davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-22
Our Greatest Silk Clearance.

We are going into this weeks business with
nation, something akin to desperation, We intend
moving shape at any cost By these prices you can
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-22

Use white lawn Waists with tucked
yoke, edged with 0s
beading, at -. .IOC
White and colored all over embroidery
trimmed, tucked and hemstitched
Shirtwaists, worth from $1.5O OK
to $1.9S, all closing at......... OCC
All $1.25 and $3.50 Shirtwaists, bats.
ties, ginghams, etcs reduced ROo
White Dressing Sacques worth Sl.5O
and S1.75, tight fitting, tucked and
trimmed with hemstitched ruffle and
lace, removal sale rs
price only OC
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-22
Trunks and Suit Cases.

This stock getting low The broken and
consequently give each article another pricing order
to make short work of the lot
30 inch barrel fiat trunks iron capped heavy oak
straps, solid lock and clamps regular 4 ns
price $3.50, to close out u
Just half left $3.50 $1,000 Trunks canvas Gov
snd osa 500
About fine olive leather grain leather brass
trimmed Suit Cases, reduced in price full so per cent
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-22
Wool Dress Goods.

s1OO Cheviot Serges, so inches wide,
black and good lire of 7no
popular colorings, a yard ....... w
SO inch finer wool Henriettas and
Serges, black and all colors, regular
sS ea quality reduced to s45c
35c Wool Cassimeres, black To-.
and colors, yard ............ ~
sec quality all pure wool black Sn.
Examines, yard ~. OUc
$1.50 grade "a inch black French
Broad Cloth made of Combed 10
Australian Wool, yard. j. LII q
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
AN ARABS PRAYER.
The Plea That Was Uttered by a Pm.
grim to Mecca.

A correspondent of the London Post
who witnessed pilgrimage to Mecca
records the following prayer which he
heard delivered there by an Arab pill
grim:
20 Almighty God," he cried, now /
am sure you will not send me to hell!
A place in paradise is surely reserved
for me. You know l was not rich, be-
Ing only poor barber, but through
my economy and perseverance 1 laid
by some money. My first intention
was to buy a wife with my savings;
but. being, as you know, a sensible
m1n, l thought it more advisable to
make use of them to come to your
house first of all to insure to myself
houri in paradise, and remember, o
my Lord, that want a palace as well.
l do not want to be a shaver in the
next world. We read In the traditions
that those who hold high positions
here will be miserable hereafter, where
as the wretched in this life will be
rich in heaven. So implore you, in
the name of Mohammed, our prophet,
who was created before this world
was made and who will sit down on
your right hand on the day of judg-
ment and plead on behalf of his peo-
pie, to listen to my requests. When 1
return home, | have nothing to live on.
Therefore | want a comfortable living
to begin with, and, since it may be
long before l meet the houri you are
reserying for me in paradise, want
to have nice little wife now You
know the kind of woman like. Moth
ing is hidden from you. 1 am not
greedy. and so shall not ask you for
many. But, o Lord, may 1 ask you
for two? For, as you know full well,
it is not in the nature of a man to be
cOntented with one"
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
The Perserering Eel.

Young eels in passing up a river
show the most extraordinary perse-
verance in overcoming all Instructions.
The large flood sometimes fif-
teen feet in height-on the Thames
might be supposed sufficient to bar the
progress of fish the size of a darning
needle. But young cells have whole
some idea that nothing can stop them,
and in consequence nothing does.
Speaking of the way in which they as
cend flood gates and other barriers, one
writer says: HThose which die stick to
the post; others, which get little high
er, meet with the same fate, until at
last layer of them is formed which
enables the rest to overcome the diff
Guilty of the passage.
"The mortality resulting from such
.forlorn hopes greatly helps to account
for the difference in the number of
young eels on their upward migration
and that of those which return down
stream in the autumn. In some places
these baby eels are much sought after
and are formed into cakes, which are
eaten fried."-London Standard.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
A Cool Chinese Thief.

The cool impudence of Chinese thieves
is proverbial. A writer gives case in
point The courthouse at Singapore
boasted very valuable clock suspend
ed from the wall directly opposite the
bench. One day during the session of
the supreme court a. particularly meek
looking Chinaman entered, carrying a
ladder. Removing his hat and bowling
to the bench with utmost gravity, he
proceeded to remove the clock with
businesslike expedition. Tucking the
clock under one arm and the ladder
under the other, he passed out unchal-
lenged, every one present regarding
him as a coolie sent to remove the
clock for the purpose of cleaning it.
Several days passed, and, the clock not
being returned, the magistrate report
ed the delay to the public works de-
partment. The T. W. D. knew nothing
whatever about it, and neither clock
nor coolie was ever heard of again.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
CLOCKS OF THE PAST.
They Were Very Different From
Modern Time Telling Machines-

They Were Very Different From
Modern Time Telling Machines.
The word clock, derived from the
French gloche, German glocke, signi-
fes bell, and up to the fourteenth
century it was only used to designate
a bell which was struck at certain pc
riods of time indicated by the hour
glass. Sundials, or "gnomons," were
the first instruments used in measur-
ing time, and there is but little doubt
that the long granite pillars which we.
call obelisks were used by the Egyp-
dans, if not as actual sundial hands,
at least for some astronomical obser-
vations of the movement of the sun.
Clepsydras, or water clocks, and sand
clocks come next in order. The flow
of sand through a small orifice is an
accurate method of measuring time,
for the exit of the sand is always reg
ular, but water Is influenced by the
laws of hydrostatics-whent the vase is
full the water runs out faster than
when it is nearly empty. Candle clocks
or tapers on which were colored bands
indicating how much was consumed in
certain time were also used, and
their invention is attributed to Alfred
the Great. but this method is even
more susceptible to error than the pre-
viouS ones.-Jewelers' Review.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
Legs That Hear.

One of the strangest and most un-
expected of the uses to which we could
imagine a leg as being put is that of
an organ of hearing. Yet such seems
to be one at least of the functions of
the fore legs in the cricket. On the
outer side of the tibia a small oval
space may be seen, in which the strong
armature which covers the rest of the
body is reduced to thin and men,
branous condition, making thus a sort
of window or drumhead. Communi-
eating with this, inside the leg, are the
ends of nerve, and it can hardly be
doubted therefore that the whole ap-
paratus constitutes an auditory organ.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
Explaipinr His Presence.

A young lady who had been pouring
tea at function in suburban town,
having toward the end of the affair
become somewhat fatigued, sat down
In a quiet corner of the room, where
she witnessed the following incident:
A young man came in and made his
way to the hostess, greeting her and
apologizing for his lateness.
"Awfully glad to see you, Mr..
Blank" said the hostess. $50 good of
you to come, and all the way from
New York too. But where is your
brother?"
81 am commissioned to tender his
regrets. You see, we are so busy just
now that it was impossible for both of
us to get away, and so we tossed up to
see which of us should come"
How nice! Such an original idea!
And you won."
NO" said the young man absently;
81 st."-New York Times.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
Leus Can't stand II.

The leg has its own woes, to which
it falls heir from the legacies of exer-
else. Grooms and cavalry officers are
inclined to have bowlegs and to ''toe
in," parrot fashion, as is admired in
Japan and in Indian land. Priests.
magistrates and all who wear skirts
drag their legs in walking instead of
raising them, as do soldiers and cor
rect pedestrians. Dancers of ballet
who have worked hard at pointing
have an internal deviation of their
bones from rectitude known as "on-
ion." Scrubwomen who pass much of
their lives on their knees have a swell
ing of the knee joints. Dentists leg"
is a result of overstrain, fatigue and
prolonged muscular contraction. An
other instance of muscular trademarks
is found among file cutters. They over
exert the right hand in their work with
the hammer. The hand and wrist final
ly weaken and shrivel The pressure
of the chisel against their thumb stunts
the growth of that member and bends
it backward.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
The Old Surf Bath.

1t is not so many years ago when
surf bathing of very primitive kind
prevailed at the eastern end of Long
Island and, for aught know, at other
points. Every Saturday morning or
afternoon, as the tide willed, through
out the summer big farm wagons trun-
died down to the beach and were
swung around abreast of the line of
breakers. Old fishhGuses served the
purpose of modern bathing pavilions,
and the sea costumes were those of
last years village street. A long rope
was drawn from under the seats and
hitched to the wheel, and then some
sturdy eX-whaler or life crew man, in
red flannel shirt and old trousers tied
at the ankles, slipped his wrist through
the loop at the end of this primitive
lifeline and, wading out, kept it as taut
as circumstances permitted, while the
women and children hung to it and
reveled and wallowed and shrieked, re-
joicing in their Saturday tub."-Out-
ing.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
Old Age and Annette.

An English scientist deprecates in
creased eating as means of keeping
up the strength of those who are ad-
vancing in years and particularly OBJ
jects to the repeated and general use
of concentrated forms of animal nour-
ishment for the aged Overnourish-
ment in old age is apt to lead to pains
and aches due to the impairment of
excretion, and a long protracted course
of overfeeding will end in an attack of
gout. Even artificial teeth are not to
be considered an unmiXed blessing, for
by provision of nature the teeth be-
gin to decay and become useless just
when the system begins to thrive
without much animal food of coarse
fiber. Indigestion, says the scientist, is
mostly not a disease. but an admoni-
ton. 1T is the language of the stom-
ach and is mostly an unknown tongue
to those who are addressed" 1t means
that the Individual has not yet found
his appropriate diet There is no food
whatever which is wholesome in itself.
That food is wholesome which is so to
the individual"
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
SIGN YOUR LETTERS.
Many People Write Letters and For
get the Signature.


Many people write letters that they
forget to sign,'' said a postoffice clerk
People come to us every day with
such letters in the hope that they may
be able to trace the writer's Some
times We can do so, but not often. OF
course only small percentage of such
letters are brought to our attention, so
the total number must be very large.
IF the name of the writer is on the
envelope or letter head, the lack of a
signature is of less consequence, but it
happens frequently that important let
ters cannot be traced to the writer's
"A certain business house in this city
brought in a letter one day minus the
signature and containing ten dollar
bill to pay for certain goods ordered.
1t came from a village in the interior
of the state, and it was sent to the
postmaster of the place, with the re-
SeeSt that he ascertain the name of
the writer, if possible. He failed to do
so, and the matter rested for some
time. One. day we received a letter
from the same town asking us as to
the reliability of the firm to which the
letter had been written, saying that
the writer had sent the firm money for
an order of goods and had received no
reply. 1t turned out to be the person
we were in search of, and the mistake
was explained. But this was an ex-
ceptional case.'-Chicago Inter Ocean.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
His Consolation.

A lawyer who has won some distinc-
ton through his success in compromis-
ing suits for damages by accident says
his most interesting client was a Swed-
ish farmer from Delaware county
whose wife had been killed in Phila-
delphia by train crossing the streets
at grade.
The widower was simply inconsola-
BILE and, having been told that he
could get $4,000 if he insisted on
pushing the case, refused for months
to talk compromise. The lawyer, Of
course, did all possible to keep the
hearing back in the hope Of discour-
aging the Swede, and at last he was
rewarded by an offer to settle at rea-
sonable figure.
The Swede called, the lawyer said
$500, and the bereaved one quickly ac-
cepted. As he folded the check and
pocketed it he observed:
"Vell, deed not do so padlee! Pfe
got fif' hoondred tollar and goot teal
better wife than had before She and
me was married yesterday y."-Philadel-
phia Times.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
The Crnnx Earmer

1t appears that an old farmer near
Houghton owned large pile of small
stones, with which he wished to fill a
ditch, but he had already got about
as much work out of his boys as they
were willing to do, especially as it was
nearing the hour for ball game. The
old man was bound to have the stones
moved, anyhow, and so, pretending to
have discovered nest of snakes in the
ditch, began stoning the place where
the snakes were alleged to be- The
boys, who a few minutes before were
weary and listless, were now all life
and animation. Each threw stones as
fast as he could grab them. and the pile
was soon in the ditch. There are two
morals to this story-irst, when you
set about killing a snake throwing
stones is a gladstone occupation; Sec
ond, in selecting a father be careful
not to choose liar.-Detroit Tribune.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
His NiEhtcaD,

Young Husband picking up bundle
from table)-What have you here, love
something for me?
Young Wife-Yes, dear. 1 went shop
ping this morning expressly to buy
them for you. hope you'll like them.
Young Husband - Like them! OF
course I'll like them if you bought
them But what are they?
Young Wife They're nightcaps, dear.
l heard you tell Sparkles this morning
that you'd go down to the club with
him this evening and get nightcap,
and made up my mind at once that
I'd save you that trouble by seeing
that you had some in the house. Just
open the parcel and try them on, won't
you, love?-Pearsons
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
Premature Anxiety.

"a long time ago, when trains trav-
eled more slowly than they do now and
way trains were more common, two
high railway officials got on train at
Philadelphia, intending to ride out
about thirty miles," said an old rail
road conductor. "They had a lot to
say to each other, and the train, which
stopped at every woodpile, worried
them a good deal.
"a man recently landed got aboard
n few miles out and added to their
annoyance by his persistence in asking
the name of every station that the
train stopped at After they had po-
litely answered his questions for a
dozen stations or so one of them be-
came angry and said to him:
See here, my friend, if you'll kind
ly tell me where you're going I'll see
that you don't get carried by the
place.
"The immigrant reached down to a
capacious pocket and pulled up a tick
ct with about twenty coupons at
tached. the last of which read Omaha"
Philadelphia Telegraph.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
BURIED UNDER SNOW.
The Great Storm That Overwhelmed
New England In 171?.

New England In 171?.
In the spring of 1717 an amount of
snow fell in New England that has not
been equaled during the three centu-
ries of it's history. The great storm
began IN February and buried tho
earth to the depth of ten to twenty
feet. Cattle were buried in it and
were found frozen S,lff under the
drifts, and hundreds of sheep persisted
Wild animals grew so desperate from
the cravings of hunger that they be-
came nightly visitors to the farmers
sheep pens. Bears and wolves fol-
lowed the deer even into the settlers
clearings and pounced upon them there,
killing them at such a rate that deer
reeves were afterward chosen in every
town to protect those valuablesanimals.
Many one story house was entirely
covered with snow, and even the Chin
neys In some instances could not be
seen. Tunnels led from house to house,
and snowshoes were in frequent requi-
sition.
Stepping out of the chamber win
dow, some people ventured to explore
the fields of snow. One young man in
Newbury, Mass, was paying his ad-
dresses to lady who lived three miles
away and had not seen her for week
after the storm. This state o. 'ngs
could no longer be endured, ans Mt
ing his snowshoes, he went oN,r the
hills to enter her house as he had left
his own-by way of chamber win
dow. AS he was the first person the
family had seen since the storm, his
visit was highly appreciated.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
Well Posted.

That the next best thing to knowing
the law is knowing where to find it
was Illustrated once when Judge SIM
con E. Baldwin of the Yale Law
school in an examination on corpora
tions asked his class question which
was extremely difficult. A certain
complex state of facts was given, and
the question ended with: "a client
comes to you and states the above
case. What would you advise him to
do?"
The best answer handed in was: 81
would advise him to come around at
10 o'clock the next morning. In the
meantime would look it up."
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
Flies That KIN Spiders.

Flies are the natural prey of spiders,
yet, strange to say, there are in Brazil
some flies which prey on spiders. These
daring little insects do not differ much
from ordinary flies.
They are hymenoptera, and Pepsis
ornata is typical insect of this kind.
They usually come upon the spiders
when the latter are unprepared and
sting them to death.
A spider after being stung once has
generally sufficient strength to hide in
tuft of grass, but his shelter proves
only of temporary service, for the pitt
less fly soon returns and completes its
work by stinging the helpless victim
twice in the lower part of the thorax.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
ROMANCE OF INVENTION.
Stevens and His It Rail and Cunar6sa
Clipper Ship Model.

Clipper Ship Model.
Robert Livingston Stevens sailed
from New York to Liverpool before
the advent Of the ocean steamer In
those days the passage took two
months, and Stevens passed many an
hour jackknife in one hand and
piece of wood In the other, brooding
over a problem that had often worried
him-how to run railroad without
stone stringers for tracks. He wanted
to get an iron rail that would "hold"
and would take the place of the thin
strips fastened to the chair of the
roadbed. Just before he reached Eng
land his whiting revealed to him the
solution of his problem, and that so
luton took the form of T rail with
a broad base that could be applied di-
rect to a solid wood support. That
I rail is still in use on all railways
of the world.
The elder Cunard. who was appren-
ticed as a lad to a Scotch shipbuilder.
is said to have amused himself in
whiting the hulls of vessels. Occa-
sionally he would fit one of these with
masts, sails and rigging complete.
Tired of familiar types, he would ex-
pertinent with new ships, and one of
these it was that attracted the atten-
ton of his master, because it would
not maintain its upright position in
the water. Experiments were made
to ballast it in order to give it the
proper trim. The clipper-like shape
and graceful long lines of the model
promised great speed. Such is said
to be the origin of the standard model
of the Cunard and later ocean grey
Chicago News.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
Barnum Loved to Please children.

What pleased P. 7. Barnum most
as he proceeded to the full understand
ing of his office and vocation was de-
vising methods to interest the children.
Their frank and vocally expressed
pleasure, their frolicsome, keen eyed de-
light in visiting his museum, menagerie
and show, were more to him than to
Caesar was the applause Of millions.
A certain writer has said, Better be
driven out from among men than to be
disliked by children" The one man
who got farthest away from the force
Of that possible malediction was P. T.
Barnum. He not only arranged spec
tacles to thrill his child patrons and to
fill them with awesome or hilarious
wonder, but he fixed days and prices
to meet their convenience and their
ability to pay for tickets.-Joel Benton
in Century.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
An Autograph Request.

ambassadors receive many queer re-
quests in the course of their official
duties. Here is one that was sent TO
Mr.. White by a western woman, who
inclosed pieces of linen, when he was
minister to Germany many years ago:
"We are going to give a fair in our
church, and 1 am making an autograph
quilt. 1 want you to get me the auto
graphs of the emperor and empress, the
crown prince and Bismarck, and tell
them to be very careful not to write
too near the edge Of the squares, as a
seam has to be allowed for putting
them together"
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
A Difference.

An American girl, pretty and bright,
had been spending some time in Lean
ington, England.
The afternoon before her departure
she suddenly remembered that several
books from the public library should
be returned. She took the volumes,
sailed forth and presently encountered
q young Englishman whose acquaint-
ance, though brief, had not been with
out attraction.
Really, now, how queer you Ameri-
can girls arew he said. 'Now, l sup
pose if you were at home, walking on
Fifth avenue, you would never be seen
with fellow Juggling all these books"
Certainly not" she quickly and
archly answered. "If 1 were in Amer
lea, the gentleman would be carrying
them"
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
The Reward of kindness.

A kind hearted man in New Zealand
had a sudden shock a little time ago.
He was standing on a railway plat
form giving apples to circus elephant
Gagged in a cattle truck as the circus
was on the move. The train started,
and the elephant, not to lose the last
apples in the basket, promptly seized
the man in his trunk and carried him
along with the train. The train had
to be stopped and the kind hearted man
rescued from the trunk of the travel
ing elephant.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
A RIow MT Science

"And the voltaic current" continued
the lecturer, was the discovery of
Volta. and its development is a CON-
paratively recent achievement of sci
ence."
A still, small individual hoIsted him
self to chair in the rear of the hall.
Hold on there, professor! What
about the earlier discoveries Of Noah?"
Il don't understand you, sir"
''Then brush up! Didn't Noah make
the arc light on Mount AraratT'-Bal-
timore News.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
One of Curran,s wittic1sm..

Curran, says a writer in the Green
Bag, once had as colleague in a case
remarkably tall and slender man,
who had originally intended to take
orders. When the judge observed that
the case involved question in ecclesi-
astical law, Curran said, Il can refer
your lordship to the high authority be-
hind me, who was once intended for
the church, though in my opinion he is
filter for the steeple.''
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
Artifi ciaI FIymakinG,

The trade of artificial fymaking is
the lightest fingered business in the
world, and it is not one man or woman
out of 5000 who can learn to tie flies.
These tyers are remarkable for the
beauty and delicacy of their hands,
and only the cleverest Of fingers can
deal with the "niggling" work of knot
ting hairs that can hardly be seen.
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
Rarred Ont.

"He seems to be no longer in your
set?"
"Hawdly," replied Cholly. Hes such
deuced bad fawm, y'know."
How is that?"
"Why, when the fellah bets on
hawse wace he sometimes wins,
y'know, instead of losing like gen
tleman."-Chicago Post
Amador ledger., 1902-09-26
Missed oDDortunitx,. K,ocl

Opportunity knocks at every mans
door," said the sage. 81 know" re-
Eponded the impecunious individual,
but when it knocked at my door 1
thought it was the installment man and
was afraid to open. Philadelphia
Record.