davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21

AZ -
WON HIS BET.
How q Natick Man Got q Word with
the Prince of Wales by
Accident.

An old story of the king. When
as prince of Wales-he visited Amer
lea in 1859, it was inevitable that all
good Americans should wish to have
speech with him, says London NJ. A.
P. Now, at a place called Natick,
not many miles from Boston, there
lived one Barnes, who kept a hotel.
Barnes was a good-natured fellow
with bad stammer, and was the butt
of the practical jokes Of such wags
as there were in Natick. On the eve
of the big parade in Boston, he am
nounced his intention of going to see
the prince.
Whatever for?" said one of his
friends. ''You won't get near him,
and ten to one you won't SO much
as get glimpse of him."
''I'll b-b-b-b-et ten dollars that I'll
g-g-g-et right up to him and t-t-t-alk
to him, t-t-oo," stammered Barnes,
greatly daring.
The bet was taken then and there,
q committee was appointed to go to
Boston with Barnes to see fair, and
next morning he was piloted by it's
members to the city and up to the
ropes which had been stretched to
keep back the crowd. They could see
the prince, but squad of police pre-
vented all outsiders from getting
anywhere near him. Yet Mr.. Barnes
simply murmured:
"W-w-wait minute" As he spoke
the beautiful black horse which had
been picked for the princes riding
was led up. He was very fresh-too
fresh, as the sequel proved-but the
grooms quoted him down well
enough for the prince-then little
more than boy-to mount safely.
But scarcely was he seated, when the
horse began to plunge and rear very
violently, so that the prince was un-
seated, landing on all tours on the
turf. There was the widest excite
ment on the part of the crowd near
est at hand, the police lost control
and Mr.. Barnes opportunity came.
He lodged under the ropes and was
the first to grab the bride of the
riderless horse.
The prince quickly rose and limped
to the horses head, while all circled
round to learn if he were badly hurt.
'Your horse is feeling p-p-pretty
good to-day, p-p-prince," remarked
Barnes, as the prince came up.
"a little too good" was the terse
reply.
Still holding the bride, Barnes
turned to the COMMITTEE" who were
craning over the ropes, watching the
incident with an excitement that had
driven all thought of the ridiculous
wager out of their heads.
81 guess I'll take that t-t-ten dol.
lars now!" he shouted.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21

have become exhausted, and sunk
deeper, can the theory be settled.
There il luck in drilling wells, as
in mining. The driller Of the first
well here had gone 1926 feet beyond
the oil stratum, and an accident to
th. drill is the cause OF the discovery
~ ali which made his fortune. He with
drew the drill and discovered indica-
TONS Of oil. In explanation it may be
stated that in drilling the thick earth
an formation and water often prevent
the oil from coming to the surface,
and unless one be an experienced
drillers he is likely to pass the Oil
stratum and not know It, as was the
oase with the first gusher, which has
made Beaumont famous, and caused
It to develop into the greatest oil field
~ tho world. It is 9 curious TACT
+h,t some Of the drillers when near
inc the distance at which oil may pc
Encountered, usually 1000 feet. has
ten work, or progress slowly as sne
cas. NAV be, so as to strike the az
bearing sand on Friday. Iney s"Psn
stitiously think that Friday VIZ
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21
GIRL MANAGES BRICK YARD.
She Masters Every De.sil of the
Business and Makes Money
Mt 1t.

Perhaps Owensboro, KY, has the only
young lady in the country who is en-
gagged in the business of manufacture
ing brick and who can lay brick as
rapidly as any man and do any kind
of work in connection with the man
ufacture and use of brick that q man
can do and perform it as rapidly. She
is Miss Ida Hafner, and operates an
extensive brick manufacturing plant
in the lower end of the city. She has
been known to dig and cart the clay
for 5000 bricks in day and to wheel
and set 10000 bricks in a day. She is
assisted by her mother and younger
sister, and many of the residences
and business houses of the city were
built with brick made by them.
About four years ago the husband
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21
bring them luck IN drilling for on
out will not begin drilling . well on

ollng them luck IN drilling for OF,
out Will not begin drilling . well on
Friday. "
Drilling for oil is more hazardous
tnan sinking shafts for gold or sill
yer. The formation of the earth in
oicates the possible existence Of
these metals, and to the miner there
are indications that they exist. But,
with the oil driller, there are no in
olcatlons on the surface of what ex-
lists beneath, and he must be guided
only by his theories of the forma-
ton OF the country, and he reasons
from those theories that oil should
exist there. Accordingly, he drills .
well, and after he has gone 100 feet,
the indications are no more assuring
than on the surface. He is in the
dark until he strikes oil, or Aban.
dons the well as q cluster" He
may have just missed the oil stream
by few feet. The man whom luck
seems to follow persistently sinks .
well near by and strikes It rich. In
mining, ore of an inferior grade 10
usually found as the shaft progresses.
and some of it at least is 'pay ore"
and thus the miner is encouraged by
good indications, and frequently by
the finding of good ore that partly
recompenses his great losses. But the
oil driller has no encouragement, and
finds nothing until he reaches .
''gusher," if at all. Thus many for
tunes are lost, and only few are
made. OF the Is gushers in the Beau
mont oil field the reading public hears
a great deal, but nothing is said OF
the 100 busters. They will be heard
Of only when they strike oil. Nor
does one hear of the miner who sinks
his fortune in the earth. But tho
bonanza king is heard of, and thou
sands rush to the mining camp or oil
field under the impression that it is
$50 easy to make fortune. The oil
fever is as delusive as mirage.
Rice culture is another industry that
contains . large element of chance,
but not SO much as mining or drilling
oil wells, nor is there as much chance
to swindle the planter. However, his
plantation may be "salted," and is, FREE
quently. This proves detrimental to
his crop. The fat, marshy lands of the
gulf coast are specially adapted to
rice culture, and being SO near the
gulf is the cause of danger to the
growing crops. Rice must have water,
and plenty of it, and the trouble is that
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21
BRAIN WORKERS EAT APPLES.
story of One Who Makes q Late Sup
per on Half u Dozen with
Plenty of Cider.

The declaration is made by an in
vestigator that he has discovered a
food that is peculiarly adapted to the
needs of the literary man. This man
asserts that apples, and raw apples at
that, are the best diet on which to
feed genius. He tells Of the penchant
of his father, a man of letters, who
lived to the age of nearly 80, for APP
pie pudding, which he ate almost
daily, and raw apples, which he ate
morning, noon and night. He adds:
''It is surprising how many per-
sons fancy that raw apples are indi-
gestible, and only endurable in the
early morning. Doubtless the old
adage that fruit is gold in the morn
ing and lead at night is to some ex-
tentanswerable for this, to my think
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21

ing, erroneous impression. 1 find that
after working late at night, say till
twelve or one o'clock in the morning,
one gets hungry, and that then five
or six apples or more, according to
their size, with draught of good
cider, constitutes a most agreeable
and wholesome supper, and one that
conduces to sound and refreshing
nights rest. But apples. to be really
beneficial, should be eaten as children
eat them, rind and all, and in suffi-
cient quantities to be satisfying. The
man who, first pairing off the skin and
with it the best part of the flesh, dali
lies with the residue of an apple after
dinner is no true apple lover"
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21

on these false pretenses. There are
also experts who profess to be able to
tell where oil exists by surface indi-
cations, and also to tell how deep it
lies under the surface.
None Of these experts have, how
ever, taken advantage of their in
sight and sunk well on their own
account. Their theories Of the ex-
tent of the field and the depth of the
pool, or lake, are as varied as those
regarding the cause of the existence
of foil, which is no nearer solution
than it was ages ago. Some of the
local theorists hold that there are
several strata of oil bearing sands in
the Beaumont field, just as in the
Russian fields, but as the wells here
have not gone beyond the first STRAIT
UNI, or oil flow, their theories are
mere guesses. Only when these wells
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21
HUMOROUS.

Hoax-"There's one-horse com
Germ" Joax-"What?" Hoax-"Pick-
ing the r."-Philadelphia REQ
ord. -
George-"I have just invested in
one of those new pepper and salt
suits.' Robert-"Ah! That ought to
be good for two asons.'-Baltimor
World.
"Bigbrain expects to get q fortune
out of his new incubator" "Any
great improvement" Eyes, It has .
photograph that says: 'Cluck-
cluck!' "-Philadelphia Record.
Harry-"I expected you to get up
and give that stunning-looking young
woman seat" Dick-"I did want
to, but it wouldn't do. My wife was
in the car, and she was standing,
too" Boston Transcript.
"No, sir" said the prisoner, II as
sure you that it was not for money
that I robbed the bank. Ny object
was purely literary" "How can that
be?" II was anxious to write a mag
azine article on how I did it."-Town
Topics
ibid you see the item that said that
they had found ivory up at Cape
Nome?" EYES," "But thought that
all the ivory came from elephants
tusks." "Well?" "And they are only
found in Tuscany, aren't they?"-
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
A Georgia negro, asleep on the
track, came in contact with a freight
train, derailing several cars. As he
got up and brushed the dust from
his coat he remarked to the engineer:
'sEf you folks amt mo- keerful how
you gwine, you'll hurt somebody,
some er desc days, en- git sued for
mages!"-Atlanta Constitution.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21
SPOUTERS ARE RARE
But Suckers Are Plentiful in the
Texas Oil Country.
now Guiiible Fortune Seeker. A..
@o"oed BY Greedy Adventur.
eFs-The Rice Fields Of
the Gulf Coast.
Especial Beaumont (rex, 1....,

lspecial 6eaumont (Tex) Letter.
n NEWLY discovered oil field III.
"A a mining camp, attracts th-.s
classes OF people: The capital
1st' the business man and the adven.
1urer' or shark, who comes without
any particular object in view, but r..
lying upon his natural shrewdness to
take advantage of the many who A..
seeking opportunities for investments.
Seized with the idea that fortune
awaits whoever may come, many leave
good positions for an uncertaintv
They may have no capital, but they
nave vague idea that all they have to
DO is to come where there is plenty of
money and things are 'slively." It is
this class that furnishes the dark side
to prosperous new oil field or min
ing camp. Nor does the capitalist al
ways fare well. He is game for the
shark and the adventurer. Even the
most experienced are sometimes de-
frauded by them: There are oil ex-
perts az well as mining experts. and
there is also way of "salting' an oil
well, or rather well where there is
supposed to be oil. Oil may be mixed
with the water in the drill, and on
these indications" "duster' NAV be
sold to the wise capitalist for a
spouter." A story is told of a shark
who recently "salted" his "duster"
with cotton seed oil. The capitalist
knew nothing about the various kinds
OF oil, neither did his expert, whose
knowledge was limited to few weeks
work in the fields. The buyer has since
been studying up on the difference
between cotton seed oil and crude Pc
troleum. The shark drills well mere
~ to sell, and resorts to tricks similar
to those of the mining fakir. One of
his tricks is to withdraw the drill, cap
the we'll and maintain q mysterious
silence, but throw out hint in certain
directions that oil has been encoun-
tered. Sometimes he sells his "duster"l
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21

the brackish or salt waters Of the gulf
back up into the fresh water streams
from which the rice plantations are
irrigated. This prevents the rice from
ripening, or kills it. Within the past
few years about 10000 farmers have
come to this section of country, main-
ly from Illinois and Missouri, and are
engaged in rice culture and truck
farming. Their experience has accom-
plished wonders in the development
of the prairie lands of this section.
They have put in large pumping plants,
run hundreds Of miles of irrigating
canals, and introduced the latest and
most improved harvesting machinery.
This immigration has added millions
of dollars Of taxable property to the
states of Louisiana and Texas, and,
in consequence, there are many vil-
lagos and thrifty towns scattered over
the country where a few years ago
cattle ranged and the land was consid-
cred almost worthless. When the salt
water runs into the bayous, the planter
must dig wells from which to irrigate
his rice fields, and as this is almost .
yearly occurrence it will be seen that
rice culture is attended with more
chances for failure than perhaps any
other crop. The rice farmer cannot
replant, for the water is too high, and
long remains so. Lands in the rice
belt that sold for Is and 25 cents an
acre ten years ago, when the Illinois
and Missouri farmers began coming,
are now selling at $40 and $25 an acre.
It has required energy, persever-
ance and experienced farming to bring
about this wonderful change-trans-
forming marshy prairie lands into
waving rice fields, and country Of
wild grass into one of prosperity and
wealth. immigration agents are at
work in Iowa, Kansas, Illinois and
Missouri, securing farmers for the
Louisiana and Texas coast country.
Experience has shown that they are
more desirable farmers than from
most other states, as they seem to I'M
derstand better the cultivation Of
prairie lands. Colonies of japanese
and Chinese are also being brought
here, as they are much better field
hands than the negro.
The Chinese are not quarrelsome,
neither do they drink intoxica ting
LIQUORS. They will smoke opium, how
ever, but that Injuries only themselves,
and, unlike whisky, SO stupeies the
,ictim to the habit that he is power
ess for crime; consequently he is Of
mo expense to the community. So far,
the importation Of Chinese has been
b small colonies, but, like the Ber-
muda grass, when he once gets foot
7 old he is hard to uproot. They are
received, however, the peo-
nle looking at the matter as one of exc
,ediency-they want the labor and do
! 81 care for the color or nationality Of
~ man-machine tina: performs it.
Chinese are quick witted and learn
readily. :. u se1A =
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21
THE WIDOWS BENEFIT.
It Ended with the Major Taking Her
for His Wife-The Rents Were
Forgotten.

Maj. O'Dowd was collecting his rent
He is the landlord who collects his rent
with his wooden leg. That is, he steps
up to the second floor Of his big tene.
ment-house, and standing in the hal!
he raps out the amount due him, and
as no tenant pays the same price, and
all are in arrears, each one knows by
the number of wooden raps the leg
gives his or her indebtedness, relates
the Chicago Record-Herald.
Ten raps was the greatest sum, and
everyone in the building knew that
was the Widow Lynch, and that il
meant three months in arrears. No
one else had been permitted such an
extension Of time, and the major had
not raped for her on several occa.
sions, and they said it was because
she was SO pretty and had bad luck in
getting work, with two kids to look
after. Be that as It may, the major
was mad at the widow now and was
willing everybody in the house should
know it. For why? The widow was
giving party.
'And she owing me three months
rint, an maxim such a poor mouth
about it! I'll make noise enough to
drown out the band" and with his
wooden leg he run the gamut of her
indebtedness again.
"Whisht!" said rich voice at his el-
bow, and the major stopped rapping
to glare at the pretty widow, who
stood there with her bare dimpled
,rms akimbo.
cts yourself would betther be
whishting, Mrs. Lynch, givin' a party
an me waitin' three months for me
lawful rint."
at isn't no party, Maj. O'Dowd. It's
benefit"
"Pwhat's that?''
"It do be benefit to raise a bit
money for the little mother of the
foive childer on the fourth floor, to
sind her to the hospital to get an
operation that will save her loife. And
here's foive dollars on me rint, major"
"What do you be takin' me for?"
asked the major, crowding the money
back in her hand.
"Faith wouldn't mind takin' you
for betther or for worse" was the
saucy reply, and the major went to
the benefit.
They were all his debtors there.
The little lame seamstress who said
he raped for her so softly she never
heard him, and the blind shoemaker
who got the dark room for nothing
and was the "band" on this occasion,
contributing the services of his fiddle
for the dancing. The major took the
widow out, and no one could have told
which had the wooden leg, they danced
so neatly, and compliments flew
thick and fast, as they balanced all or
swung partners.
The next day the ambulance was at
the door, and the major was there
again to be master of ceremonies. He
didn't wait to rap for any dues this
time, but walked away looking so con-
tented and happy that his old face
shone with inward content. He had
made another safe investment and he
knew it.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21

went to bed very late, undressing and
putting out the gas in kind OF
dream, for I had been drinking heav-
lily. A mosquito awakened me with
it's maddening buzz and l lay in
stupor for little while, asking my
self what the overpowering odor was
that filled the room and what was
the cause of my feeling of dizziness
and faintness. Then I tried to get
to sleep again, but the mosquito
wouldn't let me. It buzzed and bit
and at last it reused me thoroughly.
"tWhat smell of gas I said to
myself, and l got up and staggered to
the chandelier, to find one burner
turned on full. I would have died
of asphyxiation if I had not been
aroused, and it was mosquito that
awakened me. may truly say, there
fore, that mosquito saved my life"
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21
A SATISFIED AMBITION.
One Man Whose Craving to be q Cir
Gus Man Was Satisfied in
short Order.

81 haven't been to circus for A
years." declared the well-known bust
ness man, with chuckle, according t.
the Detroit Free Press. ''The fact is
that I always feel like leaving tow1
whenever I hear that one is coming
for fear that might meet the mar
to whom hired out as circus hanG
in the days when was young.
Il suppose there is period in every
boys life when his only ambition is tc
belong to circus. know there was
in mine, and I had it satisfied in the
shortest time on record. A small
show had pitched its tents on the vii
lage green in the little town where
lived, and desired to adopt the pro-
fession right then and there. l ap'
piled to the boss for job and was &C.
cepted on the spot as a razorback
What is a razorback? Well, he is q
member of the loading gang. You un.
load in the morning and raise her back
at night. I was simply appalled, by
the amount of work that came my
way, followed by such profanity that
I never hope to hear again. Twas kept
on the jump till midnight, when he had
the outfit all Loaded up, and I breathed
sigh of relief which quickly gave way
to one Of despair when the boss told
me to drive the wagon that had the
tents loaded on it. In those days the
only means of travelling was by wagon.
essay, mister said I, timidly, when
do we Sleep?
"'sleep?' he roared; we don't sleep
here!'
81 felt that was fact, as I knew
we had an all nights ride ahead of US,
with the weary work of unloading as
soon as we did arrive. But, as far as
I was concerned, tired nature gave out
and was sound asleep before we had
gone mile. I awoke just as day was
breaking and found myself on lonely
country road and without the slight-
est idea where I was. From a coun-
try boy who CHANGED to come along I
learned that the town I was supposed
to be headed for was 30 miles away,
and that I was getting further away
from it every minute. When realized
my position my teeth commenced to
chatter. But suddenly brilliant
idea occurred to me.
"'Say,' said I to the boy, do you
want pass to the show?'
"'You bet said he.
"'Well,' said I, drive this wagon to
the town where the show is and will
see that you get in. One of our ele-
plants has escaped and have got to
capture him.
"Then I made for home. I never
heard what they did to that country
boy when he arrived. I hope they
didn't kill him.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21
MOSQUITO SAVED HIS LIFE.
Industrious Biting Of the Trouble
some Insect Aroused a Sleeper
to Deadly Peril.

Mosquitoes have been known to kill
people, but here is story OF one
that saved mans life. A Castle VAL
lev man tells the tale in the follow
ing manner, says the Philadelphia
Record.
ION Thursday night of last week I
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21

maturing for ages. They can, if they
come, utterly refute the false and fool
ish prattle of the armchair philoso.
piers, and prove triumphantly that SO
far from the romance and poetry Of
the sea being dead it has hardly yet
been given any adequate expression
whatever"
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21

and father, who had built up the
largest brick industry in the city,
died and left widow and two daugh-
tiers. Miss Ida took up the business
where her father left it and has con-
Quoted it with marked success. She
and her mother and the younger sis
ter have built their own home, which
is handsome structure, and they are
rapidly accommodating money and
property,
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21
A Sailor Poet Needed

An English literary writer says that
the time is fully ripe for the advent Of
a sailor poet and the marine engineer
poet. whether they write in terms
of rhyme OF not care not. A virgin
field awaits them, noble inheritance,
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21

Voice rs . Revealer Of Character.
There is no greater revealer of
character than the human voice. Il
is the first thing that strikes us in
stranger, or in new acquaintance.
If 1t has that spontaneous ring of
truth that no training can impart we
recognize its appeal for confidence.
Some voices have the jar Of falsehood,
and are as full Of warning as the hiss
of serpent. The unconscious nat
ural voice is to be regarded as the
index of character. To speak
promptly and positively is generally
to act promptly and positively; to
speak politely is to act politely, and
to speak grufay and rudely is good
way to make rude action easy.-Ame-
liz E. Barr, in Ladies' Home Journal.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21
Hurts from Fish Fins.

In handling fishes it requires q Ger.
tain amount of care to avoid being cut
by the fins, whicbin some species are
to some extent poisonous. The Key
West fisherman has an unbounded hor-
ror of being bitten by almost any kind
of fish, as he fears blood poisoning
will set in, although according to
those who have studied the question
there seems to be very little founda-
ton for this fear.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-09-21
The shah's Kitchen.

The kitchen of the shah of Persia il
the most valuable in the world. Even
the cooking pots are lined with gold
and the plates and dishes used at the
royal table are of solid gold, incruste0
with precious stones.