davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08

Dodo is the Portuguese name for
simpleton, and it is given to the silliest
bird that ever lived. Three hundred
years ago, when the Portuguese first
visited the island Of Mauritius, they
found large number of these birds.
They were about the size OF large
swan, blackish gray in color and hav-
ing only bunch Of feathers in place
Of a tail and little. useless wings.
More stupid and foolish birds could
not be imagined. They ran about max
ing silly, Kissing noise like goose,
and the sailors easily knocked them
over with their paddles. They couldn't
fly, they couldn't swim, they couldn't
run at any great speed, and. as for
fighting. they were the greatest cow
ards in the world. They were much
too stupid to build nest. and so they
dropped an egg and went off TO let it
hatch as best it could.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
A Chinese stratagem.

Rajah Suran, who was one of the
earliest rulers of India, overran the
entire east with the exception Of Chi
ma, killed innumerable sultans with his
own hand and married all their daugh-
tiers. 1t is said that when the Chinese
heard Of his triumphant progress and
learned that he had reached their
frontier they became much alarmed
The emperor called a council of his
generals and mandarins, and upon the
advice of a crafty old mandarin the
following strategem was carried out:
A large ship was loaded with rusty
nails, trees were planted ON the deck,
the vessel was manned by a numerous
crew Of old men and dispatched to the
rajah's capital. When it arrived-the
most wonderful part of the story is
that it did arrive-the rajah sent an
officer to ask how long it had taken the
vessel to make the trip from China.
The Cinnamon answered that they had
all been young men when they set sail
and that on the voyage they had plant
ed the seeds from which the great trees
had grown. In confederation of their
story they pointed to the rusty nails
which, they said, had been stout iron
bars as thick as mans arm when
they started. "You can see," they con-
Guided, that China must be very
long distance away"
The rajah was so much impressed
by these plausible arguments that he
concluded he would not live long
enough to reach China and abandoned
his projected invasion.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
The Penmanship of Authors.

Is there really any connection be-
tween the cast Of a writer's mind and
his handwriting? asks The Pail Mall
Gazette. Thackeray was one of the
neatest Of writer's and boosted that If
other trades failed he could get his liv-
ing by writing the Lords Prayer on a
shilling. Keats wrote like clerk, and
Gray, Tom Moore, Leigh Hunt and Sir
Walter Scott all used running hands,
which were legible without any mark
cd characteristics. The same may be
said of the writings of Anthony Troll
lope and Professor TyndaIl, none, per-
haps, of these writer's being much
given to subtlety Of expression.
Carlyle, on the other hand, is said to
have produced the most untidy and
awful scribble that ever puzzled a COM
positor, and Victor Hugo, Browning
and Tennyson were nearly as bad.
Yet, although this looks as If there
might be some sort of a'rule in such
matters, we find Napoleon, who GER
tainly never failed in directness Of ex-
precision, writing a hand that he could
not read himself, and Macready, the
actor, whose order for the theater was
once taken for a prescription for a
cough mixture.
One thing seems pretty certain-that
the mere size of the letters has little
to do with character.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08

"Well," said the doctor, peeping into
the room where Wellington Trash, the
great poker expert, was waiting fol
the returns, 81 suppose Y ! will re
gard this as a mere formaiity. but
must congratulate you nevertheless OIL
the fact that you have fine boy across
the hall"
"Hir' said Mr.. Trash. That's good
Come in and take something"
Excuse me for a moment" the doc
tor replied. Presently he returned. put
his head into Mr.. Frash's den and said
Let me congratulate you again. Yor
have two fine boys across the hall"
Mr.. Trash opened his mouth as If tC
respond. but before he could do so the
doctor was gone again. Presently BIZ
bounded in the new fathers presence
saying: by George. you have three
fine boys across the hallp'
He was starting back when Mr.
Trash hurried forward, grasped hin
by the shoulder and in excited tones
cried:
Say. doc. hold on. Three of kline
are good enough for me. | stand pat
Chicago Herald.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08

when l came to town, noticed q
little, round swelling on my wrist"
said visitor from the country. cit
bothered me, and one day when saw
a sign, DIR. John Doe / thought I'd
go in and have 1t looked at Well,
was shown into fine room, and in a
minute pleasant looking man came in.
DIR. DoeY / says and held up my
wrist.
"'Ah, a weeping sinew,' says he, as
if he'd been waiting years for chance
to study case like mine.
81 didn't say anything, but kept my
wrist out with the hand hanging limp
while he took down a book from the
shelf. l expected him to turn over the
pages and look up my trouble under
S or w and then prescribe something.
Instead he gave me a crack on the
wrist like thousand of brickl 1t was
right on the swelling and hurt like q
cannon ball. 1 jumped high in the air
and yelled.
Your weeping sinew's gone says
the doctor quietly. Three dollars
81 was too much surprised to say a
word, and l paid it. But no wonder
your city doctors get rich. Three dol
lars! Any blacksmith would have
done that job for the fun of doing it,
New York Post.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08

Sir Walter Raleigh seems to have had
a pretty taste in stimulants, to judge
by his cordial water" the recipe for
which is copied from cookbook near
ly 300 years old. This is how Sir Wal
ter concocted his favorite drink:
"Take a gallon of strawberries and
put them into a pint of aqua vitae
(brandy). Let them stand so four or
five days. Strain them gently out and
sweeten the water as you please with
fine sugar or else with perfume"
Queen Elizabeth was exceedingly
fond of perfumes, and, according to
this old book, her favoriie scent was
made in this manner: "Take eight
spoonfuls of compound water, the
weight of twopence in fine powdered
sugar and boil it on hot embers or Goals
softly. Add half an ounce of sweet
marjoram, dry it in the sun, the weight
of twopence Of powdered benjamin
(benzoin0. This perfume is very good
and sweet for the time"
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
The Lemon.

The lemon contains various acids,
citric acid among them. with citrate of
potash. and these acids oxidize in the
blood into carbonates of potash and
carbonic acid. AS scurvy is believed to
be due to lack of potash salts in the
blood. we see how substances like lem
ons. potatoes and fresh vegetables gen.
orally act as preventives of the all
ment. Also in rheumatism. in which
1t is desirable to maintain the alkaline
character of the blood, lemons arc of
service. Beyond this | do not think
anybody can vaunt the properties of
the fruit. A healthy person has no
more need of lemons than of, say, tea,
for his ordinary food will supply him
with all that is necessary for the
maintenance of sound body. People
who talk about lemons as good for the
liver" and so forth, found their belief
rather on faith than on knowledge
London Chronicle.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
A Patti Satire.

During one Of Adelina PATHS last
tours in the United States. the follow
ing preliminary notice was published
by western editor:
Nine. Patti Nicolini, tho eminent
vocalist and farewellist, VII come to
us for positively the last t:mc next
year. All those who expect 70 die be-
fore the year after next will do well
to hear the human nightingale on this
trip, for Patti never says goodby
twice In the same year. and to die
without hearing her strike Der high
two thousand dollar note Is 10 seek the
hereafter in woeful ignorance Of the
heights to which woman with good
lungs, castle in Wales and who only
uses one kind of soap eau soar when
she tries"
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
Killed in the Mine.

An accident occurred at the Lightner
mine at Angels last Friday afternoon
that caused the death of one miner and
seriously injured another. A skip
loaded with two tons of rock was taken
to the top of the hoist and held before
unloading. The brakes refused to hold
and the loaded skip started back down
the shaft. The engineer could not stop
it and it went to the bottom of the 700
foot shaft and struck Martin Zglove
and John Martincich, who were at work
there. Zglove was instantly killed,
and Martincich had leg broken and
was otherwise seriously injured. The
falling skip tore out three sets of the
lower tim bers.-Calaveras Citizen.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
Strange Hiding Places,

There are standing at the present day
EliZabethan houses known to contain
hidden chambers. The very positions
of these chambers can be shown, yet
their secrets have remained inviolate
for centuries. the spring that should
serve as the open sesame being undis-
coverable. Some day the accidental
touch of girls finger may set COL
umn of stone rotating or a panel slid
ing or door in picture frame retreat
ing on invisible hinges. and the secret
If any remain-will be revealed.
The place of mystery in these an
cient oranges that served as shelter to
friend in distress might equally prove
the death of an enemy of the house.
The priests hole behind fireplace was
easily converted into an oven. There
were staircases which the foot Of a
friend might press in perfect security.
Another. not instructed how to tread,
sets his foot apparently on the same
place, the stair yawns open. and at the
end Of the pit Is the water. Here Is
much romance.-London Chronicle.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
On a Russian Railway Train.

Toilet arrangements such as satisfy
the Russian are at his disposal in first
and second class trains, but the third
class passengers have no such luxuries.
When the train halts for the breakfast
interval, those who travel third class
may be seen performing their ablu-
tons at the platform tap They fill a
can like a gardeners watering pot,
suck through the spout a mouthful of
the water, spit it into the followed
palms and then rub their faces 1t is
a disgusting process. performed with
out soap or towel, and, though it may
be amusing to the onlooker. 1t Is not
very cleansing to the operator Yet
this is the method of ablution adopted
by the poorer Russian on his travels
Chambers Journal
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
Getting Personal.

The favorite Scottish method of deal
ing with sleepers in church was pub
licly to denounce the delinquents. The
Christian Leader tells this story:
When the Rev. Walter Dunlap, min
lister of United Presbyterian church
in Dumfries, saw member of his flock
nodding while he was preaching, he
stopped suddenly and said:
81 doot some O. We haze taen over
mony whey porridge the day. Sit up,
or I'll name We ootr'
Another Caledonian preacher, on like
provocation, cried out, Hold up yer
heads, my friends, and mind that mel
Their saints nor sinners are sleeping In
the next world"
Then, finding that this general ex-
hortation was insufficient to deter a
certain well known member of the
church from getting his nights rest
forward, the reverend gentleman turn
ed toward the offender and said:
James Stewart, this is the second
time have stopped to waken We. If l
need to stop third time, I'll expose We
by name to the whole congregation"
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
Pipe Smoking.

There are many pipe smokers who do
not know how to get the best there Is
out of their indulgence. The great
point in pipe smoking is to smoke slow
ly. Nervous smokers smoke too rapidly
and burn their tongues with hot smoke,
besides failing entirely to get the full
est and best flavor out of the tobacco.
1t is all matter of habit. but slow
smoking is habit which it. is hard
for some people to acquire. In some
cases pipe smokers have tried for years
to check their smoking speed without
success. They began too late, and the
habit of rapid smoking is shaken off
with difficulty when it is once acquired.
Rapid smoking Is as bad as rapid
eating-or worse. 1t is also bad FORM"
Whether it is cigar, pipe or cigarette.
the smoking should be deliberate in or
der to get the fullest enjoyment. 1t is
especially so with a pipe.-New York
Press.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08

Sonet1fneS, however,
the husbands attention is directed to
DIR. Pierce's Favorite Prescription and
its remarkable cures of worianly dis
eases. He may not have much hope of
cure, but he is led to try the medicine,
with the result that in almost every case
there is perfect and permanent cure.
DIR. Pierce's Favorite Prescription cures
irregularity. It dries the drains which
weaken women, heals Inflammation and
liberation, and cures female weakness.
AS tonic for women who are nervous,
sleepless, WORKOUT and rundown VIA
vorite Prescription" is unequaled,
Yin answer to your letter will say. nv wife
commenced to complain twenty years ago y
writes Lewis A. Miller -Chief-ofPolice Of a,
Prospect ST., Weissport, Pa. 1--WE have tried the
skill of twelve different doctors She took gal
Ions OF medicine during the time she was i'll,
until I wrote to you and YOU told us what to do
She has taken eight bottles of Dr. Pierce's Fa-
yorite Prescription, and six of the Golden Med
icai Discovery She caA do her own work now
and can walk around again and Is quite smart "
"Favorite Prescription " has the testi-
nony of thousands of women to its conf
plete cure of womanly diseases, Do not
accept an unknown and improved sub
stitute in its place.
DR.. Pierce's Pleasant Pellets invigor-
ate stomach, liver and bowels.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
Death Gulch.

A ravine in the northeast corner Of
Yellowstone National park, in Wyo-
ming, is known by those living near by
as Death gulch. Grewsome as is the
name, it Is exceedingly appropriate. 1t
is shaped trench cut in the noun
tainside and begins about 250 feet
above Cache creek. Apparently 1t
forms natural shelter for the beasts
of the forest, as food, water and shelter
are there, but entrance to the gulch
means death to any animal, for the
poisonous vapors that rise out Of the
ravine are more deadly than the bullets
of the huntsmen.
For ages this death trap In the Rocky
mountains has probably been Turing the
inhabitants of the forest to their doom.
With the rains of spring the bones Of
the dead of the preceding year are car
ried down to the creek and the gulch
cleared for the death harvest of the
summer and winter.
The biologists say that the lavas
which fill the ancient basin of the park
at this place rest upon the tanks Of
mountains formed of fragmentary vol
canic elects. Gaseous emanations are
given out in great volume. These come,
the scientists say, from deposits Of al
tered and crystalline travertine mixed
with pools in the creek. Above these
deposits the creek cuts into a bank of
sulphur. In the bottom of the gully Is
a small stream sour with sulphuric
acid.
No wonder the poor animals seeking
shelter in the gulch meet death there.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
Sure of a Visit.

AS a rule, said prison warden, a
man is in respondent mood during
his first weeks Imprisonment. There
are exceptions, however, as this incl
dent will show.
One Saturday about dinner time
was suddenly accosted by one of the
new arrivals who had served the first
week of his sentence.
81 say" he remarked, has a lady
been asking for me at the gateY'
told him that if he had been want
ed the governor would have sent for
him.
"Oh, very well. Keep COOL" he said.
This is the first time for ten years
I've put in q full weeks work. and the
old woman is sure to be at the gate for
my wages"
And with a grin the cheerful one
passed on.-London Answers.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
Dickens and His Titles.

Charles Dickens had great difficulty
in choosing titles for his various pub
locations, says The Golden Penny. The
following is list of no fewer than II
suggestions given by the author to his
adviser. Foster, for the title of one
book. out of which. need hardly be add
ed, No. was chosen:
l. According to Croker.
2. Prove 1t.
3. Stubborn Things.
4. Mr.. Grandgrind's Facts.
d. 8. The Grindstone.
6. Hard Times.
Z. Two and Two Are Four.
8. Something Tangible.
8. Our Hard Headed Friend.
10. Rust and Dust.
IL. Simple Arithmetic.
II. A Matter of Calculation.
13. A Mere Matter of Figures.
IA. The Grandgrind Philosophy.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
Hxnnotic Influence.

Buyer-Look here, you! You said this
horse was sound and kind and free
from tricks. The first day drove him
he fell down a dozen times. and he's
as bad today.
Dealer-Um-you've been wondering
If cheated you, maybe?
eyes, have"
"And the first time you drove the
boss you wondered If he hadn't some
tricks, didn't you"
"Of course"
"And you kept saying to yourself,
4 wonder if that there boss will tum-
BILE down. eh?"
Probably"
"And you had your mind on It a
good deal, most like"
"That's true"
'Thats wots the matter You've
hypnotized him. Seer
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
Ten Cents Per Copy.
lone Cuttings.
(From the Echo.)

| " rOm JQ0 ECQO.
Grant Prouty is in a San Francisco
hospital recovering from a recent
operation on his nose, an unnatural
growth of bone having been removed.
Ed Gartlin is at Sacramento con-
sulting with physicians regarding the
trouble of his right optic. He fears
that there is cancerous growth on
the lid.
The Buena Vista Copper Mining
and Reduction Company recently
placed 5000 shares in lone. This COM
pany has one of the most promising
properties in the country, and great
results are anticipated.
Two years ago Miss Florence French
had fall and run a splinter into her
knee.z AT the time she removed it
ALL as she supposed. Some time ago
the spot began troubling her, and of
late had become exceedingly painful.
On Tuesday Miss French consulted DR..
Tyrrell, an operation was performed,
and splinter an inch in length was
| removed.
G. F. Fratas, wood hauler, was
bitten by tarantula Thursday, and
was badly frightened by it. Heshad
thrown stick of wood from the wagon
into Frank Frates' yard, when he felt
a singing sensation on the right fore
finger. He saw that it was a deadly
tarantula, and swapping it off, went
to drug store and had remedy ap-
piled. Soon his arm became paining,
and his hand to swell, which caused
him to make haste to DR.. Tyrrell, who
applied the necessary remedies. No
serious results are anticipated.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
Shorts In n Corner.

eyes," said young Mr.. Bashful to his
best girl, "the stock market has been
through considerable excitement of
late"
"Oh, yes" the girl responded, eager to
take part in conversation on a topic
which interested her Adolphus. 81
have read a lot about it in the paper
all about those dreadful bulls and
bears and things"
eyes," Adolphus went on; "they got
the shorts in corner and effectually
squeezed them"
"Did theyT
eyes,"
81 think" the demure maid added,
after a few minutes meditation, "that
If ever become speculator 1 shall be
short"
A few minutes later she found it was
not necessary to speculate in stock in
order to be treated as a sshort." Pitts
burg Commercial Gazette.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
Arundel Castle,

The most singlar circumstance about
Arundel castle is that its owner, by
mere right of ownership, is Earl of
Arundel in the peerage of England. 1t
is believed that there Is no similar eE-
ample of peerage held on such oondi-
lions. Apparently there would be no
legal obstacle, were the house of How
ard to fall upon evil days and the cas-
tie be sold to some millionaire. to pre-
vent the millionaire taking his seat in
the house of lords as Earl of Arundel.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
The Children's Friend.

You'll have cold this winter. Nav
be you have one now. Your children
will suffer too. For coughs. Group,
bronchitis, grip and other winter COM
plants One Minute Cough Cure never
fails. Acts promptly. 1t is very pleas
ant to the taste and perfectly harmless.
G. B. George, Winchester, KY, writes
"0ur little girl was attacked with
Group late one night and was so hoarse
she could hardly speak. We gave her
few doses of One Minute Cough Cure.
1t relieved her Immediately and she
went to sleep. When she awoke next
morning she had no signs of hoarse-
ness or Group" Kerr's Pharmacy,
jackson,
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
GEO. |. WRIGHT & son
How Customs vnrx.

She-ln some parts of Australia
when man marries each of the hrIdr S
relatives strikes him with stick by
way Of welcome into the family
He Yes. and in many parts of Amer
ica when man -marries each of the
brides relatives strikes him with n
loan by way of welcoming him into the
family New York Times.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
500 Reward, 500.

The readers of this paper will be
pleased to learn that there is at least
one dreaded disease that science has
been able to cure in all it's stages, and
that is Catarrh. Halls Catarrh Cure
is the only positive cure known to the
medical fraternity. Catarrh being a
constitutional disease, requires a con-
stitutional treatment. Halls Catarrh
Cure is taken internally, acting directly
upon the blood and mucous surfaces of
the system, thereby destroying the
foundation of the disease, and giving
the patient strength by building up
the constitution and assisting nature
in doing its work. The prOprietOrs
have so much faith in its curative pow
ers, that they offer One Hundred Dol
lars for any case that it fails to cure.
Send for list of testimonials.
Address, F. J. CHENEY & Co.,
Toledo, o.
Sold by Druggists, Toe.
Halls Family Pills are the best.
Does your dealer keep
Jesse Moore Whiskey?
If not, insist on his
Getting it for you.
The finest in the world.
Subscribe for the Ledger. Only
$3.50 a year.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
Most Satisfying.

They were speaking of the billinn
aires insufferable pretensions.
upon what meat does this CIR
Caesar feed that he has grown 20
great% exclaimed Mordaunt bitterly.
"Mints meat, possibly| observed
Meltravers, trying to be cheaply witty
while yet preserving the easy grace of
q man Of the world.-Detroit Free
Press,
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
Need Not Feel Lonesome

Rubberton-May inquire what your
business is, stranger?
Stranger (haughtily)-Sir, I'm a gen.
tieman.
Rubberton-Well, reckon that's a
good business, stranger; but you're not
the only man that's failed at it.-Chi-
cago News.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
Unavoidable.

"Why do you wander aimlessly from
place to place" inquired the philan-
thropist.
"Well," answered Meandering Mike,
"eight hours sleep day is enough for
anybody. And Yves gotter do something
wit de other 16 hours, amt weP-
Washington Star.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
A BLACK Flower.

Fame and fortune await the ingcn
ious horticulturist who can succeed in
producing a flower that is entirely
black, problem that has hitherto de
fed the efforts that have been made in
that direction for more than three zen
turtles past. for, notwithstanding TIE
sensational novel of Alexandra Dumas
entitled "The Black Tulip" there Is no
such thing as really black flower il
existence, although almost every color
and shade of the rainbow is pIcsrnl III
flowers and blossoms
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
TactfuI.

Mrs. Nosepoke-Jonn, don't you Tho K
it's about time for us to call on our
new neighbors?
Husband-Why, they only moved in
this morning.
Mrs. Nosepoke-Oh, know. but all
their stuff will be downstairs and l can
see 1t better.-Ohio State Journal.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
The Editor Won.

A London paper described a chill
dren's excursion as a. long. white
scream of JOY" and was called to &C
count by a correspondent who said
that a scream could be long. but not
white, whereupon the editor justified
himself by urging that "a hue is often
associated with a cry"
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08

Mother-Sir. hope my little boy
doesn't worry you by his fretting and
crying He isn't well. or he wouldn't
act so.
Mr. Man oh. no All children act
that way. I'm used to itin fact.
haven't seen a well child for 20 years.
Chicago Herald.
Amador ledger., 1901-11-08
squeezed them,
"Did theyp
How to Cult Chewing Tobacc

1V" 70 VuHI CHeWIMS IOUACCOs
The substitute cure" is worthy of
the attention Of sufferers. We have a
citizen Of Mobile who has tried it. He
was an inveterate chewer of tobacco.
He stopped chewing and took to chew
ing pine stick. He always has this
bit of wood between his teeth, in wax
ing hours at least. He has not tasted
tobacco in many years.-Mobile Reg
lister,