davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07
THE SIGN OF THE FOUR.
How to Detect a coanssrteit Dill In.
stantiy.

Talking about eounterfeiters puts
me in mind of one, notorious rascal,
who was caught not long ago in this
city while at his nefafious trade" said
an eKtreasury official recently. "The
paper money this man produced was alb
solutely perfect in every detail but one,
and 1t seems strange that man Of his
knowledge and experience of the aft OF
counterfeiting should have overlooked
it," Here the speaker took a one dollar
note from his pocket. It was flew and
crisp, and he pointed out diminutive
letter &c" on the right under the bills
number and another down in the other
corner.
Now the ex-ofieiai continued, II
don't suppose there are ninety-fline men
Out OF hundred, outside the Treasury
Department, know what these seeming
ly unnecessary letters are on the United
States bills. And even if they had no
ticed them am willing to bet that not
one Of them could tell what they sig
Nifty"
The ex-treasury ttian handed the re-
porter United States note and REQUEST
ed that the reporter read to him the last
tour figures of its number, which were
SCAT. Then the ex-officiai said almost
Instantly: "The letter OH that bill Is B."
When the bill was examined the diminu-
tive B was found on 1t In two places.
Half a dozen other bits were produced
and when the treasury man was told the
last four figures of their numbers. he
was able to tell, with lightning rapidity.
what letter would be found on each bill.
In each case the letter was either A. B.
c, or D.
The explanation is simple" said the
ex-official. IF you take the last four
figures of the number on any bill. no
matter what its denomination, and di-
vide them by four, you will, of course.
have either remainder of zero. /, 2 or
3. 1t the remainder is zero, the letter
on the bill will be A. If it is /. the lette,
will be B; if it is 2, the letter will be c,
and If it is 8, the letter will be D.
This is one of the many precautions
taken by the government against coun.
terfeiters. YOU can tell instantly
whether a bill is bad or good BY making
that test. / wouldn't give a fve-cenf
piece for one-thousand- dollar bill. No
matter how perfect it seemed, if its little
letters did not correspond with the re.
mainder obtained by dividing the last
four figures of its number by four
Nesc York Commercial advertiser.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07

termicelii cut into little letters Is q
thing commonly found in modern soup.
But 1t is not often that 1t saves a man
from financial disaster, as 1t did In
the following case: An American wis.,
iting England was dining in London
the other day during the height of the
Wall Street boom. The talk turned
on that subject, and the American,
who had bought largely at high figures.
maintained, against the general opin-
ion, that the great prices rested ON a
solid business basis. Suddenly he
saw In the spoonful of soup which he
was raising to his lips four letters
forming the word "Sell." Somewhat
shaken by this, for he was a man of a
superstitious turn of mind, he went
on with his soup in a troubled mind
until only six Of the small white capt.
tails remained floating in his plate.
They spelled the word UNLOAD"
Hastily rising he excused himself upon
a plea Of indisposition. and took cab
to the nearest open telegraph Office. He
cabled to his broker. ordering the i'm
mediate sale of all he held in railways.
AS New York time is five hours behind
our own. the thing was done before the
market closed. The next day the pan
ic began. He had got out at the top
OF the market.-London News.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07

One of the rapid descents from social
favor that are witnessed from time to
time in New York is said to have fol-
lowed the marriage of a young man
who sailed with his wife for Europe
recently. AS an evidence of the changed
feeling toward him it is recorded that
he has received but one bouquet on the
steamer and that nobody came to the
pier to say goodbye to him. Such
changes have been known before, and
the surprise in this particular case has
been that this young man was able to
play the game so long as he did. The
fckleness of social favor was shown not
long ago in the case of young woman
who is just now attracting favor in
Paris through her grace and originality
in dancing. She was for several years
the petted favorite of certain influen
tial set in this city and retained that
regard until performance at which she
was to appear resulted in a financial
loss. The young woman naturally felt
that this loss should be borne at least
in part by the women associated with
her. Such unwarranted presumption
lost her forever the support of those
who had been most anxious in advance
to be connected with the affair.-Nezv
York Sun.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07
THEY LOVE TO BE SCRATCHED.

Toads are valuable acquisition to a
greenhouse, for they are always ready
and pleased to dispose of a bug or d
beetle, and their sudden darts invariably
bring down their prey, says Our Dumb
Animafs. They can easily be tanned, and
when once they find out that no harm is
meant them, their friendliness is ex-
IRENE.
There are few things more amusing
than to watch toad submitting to the
operation of back scratching. He will
at first look somewhat suspiciously at the
twig which yon are advancing toward
him. But after two or three passes down
his back his manner undergoes marked
change; his eyes close with an express
sion of infinite rapture, he plants his
feet wider apart and his body swells out
to nearly double its ordinary size, as if
to obtain by these means more room for
enjoyment Thus he will remain until
you make some sudden movement which
startles him, or until he has had as much
petting as he wants, when with a puff
of regretful delight, he will reduce him
self to his original dimensions and hop
away, bent once more on the pleasures
of the chase.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07
The Size Of Raindyops,

The Paris Meteorologist Society ha
undertaken the laborious task of meas
uring the dimensions of raindrops.
1t is found that the largest are abou
one-sixth of an inch, and the smalles
one-hve-hundredth OF an inch in diam
eter.
They are larger in summer than If
winter and larger in hot than in colo
climates.
AT the moment of condensation of the
water vapor to the liquid state great
numbers of extremely small drops are
formed in close proximity.
AS they fall they come together a,G
coalesce in consequence of mutual at.
traction, and so what We call raindrop.
are formed.
In the summer the lower strata of al,
are warmer than in winter, and there.
fore clouds are formed at create,
height where conditions are favorable
for rapid condensation.
The drops falling from these high
summer clouds have more time to grow
and therefore become larger than the
winter drops.
In winter, as is we'll known, clouds
often exist very near the ground. The
velocity with. which raindrops fall de-
ponds both on their size and on the wind
which makes them fall obliqueIy.
Other things being equal, a drop Of
medium size, say, one-ffth of an inch
in diameter. may strike the ground with
a velocity of some Is feet a second,
while very large drop, measuring ono.
sixth of an inch, may attain a speed OF
50 feet a second.-Londom Express.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07
sem C,..ss !. ol4 o.s,.-.

The United States Supreme court
holds on to presidents ana traditions
Of the past with more tsnacity than
any csher body in the country. The
court kept up the practice Of ifIing its
ofRcial snu6box longer than aid the
United States senate. and the senate
held on to the once popular drug long
after 1t had ceased to be generally
used. Tho love OF the old way IL
shown In the Supreme court every
time that august body meets BY the
array Of quill pens distributed over
the desks. When the quill was the
only pen instructions were given to
have q certain number of them placed
on the desks for members of the court.
Very few people now use the quill,
and those who do would get along
very well with steel pen. But no one
has ever dared to interfere with q
custom once established. and the quill
pen doubtless still has . long life In
the court.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07

John Widgeon, the field collector o.
the Maryland Academy of Sciences
has had many experiences while collect.
ing the specimens for the museum. HI
has captured almost every species O,
reptile, both poisonous and otherwise
to be found in the State, and in their
pursuit has noticed many pecuiarities
1T is remarkable" he saws. chow
some of the deadliest enemies live in
close proximity to each. other. Several
years ago while exploring Kent Island
ventured up forty-foot hickory tree
to inspect a large fish-hawks nest
When almost to the nest was surprised
to see an enormous black snake wran-
ped around the heavy sticks at the bot.
tom of the bulky nest. The snake al
though at such an unusual distance from
the ground, did not lose its presence
of mind, but dropped gracefully from
limb to limb until it reached the ground
Continuing to the nest, / found a large
family of field mice. Above this was :
nest full of live sparrows, and upon the
top of the hawks nest were three young
hawks just hatching.-BaIsimoye .S.s.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07

IAs United States furnishes nearly
nins-tsnths Of the worlds supply Of
cotton: the East Indies. Egypt and
smaller countries the other tenth. We
can hardly maintain this ascendency
with the efforts making 70 take away
the business. Japan, for example. 10
manufacturing cotton cloth, and takes
largely OF our supply. Now she has
cut her demand In two because by
using cheap Indian cotton and mixing
1t with the American article she can
place her goods on the market ct less
price than II wholly made of our ma
terial. Another competitor will ma
terialixe In few years. With the
damming OF the Nile and the estab-
lishment Of the irrigating canals which
are part Of the enterprise. a vast
tract OF Egypt will be opened up for
the cultivation of the cotton plant.
An area equal to four large American
states will be reclaimed and much OF
! 1t will be devoted to cotton raising.
European and Asiatic manufacturers
expect to get the material much
cheaper. because Egyptian labor IL
paid SO little in comparison with
American.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07
A WONDERFUL CLOCK.
Bohemian Matchmaker Works Twenty
Years on Timspisce.

An old man, weak and very near to
the grave, has just completed piece
of work the accomplishment of which
has been his dream, waking and sleep
ing, for the past twenty years. He is
Frank Bohacek, a Bohemian watch
maker, who lives in a broken-down
building in the midst of a little settle
ment of his countrytnen.
Bohacek has produced a wonderful
clock, and his neighbors, who for many
years have looked on him as a visionary.
pottering away on old cog wheels and
springs, have seen his handiwork and
now consider him wizard The old
man was one of Chicago's first and best
jewelers., and he prospered so we'll that
early in the '8os he was able to retire
on small competency. Then he evolv-
ed the idea of his marvellous clock, and
he worked on it early and late till it be-
came almost part of his life.
1t is giant among clocks, standing
eighteen feet high and measuring fifteen
feet around the base. On its front face
it has four dials-one the ordinary
twelve-hour plate, one of twenty-four
hours, another with three hands show
ing the day of the year, the month and
the week, and the fourth presenting
wonderfully accurate movement of the
earth and other planets about the sun,
which is represented by a red electric
globe, The moon is also shown in its
correct revolutions, and the sphere
representing the earth swings on its own
axis every twenty-four hours, passing
through the solstices and equinoxes with
astronomical accuracy.
Thirty automaton figures, represent
ing American Presidents from Wash
ington to Mckinley, and Uncle Sam,
Columbus, Dewey, Franklin, an Indian
and America, pass an opening at the top
of the clock with intervals of two min
utes between each.
Bohacek is still working on the clock.
and plans to add photographic ar
rangement and chimes of bells. He does
not intend to exhibit it publicly or sell
it. but says he will be well content to
spend the balance of his life attending
the mechanism he has created-Chieogo
Tribune.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07
THE ROY WHO LAUGHS

THE BOY WHO LAUGHS.
l know funny little boy,
The happiest ever born;
His face is like a beam of Joy,
Although his clothers are torn.
saw him tumble on his nose,
And waited for a groan;
But how he laughed! Do you suppose
He struck his funny bone!
There's sunshine in each word he speaks
His laugh is something grand;
Its ripples overrun his cheeks
Like waves on snow sand.
He laughs the moment he awakes,
And till the day is done;
The schoolroom for joke he takes;
His lessons are but fun.
No matter how the day may 90,
You cannot make him cry;
He's worth dozen boys | know
Who pout and NOPE and sigh.
--Woman's Journal.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07
Remarkable Memory Feat.

An extraordinary feat was performed
the other day at Naples by NJ. Arlini,
professor of rhetoric, in presence of a
large audience which was mainly COM
posed OF actors, authors and Journalists.
Without hesitation and with hardly a
pause he repeated from memory the If
teen thousand three hundred and fifty
lines that are in the Divine Comedy"
OF Dante. 1t was eight o'clock in the
evening when he began to recite. and he
did not stop until quarter past two in
the following afternoon. The task there.
fore occupied him 1905 minutes, which
was at the rate Of 83o lines an hour.
During all this time he recited unceas-
ingiy, except at rare intervals. when he
stopped for minute or two to sip :
little brandy and water. The feat was
the result Of : wager.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07

In response to paragraph in Nature
calling attention to the proposal to
erect a memorial to Professor Hux-
ley, the editor recently received TWEEN
ty-ave cents, accompanied by an an
onymous letter, from which he pub
fishes the following extracts:
In Nature the reader is informed of
q movement on foot in Ealing for a
memorial to the memory of Huxley.
With gladness hasten to contribute
my mite. l enclose a postal
order for is. as some little help toward
the memorial. Even now I am Civ
Ing beyond my means, as / am merely
a casual dock laborer. living from hand
to mouth, and often hardly able to
make both ends meet. But never let
my mind get rusty, and from my boy
hood have had a keen partially for
natures leading lights and their works.
Among the brightest of these and Of
whom any nation might be justly
proud. flashes out Thomas Henry
Huxley"
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07
A TAME CROW.
He 10 seoiabts and Likes to Have Good
Time.

He began his career in the fens, on a
tree overlooking the river Meme. One
bank holiday in June two bostloads OF
'bricky lads" splashed up, spring the
nest. one of the boys swarmed up the
slender willow and captured him and his
brethren. Finding that they were only
crows instead of jackdaws, as they had
hoped, they thought of killing them,
when their teacher stepped in on be-
half of James, and he at least was saved.
Henceforth his home was to be changed
from the broad fens to a little yard
in the centre of town. At this time
he could not feed himself, but already
his fighting powers were well developed,
and he used his tremendously strong
beak and claws to good purpose. How
ever, he soon learned to pick up his
food and to make himself more than at
home. His first duty was that of a
watchbird; as soon as the bell rang the
dog barked and James crowed, but since
the dark weather began he has ceased
to crow, but shows his feelings by hiss
ing when he is angry and talking softly
in his way when he is pleased He has
become quite the cock of the walk, both
the dog, terrier renowned for fighting,
and the huge family cat being in terror
of him. Indeed, he ehases both of them
round the yard, and once pulled the
latter by the tail. The servant is fond
of having what she calls pantomime-
that is, getting the three animals in a
room together and watching the bird
give chase to the others. The cat news,
the dog bowls and hides his face in her
skirts for protection, but neither of them
is ever hurt.
In the autumn he took a great fancy
to family of pups who lived next door.
and would insist on getting over the wall
as often as possible to have a game with
them and their mother. She, a collie,
and only pup herself, thought it
great joke, and danced about, shaking
her head and beating him down with
her forepaws. At last the games be-
came so rough that they had to be stop
ped for fear of James coming to grief.
He is very sociable and an energetic
dancer His great delight is to come
into the house, and he demands admit
lance by determined knocks with his
beak at the back door or scullery win
dow. Fierce as he was when we first
knew him, he now enjoys nothing more
than being stroked, holding his head
down and chattering the while. He is
very clean, and even during the winter
he raps impatientfy at the window in
order that he may come in and have his
bath. The cold water tap Is turned on
him, and he walks to and fro under it,
'plashing himself to his hearts content.
He is fine bird, with strong person.
ality.-London Spectator.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07
rig WORLDS WOES,

This worlds an endless vale of woe,
Where man but wakes to sigh:
Contentment never yet was found
Below the arching sky.
The thin man mourns because the flesh
IL thin upon his bones;
The lady with the double chin
Looks in her glass and groans.
The childless man would give his all
To have little one;
The man with seven boys would be
O'erjoyed if he had none.
A down bestreaks the maiden's lip,
Therefore she mopes about;
The strong mans heart is sore because
His hair is falling out.
Chicago Record-Herald.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07

A8n8 Qo0s 1oF MQo0M 44AD1uAt10As
An article of Prof. Edward 8. Hol-
den In McClure's Magazine knocks .
good deal of the romance out of the
conjsctures regarding the Inhabitants
OF the planet Mars. He says that spec
troscopic observation made at this
Lick observatory, far more complete
and thorough than those made at
other stations. lead to the conclusion
that the atmosphere OF Mars IL GER
tainiy less In amount than that sur
rounding the SUBMITS of the highest
Himalayan peaks. 1t is by no means
certain that what air there is Is of
the right kind for human beings to
breathe. All telescope observation
leads to the conclusion that there are
no clouds on Mars. II there were air
and water clouds would certainly form.
The sky OF Mars Is absolutely sunny.
It il safe to say that, speaking gen.
orally, Mars is planet without water,
without air in many marked quantity,
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07
THE SUMS HEAT THROUGH
GLASS.

The instantaneous passage of the
suns heat through glass is one of the
phenomena of physics that are not per.
fectly understood. If you open the shut.
ter and let a ray of sunshine fall on
your hand through the glass you instant
ly feel the heat; indeed, the heat comes
with the light, and seems to be par,
of it. Sunlight in this respect differs
essentially from artificial light. The light
from hot fire, for example, will fall
on your hand through glass without pro-
ducing any sensation of heat.
The scientists, we believe, are not sure
that they understand this difference, but
the most probable explanation of it is
afforded by what is called the theory OF
radiant energy. According to that
theory the light from the sun, by means
of the ether of space, carries an energy
that sets in rapid motion the molecules
of matter on which it falls. While the
light itself does not carry heat to an OBJ
ject and impart it, as it was formerly
believed to do, it produces heat by quick
ening the motion of the molecules.
In passing through glass it no doubt
leaves some increased molecular action,
but the heat thus produced is so light
hat it is scarcely 'perceptible. When it
falls on body, however. that intercepts
its passage and absorbs it, the effect is
noticeable.
1t is this passage of the light through
glass and the production of heat in the
objects on which it falls that is taken
advantage of in the building of hot
house. The radiant energy passes
through the glass and communicates it
self to the objects in the hot-house, thus
producing heat which cannot readily es-
cape. The hot-house is thus kept in the
condition that gives it its name, and the
plants have summer temperature
Philadelphia Record.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07
Longest Stairway In washin gton.

Statesmen reach the reception room
In the white house by climbing the
longest stairway in Washington. Sen
ltor Hanna, suffering from what base
ball men call Charley horse leg"
was laboriously mounting the steps re-
Gently and stopped to rest when half
way up. He saw the chief usher on
the floor above and called to him:
Have an elevator put in this build
Ing during the summer and send the
bill to me-" Second the notion" said
Senator Plat, when he heard Of Han
mas offer.-Chicago Chronicle.
The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07
Counting His Chickens.

Before / give my consent to your
engagement to my daughter, what is
your annual incomef
Counting everything, sir, about
$4,000 year, as near. as can tell"
"Yes-hm--and added to this would
be the 5000 income which ! promised
to settle on her. which would"
eyes, sir, yes--that, if you don't mind,
I've already counted that in."-Ness
York Times.