davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20
AN ICELAND HOUSE.

into two arms, and between them,
grassy slope, the althing held its sitting.
At the head of this slope a rock protrudeS
where, 1t is said the laws which had pass
ed this primitive parliament were pro-
claimed.
Every foot of the soil is teeming with
historic interest. Here Is the bloodstone
near by. overhanging a frightful chasm,
with measureless water in the sunless
depths, where the backs of criminals were
broken before they were dropped with an
ominous splash into the pool below, which
never gave up It's dead.
On that green slope at the foot of ALL
mens-rift the althing of old and their ad-
herents built their summer booths of stone
and sod, and the walls are still plainly WIS.,
ible, with an opening for the door on the
south side.
Sometimes, it is said, no less than 5000
were encamped at one time on these slopes.
and many a bloody conflict in those fierce
old days took place there.
Beyond the encampment in the very
heart of All-mens-rift, is wide pool, per-
haps thirty feet in depth, in which aiul-
teresses were thrown, though what was
done with their equally guilty partners de-
ponent saith not.
Nearer the lake is a semi-circular in
closure In the rocks which Is surely the
strangest jury box ever made by nature or
man. Here the twelve good men and true,
when they were drawn, must remain TWEEN
ty-four hours to be challenged by either OPP
posing side, and most uncomfortable seats,
as can testify they must have found the
ragged rocks.
Between the rift Of the althing and ALL
mens-rift, but nearer the latter, Is the spot
where, in the year 1000, Christianity was
first preached and Immediately proclaimed
the religion of the island.
Indeed. one can scarcely set his foot upon
any inch Of soil in this wonderful valley
that he does not tread on historic soil and
often on soil that was bathed in blood in
the rough and hardy days Of old. But
enough Of Thingyellie, for next we must be
of to the geysers. F. G.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20
AN ODD COLLECTION.
Why Book Lover Buys Old Bibles
and Hymn Books.
From the Detroit Free Press.

iio" Tue Delrolt rec Press.
"All book collectors have their weak
nesses, remarked a man who is often seen
por1ng over the sidewalk counters of sec
ond-hand book shops, land mine con-
Tess, runs in the line of old Bibles and
hymn books. Not particularly becauss
they are Bibles and hymn books, but be-
cause l simply can't stand ii to see spch
books tossed about dusty almost worth
less secondhand goods. Excepf in TN.
case or rare old Bibles or quite ancient
hymn books, such books cost but a trfffe
Religious books, as a rule, are almost nm
salapie IN a second hand shop and l buy a
great many, only, however, such as con-
tain family names and Inscriptions of pa
thetic character
My first purchase of the kind was an
Episcopal prayer book, battered and torn
with the name of an old friend of mine in
gilt on the cover. 1t gave me shock to
find 1t on a second hand counter. so | Maid
the required dime and carried it home The
man is dead and his children are living in
other cities, we'll to do. l have no idea how
his prayer book became public property.
People are queer. l offered 1t to a remote
relative OF the former owner, but she said
she didn't care about it. Since then | have
bought in other old family Bibles and nymn
books which belonged to people | had
known or which contain interesting writ
ten matter. 1t is pitiful to see Bible in
scrlbed To my dear son Henry from his
devoted mother Elizabeth, from a low
ing father, or Little Williams birthday
gift to Uncle William
when these books come into my hands
l erase or tear out the inscriptions and If
my shelf of old Bibles and hymn books ever
gets started out again as religious junk 1t
will all be anonymous and wanting in that
distressing quality which has made me-
perhaps, absurdly sentimental over it,"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20
A NEW GAME.
1t Promises to Drive Out Progressive
Euchre

From the New York Commercial Advertiser
A new game which promises to be IN
great vogue during the coming winter is
military euchre." 1t has some of the fea
lures OF progressive euchre, but brings
ABOUT an even more jolly combination of
payers than that popular amusement.
Ihere may be any number of tables Each
must nave chosen color, and each is dis
tihsulshed by its color. Attached to the
BACK or one of the chairs at each table ia
sheaf of flags of the chosen color. In
stead OF plain coiors, however flags of all
nations may be chosen. which will add
good deal to the vivacitv of the game and
also considerably to the expense. The NAV
ers nave NOS and for the women and 2
ana Tor the men. When the first game is
called two of the players from table red
say Nos. l and 3. leave their table ia 90
10 capture flag from table blue Nos
ana Will remain at table red to de-
1 neIiu l .neir own nags from the two players
VINO nave come from table green to can
ture them. Meanwhile two PLAYERS from
laple plue nave gone to table green as
an ma, a,'a at ms party If 1 and win the
nag to table red So it will go on through
the evening. AT each table there will Al
ways be couple who will be on the de-
fenslve seeking to keep the home flags
WINE Two others of the table are away on
an attacking party bent on capturing the
hass OF other colors. In the end the table
having the most Hags-won from other ia
pies or retained it's own sheaf-will he
the winner of the four prizes which are Of
equal value. The interest to the game at
'aches to the fact that the four PLAYERS who
start out TO play together remain allies
throughout the evening, though varieties in
the couples are introduced as the game nro
crosses. sometimes the two men will go
away on an attacking party and sometimes
.ne Two women, In which case their oppo-
nents are OF the opposite sex But the end
IS Always the same-to gain new flags and
TO keep the home flags in their place. The
eHtiIe game is systematically worked out.
Sdros are provided marked with the num-
per or games to be played during the even
ins one for each table. On it plain direc-
IONS for the scouting parties are given.
opposite l game No. it will say. Couple l
anu d go 10 biue;' opposite game No. 2, "2
ana go to green" and SO on so that
mere VIII be no confusion, but a symmetri-
G ca moving OF players from table to table.
Inc Dell VIII pass from table to table 40
the game progresses. The cards when once
mace out Will serve for the entire season
py using the same colors and the sauna
NUMBER OF tables at succeeding games
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20
MOST FAMOUS VALLEY
At Thingvellie, in the Land
of Frost and Fire.
THE ICELANDIC PONIES
"A SPARSELY SETTLED COUNTRY
WITH NO RAILROADS.
Travellers Must Take Food and All
Necessities Along With
Them.
THE ICELANDIC PONIES
kpec,al Correspondence of The Evening Star.


REYKJAVIK. Iceland August 4, 1902
An excursion in Iceland is not the easy
matter 1t Is at home of buying railway
ticket, stepping aboard a train and lunch
ing on the diner or at station restaurant.
It is an affair of serious calculation ana
Thought. Ponies must be hired, and good
many Of them, if a long excursion is con-
templated. Saddles must be procured,
tents and fittings obtained; saddle boxes
for the provisions and plenty of provisions
to put in them, for aside from milk, some
bread, butter and perhaps coffee, you can
not get anything in the country, and often
not even these necessities of life.
There are no railways in Iceland, either
steam or electric. and no hotels outside OF
two or three of the larger places, and ex-
cept small summer hostelries at Thing
vellie and the geysers.
Moreover there are but a comparatively
few miles of carriage road in the island.
and those recently constructed, and OF
wheeled vehicles you will not see hair
dozen If you spend month in Iceland, ana
those all in the vicinity of ReykJavlk
where alone they can be used
But the pony was one of the primitive
modes of locomotion and in Iceland you
get back very near TO natures heart. All
these accessories of travelling in Iceland
add a touch of novelty and a new charm
TO the excu1 Lon and remove it far from
the conventionalities of modern travel
making it kind of continuous picnic.
Quite an imposing cavalcade drew up at
our hotel door when we were ready to
start for Thingvellie, the ancient meeting
place Of the althing. First our own ponies,
1addled and bridled; one pack pony with
the provisions in box on one side of his
back balanced with our personal belongings
on the other side; our guides pony and
finally a snare horse to be driven ahead
with the pack pony. All these for two mod
est Americans on the comparatively short
excursion which we are about to take.
II 1t was longer trip we should have to
take nearly treble the number of steeds,
Rnd two travellers would need at least
fourteen animals; spare pony for each
One and for the guides, and six pack ponies
Cor the provisions and the tent.
A Sturdy Little Beast.
The Iceland pony is gentle, sturdy little
beast, sure footed and sometimes, though
not always by any means, easy under the
SADDLE. He is one of the institutions of
iceland, and deserves long paragraph all
to himself. In fact, he is almost as useful
10 the Icelander as the reindeer to the Lap
Or the cocoanut tree to the South Sea
islander He stands about eleven hands
high on an average, and is midway in size
between a Shetland pony and an ordinary
horse.
He is usually well cared for by his mas
ter, Is used to good treatment, Is plump
And sleek in summer and shaggy in winter,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20

And lives off the country wherever he goes,
requiring no grain, but browsing content
edly on the short grass and low bushes that
line the roadside.
His walk Is fast, his canter tolerably
easy, and his trot excruciating, racking
ones bones and joints intolerably. Fortu-
hately many OF the Iceland ponies are pa
GERS. for their pace is far easier gait than
their trot The new chum' in Iceland
must see to 1t that he gets a PAGER and not
q trotter, II he wishes to preserve his legs
end spine from intolerable aches and his
temper from utter collapse.
As we start out from Reykjavik the
road strikes quickly inland from the sea
and soon mounts considerable hill, from
which we get fine view of the town and
the harbor with its shipping, a grand range
OF brown cliffs to the northwest and the
noble Snaefells Jokull browning the prom
ontory TO the seaward. Inland, too, the
mountains rise, tier on tier, some of them
bare and brown, some snow hecked, and
BONE snowclad, almost to their base.
Everywhere one sees evidences of the
siery volcanic throes through which Iceland
came into being. Huge burnt-out craters
loom on every side Great pieces of lava,
sometimes as large as a house, in places
ere piled beside the road, while lava plains,
covered with smaller pieces of the once
molten rocks, pumice and ashes often eX-
tend for miles and miles from the very base
Of the snow mountains. 1t is indeed land
Of frost and fire.
Such lava plain stretches midway be-
tween Reykjavik and Thingvellie, and it
takes our sturdy ponies nearly two hours
TO cross it. even at their best pace.
Few People on the Way.
Human habitations are exceedingly scarce.
After leaving the outskirts of Reykjavik l
remember seeing but three farms In all the
thirty-five miles at Thingvellie and, as from
the heights of land in this clear atmos-
phere one can see an immense distance in
1vefy direction, II shows how few and far
between are the abodes of man In this great
Island.
While our ponies are jogging along over
ehsse lava plains 1t may be well to refresh
Ppr minds about the size and population of
ehts greatest island Of the northern seas.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20
Apparently.

81 see that the Venezuelan rebels have
been sacking towns ~
Eyes. They. must have had Tammany
4 Hall kind OF time"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20

systematixed their business after the French
methods. They pack their goods as the
French want them. and are willing to &C
cepe the usual terms of credit. The French
have been accustomed to receiving such
terms from the English and Germans and
II Americans Will not give the same terms
they refuse to deal with them. The aver
age American wants his money In advance
or on receipt of the goods, but this W n not
do in the majority of instances here.
Catalogues of Little Value.
Many of our shippers are sending caia-
logues of machinery and other American
products printed in English" continued Mr..
Ihackara. Such catalogues 90 into the
waste baskets, for the average customer
cannot read them. They should be printed
In French, and all measures should be IN
the French metric system and prices pref-
erably IN French money
Some OF our houses are sending travel
ers Into France. This is very well If the
man understands the French language IF
nor, ne had better be kept at home and a
french agent employed. An agent should
hot DE expected to cover any more terri
Tory mere than he would be required TO
cover in the United States and VIII n for
eish agents are employed representa- ives
from the home offices should visit them at
least once year l don't think our shin
Peis appreciate the possibilities of the
French market. These people spend a vast
ueal OF money every year for foreign goods
ana the bulk of their imports are from
ether parts of Europe American goods are
popular, and especially American machinery
ana american tools. hope that there will be
great increase in our trade with France
win Inc increase In our shipping and that
we Wiii now regularly se@ American shins
IN ms harbor AT present we get ouantf-
TIES CT american goods, but they al come
IN vessels under foreign flags. / have been
IN once here for five years, and | have
seen only three American flags flying from
american steamers during that time"
FRANK G. CARPENTER
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20


Even the stolid and not easily impressed
or curious Turks have Joined the explorers.
In Yemen, which is part of Arabia where
their rule really is more than nominal, so
that they can dig without danger of being
swooped on by obnoxious desert kings, the
Turks have come on the tracks of no less
a parsonage than the Queen of Sheba, the
delightful lady of fashion who visited Solo
mon. The Turks have unearthed fine mar
bic tablets uncommonly well preserved,
with vast amount of inscription dating
back SO far that the excaVators are en-
couraged to hope that some of them really
Will prove to be edicts of the famous queen
herself
Many ancient figures of marble and
bronze were found. and these and old coins
that were found were transported to Sana
where the governor general has formed a
commission to examine the, finds and report
on them, which WILL 40 doubt, be done in
the regular course of placid Turkish events.
Is the Great Aepy ornis AliveP
In Madagascar local French academy
has been organized under the authority of
the government. 1t is to consist of thirty
members At present itH has sixteen
Frenchmen, Scandinaviansi Germans and
English, with three natives. 1t is named
the Academy of Tananarivo, and the mem
bers propose to study the mysterious and
practically unknown island from end to end
for everything from the folk lore to the
creatures that inhabit It, -
The romantic side Of their efforts will be
the opportunity that they will have of
finally answering the old question as to the
possible survival of the gigantic AepyorniS
bird in the far interior. The story that this
enormous creature still stalks in the prime
val wilderness is one that comes year by
year out of that land. Some scientists have
not hesitated to admit that it might be
true. There is nothing inherently impossi-
BILE about it. The Aepyornis is not crea-
ture belonging to a past geological era. It
is creature that has been killed off by
man within measurable historical time. So
1t may be that some fine morning the world
will be startled by learning of another won
der of the dim past being caught alive.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20
A Sign of Progress in Canada.

From the Toronto Globe.
The appearance of Canadian departmental
reports dated ID Edward VII is a reminder
that the present is an excellent opportunity
to abandon this awkward and unreasonable
method of dating statutes and official pub
locations The calendar year should be
adopted. instead of pursuing a method that
is to say the least extremely insular.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20


Havre is a typical French seaport. It's
streets are wide, it's houses bright and
sunny, it has open places and gardens in
the heart of the town, and its docks are
great stone structures with all modern con-
veniences for loading and discharging
goods The town has existed since the days
of the Romans, and it has always been an
important commercial center. The United
States had a consulate here as far back as
1900 and today our consulate. situated on
the Place Gambetta in the heart of the
city, does about as much business as any
other.
Havre now has about 100 900 people. The
town lies right on the sea. with highlands on
the east and the Seine on the west In
coming here from Southampton my first
sight was the abrupt cliffs on the left of
the city When we came little nearer
could see the masts Of the ships inside the
docks and then the low buildings which
border the shore. There is a series Of for
tifications with frowning cannon facing the
sea which guards the entrance, and you
steam in between great stone quays or
docks, just wide enough for two Atlantic
liners to pass in or out at the same TIM
Passing through, we found ourselves in
a great basin which has five entrances to
other basins or inc!osed docks. Indeed,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20

II have only the most distant relatives"
HAS the family run out?"
mo; they have all become rich. IN
Annapolis News.
The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1902-09-13
Paying the Premium

Some few months ago a young ma
tron tclephoned to one of the young
men she knew, who is connected with
a large insurance firm, asking him to
write IA policy covering her new house
hold effects.
Don't tell Dick" she asked Il want
to surprise him. lie really thinks |
have no business head at all
The young man asscntcd and issued
the policy He waited considerable
time for the payment of the premium.
His friendship for the young woman
caused him to resist sending the bill,
but he finally did so, The recipient
complained bitterly To an acquaintance,
who is considerable OF wag and he
readily encouraged her in her IDEAS.
"Now, really" She said, "rinhling
her pretty brows, this bit Of paper
costs next to nothing. could have
written it myself"
Yes" said he, "hut If you have n
fire the company Will lave TO pay the
loss"
well" she suggested, "lct them de
duct what they say | owe them. Then
they won't he out anything. Chicago
Record Herald.
The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1902-09-13
WHITMAN A PREACHER
Former Minnesota senator Ia New
lork Puipii

\ stir has been caused throughout
Livingston, n Y 10y the news that
Alorzo } Whiteman, former state
senator of Minnesota, whose numor-
Gus transactions with banks in various
parts of the country has in recent
years brought him into notoriety and
landed him in jails east and west, has
turned Methodist preacher and now
occupies The pulpits in country
churches in Livingston county.
lie has been rather busy during the
summer season, as many of the Meth
odist clergy men were away on their
vacations and many were glad to get
Whitemans services, especially ~ he
was sure TO draw large and interest
ing congregation.
The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1902-09-13

The Fahyahs have trick which is
performed IN this manner. They take
n small cup, put II on the ground all
feats are performed in III" open air
and place in 1t small bulb, which Is
then covered with sand.
Taking small fan from their waist
and standing about two feet away,
they fan rosebush from the cup at
least two and half feet high, bearing
quite Il number Of roses, one OF which
they viii give for piece of silver.
Thc flower withers away into ether IN
twenty minutes.
| have seen n peach, pear and Il
plum tree grow from seed, bear fruit
and withcr away again in five hours.
| have seen these FHhyahs throw
themselves upon broken glass held IN Il
large box that 1t would be impossible
for any one else TO touch without re
ceiying a wound and never get a
scratch.
The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1902-09-13
Excursion to Port Wing

The Morning Leader is arranging
for business meu's excursion to Port
Wing next monday, going on the
popular excursion boat Boomer
Girl.
Their idea is to take several hun
dred business men and other citizen
and have them get acquainted with
the people who are settling up the
fine farm lands along the south shore
of Lake superior Port Wing it a
rapidly growing town of about one
thousand energetic people, who will
receive you hospitality and there is no
doupt but that it viii be pleasant and
profitable for our merchants and
people generally to form the acquain-
tances OF these neighbors of ours
The Boomer Girl will leave Tower
BAY slip at 8 a m, and the East End
dock at $50 arriving at Port Wing
about l1:30. The town will be visited
until about 3 O'Clock when the boat
will start for home. There will be
light lunches on board, but it il wiser
and should always be done on an
excursion to take an ample lunch.
There will be music and a good time.
The fair for the round trip il only
: 90 which also entities you to the
Morning Leader for three months.
i..r H..
The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1902-09-13

The One Hundred Thousand club
meeting Wednesday night at the city
hall brought out an attendance
strongly representative of Superior's
growth. President Agen presided and
made an opening address regarding the
work being done by the Cluh, and said,
among other things, that the packing
house project that was agitated by
the club some time ago is likely to
bear fruit, as parties who have ample
capital, and who are in COrrespun-
dence with the club the early part of
the season, have recently signitied
their intention Of being on the ground
in the near future for the purpose OF
placing the project on its feet.
VIM. CaIlison made report regard
ing the findings of the committee on
city dock. He had investigated to
some extent the attitude of the steam
ship managers toward city dock in
Superior, and although the investi-
CATION was not competed, he had
learned enough to know that the
steamers would fully patronize a city
dock that could be reached without
entering slip, or passing through a
bridge, but that a dock not conveu-
ieutly situated would be nearly use
less. He spoke of the great need of
a city dock, and referred to the prop
erty adjoining the West Superior
Lumber company's dock on the west
The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1902-09-13
VEGETABLES GROW HERE
DoUgins tonni, III" t'"mc FOR the
IIH,k Farmers

The fine display OF vegetables III the
show windows of The B.m.aWick
shows what DorgIas county soil will,
produce, they were raised ly John
Deteriing ol Maple, who has four
acres of vegetables under cultivation
of which this display is only a fair
sample, among which we notice po-
tatoes beets, carrots, pumpkins,
squash, turnips and two varieties of
c ctbbage, one head of which weighed
p pounds. If you are skeptical on
what Douglas county soil will produce
an inspection of this display must
convince you This week we We're
shown quantity OF garden truck
grown by an old New York farmer who
remarked that he never saw finer veg
etables, or a place whore they
would grow faster than i'll this
county.