davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23

church's existence have passed-it was,
erected soon after 1680-when, In 1857 ;,
these records began to be punctually
kept by Dirck Storm. the parish clerk
Master Storm was one of the earliest.
of American scholars. He came from
Holland to the New Amsterdam set
Elements in 1862, and was one of the
first schoOlmasters who taught the
young Dutch idea to shoot in the then
new town Of Brooklyn He was, more
over, town secretary, which was, pre-
sumably, an Office something like that
OF recorder. Later on he became clerk
of sessions of Orange and clerk Of
Sleepy Hollow The parish register
had in his day the benefit of a schol-
ar's hand for its keeping; later on the
clerks of Sleepy Hollow were less
clerkly. and the spelling of family
names suffered frightfuI mutilations in
consequence Further transmogrif-
cation OF Dutch names through Eng
lish spelling followed when English
superseded Dutch as the written Ian
guage of the Pecantico regions.
The parish clerk and his antiquar-
ian brethren have acquired an aston
ishfng power of detecting old Holland
names under English DISCUSSES by fire.
quent dealings with such records as
these 1t would be interesting to dis
cover a few Van Wrinkles and such
names by the aid of these experienced
name detectives, in the Sleepy Hollow
register, but unfortunately for lovers
OF romance and of Washington Irv-
ing the only name of the Rip connec-
ton that occurs is Van Tassel.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23
The Spiders
~ ~ ~ Web
Almost Human In
tel1igence Shown
by This Insect.

hind her, until all the we5-spokes are
in place Before she weaves the rays
together with crossing-threads, she
must know that both they and the
anchor threads are dependable So
she runs about, stretching. straining
every one. and il it breaks spinning
it over Where there is pronounced
slack she either takes it up By splic-
ing a new thread next the center, and
fastening it outside, or by attaching
light weights, pebbles, bits of e.ick,
and SO on. to the webs lower edge.
Now begins the last work-running
round and round. The crossing threads
are spun double-frst very fine, then
with a coarser ply. At the middle
whore the ray threads meet and cross,
she either builds herself a snug sta
ton. or after everything is done cuts
away the tangle and leaves a small
clear space. This is the parlor into
which the traditional fly was invited
with disastrous results-but Mad
anne Spider does not habitually sit IN
it, Instead she turks out of sight, am
pushed at the foot OF a ray thread
When vibrations tell of prey. she seeks
the parlor, locates the disturbance,
and straightway goes to see about IL.
A strong-winged insect, as a wasp or
bumblebee, left 20 himself. will soon
break out of her fimsy tolls, though
he may so entangle his wings In doing
it that he never flies again. So she
takes no chances. Nimbly she runs
down the nearest ray thread, spinning
as she runs. When she is a little be-
yond her victim she dexterously loops
her new cable around him. draws it
taut, and fastens it. When this had
been repeated half dozen times. the
prey bound wing and foot, is ready
for removal. She fastened a new thread
at the parlor, loops it around the fly
or wasp, carries it back, and pulls it
as tight as she can. Sometimes she
moves her prey a whole half-inch with
one thread The next thing is to cut
away all the outer threads that hold
him. This she does quickly, then
spins a new cable from the parlor.
Thus spinning and cutting, unless the
prey be disproportionately big, she
brings it at last to the parlor, or very
close about it, and there stuck its
juices in 1eisureiy content. But If it
is too big to be moved, she gnaws Off
a leg at time, sucks them, and after
awhile attacks the carcass. Sometimes,
with f1erce-stinging insects, she bites
them Just back of the neck so as to
paralyze them.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23

That the British empire looks after
its children the world over is well il
Illustrated by the fact that the crown
agents for the colonies are inviting
tenders for the supply of four sailing
ships, or three steamers, to carry In
dian emigrants from Calcutta to Fiji.
1t is the annual trip of coolies to the
Fiji colony, there to work in the plan
tations. The paternal Indian govern
ment takes complete charge of the af-
fair. The coolies are recruited up
country, brought to Calcutta and
placed in charge of the officer of emf
grants for a fortnight or so, in order
that weaklings and those developing
disease may be weeded out. Then
they are shipped to Fiji or Demerara
or other West Indian colonies in gov
eminent controlled ships and indented
to the planters for five years, the gov
eminent fixing the rate of wages, the
hours of labor and the conditions of
life.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23

The Greatness OF the Century.
We mark OF centuries, and fix the
stakes,
Arraigning time to judge him by our
deeds;
First science writes with giant hand
her needs,
Then knowledge all the slumb' ring Sc
crets wakes;
Man stands supreme, the sceptre boldly
takes
AS conqueror Of the earth, the world
old seeds
Have borne great fruit in things and
creeds;
Through these last years behold truth S
dawn-like breaks.
Aye. read the splendid records of our
race
But only in the light of human hap
piness,
What matter if mans power control
the pace
OF wild-whirled stars be there one
Joy the less;
Search hearts and hopes before the
crown you place
Upon the century; then it's time to
bless.
Henry c. Rehm.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23
Knows as Much About
China as Do the
Newspaper Men

the public opinion of intelligent ma
tions sometimes hangs on the presum-
ed omniscience OF correspondent who
fits in one day and skips the country
the next. What did the ordinary cor
respondent know or find out about the
Chinese question? Nothing, and many
of them did not try hard to learn that
much. Yet these men have told the
general public that the missionaries
did it all. They caused the whole row,
ETC., ad nauseam. The ordinary cor
respondent who has written to the
United States on this matter knows
no more about it than Tom Jones' cat
Now / am not writing a diatribe on
newspaper men. l have been thrown
in quite intimate relations with them
for one year and a half, but that does
not blind me to the fact that they don't
know it all and they can't know 1t
ALI il a week or two, and that much OF
their inflated verbiage is nonsense writ
ten simply to fill the bill for the editor
who pays them
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23
SAVED A LIFE.
Inflated Flour Sack Kept q Man from
DroWnins.

MINATED Flour Sack Kept = Man from
DrswniA=.
A common flour sack and the use of
his wits saved Chris Hansen, a market
hunter, from death by drowning in
the bay of Sausalito, Cal. 1t has been
his practice to spend the early morn
ing hours shooting on the bay near
this place. This morning, while re-
turning in a skiff from the hunting
grounds, Hansen in some manner
caused his shotgun, which was lying
in the bottom of the boat, to explode
The barrel being pointed downward
the man received no injury. but the
full contents of the weapon passed
through the vessel, tearing a jagged
hole in its bottom. In q few minutes
the boat commenced to settle and Han
sens most desperate efforts failed to
stop the influx of water In despair
he grasped the oars and snatching a
hour sack used for carrying his game
commenced to tie them together as a
hoat to assist him ashore. Quickly fin
ishing this work, he jumped into the
water, deserving the boat, which sank
moment later. Hansen could swim
but little and found the oars an alto
gether inadequate support. His strug-
giles to keep afloat were rapidly ex-
hausting him and at a critical moment
the knot holding the oars together be-
came united and they separated. The
hunter was in despair, when he no.
ticed that a portion of the sack used
in tying the oars had become filled
with air. A moment later he had
snatched it up and was holding its
open end toward the breeze, where It
filled with wind. Closing the end
with his hand, Hansen used the i'm
provised life preserver to assist iii
bearing him up and easily remained
on the surface of the water. The tide
and use of his legs gradually propelled
him toward the shore and fifteen min
utes later the drifting man was on
dry land.-St Louis Chronicle,
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23
Com Jones
Cuf

Writing in Donahoes Magazine on
the situation in China, Rev. Father Jo-
seph M. Gleason, who is with the Am
erican forces in Pekin, maintains that
the Boxer movement with all it's at
tendant horrors was not a result of the
presence of missionaries in China 1t
was an anti-foreign demonstration
rather than anti-Christian. The rev.
erend gentleman takes the newspaper
correspondents to task for attributing
the trouble to the missionaries and
says of them:
"A newspaper man rushes into a
country of which he hardly knew the
existence before his arrival, takes no
trouble to learn a word of the Ian
guage, corners a few residents, and at
ter few cigars, and more drinks,
closes the interview, and writes for
his paper He is paid fancy salary
as special correspondent and must
write something for his paper, and
this something is, as a rule, superficial
generalizing of the veriest rubbish. Yet
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23
A st.<. c..tr.t.mp..

H. Cooper Ciiffe. now playing in
London in THE Price of Peace" tells
an amusing story of his first perform
ance of the spider at the Globe in Lon
don. In the last act of "The Silver
King" the Spider locks a case of jewels
of enormous value in an iron safe
Mr. Ciiffe did some elaborate business
with the key and the safe and turned
to the house to give full weight to his
lines: Securely locked. The Jewels
are safe" There was a roar of laugh
ter He spun around and perceived
that the locked doors were wide open
again. giving the audience a full view,
through the back of the safe, of a
lfmelight and the legs of a stage car
penter.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23

Nowhere is New Years day more
festiyely observed than in the east,
and especially in Mohammedan lands.
In Persia. the No ROOF, Gas the new
year is called) is by far the most i'm
portant holiday observed by the SUBJ
jecss of the shah. On New Years eve
the fun begins with the kindling or
huge bonfires, and among the more ac-
tive it is considered the correct thing
to leap over or through the flames.
The Persian is careful to perform his
fire dance in old garments. for on New
Years day every one who has the
means Is bound by the strictest custom
to appear In new clothes
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23
FAST sTEAMERs.

Rev York Wants Them fer the Benefit
of Suburban Residents
Steamboats, that can go forty miles
an hour are soon to make several SUI
burbs part of all-devouring New York
as Greenwich, Woolwich. Gravesend,
Hampton Court, Chelsea, Kew, C.acton.
Windsor, Margate, Ramsgate, ETC., are
part of London, says the New York
Press. The steamboats, on the Thames
iare perhaps the vilest in the world
Those in New York waters are the
most palatial The St Johns. Sandy
Hook and Monmouth have made the
approach to the Hook long stretch of
the most delightful summer homes
Similar boats will line Jamaica bay
with cottages as soon as Barren Island
is cleaned out The proposed forty
mile boats on the Hudson will extend
New York thirty miles UP the shores
iof the American Rhine in an incred-
IDLY short time Many thousands of
New Workers who now refuse to leave
the city ON account OF the crush of
morning and afternoon travel ON the
railroads will joyfully take up a resi-
dence In the country when they can
/ 70 forty miles an hour by boat. with
plenty OF unconflned air. p1snty II ell
bow room. NO smoke. no eindeT1I no
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23

The spider is the original telegraph
lineman- Indeed, he is something
more After his lines are stretched,
he establishes central" to which he
runs as soon as any sort of vibration
tells him that prey is entangled any
where in his web. Once at central. he
listens a minute, then having gathered
the direction glides away to weave
still further netting of silken web
about the luckless wasp or fly that has
fallen into his clutches He would
more properly be written she" AS
in case of so many insects the female
spider Is ever so much bigger, more
powerful and more resourceful than
the male In substance spider web is
nearly Identical with silk. But the
spinners Of it are far to wise to reel
it up into cocoons, which may be plum
dered by men to feed the desire of the
eyes. and the pride of life. Web spin
ming is very wonderful work. The
workers indeed deserve high rank as
civil engineers, and often deal with
knotty problems in ways bespeaking
almost human intelligence, as for in
stance when they spin loose threads
so deity and with such nice calcula-
ton of wind force that the loose ends
are carried exactly to the chosen spot,
often couple of yards away. and
there anchor themselves of their own
motion. 1t is thus the fairy cables
which net trees and boughs, and
> stretch across all summer paths, are
set in place. They are invisible save
where the full sun glints upon them
OF else when a misty morning strings
them with dewdrops. None the less
they hold firm. and serve as aerial pas
sageways along which the spiders run
to and fro. safely and swiftly Or
else they serve as guys to brace the
main web. In spinning the spider
shows architectural genius to match
her engineering skill. First she sur
veys a site, then stretches across it
a strong thread She is not particu-
Jar about having this first thread very
taut-all that can be managed later
She spins another thread from the end
of this diaGonally to another point,
whence she goes to third anchorage,
a fourth. even a fifth. Now she has
clear central inclosed at irregular an
giles. The inclosing threads have been
spun of pure silk. The next thing is
to go over them with a-viscid exuda-
ton which will make whatever touch
es them stick. When that is done she
spins the web proper, running from
side to side, with thread trailing be-
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23

ond or third year of the war, our COM
mand was ordered to dismount and try
to dislodge a party of federals who
held little wood in front of us. We
charged across the open and succeed
ed in getting hold inside of the wood
Then began duel between 200 sharp
shooters on a side.
AT first 1 fred rather aimlessly
Then 1 noted that whenever 1 "a sed
my head above the rock behind which
1 was hiding was likely to get bu.-
let through my cap or one would pass
within few inches of my head
Il noticed that all seemed to come
from straight in front of me. began
to open my eyes and was able after a
while to see a fellow about 200 yards
away who had been pegging away at
me- Every time he fired he would
stick his head out from behind the
tree to see whether he had had any
luck
Il waited my chance. The third time
he did this 1 let him have it, and he
dropped. A few minutes later came
the order to advance. When reached
the spot from which the Yankee sharp
shooter had been firing stopped to see
what had happened to him.
The old fellow paused here and the
reporter broke in with the question:
Did you find him?''
Yes. / found him, with a hole clear
through his head. His coat was open.
and 1 saw a half dollar on a string
around his neck. 1t was Dick Notion.
and had killed him. Just then the
Yankees charged in turn, and l was
forced to leave him there.
Courier-Journal.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23
AT SLEEPY HOLLOW.
THE HISTORIC OLD DUTCH
CHURCH STILL STANDS.
Ehree Hundredth Anniversary of It's
EstabIishment - Many "Reminiscences
Center In the Quaint Little Building
The Old Parish Register.
Especial Lottery

In the old Dutch church of Sleepy
Hollow, N. Y, a memorable service
was held on New Years eve. 1t was
a watch meeting to commemorate the
three hundredth anniversary of the
establishment of the church. Every
thing contributed to the Sleepy HoI-
low watch night An atmosphere of
weird picturesqueness. There is no
apparatus for gas or electric lighting
in the old building; 1t was lighted for
the occasion entirely by candles, as
in the days of the fathers When the
last hymn had been sung-the first of
the new century-and the benediction
given. it occurred to someone in the
congregation that the candles used in
that memorable service were worthy
to be preserved as souvenirs. The
idea was taken up by one after an
other of the worshipers, and in the
first hour of the twentieth century the
darkness of the silent winter night
was illumined by long stream of i'm
promptu candle bearers issuing forth
from those historic doors. The night.
though seasonably cold, was still, and
the candles remained lighted until
those who carried them had scattered
far and wide on their homeward ways.
A Valuable Relic.
1t is good to know that public in
Ferest has been thoroughly aroused to
the Importance of preserving the mem
-ories that cluster about this. monument
of fascinating and important past
Both Sleepy Hollow in particular and
the people OF New York in general owe
mucS gratitude to Washington Irv-
ing for this, and, after Washington
Irving, to the various organizations
which make it their business to res
cue and preserve from oblivion the
elements of national history that are
connected with the few material relics
iof early American settlements.
AS it is, the building itself is care
fully guarded against decay; services
are still held there in the summer,
when the neighborhood of Tarrytown
is filled with summer sojourners, and
on special occasions like that of New
Years eve. Most important of all, the
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23

How does it feel to kill man in
battle?" was the question put to one
of Morgan's men the other evening.
Thank God, never had but one ex-
perience of that kind" was the reply,
but that was enough
In Kentucky it not infrequently
happened that boys from the same
town went into both the confederate
and the federal armies When the war
broke out joined Morgan's command
My best chum. Dick Motion, went with
a regiment of federals-
Before we separated we swore to
each other that. whatever came, moth
ing should alter the affection we had
for each other. and that IL either could
help the other he would do so, no mat
ter what the cost. We even went SO
far as to cut a dollar in two pieces.
and each promised to wear his half ON
q string about his neck
One day In September. in the sec
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23

dust, no everyday train annoyances.
The day will bring two outings Of the
most delightful and fascinating de-
scription, with attendant health. In
stead OF breathing another mans con-
Eliminating breath in a close and foul
smelling car, the boat commuter can
I'LL his lungs with the pure ozone of
heaven Instead of contracting him
self twice daily into the smallest pos
sloie space he may expand with an
honest, fearless imitation Even in the
most Indictment weather the decks will
be free to him should he desire to
brave and breathe the elements
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23


When ATnold's expedition against
Quebec sailed for the Kennebec, in
ITS, it included no finer troops, and
none more picturesque than the Vir-
gilman sharpshooters of Daniel Nor
gan, who was afterward famous as
the friend of Washington and the vic
tor of Cowpens- A pretty tradition OF
the march of the Virginians from the
camp at Cambridge to the rendezvous
at Newburyport belongs to an old
farmhouse set back a little from the
main road on a shady lane of it's own.
In its kitchen, that September day,
boy of nine was engaged in washing
dishes, half-crying with vexation over
his task and the possibility of the sol
diers passing without his seeing them.
His mother had been called suddenly
away, and had left him in charge, with
an injunction not to leave the house
until her return. With the dish pan
before him, blue tire fastened around
him and one foot frequently on the
rocker of the cradle drawn up beside
him, he dutifully but despairingly cIat-
tered china and sang to his baby SIS
ter. A shadow in the doorway made
him look up, and he beheld there two
lean, brown, towering figures-one
that of the tallest and handsomest men
he had ever seen, several inches over
six feet-attired in buckskin hunting
shirts and with caps bearing the motto
Liberty or DEATH. They were Daniel
Morgan and one of his ,lieutenants.
They entered and asked for draft OF
water; but the boy hastily whisking on
and partake of milk and cookies in
stead-an offer which they readily ac-
cepted. But the baby, as her brothers
foot left the rocker, reused herself and
began to cry so Justify that he >hesitat
ed whether to try and quiet her first,
or to go at once to the pantry. The
mighty Virginian captain did not hest
tate at all; he stopped with a laugh,
scooped the small lady out of her era
die and lifted her to such breathless
height that she stopped her complaints
in sheer amaZement, and presently be-
gan to squea1 with delight Moreover,
when the food was brought, and her
brother tried to take her from her new
friend she protested so tennpestuouSly
and chung so tightly to the fringes of
his shirt, that he laughed again and
would not let her go, but ate and drank
one-handed, with the baby still held on
his left arm. In consequence he was
somewhat awkward and let fall plate,
which was broken in halves. After the
departure of the men this breakage
worried the boy. who feared he might
be punished for having served his i'm
posing guests, as he had done. from
the precious best china, which no one
but the mistress of the house might
touch without permission. On his
mothers return, therefore, it was with
much trepidation that he told his
story; but that strict. although patri-
otto housekeeper forgave and approved
him. She had the broken plate mend
ed, and for many years it remained in
the family, and was known to sue
ceeding generations as General Nor
gan's plate"
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23
Wa. Too Literal By Far.

Colonel Pew tells a story of the
Tenth regular infantry that is pretty
good. One night in Cuba one of the
sentries was a raw recruit from the
green isle and the officer OF the day,
on his rounds, was challenged by him.
Who goes there?'
Officer of the day
Not move on the part of the sentry
and the officer stepped forward and
again was greeted by Who goes
there?' and he again replied in the
same way. Not a move on the part of
the sentry, but the officer of the day
heard an ominous click.
What are your orders, anyway"
he asked.
Challenge three times, then fire, %
was the laconic and seif-satisfied an :
swer, and the officer of the days hat
was raised on his hair as he real=zeu
how near he was to being peppered by
the sentry. The latter was given few
instructions before he went on sentry
duty again.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-02-23
Two Carpet. Sold for %. 900.

According to a correspondent. two
magnificent carpets, presented by ths
Infanta Donna Sancho to the royal
convent of st. Antonio in 1900, have
just been sold by auction at the NUM-
pal chamber in Lisbon to pay for re-
pairs at the convent and church. The
sale of the carpets, which were Persian.
about eighteen feet square, embroid-
cred with real gold, caused much ex-
element The most eager bidders were
two groups. French and German. and
the Frenchmen secured the prize for
$3.50. which is regarded as nearly S.
900 below the real value