davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-03-12
THE PAY OF THE HANGMAN.
When Jack ketch Complained Of His
Small Salary.

When Jack ketch Complained Of His
Small Salary.
The many executions taking place
these days would give the lie to the
story, had it not already been con-
tradicted, that the hangman suffers
poverty. But the court of aldermen
really does possess the record OF an
appeal for increase of the hangmans
salary. Jack Ketch wrote that, as
executioner, he could not get other
employment; that he had to keep an
assistant, but that hangings were so
rare as to make it impossible for him
to live. He must have compared his
own lot with that of the French hang
man in the palmy days Of that official
before the guillotine killed his pro-
fession. 1.-THE post is sacred here"
wrote a diarist in Paris, "and ap-
proaches the noblesse In the right OF
using a sword, and the priesthood in
being prescribed entry at all spec
tacles but that of the profession. II
blood unsullied can ennoble, then
know of none so pure, for a French
hangman can marry none but a
French hangman's daughter" Far
different was it with the Ketches OF
old time, as the following record
shows: "Executioner's fees. rs. 3D.;
stripping the body, IS. 3d.; use OF
shell, Is. 6d."-St. James Gazette.
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-03-12
Famous Cornwall "Pasty."

A proverb current in Cornwall says
that the devil has never ventured to
show his face in that portion OF Eng
land lest the Cornish housewife
should pop him into a pasty.
The saying speaks well for the Spiel
ness of the famous dish, as well as
for the thriftiness of the matron in
turning unpromising materials to
account. For just as Devonshire is
famous for it's CREAM" so the proud
boast of Cornwall is Cornish pasty.
Many things go to make up its
savoriness which an uninventive cook
would never dream Of employing.
Leeks, onions, sage and parsnips fig
ure largely, while potatoes and turnips
provide the bulk of the feast. To
flavor it successfully requires the
most intimate and accurate knowledge
of the value of homely herbs.
Thyme, mint and parsley are three
powerful allies of the Cornish cook.
The hedgerows, too, are made to yield
their share, and many a weed is press
ed into the service.
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-03-12
PAINTS OF THE ANC!ENTS.
Water Colors Were Invariably Used
in the Olden Days.

Paints as now employed in the arts,
both mechanical and decorative, were
not known to the people of ancient
times. Pigments they had in abund-
ance, but the art of mixing them so
as to make them enduring had not
been discovered. Nowadays when the
artisan is applying varnish he puts up
a sign warning passers by to beware
of paint, which, shows that by the
average man s4yarnish is regarded as
a species of paint.
The two are, indeed, closely related,
but it will surprise most people to
learn that, while varnish Is a product
known in very remote ages, paint as
used to-day is of comparative recent
origin.
The paint used in Babylon and Min
even and in Pompeii was composed Of
pigments mixed not with oil but With
water, to which had been added a
little glue, egg albumen or perhaps
sometimes casein, which is albumi-
nous matter from milk, or the gluten
from cereal grains. Glue, however,
was the most universal grinding ma.
terial.
Such paints are now known as fres-
co paints or water colors. They have
not gone out of use, as is illustrated
by the reported statement that the
New York rapid transit subway walls
are to be painted throughout with
some of these preparations.
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-03-12
: =. : go : ~ : = =
WHEN NATURE S REMlSS.
Seemingly Forgets to Endow Human
- Beings With Needed Faculties.

Seemingly Forgets to Endow Human
Beings With Needed Faculties.
. Nature mods undoubtedly at times,
as in the case of the child born with
out brain whose case has been made
public this week. Not long ago an
infant was born and lived three weeks
with a hole through it's heart. Thou.
sands of us are colCr blind, others
have no musical sense. And there are
many Laura Bridgmans, many Helen
Kellers. The queen of Roumania has
or had at her court in personal at
tendance upon herself the daughter
of blind nobleman. She could
neither hear nor speak, and had to
be taught to communicate by holding
the throat of speaker and initiating
the vibration produced by the effort.
But what a grudge against nature
discovered ever feel!
Here was a girl who was blind,
deaf, dumb and could neither taste
nor smell. One might be pardoned
for asking it such a life was worth
living. Yet there was a beautiful
lesson in such. an existence, as the
great warm heart of Playfair discov'
rs cd. He sent her a pretty finger ring
md the poor mite replied in this pitt
fully pretty letter: Dear Sir Lyon
Playfair: Sir Lyon Playfair sent Edith
ring in box. Edith thank Sir Lyon
Playfair for ring. Sir Lyon Playfair
come to see Edith. Good-by. Edith"
During his first visit the child had
closely examined his hands, wrists,
arms and face, her touch being mar
velously accurate. A year later he
went again to see her. At first she
did not recognize him and no one be-
trayed his identity. At length she
turned back the cuff of his shirt and
touched his wrist. Her face lit up
with intense joy. ut is the English
man who save me the ring" she rap
idly spelled out on her fingers. And
in a second she had flung her little
arms around his neck and was weep
ing with delight at the recognition.
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-03-12
ST. PATRICK AND HIS WORE

I slaked my thirst and laved my brow
in the cool waters of st. Patrick's
we'll.
=. Snakes in wild state are mega
tive quantity in Ireland. Whether
they ever existed there in human
times may be questioned. Some forty
years ago practical joker conveyed
number of snakes from England and
liberated them during the night and
unobserved. When discovered in the
morning great was the commotion
among the superstitious, and critical
were the essays of the expert llteratl,
and lengthened were the rhetorical
efforts of tl> garrulous orators. But
alas! for all sse learned lore OF the
savants of tt United Kingdom, the
poor reptiles died, and not snake
has since appeared to pollute the Holy
Isle What has given rise to the legend
of st. Patrick expelliTg the snakes IS
no doubt it's metapM Neal signifGe
ton that he suppress the totef
serpents, and expelled n make !
pagan doctrine by the of r
Gospel. s&~ INA M
Toads were also expelled, and the
legend has much the same basis tor
support as the expulsion OF the
snakes. The legend Of the. last toad,
which I heard narrated years ago in
the west Of Ireland, may be deemed
worthy of notice: The Saint was
standing on the summit of Croaghpat-
rick (the highest mountain in Ire
land) watching the fight of satan
across Clew Bay, when, turning round
to glance over the Connemara hills,
he saw to his establishment toad hid
ing under a. tuft of heather. AS he
approached the toad opened his mouth
and said, "Holy Patrick, spare me. |
am the soul of the great Pythagoras,
who taught the transmigration OF
souls in a time of irreligion." "You
taught FALSE" says the saint. '"1 have
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-03-12
He Got the Raise.

A small boy down in Wall street
demonstrated that there are several
ways of getting salary raised. He:
was receiving 50 a week, all of which
he had to contribute toward the fam
lily expenses, and he longed for the
financial independence offered by the
far distant prospect Of $3.50 weekly
He finally decided to write letter
to the head of his firm. Here is the,
letter:
Dear Sir-Cou1d you please make
my salary little higher? l don't get
any money for myself now, because
the family needs it all. I'll promise
to work very hard for it, and surely
the laborer is worthy Of his higher"
He got the raise.-New York Sum-.
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-03-12
Seven Wonders Of the World.

There have been different objects
classed as the Seven Wonders of the
World at different periods Of the
worlds history. The seven wonders
of antiquity were: The Pyramids of
Egypt, the Hanging Gardens of Baby
lon, the Tomb Of Mausolos, the Tenn
pie of Diana at Ephesus, the Colossus
of Rhodes, the Statue of Zeus (Jupi-
teri by Phidias, the Pharos of Egypt,
or else the Palace of Cyrus cemented
with gold. These have been STRUNG
together in the following lines, which
can be committed to memory without
much difficulty:
The pyramids first, which in Egypt
were laid;
Next Babylon's garden, for Amytis
made;
Then Mausolo's tomb of affection and
guilt;
Fourth, the Temple of Diana, in Ephe'
:sus built;
The Colossus of Rhodes. cast in brass,
the sun;
Sixth, Jupiter's statue, by Phidias
done;
The Pharos Of Egypt, last wonder OF
old, s.,# ..-
Or the Palace Ct Cyrus, cemented with
i. gold.
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-03-12
2s2H2E22E2G2aS8s2S2@E2a2RSR&3R
BY REV. r. p. DUFFY. n. D.
ecretary of American Church Bible INSTITUTE

around it and was the favorite resort
of King Laogaire. The intrepid Pat
rick and his companions, taking their
lives in their hands, advanced boldly
against these idols and shattered them
in pieces. The message of such men,
who proved the -wortMessness of idols
of stone, brass and@ gold for crom
dubh was overlaid if IT was not Who'll
ly made of gold, was received with
gladness, and the fame Of the saint
and his compaaje 9l the gospel
they preached spreadSfar and wide, so
that great numbers became obedient
to the faith. This act of Patrick was
not dissimilar to that of HeZekiah,
who broke in pieces the brazen SER
pent that Moses had erected for q
somewhat similar reason, that it be-
came an object of idolatrous worship.
This crom dubh and it's companions
were not originally objects of wor.
ship, for the early Irish religion was
purely monotheistic. But the Irish,
and especially their. priesthood or
druids, were from remote antiquity
skilled astronomers. Many of their
religious customs had an astronomical
bearing, with special reference to the
sun. The mistletoe, for instance. was
associated with the winter Solstice,
the 21st December. as was the Sham
rock with the Vernal equinox or the
22d of March. So Crom dubh and his
companions were originally nothing
more harmful than the sun and the
twelve signs of the zodiac. Crom him
self symbolized the sun, and hence he
was over1aid with gold the better to
illustrate that luminary. The twelve
smaller bodies representing the
twelve signs of the zodiac were en-
cased in an inferior metal indicative
of the inferior positions they held. 1t
is from Crom that the word cromlech
is derived.
St. Patrick was happy in his. .paren-
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-03-12
Wake He a Song.

Out Of the silences wake me song.
Beautiful, sad, and soft, and low;
Let the loveliest music SOUND along,
And wing each note with a wall Of woe.
Dim and drear ~.
As hopes last tea.
Out Of the silences wake me a hymn,
Whose sounds are like shadows soft and
Out of the stiffness in your heart
A thousand songs are sleeping there
wake me song, thou child Of art!
The song Of a hope in last despair.
~ Dark and low, ~ -E
~ 50. Il A chant Of woe. ~'.s5s I...
Out of the stiffness, tone by tone, <v..
Cold as q snowflake, low as moan.
Ont of the darkness flash me a song,
Rriei1tly dark ana darkly bright: ~gEE
Let It sweep az q lone star sweeps along
The mystical shadows Of the night
/: - Sing it sweet, -I -
Where nothing Is drear, or dark. or dim,
And earth-song scars into heavenly
S 49,, = L, c-Abram Joseph Ryan.
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-03-12
WHY WHITNEY WAS POPULAR.
Always the Embodiment Of Chivalry
and Courtesy.


and Courtesy.
One of the admirable traits CT VIII
liam c. Whitney was his habitual def
erence to women. Talk turned upon
this at the Union League Club last
night. "He was a gentleman to the
CORE" remarked prominent member
"Once he told me he found it actually
difficult to keep his hat on when con-
versing with woman on the side
walk, even in winter, and yet more so
to remain seated when a woman SER
want entered room where he hap
pened to be. 1t was instructive gal
lantry-the old-fashioned cOurtliness,
the chivalry whose decadence Burke
deplored." 49,. .
Mr.. Stillman recalled that one of
Whitney's fayorite quotations ~was~La-
marines reply to the woman who
asked him to guess her age: "Your
age, mademoiselle? Whatever it is,
you don't look it,
BY another the point was made that
his unfailing buoyancy of spirits was
largely due to his determination not to
become an old fogy. His advice to the
men Of fifty and beyond was in theis
vein: watch the men of thirty.
You'll have to wrench your neck some
times, but it pays"
Rather a curious, but by no means
forced, anology was drawn between
Mr. Whitney and Lord Rosebery by an
Anglo-American fnancier who has
'M'' among his initials. The resem-
blance was in respect of social tact,
administrative gifts, taste in the arts,
sedate opulence of domestic surround
ings, devotion to family duties, and
zeal for the improvement of turf
standards. ''Whitney," said Mr.. IN. -
"was a democratic aristocrat. and
never so truly as in the paddock. He
was always the exponent Of the doc
trines that on the turf and under it
all men are equal" New York Mail
and Express.
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-03-12

The birthplace of St. Patrick is a
matter of dispute, but then there is
scarcely any historical fact that is not
disputed. It would be passing strange,
therefore, if any of the incidents OF
so renowned a historical character as
St. Patrick, not placed beyond doubt
by demonstrate fact, were to pass I'M
disputed. There are few now, how
ever, who will claim with the late DR..
Lannigan that he was born at Bou-
logne-Sur-Mer in France. Most his
torians allow that Dumbarton-on-the-
Clyde in Scotland is the place Of his
nativity. Though why his own state
ment that he was an Irishman should
be ignored, for one, am at loss to
understand. One thing is certain: he
was not only a Kelt but he belonged
to the Gaelic branch of the Kettle
race. Whether, therefore, it could be
proved he was born in Scotland or
France he was still racially Gael
that is an Irishman-and spoke Gaelic
or the Irish tongue. Perhaps to this
may be attributed much of his success
in the conversion OF Ireland; and that
success was phenomenal.
st. Patrick's zeal in preaching the
gospel was very similar to ST. Pauls.
His energy was untiring. His aim was
the conversion of the whole island.
To accomplish this he worked by
night as we'll as by day, as conditions
necessitated. His courage was absO-
lutely fearless. He did not heedlessly
run into danger. He was guided by a
sound judgment in all his missionary
effort. But when the conversion of q
person or tribe necessarily endangered
his life he did not shrink from death
for a moment, but went forward bold
ly and preached the gospel, and as
generally happens in bold enterprises
he was signally successful.
st. Patrick's system of church policy
was neither diocesan, parochial, con-
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-03-12
Smile Did Not Fit.

Mr.. James Breck Perkins OF New
York and Mr.. Henry Allen Cooper OF
Wisconsin, became involved in re-
cent spirited House debate about
the docking of horses tails IN the Dis
trict of Columbia, says the Washing
ton Post. Mr. Perkins ridiculed the
proposed legislation. Mr.. Cooper
championed it: There were aggres-
sive exchanges.
What good purpose does the dock
ing server" Mr. Cooper finally asked
in a tone of voice which seemed to
indicate a belief that the question
could not be satisfactorily answered.
why" retorted Mr.. Perkins, with
an air Of inpat,ence at his friend s at
titude, cit improves their appearance.
Then he paused a moment before
adding: Just as the gentleman from
Wisconsin cuts his hair"
Now, Mr.. Cooper has bald head,
and at that kind of retort the House
went into commissions of laughter,
which drowned the assertion of the
Wisconsin member that he didn't seek
in any such manner to improve his
personal appearance.
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-03-12
Contentment.

T envy not the famous men
or any time or land;
Hora thus may have held the bridge,
rye held Myrtilla's hand.
Though Shakespeare may have written
And sonnets not a few, ..a
Yet to Myrtilla I have penned
A joyous bilet-doux.
Drake may have circled round the globe:
And though that pleased his taste.
Suffice for me to have my arm
Around Myrtilla's waist. .'. ....
Though Sherman may have made a
+, march 80 -. :. a.
From Atlanta to the sea.
A wedding march right up the aisle q
Is good enough for me. yT ~: ~
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-03-12
THE MAN OF BEAUTY
NOT DESIRABLE AS EITHER RUS-
BAND OR BROTHER.
Woman Writer Points Out His Num-
erous Shortcomines-At That, He
Compares Very Favorably With the
Beauty of Fifty Years Ago.

The handsome man is mistake,
according to an aggrieved person who
feels herself qualified to speak out in
meeting on this subject She has
been investigating him in various
roles and declares that as lover he
is unsatisfactory, as husband fail
ure and as brother a nuisance The
fiancee of a good-looking man has to
pay dearly for her capture of an
Adonfs. She lives in a state of per-
petual siege against a host of fair
rivals, and has to run the gauntlet of
such remarks as: II wonder what
that handsome Mr. Jones can gee in
that Enid Smith," and isn't it funny
how good looking men always marry
such plain wives?"
Her troubles are all augmented
when she becomes a young matron.
She has to stoically endure her hus-
bands f1irtations with other women
who will f1atter him if she will not
and to smile amiably when Mrs. Rob-
inson praises Jack and Muriel; "such
pretty children; so like their father!"
A<e1oI, DuC uOI 1CdoC, 04C iuuOC oh1ulp
her wardrobe, while her attractive
husband spends on his ties and socks
what the ugly man would have con-
centrated cheerfully on his wife's fur
coat, says the Philadelphia Inquirer.
AS a brother the handsome man is
certainly not an unmixed blessing.
From the first moment he opens his
t1no f,,1, ~ So
adoring mother, who displays to his
moral shortcomings a more than bee
tle-like obtuseness. AS he grows older
she palliates his love for pleasure and
his disinclination for work by the
excuse: Jack is so good-lCoking he
is sure to marry an heiress if he goes
into society,""
The sister of the handsome man is
only asked to parties where the host
ess dare not ask him without her, and
she is ordered to be civil to all sorts
of people, who detest her, but admire
Jack" Then the handsome brother
is generally WOman's man, which
means that Jack will not bring men
friends home to smoke and play ping
pong and fall in love with his sister.
It the modern girl could have her
choice in such matter she would
plump unreservedly for a plain, good
natured, ordinary brother, who would
contentedly accept the back seat allot-
ed by the twentieth century women to
the mere man."
Troublesome though the handsome
brother undoubtedly is, it is probable
that, in spite of all her protestations,
her royal highness, woman, will con-
tinue to admire and marry him. The
handsome man of to-day certainly
compares favorably with the "pretty''
man Of fifty years ago. That popular
hero was narrow-chested, puny and
pink-and-white, while black whiskers
inevitably adorned" his thin cheeks.
To-day the handsome man is stall
wart, we'll set up, and muscular, for
mere beauty Of feature will count for
very little He may not be industri-
GUS, but he is wise enough to play
football and golf, and is, by the way,
almost as conceited of his prowess in
these directions as of his classic nose
and chin and "beautifuI' eyes.
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-03-12
His Nerve Got Him the Job

His Nerve Got Him the Job.
A woman living in the vicinity OF
Thirteenth and Wallace streets yes
terday who was nearly made frantic
by the snow shovelers hung sign on
the door:
ITO snow shovelers: If you have
any consideration for woman's
shattered nerves, please don't ring
the bell. When Iwant the pavement
cleaned my husband will do il"
Soon after the sign was placed the
bell rang furiously. On going to the
door the. woman was amazed to see
a man there with a shovel.
Cant you read that sign?" the
woman exclaimed. = t
"Not without my glasses" was the
reioinder. IF did read in the papers
that people who didn't have their
pavement cleaned would be fined IS
and COSTS"
The fellow got the job.-Philadel-
phia Press. ~s~ u ....'s.'t.- ... .
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-03-12

an explanation of that" replied the
great philosopher. "Abaris, chief OF
the Druids, and by the same token an
Irishman like yourself of great learn
ing and valiant deeds, taught me the
doctrine. That's true,' says the saint,
land a great and learned man he was,
and so were you, and l will deliver
you, but you will have to go to my
purgatory and be there prepared for
a higher life" With that the saint
touched the toad with his pastoral
staff, when an explosion loud as thun-
der took place and Pythagoras was
liberated and flew away with Joy to
Tough Derg, in Donegal, where he en-
tered Patrick's purgatory.
The legend of the purgatory, too, is
interesting. The saint was in hot pur-
suit of Satan. He was standing on
top of Nephin Mountain, from which
he gave sprint and landed on
rock in the bed of the river Moy that
still retains his footprint. Then with
when Satan fees the land. The devils
mother still remains and the saint now
turns his attention to her. She fees
away to the north, the saint in pur-
suit. He overtakes her in desolate
bog in Donegal, and to escape him she
rushes into a lake, where all the
leeches in the "black north had con-
gregated. They instantly seize her,
insert their fangs in her body, and
she bleeds to death. The waters be-
come colored red with her blood, and
have remained so ever since, hence
the name Tough Derg. A mighty con-
course Of people had assembled and
the saint preached to them about the
torrents of the lost. The Druids an
swered they couldn't accept such a
doctrine without oracular demonstra-
ton. Then the saint prayed for few
moments, when suddenly there was a
loud report, q mighty explosion took
place, the earth opened with yawn-
ing cavity, an island was upheaved in
the Tough, and in it's center was
formed a cave, which became the
entrance to the purgatory. No legend
SO well authenticated by the most re-
spectacle authority has ever existed
than that of st. Patrick's purgatory.
It forms the foundation of Dante's
Inferno, and in the middle ages it
threw the legend Of ''the Wandering
lew completely in the shade.