davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-24
AN ELEPHANT FUNERAL.
Extraordinary Incident which Came
Under the Observation of n Cey-
Ion Planter Not Long Ago.

II is probable that some of our
wonder at the sagacity of the ele-
plant is due to its great size. All
elephants look stupid, and move
around in clumsy and awkward fash
ion, consequently we are more sur
prised when they stand on their heads.
walk a plank, ring bell. or do any
other of the many feats with which
the circus has made us familiar. We
expect to see the elephant strong;
it is its agility and cunning that sur
prises us.
But there is no doubt that the ele.
plant is naturally cunning, and the
following extraordinary incident, re-
lated in letter from a planter in
Ceylon, is only another proof:
81 went after herd of eight ele-
plants and came up with them about
three p. m. After stalking, | got
chance at the one which seemed
about the biggest of the herd, and
dropped it at the first shot. 1t turned
out to be big COW elephant. About
two hours afterward / had the tail
and feet cut off and taken to the
bungalow.
"Next morning l went to the spot
to look at the elephant, and to my
surprise / found no trace of the
body.
after looking around, / saw the
herd had been around during the
night, and ! soon discovered track
where they seemed to have retired in
body.
81 followed this up through thick
bamboo jungle, and about 500 yards
further on ] came upon the dead ele-
plant, lying in the bottom of a rocky
| stream.
Judging from appearances, the
body of the elephant had been car
ried to the top of the bank, and from
there rolled into the stream. From
the tracks it was quite evident that
the body had not been rolled, but
carried to the bank, and it was plain
that It had been rolled through the
long grass which grows on the sides
into the stream. The jungle through
which the body was brought to the
stream was heavy, with bamboos
growing close, and the track which
the elephants made was several
yards wide.
"Myneighbors were incredulous, I'M
til showed them where the elephant
had been shot, and where its tail
and feet had been cut off, and where
the body lay in the stream, which
proved conclusively that by some
means or other the body had got
over the intervening space in the
night"
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-24

formed, each man carrying lasso
Quick as lightning they lasso the
birds, which are then taken to town
and kept for the next bullfght
In another part of Peru there is a
natural depression some so feet deep
and 60 feet in diameter, gradually di-
minishing to 20 feet at the bottom.
On the brink of this shaft, and SO
near that 1t almost topples over, the
natives place the carcas of COW.
A score of condors Immediately light
on it, and, being the greediest of
birds, tug at the body, pull it and
claw it until it falls over the edge.
Not satisfied with what they have,
the condors Immediately follow; but
they find, when they have gorged
themselves, that they are too heavy
to fly up between the narrow walls.
and so are trapped. This plan is also
tried in other parts of South Amer
lea, old wells and chasms in the noun
tains being used as traps. The birds
are often taken to port, where they
are sold to foreign ships, which carry
them as curiosities to the states and
to Europe Cincinnati Commercial
Tribune
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-24
ELEPHANT AT THE PLOW.

unless it paid for its board with la
Dor. So the elephant was harnessed
and tried at the pillow. 1t was found
that he could turn more ground than
n big team of horses, and when it
came to hauling logs he could easily
walk away with load which the
strongest team in the neighborhood
could not bulge.
Meanwhile the elephant eats little
more than horse and does many
times the work of one, and he is gen.
tie and docile and gives little trouble.
Mr.. Cahill has given up the idea OF
starting a circus, and will keep the
elephant on the farm.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-24
CATCHING VULTURES.
Gus To Herds and Natives Cap
ture Him in Odd Ways.

Condor-catching is n sport enjoyed
In certain parts of South America
where they are dangerous to herds
of cows and calves, and, as no bullet
can penetrate their thick feathers,
the natives have invented various
ways of killing them.
The Indians of Guiana have the
most exciting method; they use the
hook and line. Having baited the
hook with fresh meat, they hide in
the grass until the condor flies down
from it's perch and swallows the NOR
sci. Then, when it flies up again, the
Indian grasps his line, braces himself
against log, and pulls for dear life.
1t is a hard struggle, for the condor
measures nine feet from tip to tip
of its wings, and, often enough, in its
fight for freedom tapping its wings
and Juggling at the line like whale,
it brings its would-be captor to the
ground. When, however, through eX-
haustion, it gives up, it is killed with
cubs. Sometimes, for the fun of the
thing, the hunters capture live bird
and deck its body with gay-colored
feathers of every description, which
are glued on with wax. Then, when
it looks like n parrot, a peafowl and
a turkey combined, ii is allowed to
fly back to the flock. But the other
birds will have nothing to do with
this masquerader and keep it off, I'M
til the wind and rain have taken away
every vestige of finery.
The Peruvian Indian has another
scheme for trapping the birds. Get
ting together some strong cord, he
hides himself in fresh horses skin
on which are left pieces of meat
When the condors come down to
feast, he reaches through and fastens
their legs to the horse. Then, when
the birds flop their wings in an eff
fort to escape other Indians rush out
from the grass, until a small army is
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-24

in the surf In my clothes-without the
price of cigar, for the matter of that.
1t was the first time had been able
to break away from Washington for
little two or three-day vacation, too,
and you can take any odds offered that
l was whooping mad.
"a little before one o'clock | was
called to the long-distance telephone
at the hotel desk. The young woman
in the Philadelphia telephone Office
began to tell me things. She said my
wife desired me to go to an Atlantic
City physician, whose name she gave
me, and whose Office, she said, was at
such-and-such a number on Atlantic
avenue, at two o'clock, where To get
money. I'd never heard of that par
ticular medical man in my life, and it
looked pretty queer. asked the tele-
phone girl in the Philadelphia office
why my wife couldn't talk direct to me,
and the girl replied that there was
some temporary difficulty with the
wires, but that she had repeated my
wife's message word for word.
81 couldn't see through it, of course,
but at few minutes before two
left the hotel and started for the Of
flee of that medical man on Atlantic
avenue, whose name l had never
heard. He answered my ring himself
and l told him of the business.
HE eyed me pretty spiciously, I
thought, when / had told my little
tale. 1t was plain that he thought
that l was either confidence man
or that was probably peering around
his office with bit of burgling in
view.
"'This is all very strange, my dear
SIR said the medical man, still cycling
me sharply. Il don't know you. I've
received no message from anybody in
Washington. You can readily see that
it would be quite out of the question
for me to-er-it is all exceedingly un-
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-24
A WORD TO THE WISE.

"Never cross a bridge till you come to It,"
My grandmother used to say,
Which means, little folks, that we mustn't
fret
Over troubles that may the future beset.
If we've done what we can to-day.
You remember the time-worn fable
OF the farmers eight-day clock
How the pendulum counted, with trem-
bling and fear
The number of times II must tick In year.
And then stood as still as a stock,
Till, aided by friendly counsel.
1t decided 1t would not shlrk
The duty that plainly before II lay.
Because at some very distant day
1t might be too tired to work
So. little folk. live In the present;
Daily strive to be useful and glad.
For when you are old you will ind this out.
That many trouble you've worried about
Is one you have never had.
Anna Nj. Pratt, in Golden Days.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-24

CANT WIRE MONEY ON SUNDAY"
usual, you know. One has to be very
careful at these summer resorts. Per-
haps shall receive a message little
later on looking at his watch, which
showed the hour to be about half-past
two, but until then, why-um-it is
so unusual that
"Oh, there isn't a doubt in life that
that man of medicine had it all fig
ured out that l was a porchclimber
or something, all right. Fact is, felt
like one. I'll bet | looked as hang
dog as i stood there before him, with
that fiimsy excuse for presenting my
self at his office. as if I'd just been ar
rested for breaking some little girls
arm out of pure devilment.
81 backed out of his Office with tot
tering knees and more internal rage
over my idiotic position than / had eX-
perienced in long time, and he closed
the door on me with plenty of haughti-
ness. I was about half block from
his Office and saying things under my
breath not at all fit for the Sabbath,
when colored man came running aft
err me to tell me that the doctor wanted
me to return to his Office. ] returned
all right and found the m sdical man
at the telephone, with all kinds Of
grins on his face. Well, to cut it short,
I'd no sooner left his Office than his
telephone bell rang and he was called
up by my family physician in Washing
ton. The two doctors were old pals
and they exchanged funny things over
the wire. My wife had gone to our
Washington doctor, who lives near us,
and asked him what TO do and he had
told her that he'd phone an old friend
in Atlantic City to hand me the money.
Then my wife had telephoned me to
that effect, as the girl at the Phila-
delphia telephone Office had said. The
doctor at Washington had been a
little late in telephoning, which caused
me the embarrassing five minutes
with the doctor in Atlantic City. The
latter counted me out the so with great
cordially when he got through talk
ing with his old friend, our Washing
ton physician, and he even pressed me
to stay to dinner with his family. But
| wasn't in a condition of mind to stay
to dinner with anybody, and so just
thanked him, went back to the hotel
and packed my traps, paid my bill and
hiked back to Washington on the first
train.
From now on I'm going to whoop
'er up for government ownership OF
telegraph lines and Sunday money
Washington Star.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-24
A LITTLE NONSENSE.

"Whewl What awful weatherl It's
raining hard, now" Raining hard?
Why, man alive, it's hailing." "Well;
that's the same thing."-Philsdelphia
Press.
Weary Walker-"I wish summer
would come" Willie Wontwork-"So
do /; den we cu'd work de wood chop
pin bluff and feel safe. Ohio State
Journal.
Trixy-"I forgot to invite Jack out
shooting with me. | hope he didn't
feel hurt" Dick (who knows her aim)
mo; but he would have probably
felt so if he had gone"
Record.
Great Event.-"I hear there was do
ings at McGoolighan's wake" "Do-
ings? There wor so nanny foine
fights, me boy, thot tn wake was ray
poorted in the spoortin' column."-In-
dianapolis Press.
One neutrality-suspicious.,
give Elsie an apple, won't you?" Mann
MAJ suppose you'll want one your
self then, too Tommy-"No. Just
give one to Elsie. We're going to play
Adam and Eve, and she's going to
tempt me. philadelphia Press.
His Grievance.-"Those outrageous
trusts ought to be wiped out of ex.
istence if it takes every gun and every
gallows in the land to do it," whats
your special grievance against them?"
"Why, the scoundrels refused to buy
up our plant!"-Cleveland Plain
Dealer
Briggs-'It's past understanding how
seine people live" Griggs-"Especial.
ly those persons who tell you there is
no money in their business, but who
keep on working at it with all their
might just the same as if it were pay
ing them hundred per cent. profit
Boston Transcript.
Lady Passenger-"Doyou know, cap
tain, have never been able to under.
stand how you find your way across
the ocean," Captain-"Why, by the
compass. The needle always points
to the north" Lady Passenger-"Yes
/ know. But supposing you want to
60 south?"-Glasgow Evening Times
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-24
EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE EGGS.
Six Eaten by Colorado PROPRIETOR
Were Worth 5000 as Ornitholog-
ical Specimens.

six hundred dollars worth of eggs
would seem to be a rather heavy
breakfast for one man to eat" OBJ
served a well-known scientist to q
Washington Star reporter, "but 1 can
certify that man ate that amount Of
eggs and that he told me after he
had got away with them that they
had not fully satisfied his hunger. Ten
minutes after he had finished his
meal he complained that the eggs did
not seem to sit well in his stomach.
1t happened in this way: Several
years since l was out in the Rocky
mountains in Colorado, hunting eggs
for the Smithsonian institution. |
was instructed to devote special at
tention to pheasant eggs and to one
variety in particular, the yellow
pheasant, popularity called, which
were then, as now, very scarce.
"The trip was on the whole rather
successful, though did not find many
of the particular pheasant eggs re.
ferred to. One morning found my.
self on one of the high mountains
which surround the city of George
town, Col. had had my own break.
fast in the town and rode up the
mountain on a burro, carrying on my
search for pheasant eggs. About ten
o'clock / ran across mine pros.
pector who was just finishing his
breakfast. After spending some time
in conversation with him, and as
was about leaving him, noticed
some pieces of eggshell on the
ground. To my surprise and delight
they were the shells OF the pheasant
eggs that ] was so anxious to find
Not supposing that he was interested
in my branch of science, mentioned
In casual way that the shells were
OF the egg of certain species of yell
low pheasant that / was exceedingly
anxious to find or secure. Then he
told me that in his wandering up on
the mountain that morning he had
found a nest containing the eggs,
and, finding that they were fresh, he
had eaten them, six il all.
"Then 1t was my turn to talk, and
when / had told him that the eggs
were very rare and that / would will
ingly pay 500 apiece for them, he
looked disguised and actually turned
pale. He had been having rather a
| hard run of luck and felt very sorry,
of course, that he had unaware par
taken of such hIgh-priced break
fast. He thought he might be able
to find another nest thereabouts, and
offered to furnish me six eggs of the
same species for sum considerab bly,
less than $780, which offer I accepted.
We hunted together all that day and
every day for a week, but to no pur-
pose. Three months later ! made a
similar find myself, but at a place 300
miles distant from there. The eggs
| found are in the Smithsonian yet,
and as far as I know are about the
only eggs Of that particular species
in any collection in this country.
A year ago / got letter from the
prospector. He Is still in Colorado,
but says he has never been able to
eat an egg Of any kind Since"
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-24
ELEPHANT PLOwS FIELD.
Turns More Ground Than a Pair of
Horses and Eats Little More
Than n Single Horse.

West Virginia has farmer who
does his blowing and heavy labor
with an elephant. He is James Cahill.
of Roney's Point. He bought the ele-
plant recently at an auction of
small circus which broke up at Mar.
tins Ferry, expecting to start a show
himself,
Cahill took the animal home to his
farm, but his father decided that a
beast the size of an elephant could
not remain on the farm and be fed
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-24
A Home for Strny Cntn.

An uptown woman in New York,
the widow of supreme court judge,
has devoted her attention to the vel.
fare of stray cats. She has had con.
structed cage 32 feet long and ten
feet wide, where all homeless ami
mails who are found in the vicinity
receive food and shelter. The neigh
bors call 1t the "cat mission" The
cage is fitted with cushions, and has
house heated with hot water pipes
in one end. A local milkman has the
food contract for this asylum, and
leaves large can of milk daily for
the inmates. Over 40 cats are being
cared for at present, and news Of ths
institution 10 spreading.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-24

Get Ready for the Place Above You.
The greatest requisite for advance
ment is to be fitted for the place
above you. Many young man has
failed of promotion because he was
not fitted for the opening when it
came; and had not tried to see how
much good he could do for his en-.
ploYer, but how httle.-SuccesA
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-24
He Mnr Pretty Ncar Right.

A small boy asked his mother what
blood relations meant. She explained
that it meant very near relations. Aft
err thinking it over for several minutes,
he exclaimed "Then you must be the
bloodiest relation I've got, mammal"
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-24

III haven't seen your father for O
long time. What is he doing nowT
Eighteen months."-Scrapa
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1901-02-09
TWO MEASURES PASS.
Military Academy and War Revenue
Reduction Bills.

Military Academy and War Revenue
Reduction Bills.
Washington, Feb. 8.-Two impor-
tant measures were disposed of by
the senate, the military academy ap-
preparation bill and the war revenue
reduction measure. The former was
under consideration less than an hour.
The only change made in it was the
strengthening of the provision against
hazing at West Point.
During the remainder of the after
noon session the war revenue reduc-
ton bill was before the senate. A de-
termined but unsuccessful effort was
made to reduce the tax on bank
checks and to provide that telegraph
and express companies should bear
the burden of the tax on messages and
packages sent. The finance commit
tees amendment levying tax on
transactions on so-called "bucket
Shops" modifying the tax upon cigars
and cigarettes and providing for a.
rebate on unbroken packages of to-
bacco, in addition to several others
of minor character, were adopted.
An amendment substituting an in
come tax for the war revenue meas
ure, offered by Mr.. Morgan of Ala
bama, was rejected by party vote
Of Fl to SO.
Beginning at 8 o'clock p. m. the
first of the proposed night sessions
was held to discuss the ship subsidy
bill. The entire session was devoted
to a fund Of intellectual pyrotechnics.
Practically every subject that is, or
likely to be, before the senate was
discussed, but little time was de-
voted to the ship subsidy bill.
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1901-02-09

! gentlemen. 1t mad been said by SONS
| that each in turn underwent a period
Of suspense hung, like Mohammed's
coffin, between earth and heaven, al
the end Of which time he was always
lowered to the former element by Miss
Stevens unqualified refusal. Certain
malicious rivals had even claimed that
| at times these proposals were so nu-
merous that Miss Stevens used printed
forms Of rejection, like those sent by
| publishers with rejected manuscripts,
with space left blank for the name and
date.
In the end society had concluded to
accept the girls vagaries as simply
Eleanor Stevens way"
And this formula had been made to
cover multitude of oddities, ranging
frOm the wearing Of large hats when
small ones were the fashion to Miss
Stevens sudden and mysterious depar-
ture for the continent exactly two
days after she had taken apartments
for the summer with a party Of friends
at a south coast watering place. In
deed, when, six months after her alb
rupt departure, the notice came Of the
young heiress' sudden death-unattend-
ed, except by her maid and companion
lin some obscure village in the Black
forest, even her friends could find no
phrase that so well expressed their
shocked surprise as:
'Well. that was just like Eleanor
Stevens. She couldn't even die like
other people"
And now, following upon the news Of
her strange death, had appeared this:
still stranger notice.
Who were they? Would they present
themselves according to directions?
What were the advantages they would
gain by so doing?
To the last Of these questions the
public had not Tong to wait for an an
swer. Three days after the extraordi-
nary personal had made it's appear
ance the announcement was made that
Eleanor Stevens had left will and
that this will had been proved.
Before this news was II hours old
the sensation caused by the advertise
ment was completely ovetshadowed by
that produced by the following clause,
with which it was discovered the will
ended:
$40 each one of my rejected suitors
/ give and bequeath $4,000, to be paid
subject to certain sealed conditions ex-
actly one year from my death in the IL
brary Of my residence, in Beechwood
street, BelgTavia."
Meanwhile Willard Pratt was deriv-
ing from the administration Of Miss
will the keenest enjoyment Of
his long and varied legal career. Be
ing a shrewd reader Of character and
possessed Of large fund Of humor, he |
had vastly enjoyed being interviewed
by the claimants or the claimants
friends, and. though they had got moth
inc out Of him. he had. on the othnv
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1901-02-09
THE TEST.
r = =
How an Eccentric Belle
Exposed the Motives
of Her Suitors.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.,

When the following appeared in the
columns Of the daily newspapers, soci
ETY. experienced an absolutely new
sensation. People who hadn't known
the late Eleanor Stevens Immediately
began to inquire into the history Of the
woman whose name was coupled with
so singular an announcement, and PEG.
pie who had known Eleanor Stevens
forthwith revived long lists Of her Gu.
rious fads and fancies, concluding al
ways with the declaration:
"Well, it's just what you might ex-
, pect from Eleanor Stevens"
Personal. The rejected suitors Of the late, Miss
Eleanor Stevens may hear something to their ad.
vantage by communicating with Willard Pratt,
solicitor, 49s Cheapside, E. O.
Now, Eleanor Stevens had been by
no means either the crotchety old maid
or the rattle Drained young one that
these remarks might imply. On the
contrary, she had been a rarely charm
ing and gifted young woman, well born
well bred, the heiress of fortune in
fact, the possessor Of beauty, brains
and money sufficient to equip half a
dozen SO called society bellies. But in
spite of these endowments or, perhaps,
because Of them Eleanor Stevens had
been an eccentric, and with every year
since her debut her eccentricity had be-
come more marked. At times, for ex-
ample, she would dance and golf, at
tend teas and talk small talk to eligible
young men with persistency and sue
cess that made her for the time the sun
Of society solar system.
Then suddenly and with no excuse
whatever, she would withdraw herself,
refuse all invitations and spend a
month or more in studying Buddhism
or in inquiring into the condition Of the
poor in great cities.
AS to her suitors, the most remark
able reports had existed concerning
Miss Stevens treatment OF those