davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-17

a quarter of a mile, and the power was
once more turned on. During his absence
the truth was discovered and when he
came back to the well-lighted and COM
paratively uninjured car, a cheer went
up. The men passengers grabbed him
by the hand, while the women shed tears
of gratitude. His own eyes moistened
and a lump came in his throat as he
thought of the cottage and its occupants.
Coupling the two ears the journey was
resumed and the passengers began to
get off. AS they did so every one drop
ped something in the hat at the door.
When the end of the run was reached. q
man came forward. In his hand he held
hat which was stuffed full of bills and
silver. Taking a slip of paper from his
pocket the passenger folded it and turned
il with the other contents of the hat, into
the cap of the astonished Wemper.
Take this with a Merry Christmas
and a God bless you from the passengers
you saved from DEATH" he said, and then
left the car.
His eyes glistening, Wemper counted
the treasure. There was over a hundred
dollars in money. The slip of paper was
the check of a prominent banker of the
town at the end of the line for $780,
"A Christmas for the wee ones, after
ALL" exclaimed Wemper, his face light
ing up. Here, Bill" he shouted to the
conductor. 1--WE go whacks on tn,
CASH"
Bill was 10th to accept, but finally con
Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-17

the current and sprang forward along
the shining ribbons of steel which show
ed up in the glow of the headlight in the
endless stretch of white ahead.
The city had been left behind and the
farm houses quickly slid back into the
shadows as the car sped by The shin
ing rails no longer showed up ahead. 1t
was all dead level of white. The swift
ly-falling snow had covered with its
mantle the rails of the line, but the
wheels still sunk through it and clutch
ing the rail drank in the electric fluid
Thoroughly acquainted with the road,
Wemper, one of the most careful, but
also one of the newest men on the road,
had no misgivings as he sped along the
snow covered way. Suddenly ahead there
was blush light which seemed to dance
in the air "My God, what's this 2" he
exclaimed as he sprang from his seat
white MS the driven snow which sur
rounded the car. He shut off the cur
rent and put on the air with such force
as to bring the car almost to a stand
still. and throw the passengers from
their seats. Quickly the controller swung
around and the car slowly started to
move backward. To the man in the
vestibule it seemed an age before the
car was on long but abrupt curve.
Wemper knew what the blush light
meant. 1t was an inbound coming to-
ward him at full speed
What caused the mixup Wemper did
Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-17
--7-------
FEEDING THE BIRDS.
A Happy Christmas Custom Among
Swedish Peasauts

Christmas is celebrated in Sweden to
an extent unknown in our country, and
the celebration is not over until Jan. 13.
or twentieth day Yule." A very pretty
feature of the festivities is thus describ-
ed by writer who has visited that
country: One wintry afternoon, at Jul
tide las the season is called, l had been
skating on pretty lake three miles
from Gothenberg. On my way home |
noticed that at every farmers house
there was erected, in the middle of the
yard, a pole, to the top of which was
bound a large, full sheaf of grain. why
il this?" | asked my comrade. "Oh.
that's for the birds, the little wild birds.
They must have merry Christmas, too,
you know" And so it is; not a peasant
in Sweden will sit down to a Christmas
dinner within doors until he has first rails
ed aloft Christmas dinner for the birds
in the cold and snow without.-Pitts-
burg DISPATCH
Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-17
MYTH OF THE MISTLETOE.

Customs Surrounding the Plant Arc
Relics from the Druids.
The custom connected with the mistle-
toe at the Christmas holidays is a relic
OF the days Of Druidism, handed down
through a long course of centuries. In
the religion of the Druids the mistletoe
was regarded with the utmost venera-
ton, though the reverence which they
paid to it seems to have been restricted
to the plant when found growing on the
oak tree. Oaks were the sacred trees
of the Druids. Whatever was found to
grow upon them was regarded as sent
from heaven and therefore set apart for
devotional observance. At the period of
the winter solstice the ancient Druids,
with men, women and children, sailed
forth with great pomp and rejoicings to
gather the mystic parasite, which, In
addition to religious reverence, was be-
heved to possess marvellous curative
powers.
When the oak was reached on which
the mistletoe grew two white bulls were
bound to the tree and the high priest
OF the Druids clothed In pure white, as
cended and, with a golden knife, cut the
sacred plant which, as it fell was caught
by another priest In the folds of his
| SpOtleSS White Iudllltt. 14C Dullsf duo
sometimes human beings, were sacri-
feed. Various festivities then followed,
In which the mistletoe thus gathered was
divided into portions and distributed
among the people, who hung up the
sprays over the entrances to their dwell
ings as a Precipitation and charm to tho
sylvan deities for the season of frost and
| cold.
The mistletoe with its curious white
berry, so long a puzzle to botanists and
naturahsts of all ages remains as of old
sacred to love as when the Scandina-
VANS dedicated it to Frega, their god
dess of love and beauty. The custom
of kissing under the mistletoe Is an In
nocent survival from the saturnalia of
the ancients. In England all classes and
ages deliver themselves up willing VIC
tins of the long -established custom.
There are the jolly bachelors, who kiss
every girl that comes their way.
At a later period mistletoe had been
for a time abandoned in the Christmas
decorations of the places of worship, an
also the promiscuous kissing at the close
of the service, which usage was trans
ferred, however, and fourished In the
home at the Christmas and New Years
celebrations, when it became a kissing
game, the mistletoe being tied with Other
greens high up against the ceiling In the
center of the room
Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-17

numbers from one to ten or one to twen-
ty-fve, according to the size of the tree.
Each person playing is blindfolded in
turn and is given a rosette with which
he must decorate the tree" Each per-
son aims to pin his or her rosette on or
near to the highest number of the tree.
Each competitor has three trials, the
three numbers to which he pins nearest
being written down to his credit by the
hostess, who keeps tally. The one whose
three numbers added together gives the
largest sum total wins the first prize.
christmas candles" Is a good old
time. game. A lighted candle is placed
upon a table The player is blindfolded
and stationed with his back to the candle,
about foot from it. He's then told to
take three steps forward, turn around
three times, then to walk four steps
toward the candle and blow it out. His
attempt to do so will probably be as
amusing to the audience as disconcerting
to himself
Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-17

not know, but he did know that to be
caught on that curve meant certain death
to himself and the sixty odd passengers
on the car. The headlight of the ap-
preaching car now doomed into view 1t
was coming at breakneck speed, but
Wemper's car with it's load of human be-
ings was now also speeding backward.
There had been no orders at the last
telephone booth and the Unbound car
was supposed to have a clear track.
Whatever the error, it was a palpable
fact that the coming car was upon him.
There seemed to be no effort on the
part of the man in the other vestibule to
attempt to check the speed and the most
Kemper could hope to do was to lessen
the force of the collision. On came the
opposite car until less than 100 feet. 1t
was one of the newest and most power
full on the road and Kemper's heart
dropped as he realized that fact. The
passengers by this time had ascertained
they were speeding back, and the con
ductor had his hands full striving to
check the panic.
Looking now right into the vestibule
of the opposing car, Wemper saw a livid
face with glaring eyes. One strong, bony
hand clutched the controller, trying t.
force it still further around to get more
speed There was a terrible smile OF
the white face The man was mad. \
cold sweat broke out on the forehead o.
Wemper. cottage within which sat I
woman smoothing the hair of little DO,
Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-17

while her body swayed gently to and
fro as she lulled the baby to sleep, came
before his vision. Who would fill the
empty larder now? Who replenish the
dwindling coal pile? A groan burst from
him as they, pursuer and pursued. sped
by the power station and back over the
switch. There was no danger from be-
hind and they dashed on back into dark
ness. leaving the sub-station keeper root
ed to the spot with establishment. The
fatal race was drawing to a close. Not
ten feet now interviewed between the
headlights of the two cars when sud
denly there was pitch darkness. The
speed of the cars slackened and the
wild inbound gently came upon the spe-
cial. There was a crashing of glass as
the two headlights, now dull and dark.
came together; a slight jar and the dan
ger was passed. The sub-station tender
with a heaven-born CLEAN Of common
sense had stopped the machinery and
turned off the power.
Springing from the vestibule as soor
as he realized what had happened, Wem
per climbed into the vestibule of the
other car. livid with rage at the danger
into which the other motorman hac
placed him. There was no need for hi.
anger. for it was a dead hand that helt
the controller, and the stare was one OF
combined madness and death. Not
living soul was on the inbound car
Turning off the current, Wemper tool
the controller from the suffering finger.
and ran back to the sub-station. abou
Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-17
@N@~&GkrSAN~
i ON THE MAIN LINE. 4

THE city's streets were thronged.
l Crowds of Christmas shoppers hur-
ried to and fro. Electric lights from
the big stores shone on their rosy and
hnppy faces, and the younger ones
laughingly shook the snow from their
hair and capes. Charlie Wemper noted
all this as with his hand on the con-
troller he held the big suburban car in
check. 1t was crowded to the doors as
1t started on it's trip into the country
with it's human freight The passengers
were in merry mood. They had re-
NAMED until the last car, the opera run.
and were going to their homes on the
line, with their arms full of bundles and
their hearts filed with good cheer.
All this swept through the brain of
the tired motorman, and there was no
answering smile as gay laughter reached
him through the closed doors of the YES
tibule. Here it was Christmas eve. He
had had fairly steady runs up to the time
the summer business began to slack off,
when the time table changed and he went
OIL the board as first extra. A wife and
two little ones at home had to be fed
and clothed. and his 20 cents an hour.
with an average of six hours a day, had
not placed him in a position of affluence.
nor enabled him to look forward to the
glad Christmas time with any degree of
10Y. He thought of the scant supply OF
coal in the shed, the almost depleted
larder and empty purse with pay day
still more than a week off. and sighed to
himself.
.Eight dollars and a half coming to
me-" he said, as he almost savagely
swung around to six points. The car felt
Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-17

The smiling face of william
]. Jeffords was seen on our
streets yesterday. He lives in
Cincinnati, and has done well.
1t is his first visit to his old
home In twenty years. He is
stopping with his aged pa
rents, Captain and Mrs. w. j.
Jeffords.
That is just a homely
news item clipped from Il
country paper. 1t has some
thoughts in it for you, Mr..
Busy Man.
Nearly all of us live in
the future. We are on the
right side of 80, and have,
we hope, many long years
before us. If we are rich
we hope to become richer.
If we are poor we hope to
become wealthy, and few
people who consider old age
and a completed career as
something distant stop to
think Of the duty we owe TO
the old folks down i'll the
country" That is where
the majority of the success
full business men came from.
In thousands of cases father
and mother are still on the
old farm. content to die
where they have lived, far
from the strife Of city life,
close to the soil and nature.
This year you should slip
n few things into n grip,
Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-17

catch the last train and spend christmas
at home. Ii will be different from otner
Christmases. for hospitality means much
in the country It's genuine. It's I'M
mixed with business considerations. Your
father or the hired man will meet you
at the depot. and on the way to the old
home on the farm he will tell you Of the
things you did when you were boy.
He'll point out the old schoolhouse
where you learned your alb abs and had
some of the cussedness licked out of
you, and the little old church where
preacher preached birthstone and fire in
a way that made your flesh cringe and
you didn't dare sleep alone.
1t will all come back to you. You had
almost forgotten that you were a boy
hadn't you?
You'll fill your lungs with pure air,
feel the singing breeze against your face
and your heart will begin to throb with
good impulses. Here everything seems
TO be honest and real and good.
And the welcome, Don't be ashamed
of the tears that wet your cheeks. An
old man with snowy locks, trembling
with affection, a grand old woman. your
mother who weeps softly. as women
do, because her heart is filed with hap
piness.
You couldn't make that woman believe
that you ever had a petty meanness: that
you had even thought wrong; that you
took a narrow view of life, or that you
had enmities that embittered your ex-
sstence.
You couldn't convince that old man
that in the world could be found a
smarter boy"
Love forgets faults and exalts virtues
To them your little successes seem like
triumphs.
Don't forget the little room. You oc-
cupied it as a boy. You slept well in
those days. You hadn't care. You
were free, and you were sound in mind
morals and body. 1t is good to think OF
those things. 1t is good to think OF
Christmas Day, of the gifts and the
pleasure and good will that went with
them, of the dinner and the long table
surrounded by relatives and neighbors
too poor to have their own Christmas
dinners.
And when the gray old man bows hi,
head, and with the faith of a child, says
I'VE thank thee, o Lord, for the mer
cies thou hast shown u.s." the simpl,
prayer that follows will appeal TO al
that is good in your and give you new
hope, new life, new courage.-Cincinnat
Post.
Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-17
Tough luck.

after ALL" said the busy merchant,
christmas comes but once year."
yes" rejoined the old man who had
seven children and nineteen grandchil-
dren, "and I'm heartily glad of it."
Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-17
Two Ohristmas Games.

A Yuletide version of the donkey par
ty is played thus: On a sheet sketch or
paste a design of a Christmas tree. Have
each branch of the tree terminate in a
circle containing a number, using the
Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-17

Miss Komin-What did your brother
George give you for Christmas, Lizzie .
Little Lizzie-Mamma says she IL
afraid he gave me the mumps.-Wom-
ans Home Companion.
Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-17
Rather Suspicious.

Tom-Miss Willing said she'd give me
what was In her stocking Christmas
morning for what was In mine.
Jack-Say, that strikes me as being
in the nature OF leap-year proposal.
Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-17

The night before Christmas is one Of
the rare occasions on which the small boy
is threatened with insomnia.-Puck.
Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-17

sented and there were two merry Christ
masses on the Main Line. = Detroit Free
Press
Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-04-27
Reading His Own Works.

only once heard Thackeray allude
10 MS works and that IN serio.
comic spirit, which amused both him
and us. Il was travelling on the
Rhine,' he said Gn company no doubt
with "the Kickleburys') "and enter
ing one of the hotels on the banks. ex-
hausted and weary, | went into the
saloon and threw myself on a sofa.
There was book on u little table close
Dy' and | opened 1t to find It was
vanity Fair had not seen it since
corrected the proofs, and / read n
rhapter. Do You know II seemed TO
NE very amusing?" - Dean Holes
Memories"
Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-04-27
AN OLD SUPERSTITION.
me Practice OF Consulting Scripture

A"c TThctice OF consulting Scriptur,
ms Book of Fnte.
The practice of consulting Scripture
as book of fate was generally con
qemned by the church. A council al
fannes pronounced against it in 461
A. ID. So did one ut Agde In 50G and
one at Auxerre in $50 Charles the
Great forbade it in his capituaries.
and so did Pope Gregory IL. Meyer
theless curiosity rs TO the future was
30 strong In mems minds that the Gus.
tom continued.
An odd circumstance Is that the
cathedral chapter at Orleans In li46
appealed TO Il prognostlc Of this sort In
suDplicatiOn addressed by them to
rope Alexander III. against their blsll.
op. AT his conservation. when the gos.
pei was opened above his head. the
finger of the deacon rested upon the
words, "And he left the linen cloth and
fed from them naked" This was a
token that the bishop Elias was to be
turned out Of his see.
The practice of observing the book
when opened over the head Of Il pref.
tie at his conservation was very com.
non. II was thought that n sure aG
Jury could thence be drawn as to what
ort of bishop he would prove.-Cham-
ers' Journal
Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-04-27
EC(Iz. EE:AAA
The Worlds Greatest
Skin Humour.
Affects Every Age and
Condition.
The Only Sure Cure is
CutiCura. !

II there were not another crterno,
Skin disease known, eczema would be a
sufficient infiction on mankind. It per.
vadcs all classes, and descends impar.
italy through generations. While some
are constantly enveloped in it, Others
nave 1t confined to small patches in the
ears on the scalp, on the breast, on the
palms of the hands, on the limbs, ETC..
but everywhere It's distinctive feature ia
asmall watery blister, which discharges
an acrid fluid, causing heat, innamma.
tlon' and intense Itching, scaling and
crusting.
The Cuticura treatment 10 az once
agreeable, speedy, economical and com.
prehensive. Battle the affected parts
freely with hot water and Cnticura
soap. to cleanse the surface of crusts
and scales, and soften the thickened
cuticle Dry, without hard rubbing.
and apply Cuticura Ointment to alIsv
itching, irritation and inflammation
and soothe and heal, and, lastly, take
Cutlcura ResOlvent, or Pills, to cool and |
cleanse the blood. This treatment af-
1ords instant relief, permits rest and |
steep IN the severest forms of eczema
ana other itching, burning and scaly
humours, and points to a speedy, per-
manent and economical cure of tor.
,uring, disfguring humours, eczemas.
ashes and in1ammations, from infancy
o age: when all other remedies and the
'est physicians iall.
oold Throughout the world. cutcurs Hezajzert aar
y o'n OF Chocolate Coated Pills 25c per vial ~ en-
,u.s So IT, IT,; sob ~ Depot. London. q Charter.
" ~, .,t', Drug hem. Corp. sole Proprietor.
n8 seAi or How to Cure Ecrema"
Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-04-27
GOOD ROADS.
1hey Add to the Profits Of Those I'm
gaged In Every Vocntio,

A speaker at the national ,,ood ro.a.
convention said that good roads econo-
nlize time, labor and money; they save
worry and waste; they add to social
ana religious progress; they incraos
tne value of property; they permit tbe
transportation of farm products drn
ing bad weather when no work can he
uone on the farm; they save the woor
ana tear on horses, drivers. harness
and wagons. '"' ''eSs
GOOD roads are the avenues NJ nroo
ress' the best proof Of popular jntoI,i.
eence' the ligaments that bind tbe
country together in the bonds of no
triotlsm and thrift. They are the woor
VI uestlny woven into the great wob
Oh our civilization Good roads arc tho |
rivuiets that swell the great streams
Oh commerce that flow out TO everv
country and distribute the products NJ
our heids' factories, forests and mines
Inc government Of the United Stotoo
mas never failed TO respond TO tbe do.
mands of the country in tbe innrouo
,neht OF its rivers and harbors NH
Mons Of dollars, for instance. have hoer
expended on Sault Ste. Marie that con.
nects Lake Superior with Lake Huron
III within the state of Michigan. The
rohmasters and the copper kings of
he country and the grain growers Of
he northwest have been mainly beno.
lted by the improvement of This proot
waterway. No one objects to IT. II ia
proper expenditure to develon tbe
reat material interests Of the north.
'est. But this expenditure is limitod
its scope and benefits. n
The great harbors along the Atlantic n
and on the gulf coast have II
ISL the country hundreds of millions II
dollars. These improvements also II
e to be commended The improve. n
eht OF the various harbors and rivers n
the past seven years has cost S130.
o'4So, but not one dollar has been u
proprlated to build or improve the Y,
mmon roads.
Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-04-27
Rural Delivery Notes

+. n. Cunningham of Nebraska IL
president of the National Association Of
hural Letter Carriers and w. p. Woods
OF Iowa vice president.
In ONO there are 1885 rural free de-
livery carriers, and the service now
covers the state. The salary roll or this
force amounts to about $50, 900 month
IL Is said the rural free delivery sery.
Ice VIII require from congress a larg.r
appropriation than has ever before
been allowed for It, 1t is expected that
'ne amount Will be in the neighborhood
OF S2o,Ooo'oOO Last session $40. 800 900
was allowed, Of which $9.OOO.OOO was
'cr maintenance and the remainder for |
new service
Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-04-27
Eng1nnd's First RafIroad.

The travelling on the first railroad In
England was not very comfortable I'M
,dOubtedly. The coaches were at first
only coupled with chains. as wagons
are now. so that they jerked the IN
fortunate passengers nearly of their
seats at starting and FLASHED violently
against each other when the driver put
on his brake. When fairly in motion.
If the speed was any but the slowest
the very short wheel base produced
pitching action so trying that If the
Journey had not been n short one II
would have seriously affected the pop
ularity Of the railway as means Of
transit.