davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-01-24
Pirate Island of St. Bartholomew

laden pirate ship, and one whose
grandsire saw Spadebgard himself,
with siver-mounted pistols thrust
through his his gaudy SASH, strut VI
and down the busy docks.
Only six miles long by three miles
wide the little island OF ST. Barthol~-
new might have been left forever in
respectable neglect had it not been for
the splendid attractions of its tiny har-
Dor from a buccaneering point OF view.
Sheltered from hurricanes by hills OF
moderate height, this land-iocked bay
is guarded by d long chain of Jagged
rocks that stretches n~rthward twelve
miles TO the neignbohing island of St.
Martin. Treacherons currents sweep
around these islets, which have been
we'll named the "Serpent's Teeth, and
Woe to the navigator who attempts the
passage without full knowledge of his
peril.
Deed enough for the light pirate
craft. but too shallow for the pursuing
me.a-of-war here was a safe refuge
from storm and foe alike. Add 10
these advantages completes isolation
from its neighhors and a POPULATION
consisting of handful of Norman set
tiers, too weak to offer opposition and
not above turning dishonest penny
thems5l Ives and ii is no wonder that
Nonthars. the terrible French pirate.
We'll niek-named the "Exterminator. -
decided TO make ST Barts his south
ern headquarters. and here careened
his ships.
When btSx4 4leepng was crushed
forever by the peace of Ryswick and
the old crowd We're driven from the
Tortugas. when the sackers of great
tropical cities had degenerated into
mere pirates. looters of helpless YES
sers, st. Barts rose rapidly into I'M
savory fame. The gold from Spanish
galleons must somewhere be ex-
changed, at a ruinous rate of discount
for provisions. The honest traders of
ST Barts asked no questions and
kept open house.
SO, slipping past the watching men,
of-war. into st. Barts stole many
"privateer" by night. Here also en-
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-01-24
A FIRE WHICH WATER WILL NOT QUEN0|

| the stencil from them is anything bd
pleasant
Now, when it became known tda|
the fire referred to was gradually eat
ing its way t. the Foundations Of tis
station, mild sort of alarm began 10
be felt, but not only by the railroads
company, but the aristocratic paSSen
gers who daily use this suburban sta
ton. For the mines have been worked
out and hundreds of beautiful villas
have arisen out Of their ashes-s: u
speak.
The fire gained ground every da!|
| until by and by il reached beneath Cns
, of the platforms. and any day tAesT
after might be seen the novelty N
crowd of people waiting on platoon
. from the chinks and creViees OF Vnla|
We're arising in many places jets v
steam from the fire below. Such WI
ume of water was kept con'lA0a'|
playing upon it that actual flames WY
prevented from showing above gfswN|
but any casual observer could see u|
evidences of the great heat below,
In time it was observed tnal w
foupdations of the station were sS|
Ting and cracking and tWlstlls 4
many places, and all sorts OF elD'|
had to be resorted TO to keep "
buildings from being permanently H
jured At this present momeh' i
these lines are being penned' 'hV ~
has reached under the main line u VI
track, and it is one of the curlo'''
of the neighborhood to see the Jes \
steam and smoke issuing 1rom i
tween the sleepers.
1t is now foregone conclusion ~,
the fire cannot be eXtingulsllea'
it is being left to- have its own ''s,
way and burn itself out. When
will happen nobody knows, as '',l ~
is large part of the foundation u =,
station not yet reached; and as !,
has been going ~ for many llon'. =.
is quite probable that this hre II :,
bowels of the earth will 60 on sar..
under the staticn until the ou''u' u
tumble about the passenger ears
Bits.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-01-24

| Norman costumes, but We're told that
four miles away, on the other end OF
the island, dwelt the Norman folk
aloof from the rest. So, with a guide
We startei n our long walk, for a
.4t..se is unknown on the island.
After leaving Gustavla. as the port
is now called few minu1s sut5.eet,
% bring US TO the summit of Z ell
cireling hills. and below u & . lJ-
rama of the island stretched out in
moaotones Of brown and dingy gleen.
I was hard TO believe We We. in the
tropics
70 taee!y palms broke TIE sky Ii e
with their feathery foliage, 20 thicket
of ferns, six feet il height. stood with
even greater yiyidness of emerald
fame than their background of grow
ing plants innumerable Instead, bare
rock, out half concealed by withered
from perishing, while their srawny
visible.
b some strange freak of nature
Or is II after all the cure Of God .
t5e constant island of St. Kits and
Santa Cruz the garden islands of the
&cr!d pass by on either side. Every
house must have perforce its cistern
To catch the Scanty rainfall of the sum
mel months. Mere than one great
drought nas desolatea '.4is island when
water was brought from other islands
by boat 10 save the people of St. Barts
fir m perishing, while their scraway
herds died in snn-burned fields from
thirst.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-01-24
COTTON BELT TINE TABLE.

North, No. 2. Arrive Pine Bluf at
Ito p m; arrive St. Louis 7:12
a. m.
North, No. 4. Arrive Pine Bluff a
1:55 a. M. arrive at st. Louis 6: 56
o. m.
North. No. SO, Leave Pine Bluff at
3 so p. m; arrive at Little Rock $40
p. M
South, No. l, Leave st. Louis at
9:45 p. m; leave Pine Bluff at 3:15
p. m.
South, No. 8, Leave St. Louis a.
8: 56 a. M; leave Pine Bluff 2:05 a, m.
South, Nc. 81, Leave Little Rock
at sos a. m.: arrive at Pine Blum
10:35 a. m.
S. NJ. DICkEY, Agent.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-01-24

Every one of the thousands Of tour
lists who have visited the LeeWard is
lands # the West Indies in the last
fifteen Years has passed within fe"
omew hut none has ever visited it.
Yet its people and its history make 1t
one Of the most interesting places in
the world. If those who are planning
trip to the American tropics this
Winter will take the little mail sloop
that sails fortnightly from the island
of Guadeloupe fer st. Barts,' as it is
called by the West Indians. they Will
find their time and trouble We'll repaid.
Utterly forgotten by the busy world,
eulsed b God for its past sins, so the
West lnGians say. the little island OF
ST. Bartholomew midway between the
islands Of ST. Thomas and st. Kits,
lies sleeping n the azure Caribbean
sea
In the times OF bueeaaeer and Rir-
earoon the pitiless scoufges OF the
Spanish Main, found here safe refuge
fer their ships and good market for
their spoils. n island Of the western
Indies was richer buster CT wiekeder
than st. BaltEoloma
Today, though the deep blue sap
pbire sky is ever stained With the
smoke of steamers hurrying past her
to the eastward, though great ships
are ever gliding. ghostlike, past her
harbor entrance, none stops moment
nm it's way TO seek beyond the trtach-
ero,,s passage through the serpent S
Teeth 'cht eeer-the Sc pan vsut xz
cn its way to seek beyond the treaeh-
where along deserted wharves the cor
al insect builds his fairy palaces Sc
cure from molestation.
On this forgotten island dwells lit
tie colony of Norman fisher folk, who
since 164S, have kept unchanged the
speech, the customs and the costumes
of their native land; who. although
all memory of their existence has been
blotted out for centuries in far Off
France, still speak of Normandy as
"Hcme' Among them still live old
me1 who can remember festivities
that followed the arrival of richly
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-01-24

tered boldly by day SNUG burghers OF
New I>rk with cargoes frankly de-
scribed in the invoices as goods
suitable for pirate" which were ex.
| changed at huge profit for the spoils
Indeed the New York merchants
Wele the best and almost only custom
efs for the pirates of St. Barts, and
When the revolution broke out the good
pe pie CT the island hosted the new
tlaS OF the colonies as token of their
We'll wishing, flying it it is said, for
three days at the masthead OF the lit
Tie fort above the harbor to the deep
curses Of passing English men-of-war
With the war came the British en-
bal so on Amarican goods, ana many
z cargo was transferred at St. Bar.
JhOi-Glew in open defiance OF the king S
command. So notorious did this be
aeme that Admiral Rodney in 1.S2
seized The island, along With ST. Eus-
tatius, and confscated $1,000 000 worth
Ct contrahand goods in ST. Bartholo.
NEW alone. The British occupati1n n
lasted but a few weeks. when ST Barts
WAS returned 70 Sweden, to whsm
rance had ceded the island in 174S.
At The close of the revolution piracy
Was dead. Fer a while trada with
America in pineapples was kept up
aad smuggling helped matters for a
period, but at last ruin complete and
final, fell upon the island-the curse
Of God, they say--and in 1878 Sweden
was Slad enough to return ST Bartholo-
new 10 France, who still governs il as
: dependency of Guadeloupe.
Everywhere on the island you hear
the same story of the mining engineer
who fifteen years ago in idle moment
picked up bit of mineral and. drop
ping a careless word as to its value
went away again. knew not who he
was, but | often wonder if by any
chance the bit of ore still rests in his
cabinet and if he knows that on a lit
tie island a,000 miles away 500 strug.
Cling souls have cheered themselves
as times grew worse with the hope of
his return
The little fringe of houses along the
base of the hills in no way differs from
other West Indian towns save for the
absence cf the negroes. who long ago
lave left for other islands, where work
is plentiful We looked in vain for
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-01-24

L is ne generally known that ia
Scotland. 10 nc. Q tan ...ee=ni out
+ Glasgow. t,.et.= Is lie raging at a
l-.,..1-,s sct,tion which has been going
81 for months, and, Notwithstanding
that tons i water have been poured
upon this insidiOus fire, it cannot be
put out. 1t seems incredible, but it is
nevertheless true.
The details are as follows: Several
months ago waste piece of ground
close TO the station was wanted by the
railway company as a siding. The lev
el OF this ground was too lew, so truck
loaGs OF refuse We're "dumped' on 1t
to bring il to the necessary level. A
large proportion of this refuse consist
ed OF rotten vegetation, and in the
course of q little time it heated t..
such an extent that combustion set in
and started not only smoudering fire
but flames actually brust through the
ground.
Attempts were made to quell the fire
and il was thought, after several weeks
OF hard work and tons of water. that
1t mad been put out What was the
surprise. however, to see it break ont
a1iesh IN another place and nearer the
station. Fears then began TO he felt
for the safety of the station buildings
especially as the main double line TO
important coast and country towns
led through it.
Fresh energy was then brought %
bear and much more water was pour.
ed on this fire, which seemed to have
It's stronghold in the bowels of the
earth, but from the volume of steam
and smoke issuing from innumerable
crevices it was seen that the fire de.
mon was resisting all efforts, and
was slowly creeping nearer and near.
er TO the foundations of the railway
station.
II was now whispered and soon be.
Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-01-24

1t was now whispered and soon be.
came known that the station had orig
lnally been built upon a sort of shale
which came out of the mints in the
near neighborhood years ago. These
shaie mounds have been known to
take years burning right through and
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-24

them settle on the cat with such burn
ing intensity that he uttered a plaintive
meow and Scurried under the lounge.
There's guilt for your he whispered.
THAT cat has committed crime after
crime, and he knows I've struck mis-
trail at last. I'll attend to his case af-
ter dinner"
Nothing further was said about crime
and criminals until after the evening
meal although Mr.. Bowser made sure
that no one was hiding under the table,
and twice he made the cooks heart
jump as he fastened his accusing eyes
on her and seemed to read ner thoughts.
Fortunately for her she was not guilty
of murder and did not drop the teapot.
Half an hour later, as he sat on the
front steps with his cigar, and the cat
well in the background, Mr.. Bowser re-
sumed the fascinating subject by say
ing:
IF the man was honest, why didn't
he look me in the eye?''
"It was nothing against him that he
didn't" replied Mrs. -Bowser. 1.-THE
tramp who stole our garden hose last
week could look you in the eye all
day
But this man had q sly, secretive
way. It's no use to talk about it. 1
intuiuyely felt that he was a criminal,
and I'm only sorry that didn't point
him out to a policeman. He may re-
turn tonight to burglarize our house"
TITS consoling to know he wouldn't
get much"
'fBut is it consoling to know that as
I came downstairs in the darkness he'd
stick a knife into me? He wouldn't
get much money, but I don't care
about being murdered. I'm a good
mind to walk around and see if I can
see him again. If he suspects he's a
suspected man he will probably take
skate
you'd better sit right here and let
the police attend to their own business.
Why did you look at the cook in that
way?''
''Hist! Not so loud, Mrs. Bowser,
our cook may not have murder on her
soul, but she has probably robbed
houses
EtWhat nOnsensei
"CaI it what you will, but make
no mistakes. She couldn't keep her
heels on the floor while was looking
at her, and she gasped for breath as
she set the teapot down. I shouldn't
wonder a bit if she was missing in the
morning. By George, but do you see
that man across the street,"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-24
BowsER's MYSTERY.
He Does Some Sherlock Holmes
Work.

Mr.. Bowser had a mysterious air
about MIN when he came home to din
ner the other evening, and when Mrs
Bowser had settled it that it was a
mysterious air, and not case of
measles, she asked what had hap
pened.
Did you notice a mysterious man
around here this afternoon?" he queried
in reply-"a rather tall man, who
stopped a little and glanced about him
in a furtive sway?"
why, no. The only man / noticed
was fat, red-headed fruit peddler, who
offered me twenty oranges for a quar-
ter"
IT met such a man as I got Off the
car at the corner, and he tried to avoid
me. I stood for a moment in hopes to
catch his eye, but 1 couldn't do it. He
had come from this direction, and it
struck me that he had been spotting
this house
He might have been looking for a
house to rent" suggested Mrs. Bowser.
"And he might have been looking for
a house to plumber. I never see a ras-
cal but what I have a feeling that he
is what he is. 1 have often been told
that I would make a good detective
Then Mr.. Bowser rolled his eyes
around the room in a way that took in
everything at a glance, and finally let
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-24

the villain nowi"
What Uillafn 2"

the villain nowi"
What Sillain ?"
"Why, the one met on the corner.
He is coming from the other direction
him. Take a fair look at him, Mrs.
Bowser. You may be wanted on the
witness stand tomorrow to identify
him.
but that man doesn't look like a
villain" she protested.
That's where you are deceived.
Sherlock Holmes would pronounce
him a villain from top to toe at first
glance. Do you notice that he is look
ing this way and that? See the stoop
to his shoulders? Can't you see that
he swings his arms as if he had worn
handouts ? That man, Mrs. Bowser, is
did not put the police on to him !
would not be doing my duty. Ha!
He pauses; he leans up against the
fence; he is waiting for his pail
But what are you going to do ?''
she asked as he rose up.
.'Going to find a policeman"
"But you'll make blunder and get
into trouble. If he's a suspicious
character let the police find"
IF he's suspicious character!
Don't you suppose I can tell one forty
rods away. You'll see some fun here
in about five minutes
Mr. Bowser walked straight out of
the gate and up the street, meaning
to pass the villain and find an officer
on the corner, but as he went up the
street an officer came sauntering
down. The officer reached the villain
first, and, clapping him on the back,
called him Jim, and asked him if he
had found his dog yet.
Mr.. Bowser turned away. Mrs. Bow
ser and the cat were looking at him
from a distance, and something must
be done to save his reputation. Some
thing was done. He had almost
reached his own gate, and he could see
the smile on Mrs. BOwSer'S face, when
the watermelon man came along. He
had a big melon in his arms and was
yelling at the top of his voice. He
had a guilty conscience. For five
years he had been selling green mel
ons and deceiving innocent people, and
when Mr.. Bowser suddenly jumped for
him, he dropped the melon he was
carrying and fled. Down the street
Jay street and Murderers' alley and
Execution place and on into the gath
ering twilight; and hours later, as Mrs
Bowser slept and the cat promenad-
ed the back fences, a furtive figure
stole up to the front door with a
ha, and a hist! and unlocked it and
stole softly upstairs.
1t was Sherlock Holmes Bowser. He
had run his man to the woods and
lost him, but he would pick up the
trail when daylight dawned again
That is, if Mrs. Bowser had one single
sarcastic word to say, he would hurl
divorce" and "alimony'' at her and
shut her up and retain his dignity un-
mpaired.-(C Copyright, 1904, by T. c.
McCIure.)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-24


and Devoured 1t.
" Go ahead, JIM says the colonel as
I stopped.
at have finished, suh,' I stiffiy re-
piled.
" But there are 116 more verses
"'They are not for you. Judge Har-
per, you may know all about law, but
I'm suah you know nothing about poe
try
't'ColoneI,' said the judge, I'm dis
appointed in you as a poet, but that
needn't break our friendship. You are
a; soldier and a statesman, and Wen
let it go at that
but 1 couldn't" explained the col
onel. His unjust criticism ranked
and L found myself growing cold to-
wards him. 1 babe him an icy good
day and returned home, and it is just
possible that 1 might have forgiven
him had heard no more of the poem
through him. A week later he was
talking public about it and saying that
it was the lanest thing he ever heard.
In brief, sub, the judge strongly init
mated that 1 was moonstruck ass for
wasting time on a, poem instead of at
tending to my garden. When his words
were repeated to me, l took the train
and was soon at his Office.
'Mawnin', JIM, he said, as I ap-
peared.
:. 'Mawin', suh,' L replied.
ANY mo- poems.'
No, sub. I have turned to some
thing else, suh.'
sGwine into hawgs?'
" 'No-into duels. Judge Harper, my
errand heah today is to challenge you
to meet me on the field of honah.'
50 But for the lands sake, why? You
and 1 have been friends for the last
ten years-the best of friends. Don't
get no wheels into your head, JIM
"'Suh, you criticised my poem and
called me an ass, and If you refuse my
challenge I shall publicly insult you.
Send your friend to Majah Gordon
1.-The judge wouldn't believe for some
time that 1 was in earnest, but when
he realized that I was, he showed his
gameness. He accepted the challenge
and named pistols, and we were to
meet in two days. The coming duel
aroused the widest excitement, but it
didn't come off. caught my forefnger
in the doah and badly injured it, and
for the first time in my life I had to
ask a postponement Of duel. We put
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-24

and strolIed down to the gate and paid
him some money. Mr.. Bowser was
flushing up and hitching around when
Mrs. Bowser quietly remarked:
''It is the man who cut their grass
this afternoon. His name is Williams,
and everybody around here likes him.
You might just as well suspect our
neighbor Green"
Tt was looking at Green last
evening, as he sat on his steps," OBJ
served Mr.. Bowser in confidential
tones, land tell you
"You tell me what %
HE acts like a man with some
What utter absurdity!"
you may call it what you like. but
if he was to die tomorrow and leave
a written confession of crime behind
I should not be a bit surprised. 1
was riding on the car with him a few
days ago and he was so upset by the
sight of policeman that he tried to
pay his fare with a trousers button.
Honest men don't turn as pale as
death at sight of the patrol wagon. :"
you'll be suspecting me next, -
laughed Mrs Bowser.
Mr.. Bowser did not reply. He
glanced from her to the cat with
sleuthy eyes and INDUCED in certain
mysterious mods. Those mods meant
that he held the clue in his hands and
would Swoop down on the pair of
them when the proper time came. He
was still nodding when he suddenly
called out:
"By the living lingo. but there is
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-24
COLONEL BUNKER.
He Tells of a Poem and a Duel


'On a hot day, suh," observed Colo
mel Bunker, as he replaced his glass
with one hand and wiped his mouth
with the other, ION a day when the
thermometer marks SO degrees in the
shade, a mint julep goes right to the
spot, sub, as nothing else will 1t is
fortunate for America that she grows
mint. 1 have sometimes thought that
she owed her greatness to it. Where
ever you find mint you find patriotism
'As to my duel with Judge Harper,
sub, it came about because of a poem
the only one I ever wrote. I had
lectured several times on the battle
of Lookout Mountain, when my old
friend Colonel Ross suggested that I
write a poem on the same subject.
1 gave the matter some thought and
then began the work. 1t was to be
something to live for a thousand
years, and I took it slow and wrote
ing off and on all winter, and finally
completed the task. There were 100
four-line verses, sub, and every line
was picture by itself. That Poem
breathed romance, courage, love, bat
tie, patriotism-all that is bravest and
best in man. 1t deserved to go down
to future generations in letters of
gold, and 1 may say without egotism
that its loss, by accident, was almost
a national calamity.
'sWhen I had finished the poem
when the last line of the glorious trib-
ute to my comrades in the wah had
been written, sub, I took the train and
went down to Catsville to read the
whole to my dear friend Judge Har-
per. He knew I had been at work,
and he had written me encouraging
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-24
A Rachelor,s Trim.

A bachelor is not usually credited
with a knowledge about the proper
treatment of children. but sometime
they step in where angels fear to tread.
we'll on in years and not very fond of
children, went to see a married sister
the other day, and found her trying to
amuse her little boy, aged five years.
Not long after he arrived she step
ped out of the room to attend to some
household duty or other, leaving him
alone with the child. The latter eyed
him obviously for some minutes. He
was a spoilt child if ever there was
uniscuous acquaintances. The bachelor
tried to make the little one laugh. but
all he got for his antics was sour
look.
Finally, without any warning, the
child burst out crying. Here was a
ouandary, to be sure. He didn't dare
to pick the boy up and soothe him.
His attempts in a verbal line were dis
NAL failures. What should he do?
looked at the crying youngster, and
the CRYING youngster looked at him
through his tears. He was evidently
much pleased with the impression he
was making.
The child obeyed-
Louder yet" urged the bachelor.
A veil went up that would have done
credit to an Indian.
cory louder still" insisted the man,
and the boy did his best to obey.
sIouder!" fairly howled his uncle.
at won't" snapped the infant, and
he shut his mouth with click and
was quiet for the rest of the day
London Tit-Bits.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-24

words. The judge asked me to his
house. and after we had partaken of
a cocktail or two, I started in to read
the poem. To my intense surprise, 1
had not yet finished the first verse
when the judge made a criticism. 1
had made attribute rhyme with dis
tribute which is perfectly poetical,
but the judge thought different. In
the second verse he suggested three
changes; in the third verse four, and
in the fourth verse he claimed to find
false syntax, bad rhyme and some
thing like saeri1ege. Four verses were
all I read.