davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-03

The American woman at home thinks
her help" is sore trial. but when she
goes down to South America and has
to hire natives she begins to wonder
why she ever grumbled about the SER
want problem in GODS country"
"Espiritu Santa!" she calls.
Isl, sonora"
Some friends are coming to dinner
this evening, and I want you to take
particular pains to buy exactly what
tell you at the market. Now listen
to me carefully. Get three or four
pounds of beef"
Isl sonora"
And a chicken"
Isl sonora"
Some potatoes and onions"
Isl sonora
Lettuce. yams, oranges and some
other fruit.
Isl sonora
Nov, don't forget. Are you sure
you understand"
mo, sonora. 1 don't know what you
want"
Espiritu Santa was a cook in the in
terror of Colombia. Her stupidity was
Characteristic of all her kind Patient
ly and carefully her American mistress
went over the list again and again,
until she thought the woman could
not fail to understand. Espiritu Santa
left the room, protesting that she could
not possibly forget anything, only to
return next minute and ask:
Don't Won want mo fO pet nv I1oaat
senora?"
Esplrltu Santa appeared on the pi-
azza one morning and said that she
heard servant was wanted The
mistress of the house was New York
woman who had newly arrived in a
colombian town, where her husband
heId a position. She had not been able
10 get servant for love or money, and
mad been obliged to go to the market
every morning to buy the days pro-
visions. There she was jostled and
msulted by the dirty Indian peasants
VINO brought in meat and vegetables
from the surrounding country Some
uhles these peasants, hating foreign
ers would not sell to her; if they con-
descended to do so, they asked three
tives -
Under these circumstances, Espiritu
santa was cordially welcomed, al
uouGh her appearance was decidedly
against her. She was a tall, fat, black
woman. Her feet were innocent of
onoes ana stockings, a greasy shawl
was thrown over her head, and she
was smoking a black cigar.
what wages do you want?" the
american woman asked
Forty dollars a month, sonora"
me american woman gasped. 1--WE
.an ahord that, can we, dear?" she
asked turning to her husband
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-03

Easily" he replied. "She means for
~ dollars in Colombian paper money.
mat is equivalent to forty cents in
American gold, at the present rate of
exchange. You will only have to nav
her ten cents a week."
Esplrltu Santa was a success, as
colombian servants go. When her mis-
tress left the country some years later
all the foreign families in the town
eagerly competed for her services,
knowing that she had been carefully
trained in American ways. But; before
she was broken in," her mistress suf-
fered many things.
She would crush giant cockroaches.
four inches long, with her bare feet, and
leave their mangled corpses adhering
to the polished floor of the dining room.
II she wanted to find out whether the
soup was hot, she invariably put her
finger into it. She would anoint her
fuzzy locks with cocoanut oil with her
left hand while her right hand was pre-
pairing the dinner. She always smok-
ed cigars while cooking. These were her
more delicate habits. A veil had better
be drawn over the others.
But why, it may be asked, was she
endured? Simply because she was the
best servant available, and, anyhow, it
was a condescension for a Colombian
to work for a despised "gringo.'
The greatest troubles arose over din
ner Sometimes fruit was served after
soup, and it would transpire that Es-
plritu had forgotten to provide the rest
OF the meal On other occasions, she
vanished after serving soup and fish;
and Mary Magdalene the house clean
er, announced that she had gone to YES
pers at the church, and the 'gringos"
must wait until she returned for the re-
mainder of their dinner.
But dinner was, perhaps, an even
more painful ordeal, when she was
present. Besides cooking, it was Espi-
ritu's duty to wait at table. She
brought in the soup with one of her
favorite black cigars between her lips.
Laying the cigar stump on the white
cloth, she ladled the course around,
generally managing to drop some CT
gar ashes into it. Then she squatted on
the floor and waited till the next
course was required. She always eX-
pected to have the leavings passed
to her. If they were not, she threat
ened to leave. If they were, she
crouched on the floor and gnawed
them like a dog, smacking her lips
unctuously the while.
Espiritu Santa, be it carefully re-
membered, was good servant as Co
lombian servants go. And the Co
lombian servants are not the worst
in Latin America.
All these servants are exceedingly
superstitious They insist on lock-
ing the doors of their rooms at night,
even on the remotest country plan
tations, where there is no possibility
of thieves prowling about When they
are asked why they do so, they reply,
ITO keep out the dead people, who
would tickle our toes if they could
get in" But some of them are not
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-03

only his own clothing, but the clothing
of many other boys who had been
robbed and eaten by the wicked man
whom he had left on the island lament
ing.
In the cave was also food and fire.
but no living creature was there after
the swans left him and went back to
the lake.
After dressing, eating and taking a
short nap, fer he was sleepy, the boy
went to the mouth OF the cave,
and there were the swans waiting for
him.
Come. swans" said the boy, az
would go home"
So the swans took him in the canoe
to the shore of the lake nearest the
forest and the boy made his way home,
where he found his old uncle sorrowing
for him, thinking he was dead.
The uncle was so glad to see his
nephew again that he forgave him,
and the boy never ran away again, but
grew up to be mighty hunter and
brought game for his uncle to eat, so
that they lived happy ever after.
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-03

sure that barred door is a sufficient
safeguard against evil spirits. They
put the foot of the bed against the
wall, instead of the head, so that
the ghosts cannot get to their toes
to tickle them.
When a storm breaks over the
house, accompanied by the lightning
which is so frequent and so vivid in
the tropics, the servants Immediately
leave whatever they may be doing
and run into the patio" Courtyard
They get pailful of wood ashes and
scatter them on the ground in the
form of a cross. While the storm
lasts, they kneel around this cross,
weeping Historically and calling upon
their patron saints at the top pitch of
their voices. 1t may be dinner time
but the family has to wait for din
ner until the storm is over and the
overstrung nerves of the servants
have been Gained. AS thunderstorms
are very common in Latin-American
countries, they seriously dislocate
domestic routine.
Garlic is another fruitful cause Of
friction between the South American
servant and her foreign mistress. The
COOK insists on putting garlic into
every dish, and it is almost impossible
to break her of the habit.
Now, Magdalene," the mistress
may say, 81 want you to boil some
plain rice. Nothing but rice, do you
understand? Here are the rice and
the pot and the water. Put the rice
in the water, and boil nothing else
with it."
Isl, sonora
Presently the rice is served at ia
bic, swimming in greasy native butter
and so strongly favored with garlic
that nobody can eat it.
Didn't 1 tell you to boil plain rice ?''
the mistress asks.
II don't know" the cook replies.
sullenly. MY grandmother always
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-03

up from the housekeeper in the trop-
| les.
A Jamaican woman who was travel
ing out West some time ago heard
complaints about the swarms Of ants
which infested every house and got
into all the food.
There is a very simple remedy,
she told her Western friends. Rub
chalk on the legs of the cupboard.
The ants cannot crawl up over the
chalk"
The housekeeper is always on the
lookout for a polish for brasses. In
the West Indies a mixture of lemon
Juice and ashes is used. and a better
polish cannot be secured.
Lime Juice or lemon juice is the
West Indian housekeepers best friend.
Should any of the house linen or wear
ing apparel become widowed in rainy
weather a little lemon juice and a
little common salt will soon make the
spots disappear. This receipt appears
to be unknown in this country, and
mildew is too often regarded as a
thing impossible to remove. Even
the professional laundries nearly al
ways send home clothes without re-
moving the mildew spots from them.
Many a shirt waist or other article
of apparel is thrown away solely for
this reason while 1t is still perfectly fit
to wear.
If the American housekeeper will
try this West Indian receipt she will
get rid of an enemy hitherto regarded
as unconquerable. So far as is known,
nothing else will remove mildew.
West Indians have several good re-
ceipts for keeping mosquitoes out Of
the house. Although they live in a
mosquito-haunted region they are
much less bothered by these pests
than people are in the sub-tropical
parts of the United States. A favorite
receipt is to pluck a number of castor
oil leaves and twigs and place them
about the house. A bunch is placed
over the dining-room table and an
other bunch over each of the beds.
Mosquitoes love the leaf of the castor
plant, and they collect upon 1t and
leave the family alone.
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-03

ter after his smoke and said so.
He also told the boy what was about
to happen. Tonight when it is a
little darker" said he, "the man who
brought you here will come back to
kill you and drink your blood. How
is it that you have no clothes on?'
why" said the boy, II should have
mentioned that. You see, when we
were swimming the man took my
clothes and threw them into the swan
canoe, saying we could dress when we
arrived at the island. Then he sailed
away with his swans and my cloth
ing, and it is cold without clothes"
THAT is one of his tricks" said the
skeleton. He has a great assortment
of clothes which he has obtained in
Just the same way. But / will tell
you what to do. When he comes to
eat you up tonight you just dig a
hole in the sand of the shore and bury
yourself in it, so that he cannot find
you.
"Then, when he is looking about for
YOU. spring into the canoe and say to
the swans: Come, swans, let's go
home and If the man calls out to you
do not you answer him or look back,
but sing his swan song and sail straight
on"
The boy did as the skeleton told
him, and when the man came to eat
him he jumped into the canoe and
sang out, Come, swans, let's go to
our place." and away they sailed, while
the man standing on the beach called
out: Come back Oh, do come back!"
But the boy needed him not and
sailed away, still singing to the swans,
into the glory of the morning which
was just beginning to break and flush
the east with glory.
BY and by the canoe came to a large
rock and the swans went up the rock
until they arrived at a large hole, into
which they guided the boy.
The hole in the rock led into a great
cave, and in the cave the boy saw not
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-03


to pay for her washing If she would
only iron theirs. The result was dis
astrous. Her washing was put out"
and she seized the opportunity to send
along with it the dirty clothes of all
her relatives, down TO the remotest
cousins. When the huge bundle of
clean clothes came back, she insisted
that she must iron her own clothes
before she ironed those of other peo-
pie. That was only fair she thought.
She never found time to do anything
else, and at the end of the month not
a single garment belonging to the
family had been ironed. Her mistress
summoned up courage to discharge her
AN action which nearly provoked a
riot among the townspeople. The idea
of a hated "gringo" daring to dis
charge a Colombiano!
South American servants" said
woman who lately returned to Boston
from Bolivia, "are the most unblushing
thieves and liars on the face of the
earth | have known a girl to deny
that she had stolen one of my dresses
when she was actually wearing 1t.
How could / steal?' she asked, indig-
nantly. 1T would be impossible. am
a Bolivian! My family for generations
back has never stolen or told lie.
When l pointed to the dress, she coolly
had been wearing the dress earlier in
the day myself.
zone day l lost my side-comb, and
asked the servants if they had seen 1t.
| They all swore they had not, but pres
| emily one of them brought it to me
with some of her own fuzzy hair stick
! ing in the teeth. / accused her of hav-
ing used it, but she said. No. sonora,
l have just found it on your dressing
table. The master must have used II
to comb his head
A South American cook does not UNI
derstand how to prepare any meat for
table except beef and chicken. Wild
game of any kind she detests; not only
will she never eat 1t. but she even re-
fuses to cook 1t, saying that 1t is poi
sonous. Her grandmother ate nothing
except beef and chicken, she contends,
and therefore you have no right to eat
anything else. If. contrary to her
counsel, you cook game yourself and
eat it, she goes away into a corner of
the dining room, falls upon her knees,
and prays loudly throughout the meal
that you may escape poisoning.
Bananas and milk are regarded as a
poisonous dish, and the servants usual
ly warn foreigners against eating
oranges or lettuce. The sprinkling OF
lemon or lime juice over food is
thought to be most injurious and
lemonade is considered on a level with
prussic acid. They have hundreds of
other queer ideas about food, out all oil
them come to this: whatever an Amerl-
can likes is repugnant to his South
American servant, while he cannot
stomach the garlic-soaked dishes which
they try to serve to him at every meal.
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-03
THE INDIAN WITCHMAN.
swans Pulled His Canoe and n
Smoking skeleton Saved His Vic
tim.
A North American Indian story.

North American Indian story.
An old Indian hunter lived with his
little nephew in dark wood. Every
Gay when the old man went hunting
ne would warn the boy that in his
play he should not wander to the west
But the more he was told he must not
90 west the more curious the boy
was to travel in that direction and see
what was there.
So one day, when his uncle had
gone as usual to hunt, the boy went
west and so came to a large lake. AS
ne was playing along the shore a man
came up to him and said: well. boy.
"nere do you come from?"
The boy told the stranger that he
came from the woods.
An, let us play at shooting ar
rows" said the man. They shot ar
rows and the boys arrows went much
higher than the mans.
Let US see who can swim the long
esl without breathing" said the man,
ana again the boy won at the game.
=. You are a very smart boy" cried
sne stranger land as you have beaten
NV. NV. at shooting and swimming I will
JOu " an island Wnere you CAN
Gee many beautiful birds"
AS the strange man spoke there
SdIhe gliding over the lake a canoe
uedutlfully ornamented with bright
pant and feathers. The canoe was
propelled by six swans which swan
on on either side of it and pushed it
., me boy and the man stepped into
Hle canoe and the man began to sing.
az ne sang the swans turned with the
S s,,e and carried it swiftly over the
uliace Of the lake until they reached
ssh large island, where they went
her here is the island of which I told
S yjT' said the man. Watch and you
VIII see the birds"
tro Wv neh the boy looked up into the
tbs es MS guide suddenly sprang into
sa ae canoe and began to sing. AS he
he the swans made off with him and
n nG was lost in the darkness Of the
S az winch began to gather.
ss,. neIi the boy saw that he was de-
m 'e ca ne sat down, cold and hungry
we've me shore and cried little and
T,bmEu ne had minded his old uncle
L, me me ne sat there sobbing he sudden
near a voice say:
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-03
BUSINESS LOCALS.

A. L. Desbouilions, the jeweler, will
sell you goods in his line at lowest
prices ever heard of. A visit to his
store will convince you.
Metzger & Brunson have gotten in a
beautiful line of white and white and
black waistings for fall and winter
wear The newest importations.
Tne Ryan Business College is now
open. New students are arriving daily.
Every young man and woman can't
afford to miss the valuable instruction.
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-03

think it would be bad for your health;
you are so thin already, you know"
But the skeleton took no notice Of
this remark and continued: GO to
that big tree over there and dig on
the west side Of it. There you will
find a pouch full of tobacco, a pipe
and flint. Fill the pipe and put it in
my mouth and light it,
The boy did as he was told, found
the pipe, tobacco and the flint, and
the skeleton was soon having COM
Portable smoke as he sat propped up
against a tree. The skeleton felt bet
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-03

soapsuds. In the course of another
week. the shirt is ironed, and then
the children of the ironing 'lady" play
with it, or her soldier lover wears it to
a parade. When eventually the own
er receives It, it needs washing again.
Growing tired of this kind of thing,
a European family located in Colom-
bia engaged a woman by the month to
do nothing except ironing. They gave
her thirty dollars a month and her
food and lodging, and even promised
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-03

river or mountain stream. The wash
er ~1ady" vets the shirt, rubs soap
on it, ties up the neck and arm holes,
and then fills the shirt full of small
stones and beats it against a rock I'M
til she mas knocked the dirt out of it.
Incidentally, of course, she knocks the
shirt into rags.
The washer "lady' never condescends
to iron the shirt. That has to be done
by an inferior person, who is looked
down upon by the naughty dabbler in
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-03

cooked rice in this way, and this is
the way / cook it. If it was good
enough for my grandmother, it is good
enough for any gringo."
The laundry problem is a serious one
in South America-almost as serious as
the servant problem. In a Colombian
or Venezuelan town it takes a foreign
er three weeks, on an average, to get
shirt washed, and he is lucky if he
gets the shirt back at all.
The clothes are washed in a shallow
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-03
"Iiist. Keep still"

Hist. Keep still"
He looked around and there on the
ground beside him was a skeleton.
Poor boy" said the skeleton. IT
is the same thing with me, but l will
help you if you will help me"
The boy, of course, readily consent
ed to help the skeleton in any way he
could.
well" said the man of bones, Il
want a smoke. Don't look so sur
prised. Do you suppose that skele-
tons cannot smoker"
why" replied the boy, Il should
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-03
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The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-04-27
ORDER OF NOTICE.

The Meriden Electric Railroad Com pany, having presented to the Warden and Burgesses of the Borough of Wal lingford it's application for the approval of its plans herewith submitted for the construction of an electric railway in portion of its railway between the northerlx terminus of the tracks of the Fair Haven and Westville Railroad Company at Montowese in North Ha- ven, and the present terminus of the tracks Of the Meriden Electric Railroad Company in the Town and Borough of Wallingford, which location, within the Borough, is as follows:
 Commencing at the present terminus of the track of the Meriden Electric Railroad Company on South Main Street in said Borough; thence by curve to the westerly side of said South Main Street; thence along the westerly side Borough line with slight changes of grade as shown by profile annexed to said application; and praying that said plans may, after public notice and hear ing, be accepted and adopted by said Warden and Burgesses, 1t is hereby or dered that a public hearing of all per sons interested therein be held at Town Hall in the Borough of Wallingford on the 2d day of May 1904, at p, m, and that public notice thereof be given by causing a copy hereof to be posted on the public sign post of the Town of Wallingford nearest to the Town Hall and by publishing a copy hereof in a daily newspaper published in the City of New Haven five days prior to said I'd
 Dated at Wallingfdfds Etfis 2sth day
 \ HENRY B. HALL,
 a27 1t Warden.
The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-04-27

District of New Haven, ss. Probate
 Court, April 26, 1904. ESTATE of MAUD NJ s. ANGELL. late
 of New Rochelle, State of New York,
 owning property in said District. de-
 ceased.
 Pursuant to an order from the Court of Probate for said District, there will be sold at public auction to the highest bidder, on the 1st day of June, A. D. 1904, at 10 o'clock in the forenoon tun- less previously disposed of at private sale), the following real estate of said deeea sed, situated in the Town of New Haven, viz: An undivided one-fourth interest in a piece of land, with the ] buildings thereon, known as No. IA Lin- coin street, bounded easterly by Lincoln street, forty-six (46) feet more or less; northerly by land of Frank R. Russell, and Wilbur N Russell, and now or late ly of Sophia P. Kilborn, one hundred and thirty l130) feet, more or less; westerly by land formerly of Charles Fagen, now of HenryW. Farnanl, forty-six t46) feet, 1 more or less; and southerly by land for merly of H. H. Olds, now of George B. Gillette, one hundred and twenty-five 1 {l25) feet, more or less.
 ! Sale to take place on the premises in 1 said New Haven. Terms made known at time of sale.
 GEORGE D. WATRCUS, | a25 1t Administrator c. t. a.