davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
ORIGIN or BASKET BALL.
First Played at Training School In
Springfield, Mass, in the
Year 1904.

Basket ball as a recreative
game is unique in it's origin for
two reasons. Firstly, it is our one,
positively sure, home American
production; secondly, the name,
date and place of it's authorship
are exactly known, says Golden
Days. OF no other game in all the
category car this be said; the
birth of the bulk of them is buried
in an obscurity which reaches be-
yond the cuneiform-covered,
baked clay tablets of Babylon, and
the hieroglyphics of the remotest
Egyptian records.
Basket ball, on the other hand,
was born in the year 1901 at
Springfield, Mass, and its author
was James Nainsmith.
In that town is a training school
connected with the Young Mems
Christian Association, and, of
course, professors, among them a
professor of psychology, who is
paid to teach the young ideas how
to think, effectively. In n of his
lectures he called attention to GER
tain conditions upon which the
brain could with advantage be ex-
ercised, and challenged his class
to supply the requirements to
meet them. The conditions we're
the invention of a new game
which could be played indoors, in
a limited area, by a defined and
u~nalterable number of contest.
ants, and adaptable to both sexes.
Upon this hypothesis one of his
pupils, James Nainsmith, the same
night evolved basket ball" 1t
was put into practice the next day.
experimentally, and found to meet
the conditions and limitations
laid down by the professor admir-.
ably. But it had more than an
academicvalue, as its rapid spread
as one of the most appreciated
pastimes attests.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
O OF ADMIRAL DEWEY.
Sick Boy in Brooklyn Wanted to See
Him, But Had to Be Dis
appointed. .

'"The souvenirs which have
pleased me most" said Admiral
Dewey to a friend, relates Wo,
mans Home Companion, 4have
been those which the little folks
have sent me. The admiration of
the children is unalloyed and gen.
nine, and their gifts are so orig.
inal."
The admiral's correspondence
with his little admirers would
make an interesting story of itself,
and it would be one that would
show his big, kind heart as prob.
ably nothing else could. At the
time of the Manila victory there
was a young lad in Brooklyn, who
for many months had been fiat on
his back with that most cruel Of
Affections, hip disease. From the
Battle of Manila he read every
word he could find about "Commo-
lore" Dewey, and he kept a close
lab on his movements. 1t was a
crushing disappointment to the lit
lie fellow that be would not be
able to see his hero when he came
% Brooklyn a few months after
his return from the far east. He
felt it so keenly, that without tell
ing him THAI he had done so. his
father wrote Admiral Dewey. ex.
planning the case, and asking
whether, if he should bring a car.
riage, the admiral could spare the
time to ride oyer to his house. In
the programme which had been ar.
ranged for him there was not \
moment at his disposal, but with
his own hand the admiral wrote n
letter expressing his regret and in,
closing an autograph picture for
the bow.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
Safe way 70 store rurn.

"Pawnbrokers are gradually be-
coming our business rivals in n
way" said the manager of a stor-
age warehouse. "Women with
furs or silverware they want to
put away for the summer are get
ting into the habit of going to the
pawnbroker with them, instead OF
coming to us. In that way they
save the cost of storage, except
for the interest on the loan, and
have the 8 OF the money at the
same time. 1t is not necessary for
them to go to the pawnshops. Out.
side men r employed In that
business who will call at their
home in response to a postal card.
AS a rule these women never ask
for large amounts. Nor will they
admit that their furs are in pawn.
They call it storing. But they get
precisely the same sort of pawn.
tickets as the man who passes his
watch over the counter when he In
hard Jpn. Y. Sun.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
THE TRUE STORY OF A CAT.
peanuts" Found Her Way Home
Alone from a Considerable Dis
lance Guided by Instinct.

A Wakefield family who reside
in Magnolia during the summer,
when they removed to Magnolia
last June, took with them their
pet cat, but pussie did not like the
roar and dash Of the old ocean,
says the Prairie Farmer Home
Magazine, but sighed for her home
by the placid water of "Lake
Quannapowitt." She disappeared,
and was not seen again all sum.
mer. The family returned to their
Wakefield home about the middle
OF September. They had been at
nome about two weeks when one
morningthe daughter Of the house
was in the basement and heard n
cat new, and 10, at the window
was her darling pet cat that she
had long mourned as dead! II
could not be; where did she come
from! 1t must be a strange cat
closely resembling Peanuts" (so
called because of her fondness for
the article).
WELL" said the mother, "there
Is one sure test. Dom the house
dog, will know his old playmate"
Don was called and the recogni.
tlon was mutual; they both
seemed delighted to meet again
II was evident the cat had trav.
eled all the way from Magnolia r.
wakefield, through the woods Of
Magnolia, Manchester, Beverly.
over Beverly bridge, salem
streets, Peabody, Lynfeld, found
"aketield-how did she know Il
70 De Wakefeld?-and HE'D up to
her old home near the lake. I
never saw a creature so delighted
10 lind her old mistress and the
otner members of the family
what guided her over so MANI
miles? Was it animal instinctg
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
PATRIOTIC TEA DRINKING
The China and Japan Products are
ousted by the British
in Ceylon.

"Careful and intelligent efforts
of the British government to have
it's people consume the tea grown
on one of its possessions have had
n remarkable effect" said William
Sidney yelling, who represents a
large tea firm with headquarters
at London, says the Milwaukee
Sentinel. "The people have taken
to the idea of using British pro
ducts, and the tea growing indus
try as a result in Ceylon is begin
ming to pick up. Ceylon was the
last of the three eastern countries
to engage in the industry. China
started, then Japan followed, and
for a few years these two countries
had n monopoly of the business.
even in the united kingdom.
"At the last moment the inhabi
tants of Ceylon began to grow tea
on a small scale, but the business
Aourished so that acreage devoted
to the raising of this staple in
creased enormously. And the
beauty of the whole matter was
the fact that the Ceylonians man.
aged their export trade so well
that 90 per cent. of their product
was sold in the British posses
sions, ousting the tea of China and
Japan.
During the last ten years the
amount of Indian tea consumed BY
the people of England alone has
increased more than 20 per cent
Considering the fact that Japan
and China had a firm hold on the
tea market when the Ceylonians
started out, this is quite remarka,
BILE. 1t shows that the British
people are willing to support each
other, although they may be ofdif
,'erent hue and may be thousands
of miles apart"
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
SOME VERY QUEER LAKES.
Bodies of Water That are a Source OF
Wonder to AL Who Be-
hold Them.

One of the most singular lakes
In the world is the celebrated
Pitch lake of the island of Trini-
dad. This lake spreads owe an
area of so acres, and its surface is
composed of one great floating
mas of asphaltum, scanned with
veins of clear water. From it,
and a similar lake in Venezuela,
the worlds supply of asphalt is
drawn, states the Washington
Post.
The pitch lake 10 a hideous
place as far as smells are con-
cerned, for the air all about it is
heavy with noxious vapors, and
from the center of the lake gushes
4 fountain of liquid asphaltum, in
which there float and break bub-
bles containing most horrible
gases.
The workmen go out on the sur
face of this lake and cut great
slabs of asphaltum, which are car
ried away. But the next morning
the hole they left is filled up again
with the pitch which has risen
during the night, SO that the sup
ply seems to be inexhaustible.
This curious lake was discov-
cred by Sir Walter Raleigh when
be landed in Trinidad in 1875, on
his way to the mouth of the Orino-
20 in search of ELDorado.
Another strange lake is situat.
ID on a peninsula which juts out
.nto the Caspian sea. The whole
surface of this lake is covered with
/ crust of salt so thick and strong
that a man can ride across it on
horseback with safety.
In central Asia, near the Caspi-
an sea, is a lake of beautiful rose
color, while the banks are covered
with salt crystals as white as
snow. From the waters of this
axe there arises a 1ower-like
odor. The color and the odor are
supposed to be caused by yegeta-
bic matter in the depths.
There used to be a curious lake
On the top of the Volcano de Aqua,
in Guatemala, $4,000 feet above
the level of the sea. 1t was not fed
by springs nor by rivers, but was
caused by accumulations of snow
and rain-in fact, was an immense
reservoir. 1t lasted for centuries.
Then one day the sides of the lake
gave way, and down the waters
rolled, dealing death and destruc.
ton, and digging a great barran-
ca, or ravine, in the mountain side,
which is still visible.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
To Guide the wayfarer.

A curious old custom is kept up
1t the picturesque Wensleydale
village of cambridge, England,
where every winters night, at
nine o'clock, a large horn is blown
On the village green to aid any
wayfarer, who might chance to be
On the surrounding fells, to find
ais way to the village. The fine
horn now ia use was presented to
he village some years ago, and at
one time adorned the head of a
huge African bull. The ancient
lorn in previous use is a good deal
he worse for wear, and is kept as
IN interesting relic.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
EASIER HOUSE CLEANING.
Portable Air-Pump Makes Disagree
able Work Almost Delightful
At Least 1t Is Sanitary.

When the portable air-pump
takes the place of the old-fash'
toned broom, housekeeping, al
though it may not be altogether
delightful, will be at Least SAM
tary and dustless. The Scientific
American has something interest
ing to say of the new invention.
The carpet renovators, which
are of various sizes, consist of a
steel framework which lies fiat on
the surface to be cleaned. This is
termed a hood, and contains an ex'
banded nozzle connected with the
hose. In the bottom of the hood il
a small slot through which the
air passes in a sheet. 1t is forced
into the rug or carpet at a pres.
sure sufficient to blow the dirt out
from the fabric.
The dust passes upward through
slots into the hood, and is pre-
vented from escaping into the air
by a cloth bag which retains it.
The dirt settles into a pan espe-
cially designed to collect it, and is
removed by taking off the bag and
emptying the pan. The renovator
is moved by handle over the
floor. The handle also acts as a
conduit for the compressed air,
the supply of which is regulated
by an ordinary valve. The renoya-
tor is a sublimated capet-
sweeper.
For removing dust from uphol-
stored chairs, sofas and other fur
niture a hand-renoyatOr may be
used. 1t is constructed on the
same principle as the larger type,
with the slots for applying the
air-preSsure and collecting the
dust, and is pushed over the sur
face by hand. Even billiard table
coverings are thoroughly cleaned
of chalk and dirt by the hand-ren.
ovator. In freeing pillows and
mattresses a simple pneumatis
needle is used. The air is injected
with sufficient force to circulate
among the feathers, hair or other
stufing, and expel the dust thai
may have collected.
The air-blast, supplemented BY
sun, outdoor air and soap and wa
ter, would reconcile most women
to the passing of the broom, thu
disturber hut not the destroyer o.
deadly germs.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
NEW KIND OF SICKNESS.
MalAdy Which Attacks workmsn In
Compressed air Chambers
Underground

The successful plea of a work.
man at the West Ham police court
that his intoxication was due to
the absorption of compressed air,
and not to alcohol, was regarded
by the uninitiated as more ingen-
ious than truthful. But the YER
acity OF the workman was unim.
peachable, says the London Daily
Mail of a recent date.
The construction of tube" rail-
ways in London has introduced to
the men who make them a disease
of which they knew nothing be-
fore. 1t In called "caisson sick.
ness" and ia brought about by
compressed air which is driven
into the tunnels to enable the men
to breathe.
In some aspects the outward
symptoms are not unlike those of
alcoholic intoxication. The pain
suffered Is acute. The pressure oil
the unnatural air, which ia fire..
quently three times as dense as
the ordinary atmosphere, or APP
proximately do pounds to the
square inch, occasionally breaks
the drums of the workmen's ears.
Paralysis, according to an author.
ity, superyenes in severe cases,
and several deaths have occurred.
Maddning earache and tooth
ache affiict the majority of the
workmen, but the sickness almost
invariably announces itself in the
knee joints. SO severe Ia the pain
that strong men cry and groan.
One sufferer has likened 1t to the
sensation of "having the joints
twisted off"
While the recently completed
Baker street and Waterloo rail,
way tunnel was being made under
the Thames 47 cases of "~caisson
sickness" occurred among 100 men
in six months, and that despite the
unremitting care of a well-known
physician who was in regular at
tendance.
The doctor allowed no one to en-.
ter the tunnel whose heart was
not thoroughly sound or who was
addicted to the immoderate use OF
alcohol. At the end of each "shift"
the men had to be carefully and
gradually Cooked out"-made ac.
customed to the outside air. But
in this undertaking the necessary
pressure was 80 exceptional that
when the imprisoned air escaped
upward the river for some dis
lance dubbed like a mighty cal
dron, and barges could with diff
iculty navigate it.
While compressed air is respon.
sible for many ills underground,
it IL used as a curative agency in
the sickroom, notably for asthma.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
Strange Songs Of ~

Scott, of Princeton
his experiments on tn'
various species of BIRDS
past wear obtained some,
Of bobolinks ana
b~lackbirds, and rea ~.
where they could hear. .S,|
many other kinds OF Dus1
the songs of their O's
After his birds haa II
placed competent juids0l
ong within hearing |
within sight of them N
what the birds were WI
ing they were listenlNs \
stance was the song n
and in the case Of the !
in particular, an eAp' I'D
~ unable to form an ' Wv
what birds were prooI IN
sic, although the s rosl
loud and brilliant
panion.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
DRESS IN ENGLAND.
Cabinet Ministers Have Two for State
Occasions and They Cost
About $1,000 Each.

although the king himself
wears no distinctive dress in court,
except for very special and partic-
ular functions" said a court dress
maker, according to the Hour
Glass, "the very considerable ret
inue of distinguished personages
who attend his majesty are con-
strained by regal etiquette to
adopt some special dress or uni
form, according to the nature OF
the occasion on which they make
their appearance.
"For example, a cabinet minis
ter, or other high state OIL
cial, is expected to possess at least
two court uniforms, and the same
number of civil or dress uniforms,
which custom compels him to
wear at cabinet councils and sim
liar functions. A complete court
dress will cost anything from
ESQ to f210. The coat is made en-
tirely from royal blue cloth of the
choicest and costliest order, rich
ly embroidered with gold thread.
About 800 yards of gold thread is
used, and it is this Indispensable
item that makes the garment so
expensive. The waistcoat is of
the same material, and splendidly
embroidered, and to make the out
fit perfect there are breaches of
the finest white silk, with cream
silk hose, and footgear of the
choicest porpoise hide, adorned
with rich silver buckles. These,
with a cooked hat and a sword
worn by the side, complete the or
thodox court suit.
"More than 5000 yards of the
costliest gold thread are lavished
upon the official uniform of the
earl marshal, which is, without
doubt, the very finest dress for
court wear. When CONNIE, this
superb suit is sold for re- and,
all thin@s considered, the &c is
really not exorbitant. The COM
plete court dress of a lord chancei-
lor costs that high dignitary the
sum of f120. Compared with some
of the other court dresses it is
rather unpretentious in appear
ance, but it is made of the finest
silk, exclusively woven for this
purpose, and that is what makes it
a rather costly garment. The cor
rect color for the coat collar of a
cabinet minister is Damascus
scarlet, while the collars of some
other garments vary in color, ac-
cording to the rank of the wearer,
some of the foreign ambassadors
wearing white and others royal
blue. On these, as on other court
garments, there is always be-
slowed a plenitude of gold thread,
and they range in price from E160
to E21O."
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
4 Remarkable Competition.

One of the most extraordinary
competitions which have ever tax
en- place was attempted the other
week in Baltimore. Six unhappy
creatures were placed on a plat
form, each of them opposite a
grand piano, and a prize was given
to the performer who played the
longest at a stretch. 1t was NOT
necessary that the six performers
should give the same music; so
long as they rendered what the
programme calls "intelligent mu.
sic" 1T was considered s~atisfac.
tory. The winner PLAYED so
hours. He lost four pounds in
weight and had to be attended bv
several doctors at the conclusion
of the performance. The most
striking fact is that FIVE members
of the audience sat it out
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
Largeat Woman Land OWNER

Mrs. Charles King, of Corpus
Christi, Texas, owns more land
than any other woman in the
world. Her husband was a IA
nous cattle breeder, and he left
aer 100000 acres in Nueces. Hi,
dalgo, Star and Cameron counties.
and there are now about IS. 200
cattle on her ranges. This vast es
tate must be kept intact until her
eldest grqndchild comes of age. $
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
A PHOTOGRAPHIC ST
unsupported TumcTs Ri
Woman's Foot Whils
Ing for a NssdA

Photographs are old
with an X-ray tube in q
certain the exact pOsita
let, needle or some slHllI
which may have fOundIl
the tissues. Metal casu
a shadow as bone, vhs!
s~curation due to flesh q
comparatively slight
A Cleveland expert il1
of work was visited bytS
of another physician rr|
on the latter's recOmh7
with a request that R'
"radiograph" of her fO'I'
lieved that a needle had y
way into that memOei
rate, something had cav
or less pain for years
there was no outward y
injury on the sole. il'
was taken and, sure ens'
was a narrow, black lll'
it, which was not que Y
lay right between two y
needle was subsequent
by a HoweVel'
graph also revealed y
things which nobody y
ed. They were small 10
adhering to the bones
bly, caused by the nee.
were k out also.
woman can now wan
comfort than for sew
past.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
Oldest Wooden pri,s,.-

Japan claims the Oldest wood.
en- building in the world. 1t is a
Jog storehouse in Yara,, which
now used to shelter some of the
mlkado's art treasures. An aee q,
l,zoo years is claimed for 1t. Some
81 the logs are nearly worn away
by the weather.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06

In 1885 there were only 10000
TO 10000 Jews in Jerusalem. Last
year in the city they numbered AZ
least forty-one thousand. In all
about 100000 are actually living
in Palestine.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06

PAPERS MADE by,
They Can Be Uaaa
Neal Sacks ana N
POucA,,1

POucA.s
Fro r the bark d
shrubs the Japane,sa
OF papers, which arr !
ours, says the N@atio,,'
ic Magazine.
/, The walls Of n,
houses are wOoden,s'.
with thin paper, ThI%
the wind but lets h N
when one compare,
walled doll hOu,..,
gloomy bamboo c,h',.
naoitants of the island.
the small windoved
f~orefathers, one ~
without glass and i
mate, these ingenious
solved in a remarE,5'
problem of lighting
lngs and, at least ina'
keeping out the cold
Their oil papers !,
ingly cheap and duran.
err for his Dad Of tea
storm overtakes him
ese farmer spreads O,s
pliable cover of oilednl
is almost as imperviorl
lin and as light as go'1
has doubtless carried |
for years, neatly psdl
somewhere about hjs |
"rickshaw" coolies n |
cities wear rain msnt,
oiled paper, which cOr
Is cents and last iorsr,
with constant use.
An oiled tissue paper,
tough as writing paper.
at the s~tationers' for v,
delicate articles.
Grain and meal zach
most always made Of /
in Japan, for it is NOT
etrated by weeYils and
sects.
But perhaps the mo-
able of all the papeny
common use in the
household are the Leaf
of which the tobacco d
pipe cases are made.
most as tough as Free
translucent that one
see through them, and
and soft as calfskiR. II
of which they are mad
as cardboard, but asfe,
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
Must Hava m a,,,

Newrich-A man can get along
without ancestors.
Mack-True, but his children
can't.-Town Topics.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
Counting a Girl in Spain.

Counting in Spain is conducted
on principles that might almost be
described as unique. The Spanish
girl of any attractions is almost all
ways attendedbyayoung man who
IS known as her novio, and who has
the privilege of squirting her on
her walks, although by a singular
anomaly no formal engagement
exists. So long as this state of
things continues the young lady
has to be loyal and obedient to her
gallant. But he may cease his at
tentions at any time and openly
transfer his attentions to some
other lady. Although the adyan.
tages of such a custom are all on
the side of the male, very few
Spanish girls would care to he
without a novio, however fckle.-
London Globe.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
No Reason.

Patience-What reason had she
for marrying him?
Patrice-Why, he had money.
"That is not a reason; that is an
excuse "-Yonkers Statesman.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-12-06
Swedish Drug Stores

sweden has only one drug store
to every 1900 Of its POPULATION
The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1904-09-24
A La Carte Dining Car Service on III {
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad.

70 still further accommodate it's pat
irons, the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany has established the a Ia carte syS-
TEN of dining car service for breakfast
and luncheon on several of its most pop
ular trains.
4 In carte breakfast is served on the
Federal Express leaving Philadelphia at
$50 a. m. daily for Washington, and on
the Cleveland and Cincinnati Express
leaving New York ut so p m. daily for
l'ittsburg.
4 Ia carte luncheon is served on trains
leaving Philadelphia for New York 'at
| | Il. m. week days 12.35 p. IN. Sundays
only. and / p. III. week days; on train
leaving New York for Philadelphia at
l2.5J p. III. week days; ON train leaving
Iittshurg for Philadelphia at 1901 p.
m. daily, and on the coach section of
train leaving New York at 1.55 p. m.
daily for Pittsburg and the West.
\ In carte breakfast and luncheon are
| served on the Manhattan Island Limited
leaving Pittsburg at 800 n. III. daily for
New York.
An dinners on PENNSYLVANIA Railroad
| dining cars. and all other meals, ex.
ccpt those mentioned above. are table
| d'hOte.