davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
An owls Love for Music.

''In my sons junior year at Har
vard," says John Burroughs, the nat
Irslist, lit became the custom in May
and June to- give frequent band con-
certs in the evening on the steps of
University hall. Exactly over the
band was a fiagpole. fastened at an
angle to the building On the gilded
ball of the fiagpole there would come
and perch, soon after the concert be-
gan, a little screech owl. After the
music ceased and the crowd dispersed
the little owl would fly away again.
So regularly did the owl come with
his noiseless, muff1ed flight that my
son came to look for him and to specu-
late how long the band would have to
play before he would be attracted by
the music. Many persons saw him,
vet he appeared to take no notice of
the yard full of people, but seemed to
enjoy the music, as far as his attitude
and actions betrayed his feelings, as
much as did any one. Certainly the
love for music, so strong in man, must
find its beginning in the lower forms
of life"
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03

Hooked It With Aid OF Straw and
Then Picked It Up.

An extraordinary instance of animal
intelligence has recently been record
ed as having been shown in the Royal
park, Melbourne, Australia
Il was watching some monkeys"
says Mr. Thomas Hutton of Tyne
mouth, Gin a large cage, when one OF
them came to the front and tried to
reach a nut which had been thrown
and was lying on the gravel path.
Putting its arm through the bars and
stretching as far as possible, it found
hat the nut was just beyond its reach.
There was straw on the floor of the
cage, and, going to the back where it
evidently expected to find the straw
less damaged, it tested straw after
ctraw, discarding one by one, not
thinking them strong enough for the
purpose
..At last it found satisfactory one.
returned with it to the front of the
cage, and very quickly, with this aid,
rocked the nut close enough to be
PICKED up.''-Family Herald
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
A Clock of Books,

One of the novelties of the summer
is a clock which literally illustrates
the old saying, Time flies" 1t stands
about six inches high and looks like
two open books with pages an inch
square. On the upper book the hour is
Indicated and on the pages of the
lower book are the figures of the min
ute. Every minute lower page flies
over and displays the next figure, and
every hour the upper book turns a
page.
timepiece, and is red and gold, en-
cased in glass Above it is the injunc-
ton in old English script, Watch time
fjy.''
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
Miser's Trap for Burglars.

In West Philadelphia lives an old
man who is reputed to be miser and
the hoarder of vast sums in his little
house, where he lives alone with
spinster daughter.
The old fellow has been visited by
burglars four times in the last couple
of years, but on each occasion the in
truders have been frightened OF with
out securing any plumber. Disguised
with the failure of the police to catch
the men who have visited his house
SO often, the West Philadelphia has
set neat little trap of his own.
Every night before going to bed he
leaves a decanter half filed with wine
and several glasses upon the dining
room. table. The gas is left burning.
so that the wine will not be over
looked. The old fellow has carefully
6rugged the wine with a quick-work-
ing opiate and is anxiously awaiting
another burglarious visit.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
manded,

know better now. We carried on like
fools for six months, and 1 wrote the
most tender letters to your daughter,
to which she replied-not quite so ten
der certainly, for Miss Jarvis, have
since learned, was what you would
call wide Someone else came to the
station, and your daughter cold-shoul-
dered me. Didn't choke me on COM
plete1y-she liked admiration and at
tention too much for that-but sort OF
pushed me into second place and let
the newcomer make all the running.
l resented it and kept out of her way.
Matters went on thus for twelve
months. and then news of my good
fortune came from England. and your
daughter saw she had hooked the
wrong fish and had let the right one
60. She wrote me a most gushing
letter, which returned along with the
other letters. 1 told her that / mad at
length found out what she had appar-
emily discovered some time previously
that the whole thing was a mistake,
and l asked her to return my letters.
This she has not DONE" said Moscroft
quietly and deliberately
mo fear! Sails a bit too wide for
that"
Then you come to England" con-
tinued Moscroft, unheeding the inter-
ruption. land attempt to extort money
from me for the letters I was a fool
not to have told Miss Jardine all about
the absurd affair. / am not going to
tell a lie and say that I have. But
shall tell her now. 1t won't be pleas
ant. but I'll do it. So get Quit"
Suppose she doesn't believe your
tale? There's nothing in the letters
to prove that the story's not as will
sum 1t up. Young innocent girl gives
her heart to young Englishman. Eng
lishman protests undying affection and
innocent girl believes him. Then
comes news from England that Eng
lishman has succeeded to fortune.
upon which he cruelty jilts heart
broken innocent girl. and is scarcely
home in England before he fixes on
fresh victim How does that sound -
Sounds what it is-a lie." replied
Moscroft. putting the best face ON 1t.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
Dininq in Darkness.

In France and Switzerland the lat
est vogue is to dine in the dark. Din
ner begins as usual but suddenly, to
the surprise of the guests, the light
goes out and all is left in darkness.
Nothing has gone wrong, and before
the guests have recovered from their
establishment the dining room doors
open, and shadowy forms steal in bear
ing a blazing mass of light. 1t is
the next course Illuminated. Silently
the figures come to your side, and in
a few moments, on every ones plate
is, say, your fish, and delicately
shaded light by which to eat it, but
otherwise the room remains in com
plete darkness.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03

although inward1y he knew that it
bore on it that similitude to truth
which is the cruelest type of lie.
Sorry to disagree. Miss Jardine1l
think it has a bottom lode of truth
when it is backed up by this bundle
of letters. Oh, you needn't look round
you couldn't take them from me.
I'm . stronger man than you"
chuckled the man. Now, hadn't you
better change your mind? See here,
give me $4,000 in hard cash and the
story shall be closed forever-you to
take the letters"
"Moscroft paused for half a minute
An eternity it seemed to the girl lis
tening at the door. Then he answered
firmly: NO, not one penny. I've made
up my mind. I'll tell Miss Jardine
the whole story, and she can Judge
of it."
'And I'll tell her mine. Wen see
which she will believe, Mr.. George
Moscroft-"
The storekeeper raised his hat and
moved toward the door.
Ere he could reach it, however, it
was opened, and the listener. u tall.
fair girl, stood in the doorway. her
eyes aglow with excitement and 9
bright red flush on either cheek
'tShe does believe your story.
George she said. II am Flo Jar
dine, Mr.. Moscroft's fiancee. 1 believe
every word he has said, but. if he had
arrived at any other resolution than
that which he has come to, 1 don't
think should ever have forgiven him.
Give me those letters" she demanded,
in such a peremptory tone that the as
tonished Jarvis had complied before
he realized what he had done.
Now" she said, "a minute ago you
said that $4,000 would close the story
forever. 1t is closed now" With a
quick movement she pitched the bum
die of letters on to the blazing fire,
where they instantly caught and fared
up.
Good day, Mr.. Jarvis, !" she added.
as that crestfallen gentleman depart
ed, rejecting on the amount of money
he had thrown away on a wild goose
chase from Australia
at meant to tell you. dearest. but
lacked the moral courage" said
George.
1.-THE story is closed forever,
George."-Pittsburg Dispatch.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03

Flo Jardine had her hand on the
door knob and would have entered
her fance's room unannOunced, as
was her wont, had not the sound OF
her own name, uttered in loud tones
by an unknown voice. stopped her. 1t
could not be possible that George was
discussing her, and with a perfect
stranger, too! The thing was prepos-
ferrous. She could not go in, but she
would never condeSeend to eayeSdrop-
ping Certainly not! But where was
she to go? There was no place but
the seat opposite the Office door, and
the conversation would reach her
there. Well, she would close her ears
and not pay any attention. Animated
by this mos excellent resolution she
took her seat,but again she heard the
strange voice repeating her name even
louder than before.
What will Miss Jardi1e say to the
whole story, eh?" the speaker demand
ed. Thereupon the lady referred to
threw all scruples to the wind. She
would scarcely have been human not
to have listened. She was to be his
wife in a week, and they should have
no secrets.
81 can't help it, and I'll thank you
into the discussion. 1 was a fool not
to tell her all about it. After all, there
was nothing to tell" came the reply,
in the tones she knew so well.
"Oh, wasn't there? How about those
beautiful letters you wrote to my Sal
all flowers and perfumes, and setting
suns and rising moons, and such-like
rot-was that nothing, eh?"
81 admit that l was fool. Forum
ately, however, 1 had my awakening
soon enough. Your daughter threw
me over when someone else came on
the scene" said George.
''She wrote you telling you of her
undying love before you cut to Eng
land" replied the other slyly, and with
an apparent chuckle in his voice.
YES. after my uncle had died and
left me his fortune and business. l
think Miss Sarah realized then that
she had been bit too previous
'All her letters to you are loving
enough any way, I'll bet. Sal knows
her book. It's no use putting things
on paper-say them, that's my way"
said the stranger truculently.
ct suppose that's why you're here
to-day"
Right you are. my cookie.
wen. since you nave taken the
trouble to come all the way from the
backwoods of Australia to see me,
suppose you want something. What is
it," said George.
Now. that's business! Well, hear
as how you've come into a very tidy
fortune here. and by rights Sal should
be sharing it. and I. as the poor old
father getting on in years, would be
kept in comfort and plenty for the
rest OF my life A store in the back
woods Is not what it was, you know.
Well. what do you say to $4,000?
it's too little. but I'm very 1enient
man." the stranger remarked persua-
sively.
You unmitigated scoundrel! Do
you mean to tell me you've come here
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03

frame, which grips with another cog
wheel on the inside of it.
As the wheel rolls over the ground
the inner frame, holding the motor
and drivers seat, by means of it's spe-
cif1c weight maintains these in the
normal position.
Steering this new vehicle is deli
cate matter, as the slightest move
ment of the body of the driver aside
from the center of gravity will upset
the equilibrium of the wheel and send
it out of it's course The brakes are
SELECTING, and the wheel is brought
to a stop by the interlocking of the
inner frame and outer circle.
The vehicle has not yet been per-
fected, and may never be entirely
practical, but it is interesting, and
serviceable in bad weather and over
rough roads, its large curves Offering
less resistance to obstacles than those
of smaller wheels.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
A Score for the Professor.

At a well-known college a certain
professor had been repeatedly inter
rupted in the course of his lecture by
a group of students in one corner of
the room, and at last felt constrained
TO administer a severe rebuke.
A deep silence followed, and the
professor paused before proceeding
with his discourse, when there float
ed in through the open windows the
loud and unmistakable sounds of a
donkeys braying. The situation was
ludicrous, and the mirthfulness of the
students found vent in a half-sup-
pressed outburst of laughter.
The professors face remained stern
and set, and as soon as order was re-
stored he raised his eyes and, look
ing steadily at the unruly scholars in
the corner, quietly remarked. Don't
respond, please; don't respond"
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03

Father. I prayed that Thou wouldst
guide
Ny steps Alright. yet looking back
Alasl upon my crooked track,
With shame fain my face would hide.
The way was plain enough to see,
But, like a needless child at play,
Ny fancy lured my feet astray.
Although Thy voice kept calling me.
And Thy sweet patience fingers yet;
Can evening penitential tears
Wash out the errors of past years?
And love my waywardness forget?
Father by faith to Thee / cling,
When I in heaven behold Thy face,
With them I'll sing Thy wondrous grace
With whom long since I loved to sing.
Rev w. T. Sleeper,
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
4 TREE MOSQUITOES sHuN.
Native Of China Which Should BE
Worth Importing.

M. de Parville, in the Journal des
Debafs. announces a discovery which
should be of interest to Jerseyites and
other dwellers beneath the curse of
the mosquito tree which makes
things so unpleasant for the pestifer-
Gus little insect that it will not come
within a radius of a hundred yards
of the vicinity in which the tree
grows.
The tree is a native of China, and
it's effect on the insect was discovered
by accident. In the English settle
ment on the banks of the Si-Kiang
river one of the houses surrounded
by these trees (called papaya) was
found to be free from the pest, while
the other houses in the neighborhood
were infested by mosquitoes. How
ever. after a cyclone, during which
the papaya were demolished, the in
sects appeared there in full force.
The papaya has also the property
of making meat tender when hung
in it's branches, and this, together
with the fact that the sap of the
tree is used in medicine as an aid
to digestion, would seem to indicate
that it's effect is semi-digestive.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
THINKS ISLANDS ARE RICH.
Surgeon Has Abundant Faith in Fu-
ture of Philippines.

Surgeon Has Abundant Faith in Fu-
ture of Philippines.
During my stay in the Philippines"
said DR.. j. M. Feeney, recently sur
geon in the Eleventh infantry, at the
Ebbitt house, ct was in nearly every
part of the archipelago, and 1 am pre-
pared to say that, size considered, it
is the richest country in the world"
Dr. Feeney, after a sojourn of five
years in the islands, has just returned,
and is full of enthusiasm as to the
value of our possessions in the East.
81 believe" he continued, that
more gold will be taken out OF the
province of Panic Bontos, in northern
Luzon, than will ever be obtained
from Alaska. 1 went in there on a
chase after deer and wild caribou, and
found that scores of natives had
-spats' of gold about them which they
had taken out of the ground in the
most primitive fashion. This is the
country of the savage Igorotte tribes,
who are generally styled head hunt
erS-
'It also has copper in apparently
unlimited quantity. AS soon as some
method of conveying title to mining
property is adopted there is going to
be a grand rush to these mountains.
Already a goodly number of old miners
from. the Western states are hugging
claims that they expect will make
them rich '-Washington Post.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
Il y a>>LIIigyD w PET T RIDGE

uncle's business and fortune. and here
he was at home on the point of being
married There was no doubt that
he was desperately in love this time,
but the thought of those letters to
Sally Jarvis, the daughter of the Wool
aborg storekeeper, made him go hot
all over.
81 tell you again not to mention
Miss Jardine's name-she has nothing
to do with this" he said angrily.
ooh, hasn't she? She soon will have,
l fancy! When she gets your letters
to Sal into her hand she may conclude
that she has something to do with it.
I'll warrant you don't bluff ner I've
known lots of women in my day, and
my experience tells me that they don't
like the lightly-come lightly-go kind of
gentleman. Think of that, Mr.. George
Moscroft - 'Geordie Gray-eyes'-as
they called you out yonderl Think OF
that, 1 say,"
Look here, Jarvis, don't talk non
sense. What is there in it all? Moth
ing. I went out to Australia, and fate
took me to Woolaborg. That was two
years ago. 1 was very lonely up there
in the bush. 1 was pining for home
You kept a store there and had
pretty daughter-the only woman
within fifty miles, except Nancy, your
servant. 1 made love to her, and she
encouraged me. Neither of US had
real feeling at stake in the matter
Though 1 thought at the time 1 had I
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
Popular Airs by Birds.

Teaching birds to sing. the new
wrinkle adopted by the London fan
ciers, is soon to be tried in this city.
They find they can demand a larger
price for members of the feathery
tribe which can MARBLE tunes that
sound like "Bedelia," Hiawatha," or
the other popular airs. A young girl
is placed near the cage ard plays the
flute by the hour. A bird at first takes
no notice of the strange, tremulous
whistling notes, and it requires much
patience on the part Of the teacher.
after some time the bird begins to
repeat the first bar. That is the cue
for the teacher, and the air is taken
up on the flute where the bird
stops, and gradually, bar by bar, the
bird is taught the full tune. A bull
finch is said to be the easiest to teach
to sing, and when they are declared
proficient they have a market value
of from $50 to $1OO.-New York Letter
IN PittSburg Gazette.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
Peculiar Uses of Postage Stamps.

The monks at the Hospital of ST.
Jean de Dieu, at Client, have in their
leisure moments decorated the walls
with gorgeous landscapes, glowing
With color and life, entirely by means
of postage stamps of all the nations
of the world. Palaces, forests, streams
and mountains are represented, butter
flies fit about in the air, birds OF
beautiful plumage perch on branches,
snakes and lizards glide about, and in
Vulnerable animals find places here
and there. The pictures are most ar
tistic, in the style of Chinese land
scape gardening, and already between
nine and ten millions of stamps have
been used.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
Fish LONGEVITY.

According to a recent writer there
is now in the Imperial aquarium of
ST. Petersburg pike that first saw
the light at the close of the fifteenth
century. He still appears to be quite
young fellow, notwithstanding his
centuries and his long activity. The
writer says that there is nothing very
extraordinary in this case, and he men
lions several fishes in the same aquar-
ium that are more than $50 years old.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
A NOVEL MOTOR vEHIcLE.


Something new in the way OF motor
vehicles is one-wheel arrangement,
in which the driver or rider sits in
the center. 1t is the invention of an
Italian, Lilo Negroni, and attracted
much attention at the last automobile
exhibition at Turin The wheel is OF
steel, with a pneumatic exterior, and
en- the inside a concentric frame.
which supports the motor and drivers
seat This inner frame or circle is
moved by means of smaller wheels
set at regular intervals ON the circum-
terence of its outer edge. The motor
operates the vehicle with q friction
coupling and chain transmitter. con-
Meeting with a cog wheel in the
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
Cigars Thirty Years Old

Nehemiah Murkett of East Hamp-
ton, Conn. is smoking some cigars
over thirty years old They were
made by the widow of Stephen
Mitchell, who sold these cigars, hand
made with Havana filler, for 1 cent
each In settling the estate of deal
er who handled them Mr.. Murkett
came into possession of a Dox- While
the cigars are hard they smoke ex-
ceedfngly well
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
Everting EyeIid.

II a cinder gets into your eye be-
cath the upper eyelid have some one
draw the lid downward and forward
and turn it over a thin lead pencil
Meanwhile look down, and the intrud-
ing body can be gently brushed away
with soft handkerchief
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
Monument Over Thoroughbred Bull

Monument Over Thoroughbred Bull.
George NJ Slaughter, stock grow
er of Roswell, N NJ, will erect a
marble monument over the grave of
Sir Bredwell, that Thoroughbred which
died suddenly of gastritis- He was
one of the finest bulls in America,
and took first prize at the Omaha ex-
position in 1898. He was purchased
at the time by Slaughter for $1,000.
Mr. Slaughter refused $1,000 for the
bull
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03

what in the worlds the matter,
MAJ" asked Arabella, as her mother
turned from the telephone and asked
for her bonnet and wraps. I'm going
into the city" said Mrs. Highrocks,
and there was a cold glitter in her
eyes as she spoke 81 just tried to
call your father up, and I heard him
tell the boy to say he wasn't in"
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
No Italian Musicians There.

Exeter has a bylaw which is unique
among municipal prohibitions. In the
streets of that city no Italian street
musicians are allowed to play. and
when an Italian is seen on any Of the
roads leading to the city and wheel
ing a barrel-nrgaa, he Is firmly
stopped and sent back to where he
came from
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03

Nature, as well as necessity, moth
cred the invention of the lathe, the
first of machine tools. 1t was built
originally between two adjacent large
trees near which grew springy sap
ping. Lathes like it are used to-day
in some of the Asiatic countries.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03

which may recommend itself to par
ents in general When her little
daughter Mignon was a mere lby
she commenced to take a regular
series of photographs which she has
continued ever since. Up to the pres
emit time she has taken N all some
four hundred photographs, all entire
ly different in pose. Together they
comprise probably the most complete
child's portrait gallery in the world.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
Child Camera Champion.


Chicago mother has adopted a
novel plan for keeping before her the
image of her daughter at various ages
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03
Prolific Rose BUSH.

Mrs Edward G. Littlefield of West
Kennebunk, Me-, has a crimson ram
bier rose bush with more than 1901
clusters of roses. one of which has;
fifty1wo blossoms
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03

her.
to blackmail me? Get out, before
put you outI I thought perhaps you
were about to ask my assistance in
some other way.
What win Miss Jardine say to your
letters to Sal? You amt taken long to
get a fresh gal, I'm thinking" COM
mented the elder man insolently-
George Moscroft WINGED 1t was
pnly six months since he inherited his
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-09-03

In English trains there is usually
special compartment for dogs One
end of the van is partitioned of and
fitted up as a well appointed kennel