davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24
Impossible at the Price.

A certain parvenu of great wealth
has hanging in his drawing room a
large and hideous daub in oils which
some dealer in Paris induced him to
buy. He is very fond of taking a call
er by the arm, leading him before the
canvas and saying:
Great picture that. By Macaroni di
Vermicelli, you know. Paid $4,000 for
it in Paris and got a great bargain.
F." (naming an eminent artist "says it
is worth 100000"
A few days since this gentleman was
lunching at the Artists club when the
cat came out of the bag. Some one
said:
"F., old Centpercent says that you
have appraised that frightful night
mare of his at 10000. Is it trueT'
The artist answered smilingly:
81 will tell you how that happened.
He asked me to dinner one day and aft
er we left the table took me to see the
picture and told the usual story. Then,
turning abruptly, he asked:
How mach is that painting WORTH
"'Why, Mr.. Centpercent,' said l, 4
really would not like to place a value
upon it
"'Well, I'll put it differently said
he. How much would you charge for
such a pictureY
Il don't mind saying l answered.
that l would not paint such a picture
for 10000 l had to be civil, you
know."-London Answers.
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24
Quick EaterH.

Have you any idea," remarked the
cashier of one of the largest lunch res
taurants in New York, 'how many
minutes the average down town busi-
ness man devotes to his midday meal?"
"At a venture" answered the report
er. watching the hurried play of knives
and forks about him, 81 should say 10
minutes"
You set about the time usually esti-
mated" returned the cashier, but In
reality half that time would be nearer
right. The average time consumed for
lunch by the patrons of this establish
ment is just eight minutes. The fact
Is" continued the cashier after the re-
porter had ventured a foreboding for
New York digestion. people find it
such a trifling and unobtrusive matter
just to get "a bite of lunch that few
realize what gigantic business 1t Is
merely to supply hungry people down
town at noon. because few bring their
lunches with them, and from the for
nation of the city none can go home
This establishment feeds 5000 peo-
pie day. and the amount of food re-
quired to care for that patronage Is
enormous. For example. when we put
hash on the specials enough Is made
up actually to fill wagon. We are
not the largest lunchroom. however"
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24
Panics and Religious Books,

There is one kind of business, accord
ing to New York man prominent in
it. that does not enjoy easy financial
conditions. 1t is that of publishing de-
votional and religious literature. This
publisher explained this anomalous
condition as follows:
when everybody is prosperous,
there is no very great demand for our
publications. People are happy, and
they do not go to church to any great
extent. Preachers will tell you that
church attendance is never so good in
prosperous times as 1t is in periods of
financial straits.
Let panic come on, however. At
first our business feels 1t as keenly as
any other line People suddenly cease
buying everything except what they
are obliged to have. AS times fail to
improve, people take more to going to
church. Attendance increases very
perceptibly. In a few weeks we can
tell 1t in our business. There Is a
greatly increased demand for devo-
tional books of all kinds. The bust
ness increases, and at the very height
of the financial troubles we do the
largest business. AS times get better
you can see our trade in this line of
publications gradually drop off until,
when prosperity again comes round,
we settle down to a normal business
quite different from the boom we had
been enjoying."-New York Times.
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24

The days and weeks pass without our
taking any account of them. We get
up at $50 in the morning. At we
feed the dogs. At we have breakfast,
and at II we dine. Then we work till
$50, when we have supper, after
which we smoke and play cards or
chess till bedtime. 1t is not at all cold.
Rarely does the thermometer descend
below zero. Yesterday the sun shone
gloriously. The ice reflected it with a
binding glare and in brilliant colors.
The ship has withstood all the as
saults of the ice. 1t is splendid to see
how it breaks up ice that is sometimes
three or four feet thick. At other
times, when it Is even thicker, the ship
is rushed against it at full steam. The
shock splits and breaks 1t very often
for a distance of 40 or so yards. The
Duke of Abruzzi Is always on the
bridge and loses no opportunity Of get
ting ahead. Sometimes he does not
even come down to his meals. When
ever we get the smallest opening. he
orders us to go on, and we are glad of
1t, because the more we advance at the
present time the less we shall have to
do next year.-Leslie's Monthly.
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24
The True Mission of Luxurx.

No luxury is justifiable that ends in
simple enjoyment. 1t must be turned
to good account by adding to our pow
ers Of usefulness. 1t we enjoy reading,
are we enthusiastic for the public libra
ry? If we enjoy outdoor life, are we
anxious for parks and pleasure
grounds for the people? If we revel in
art or music. do we long that picture
galleries be tnrown open or good music
be attainable by all? Do we strive
whenever possible to share our luxu-
ries. whatever they may be, with those
less favored than ourselves, or are we
satisfied with our own enjoyment as an
end instead Of using it as a means to
lettering the lives of others also?
Truthful answers to those questions
will speedily tell us also whether our
own special Injuries are building up
character and life or whether they are
the means of lowering the one and
narrowing the other.-Philadelph
Ledger
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24
An Abandoned Test.

Sir Hiram S. Maxim was once a vic
tim of one of the British war Offices
sudden freaks. When the Maxim
quick firing gun was being tested by
the government with view to finding
out it's weak points, it's inventor was
asked to have 10000 rounds fired at the
highest possible speed. The expert
ment was successfully carried out, but
the chairman of the committee of in
vestigation was still unsatisfed
That's very well as far as 1t goes"
he exclaimed, but could you guaran-
tee your gun to go on firing automatic
ally at the same rate for. say, "a
hours?'
81 can," was the quiet reply, land ]
wilton one condition"
And that is?'
THAT the government finds and pays
for the ammunition"
At first the committee were inclined
TO close with the offer, but when it was
discovered that $4,000 rounds would
be fired and that the cost Of the expert
ment would be something like $3.50
they dispensed with the trial.
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24

A writer in the Boston Transcript
gives this Renaissance of the Rev. DR..
Elijah Kellogg Of Harpswell, Me-:
"One Sunday before his sermon the
doctor announced from his pulpit: The
widow Jones grass is getting pretty
long. shall be there with my scythe,
rake and pitchfork at o'clock tomcr-
row morning, and l hope every male
member of the congregation will be
there too
"The next morning they were all
there and among them Captain Griggs,
six feet two in his stockings, with a
weight of nearly $50 pounds. Par
son. said he as they were working up
the field near each other, I'm goin to
cut your corners this mornin'
Now, DR.. Kellogg was little man,
weighing scarcely more than 100
pounds. but he knew how to handle
scythe, and. as he told me. with a lit
tie shrug of his shoulders, he didn't
cut my corners that morning. More
than that, the man who had thought
he could beat the parson at moving
dropped under a tree exhausted from
working with such pacemaker."
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24
George washington,s Lottery.

1t is not generally known that the
great Father of His Country was OIL
at least one occasion the originator of
lottery. the like of which at the pres
ent day would be forbidden to send its
tickets through the mails That George
Washington was interested in such a
scheme is proved by number of tick
cts still in existence which bear his
august name. 1t was the Mountain
Road lottery of which George was the
promoter, and it is. of course. unnec-
essary to state that Washington him
self did not financially profit from it.
All the funds raised by the lottery
were spent in building the road
through Cumberland gap. near Fred
ericksburg. Va. Originally the lottery
tickets which Washington signed were
worth 81 each. Now, because they bear
his signature. they are easily sold for
$50 apiece, though it Is certain that
not one of them will ever draw a prize.
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24

We quote from The Century an an
ecdote related as one of "A Woman's
Experiences During the Siege of Vicks-
burg
Speaking of fuses, the rector told US
one day very funny thing that he
had seen during one of his trips to
town. Every day, as long as the siege
continued, he crossed that hospital
ridge and passed over the most expos
ed streets on his way to the church,
always carrying with him his pocket
communion service, apparently stand
ing an even chance Of burying the
dead, comforting the dying or being
himself brought home MANNED or cold
In death. His leaving was a daily
anguish to those who watched him
vanish over the brow of the hill. One
evening, coming back in the dusk, he
saw burly wagner slip off his horse
and get under 1t in hurry. His head
appeared, bobbing out first from one
side, then from the other. Above him
In the air, bobbing, too, and with a
quick, uneasy motion, was a luminous
spark. After a full minute spent in
vigorous lodging the man came out to
prospect. The supposed fuse was still
there, burning brilliantly. Darn the
thing" he grunted, why don't it
bust?" He had been playing hide and
seek for 60 seconds with a fine speci-
men of our southern lightning bug, or
freely!
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24
RIVER BOATS IN RUSSIA.
Nearly Every Known Means of Loco
motion Is In Use.

Nearly Every Known Means of Loco
motion Is In Use.
Everywhere up the Volga and its
hundred tributaries ascend the iron
barges of the Caspian sea oil fleet
while through the canals to st. Peters
burg alone pass annually during the
215 days of free navigation thousands
Of steamers and barges bearing mil
lions of tons of freight. Every known
means of locomotion is used, from
men who, like oxen, tramp the tow
paths, hauling the smaller barges, to
powerful tugs that creep along by
means of an endless chain laid in the
bed of the canals and minor rivers,
dragging after them at snail pace great
caravans of heavy barges.
From the greater streams immense
craft nearly 400 feet long, 10 feet in
depth. carrying 5000 tons of freight
drift down to the Caspian, where they
are broken to pieces to be used as fire.
wood on the steamers going up stream
In all there are 5000 miles of naviga-
BILE waterways in the valley of the Vol.
ga, or If the streams which float the
giant RATS that form so large part of
the traffic of the rivers are included
the mileage is increased to nearly 15,.
600. or as much as that of the valley of
the Mississippi.
Fifty thousand RATS are f1oated
down the Volga annually, many OF
them 1GO feet long by thick, and this
gives but faint idea of the real traffic
of the river, for in addition there are
100000 tons of produce passing UP
and down the river during the open
season. Much of this centers at Mini
Novgorod. To this famous market
steamers and barges come from all
parts Of Russia, bringing goods to be
sold at the great annual fair, over
$200,000,000 worth of merchandise
changing hands in a few weeks. Thir.
ty thousand craft. including RATS, are
required for this traffic. They come
from as far north as Archangel, as far
east as the Urals, from Astrakhan in
the south, st. Petersburg and Moscow
to the west, while great caravans OF
ships of the desert arrive daily from
all parts of Asia.-Engineerin Maya.
zine
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24
Anxious 10 BE M. Friend.

There are plenty Of men in this
world" said the head of the firm, ad-
dressing the clerk he had summoned
into the private Office, "who can trace
their successes directly to what they
at first considered failures. 1 knew
man who 20 years ago was a clerk in
clothing store. His employer dis
charged him for incompetency. He
hunted through all the clothing stores
in town trying to get another job, but
couldn't find one, and at last, almost
starved, he got place as brakeman
on one of the railroads. Today he is
practically the head of that road, draws
salary of $4,000 a year and regards
the man who discharged him long ago
as the best friend he ever had. Now,
he is only one of hundreds of men who
have had similar experiences. So you
see what at first seems a misfortune
may often be a real blessing in dis
guise."
The young man hid q yawn behind
his hand and, thinking of the live
broiled lobster he had the night before
helped a certain soft eyed creature to
remove from the scene, languidly re-
piled:
Yes; | know that has frequently
happened. Did you want to speak to
me about anything in particular this
morning, Mr.. Yamsley?"
ooh, no; nothing of special impor-
tance," the old gentleman replied,
a.
to look back some day and regard me
as your best friend. Goodby. l hope
you'll have all kinds of success at
whatever you decide to go at."-Chi-
cago Herald
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24

Moscow is probably the worst paw
ed city in the world. Great cobble-
stones driven by hand into a loose bed
of sand form roadway which is al
ways dusty in summer and muddy in
autumn, and in many of the roads
there is no attempt at a roadway of
any kind. The streets are badly wa
tered and cleaned.
The city is regarded by the Russians
as 1.-The holy city," probably because of
the large number of monasteries it con-
tains. 1t was once the capital of the
empire and still enjoys the distinction
of being considered the capital of the
interior, but there does not seem to be
any particular desire on the part of
the authorities to make it more worthy
of it's title.
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24
Utilizing the Waste Product,

A parish in the highlands had been
cut off from communication with the
nearest town owing to a severe snow.
storm, relates The Scottish American.
Supplies began to give out, and the
minister was much perturbed in mind
as his snuffbox was quite empty. The
Sabbath came round. How was he to
get through his discourse without the
aid of his usual stimulant? He appeal
ed to his faithful henchman, the sex
ton. Alas, he was in similar unsat-
isfactory predlcament! How was 1t to
be remedied? Andrew shook his head.
thought long and suddenly disappear
ed. Presently he returned with some
thing resembling snuff wrapped care
fully In paper. The minister took a
hearty pinch or two and then asked:
Where did you get it, Andrewp'
please. sir, just went and sweepit
the pulpit oot." was the reply.
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24

A frequent trap in French for the un-
wary is the difference of meaning in
similar phrases. For example, "faire
feu'' means to fire gun. while "faire
du feu'' means to light a fire; ''tomber
par terre" conveys the idea of falling
to the ground from ones own height,
whereas ''tomber a terre" means to
fall from any height-in other words,
to tumble down and to tumble off. In
the same way ''traiter de fat means
to call a man a fop and trailer en-
roi" to treat him like a king. The
English word bore" may be expressed
in two ways-"un raseur" gives the
idea of an active bore and "une bassl-
noire" of passive bore.-Academy.
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24
They Were Attentive.

A clergyman preaching In a country
church for the first time was delighted
to find the congregation very atten-
tive and told the verger so after the
service.
The verger replied, "Lor' bless you.
sir. we was all looking for you to dis
appearp
why. what do you mean" said the
clergyman.
well, sir. you see, the pulpit is rot
ten and hasn't been preached in this
ten year or more"-Pearson's Weekly
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24
RIDING ON AN AVALANCHE.
Down a Steep Canyon Without q
Brutse or a Scar.


Few mountaineers go far enough
into the avalanche regions to see much
of Them and fewer still know the
thrilling eXhilaration of riding on
them, says John Muir in The Atlantic.
In all my wild mountaineering / have
enjoyed only one avalanche ride, and
the start was so sudden and the end
came so soon l thought but little of
the danger that goes with this sort of
travel, though one thinks fast at such
times.
One calm, bright morning in Yosemite,
after hearty storm lad given three
or four feet of fresh snow to the noun
tains, being eager to see as many
avalanches as possible and gain wide
views of the peaks and forests array
ed in their new robes before the sun
shine had time to change or rearrange
them, set out early to climb by a side
canyon to the top Of a commanding
ridge little over 5000 feet above the
valley. But l was not to get top views
of any sort that day, but instead of
these something quite different, for
deep trampling near the canyon head
where the snow was strained started
an avalanche, and | was swished back
down to the foot of the canyon as if by
enchantment. The plodding, wallow-
ing ascent of about a mile had taken
all day, the undoing descent perhaps
about a minute.
When the snow suddenly gave way,
| instinctively threw myself on my
back and spread my arms to try to
keep from sinking. Fortunately,
though the grade of the canyon was
steep, it was not interrupted by step
levels or precipices big enough to
cause outbounding or free plunging.
On no part of the rush was l buried.
| was only moderately imbedded on
the surface or a little below it and
covered with kissing back streaming
veil, and as the whole mass beneath
or about me Joined in the flight l felt
no friction, though tossed here and
there and lurched from side to side,
and when the torrent wedged and
came to rest found myself on the top
of the crumpled pile without q single
bruise or scar
Hawthorne says that steam has spir-
itualized travel, Notwithstanding the
smoke, friction, smells and clatter of
boat and rail riding. This fight in a
milky way of snow flowers was the
most spiritual of all my travels, and
after many years the mere thought of
1t is still an eXhilaration.
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24
WONDERS OFWATCHMAKIN0
C1cc- -i-ac2icces Owned by Two of
England's Queens.

C1cc- Time pieces Owned by Two of
England's Queens.
Among the treasures of a Swiss mu-
scum. inserted in the top of an old FASH
Toned pencil case, Is the tiniest watch
ever constructed. 1t is only three-six-
teenths of an inch in diameter, and Its
little dial not only indicates hours, min
utes and seconds, but also the days Of
the month. So perfectly formed is this
lilliputian watch that it keeps excel
lent time and is marvellous piece Of
mechanical workmanship.
Two of the most elaborate and curl
ous watches which the world has ever
seen belonged to Queen Elizabeth and
her unfortunate contemporary, Mary,
queen of Scots. Good Queen Bess had
watch made for her in the form of
luck, with beautifully chased feathers,
the lower part of which opened. The
face was of silver, with an elaborate
gilt design, and the whole was kept in
case of brass, covered with black
leather thickly studded with big silver
knobs.
The i'll fated Mary was the possessor
Of a watch in the form of skull. The
dial was introduced where the palate
should have been, and the works occu
pied the place of brains in the crani-
I'M. In the hollow Of the skull, more
jver. was bell which had works of its
own and by means Of which hammer
struck out the hours upon it.
One of the choicest rarities of the
Bernal collection was a book shaped
watch. This curious time indicator was
made by order of Bogislaus XIV, Duke
of Pomerania, in the time of Gustavus
Adolphus. On the face of the book,
where the dial of the watch is set,
there is an engraved inscription of the
duke and his titles and armorial bear
ings, together with the date, 1927. On
the back the engravings are also very
finely and skillfully executed, among
them being the portraits of two gentle
men OF the seventeenth century. The
dial plate is of silver, chased in relief,
while the insides are beautifully chased
with figures of birds and foliage. The
watch has two separate movements and
a large, sweet toned bell. At the back,
over this bell. the metal Is ornamental
ly pierced in circle, with dragon and
other devices. while the sides are pierre
ed and engraved with a complicated
design of beautiful scroll work.-Lon-
don Tit.Bits.
Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-05-24
CURIOUS PRIVILEGES.
Some of the Prerogatives Which EN-
bassadOrs May Exercise.

some OF the PrerOgatives Which EN-
bassadOrs May Exercise.
A curious privilege of an ambassador
Is that he and he alone when dismiss
ed may turn his back to the sovereign
to whose court he is accredited. The
mode of procedure is as follows:
When the ambassadors audience is
over. he waits to be dismissed by the
sovereign. When dismissed, the en-
bassador bows. retires three PAGES,
bows again, retires another three
PAGES, bows third time, turns on his
heels and walks to the folding doors.
But it is felt that more polite methods
should obtain when the reigning soy
ereign is woman. To turn his back
Is to be discourteous, to walk back
ward Is to resign a privilege. The em-
bassador retires sideways, like a crab.
He keeps one eye on the sovereign and
with the other tries to see the door.
He thus shows politeness to the SOW
ereign and at the same time retains
one of his privileges. AS the embassa-
dor is usually an old gentleman, often
short sighted. he sometimes fails to
reach the door and comes in collision
with the wall
Another privilege of ambassadors is
the right Of being ushered into the
royal presence through folding doors,
both Of which must be flung wide
open. No one except an ambassador
can claim this privilege. The most
any nonembassadorial person can ex-
pect is that one of the leaves shall be
opened to him. The reason for this
privilege is not known. There are GER
tain irreverent suggestions that have
been made, but we prefer to be silent
with regard to them.
Another privilege, capable Of causing
great Inconvenience, is the embassa-
doris right Of admission to the SOW
ereign at any hour of the day or night.
Thus the minister representing some
little bankrupt state could go down to
Windsor and demand an audience at
o'clock in the morning. The audience
would have to be granted, though it
could be delayed by the exercise of in
genuity.-Chambers' Journal.