davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27
The RUeBA MUMMA.
One OF the Queer superStitionS of the
West Indies.

One Of the queereSt of the many
queer superstitions in the West Indies
is that Of the "Rubba Mumma." or
river mother. OF jamaica. While the
colored people laugh TO scorn the idea
Of ocean mermaids. many OF them firm
~ believe that water nymphs inhabit
every fountain head Of the mountain
streams. which are SO numerous In
their island.
In the old slavery days the sources
Of such streams were worshiped and
sacrifices offered to the "Rubba Num-
ma" The slaves on the plantations
used TO persuade their overseers or
masters 10 sacrifice an OK at the foun-
tain head OF the stream which turned
the wheel OF the sugar mill, so that
drought might be averted. Unless the
"Rubba Mumma" was propitiated, the
slaves contended, she would not send
down enough water to turn the mill.
On most OF the sugar estates a bull
lock was annually killed for this pur-
pose.
The 'Rubba Mumma" is still believ-
ed in. and in time Of drought the peas
ants still sacrifice n goat or a chicken
TO her. She is said TO be marvelously
beautiful, with n lily white skin, long
black hair and soft blue eyes. She
comes out OF the water at noon ev-
cry day, sits down on rock In the
stream and combs her raven tresses.
If any Peeping Tom sees her and their
eyes meet he is blasted upon the spot,
but if she does not happen to see him
it is all right.
Food is sometimes taken to the river
head and left there for the "Rubba
Mumma." The natives will not eat
the fish OF the rivers which she in
habits, for they are supposed to be her
children. 1t is said that wherever the
river nymph resides, provided the foun-
tain is deep and blue, there is table
OF pure gold at which she dimes. It Is
an enchanted table, and at "sun hot''
moon ii rises for moment above the
surface Of the water and quickly sinks
again.
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27
SOLVING THE NEGRO PROBLEM.

Judge Feagin. of Birmingham,
Ala, is winning golden opinions,
North and South, by his effort to
save unreStrained colored boys
from the vicious life they seem des-
tined TO 10y offering them. when
convicted of a serious offense. the
choice of the chain-gang or of
being bound out TO 4 negro farmer
of good character. who will under
take To- raise, educate, and disci-
pline them and report monthly.
Within three months Judge Feagin
has thus rescued % boys from as
ISOLATION with hardened criminals.
The Judge has besides inaugurated
a probation system, with the CO.
operation of intelligent negroes.
with the result that he has 175 boys
under his care. This is the sensi-
bic way To handle the negro prob
lem-to give negro youth the disci-
pline they don't get in their homes
or in the public schools. North
erners who mix themselves up with
the negro problem, having all sorts
of wild schemes of book learning
and social equality, do them more
harm than good. They are max
ing the negro drunk" says the
Manufacturers Record very truly,
with the idea Of social equality,
drunk with the belief that little
book learning will emancipate him
from the need of work and sobriety.
and are thus booming him to ruin.
The South wants to save the negro:
1t wants to educate him into honesty
and sobriety and steady work: it
wants to tit him TO make a faithful
worker in the field and in the fac
tory, and it gives To him every
possible avenue of profitable en-
ployment as a worker for others or
for himself; but its efforts are be-
ing largely countcracted by the
well-mcaning but ill-advised efforts
of outside people who know abso-
lutelynothing about the situation =
The Record, while having no faith
IN the Ogden movement for shap-
ing Southern education according
toNorthern ideas, commendsJudoe
Feagin's practical action as wei
worth following elsewhere. Tn,
problem is to convert vagrant col
ored youth into useful citizens. anC
the Judge has hit on the RICH
sOlution.-BaltimOre Sun.
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27
SENTENCE SERMONS.

a difficulty is at the door Of every
delight.
Gold letters are not more elastic
than iron.
Responsibility is no substitute for
repentance.
1t takes a great man TO do little
things we'll
The gold Of grace does not come from
the greed OF gold.
a little patient pushing IS worth
profound lot of putting.
1t is no use praying for your debtors
II you won't pay your debts.
A man loses force as soon as he be-
gins to worry over his feelings.
You know what man lives for when
you know what he looks at when alone.
Many people think they are living
for character who are only fighting
for reputation.-Chicago Tribune.
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27
How He Protected the sen1..

Some years ago Russian warship
was on special duty in Bering sea
guarding the seal fisheries, preventing
the slaughter Of the seals during the
closed season. The admiral of the sta
ton in the course of an inspection OF
the vessel invited any Of the sailors
who had any complaint TO make to
step forward. One OF the men, as
spokesman for the whole crew, com
planned that the seal money" prom
ised them had not been paid On the
astonished admiral inquiring what he
meant ii came out that the ships com
mander had been doing n lucrative
trade by killing the seals placed under
his protection and sending the skins to
London and had taken the crew into
partnership. He was duly transferred
to Siberia.
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27
THE BODY OF THE SUN.
I'm Its Density IL Resembles Some
what a Globe OF Tar.

I'm Its Density IL Resembles Some
what Globe OF Tar.
1t is generally agreed that the MAIN
body OF the sun-the nucleus within
the photosphere-must be purely case
Gus. This seems to be an unavoidable
conclusion from the suns low mean
density and its tremendous internal
temperature, which must almost GER
tainly be far higher than that of its
outer surface. so high that even the
enormous force of solar gravity is able
TO compress the vapors TO density on
~ one and four-tenths that of water.
although among the constituent ele-
ments are many of the metals Qron be-
ing the most conspicuous which in
the solid or liquid state are from three
TO eight times as dense. The reader
must not imagine. however, that this
gaseous nucleus is like air or other
gases as we encounter them upon the
earth. Denser than water and strong
ly viscous from the heat, 1t more re-
sembles a globe of tar except near the
outside. There the vapors relieved
from pressure are free to expand and
20 cool both by the expansion and by
radiating heat to outer space in a re-
gion OF powerful currents, ascending,
descending and cyclonic.
The photosphere or luminous surface
is generally believed to be what 1t
looks Ikea sheet or clouds enveloping
the nucleus and consisting Of minute
drops and crystals formed from those
vapors which condense at the highest
/ Ton IRA.
atmosphere composed OF the perma-
nent gases like hydrogen and helium
mixed with the more numerous vapors
which condense only at far lower tenn
peratures than those that form the
clouds. AS to the substances which
compose the cloud particles, opinions
are nsettled.-Professor G. A. Young
In Harper's Weekly.
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27
FATE OF A BIG OHIO TREE.
Size of This Great Sycamore Was the
Cause of Its Destruction.

muse OF It's Destruction.
The greatest tree ever Zen by white
men in Ohio is believed 10 have been
the enormous sycamore. or. more prop
erly, buttonwood. which stood I'm what
is now Valley township. Scioto county.
in the rich bottom lands Of the Scioto
river.
Ii was so prOdigious i'm bulk that rs
early as 1910 ii was described in the
Cincinnati Almanac rs one OF the natu-
raj wonders Of Ohio. In June. 1905. ac-
Cording 20 what seems reliable testi-
mOny, party OF thirteen persons. all
on horseback. rode into the hollow
trunk OF this sycamore and found that
room enough remained FOR two more
horses and their riders The tree
forked about eight feet from the
ground. and il was hollow when first
seen by the white settlers. The circum-
ference OF the trunk was about sixty
three feet NJ the base. and five feet
from the earth IL was forty-two feet In
girth. These figures remind the reader
OF the famous big trees OF California
The opening into the cavity within the
trunk was ten feet wide al the bottom.
nine and half feet high. and the hol-
low was about fourteen feet in diane
ter.
The account which has been pre-
served OF the fate Of this enormous tree
Is very odd. 1t is claimed that the 81
ant buttonwOod was kept uninjured as
a great curiosity until the farm on
which ii stood was used as n stock
farm by one Thomas Dugan. This
stock breeder turned several valuable
bulls into the fields where the huge
tree stood, and two OF them fought in
side its trunk. In that small space for
bull ring the victor was able TO pre-
vent the escape OF his rival. and the
weaker was killed. This affair con
WINGED Dugan that the largest tree in
Ohio was menace 10 his stock, and
he cut 1t down. Later hogs kept in the
same field were attacked by cholera.
and the owner reasoned that their hab-
II OF lying inside the hollow stump was
bad for their health, and so he had the
stump removed. 1t may well be doubt
ed whether any other immense tree
was ever destroyed because of fight
between two buIls.-Cleveland Leader.
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27
AN OASIS In THE DESERT.

We are in receipt of the follow
ING letter from Mr.. II. l.. Pence,
formerly of this County. but now
located at Ulysses, Nebraska;
Enclosed please find Postoffice
Money Order for S1.OO. Please
keep the COURIER coming for
another year. Wishing YOU sue
cess in a town where l have many
pleasant recollections. -
The COURIER at present mails
over 1000 papers per week to sub
scribers. OF this number more
than 800 are in arrears for a year
or more. We recently sent out
"duns' to these odd 800. and have
had responses from few. Mr..
Pence letter Is characteristic of
the feeling of those who have once
lived in Clarke county. but the
remaining number who have not
answered our call represent the
desert. The publisher of weekly
newspaper is not so independent
that he can cut his subscribers off
rs soon as their time expires, and
he must perforce take chances on
their paying up. 1t does seem that
those who receive the paper
should be willing TO pay for it.
Don't YOU think Sol
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27
WATER CLOCKS.
Curious Little INSTRUMENTS That Are
Cscd I'm sahara Desert.

t.cd I'm sahara Desert.
A mans wealth I'm the Sahara Is cal
culated almost entirely by the number
Of camels or palm trees which he owns
and by the amount OF water 10 which
he is entitled Water I'm the desert Is
so scarce that the ownership OF IL is
most jealousy guarded. In "A Search
For the Masked Tawareks" the author
says that In buying palm grove Il Is
always necessary to stipulate for so
many sa'as per day or week A sa'a,
literally IAN hour" is the amount OF
water which will flow i'm an hour
through an opening the width Of a
mans fist I'm the side OF a segia
The main segias. or channels. as a
rule follow the roads OF the oasis,
forming a sort OF ditch at the side. A
regular time table is kept. showing the
hours at which the owners OF the diff.
ferent plantations are entitled to draw
water.
The time is measured by a very curl.
Gus little water clock. consisting OF a
metal cup, made usually OF brass or
copper. with a small hole pierced in
the bottom. Al the commencement OF
each hour this is placed in basin OF
water. The water gradually runs
through the hole until nj the explra ton
or the hour the cup sinks 60 the bottom
Of the basin. Ii is then taken out.
emptied and set again 10 measure on
the next Sa'a. and SO the process is
continued throughout the twenty-four
hours
This inSfr,,r,eut - ,,.,,,ii,- 49,. =.
the village mosque. In order to pre-
vent all interference with il a watch
man is set over il. who notifies the ex-
piration OF each hour from the minaret
Of the mosque.
At the end OF the saa the opening in
the side OF the Segia through which the
water flows is closed with clay. and the
water is cut of and allowed 10 fow
down the main channel TO the next
plantation
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27
Good August Literature.

Outdoors and fiction. These are
the dominant notes of the August
Woman's Home Companion. There
IS an article on House Boating on
Lake St. Clair" series of charm
ing photographs showing Chill
dren at Play" Mr.. Baynes, the
Woman s Home Companion natur-
alist, tells the story of Pete. the
Turkey-Vulture," one of the most
common but least known of our
birds. There is a short humorous
animal story, called The Ninth
l-lie; an automobile story; a
charming New England story by
Mrs. SpoffOrd, and a clever New
York story by Emery Pottlc.
Other features are of The Won.
ders of Modern Bridge-Building. .
A Pilgrimage to the Home of the
Tolstoys, Which is the Beautiful
Sex| and Christian Endeavo,
article by the Rev. Francis f.
Clark, ID. ID. All these are pro
fusely and adequately illustrated
Published by the CroweII Publish
ing Company, Springfield, Ohio
one dollar year; ten cents copy
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27
MARRIAGE MUSINGS.

The honeymoon sometimes reaches
its last quarter
Marriage is woman's sphere and
mans hemisphere.
To the altar may be only fifty feet.
From it may be fifty years.
Some husbands are known by the
keys they are allowed to keep.
Love lights lifes pathway. but for
practical purposes the gas stove has
advantages
1t does not add to the joys of the
wedding trip to recall that there are
no Pullmans on the suburban sched-
ules
The word "obey" sounds well In the
ceremony. There is always plenty Of
time afterward for laughing at the
joke.
Relatives sit in the front pews at the
ceremony, on the front porch in sum-
mer and In judgment on the bride and
groom throughout the year.-Philadel-
phia Post.
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27
THE WHITE HOUSE.
President MRdison's Part In Thus
Naming the Executive Mansion.

President MRdison's Part In Thus
Naming the Executive Mansion.
Just how the White House came to
be SO designated is question on which
historians differ. \ local historian in
Washington thinks that the burden OF
proof tends 10 give credit for the name
TO President Madison
The structure was made OF Potomac
river frecstone. and the capitol proper
was built OF the same stone At the
time the British burned the executive
mansion they did Il lot OF other dam
age. and the country was pressed for
money 10 repair the same. The walls
or the mansion were only slightly dam
aged, other than being hlackcned by
smoke. Money was scarce. and con-
gross made an appropriation to have
the outside OF the house painted. White
was selected rs the best color. Madison
In letter to n personal friend wrote:
Come in and see mo at any time. You
will always find me in at the White
House"
The executive mansion may have
been called the White House before
that time. but this investigator SAYS
that he has never been able to find any
record OF IL. II Madison dh not Off
ciate at the christening II has been
emphatically stated by the historian
that he took prominent part in pub
fishing the fact that the White House
was 10 be the name OF the mansion.
Up 10 the time OF President Madison
the executive mansion. which is the
legal name for II. was generally spo-
ken Of as the presidents house, but
since then II has been known by its
permanent name Of White House.
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27

Remember the disgust which over
spreads the faces IN n railroad car
when woman was seen TO give her
poodle a drink from the public drink
Ing glass. No one else touched II dur
ing that trip. but ~ is more dangerous
and not less disgusting 20 drink after
human beings than n dog. Fortunate
" most disease germs die easily, and IL
is chiefly by the quite direct means OF
contact just suggested that the con-
tagious diseases pass from one TO an
other. II we put nothing into the
mouth except what belongs there. we
might ride In car with n dlphtheria
patient and run no chance OF catching
the disease. Disease germs do not fly
about seeking whom they may devour.
The matter of protection Is largely in
our own hands.-G0od Housekeeping
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27
HOSTING ROPES.
The Threads of wire Upon which
So Many Lives Daily Depend.

So Many Lives Daily Depend.
While the longest ropes are used for
hauling purposes. some OF the most In
teresting data in connection with wire
ropes are obtained with their use for
hosting purposes. Hundreds OF thou
sands or lives are literally each day
hung by a small wire thread 80 the
men are lowered into and hoisted from
the bowels or the earth. and I'm many
cases the only means OF communication
between the surface and the under
ground workings. which are from a
few feet TO mile I'm depth. is by a
comparatively small hoisting rope.
Think OF hanging from the end OF a ca
bic only few inches I'm diameter and
mile long. being hoisted at rate
which is faster than that OF the aver
age railroad train, and some idea Of the
hosting problem can be gained. To
the honor OF the wire rope manufacture
ers IL must be said that very few shaft
accidents are due to the breaking OF
the rope. excepting where the cage is
overwound and unwarranted demands
are made upon the rope or which are
traceable to false economy on the part
OF the users OF wire rope. No part OF
mining plant is more carefully In
spected and watched than the hosting
rope. and very few mine managers will
take any unnecessary risks In the
hoisting OF men. The skill OF the wire
rope maker is taxed 10 the utmost TO
provide ropes for hosting from great
depths. To make a rope OF practicable
size that will be sufficiently flexible
and that will bear even its own weight
Is no mean problem. for I'm such cases
the weight OF the rope is often much
more than the material lifted; hence
we have taper rope intended TO give a
varying section dependent on the
amount of rope of the drum or reel
Mines and Minerals.
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27
OUT OF WORK.
Tragedy OF Unemployment TO the
Man Who Is Aging.

Man Who Is Aging.
The tragedy OF unemployment deep
ems In the case of those men who are
visibly aging, passing prematurely in.
10 that condition when society has mel
Their use nor regard for their services.
The Development Of the modern city
life in it's feverish thirst for gain
sucks up the activities of the Young
Work can always be found for the
children. But the man OF forty has al
ready become suspect. At fifty there is
evidently stretching before him the
bleak old age OF the unwanted poor
The despairing clutch OF the aging nj
any degrading occupation which be-
fore they would have scorned is one OF
the commonest and pitifulest sights of
modern life. / think OF those whom !
have known, those who dye their hair
TO keep the appearance of youth, the
applicants for positions, their efforts
toward responsibility, the ink lined
coat, the shGbbiness concealed, the at.
tempt, always so grotesque and inef.
fective, to strike the right note be
tween dignity that will command re-
spect and an eagerness that will be.
come a mere mendicant pleading for
aid.
l remember one with a record of
over thirty years consistent service
exhibiting hands twisted and gnarled
with disease, who shufles daily
through his work with the helm of
kindly comrades, fearing each day 10
be detected. Though the work itself is
an agony, the one panic fear is not
that he shall be compelled but that he
shall be forbidden to continue. l think
or others tucked away out of sight I'm
the recesses OF tenement dwellings.
hung aside from the active machinery
or the world, who cannot quite bring
themselves" to Join the unemploved
professions or solicit n promiscnous
charity Of the crowd, who cling To tho
desperate hope that one day the cloud
VIII tighten, the miracle happen that
some one viii be found desiring their
services. This is in no austere and
frugal community, with difficulty sun
porting Its children, but amid wealth
pouring into its borders beyond the
dreams or avarice and such luxury and
VAIN display as can only be paraIleled
In the later days OF Rome.-Independ.
ent Review.
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27
SETTING THE CLOCK FAST.
A Pleasant Sort OF Deception Com
mon 10 Many People.

mon 10 MANY People.
/ IL is a common thing to find the
clocks i'm nine out OF ten households
| either fifteen minutes or half an hour
| fast. and should you happen to be in a
/ hurry or mention the fact that you
have 10 be going you are at once rcas-
sured 10y the fact that you have no
cause TO hurry. as the clock IS SO much
ahead OF the time.
Has il ever occurred 10 you why
clocks are usually put ahead? Some
physicians have said II is due TO lazi-
ness. FOR Il is such satisfaction to the
lazy man e. find when be has 10 get
up at 8 i'm the morning and strains his
half closed eyes TO look at the clock
that il is half an hour fast and he has
50 much more time 10 doze. with the
result that he oversleeps himself any
how and misses his train or boat.
Said matchmaker when asked
about the subject:
Yes, IL Is peculiar thing with most
people to put their clocks fast. and.
while there may be some satisfaction
In Ii when II comes To doing little
longer. there is really no advantage in
II. for when YOU wake up. say. nj and
glance at the clock and Il registers half
past &. the fact remains that II is a
half hour fast While this may make
you feel easier knowing that you still
have thirty minutes 10 dOze. confess
l don't see much advantage in IT,
Why not have the clock rights II is
the same thiag In the end.
Suppose railroads were to put this
into practice. how many trains do you
think people would miss thereby This
putting clocks fast is really only a
pleasant form Of deception which peO-
pie like TO practice on themselves but
II does more harm than good. New
York Herald.
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27
A Hearty Farewell.

The old friends had enjoyed theiz
three days together in spite Of the fact
that tact was not a conspicuous quail
ity of either OF them.
lou have quite pretty place here,
John' said the guest as he took a
maj look about him on the morning of
MS departure-"quite pretty place.
though 1t looks a bit bare as yet"
"Oh, that's because the trees are so
young, said the host comfortably. II
nope they'll have grown to a good size
before yOu come again. Then vou,ll
see now much improved the place will
De. And they shook hands with mu-
tual affection and good will.
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27
A Why Spencer Had.

Herbert Spencer had passion for
generalization. IL you remarked IL was
fine day. Spencer would answer.
Yes; anticyclonic conditions like
those OF yesterday seldom break up
without warning Of the advent of a
depression from westward" II you
observed that Mrs. Jones was n pref.
~ woman, Spencer would reply, Her
father was west highlander and her
mother an Irlshwoman. and inter.nar.
riage between highlanders and Irish al
most always produces physically hand
some but intellectually inferior chill
dren."
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27

The forgetful man was stepping
jauntily along with n smile on his
cheerful face when he was accosted 10y
n friend.
Look here" said the man. why in
the world are You carrying two um.
brellasy'
''Why. let me think" said the forget
ful man. "Oh. yes. know how IL hap
pened. My wife wanted me TO get her
umbrella that's been mended. and she
thought I'd better bring along mine TO
remind me, IL being pleasant day. and
then l thought I'd better bring two in
case 1 stepped in anywhere and hap
pened TO forget one OF them"
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-27

Then you don't believe in higher ed
ucation for womenY
Certainly not think it's a shame
10 even teach 'em how to read. III n
woman couldn't read the bargain adj
vertisements she wouldn't be so unhap-
py over the lots of things she can't af-
ford to buy."-Cathollc Standard aud
Times