davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21

"Thc worst two minutes ever had
in the ring" said "Lanky Bob" Fitz.
simmons to an admiring acquaintance
the other day. was with Peter
Mnher In New Orleans in 1892.
guess I got little careless aad let
him punch ms on the head" fitzs
head fits n 6+s hat ut seemed like n
trip hammer had struck me. My head
buzzed and swan and got light. My
brains didn't work. ] didn't seem to
know what to do. ! was on my feet
all right. but I had lost all sense OF
generalship. The only thing l did
was to jab nt Maher with my LETT
while I struggled to pull my added
brains to their senses. The round was
nearly over when came to. The first
thing I realized was that jabbing was
Just what Mahcr needed. so kept 1t
up through the fight and won In the
twelfth round without striking an
other blow"
The second meeting between Fitz
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21

name when they are born. This Is
Dang" which means red" II IL .
silly name to give. for though n Slam.
csc baby Is a tribe llk. raw beef In
color. II IL at once covered over with
n yellow paste. which gives IL the mp.
pcarancc Of suffering from highly
concentrated and expansive form Of
bilious attack. This yellow paste Is
made of turmcric powder. and II IL sup
posed to keep away mosquito bites.
The baby wears no clothes. and
continues to appear In the same lack
of apparel for several years. Boys
and girls alike do wi,huot clothing for
n comparatively long time.
This undrcss uniform. II may be not.
cd. possesses certain distinct ndvnn.
'ngcs. II is cool. sanitary and oconom.
icni.
Children arc frequently adorned
with massive gold and silver bracelets
and ankicts. They wear little silver
shield fastened In front of the body
by n string OF beads. This shield is
purely ornamental. playing no essen.
tiai part In the child's costume. for It
Is often lost and not replaced. tho
string Of beads remaining maybe for
several months longcr.-Quccn.
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21

the binding clouds Of smoke from tho
burning train. Frequent attempts
were made by volunteers. whom II
was necessary TO rescue half sufo-
Gated and send to the hospitals.
As the iircmcn brought out tho
bodies aEoniEinR cries went up from
women and children who recognized
their dead husbands and fathers. The
clothing OF the victims indicated that
they were almost entirely second
class passengers. There were sew.
crai first class coaches on the trains.
and II Ia believed that three occu.
pants were also among the victims.
The body OF one Of the women was
handsomely dressed. while two among
tho male victims were evidently per.
sons of importance.
n. Vigncs. one Of the directors OF
the Metropolitan company. places the
responsibility for the disaster entirely
on Driver Georges Chauvin OF train
No. ~. He said:
"Chauvin In one Of our Oldest and
most devoted employees. At the
Barbes station n short circuit occurred
In his motor. Instead OF obcying
printed instructions and isolating the
damaged motor, he merely employed
the cxtingiishcrs. believing these
would suffice to stop the fire."
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21

Il is a curious thing, and one that
remains a standing puzzle even 10
those connected with the business all
their lives, that tight-rope, trapeze and
other daring performers who chiefly
work in the open air are far more IL
able to sudden nerve failure and to
stage fright" II 1t may be called. than
are the fellows who only show their
prowess under a roof.
Another fact equally well known Is
that once woman performer has
heard the ringing shouts of an ap'
plauding public. once she has learned
some dangerous feat. she Will run
risks and quite fearlessly perform
tricks that no male in the same line
would dream Of The woman athlete
has not to be urged on: she has to be
restained. more often than not. 1t
may be said at once that few among
the public know how nea: death such
people occasionally are.
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21
How the Pelican Feeds.

Charles +. Holder. tho naturalist. de-
scribing "a pet pelican which he form
crly owned In Florida. says: II can.
not recall that the pelican ever re-
fused food. After the most impossible
feeding II had the same detected.
halfEtarycd attitude and the same
nsthmatIc cry for more. II was only
after many months that discovered
that tho pelican can never bc salts
fed" lie thus describes the fishing
exploits OF these birds: In feeding
ihcy generally How twenty to thirty
feet above tho water with rapid mo-
tion OF the powerful wings. holding
the head Ellghtly upon one side that
they might observe the schools of Sar'
dimes. When the latter were sighted
they would plunge blindly downward.
opening the mouth widely Just before
they reach the water. cndcavoring In
this clumsy manner to catch the fish.
which. not being able to sec upward.
were entirely ignorant Of the ncarncss
Of danger. Rising after the plunge the
pelican invariably wags his diminn'
tive tail-a self.congratulaiory act
which confirms the birds stupidity. for
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21
SEVENTEENTH YEAR.
The Grand Old Hartford:

Those who delight In war and blood.
shed. with their accompaniment OF
thrilling stories OF heroic deeds. or
those. even. who would have all inter.
national and domestic controversies
settled by arbitration have reason to
rejoice that when Congress. a few
years ago. had inserted a provision In
the naval Appropriation bill that re.
pairs TO all wooden vessels should be
discontinued. II excepted the famous
Ud ships. Hartford and Kearsarge.
Since then the kearsarsc has met tho
fate of So many other ships. having
been wrecked on a reef In the carib-
bean. sea. but the old Hartford, In
commission. with her officers and
crew on board and In their distinctive
and fascinating uniforms. and the ship
with her lofty and symmetrical masts
and spars and her sails furied, and
every rope In place. has been most
interesting to visitors during her re-
cent visit to the navy yard. She is
now on the records as doing duty In
the coast squadron and has left the
navy yard and gone to Annapolis.
The old ship Is n different looking
vessel. so far ms the interior Is con-
cerned. frum the ON. which FarraIut
commanded at III. battles or the
Mississippi river In 1862. and at Mobile
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21

va. was covered with pieces of cloth.
fng torn from the victims. battered
hats and twisted umbrellas, showing
how desperate was tho struggle
among the panic stricken fugitives In
the dense blaokncss Of the tunnel.
As showing the brutality attendant
upon tho struggle OF the crowd to
escape. the corpse OF one woman was
found with her breast torn away. One
survivor says he shouldered his way
through the struggling mass to the
station. whose locality he knew. and
went straight to the staircase. While
ascending this two women clung to
his legs and were saved.
A rescued passenger said: Il do
not know how got out but | could
not have gone another twenty yards.
The train was much nearer to the Rue
des Couronnes station than to the
Menilmontant. but many passengers
rushed in the latter direction. Every
one was mad with terror. trod on
several persons who were lying on
the ground
That part of the underground rail.
way in which the disaster occurred
comprises the two intermediate sta.
tions of Menilmontant and Les Cour.
onnes. Train No. i3, consisting OF
eight coaches. coming from Port Dau.
phin and going towards the Place de
Ia Nation. stopped at the Boulevard
Carbes owing to slight accident to
the motor, and the passengers alisht'
od Then train No So arrived. It's
passengers also were debarked. The
two trains were then coupled together
and No. So pushed No. i3 along the
line towards the workshops. No stop
pages were made at Ia Chapelle and
Auberviliers. Combat and Bellevillc
stations, but at Les Couronnes the
driver slowed down slightly.
The two trains then proceeded into
the tunnel. the trainmen closing the
doors. Suddenly. as the first coach
was drawing into Menilmontant sta
tion, a violent explosion occurred and
a blue flame rose between .he coach
containing the motor and the next
one. In few minutes all of the six.
teen coaches were on fire.
The trainmen jumped on the rails
and fed towards the station. They
were Just in time. for the flames al.
ready had reached the roof and walls
Of the tunnel. The electric wires were
fusing and the tunnel, except for
the flames from the burning coaches,
was in darkness.
Thick smoke began to enter tho
Menilmontant station and also to roll
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21

Bay in 1854. And yet aith ,ush there
= little left OF the old ship beyond her
keel and frame. she has not lost her
outward identity. and any OF those
who were familiar with her In tho
days Of the civil war would recognize
her now. She was originally a steam
vessel. or sioopof.war. Of 1900 tons
displacement and was built nj coston
In 1858. She has the same graceful
and symmetrical lines that she pro-
scnted on that hot summer day when
she led the wooden fleet past the guns
OF Fort Morgan. In 1864. at the battle
OF Mobile Bay. when farragut won an
other OF mis- great victories and coined
the phrase that has gone down into
history. when he called out TO the
commander OF the Brooklyn twho had
hauled his ship out of the line when
he .aw one of the monitors so down
by an explosion OF torpedo). Damn
the torpedoes: 20 ahead!" The In.
nous old ships have all gone except
the Hartford. and she Is destined TO
remain afoat 10 long as she can be
kept In scaworthy condition. so as
To remind tho present and future gen
crations OF the kind OF ships and the
manner OF men their ancestors were
In the days when men and ships were
needed to preserve the nation.
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21
Her Revenge Was Sweet.

mark: You're fattcr than when you
were here last"
1.-The repetition made me rather
angry. so n month ago got seat Just
by her and watched her closely. There
was n good deal OF kncciing done and
I confess that I dreaded the attempt
so much that the first time didn't get
upon my knees. Then I happened to
notice Mrs. Pratticton. She wasn't
kneeling either and I suddenly real.
lied that this was simply because she
could not. when the time came again
to knecl I got down the whole way.
hard as 1t was. and then looked
squarely into Mrs. Prattleton's face.
She blushed and squirmed and at onco
tried her level best to follow my ex.
ample. But she had to give up: 1t
was no use: she was too fat. From
that day to this she hasn't told me I'm
growing stouter-in fact, she hasn't
spoken to me at ALL
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21
Babies in Far-Off Siam.

When sIamcsc baby Is born the
mother IL removed from the bed and
laid upon long. narrow hat board.
by her side a big IRE Is made In n
portable carthcnwarc stove. The ser.
wants or fricnds scatter round the
house n certain kind OF fruit which Is
supposed to be ctiicnc!ous In prevent.
ing the entrance OF evil spirits, A cord
also cneirclcs the house. This cord
has been blcst by the priests. and Is
another barrier against supernatural
yisitnnts.
As n matter OF fact. what with tho
heat of the Ore. the heat of the eli.
mate. and the prcscnc. OF so many
people In the room. Il is so stiiilnsiy
hot and uncomfortable that II may be
doubted whether evil wanderers from
below would care io solourn there.
There are always three old women
present on these occasions. whose
business II Is to solicit for the little
one the patronage and protection OF
sundry guardian angels. They make
three balls of rice and throw them In
lucky directions. and 80 Insure Ger
tain amount OF good fortune for the
babe.
All babies In Siam have the same
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21
MIMIC WARFARE ENDS IN
DEFEAT OF .ENEMY'S" FLEET

The war game is over. At $3.50
o'clock on the morning OF Aug. s. the
enemy was captured trying to take
Winter Harbor. He was sighted by
the Olympia.
Bugle notes sounded on the Olym-
pia, men rushed to quarters and the
operator In the wireless telegraph
room was signalling for the kear.
sarge to announce the discovery of
the fleet to Rear Admiral Barker. The
flagship. twenty-five miles away on
Mount Desert Rock, caught the sound
waves and answered. In few mo-
mcnts word came by the wireless that
the Kearsarge was on her way to aid
the Olympia.
Meanwhile that vessel had found
herself in predicament. The fog.
which had been of advantage to the
enemy. proved handicap to the
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21

A lay delegate to the Episcopal con-
vention OF the Newark diocese which
recently elected the Rev. DIR. Lines Of
New Haven as bishop Was very zeal
Gus In advocating the selection Of an
other candidate. One OF those he ap-
preached objected TO his candidate on
the ground that he was not sufficient
ly strenuous In his methods.
'why. you must be thinking of some
one else" said the layrian In surprise.
LET me give you an instance OF his
methods.
When he first took charge Of his
present parish he was the same nne
specimen OF physical manhood that
you see to-day. but withai displayed a
lovely character OF sentlencss. except
when you tried to corner him. There
was worldly minded young man In
tho town who held several medals won
In athletic contests. especially In box
Ing matches.
''The physique Of our rector excited
the admiration OF the champion. and
said. meaning no disrcspeci. but being
governed by his ruling passion:
My dear doctor. II you were not n
minister I should like to have you put
on III. gloves with me. ! believe
could knock you out
The rector. like most modern
preachers In the Episcopal church. ID
fond OF athletics and had stood pretty
well up In football at his college. BE-
tIcaiiy. So he said TO tho young cham
pion:
".I will make you n proposition.
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21

by the superior force and could do
nothing but run up the white flag.
The conditions ut this point. had
II not been for the Olympia's wireless
telegraph equipment. indicated that
Rear Admiral Sands might have
reached an anchorage in Winter Har.
Dor. but the Olympia's note of warn.
ing had been heard.
About s O'Clock the defenders. or
the greater part OF them. returned to
port. Most of the ships headed for
the coaling station, but the Kearsarge.
Illinois and Alabama lay outside Bar
Island.
1--WE met the enemy. as Perry
said. and they are ours
THAT tells about the whole story"
remarked Rear Admiral Barker. who
commanded the defending forces dur
ing the manoeuvres. The admiral had
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21

"1 don't mind being told I'm stout.
she said. I am stout and l might as
well acknowledge II. But there is a
wrong way to do everything and there
Is n way Of telling n person that he or
she is stout which always crates on
my nerves. The speaker paused and
looked over her auditors In a manner
which plainly Indicated that this re-.
mark was but the moral to q fable
soon to follow. Nor were the listen.
ers disappointed
Every once in while pursued
the narrator-who there was no deny
ing really was Stout haven't time
TO go all the way to my own church
and so drop In ut the one across the
street. There I always see Mrs. Pratt
tleton. She weighs fifty pounds more
than do II she weighs an ounce. but
she seems serenely unconscious Of 1t
and always greets me after the service
with honcyed smile and the re.
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21
Made Fitz'S Head Swim.

and Mahcr occurred ut Lantry. Tex.
In 1896. The Cornishman declared
openly that he intended to settle tho
fight with one blow. Il have never
forgotten that time Mahcr hit mo In
the head" he said. and I'm going to
make him sorry he ever did II. I'm
going to hit him once. He'll lie down
when | do II. Listen to what I'm
saying. I'm going to hit him once"
After the battle Fritz said to his
friends: Il never saw anything like
II In the ring In my life. When Mahcr
stood up before me could see
look of awful fear In his eyes as they
saw me put out my left as II | meant
to do some iabbing. His hair almost
rose on end. He hadn't got over that
awful punishment In four years. My
left must have stuck In his craw. Ho
made swing at my head. | stepped
aside. and as his own head went down
my right met him on the point OF tho
chin. The floor was his. and he stayed
there. said I'd hit once. and did"
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21
How Convert Was Made.

will put on the gloves with you for .
quiet bout. II you knock IN. out
will agree with your friends that sou
are the champion. II knock you out
you shall attend church every Sunday.
unless hindersd, for one year
The young athlete extended his
hand on the proposition. He was In
glow about Il. not 70 much because
he WAS sure he would win as he Was
an admirer OF the rectors physique.
Il don't know where the contest
took place. I could not swear that IL
ever did take place. Hut very soon
after the Incident ! have mentioned
that young athlete bccam. u regular
attendant in our church. Then he was
confirmed. and. Of course. Is now u
full.nedsed churchman. All inside OF
year.
"And while he Is fond Of hunting.
fishing and cross.country running. etc.
he never speaks OF boxing any more.
But h. iE the best churchman In tho
parish. ! think tn. rector knocked
Il out OF him. Don't you think that
preacher who could do that 10
strenuous enough to be u bIshop!'
The delegate whose support was be-
Ing solicited replied that he was In
favor Of type OF man for bishop. and
he pledged his vote then and there.
The vote was not delivered. however.
for the rector refused to be a candi-
date before the convention. Tho lay
man who tells the story added;
That's tn. sort II preachers tn"
church needs tvrdny-prcachcr who
can knock man into tn. church if
II cant be done In any other way" -
New York Sun.
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21

the chances are one IN Ave that II has
caught nothing. The bills are held
upward. the water allowed to run out
of tho enormous pouch. and then u
any game has been caught the pelican
toSsrs It's bcak upward. which throws
the fish forward or toward the point
Of the bcak. where II In often
held few seconds. from hero
being dropped. ms II were. into
the threat. which lS very small
orihcn In ycritsblc waste OF
pouch. Al this moment. perhaps. n
laughing gull robs the pelican. Some
times IL alishts on Its back. again on
It's head. and the stupid bird makes
no resistance. the gull often uttcring
it's victorious 'ha.ha!' In advance. Just
MS the fish is thrown To the tip OF tho
bcak and protrudcs from the side tho
laughing gull leans forward. Enatchcs
II and rises aioft-to. In turn. be fol-
lowed by the swift man-oi.war bird.
In this simple way pelican will bo
robbed by successive birds and will
swallow but small percentage OF
what II catches. which possibly cs-
plains why II IL always hungry
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21
Dance Of Fijian Girls.

-Dancing?" said the old traveller
scornfuily. You folks at home, with
your two-cent waltzes and polkas don't
know what real dancing is. You should
see the girls dance in FIJI as have
seen them.
They call their dances 'mekes,' and
the best of them all Is the wave
meke.' A lot of pretty girls, in two or
three rows. act the movements OF the
sea as It rolls in upon the reefs.
"First of all, they bend down In uni.
son and sweep the ground slowly with
their hands. waving their fingers in
order to represent the little wavelets
aecked by the wind. Then they sway
their bodies to and fro to show the
long roll of the tropical wave; and
presently their figures rise and fall as
DO the breakers. The action Of the
dance becomes more and more violent.
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21

The wave is dashing up the barrier
reef. The girls spring forward and
clap their hands, and then drop to tho
ground with n long musical cry. The
wave has surmounted the reef and
emptied itself into the CLASSY lagoon.
The dance is over.
Every movement of the wave
meke' is graceful and refined. Tho
best ballet girls in your American the
aters are not better trained than these
young Fiiian maidens, who spend q
good half of their happy careless. lazy
lives dancing their 'wekes' or playing
in the surf. There are no finer dane
ers in the world. Nearly all their bal.
let's describe the scenes around them
or the incidents of their daily lives.
Other 'mekes' picture the palms sway
ing in the breeze. the canoes tossing
in a gale. and the clouds sailing across
the sky"
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21
When Ones Nerve Fails.

As illustrating both the facts stated
above the writer can never forget see
ing a woman tight.rope whose rops
had been left too slack. She was per-
forming at a great height and when
she got to a certain distance along
the rope. the latter sagged so that sho
could neither advance nor retire. Tho
public knew nothing of the danger till
the manager in an agony tried TO get
two immense, ladders, tied together, up
to the rope. But this arrangement fell
short, and even II 1t had not done so.
no one would have dared to rest it
against the swaying rope. At last tho
ladders were held boldly upright by
strong men till the topmost rung just
touched the rope. and then the gallant
young fellow "A sailor went up while
the ladders swayed about as though in
a breeze. He snatched the woman on
the rope and held her. just as she
tainted and dropped the balancing
pole.
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21

were pulled down and trampicd under
foot by frcnxiod men who sought safe
ty only for themselves.
a majority Of the bodies had arms
raised and fists cicnehcd and legs
twisted. and some Of them were bent
double. Almost all had wounds on
the face and hands. Many of the vic.
tins held handkcrchicfs In their
smokc.bcgrimcd hands.
The walls OF the tunnel were splash.
cd with blood to u height OF six feet.
One pool OF blood WIS 80 deep that
hats and even ioavas OF bread wcro
floating In Il. The floor OF the sub.
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21

came mp from Bcilcvlllc behind tho
burning trains and stopped Mt Les
couronncs Just ms the smoke began To
enter the station from tho tunnel.
Then the catastrophe happened. On
sccing the smoke Tho passengers
jumped ON the departure platform for
the direction OF Mcnilmontnnt and
tried To make their way To the stair
case at the end. Thcy were driven
back by the smoke towards the other
end OF the platform. where there In n
white brick wall There they met the
fugutivcs from the two burning trains
crowded together and there later
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21
Reporter With a Nerve.

"Mr. Blank of the Daily So-and.So."
"T cannot be disturbed now,' called
O'Rell "You will have to come again.
/ cannot gee you now. am in bed"
Notwithstanding this injunction, the
humorist saw the door pushed open,
the chair fell over on the floor. and
the reporter entered the room, threw
his hat on the table, sighed and helped
himself to a chair.
well, well. Welt" exclaimed tho
now angry Frenchman. This is un.
precedented. What will you have,
sir? Whatll you have?"
THANK you" replied the reporter.
tanning himself. "I'll have a gin-nzx." "
New York Times.
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21

Max ORell used to tell story about
his first experience with a Chicago
newspaper reporter. The genial
Frenchman had Just arrived at the
Grand Pacific hotel and had retired to
bis room to rest after fatigu
ing Journey. In order, to get the
most possible out of the short
.,esta he tol off his clothes and
,,t into bed. The day was OF
one and for better circulation of air
bo left the door slightly ajar placing
n chair against it for security. shortly
attorward he was awakened from his
nap by knock at his door, and he
Irowsily inquired who was there
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21
Puzzled by His Ambiguity.

"a baby was born to certain min
lister last Saturday morning" says an
Oklahoma paper. That evening the
officers waited on him with $50 in
cash The next morning when the
congregation assembled two wags
stood before the church door and one
bet the minister would thank the Lord
for the money first and the other bet
he would thank him for the baby.
When the reverend gentleman arose
to pray lie said: Lord. we desire.
Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-08-21
Cost Of Hauling Freight.

The cost of freight hauling per ton
per mile on the London Northern rail-
way. England's most important line,
expressed in cents. is $l.i9: on tho
Pennsylvania railway the cost is .i04
of cent, and on the New York Cen
tral .4l6 o: a cent.