davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17
DRESSING UP FOR SUICIDE.

eff 1 ever should be called upon to
furnish indisputable proof of the in
herent pride of woman" said a police
sergeant, 81 would point at once to
her invariable rule of dressing up in
her best clothes when she goes out to
commit suicide. In my experience on
the force l have had occasion to han
die a good many suicides and after
ward investigate their personal affairs,
and in every instance l have found
that the poor unfortunates prepared
themselves for death by donning their
best bib and tucker. The majority of
the printed reports of suicides say that
the clothes of the dead woman were.
good or well made or elegant If
the woman contemplating suicide owns
a silk waist, she wears it. Her broad
cloth skirt and silk petticoat naturally
go with this garment, and she selects
her best shoes. have looked up the
history of many of these respectfully
clad suicides, and have found that
they owned but one gown with which
they could make a decent appearance
on the street, and that that one good
dress was chosen, without exception,
as the appropriate garb in which to
make the exit from this worlds stage.
1t makes no difference what manner of
death is chosen, the costume is care
fully selected. Let a woman sleep her
life away under the influence of drugs,
or burn her soul out with acids, or
sink into the slime of the river, she
clothes herself in her most becoming
garments and seeks the end with APP
parent tranquility. Her instinct of
gentility and elegance in clothes is
with her to the last, and, even in the
face of death, she shrinks from a pub
lie appearance in unbecoming raj
ment. New York Sun.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

that is to meet at Mexico. 1t had few
powers of its own. All it could do on
most subjects was to give advice to
the states. yet it paved the way for a
strong national government.
In their progress toward federation
the American continents are far ahead
of Europe European international
conferences are held only for certain
specified purposes, and generally rep
resent only a limited number of pow
ers. But here we have all the coun-
tries of the hemisphere sending their
delegates for a general discussion Of
matters of common interest. Such
joint discussions cannot fail to draw
them closer together
There are many matters that are
within the field of practical action al
ready An international coin, for in
stance, which was one of the objects
discussed by the first Pan-Aerican con-
ference, is still thing to be desired.
And why should we not have It?
The delegation from the United
States is composed Of the following
members: Henry G. Davis of West
Virginia; W. 1. Buchanan, of Iowa;
Charles NJ Pepper, of the District of
Columbia; John Barrett, of Oregon;
Volney w. Foster. of Illinois; Jose l.
Rodriguez, secretary,
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17
Lincol7'S AT 80
Secretary and Historian

that of the ten-volume Life of Abra-
ham Lincoln" on which he and Mr..
Hay collaborated for twelve years.
The work is the standard authority on
all phases of Lincoln's public career.
1t tells the story of the historic epoch
of which Lincoln was the central fig
ure with an accuracy and fullness that
render it of permanent value and in
terest. 1t should be accounted one of
the fortunate circumstances of Ameri-
can history that two such able writer's
and political students as Nicolay and
Hay were in such close relations with
Lincoln and had begun collecting ma
terial for a history of the man and
his times almost from the beginning of
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

John @. Nicholay, the author of ten
volume biography of Abraham Lin
coin and of other works on the great
emancipation, died the other day in
Washington, aged SO, He had lived in
the national capital ever since 1860.
With the death of John G. Nicolay
there remains but one survivor of the
great war presidents official house
hold-John Hay, the present secretary
of state. All the members of Lincolns
cabinets and nearly all the men who
supported him in the senate and house
are dead. Mr.. Nicolay and Mr.. Hay
both were young men when they went
to Washington as Lincoln's private
secretaries in 1861. Both were men Of
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

In many OF the western and midland
counties of England the nineteenth
century closed with the most terrible
foods within living memory. Happily
few lives were lost, but hundreds OF
folk-mostly poor-were washed out of
hearth and home. Farmers, small and
great. lost cattle. sheep and poultry,
and immense damage was done to all
kinds OF property. One comic incident
was remarked at Alcester in Worces-
tershire. When the water fell the rec
tor took his walks abroad to see what
loss he had suffered. AS he passed
through an orchard he was greeted
with the piercing squeals of per-
picked pig. which had got mixed up in
the boughs Of damson tree. Probably
1t had been borne into the branches by
the rising food. When the waters
went down it was left high, and pos
s:bly dry, but terrified out of its wits.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17
A RArrLEsNAKE,s WISDOM.

The writer of this rode bronchos and
punched" cattle on the ranges Of
Montana and Wyoming twenty years
ago, and had an ample opportunity to
study the habits of rattlesnakes. He
knows how they went into their holes
then and it is doubtful if any improve
ment has since been made in their
method. They start in head first, and
one would promptly come to the con-
clusion that they reach the bottom of
their holes in this manner; but Mr..
Snake is too willy to keep his head
where he cannot have an eye on the
rest of his body. Therefore, as soon
as he enters the hole few inches
he makes half turn which brings
his head to the entrance again and
then permits the remainder of his
length to glide down out of sight. A
very simple performance, you will see.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

At last 1t is settled that the Pan
American conference in the City of
Mexico is to be held according to the
programme, which sets the date of the
first session for Oct. %. Chile has
waived her objections for the time and
appointed delegates, and that removes
the last obstacle.
Even IL nothing definite be accom-
plished by this conference it will do
great good Every such gathering
helps to bring the nations together and
familiarize them with the idea of CO.
operation. The first Pan-American
conference was held twelve years ago.
The next one may be held in half a
dozen years or less. After that SIM
liar gatherings may meet every year
or two, and when that happens the
federation of the Western Hemisphere
will be half accomplished.
A congress of the American repub-
lies meeting annually or bienniahy
would assume in time the character
istics of common government. 1t
would resemble the congress of the con-
federation that preceded the formation
OF our own Constitution.
That congress was composed of the
delegates of Independent states. 1t
was diplomatic body, like the one
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17
EnsIisb V,esys on Anarcbisfs.

The London Spectator and the Lon
don Saturday Review both have
leading editorial articles on the
assassination of President Mckinley,
in which they set forth views on the
problem of dealing with Anarchists.
The Spectator believes that men of
this dangerous character are increas-
ing, but it thinks nothing is to be
gained through sharper laws against
Anarchists and Anarchist literature.
Such laws, 1t says, only bind the des-
peradoes more firmly together. 1t
adds that there would be no injustice
in Furnishing any person who in type
recommends murder or suggests ways
of committing it, but the editor
doubts whether kings or presidents
would be much safer If all such liter
allure disappeared. The trouble is that
general denunciations of society,
which can hardly be punished, seem
to have the worst effects in arousing
the homicidal instinct. The Spectator
comes to the conclusion that little or
nothing can be done to prevent as
sassination that has not been done al
ready.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

ing in courage or bravery. If the oc-
casion demanded it nobody would
question for a moment the supposition
that President Roosevelt would have
the courage to hold a public recepticn
unguarded even at the spot where
President Mckinley fell. But we as a
nation would not be wise to permit
such proceeding if possible to pre-
vent it.
Stringent laws will probably be en-
acted with the view of crushing out
the spirit of anarchy, yet no effec-
prevent a degenerate from being born.
So long as such things can be only one
law will prove effective, and that is
one which will keep our officials
where the degenerate will be perman-
emily denied the opportunity to per-
form what he may imagine is his
earthly mission. Furthermore, while
such a law is being rigidly enforced it
will be we'll to begin to properly edu-
cate the masses, especially as to the
great responsibility of those who in
tend to become parents. The stock
breeder selects with the greatest pos
sible care the ancestors Of his herd.
At the same time human beings are
thrown into existence without proper
effort being made either by the par
ents or the government to improve the
standard of their perfection. Surely
humanity should have an equal chance
with the animals.
This is matter for serious consid-
Grafton in every home, as well as in
the legislative halls of our govern
ment. Thinking will play its impor-
tant part, but it will require action
to bring about good results. Proper
training is the first requisite. Latin,
Greek, ETC., are all good in their places,
yet there are other matters of far
greater Importance to the present as
well as future generations. The time
is ripe for proper and wise action to
| be taken.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17
CHLoRoFoRMING 1NouRABLEs.

CHLOROFORMING lNCURABLES'
1.-THE civilization of today has not
been ground to that. razor-edged
keenness when the painless putting to
their final sleep of incurables would
be justified" said a well-known Wash
ington alienist. "The progeny Of q
single couple of degenerates and pau.
pers have been traced to their varioui
qualifications through several genera
tons, and out of over 1000 descend
ants 95 per cent have become paupeTs
thieves, convicts, murderers, persons
of i'll repute and charges upon the pub
lie in one form or another, male and
female alike. Students of this inter
esting social question have made 9th
er compilations of degenerate fam
lilies with equally authentic and start
ling results. The power of the state
to legislate for the protection of the
majority against the acts of the min
GRITTY is undisputed, and is exemplifed
in many ways, notably in arresting
lawbreakers and combining them in
prisons, the control and restraint Of
lunatics, and the selling and isola-
ton of smallpox patients. In the ad
vanced civilization of future centuries
this power will have been greatly ex-
tended, and will, no doubt, place an
lron-bouDd restriction upon the mar
riage of persons in undesirable mental
and physical condition, with the OBJ
ject of the benefit of mankind in gen.
eral. "-Washington Star.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17
The Earth,s Bendings.

Little bendings are in progress all
the time the world over. The "immov-
able" hills are bowling and scraping to
each other constantly. Every evening.
as the dew settles in the valleys be-
tween them, they nod to one another.
So, likewise, do the mountains, even
to a greater extent. Gravity is Juggling
all the time. And in London, too,
where earthquake sensations are prac-
tically unknown, the earth bends daily,
and the buildings, like the hills and
the mountains, nod TO their friends OPP
posite when the morning traffic begins.
On Sunday, usually, their manners
take a rest, excepting in such places as
Petticoat Lane, where business -four
ishes in as lively fashion as in Paris.
Heine said that even the trees made
obeisance to Napoleon l. when he en-
tered Berlin. This was imaginative.
yet truthful, for the weight OF the
crowd along Inter den Linden made
a fitting sufficient for Prof. Mines
pendulums to have recorded distinctly.
One might say the crust of the earth
acts like a steel spring, it bends SO
easily.-Everybody's Magazine.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17
BIRDS wHIoH BORROW SONGS.

BIRDS WHICH BORROW SONGS.
More birds than most people are
aware of are able to initiate sounds
made by other animals and even hui
man speech. Bluejays, caught early
and properly trained, can be taught to
speak as well as most parrots, and the
same thing can be accomplished with
a crow, If he is caught young and his
tongue slit. M. H. Coupin, we'll
known naturalist, tells some curious
stories regarding the initiative powers
of certain birds which are generally
supposed to lack such attachments. He
tells of sparrow which learned to
Initiate the strident noise made by a
grasshopper The cage containing the
sparrow was hung during one spring
next to a cage in which were grass
hoppers. At that time the sparrow
took no notice of the noises made by
his neighbors; but the next spring,
when he found himself again in the
company of the grasshoppers, he
seemed to consider that it was Cup to
him" to take part in their daily SER
OhouSS' 1lO hdu0 sSNSidl dIIShPIS "
sing after the manner of his neighbors
and was moderately successful. For
the rest of his life, long after the
grasshoppers were dead, he would ev
cry now and then give vent to his
feelings in a strain composed partly
of the notes of the grasshoppers and
partly of the notes of other birds. M.
Coupin declares that linnets some
times will learn the song of the night
ingale instead of their own, and that
he has found several species of birds
in Thuringia which sing borrowed
notes better than the birds from
which they learned them.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

According to advices from Kiel, Ger
many, the new high school there for
the teaching of shipbuilding and con-
struction of machinery will be opened
in 1908. The school will be wholly in
the hands of the state, but the cost
win only in part be borne by the
state, the town of Kiel contributing
$4,000. There will be one department
for the learning of shipbuilding, each
course lasting one year. and another
department for machinery, the course
OF instruction being divided into four
quarters of the year, classes being held
In the evenings and on Sundays for
shipwrlghts, locksmiths and smiths.
The Krupp Germanie wharf has al
ready promised as much as 225O an
nually for the next ten years towards
the expense.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17
CHINEsE USES or FLouR.

In all the Chinese cities a very large
percentage of the population lives in a
sort of hand-to-mouth fashion, buy
ing food from restaurants. Hot water
is sold from stands by people who
make business of providing it. The
great necessity for economy in fuel
seems to be the primary cause of this
mode of living. Restaurants are the
great consumers of foreign flour.
Throughout central and southern
China very little baked bread is used,
and the flour is consumed in the form
of dough, vermicelli, or dumplings
filled with chopped meat, or meat and
vegetables, or fruit The -four is
made into dough and worked into a
leathery form by man operating a
bamboo fastened at one end. The
worker sits on the other end of the
bamboo and presses and works the
dough until it is quite tough; it Is then
pressed into thin sheets and cut into
strings, boiled, and thus eaten, or
made into dumplings and then steamed
and eaten. In nearly every case it is
eaten while hot. This foreign flour is
also used quite extensively in cakes
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

wisdom is not the same as under
standing; nor is II talent, or capacity,
ability, sagacity, sense, or prudence;
neither will all these together make 1t
up. 1t is that exercise of ths reason
into which the heart enters-a struc-
ture OF the understanding rising out of
the moral and spiritual nature. It is for
this cause that high order CT wisdom
that is, a highly intellectual wisdom
r-is still more rare than a high order
of genius. When they reach the very
highest order they are one; for each
includes the others. and intellectual
greatness is matched with moral
strength.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17
The Fulmar Petrol.

The fulmar petrol somewhat re
sembles a common gull at distance,
but has a much more graceful flight,
Swimming the waves, or lowering by
the cliffs, without perceptible motion
of its wings. 1t makes it's nest upoA
the grassy lodges and cliffs of st.
Kilda, and is caught with a rod in
the same way as putin, only, an 1t
is found on the precipices, 1t is moro
difficult to secure. It was greatly val
ued formerly for its oils, of which each
bird has about half pint, and which it
uses as means Of defense, and elects
with great force at the enemy. The
present general use of mineral oils
makes that of the fulmar of less i'm
portance, but it is the purest animal
oil in existence, and is still used for
various purposes, and also incidentally
by the natives for sprains and bruises.
Good Words.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

Less than one hundred dollars, spent
By the Improvement League of Mont
clair, New Jersey, has done more to
cleanse and beautify the place, says
the town council. than the thousands
OF dollars the town has expended in
conventional ways The league began
by Offering prizes for clean and orderly
back yards and alleys, and went on to
give prizes for the best vine-covered
fence, the finest vegetable plot and the
most beautiful Towering plant. Then
IL organized the children to pick up
waste paper from the streets, keep the
school yards neat, and tidy up" the
vacant lots. In six months Montcfair
became a noticeably attractive place.
and a wholesome one, too, for the
death rate had perceptibly lessened.
Like methods will yield similar results
In any other town, and 1t will not be
necessary to spend much money pro-
vided a few people are willing to uss
inspired common sense"
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17
TWENTY-FIVE DOLLAR LuNoEEa.

1t is pleasant to be able to teach
even the Figaro its Paris history.
read the story of Emile, so long fam
Gus as maitre d'hotel of Bignons, and
the mysterious diner who ate one
shrimp, one radish, two or three
spoonfuls of soup especially pre-
pared for him, mouthful OF sole, a
slice from an entire chicken, a nibble
at beefsteak, two leaves of lettuce,
four grapes, one glass of the finest
wine and a bottle of champagne that
he simply used as the ordinary indi-
vidual uses rose water. His lunch
never cost less than $25, and he always
distributed $40 in tips. The Figaro
says no one knew who he was. Well.
l can put the dots on the 'i's" and the
crosses on the "t's' to that story. He
was an Englishman and was Familiarity
known as "Tubby" Morris. He lived
at the Grand hotel and there he died
some years ago. He was one of the
rare men who made money out of bet
ting. He could never pull out news
paper without finding several bank.
notes mixed up in it's pages. His gen
crosby was proverbial among the poor.
London Sketch.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

more than ordinary powers, and in the
stern school of those crucial times
they developed unusual diplomatic
and executive abilities. To how great
a degree Mr.. Nicolays faithful services
contributed to President Lincoln's
success cannot be estimated, but it is
certain that his work at the White
House was the most important OF his
life. He also performed a valuable
public service when he chose John
Hay as his assistant, thus turning the
talents of the young Illinois lawyer
into the channel OF national politics.
The work for which Mr.. Nicolay will
be longest remembered, however, is
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

Napoleon Pierre Guicheveau, 113
years old. died recently at Braeux
Bridge. La. Guicheveau was born in
France in 1888 and emigrated to Amer
lea at the age of 65. After a short res
idence in New York city he came to
Louisiana and settled at Breaux
Bridge, where he married, and during
his phenomenal years of life retained
the respect of the community. Up to
the hour OF his death Guicheveau re-
tanned his sight, hair and all his faoul-
ties
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

and Chinese corrections Of various
kinds. In a great many of these res
taurants the native -four made from
native wheat is used for The inside OF
the dumping and dough bread and the
finer and white -four is used as COW
ering. The Chinese appetite seems to
demand boiled or steamed food rather
than baked; hence, very little foreign
flour is. baked into bread for Chinese
consumption.-Cons Report.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

The millionaire Crawl Solodovni-
koff. who recently died at Moscow, left
all his possessions, valued at 25, 600, 900
rubleg, for the founding of high
schools for girls. training schools for
workmen and cheap lodging houses for
the poor. During his life he had al
ready spent large sums for a music
school and hospital, yet he was not
esteemed wealthy because in private
life he was known as a miser and an
inexorable creditor.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17
In THE ODD CORNER.
QUEER AND CURIOUS THINGS AND
EVENTS.
They sing-A Sparrow which
to Initiate the strident Noise
'Grasshopper.
Changes.

Changes.
1t Is not now as in the days when she
Made life the world, and all of heaven
to me;
Something is missing from that world
those skies
The old-time tenderness in her dear
eyes,
1t is not now as the days when she
Whispered Loves flowers shall
bloom eternallyi"
When that l deemed one word-one
sigh-one breath,
Could make Love dare the desolate
Gates of DEATH
All-all is changed; nor earth, nor
heaven above
Holds anything that ever 1 shall love.
The past is dead, and dim the future
seems,
And Loves dream within a world of
dreams!
Atlanta Constitution.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17
Cbe Human Race Problem.

The assassination of President Nc
Kinley has brought our country face
to face with condition of affairs
which requires radical and wise meth
DDS of treatment to guard against a
repetition of similar crimes, writes
Prof. G. W. Cunningham in the Chi
cago Tribune. 1t is generally conceded
that our public officials are not lack
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

Struggled goods In large quantities
are brought from Windsor, Ontario, to
Detroit. Most of this work is done by
women, who secrete the smuggled ar
ticles under their skirts. In some of
the Windsor stores are private dress
ing-rooms for the patrons, where they
carefully prepare themselves to esude
the vigilance OF Uncle Sans customs
officers.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

After chase which had led him
from Galveston to Buffalo. William
Curran, of st. Louis, reported to the
police OF New York that he had been
unable TO capture his 13-year-oId son
Louis. who ran away eighteen months
ago, and asked their help. The boy
first went te Galveston. His father
traced him there. When he heard his
father was in town looking for him
the boy left that city for Buffalo. Again
the father pursued, only to find that
his boy had started for New York. Now
both are in that city-somewhere. The
police promised to search for the boy.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

A pot which cannot boil over has
been invented by a Berlin machinist.
1t has perforated rim, and the over
flowing liquid returns to the utensil.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

The smallest bird is the hummins
bird of Brazil It is little larger than
the common honey bee, and weighs
about five grains.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-17

his administration. It is gratifying
that Mr.. Nicolay, in spite of poor
health. lived to reap liberal reward
of reputation and money for his SER
vices as biographer and historian.