davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
The First Porterhouse Steak.

The first porterhouse steak was so
named In New Yorl; city. in the ia
nous old tavern OF Martin Morrison, at
327 Pearl street. This was favorite
resort of seafaring men. A steak being
called for by an old pilot one night,
Morrison said that he had no steaks,
but would cut and broil for him n
thick slice from the srloin which had
just been prepared for roasting the
next day. Morrison's place was known
as the Porter House in the neighbor-
hood, and It's frcquenters soon got to
talking about the Porter House steaks.
Morrison finally told Gibbons. his
butcher in the Fly market, to cut up
sirloins for him thereafter.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15

The elster Q'lca candata) Is q bird
that is respected and feared through
out south Germany. II belongs to the
raven tribe and is about the size Of
dove, with black and white feathers
and long. pointed tail. II builds Its
nest In orchards, and Its life Is sacred.
If IL is seen three times in succession
on the same house top In n place remote
from It's home II Is believed to be n
sure sign of death In that house. IL 1t
flies over house where any one IL Ill
and gives its peculiar cry the sick per-
son is sure TO dic, but II II does not
scream the patient may recover. 1t Is
better for the sick person II the bird
does not come near.
No one could be hired to bother these
blr.i for fear they might seek revenge,
ANA If by chance one of them should
Gle Il Is II sign of bad luck TO the own
or Of the property where 1t was found.
Tic bird Is It valuable insect destroyer
Gnd In t!ii, way probably more than
coa.pcnsa;rs for the fear II occasions
among the farmers.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
The Mean Height of Land,

The mean height of land above sea
level. according to the most scientific
geographers, Is 2,250 feet. The mean
depth Of the ocean is 12,4S0 feet. Only
2 per cent of the sea oceans in gen
crab is included inside depth of 800
fathoms, while II per cent lies be-
tween 800 and 5000 fathoms. If the
land were filled into the hollows of
the seas. water, would roll over the
earth's crust to uniform depth of
two miles.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
THE OLD FIRE HORSE.
Fthctic Ending 90 His brilliant and
Glorious Career.

The story of II veteran IRE horse that
was disabled and found his way into
the street cleaning department Is told
by Sewcll Ford in "llorscs Nine" The
author says
There was no delay about his initln-
ton. Into his fore houfs they branded
this shameful inscription, I'D. S. O.,
93T." ON his back they flung a forty
pound single hHrnrSs with II dirty
piece of canvas as II blanket They
hooked him to an iron dump cart, and
then with Il hcavy lnshcd whip they
hailed him forth at j:3O It. m. to begin
the lnglorio,is work or removing refuse
from the city streets.
Perhaps you think Od SILVER could
not feel the disgrace, the ignomlny Of
1t all Could you have seen the lower
cd head, the limp hung tail. the dullcd
eyes aud the dlspiritcd sag of his quar-
turs you would have thought differ
entity
II Is one thing to Jump hook and
ladder truck up Broadway to the re-
lief of fire threatened block and
quite another to plod humbly along the
curb from ash eau to ash can. How
silver did hate those cunsl Each one
should have been for him signal TO
stop But II was not. In consequence
he was yanked to Il halt every two
minutes.
Sometimes he would crane his neck
and look mournfully around Mt the un-
slightly leg which he had come to un-
derstand was the cause of all his mis-.
cry. There would come into his great
eyes II look of such pitiful melancholy
that one might almost fancy tears roll
ing out. Then he would he reused by
an exaspcrated driver. who jerked cru
ely on the lines and used his whip as
If il had been n fail.
TO another horse. unused TO anything
better, the life would not have seemed
hard. But to Silver. accustomed to
such little amenities as friendly pats
from men. and the comradeshlp of his
fellow workers. II was like Il bad
dream. Had he not lost his caste? EX-
press and dray horses, the very ones
that had once scurrled into side streets
at sound of his hoofs. now insolently
crowded him to tie curb. When lie had
been on the fire truck Silver had yield.
held his head high: now he lodged and
waited, lie wore blind bride. and he
wished neither to see nor to lie seen.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15

An old minister returned to his alma
mater after forty years Of ministerial
service. and was being conducted over
the old place.
Same old corridors" he calculated
us he entcred-"samc old corridors"'
They took him to the dining hall. "Ah,
me! Same old dining hnll! Then he
opened study door Same old study
same old studyr'
Half round the fire II screen was
drawn. and behind it he saw student
talking with II young lady.
Dear mew exclaimed the old minis.
ter pensively. Same old prac Tee
same old practice"
The student sprang up Indignantly.
Excuse me. sir. this is my sister"
A smile broke over the ancient ones
face
"Ah. and the same old explanation
same old excuse
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15

A military correspondent gives n
good description of the Somall who AS
a fighting man IL not first class. though
he IN fond of drill and proud of his
uniform. But he Is by nature decided
ly eTcminate: his toilet Is constant
source of anxiety to himself. and the
pains lie will take to curl his crisp
black hair by the application of vari-
Gus substances to his head is incredi-
BILE He Is fond of tlnery. of luxurious
and indolent habits, and keeps up all
incessant fire of chatter. He Is grasp
ing. and In the matter of food is
greedy. Timid in the presence of the
European. he IL easily excited and
quickly loses his head. Dancing Is one
of his chief pastimcs. accompanied by
the loud clapping of hands and n con
tlnuous and monotonous wall which
no doubt does duty for II song. Somali
women never dance. and scarcely even
smile: they are completely cowed by
the men. who treat them In most cases
unkindly. II not actually cruelty. The
Somall Is most punctilIous In the per
formance of his religious rites; but he
seems hypocrltlcnl to degree.-London
Express.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
The Tail of n Wolf.

The wolf carries its tail hanging
down because in that position 1t is less
conspicuous and better eludes detec-
ton. A family Of wolves playing to-
gether undisturbed occasionally carry
their tails curled upward. BY degrees
the tail acquires naturally the upright
position as result OF coincident evo-
luton OF the mind Of the wolf by do
mestication and OF the slow adaptation
Of the appcndage as an organ Of ex-
preston. The cessation OF natural Sc
lection In the domestic dog would give
the tail greater freedom OF motion
without detriment to life. and artifl-
cial selection modifies 1t into various
shapes.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
yioIiu ynrutsI,,

The violin dealer was talking about
the mystery of the old violin varnisles.
"The wonderful tone of the old vio-
llns," he said. depended on the var
nish n great deal The secret has been
lost. We don't know today how the
old varnishes were made. Charles
Readc. who went into this subject
deeply. claimed that oil with gum In
solution and color evaporated In spirit
were the bases of the best varnlsh. But
whether he was right or wrong no one
knows. a violin consists of from thir-
ty to seventy pieces. We make violns
today Just AS they were made in the
past. but we don't varnish them the
same. Some varnishes contained
ground amber, Recently, to the ruin of
priceless Guarnerlus. Its varnish was
scraped off and nnalyZed and an abun-
dance of amber powder was found
Philadelphia Record.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15

The Eskimos possessed the most re-
world. 1t was sealskin church. For
ty sealskins were stretched over n
light framework. and in this tent. IS
by II feet, services were held every
Sunday. But the church came to an
untmcly end. One hard winter the
Eskmos dogs. being half famshed.
dined on the sealSkns. and only the
frame was left The Eskimos have
now erected dog proof tabernacle.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
Wouldn't Lie Twice.

Nora had been told to say at the door
that her mistress was not at home
when certain callers appeared upon the
scene.
It evidently went much against the
grain for her TO make herself RESPONSE
BILE for even so small white lie, but
she promised to do so, and. with GER
tain qualifications, she kept her word.
"Is Mrs. Blank at homer queried the
caller
''I'or this wan tonne, Mrs. Smithers.
she amt" said the maid. but hiyln
help her II you ashk me again. I'll not
loie twoicc for anybody llvin'w-Phila-
delphla Ledger.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15

An effeminate young man, an intense
admlrer of Forrest. enlisted among the
supers so as to be nearer his idol. At
the end OF Forests most effective
speech, then on, the new actor was so
overcome that he tainted. The incl
dent so pleased the 'old man" that he
called him to his dressing room, where,
after few remarks, he presented him
with dollar as memento of the occa-
sion. On rejoining his fellow supers,
five in number, the happy recipient
spoke Of his good fortune. dilating upon
the cause thereof. At the next perform
ance Forrest kept his eye on him to
see IL he could again so overcome him
as to cause him to faint. When he
reached the scene and climax his as
tonishment can be imagined when six
Of the supers fell over In a dead faint.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
How to See Under Water.

A lens for seeing under water Is
described as producing an effect which
gives distinct vision to objects from
twenty to thirty feet below the sur
face which are usually out of ordi-
nary eye range. The eyes loss of ex-
tending vision when under water is
owing to the fact that an entirely diff
ferent focus is required. The specta-
cles which can adjust this focus are
made by putting two watch crystals
back to back or with the concayitles
outward. Try 1t and be surprised.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15

A correspondent of the London Mail
at Dresden writes that the Germans are
far in advance Of some other people in
caring for the wild birds In their towns.
During the winter shelters from the
snow are erected in public parks and
private gardens for them and plenti-
fully Supplied with food of various
kinds, including mountain ash berries
for thrushes and backblrds and other
seeds for the smaller birds. This mix
ture Is sold ut Il very cheap rate in
shops for the purpose, In sprlngtime
one may see many birds nesting in spe-
cial wooden boxes placed in the higher
trees. out of the reach of cats. The
boxes are of differen, sizes, to suit
starlings. spnrrows or tomtits.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
IN INFANT MAGICIAN.
Moznrt mt the Age of -Four Composed
n Dimcuit Concerto.

As a child of three Wolfgang Mo
zarts wonderful playing on the harp
sichord was the talk of Salzburg. and
year lat.t his compositions were be-
ing played In public by his father. He
was onl, four years old when he com
posed Il concerto so difficult that even
his father, one of the most skilled vio-
llnsts In Germany could not play It..
"Of course" said the infant magician,
mo one can br expected to play II with
out diligcnt practice" A year later,
when Wolfgang was only five years
old. he vj,s invited to give recital in
the hall OF the university. when the
magic of his tiny fingers worked his
auditors to II pitch of the widest en-
thusinsn.
At six he made tour of Germany
and became the idol Of the courts, the
empress herself taking him on her
knees and hugging him I'm an ecstasy
of admiration. while Francis I. en-
braccd him aud called him my little
maglcian." shortly after he had pass.
ed his eighth birthday Mozart was
elcctrifylnr England. was being petted
and cnresscd by George III. and his
queen and was publishing sonatas. a
symphony and I'M anthem, which Great
cd furorc among music lovers from
one end of the country to the other.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
A Tfptu.irtsul CIpclx

Japan possesses II remarkable time
piece. II Is contained In frame three
feet wide and five feet long. represent
ing II monday landscape of great beau
ty. In the foreground plum and cherry
trees and rice plants appear In full
bloom. In the rear Is seen n hill, grad
ual in ascent. from which apparently
flows Il cascade. admirably initiated In
crystal. From this point a thrcadllke
stream m2anders. encircling rocks and
islands in its windlngs and finally los
ing itself In II furoff stretch of wood
land. In miniature sky golden sun
turns on II silver wire, striking the
hours on silver gongs us 1t passes.
Each hour Is marked on the frame by
creeping tortoise. which serves the
place of hand \ bird OF exquisite
plumage warhles at the close of each
hour. and ns the song ceases II mouse
sallics forth from nelghborlng grot-
to and. scanpcring over the hill to the
garden. Is soon lost to view.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15

There is In the museum of Turin,
Italy. papyrus roll which displays a
whole series of comical scenes. In the
first place, lion. crocodile and an
ape are giving vocal and instru-
mental concert. Next comes an ass,
dressed, armed and sceptered like n
pharaoh. With majestic swngger he
receives the gifts presented to him by
cat of high degree, TO whom Il bull
acts as proud conductor, A lion and
gazelle are playing at checkers, hip
popotamus is perched In high tree
and a horse has climbed into the tree
and is trying to dislodge him.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15

Why is puid 40 rarcf SIMPLY because
II is heavy There nrr only two metals
that arr nancy, platinum and
iridium. i;pmcmber that ut the begin
ming The earth was body of gas. by
gradual condensation II became liquid,
whilr uUw the waOle OF it, mass save
only IN ua:2r crust much thinner I'm
proportion 10 the whole bulk than Is the
shell of an 'gg would bp II fluid but for
the fact that 1t is held together by tre-
mendous prrfI&rc. Naturally In the
course of its formation about II center
of attraction the weightier particles
composing the globe gathered about
that center. Accordingly we lind that
the earth as II whole weighs five times
as much as water. while the rocks
formin" the crust are only about two
and half times as heavy us water.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
A Clever Method of Stealing.

An ingenious and successful trick
was played at II London fiat In broad
daylight. A gentleman rang the bell
at o'clock and inquired whether Mr..
Grey was at home. mo, SIR" said the
janitor. "He rarely II ever comes back
from the temple before o'clock"
"That is strange" returned the other,
"slnce know he has an appointment
here with Il Mr.. Johnson at I o'clock"
Then he went his way.
At o'clock to the minute Mr., John
son called and, giving his name. was
of course allowed to whit In Mr.,
Grey's apartments, which he denuded
of everything of portable value" In
ten minutes and then walked out, OBJ.
serving as he passed the porter that he
could wait no longer.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
The slnoH.a agllsT.
II You Hear ~ whir. you May ne
Sure n Won't hit You.

Don't be afraid OF bullet that
you've heard whistle" said an cid sol
dier. "If II sings in your ear rest as
surcd that II will never harm you: II,
IL fact. as any old soldier will tell
you, that you never hear the bullet
which hits you. II Is problem Of
'windagc,' rs the boys In the army CALI
ed IL. In other words, the bullet which
you hear sing has already sped past
you and the bullet which hits you has
hisscd in the ear OF some other fellow
In passing before IL got to you. 1t is a
simple proposition. after all. The sing
ing of the bullet Is the atmospheric vi
braton which Is created and the resist
nnce which the air offers to the prog
ress of the bullet. This cannot be de-
tcctcd by the ear until the bullet has
crossed parallel line with the ear. IL
may sail over your head or wlilz close
to the ground. but If II passes you at
all the ear will catch the sound of Its
flight To the soldier of many battles
the voice of the bullet Is music. He
knows that he need have no dread OF
the bullet that sings In his ears. IL Is
the bullet that he does not hear that
must be feared. and II is this bullet
which always brings harm to him. No
soldier ever heard the bullet which In.
nlcted a wound on him."-New Orleans
Times Democrat.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
Bear worshipers of Japan.

The queerest and perhaps the oldest
people of the earth are the Amos, the
bear ldolnters. who are found in the
japanese islands of Kovriles. Sahkali-
no. and chiefly In Yezo or Honnaido.
They number more than $1,000 souls
In all, and they are fast disappearing.
obllque eyes which characterize the
Chinese and Asiatic races generally,
but there the resemblance ends. The
Amos are II large and powerful people,
straight as an arrow. All the Amos
declare they sprang from the Great
White Dog-the bear-and n princess
of the south. The bear is their chief
god.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
Parrots Are vegetarinns.

Parrots are vegetarlans. They live
chiefly upon light but nutritious
diet of fruit and seeds or upon the
abundant nectar of rich tropical flow
ers. And 1t is mainly for the sake of
getting at their chosen food that they
have developed the large and power
full bills which characterize the fami-
ly. You may have perhaps noted the
most tropical fruit eaters, like the
hornbills and the toucans. are remark
able for the size and strength Of their
bealis.-Cornhlll Magazine.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
PLAToNIC FRIENDSHIP.
Something which, In IT'S Modern
Sense, Plato Never Understood.

The name "platonic' is not very ac.
curately used when 1t Is employed to
discuss the friendship of a man and
a woman into which there enters no
trace of amatory sentiment. Plato In
various trcatlses, especially the I'll
meus" and the Symposium" speaks
indeed of love which is free from
consciousness, being the love OF soul
for soul. but Plato, whose spirit was
tingcd with asceticsm, was not treat
ing of woman Mt oil. and In general
what he says upon this theme refers
wholly to the affection OF man for
man, of the binding force OF high
character and honor. lie goes so far
ns TO say that the true lover Is to be
compared with the true philosopher,
rising from the contemplation of the
many who are beautiful to the con-
temptation and love of the beauty that
Is abstract and absolute. In fact. when
he discusses beauty" he uses the word
almost rs the equivalent OF goodness
that Is, In an ethical rather than In q
physical sense. Therefore 'platonlc
friendship In its modern conventional
meaning is something which never en-
tered Plato's mlnd.-"Platonic Friend
ship" in Cosmopolitan.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15

Dumas. like Balzac. was fond of his
own creations. Among them all he
loved portMus best. The great. strong,
vain hero was child after his own
Heart. one afternoon. II Is related, his
son found Dumus careworn. wretched,
overwhelmed. What has happened to
you? Are you ill;" asked Dumas flls.
mo" replied Dumas pere. well.
what Is II, thcnf" IL am miserable"
"Why" This morning | killed Por-
thos-poor porthos! oh, what trouble
| have had to make Up my mind to do
II! But there must be an end to nll
things. Yet when saw him sinking
beneath the ruins crying. 1T Is too
heavy too heavy for me" | swear to
you that | cried" And he wiped away
u tear with the sleeve OF his dressing
GOWN
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
Nerves and the BrenIefn VI Table.

The longer live the more convinced
am that breakfast is the real cause Of
more domestic friction than can be
accounted for by mere incompatibility
Of temper. II Is not in human nature
TO be amiable in the early morning.
The patriarchal system by which four
or five different branches Of family
live under one roof could not possibly
continue abroad were the various fam
illcs obliged to submit to the breakfast
test Your father-in-law, your mother
in-law. your brother-in-law and his
wife, your sstcr-in-law and her hus-
band contemplated over dish Of
poached eggs in the early morning
would be impossible. but by midday
we have buried our savage instincts,
assumed once more the Christian vir-
tues and are prepared to face the world
of relations-in-law with resignation
and perhaps even the semblance Of
appreciation.-A Countess on English
Customs
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
To Induce Humility In u Peacock.

If you wish to take the concelt out OF
n peacock pull out his tail feathers and
MS soon us ne finds the glory of his
plumagr gone lie becomes the hum
blcst. most subdued and ashamed look
ing bird that ever walked the earth. A
peacock in full feather Is so vain and
conceited us sometimes to be really
troublesome. Not satisfied with squnll-
Ing ut the top of his discordant voice
aud with paradlng up and down the
walks with expanded plumnge, he VIII
attack cats. dogs and even children and
has been known to seriously injure
small boys or girls that were incau-
tious enough to venture within his
reach.
Plucklng his tail feathers, however,
causes all his courage 10 evaporate.
He will sneak around the yard like n
whipped spaniel, will keep out Of sight
as much us possible, and you iii hear
nothing of him until his plumage has
again grown.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15

"Some cus;0Licfs AVE nonsensical no
tions about the proper way to ventilate
a hat" said fashionable halter. an
fact. they are so whimsical about 1t
that we make the hats without ven
tilnior and tly to suit the wishes of
the customer after he has handed his
money to the salesman. Many custom
ers will not have hat ventilated Mt
all. Well, they miss II great deal of
comfort and take long chances for
badness In old aye. The English style.
and the only one that some buyers will
adopt. Is r,us Of perforated holes In
the crown OF the lat. In my opinion 1t
Is just as well 80 lave no vcutlator ut
all us to put i ti'rc The best way Is
TO have two hoics. on ON each side of
the hat just above i.' band Then
you get good circulation ull the time.
There are ways Of puh, hing the holes
artisticnlly 80 that tlCy 10 not detract
from the appearance of a. Lat. But
you would b. s.apriscG at ;.v number
of men who will not have tacuI. some
because II is not fashionable aud 9th
ers because they think tic hat Will not
wear so we'll New rork Times.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15

In England In the time of George ii.
II you wanted place under the gov
ernment you could buy one. The sum
of 900 would get you Il comfortable
berth in the victunlng office. for in
stance, where the perquisltes pickings
and bribes for contracts made the
service worth having Members OF
parliament, who had the privilege of
franking letters, sometimes sold the
right for E30O Il year
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15

strove for the negation of the weight
altogether; the Egyptian placed the
weight firmly on the ground; the
Greek lifted 1t up in the air with an
assertion of graceful power; the Roman
confused weight and support; the By
zantine represented weight without
support; the Moor suggested THAT there
was no weight at all
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
Little EnuIts In soclnI Life.

A fault in the young is to form some
feverish admiration for one or two par
tlcuar friends. often Of so called
superior social standing, These are
referred to constantly. They are held
up as patterns. oracles and patrons.
In private circles and public places
their names are loudly mentioned in
the hope and desire OF impressing by
standers At baZaars. In the lobbies
OF theaters. at railway stations, in
railway carriages and. indeed. wher-
ever the company may be described
as mixed this distressing form Of what
is known as brag is very much in evi-
dence. The shouting OF nicknames and
Christian names at moments when in
ordinary intercourse one would not be
addressing anybody is also done in or
der to advertise some small degrees of
intimacy with the well known.-Suc-
cess.