davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
OLD IDEAS ABOUT GEMS,
Pearls Were Thought to Be Dew.
drops Caught by the Shell.

The Indians called rock crystal an
'unripe diamond" and until the begin
ming OF the eighteenth century India
was thought to be the only land which
produced that precious stone. 1t was
not, therefore, until the discovery Of
India that the diamond was known 10
US. Yet as far back as 500 B. @. a
"didactic history" of precious stones
was written, and in Pliny's time the
supply must have been plentiful, as he
wrote, I'VE drink out of mass Of
gems, and our drinking vessels are
formed Of emeralds." We are also told
that Nero aided his weak sight by
spectacles made of emeralds.
But Is very difficult to determine
whence all the gems came, as discoy-
erers took care to leave no record. The
nations who traded in them were
afraid of their whereabouts being
known, and even the most ancient mer-
chants would not disclose any definite
locale. All sorts of myths have ac-
cordlngly sprung up concerning the
origin of gems. Diamond" was the
name given to youth who was turned
into the hardest and most brilliant OF
substances to preserve him from 'the
ills that flesh Is heir to-" AMETHYST
was a beautiful nymph beloved BIZ
Bacchus, but saved from him by Di-
ana, who changed Amethyst into B
gem, whereupon Bacchus turned the
gem into wine color and endowed the
wearer with the gift of preservation
from intoxication.
The pearl was thought to be dew
drop the shell had opened to receive.
Amber was said to be honey melted by
the sun, dropped into the sea and con-
Sealed. According to the Talmud, Noah
had no light in the ark but that which
came from precious stones.-Gentle-
mans Magazine.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
Much Ado Ahout nm "s.n

The printing of the Bible Is the most
strictly guarded work In existence, a
fact which appears strange until we
reflect on the mischief an inaccurate
Bible might bring about. The kings
printers and the two universities of
Oxford and Cambridge give to the
world all the Bibles printed in the
United Kingdom except some printed
by special license A few years ago
the question arose whether the word
"spirit" in Matthew iv, 1, and Mark l.,
II, should have capital "S," 1t having
been previously printed with a small
one, and, although the word was obvi-
ously wrongly printed,~it was not until
after the ruling powers at the universi-
ties and the kings printers had met in
solemn council that leave was given to
use the capital letter.
Nothing sanctioned by authority In
1911 may be changed without creating
something akin to revolution in the
places where Bibles are printed.-Liv-
erpool Post.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
MOTHERS OF GREAT MEN.

Gounod's mother was fond of paint
ing and music.
Chopin's mother, like himself, was
very delicate.
Schumann's mother was gifted with
musical ability.
Spohr's mother was an excellent
judge of music, but no musician.
Millions letters often allude to his
mother in the most affectionate terms.
Raleigh said that he owed all his
politeness of department to his mother.
Goethe pays several tributes In his
writings to the character of his mother.
Wordsworth's mother had q charac-
ter as peculiar as that of her gifted
son.
Sydney Smiths mother waG clever
conversationalist and very quick at
repartee.
Haydn dedicated one of his most i'm
portant instrumental compositions to
his mother
Gibbons mother was passionately
fond of reading and encouraged her son
to follow her example.
Charles Darwin's mother had decid-
ed taste for all branches of natural his
tory.-PhiIadelphia Inquirer.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
Unn0effcaI Pnefa

Poets are not always poetical. A tale
is told In a contemporary of Aubrey de
We're growing ecstatic before Newman
over the sweet pealing of the Oxford
chimes and asked why they rang wifi
so inviting an insistence. "Only young
men keeping themselves warm" re-
piled Newman.
Tennyson gave several unexpected
answers of the same character. He
asked a young lady who had shown
herself more enthusiastic than intellt-
gent over the beauties of Maud" what
birds she supposed they were which
called MAUD, Maud, Maudp Might
ingales," said the enthusiast. mol
rocks you -" But the exact vocativ6
is still matter of discussion.-London
Globe.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
A BORN LAWYER.

A lawyer advertised for clerk
The next morning his office was
crowded with applicants, all bright,
and many suitable. He babe them
wait until all should arrive, and then
ranged them in a row, and said he
would tell them story, note their
comments, and judge from whom he
would chose.
"a certain farmer" began the
lawyer, was troubled with a red
squirrel, that got in through hole
in his barn, and stole his seed corn.
He resolved to kill the squirrel at
the first opportunity. Seeing him
go in at the hole one noon, he took
his shotgun and fired away. The
first shot set the barn on fire"
Did the barn burn?" said one of
the boys.
The lawyer, without answer,
continued: "And, seeing the barn
on fire, the farmer seized a pail of
water, and ran to put it out"
Did he put it out?" said another.
''As he passed inside, the door
shut to, and the barn was soon in
flames. When the hired girl rushed
out with more water"--
Did they all burn up?" said an
other boy.
The lawyer went on without ans
wer:
Then the lady came out, and all
was noise and confusion, and every
body was trying to put out the fire. ="
Did anyone burn up?" said an
other
The lawyer said: "There, that will
do; you have all shown your interest
in the story" But, observing one
little bright-eyed fellow in deep
silence, he said: Nov, my little
man, what have you to say?"
The little fellow blushed, grew un-
easy, and stammered out: II want
to know what became of that squir-
rel: that's what l want to know. :"
You'll do, said the lawyer;
'::you are my man. You have not
been switched off by confusion,
and barn burning, aud the hired
girls, and water-pails; you have
kept your eye on the squirrel
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
Dove. and Coronntions.

At the ancient ceremonies Of corona.
tion of the French kings, after the
amounting had been performed, some
white doves were let loose in the
church. This was supposed to symbol
lie the power of the Holy Ghost,in di-
recting the kings actions. A similar
idea seems to have inspired all early
kings. for among the English regalia
is the rod Of equity or the scepter with
the dove. This is simply a golden rod
with a mound at the top, which sup
ports cross. On this cross is a dove,
fashioned Of white enamel, with ex-
panded wings. Some fine diamonds
ornament the rod in various places.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
THE MEXICAN EDITOR.
1t Is Very Easy For Ham to Get Int
Serious Trouble.

Serious Trouble.
The newspaper laws of Mexico are
very stringent. If any person Is mefi-
TONED In a newspaper article and feels
offended about it, he can easily send
the edifor Of the paper and the writer
OF the article to prison. The state
ments may have been far within the
limits of truth and justice, but that
makes no difference. The editor In.
communicate has a chance to thfnl,
about the law, and the aggrieved per
son smiles pleasantly. After awhile
the law gets in its work, the case is In
vestigated, and the editor is punished.
for even the truth is libelous, and libel
is one Of the offenses most severely
condemned.
According to the theory Of the Mexi-
can law, every person has a right to go
about entirely free from annoyance by
other persons. If the person violates
the law, the newspaper has no right to
say so. 1t can lay information before
the courts if it wants to, but it must
not say in its columns that it has done
so. Then the law will step in and take
charge of the offender, but the repre-
sentatives of the paper will not be al
lowed to attend the trial, and only the
bare result, after weeks of waiting,
can be told to the public.
If the offense charged against the ed
itor is regarded by the first magistrate
to whom the complaint is made as be-
ing especially grave, the paper is gen.
orally suppressed. The complaint has
been received and passed upon. Then
a squad of police descends upon the
printing office. Sometimes all the en-
ployees are arrested, sometimes only
the editor. Then the doors of the
building are closed, official seals are
placed upon them, and a guard is sta
toned to see that no one tries to en-
ter. For three days the editor can do
nothing. The laws under which he is
arrested are modelled after those of the
code Napoleon, and for three days he
is held incommunicado, while the au-
thorities hunt up evidence. Then he
is given hearing. In the meantime
his paper has been suppressed, and in
many cases it never comes to life again,
even though the editor may eventually
clear himself of all blame.-Pittsburg
Dispatch.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
PETROLEUM.
Probable Life of the Product Discussed

Human foresight is at best only a
very imperfect vision and sees err
rors quite as often as it sees truth.
Twenty years ago the then experts
in petroleum predicted that the end
of the production in the United
States on large scale was iu sight.
Now they are confronted not only
with a steady yield of oil much
greater than any known at the time
when they so confidently asserted
that the oil fields were pretty well
exhausted, but they have to face an
expansion in the petroleum output
OF the United States which is al
together beyond precedent. Recent
additions to the former capacity of
the oil regions are far greater than
the entire flow of the Pennsylvania
fields in their best estate.
The rapid increase is not confined
to the wonderful new fields in Texas.
The Indiana petroleum region is the
scene of much work in the way of de-
velopment, and there are many new
wells of good capacity. Even in
Pennsylvania the supply of petrole-
um holds out far better than it
seemed likely to many years ago.
Nor is any expert in petroleum as
sure now that the limit of discovery
has been reached as many authori-
ties were before great deposits of
oil had been found in Western Ohio.
Indiana, California and Texas.
There are still some, however, who
predict now, as formerly, that the
exhaustion of coal and petroleum de-
poslts is sure TO result from the
present prodigal waste of those
natural stores. They say that, how
ever prodigal nature may have been
in bestowing such wealth upon the
American people, and impossible
though it is to set limits to the de-
velopments of the near future in
such directions as is evident that in
the long run the progress of the
human race toward ideal fuel, light
and power must be in other direc-
tions. The coal will be exhausted
in time, and the petroleum far
sooner. Experience has taught that
natural gas can be depended upon
only few decades, at best, in any
locality. The stores of distant ages,
accumulated through vast cycles,
are used up in few years or CEN
turies.
Such sorrowing souls should quiet
their fears. Long before the cen
turies roll around to the time when
the coal beds and petroleum de-
posits shall have become exhausted
science will have perfecred other
methods of providing heat and light,
and the present prophets of evil will
have been sleeping the long sleep
for hundreds of years.-Plant, Oil
and Drug Review.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
HUMAN ALARM CLOCKS,
How Messenger Boys Are Utilized as
Awakeners In New York.

How Messenger Boys Are Utilized as
Awakeners In New York,
At o'clock the other morning a well
dressed man strolled into one Of the
uptown messenger offices. He had been
dining out and evidently, from the rak-
ish tilt to his opera hat, the dinner had
been a success.
Il want messenger boy to come and
waken me in the morning"
What hourT The clerk was all
business, for the request was not un-
usual.
Seven o'clock. I've got to catch a
train," he explained.
"All right. sir; O'clock" assured the
clerk.
The man turned as he was going out
Of the door. "Have the boy hammer
the door hard" he cautioned. 'T'm q
dead one when get to sleep, and I've
got to catch that train" Then he went
home and went to steep with absolute
confidence.
The whistles were blowing Z o'clock.
small boy in uniform hammered
with club, his "wakener," on the
door of the man who had dined the
night before. Get up In therev he
cried. "Get up, you old sleepyheadp
"You go away from my door," comes
in sleepy tones from the room. IT'S a
mistake. l don't want to get up"
"Oh, yes, you do. my dodo bird" is
the fresh reply. And the tattoo on the
door goes on with redoubled strength.
"All right, boy; I'm awake nowp
howls the man who has been sleeping.
You can go away now."
''Not till you've signed this receipt"
the boy insists.
The man has to crawl out of bed and
come to the door. The boy has paper
ready, and as he is a careful man he
reads before signing. 1t certifies that
he has been thoroughly wakened by
Messenger No. 432 and that he is not
going back to bed again that day.
'Is this joker" he asks the boy.
Nav, faint no joke" replied the
messenger through his teeth. "If we'se
didn't make you'se do this, you'd be
down to de office about noon a-howlin,
dat we didn't wake you'se. Now, II
you'se goes back to your bag of feath-
ers, we'se got you'n in black an white,
an no mistake. New York Tribune.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
Skull BOrera.

A remarkable application of Biblical
precept is still to be found among the
Serbs, who do not all live in Servia, but
are also scattered over Turkey, Monte.
negro, Bosnia and southern Hungary.
They are very quarrelsome, and the
vendetta 1ourishes among them. II
follows that bullet holes i'll the skull
are by no means uncommon.
Now, according to the unwritten law
a man who has made hole in anoth-
er's head must submit to having his
own head perforated in like manner,
unless he prefers to pay about $1QO
damages, which is seldom the case. So
there has arisen among the Serbs a pc
culiar profession, that of the "medigs, I"
or trepanners, who for a moderate fee
will bore hole in your skull and guar
antee the wound to heal in two weeks.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
COOKING FISH IN ENGLAND.
The Method Used There Renders the
Flesh Flaky and Juicy.

The Method Used There Renders the
Flesh Flaky and Juicy.
John Bull certainly knows how to
cook fish, to prove which fact one has
only to notice the Juiciness and good
flavor Of the first bit of fish, served
perhaps at little out of the way inn,
that one tastes in England. We Amer.
leans have at command many fine va.
rieties of fish, but too often find it sent
to table in "woolly," tasteless condi-
ton.
An American cousin visiting in an
English family made bold to ask what
method Of cooking "sea food" was
prevalent in England and found that
there the Importance of the thorough
cooking Of fish as safeguard against
ptomaines Is as much regarded as with
us. Our old country friends, however,
assure us that there is not the slight
est occasion to render fish dry and
tasteless in order to insure thorough
cooking If proper attention is given to
basting. One cannot we'll imagine any
thing hotter than boiling fat, and Law
ing plentifully with this is to make use
of the surest ammunition possible for
the routing of deadly bacteria.
Instead of warning amateurs against
underdone fish, let copious basting with
sweet boiling fat be insisted on, and in
place Of a wOolly, f1avorless result
there will be the opposite-fakiness
and 5uiciness. Overlooking will pro-
duce woolliness as surely as overfrying
or baking. To insure tender, solid
flakes in, for instance, boiled cod or
halibut and to avoid dissipating the
flavor make sure the water boils when
the fish is put in; keep at a gentle
boil; allow only ten minutes to the
pound and tie carefully in cheesecloth
that has been washed and boiled be-
fore using. Cod well basted with hot
olive oil or any good fat will be almost
gamy In flavor, as will cod steaks
cooked in deep fat.-WaShington Star.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
a QUEER BUSINESS.
Making Up Beggars So That Thex
VIII Excite Public Sympathy.


How beggars are made" might be
maiic the subject of a singularly inter.
e'i;'i.- article. And it would refer moi
TO = unkiGd cuts of fortune, but ia
the appliances whereby a certain def
ana none too scrupulous manufacturer
equips men and women who, for pur.
poses of their own, wish to be coflBid.
cred lame. halt or blind. That It Is
easier TO be crippled than to work is
the maxim upon which this particular
trade is established.
M what Is called a street sham
faE;r, said one of these dealers IN
DISCUSSES recently. Il fake up most OF
the sham disabled mill operatives, Grip
pied sailors, etc, and charge 'em q
small fee. If it's a woman with a tale
that her husband beats her, 1 paint her
a black eye and put her arm in a sling.
Say its man on blind lay. Well,
paint some scars on his face to imi-
tate the marks of lead explosion and
give him a green eye shade and q
hind card.
If mans really MANNED, it makes
1t easier. Suppose he's been run over
and had his leg off. paint picture
of a burning house and him jumping
out of top window with child in his
arms and yarn under 1t, Kind
friends, lost my leg through rescuing
my employers child That's a sure
take of FLYER. day.
81 make all these rigs myself" he
said, land hire 'em out. 1t pays, but I
have to keep dark, for the police are
very down on my sort. This hollow
wooden cap with an iron hook fits over
your head. and here's a clubfoot boot
and yonder n pair for both feet.
"a queer business? You'd say so II
you knew the Jobs I'm asked to do
sometimes. Only yesterday a woman
wanted vitriol scars made on her face
and actually wanted me to use real Wit
riol. Didn't know what she was ask
ing? Oh, yes! Why. bless you, some
beggars'll maui themselves horribly to
excite sympathy. In fact, they'd do
anything rather than work" - New
York World
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
Natures Wonders.

The common flea leaps 200 times its
own length. To show. like agility q
man six feet tall would have to leap q
distance of 1,2O0 feet. The cheese
mite is about one-Quarter of an inch
in length, yet it has been seen to take
the tip of its tail in its mouth and
then, letting go with jerk, to leap out
of a vessel six inches in depth. To
equal this q man would have to jump
out of well from depth of IA feet.
And equally strange things are found
among the plants and vegetables. A
well known student of nature once
tried the growing force of a squash.
When it was eighteen days old and
measured twenty-seven inches in cir
cumference, he fixed sort Of harness
around it, with long lever attached.
The power of the squash was measur-
ed by the weight 1t lifted, the weight
being fixed to the lever. When 1t was
twenty days old, two days after the
harness was fixed on it, it lifted sixty
pounds. On the nineteenth day 1t lift
ed 5000 pounds.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
The Chief Sense.

All the great families of living things
have dominant sense. We lead our
life by sight and make artificial lights
to render darkness tolerable But the
creature whom next to ourselves we
prefer, the dog, lives in very different
universe. His dominant sense. like that
Of many other qundrupeds, is the very
one we most neglect, the sense of smell.
The dog will track his master. never
lifting up his head to search the dis
lance; often with hair falling over his
eyes he follows on, not troubling him
self to shake 1t aside.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
SOnnambulisnl.

Farmer Jones was awakened by q
suspicious noise in his barnyard, and,
going out with a club and lantern, in
an angle between the chicken coop and
barn he saw colored neighbor stand
ing bolt upright, with his eyes closed.
After receiving a sharp blow on his
head the intruder opened his eyes.
"Where is II" he asked. "Is dat you,
Farmer Jones? 1 spect Fze been walk
ing in my sleep again. l often does
walk in my sleep and JUS stand round
and don't know where l is."-New
York Herald.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
obliteratine SMALLPOX pittius.

Scientific treatment and much skill are
required to remove smallpox pittinga
successfully. This treatment is giyei
by a masseuse, but massage is not
used, as 1t would never remove the
pittings. The process requires a care
full removing, little by little, of old et-
tcle. The new. which takes the place,
is smoother than its predecessor and
requires about ten days for treatmsnk
Thus. after a couple or more treat
ments and in a comparatively sferf
time, the deepest scars are replaced BIZ
a perfectly smooth skin.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
Dangerous If Neglected.

Burns, cuts and other wounds often
fail to heal properly if neglected, and
become troublesome sores. De Wits
Witch Hazel Salve prevents such con-
sequences. Even where delay has ag-
gravated the injury De Wits Witch
Hazel Salve effects cure. 81 had a
running sore on my leg thirty years, ~
says Ii. c. Hartly, Yankeetown, Ind -
After using many remedies, l tried
De Wits Witch Hazel Salve. A few
boxes healed the sore."' Cures all skin
diseases Piles yield to it at once.
Beware of counterfeits. Kerr's Phar-
macy, Jackson.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
A Feminine Sherlock.

Mrs. A.-Why in the world do you
leave that little puff of powder on your
chin?
Mrs. For my husband to blow of.
You know he is such an observing man.
Mrs. Ais there any reason why
you should wish him to blow it off?
Mrs. Yes. I can detect his
breath.-Chicago News.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
No Excune This Time.

TT was new gun, your honor" pro-
tested the prisoner, land I did not
know 1t was loaded"
But" argued the Judge. "the dealer
has just told us that you did not pay
for the weapon"
What has that to do with itf'
We'll, If you didn't pay for 1t the
dealer must have charged 1t for you."
And the judge tried to look as much
like the pictures of Solomon as he
could.-Baltimore American.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
NOT to HI. ADVANTAGE.

Huh" grumbled Mr.. Skinnay. whQ
was being uncomfortably crowded by
the Jolly looking fat man. "These cars
should charge by weight"
Think so7" replied the fat man,
"Why, they'd hardly think it worth
while to stop for you."-Catholic Stand
ard and Times.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
GOldHah.

1t may not be generally known that
there is cruelty in the keeping of gold
fish. Half Of such captives die from
sheer want of rest. AS fish have eyes
so formed that they cannot endure the
light, in glass vessel they are in an
entirely wrong place, as is evident from
the way In which they dash about and
go round and round until fairly worn
out.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
Naming the HahH.

"Have you named the babyT asked
the admiring neighbor.
mot yet" said the proud young
mother. We're going to christen him
Sunday"
Dear me! What an odd name! I'd
almost as soon call him after Robinson
Crusoe's man Friday and be done with
it."-Chicago Tribune.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
Wrong Prennmntinn.

Visitor-Am I right in presuming
that it was your passion for strong
drink that brought you here7
Prisoner-Say, boss, guess yer don't
know dis joint. It's de last place on
cart I'd come ter If / wuz lookin' fer
boOze.-Judge.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
Still Looking.

Aunt Hannah-When l was here two
years ago, Hulda was looking for a
husband. She is married now.
Uncle George-Yes, but she Is still
looking for him-that is to say, a good
deal Of the time.-Boston Transcript.
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
A Gloomy Outlook.

She could not forbear asking him aft
er the refusal If he were of the belief
that be would never love again.
Il dunno" he said sadly. at is an
even chance that / will have another
attack next spring." - indianapolis
Journal
Amador ledger., 1902-05-09
The Labor of Her Liz.

The two men were talking about
their domestic affairs.
"Do you keep a cook at your house 2"
inquired one.
"Um-er, ah," hesitated the other,
1--WE try to."-Detroit Free Press.