding acorns, bankers who
pile up dollars, trust organizers who
rob, or gamblers who successfully
swindle. When we mention success
full men, we mean men really success
ful-those whose lives have added
something to the dignity and decency
of the human race.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06

Liquor dealers in Abingdon, Mass,
oy way OF a joke nominated Rev. w.
H. Wyman for constable, but they
have about come to the conclusion
that the joke is on them instead of on
the reverend gentleman. They thought
the profer Of such an honor would an
ger Mr.. Wyman, but he enlisted the
aid OF local church people, was trium-
phantly elected and now declares that
the Sunday and midnight closing or
dlnances must be rigidly observed.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-06

The recent reference In Youth,s Com.
panlon to San Bernardino county, Cal
ifornia, as the largest in the United
states. has brought out the fact that
tnere IS one even larger Custer coun-
". IN Montana. The one contains 49,
SN square miles, the other 20,49o. In
the interest of accuracy, therefore, the
palm must be transferred from Cali.
fornia to Montana.