davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17
The Kings Prisoner.

BY JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN.
copyrighted. 1900, by Daily Story Pub. Coz
1T was cold December day, 1746,
In the reign of his gracious majesty,
George III. Yorkshire is bleak in win
ter and remember well how bitterly
the wind howled about Moor House
that day of days. sat idle at a win
dow in my own particular wing Of the
old manor. My gaze was out on the
wide moor, but my thoughts were far
away in London. Lord! What far
rago were those same thoughts. For
was but a girl and a beauty, and
had just returne2 from the gayeties of
London season. St. James, the
Mall. Vauxhall, the whirl of fashion
and frivolity, adulation, wholesale con-
quest-and not man among all the
dandies to touch maiden's heart.
Bah! Better far the keen winds of
the woodlands and the dullness of an
ancestral home And yet-there was
one-was he fop and fashion plate like
the rest?
| AT this precise point l awoke from
ndy udy dreams ana 1CunQ tlaC WAS
watching little group Of horsemen
headed towards Moor House. AS l
| watched them with idle curiosity, a
Hash of wintry sunlight brought out
the CLEAN Of red. "Soldiers!"
thought, and now gazed with real in
terest, wondering what was their err
rand at the manor. Presently l could
uaa that one of the riders in the cen
ter of the group wore no red. Soon
they came gathering into the stable
yard, and then / saw that he was a
prisoner. His hands were tied and
ais feet were bound under the belly
Of his horse.
Forthwith I sent my maid to find
who was the prisoner and what was
the errand of the troopers at Moor
I House, and presently she returned with
mouth agapa1p tell me that the pris-
oner was most desperate and violent
adherent of Prince Charlie, being con-
veyed to the Tower. The captain of
the troopers had gone in to my father
to ask leave to billet his men at the
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17

gloves, and it Is then applied to the
manufacturer Of fancy goods, book
binding. etc. Sheepskins when tanned
with sumac are used for making cigar
cases, pocketbooks, purses, etc.; but
when required for leggings, aprons
used by agricultural laborers, harness
or anything that must be subjected to
wear and tear, the skins are oak tan
ned. The sumac tanned are extensive
" exported from Spain to Germany,
whereas the latter find, or used to find,
a good market in Cuba, Porto Rico and
the Philippines. In removing the skin
from the carcass a small hole is made
strong pair of bellows is inserted
into this little aperture and the air is
blown in until the carcass is we'll swol-
len. The belly is slit open from end to
end and the skin carefully removed, if
necessary with the help of a knife.
The skins, after being exposed to the
sun until slight crust is formed on
the flesh side, are stretched on ropes
in the shade until completely dried,
and are then ready for export. Goat
skins are produced in large quantities
in the vicinity of Badajoz and general
ly in all the south of Spain. The skin
Of the young kid is used only for Ia
dies fine gloves, and is prepared prin-
cipally at Annonay and Grenoble, in
France. These skins also find mar
ket in the United States in prepared
state; but with this sole exception the
entire supply of Spanish kid and goat
skins is exported in the raw state to
the United States for tanning into fine
shoe leather, etc. This trade appears
to be in the hands of French commits
sion merchants, but American import
ers might through their own buying
agents secure their supplies at much
lower price. To preserve the skins
from damage by moths in summer,
dealers use powdered naphthalene,
which they sprinkle over them while
they are being stacked. For export,
the skins are baled in small presses.
New York Press.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17
THE APEX OF THE SUN.

VdE AfE4 OE THE SUM-
More than century ago Sir Will
liam Herschel was able to fix roughly
what we call the apex Of the SUMS
way in space, or the point among the
stars toward which that way is d.
rected. Herschel found that COM
parison of old stellar observations
seemed to indicate that the stars In
certain part Of the sky were open
Ing out, as it were, and that the con-
stellations in the opposite part Of the
heavens seemed to be drawing in, or
becoming smaller. There can be but
one reasonable explanation Of this.
We must be moving toward that part
OF the sky where the stars are sep
arating. Just SO man Watching a
regiment of soldiers appro ching will
see at first only a confused body of
men. But as they come nearer the
individual soldiers will seem to sep
arate, until at length each one is seen
distinct from all the others.
Herschel fixed the position OF the
apex at point in the constellation
Hercules, says a writer in the Popular
Science Monthly. The most recent in
vestigations Of Newcomb, published
only few months ago, have, on the
whole, verified Herschel's conclusions.
Later investigators have increased
the precision of our knowledge, until
we can now say that the present di-
rection of the solar motion is known
within very narrow limits. A tiny
circle might be drawn on the sky, to
which an astronomer might point his
hand and say: Yonder little circle
contains the goal toward which the
sun and planets are Fastening today.
Even the speed of this motion has
been subjected to measurement ard
found to be about ten miles per sec
ond.
The objective point and the rate of
motion thus stated, exact science
holds her peace. Here genuine knowl-
edge stops; and we can proceed fur
ton which men of science need to
curb at every moment.
But let no one think that the sun
will ever reach the so-called apex.
To do so would mean cosmic motion
on straight line, while every con-
sideration of celestial mechanics
points to motion on curve. When
shall we turn sufficiently upon that
curve to detect it bending? It is a
problem which we must leave as a
rich heritage to generations that are
to follow us. The visionary theorists
notion Of great central sun. con-
trolling our own suns way in space,
must be dismissed as far too daring.
But for such a central sun we may
substitute central center. of gravity
belonging to great system Of which
our sun is but an insignificant mem
Der. Then we reach conception that
has lost nothing in the grandeur OF
its simplicity and is yet in accord
with the probabilities of sober me-
chanical science. We cease to be q
lonely world, and stretch out the bonds
of common relationship to yondel
stars within the armament.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17
Mon Sfealer,s
Fate ~ ~

On Bedloe's Island in New York
harbor where the Bartholdi statue Of
Liberty Enlightening the World now
stands, is still pointed out the spot
where Gordon, the SLAYER, was hanged
in 1862. His execution did more than
any other one tf.ng to put an end to
the slave trade. John r. Spears, in an
article in Scribner's, says: "The slave
ship Erie, which was captured off the
Kongo on Aug. 8, 1861 was brought to
trial. The master Of the Erie was
Capt. Nathaniel Gordon. SLAYER OF
experience. On the afternoon Of Aug
z, 1860, he took on board $40 Zone ac-
count says 500 slaves, of whom only
172 were men and 1852 grown women.
Gordon was one of those infamous
characters who preferred to carry chill
dren, because they could not rise up to
avenge his cruelties. He was captured
fifty miles off shore and sent to New
York. Here he was brought to trial
as pirate under the statute of 1920.
The first trial resulted in a disagree.
ment Of the jury. On Nov. 8, 1861, hs
was put on trial again and on Nov. 8,
the case went to the jury. Two hours
later verdict of guilty was returned.
On Nov. 80 he was sentenced to dis.
Up to that moment no great interest
had been taken in the trial. The slave
ship owners of New York, owing to
the state of public opinion regarding
the war then in progress, had allowed
Gordon to face his trial without show
ing any activity in his behalf But
now they used every endeavor to OBJ
tain pardon and then Communication
of the sentence. But the time had
come when a SLAYER pirate, duly con-
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17

One of the churches Of Chester, Pa,
mas introduced what is novelty there
"a penny concert. These concerts are
held in the church on each Friday ev-
ening, being chiefly designed for chill
dren. The church has always been
crowded on these occasions, both little
and big people attending in great num-
bers. They are charged cent admis-
sion to an entertainment that is worth
many times more, and which is whole
some and instructive. The smaller
children are always given the center
seats in front. the larger ones the side
seats. 1t is SO distinctively an affair
tor children that the big people who
attend have to content themselves With
the back seats is there are any left.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17

manor for the night. Now, my father
was Hanoverian to the backbone; so
I knew that the captains request
would be granted as a matter of
course And SO it proved; for when I
went down to dinner my lord presented
to me Captain Huntly. And Captain
Huntly, quite the town dandy and
man of fashion, made his best leg and
quite CALAMITY expressed his happi-
ness over the honor of being presented
to so famous beauty as Lady Bess
Heriot.
After dinner, finding the captain
dull, left the two men to their cards
and had the sergeant Of the troopers
sent in to me. The poor man was
quite overcome by the magnificence of
my presence, and scarce managed to
make intelligent answers to my ques-
tons about the prisoner. He was
young, he said; scarce more than a
boy, yet he was a most dangerous
plotter and exceedingly skilled in the
use of the sword. Twas certain that
he had stood high in the councils OF
the Pretender; indeed, SO valuable
were the secrets he held that the
King was determined to have them at
any cost.
"a dangerous rebel" said l. ''Then
he is for long imprisonment in the
Tower"
mo, your Leddyship," replied he
| "He will be but questioned at the Tow
er; then he goes to Tyburn Tree"
What" cried I, they will hang
him?"
AYE" he answered. grimly. "He is
most contumacious varlet. He has
been offered pardon, If he would be-
tray his friends and he has chosen
DEATH
'.And what's his name, sergeant"
said l.
walter Lennox is the name he's
known by, your Leddyship, but it's
said there is some mystery about him."
Heavens! ! knew the man. Thrice
had met him in London, a dandy
among dandies, masquerading under
j cloak, OF fashion and friYolity. Yet
had stlnected the masquerade. He
Eas the had guessed might be
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17
HANGING OF THE
SLAYER GORDON
ON b Ed ELS
ISLAND. y > > ,

gicted, must suffer the penalty pro-
vided by law for his crime. He must
suffer in spite of petitions and in spite
OF threats of rescue by mob of SLAYER
sympathizers. A battalion of marines
would even be sent from the navy yard
to protect the officers Of the law in
enforcing the sentence. At noon on
Feb. 81, 1852, Gordon was taken from
his cell to the gallows. His bravado
forsook him then and with lolling
head he shambled to the rope, sup
ported by two deputies. There the
moose was quickly adjusted, an ak blow
released the weight and his body was
jerked into midair. The stroke Of
that ak on the cord was the hardest
blow the slave trade had ever received.
There were, indeed, slavers afloat
thereafter. While the market existed
and such enormous profits were to be
made, even the seyerest measures
could, perhaps, but repress. BY a
treaty with Great Britain, made on
Feb. II, 1863. the limits of the terri
tory wherein the mutual rights of
search existed were greatly extended.
Even as Late as 1870 Great Britain
and the United States had to strength
en- still further their agreement for
the suppression of the trade, because
a few slavers were yet afoat, and it
was not until 1886 that the Spaniards
in Cuba ceased to import unfortunate
Africans. Nevertheless, when it be-
came known that the American peo-
pie would hang a SLAYER as pirate
the end was at hand. AS the rope
creaked to the weight of Gordon's dis
honored clay is sounded the death
knell of the slave trade"
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17
Knows No sucl, Word as Fail.

The following paragraph is from the
Herald of the City of Mexico: can
American came to this country at 66
with wife and four children and $14
in his pocket, having lost fortune in
another country by speculation. This
man was game He started In doing
odd jobs of surveying down in the
hot country, raised vegetables on a
small tract OF land he hired. gradually
acquired some upland country, where
everybody said coffee could not be
grown, and made success Of his plan
tation. He added more land as time
went on, and now takes in $4,000 a
year gold from his place. He is SO
now, and says that, were he again to
lose his property, he has the grit to
begin life over again"
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17
statue Of : Chimpanxe..

Paris Cor. New York World: The
Municipal Council Of Grenoble has
voted large appropriation to erect q
bronze statue of the famous chimpan-
zee Charlemange, who has just died
there. He was brought to Grenoble by
Explorer Marvotte. and for nine years
had enjoyed the freedom Of the town.
being allowed to enter every house
and to help himself to anything ii the
vegetable and fruit shops. Charlie
mango. who was perfectly tame, dress
ed like a laborer, though he preferred
to travel on all tours. He used to sit
with the card players in the cafes OF
by the fishermen at the river bank BY
the hour, looking to be the wisest and
most sedate crony among them. His
funeral was attended by the whole
population.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17
SUGAR FOE HORSES.

have found that the addition of
pound Of fair quality Of moist brown
sugar to a horse feed of chaff and
corn doubles it's work producing pow
er and that, therefore, the ordinary
feed may with this aid be greatly re-
duced in weight, without proportion
ately reducing the efficiency Of the
animal getting it. When no other
feed is obtainable, says writer in
the Contemporary Review, a few
pounds of flour, mixed with enough
water to make them easily drinkable.
have great staying power, but few
horses would take this, however hun
cry, unless they had at some pre-
vious time been made accustomed to
it. have known horses, when there
was little grass, to habitually rob tho
camp of fresh, salt or dried meat. 1t
is even more certain that no horse
would touch flesh unless at some time
accustomed to tt.
What strange food gramnfvorous an
imals will eat, when habituated to it,
is almost beyond belief. In Iceland
horses and cattle are frequently fed
on dried fish. I have known sheep to
eat meat, fruit, bread, pastry and the
like. and even tobacco in considerable
quantity, without harm ensuing. Dur
ing the early times Of the diggings,
when gold was being found in large
quantities and horse feed, beyond the
grass, was not procurable, many OF
the rich claimholders fed the horses
used in their work on the mine with
bread sooner than suffer delay. Bread.
even unleavened, is better food for
horses than raw flour and water, but
it takes time to prepare, and is rarely
available for an emergency, while -four
is much more likely to be. In Singa-
pore it is not uncommon for horses
to be given loaf Of bread soaked
with bottle Of beer. which they eat
greedily.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17
THE raREslpE.

Dear Chloe, while the busy crowd,
The vain, the wealthy, and the proud,
In folly's maze advance:
Though singularity and pride
Be called our choice, we'll step aside
Nor join the giddy dance.
Frora the gay world wen oft retro
To our own family and fire,
Where love our hour employs:
No noisy neighbors enter here,
No intermeddling stranger near,
To spoil our heartfelt joys.
If solid happiness we prize,
Within our breast this jewel lies,
And they are fools who roam;
The world hath nothing to bestow,-
From our own selves our bliss must flow
And that dear hut, our home.
Our portion is not large, indeed:
But then how little do we need.
For Natures calls are few;
In this the art of living lies,
To want no more than may suffice,
And make that little do.
Well, therefore, relish with content
Whate'er kind Providence has sent,
Nor aim beyond our power;
For, IT our stock be very small,
TITS prudence to enjoy it all,
Nor lose the present hour.
To be resigned when ills betide.
Patient when fayors are denied,
And pleased with favors given
Dear Chloe, this is wisdoms part
This is that incense of the heart,
whose fragrance smells to heaven.
Nathaniel Cotton.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17
Scandinavian Mythology.

valhalla. or Walhalla, in the Scan
dinavian mythology, was the place Of
Immortality, inhabited by the souls Of
heroes slain in battle The word is
also used to denote a special building,
as hall or temple, wherein are placed
the remains or memorials and statues
of the deceased heroes and other greet
men of a nation. The London Times,
speaking of Westminster Abbey, said:
1.-THE Abbey is our Valhalla." Spec3-
fcally, the word Valhalla as used la
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17

RIGS it sometimes happens that cer-
tain line of table linen, differing both
as to quality and pattern from that
usually on sale. will be offered during
the three days the exposition lasts at
very low price, and later it will be
impossible to obtain the same pattern,
even at much enhanced cost. The
other point-of even greater import
ance to the American VISITORS that
while no great shop has cared to add
a cafe to it's other attractions, it gen
orally has a reading room, where all
the leading papers may be seen, and
where friends can arrange to meet
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17

A company of the Sd African Bat.
TALON stationed at Ker (Tunis) recent
ly enjoyed the MOTT gigantic omelatte
ever made. At the Request of the farm.
ers in the neighborhood the soldiers
were sent on an expedition to annibi-
late the swarms of sRarrows which
were playing havoc with the crops.
Their work finished. then brought back
as spoils Of war 5000 egks. which the
reglmental cook mixed with many
q Of other ingredienH and Iaads
nneIette utsarlrI w.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17

housebreaker as much as possible a
woman has designed this blind lock.
which is simply fat strip Of metal,
shaped to fit the sill and permit the
window sash to be lowered over 1t,
with a hook at the outer end which
slips over the head of the blind hook
and prevents it from being lifted from
the outside. To open the blind it is
necessary to lift the sash and disen-
gage the loop from the hook.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17

Diamonds have been found in con-
siderable numbers and of very fine
luality in the interior of British
Guiana, on the Mazaruni River $50
miles above it's junction with the Els
sequibo. Mr.. Moulton, our consul at
Demerara, says that the London deal
srs to whom the stones have been for
warded consider them superior to
South African diamonds and equal in
quality to those OF Brazil. The pres
snt diggings are situated in tropical
Jungle five miles from the river, and
the region is not easily reached. The
alatrix from which the gems have be-
come scattered is now the object of
search.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17
SHOPPING IN PARIS.
Purchase Money Returned for Cat
Lengths of Cloth.


In one matter all the greater Paris
emporiums have made a curious rule.
and one which does not tend to make
them popular with Paris husbands and
fathers of families. While insisting
vigorously on the readymoney princi-
ple. they yet will return the Gull price
in exchange for any goods. whether
consisting of a cut length Of silk or
satin, costly piece of furniture, OR
even of such perishable items as kid
gloves. artificial flowers and ribbons,
and this however long a period may
have elapsed between their purchase
and their return. OF course 1t Is I'M
derstood that the object, whatever it
may be. has not been worn or used In
any way, but even 80, the fact that
each purchase is, as it were, only taken
on approval tempts many foolish
women to invest in more things than
they would otherwise do. Some French
women have developed quite a mania
for thus temporarily acquiring the
loan, as it were, Of hat or mantle,
and every great shop has a black list
Of ladies to whom goods are not sold
on these terms Still, it is quite COM
mon to hear Parisenne observe dur
ing the course of an afternoon call:
Eyes, the - is a very obliging shop;
I kept a dress length Of silk by me for
two years. and then, having no use for
it, took 1t back; to my surprise they
gave me the full price" Two points
Of interest may be noted in the conduct
Of the great Paris shops. One that
although there are frequent EXPOSE
lions" or exhibitions" Of certain lines
Of goods, there are, in the American
sense, no periodical sales. 1t must,
however, be admitted that on EXPOSE.
ton days certain lines then put on
sale are often offered considerably un-
der the usual prices To give an exam
pie. during anNexhibition Of white fab
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17
All Peck Up Street.

How oddly we all are constituted. to
be sure. Every time you leave your
house to go to business, to make a
call or for any other purpose, you
halt for an instant and always look
up or down the street in the direction
opposite ITO that in which you intend
going. You are no different from other
people ~ that respect. Everyone does
the same thing. Watch both your
neighber and yourself and see il 1t is
not sQlin at least nine cases IA every
ten. New York r
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17
LOCKS THE SHUTTER HOOK.

AOO1AS TI1E SHUTTER FOUH.
Here is a woman's invention which
has both practicability and cheapness
to recommend it, being an arrange
ment for the locking of the blind
hooks after they have been inserted
in the notched plates to fasten the
blinds in a closed position. It is a
common practice for housebreakers
to open the shutters by reaching
through from the outside with the
fingers and lifting the interior hook,
and it goes without saying that bur-
glar is apt to be just as deft as any
one else in this matter. With the
idea of preventing an occurrence Of
this kind and thus hindering the
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17

Archduke Otto, the future emperor
OF Austria, is an artist of great talent
He possesses his own studio in the
Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, and
divides his time between the headquar-
tiers of the cavalry corps which he
commands and his studio. The arch
duke has frequently exhibited his work
anonymously, in order that it might
stand on it's merits and not be favor
IDLY criticised because of his rank.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17

According to a writer in the St.
lanes Gazette, part of the credit for
the wonderful development of Japan
N civilization is due to the Empress
Haruka. She married the emperor
thirty years ago, and, like him, is a
strong supporter of western ideas. The
emperor is the 121st in his line, and
the first who has given his wife a
seat at his table and voice in the ma
donal councils. She set the example
n abandoning the customs of staining
he teeth and shaving the eyebrows.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17

this sense refers to the Temple Of
Fame, near Ratisbon, Bavaria, built by
Ludwig l., in 1880, and consecrated to
the illustrious dead of all Germany.
The exterior reproduces Greek Doric
temple, lis by 246 feet in plan, built of
gray marble. The interior is Ionic,
and forms hall so by 100 feet, and Sc
feet high. 1t is surrounded by a frieze
representing the early history of the
Teutonic race, and contains over one
hundred busts Of celebrated Germans.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-17
Belongs to Husbands Fa mily,

From the time Of her betrothal a
Chinese girl belongs to the family of
her prospective husband, and often
when her own family is poor or feels
unable to afford keeping her until she
reaches manageable age, she is sent
even while mere child to her hus-
bands family to be raised by them
Even when she stays at home she wor-
ships not the tablets Of her own ances-
tors. but those Of her husbands.