davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-17

he shouldered the loaded gun and went
out to prowl around in hopes to get q
shot at one of the widows chickens.
The whole quarrel was n mistake. 1t
was only that Mary seemed to be defy
ing him that kept him from throwing
his gun into the currant bushes.
lie reached the disputed line fence.
willing to give up foot of ground il
necessary, but next minute he saw
sight which drove away all good inten-
tions. All the widows new flock OF
hens, led by sage looking old rooster,
were trespassing ON his land. He low
cred the gun and aimed to kill them all
Mt once. and when he fired the air was
full of feathers, the old rooster jumped
high and fell dead, and there was a
scream from a woman in fright and
pain. The Widow Tracy had come out
to look for her chickens. and bush had
hidden her from Jacobs sight. He
rushed forward to stumble over his lost
wallet as a first discovery and TO find
Mary lying on the ground as second,
and between the two he was so over
come that he had to lean up against the
fence.
Jake. Jake. why did you shoot me?'
up and fell back.
God forgive me. Mary, but I didn't
see your
you've killed me. but | don't want
them to hang you for it. | don't be
lieve you meant to do it,"
You shan't die. II You do. Ill shoot
myself. Here. let me carry you into
the house and send for n doctor. The
gun was only loaded with bird shot.
and mebbe you won't die"
She didn't. In fact. she didn't come
anywhere near il. though n doctor was
busy all the rest of the day picking out
the little pellets of lead. When the
last one had been extracted and Jake
had been told that she would continue
to live. he asked:
"Mary, where's the lawyerr
"Why. sent him about his business
three weeks ago." she answered. "Oh.
Jake. the lawyer and your sister and
the chickens and the line fence have
lhave''-
Have made fools OF us,' he finish
led.
Ten minutes later he appeared at his
own door to say to his sister:
Hammer. can you pack your duds in
labout fifteen minutesT
"For why = she asked.
Because I'm going to drive you to
town to catch the train. and after I've
mopped that lawyer all over Grafton
I'm coming back TO ask Mary IL she
won't be well enough to get married in
la month";
The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-17

The difference between common sense
and mathematics was illustrated in
remark which was made in a school
the other day.
1t was the mental arithmetic class.
The master asked Smith:
(which would you rather have, half
an apple or eight-sixteenths of an ap-
ple?"
Wouldn't make any difference" said
Smith.
"Why not?"
"Eight-sixteenths and one-half are
the same"
At this reply Jones, who was sitting
near. shifted scornfully. The master
heard him.
well, Jones'" said he, don't you
agree with Smith,
mo, SIR" said Jones; I'D much SOON
er have one-half an apple"
And why, pleaseT'
"More Juice Cut up half an apple
into eight-sixteenths, and you'd lose
half the juice doing itr'
The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-17
nIddlnR Il I'm.

When Schomberg Kerr. the devoted
English missionary. was in India, he
very much wanted a pony. But that
was the need of all the other English
who were not old residents. Lord Ripon
eral cry was:
Where are we to get ponies"
"Oh. that's easily DONE" said an Eng
lishman who knew the ropes. Next
Saturday there's TO be an auction sale
of thirty of the best ponies in India.
Till then you can ride them and try
them"
Schomberg Kerr tried several and
eventually fixed a covetous eye on two.
Tommy and Bill. which he determined
to buy.
Saturday came. and the auction was
well attended. In due course of time
Tommy was put up. ana the missionary
bid 200 rupees.
1.-TWO hundred and fifty" said the
auctioneer.
Two hundred and seventy-five"
| Three hundred"
These We're extravagant prices, but
the bidding went on amid great excite
ment. The missionary reached 500 ru-
pees. which he had resolved should be
his limit. and Tommy was knocked
down at 525.
"Who is the buyery' asked Kerr.
"The Marquis Of Ripon," said the
auctioneer. His excellency had or
dered Tommy to be bought for you at
any price"-Youth's Companion.
The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-17
ENDING TIE
CONTROVERSY
BY John Barton
Copyright, leCs, by the
s 5. Mcclure Company ,


When Jacob Stansell became a Wild
over, there were those who predicted
that he would ask for the hand of the
Widow Tracy. Not only did their farms
join, but they had known each other
from childhood, and even after both
had married they had always spoken
of each other as Jake and Mary. No
one was surprised when, after a year
or SO, it was announced that the line
fences between the farms would soon
be thrown down and all the land be-
come Stansell property. Then incidents
began to happen. Jacobs sister came
on from Illinois to pay him visit. and
n lawyer in the village cast covetous
eyes on the widow and her lands
1t was inevitable that with an old
maid ON one side and a lawyer on the
other trouble should come. The sister
didn't want the brother to marry again,
and the lawyer didn't want the widow
to wreck her happiness, and so It came
about that within four weeks the mar
neighbOrs after the lawyer and the sis
ter got 1alriy 10 WORK
The lawyer stood on what he called
the legal aspects OF the case-that is.
he called Jacob Stansell a designing
scoundrel who had no other end in view
than securing the widows property.
The old maid sister didn't care for
legal aspects, but she wasn't going to
see Jake harnessed to q woman whose
extravagance would land him in the
pOorhOuse-
There had always been a question as
to the location of one of the line
fences In n good natured way the
| Stansells had cOntended that the fence
was over on their land by three inches.
The matter had rested there for fifteen
years. but the lawyer and the sister
| dug it up. Surveyors were engaged.
lines run aud the difference of an inch
was disputed over until it ended in a
lawsuit.
1t was while the last survey was be-
ing made that Stansell met with a
great loss. He had sold of twenty
head OF cattle to a drover and received
the cash in hand, and at the end OF
the day had found his wallet missing
When it was hunted for in vain. the
lawyer charged Jacob with lying about
its loss. and the sister charged the law
| yer with having found 1t and convert
ed the money to his own use OF
course an action at law followed this
assertion. and one day Jake and Mary
awoke to the fact that they had five
or six suits on hand against each 9th
er, to say nothing of two or three ex
ira ones brought by the lawyer and
the sister to keep things from getting
The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-17
NUMBER %
She accepted it with chill politeness,

She accepted it with chill politeness,
and they headed for home.
The rain came down in torrents, and
the water oozed and splashed under
the rubber tires. Grace's face was
beginning to soften as she stole sur
reptitious glances at her dripping es-
cort, yet even in her embarrassment
she was conscious that the auto was
going slower and slower. Bascom said
nothing till it came to an abrupt stop.
Il think the gasoline has given out"
he observed calmly. I'VE will have to
stay here or He glanced at the
country road that had become a sea Of
mud. Clearly walking was out of the
question.
He took off his coat. Put this about
you," he said tenderly. 1T will help
to keep you dry, and there must be q
carriage along soon"
Il really cannot allow it." she was
saying, but she did. She was aston
ished at herself, astonished, too. at the
force of the old feeling of contentment
in once more being taken care Of by
him. Surely, she told herself .fiercely,
who solaced himself for her absence by
the society of other girls. And yet she
still loved him. In spite of all her ar
guments she knew it.
Bascom did not know it, and at her
| continued silence his face grew as
downcast as the sky. A shiver of the
| girl by his side reused him. You are
| taking your death of cold" he cried re-
| morsefuily, land it's all my fault.
When | saw you, l couldn't help ask
ing you in, but l never ought to have
done it,
/ There was no trace of masterfulness
in his voice now, and the girl melted.
IL wanted you to ask me-" she said
softly.
Bascom gave one look at her face,
and then there were two figures under
the umbrella that earlier had been
barely enough for one.
They never even heard an approach
ing carriage till reused by Deacon Per-
rvs excited, well, well,' as he refined
up beside them. Bascom mentally
braced himself for a shock, but it turn
ed out to be little different from what
he expected.
"Got in trouble, ehT chuckled the
deacon. Guess that you'll admit that
/, horse is best after all"
'I'n admit anything if you'll only get
Grace out of this" said Bascom man.
fully
"She does seem to be in pretty close
, quarters" the deacon said grimly, but
his daughters imploring eyes and the
, Joy of victory softened him again.
. I've been kinder sorry | was SO set. SO
. guess Wen have to let bygones be by.
: cones, and I'll just tow you home"
And so it happened that Late that aft
ernoon. when the skies had cleared
, Deacon Perry made Il sensational en-
try into Marion. Behind him towed the
, auto like royal captive chained to 8
q chariot. But the two prisoners of war
seated within it, were strangely jubi
| liant
The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-17

bottom man. but three ounces was bet
ter. and naturally 1t was the river bot
tom mining that set labor rates for the
ponderous crrshers on the hillside.
1t was high. preposterous. of course,
but the mine owners did not complain,
for every jar of their machinery turn
ed the figures into their pockets. A
day meant a competence, a week a for
tune. and month was something that
made even the widest visionaries gasp
for breath.
So the unslilled dago and the China
man and the shirk from Alabama and
the redheaded man from Cork alike
received their two ounces a day, while
a moderately skilled laborer was in
demand at twice and even thrice that
sum. Occasionally a man came who
was conversant with mining machin
cry or with analyzing or prospecting.
! and he was Cresus who could COM
| mand his own rules and time and re-
ward. And yet the miners on the hill
side were short of help. Newcomers
preferred the possibility of three ounces
day to the certainty Of two. and the
| skillful were generally visionary
enough to dream of the vast wealth
which every turn of their spade might
disclose.
Among the arrivals one day was a
blue eyed, faxen haired German, who
| lowered head and shoulders above his
companions and whose first act on
alighting was to snatch a pail from
the drivers seat and 90 in search of
water for the horses.
"Dey vass t'irsty." he remarked sen
tentiously as he went from one to an
other. watching them carefully and
giving water only as he thought judi
cious and not as the painting animals
craved. in de German army we our
horses vass look after"
Then he stood back and gazed about
curiously. his shoulders square and his
right arm bent slightly at the elbow,
as though his hand were resting upon
the hilt of a sword. One of the mine
owners paused on the opposite side
walk and regarded him attentively.
He. too. had habit of carrying his
arm in that position, and. besides.
there were other things about the up
| uEuEt
him back to certain years OF his own
In the German army.
An hour later the stranger was I'm.
stalled as the chief engineer OF the
Gold Bug. with a salary of $50 day
and with the understanding that he
was to have the oversight of other
miners, with n corresponding increase
of compensation. The blue eyes of the
German had grown big with wonder
at the muniticence OF the salary. but
the mine owners had only narrowed
and frightened. He knew that another
man with this scientific giants ac
quirements would have asked S10C
and been given IL without question.
In the books he was entered as Han,
because of the clerks inability TO un
derstand the long. unpronounceabl,
name he gave. but down In camp b,
was simply cause" while the burly
teamster he one day tossed twent,
J feet into the river for beating a hors,
became effect"
Mails were of uncertain arrival n
Dead Level Bar. Sometimes thel
: came twice n month. sometimes only
once in two months. and sometimes
The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-17

Punch publishes these ''merciful es-
capes:" In a recent account Of election
proceedings in which a candidate was
pelted with dirt. mud thrown in the
face Of his wife. and his daughter
struck with a stick, a daily paper re-
marked that 'the police had difficulty
in preventing a breach Of the peace"
A correspondent sends a brief account
of various other episodes. in each Of
which by an equally narrow margin
n contretemps was similarly avoided:
The extensive premises Of Messrs-
Blank & Co.. oil and tallow merchants,
were completely gutted by fire last
night, all five stories being ablaze at
once 1t needed all the efforts of the To-
cal brigade to forestall what promised
10 be a confiagration." "a motor car.
proceeding along the High street the
other evening. took fright. 1t is sup
posed. at a constable ON duty and ex-
ploded. blowing the occupants in va
rious directions over the adjoining
buildings. The policeman is TO be con-
graduated upon averting what might
have been q serious accident"
The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-17
The French Academy.

The French academy is one of the
five academies and the most eminent
constituting the Institute of France. 1t
was founded in 1855 by Cardinal Rich
elieu and reorganized I'm 1916. 1t IS
composed of forty members. the new
member elected by the remaining thir-
ty-nine members for life after personal
application and the submission of their
nomination to the head of the state. 1t
meets twice weekly Mt the palace Ma
zarin. % DUAL Cont, Paris. and is ''the
highest authority on everything apper-
thinning to the niceties Of the French
language-to grammar. rhetoric and
poetry and the publication Of the
French classics" The chief officer is
the secretary, who has life tenure Of
his position. A chair In the academy Is
the highest ambition OF most literary
Frenchmen-
The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-17
One For the Mini.ter.

An old minister in the south side of
Glasgow who was noted for his habit
of dishing up old sermons again and
again was one day advertised to preach
In a suburban church at the anniver-
sary service there. An old woman who
in days gone by had sat under his min
istry, but who had now removed from
his neighborhood, determined to go in
and hear him preach on this particular
occasion. After the close Of the serv-
ice she waited on the clergyman, who
greeted her cordially and asked what
she thought Of his discourse. 'Eh,
man." she replied candidly, Its lang
time sim I first heard ye preach that
yin, sir, and I've heard ye at it a guild
wheen o. times sim syne."
AYE, Janet" said the minister. How
often do We think we've heard It. naT'
"Oh, aboot a dizzen o. times, sir" she
replied. AN div We mind II az said
the minister. "Aweel, maybe no II a,
sir" "Weel. l see I'll need to preach IL
TO ye again, Janet" said the minister,
and Janet felt that she had been sold
for once. The minister certainly scored.
Scottish American.
The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-17
BAscom's
Auto
EPES w. SARGENT
Copyright, 1909. bs the
5. 5. Mcclure Company

Roger Bascom's automobile had be-
come a local issue in Marion. Deacon
Perry declared that it was flying in
the face OF Providence to dispense
with the horse and use this newfan-
gled vehicle. Horses had been good
enough for his grandfathers. and they
would still be good enough for him
and his.
This was hard on Bascom because
Grace Perry and he had grown natu-
rally from playmates into lovers, yet
now the deacon had said that sooner
than see child of his trust herself to
a man who trafficked In the devices of
the evil one he would send her out to
his sister In Minnesota.
Roger. being a young man of spirit,
had reminded the deacon that Elijah's
chariot of fire was probably very like
a steam automobile, in consequence of
which fiippant speech he had received
his ring back from the girl he loved.
For her fathers sake Grace tried to
keep to the letter of his law, but she
could not keep her thoughts from
wandering to her lover any more than
she could withdraw her heart from his
keeping; also she was too much her
fathers daughter to take anything on
hearsay, SO she wanted to try for her
| self Just how dreadful the new ma
chine was.
Possibly il was a combination of
these reasons that led her to the river
road where Roger was speeding up
| and down. She tried hard TO look un-
| conscious as the auto came into view
| but the effort was unsuccessful. par
| ticularly as its solitary occupant stop
| ped short at sight of her. The look OF
| gladness that overspread his face was
obviously reflected in her own.
Bascom's heart gave a joyful leap a
the sight. Jump in. Gracew he criet
boldly. TRY il and see how you 1ik,
it, And he threw open the door in
vitingly.
But Grace backed off in disapprov
ing fashion. Il don't like it" she de
clared; neither does father" Yet tn
telltale color still famed in her cheeks
Bascom laughed. He could brave tn
world now that he knew that Grac
still cared. Il know he doesn't" b
admitted. but you will IL you onl
once try it,
Now. Deacon Perry had driven owe
TO Chester that morning and would nc
be back till late. The road was dc
serted, and-well. ii would be nice to b
with Roger again, to have him tuck tn
robe tenderly around her and feel hi
strong. reliant presence at her sidt
Grace yielded to the tempter and taste
of the forbidden fruit.
The first mile she was too busy eI
joying the novelty and the rapid mt
The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-17

che appearance Of road agents prevent
ed them from coming at all. Hans had
been there six weeks before a mail
came in, and then 1t was another week
before the clerk connected the letter
whose address he could not decipher
with the engineer whose name he
could not pronounce.
When the letter was brought to him,
Hans was sitting on q bowlder out
side the mine, his blue eyes fixed upon
a distant point of the horizon with an
expression of wistfulness and regret.
Five minutes later he was in the su-
perintendent's office.
81 gif my notice." he cried, his face
glowing and his blue eyes radiant. 81
take de stage in twenty minutes"
Take what in twenty minutes? oh,
you want more salary" The superin-
tendent threw his feet into another
chair and looked at him expectantly.
''Well. how much? Will 80 per cent
increase doT
II tell you take de stage" Hans re-
iterated. Il gif my notice"
His earnestness was too evident to be
mistaken. aTti the superintendent rose
hastily to his feet
"Come, come, Hans" he expostulated
Think better of II. Well pay you
more than anybody else"
"It is not de pay" eagerly. You no
understand You been goot to me, and
| I stay longer with you as anybody.
But now / vass go home-to Katrina.
| You see" as a slight smile appeared on
the youthful face of the superintend-
/ ent. lit is like dis: Dere vass things tell
about me, and Katrina hear dem, and
she say to me, Co Den hear anodder
man vass seek her. and / come to Amer.
lea to forget. But. no; dere vass no
| place to forget. When I come to de
mountain. / see Katrina everywhere
and hear her voice init de trees and
when I dream. Now dis" holding the
letter up and regarding II fondly, tells
me dat Katrina is waiting, and it say
de lies NIT me are all discover and dat
de odder man be punish"
81 am glad to hear II. Hans" said
the superintendent heartily. But still
I think you ought to remain with us
| Why, Just think of II, man, Six months
of this work and you can go back ant
build n castle for Katrina"
But Hans raised himself to his full
height and looked down compassionate
ly.
"You is young man." he said, "and d.
not understand desc things. Gold is ev
erywhere. all over de world; but der
is only one Katrina. 1 gif my notic'
and go on the stage. and | say gootby.
The superintendent watched hin
down the hillside and then turned L
his desk with a sigh.
81 am a young man." he thought bit
terly, ''but / do understand. / hav
already lost my Katrina"
The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-17
When Would They stop,

During a season of great drought the
Inhabitants of a certain parish-at
least so it is said-sank a deep well at
the public expense. The well having
been dug, the large heap of earth
which had come out of it was by COM
mon consent voted an eyesore which
ought to be removed. A parish meet
ing was accordingly held to consider
how the obnoxious heap should be got
rid of. Many suggestions were made
as to the best way of dealing with 1t,
but at last il was proposed and unani-
mously carried that they should dig a
large hole and bury il. How often the
process of digging fresh hole to bury
.he earth which had come out of the
nole was repeated we never heard, but
We fear the plan must have put the
parish to good deal Of expense be-
fore II was successfuL-London Tit
Bits.
The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-17
| KATRINA |
BY F. H. .StOeef
Copyright, 1909. bD the
S. s. Mcclure Company

Names were only a means of tempo
rary identification at Dead Level Bar.
When man so far forgot the place as
to ornament himself with two or three
merely because they happened to have
been given, he was sternly thrust back
to the reproach of -soap" or bars
grease" or comb an brush" or some
thing else equally appropriate and dis
tasteful. As among the Indians, there
was a custom of using anything con-
venient until a man had earned the
right to something distinctive and hon.
orable. That was how "Tenderfoot
Cub" of six months before was veter-
an Pistol Bilr' of today and why pink
faced. swearing Bobby had become
"Blue Blazes"
Dead Level Bar was attractive to
strangers. Pay dirt had been struck
by the first comers, and pay dirt had
been the rule ever since. Two ounces
day was a fair average for a river
The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-17

JAKE, JAKE, WHY DID YOU SHOOT alEf"
WALLED THE WIDOW
slow. The principals would have been
glad to drop the quarrel and ask each
other what il was all about, but they
were not permitted to. 1t had to go on.
There had been more trouble over
the hens than anything else. A farm
er's hens are not only given to wan
dering where they please without ref
erence TO line fences. but they refuse
to enter into family quarrels or look
ut the legal side of the question When
Miss Stansell began throwing hot wa
ter on the Tracy chickens. which came
about the kitchen door in a neighborly
way. the Tracy hired man began shoot
ing the Stansell chickens, which
scratched up the flower beds in the
front yard Such was the iudustrS on
both sides that in few months only
a few scarecrow fowls were left.
When man or woman feels that his
or her pride or dignity and legal rights
are nj stake. 1t is hard to give in and
take u sensible view OF things.
1t was the widow who finally paved
the way to peace. hut in so doing she
aroused al of Jake's defiance and came
near losing her life. She was not only
lonesome without her chickens. but she
was tired OF buying eggs of her neigh.
bOrs. Therefore. after the lapse of u
| few months. she purchased a dozen
! hens and gave the sister opportunity &c
say:
| Jake, you see how it IS. That wo
! man deties you. She has bought more
chickens 20 trespass on our land. and
n you don't get out the shotgun and
kill 'em of you haven't the backbone oi
a fishwOrm."
'.Oh. I'll kill 'em of fast enough" hs
replied as he began hunting for pow
der and shot. Just let one of hel
chickens cross the line. and he's deat
Bird
And yet Jacob Stansell felt mean a