davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01
MY GRANDMA.

Ny grandma sits in a rocking chair,
BY the window, in the sun;
She wears soft little lacy cap,
And a big white apron over her lap,
And there's always room for a little girl
there
That's tired of frolic and fun.
My grandma has always pocket full
Of peppermint drops and cakes;
And she knows such pretty songs that
she sings,
And stories about-oh, lots of things;
And sometimes she let's me wind the wool
For the stockings and things she makes.
She told me a queer thing the other day,
And she says it's really true
My grandma had soft red cheeks one
time,
And hair that was just as black as mine ;
And she could run and tumble and play,
Ana all the things 1 can do!
/ wish | had known my grandma then;
How very nice it would be
If grandma were little and played with
me,
Dressing our dollies, and going to tea,
And swinging, and watching the bantie hen,
And climbing the cherrytree!
But when we were too tired out to play
And the sandman crept along,
What should do for my grandma's lap
And her songs to Growsy me into a nap?
I'm glad my grandma is old and gray,
While I'm just little and young!
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01
HIS MULEsHIP PROTESTED.

show up again. Nothing was
thought of this for awhile, but it was
finally settled that Chicago was evad-
ing his turn at work. a lasso was
brought into use, the truant was
roped and placed on a picket line,
so that he would be around when
wanted. On the following Tuesday
when a ranch hand went up to Chi
cago to put bride on him he
turned his head around, dropped his
ears and his tail hung like that of
a whipped dog. All day long the big
mule sulked at his work. and when
he was put on the lariat at night in
stead of being allowed to run at will
with the other animals he protested
with a series of he-haws, threw back
his ears, slyly turned about and, be-
fore the man who was fastening him
could get out of the way, planted
his heels on the mans breast and
sent him flying across the pasture.
Now the mule is hundreds of feet
under the ground hauling coal, and
it is likely that he will never again
behold the light Of day or have
chance to play hooky'' on Tuesday,
Friday or any other day of the week.
Ross b. Franklin, in Chicago Rec
ord-Herald.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01
WITCH-HAZEL PLANT.

one so viciously as to requirei their
own distillation to allay the bruise.
No wonder that this unruly shrub
is accredited with strange powers of
divination and witchery, so negligent
it is of the proper time for seeding
and harvest. Surely not of honest in
tent does it thus outrage the conven-
tionalities of seasons: "All trees"
says John Burroughs, form their
flower buds in the fall, and keep the
secret until spring. How comes the
witch-hazel to be the one exception,
and to celebrate its floral nuptials on
the funeral day of its foliage? No
doubt it will be found that the spirit
of some love-lorn squaw has passed
into this bush, and that this is why
it blooms in the Indian summer, rath-
er than in the white mans SPRING"
Edward Rowland Sill interrogates it
as follows:
Has Time grown sleepy at his post
And let the exiled Summer back?
Or is it her regretful ghost,
Or witchcraft of the almanac?"
IuG Oh us
tributing its species is almost as
unique as is its unseasonab BILE bloom
In the capsules are two, hard, black,
highly polished, projectile shaped
seeds, snugly fitted into their velvet
covered nest, each compartment of
which is lined with the same shiny
material that covers the seed. When
these capsules are sufficiently ma
tured and Jack Frost has loosened
the locks, they burst open, and by
some propelling force, the seeds are
shot forth to a considerable distance
A branch allowed to ripen in ones
room, enacts miniature battle, so
loudly and sharply are the neighbor-
ing walls barded.-Country Cen
tleman.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01
s,,:5aAAl{'S1s}Ql|gsk5;,.
-E$M IL
A TERRIBLE FOE.
fluence Than Would a BOa-COn-
Strictor Let Loose.

Some time ago, as the worllmeu
were busily storing away show il
winter quarters in an Ohio town, they
noticed a motion in bundle of rub
bish in one corner of the large build
ing. Upon closer observation they
were convinced that some living
thing must be there. After con-
sultation they decided upon a plan
of attack. Tearing away the rubbish,
they discovered an immense boa-con-
strictor which had escaped from win
ter quarters two years previously. By
her side were eight baby boas, each
one weighing 20 to 30 pounds. When
she first escaped her weight was only
35 pounds, and her length - feet.
Now she tipped the scales at 6S
pounds and measured over 10 feet.
Upon being driven from her hiding
place she attempted the lives of the
men, and gave them all the fight they
wanted for five hours. In the strug-
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01
BLOOMS IN NOVEMBER.
Witch Hazel Is the Last Blossom to
Remind Us of the Years
Carnival of Flowers.

In late November, there only re-
mains the inconsequent bloom of the
witch-hazel to remind us of the great
carnival of flowers that has passed.
Not another flower shows itself, save
now and then belated wind torn,
frost stricken little dandelion, which
is struggling to fulfill its destiny and
the command to multiply and replen-
ish according to its kind, if in the face
of antagonistic conditions. But among
the witchhazel branches, flower and
fruit closely associate in loving good
fellowship, blooming and seeding.
1t flaunts its faded, ovate leaves as
though calling attention to its gleam-
ing branches so thickly covered with
hundreds of starlike yellow bios
SONS clustering in the axis of the
leaf stems as though seeking protec-
ton from the chilling blasts. They
nestle contidingly against the queer
little capsulated pods that contain the
mature seed of last years bloom, and
which can, upon occasion, lombard
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01

company-which appears to have been
the first corporation to traffic in the
Undiscovered fuels a singular
eXemplification of the wonderful
growth and the small beginning OF
what is now the basis of the chief in
dustries of our country. 1t was orig
mated in 1873, on a very small scale,
and began its career by purchasing a
tract of land from one Jacob Weiss,
on Summit hill, nine miles beyond
dauch Chunk, where the company
made large opening. The difficulty and
expense of transportation, however,
disheartened the stockholders, and
the property was permitted to lie idle
for some years. What are now known
as the first and second coal regions
were then undiscovered. Coal had
only been found on the Summit hill
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01

gle she killed a Great Dane dog, val
ued at $3.50. For two years this tel
rible snake had been in the vicinity of
the people of that town, but they
knew it not. For two years their lives
had been in jeopardy while they slum-
bered on in ignorance and tranquil
lily. How startling to think of! Yet
a rum-constrictor, immensely larger
and more ferocious, is known to eX-
list in almost every community, from
Boston to San Francisco. 1t not only
exists, but is protected by powerful
legal safeguards. Occasionally Ger
tain communities rouse up and have
a tussle with this monster. If they
subdue him for a season, he usually
finds some way of asserting his beast
ly power. 1t is indeed fierce and
fearless foe.-Christian Uplook.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01
A TOAD'S ADVENTURE.
Its Reputation for Bravery Rested
Altogether Upon n Danger That
Never Existed.

One summer afternoon Vandalia,
Eleanor and Walter were walking in
the park Walter saw a toad hopping
across the gravel walk, and disappear
in the grass.
"Vandalia," cried Walter, "looR at
the toad" Vandalia and Eleanor came
up to where Walter stood and looked
at the toad sitting in the grass, con-
tented and happy. An old man pass
ing the children heard their converse
ton about the toad, paused and said;
children, let us have some fun with
Brother Toad" With his cane i'll his
hands, and getting down on his knees,
he slowly pushed the cane through the
grass, in the direction of the toad's
head making the grass move as
though a snake was crawling through
it. The toad all this time sat dignified
and stately as a king, not a smile on his
homely face, now and then his eyes
blinking; he looked the image of joy,
unclouded by sorrow.
As the cane slowly moved through
the grass, its polished surface glisten-
ing III llc SuhllShl, Ihc tOdu Caught
sight of it-a wonderful change came
over him-his dignity failed-he sud
denly gave high leap into the air and
fell down in the grass with thud, and
then began series of jumps and leaps,
like a rabbit makes when the hound
chases him, and the toad continued
these jumps until he passed out of
view down a hill.
Walter yelled with delight, crying:
$50 it, toady." Vandalia laughed I'M
til tears came into her eyes, and said:
"Toady thinks it is snake" Eleanor
looked at the toad, hopping away from
its supposed danger, and said in
voice of pity: Poor little toad it is
too bad to scare you"
When the toad reached its home I'M
3er the rocks, worn out by its long
run for life, he told great story to
the other toads of the family, about
the snake coming through the grass.
and how he hoped away so fast that
the snake could not catch him, and the
other toads all looked upon him as a
heron. Y. Observer.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01
CALLED SHOEMAKER AN 1MPosToR.

brought nine wagon loads to Philadel-
phia, where again it met with host of
opposition.
''On two wagon loads Mr.. Shoemak-
er got the carriage paid; the others he
gave away to persons who would at
tempt to use them. The result was
against the coal; those who tried them
pronounced them stone and not coal,
good for nothing, and Shoemaker an
impostor.
''At length, after multitude of dis
appointments, and when Shoemaker
was about to abandon the coal and re-
turn home, Messrs. Mellon and Bishop
of Delaware county, made an expert
ment with some of the coal in their
rolling mill, and found it to succeed
beyond expectation, and to be high
ly valuable and useful fuel. The re-
suit of their experiments was pub
lished at the time in all the Philadel-
phia papers. Some experiments with
the coal were made in the works at the
falls of Schuylkill, but without sue
cess. Mr.. Wernwag, the manager of
tn. Phoenix works, at French Creek,
also made trial of the coal, and
found it eminently useful From that
time forward the use of the coal
spread rapidly, and it became a most
important and valuable branch of
trade"
The history of the Lehigh Coal
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01

Comparing the peoples liquor bill
with their national expenses he finds
the following results:
In 1S9S-99, for her great army and
navy, Germany spent 75O,O0O,00O
marks. The same year for alcoholic
beverages she gave 3,OOO,OOO,OOO
marks. In other words, the drink
bill of the German people was just
four times as great as their military
bill under which all the world sup
poses they are grooming.
Sweden pays yearly for defense 49,
100000 kroner. Sweden pays yearly
for intoxicants SO,OOO0OO kroner.
Denmark pays annually military
bill of 100000 kloner and an al
cohol bill of 63,5OO,OOO kroner.
We must not forget that these fig
ures are not those of the profession
al statistician, who is seeking above
all things to create sensation. They
are those of man who knows that
they must bear the closest possible
scrutiny of critical minds, for the
getting of his Ph.D. depended upon
his ability to substantiate his state
ments.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01
TALE OF TWO DOLLAR BILL.
sad But True story Written on the
Face of the Last Piece of Money
of q DrunIkard.

A story has been going the rounds
for good while of So bill in circula-
ton on which a druEkard in his last
extremity had written a few pathetic
facts concerning himself and a word of
warning to all other drinking men.
The veritable bill seems to have found
its way into Topeka or at least one
similar to it. W. B. Kirkpatrick, pres
ident of the Knights and Ladies of Sc
curity, brought to the office of the
State Temperance union the other day
So bill the property Of j. w. Tincher,
Ala Western avenue, Topeka. on which
is written in red ink the following
words: wife, children and $40, 0G0 all
gone. | alone am responsible. All
have gone down my throat. When /
was 81 | had a fortune. l am now 35
years old. | have ALLIED my beautiful
wife. who died of broken heart have
murdered my children with neglect.
When this bill is gone l do not know
how | am to get my next meal. | shall
die a drunken pauper. IT'S my last
money in all my history. If this bill
comes into the hands of any man who
drinks, let him take warning from my
ruin"
The bill containing this sad story is
of the series of 1899. 1t was received
by Mr.. Tincher quite recently in trade.
Many piece of money might appro-
priately tell a similar sorrowful story.
Frequently a bill or a coin passes
through the hands of happy, well-to-
do man or woman or a laughing, care
free girl or boy, which, but little time
before. left the trembling hands of a
disconsolate wreck of manhood. de-
graded and impoverished by drink.
The deplorable tale of the So bill
may tittingly cause serious reflection
to people whose eyes see the things
about them and who have brains
enough to think of what they see.
Great Temperance Sermon.
1t was not preached by a minister
nor even from pulpit. 1t did not
come from a Christian church. but
from the prison where Thomas Shar-
key was confined for the murder of
Mr.. Fish. the New York banker.
Thomas Sharkey himself was the
preacher, and this is what he said:
eff Mr.. Fish had not been drinking
and | had been sober, there would not
have been any trouble, and Mr. Fish
would be alive and l out of the tombs."
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01

A great many horses are fed on the
streets from "catbags" drawn up over
their noses, and wabbling about in a
manner which must make it very I'M
comfortable to eat ones dinner in that
way. The Boston Herald tells of a
bright horse down in "Pie alley'
which had nearly reached the bottom
of his bag. 1t wabbled awfully, but
the oats were sweet and he was hungry.
In front of him stood wagon and the
wagon had a wheel. Happy thought.
He walked up to the wheel, rested his
canvas bucket on top of it and finished
his dinner to the last oat in a remark
ably leisurely fashion, and with twin
kle in his eye. If that was not tri-
umph of mind over matter, what was
It?
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01
NOBODY WANTED IT.
A Hundred Years Ago Anthracite
Coal Went Begging.
Man Who First Brought 1t to Phil
adeIphia Was Denounced as an
ImpostOr by the Wisest
Quaikers.
Especial Washington letter.

Especial washington letter.
TT HERE has been great deal said
and written about anthracite
COAL during the past year, but
nobody has told anything interesting
about where it comes from.
There lives in Philadelphia a vet
eran newspaper correspondent, well
known to the writer, who is now about
50 years young; and he has been all
over the region lately, with his nose
Tor news and his accurate descriptive
methods. He writes: similar to the
electric telegraph, the type-setting
machine, the graphophone, telephone
and all other newly-discovered facts
or laws of nature, coal had a hard time
winning its way with the people"
There is a local author named Wat
son, full name not given, from whose
writing, of 1857, is quoted the follow
ing: The Mount Carbon coal was
known to exist in the neighborhood
more than so years ago (about 1900,
and some search was made. But the
coal found being so very different
from any which was previously
Lnown, it was not thought to be of any
value, and the search was abandoned"
This means that more than 100 years
ago people were digging beneath the
soil for their fuel, but were not salts
lied with the product found. The
mountains were covered with bound
less forests, and SO the average labor
er or buSineSS man DoiDtino to +ba
trees, inquired: "Why dig?"
1T is supposed to be 1O7 years."
says Watson, "since a blacksmith of
the name of Milestone found coal
and used it in his srnithshop. At very
early period a Judge Cooper declared
his belief of the existence of coal in
the district, and Messrs. Potts ex-
plored various places along the old
Sunbury road, but success did not at
tend their operations. A Mr.. William
Morris afterwards became the pro-
prietor of most of the coal lands at
the head of the canal; he found coal
and took some quantity to Philadel-
phia about the year 1900, but all his
efforts to bring it into use failed and
he abandoned the project and sold his
lands to their late proprietor, Mr..
Potts.
ut does not appear that much no.
tice was taken of the coal from the
time of Milestone, and the search
made by Messrs. Potts, until about
1929, when person of the name of
Peter Bastrus, a blue dyer, in build
ing the valley forge, found coal in the
tailrace. About the same time a Mr..
David Berlin, a blacksmith in that
neighborhood, permanently COM
menced and introduced the use of
stone in the smiths forge, and con-
tinued to use and instruct others in
its use many years afterwards. But
old habits again became victorious,
and appear to have held undisputed
sway until Mr.. George Shoemaker, an
innkeeper at Pottsville, and Nicholas
Allen discovered coal on piece of
land they had purchased, now called
Centreville. Allen soon became dis
heartened and gave up the concern to
Shoemaker, who, receiving encourage
ment from some gentleman in Phila-
delphia, got out quantity of coal and
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01
OLD MULE WAS LAZY.
Story of "A Wyoming Kicker Which
Has Concealed Within 1t a Moral,
for Young Folks.

There was recently sold to the own
ers of a Wyoming coal mine an Old
mule which for long time had sue
cessfully lodged work. The mule
was big strong fellow and was
called Chicago by the people of the
ranch where he was raised. Some
time ago Chicago was selected for
the work of herding, at which task
he was used twice a week, Tuesdays
and Fridays. After his days work
he was always turned out with the
other mules and horses to pasture.
He soon learned to distinguish the
days of the week; at least, he began
to disappear on each Tuesday and
Friday morning until after the herd
ers had gone out, when he would
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01
A WHISKY LETTER.
Subterfuges to Which Liquor Max cr .
Resort in pi@poSiug of Their
HeIIish Wares.

The following from the Michigan
Christian Advocate makes interesting
reading:
An official member in one of our
fine villages forwards to us letter
he had just received from an Ohio dis
tillery urging whisky upon him. Sew
eral previous letters had been unan-
swered, and the firm appears to have
been getting anxious for a response.
The letter runs as follows:
Dear Sir: Won't you please tell us
why you have never favored us with
an order, though we have written
you several times soliciting your pat
ronage? If you don't use whisky,
either incidentally or otherwise, kind
ly say so, and we will not take up
your time with any more letters. II
you 90 use whisky, please be frank
enough to tell us why we have not
interested you, if you are not willing
TO fill out and mail us the enclosed
card.
1--WE hand you a stamped and adj
dressed envelope for your reply. 1t
will take but a minute or two of
your time, and will be a favor which
we will greatly appreciate.
"A few words more, if you use
whisky. Won't you let us ship you a
trial order? You don't have to pay
a cent, not even a postage stamp, il
you are not satisfied. When you re-
ceive the whisky, take several drinks,
have your friends sample it, and if
the verdict is not in our favor, then
send back what is left. We pay the
express charges going, and coming
back, too, if you don't want to keep
the whisky. How could an offer be
fairer? 1t certainly indicates that
we have confidence in you and in the
satisfying quality of our goods.
I've thank you in advance for the
courtesy of reply, even if you will
not give us a chance to please you
and save you money, as we have done
with over quarter of million peo-
pie who are now our regular custom
ers. Yours very truly, The - Dis
tilling company"
The cheekiness of the above letter
is characteristic of the liquor trade.
The recipient says he does not know
how the firm secured his address, as
he has never written them. Then
see how the vile stuff is urged upon
this good Methodist who doesn't
have to pay a cent, not even a post
age stamp" to get the goods and
freely sample them. Take several
drinks; have your friends sample it,
1--WE pay express charges both ways"
1--WE have confidence in you"
We wonder whether any member
of our church has been weak enough
to yield to these bold and bad temp
tations. 1t is said that the circular
has been freely distributed, and that
packages have arrived at express of
fees, which indicates that some peo-
pie are yielding. The firm claims to
sell it's entire product direct to the
consumer, and that it has "a quar-
ter of a million of regular custom
ers." We would like to see the Mich
igan customers" corraled and mark
their appearance, the sizes of their
brains, color of noses, expression of
countenance and steadiness of walk.
They must be sorry lot, who, in this
enlightened age, would permit men
of gall to thrust upon them stuff
that's worse than gall at so much
cash per gallon.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01
The Ian and His washing.

The Japanese rip their garments
apart for every washing, and they iron
their clothes by spreading them on a
fiat-board and leaning this up against
the house to dry. The sun takes the
wrinkles out of the clothes and some
of them have quite a luster. The
japanese woman does her washing out
of doors. Her washtub is not more
than six inches high.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01
A Medical Oninlnn

SI will tell you who cannot take al
cohol with impunity, and that is very
important in the present day. OF all
the people | know who cannot stand
alcohol it is the brain workers, and
you know it is the brain workers that
are increasing in number, and that
the people who do not use their brains
are going down, and that is a note
worthy incident. Medical Temper
Rnce Review.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01
Cats Have brilliant Eyes.

Cats and other beasts of prey re-
fleet so times as much light from their
eyes as human beings.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01
Has Insured His Voice.

A Russian tenor at Warsaw has in
sured his voice for $4,000 rubles.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-01
AN EXPENSIVE HABIT.
How Much Alcohol Costs the People
of Europe as Estimated by
DR.. Madden.

In thesis defended before the fac
ulty of the University of Copenhagen,
Denmark, Matti Helenius, candidate
for the degree of doctor of philoso-
ply, gave the following figures as
to the cost of alcohol in blood and
treasure to the people of Europe;
During the past 80 years there died
in Europe, as the result of alcohol
drinking, 100000 people, This is
more than died as the results of all
the wars Of the whole nineteenth
century.
In Denmark every seventh man
who dies between the ages of IS and
IS dies of alcoholism. The annual
number of deaths from alcohol in
the countries of Europe he gives as
follows: