davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13
BULL FIGHTING IN SPAIN.
Attended With Appalling Disaster
and Loss of Life.

Disasters succeed each other with
astonishing rapidity in the bull rings
of Spain.
On Easter Sunday eight matadors
in the various cities where bull
fights were being held, met with Sc
rious accidents. On Mayday, dur
ing a charity performance at Sc
vile, an amateur matador belong
ing to a distinguished family was
gored through the throat and died
an the bull ring, a priest being hast
lily summoned to administer the last
sacraments.
Nor does the list of troubles end
there. AS three magnificent bulls
were being conveyed to the ring
from the train in which they had ar
rived from the country, the most
powerful of the beasts knocked out
the side Of the cage with a blow of
his head, and the animals on gain
ing their freedom charged the
crowd which had gathered to watch
their arrival. A panic ensued, the
people taking refuge in the stores
lining the streets and scrambling
into the tramcars, many taking ref
use in the trees.
One man was impaled ON q bulls s
horns and died in agony. A wo-
man was tossed a dozen yards, and
three cab horses were gored. The
gendarmerie arrived with rifles, and
armed guards belonging to the bull
ring also appeared. Shots were
fired at the bulls, much lead lodging
In the neighboring fences and
breaking the windows of the houses
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13

Diamonds are used quite extern
sfve1y as dies for drawing wire of
the smallest sizes; for instance, the
sizes less than, say, OPS inch diam
eter.
The hardest steel dies are not
suitable for this work, for the rea-
seo that the wear upon them so en-
larges the die that the diameter of
the wire is not uniform within the
required percentage of variation at
the beginning and end of a drawing
Sapphires are used sometimes for
this work. Copper, silver and plati-
mum are the metals usually drawn
to the very small sizes.
With diamond dies it is practical
BILE to draw platinum to diameter
of five ten-thousandths of an inch.
An idea of the fineness Of copper
wire drawn to only three one-thou-
sandths of an inch in diameter may
be gathered from the fact that in
one pound of the metal there are
over six miles of such wire.
The weight of the diamond used
for this work is from four to five
carats, and they are uncut except
as to the die. The value of these
dies, which, of course, are not of
the first water, varies from SIS to
$40 a carat, and several hundred
thousand dollars worth of dia-
monds are utilized as dies in the va
rious wire factories of this country
alone.
Skilful, however, as must be the
artisans who sink these small dies
and attenuated as the wires drawn
through them may be, yet neither
will stand comparison with the out
put of the spinneret of the common
spider, which elects a single thread
of silk so fine that $4,000 threads
are required to equal in thickness
an ordinary single strand of sewing
silk.-Electrical Review.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13
NEGROES AS FIGHTERS.
Many Champions, but No Winner OF
Worlds Heavyweight Title.

Whatever may be the final decis-
ion on the color line in pugilism-
the fact remains that no negro
heavyweight ever held the cham
pionship of the world. Probably the
only fighter of his race who came
near to such a distinction was Peter
Jackson. But John l.. Sullivan,who
then wore the crown, blocked jack
sons ambition by refusing to give
him a battle. There have been in
stances where colored scrappers have
fought for the championship of Eng
land. This happened many years
ago, though. OF late whatever glo-
ries the negro has attained in the
prize ring, were won in America.
Among the smaller brigade the
negroes may be said to have been
very conspicuous. Three have held
the worlds title at their various
weights. George Dixon was the ban
tam and featherweight champion of
the world for nearly ten years, and
only relinquished his laurels to Ter
ry McGovern when 1t was evident
that the noted negro was on the de-
cline. Joe Cans, has been on top
for a number of years and Joe Wal
colt has never been directly beaten
for his belt of welterweight cham
pion. Walcott may now be consid-
cred out of the hunt because of an
injury to one of his hands, which he
received in a shooting scrape about
year ago. Walcott had ambitions
to become the heavyweight leader.
He tried his skill against Joe Choyn-
ski as starter and triumphed,
knocking the Hebrew out in a short
fight. Walcott felt very proud of
his feat and some facetious sporting
writer dubbed him Joe the Giant
7 Killer.-N. Y. Times.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13
IIaZineSS in Holland.

The man who is too lazy to work
keeps out of Holland If he is wise,
or makes his escape as soon as he
discovers that 0there at least a
means has been found to make him
work. When a prisoner or pauper
refuses to work he Is lowered into a
cistern, which Is provided with q
pump at the bottom. A stream of
water is turned on and the idler is
left to his own devices. The capa-
city of the pump is but slightly in
excess Of the stream flowing into the
tank and to keep his head above wa
ter he must keep pumping.
AS rule. he spends some little
time before he finds that the water
is slowly creeping upon him. He is
not urged to go to work, but pres
emily he takes his place at the han
die and begins the task. BY work.
ing quickly he is able to clear out
the water after a short time, but he
has to keep at work if he wishes to
keep dry feet. There have been
occasions when stubborn offender
has refused to pump and has quietly
floated upon the water until fished
out by the keeper, but this simply
doubles his task, and he is not taken
from the water until he is able to
keep afioat no longer.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13
ENGLAND'S INCOME TAX.
Bears Most Heavily Upon Mar of
Average Income.

An effort made recently by sew.
eral enterprising members of Par
liament to induce the House of
Commons to pass a graduated in
come tax failed
1t is held that the present uni
form income tax, which is levied
upon all incomes above $500 year,
is unscientific, because it's burden
is unequal. The present tax of thir-
teen pence on each pound of income,
epproximating twenty-siX cents on
oech SIS of income.
All persons earning under $500 a
ear are exempt. This exemption
elieves the masses of the people
:Om income tax. The effort now IS
o obtain a scientifically graded tax
Ir Charming, NIP. wants to amend
the law so that incomes exceeding
$500 and not excec ing $1,000 shall
be taxed at the rate of four cents on
each $5; incomes above 1000 and
below $4,000 eight cents, and in
comes between $4,000 and $4,000
twenty cents.
Mr. Lewis, MP, also wants a
graduated income tax, while Mr.
Trevelyan, MP, favors a graduated
tax that will compel the rich to
pay in proportion to their wealth.
Mr. Trevelyan believes every person
with an income exceeding s25, 900
shall pay, in addition to the present
tax of twenty-six cents on each IS,
two cents on each So of income
above $4,000 and up to $4,000,
and four cents on each IS of in
come above $4,000.
Under the law as at present ad-
ministered the income tax bears
more heavily upon the man of aver
age income than upon the very
wealthy. Nobody living in England
can evade the income tax, whether
Englishmen or foreigners. Even
the London correspondents of Ame-
rfcan newspapers are not exempt
and have to pay income tax at the
same rate as William Waldorf Astor,
although their incomes in many
cases are not quite as large.-N.Y.
Journal
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13
WHERE CHILDREN ABOUND.
Bounty Paid a Heavy Drain in Pro-
yinciaI Resources.

NnC1HI resources.
In the province of Quebec there
are no less than 10000 heads Of
French-Canadian families each of
whom possesses a family of twelve
children or more. Under a provin-
cial enactment these families are
entitled to grant of 100 acres Of
land from the provincial public do
main, and this law is now causing
much concern to the provincial au-
thorities.
When the law was passed provid-
Ing for this grant of crown lands to
productive married couples it was
never calculated that the number of
large families would prove so very
great. 1t has turned out that the
matter is proving serious incubus
upon the local government on ac-
count of the many thousands that
have applied for the right of grant
of land and the thousands that are
yet to be satisfied. The French-Ca-
madam farmers marry young, and
they are a strong, hardy race of peo-
pie.
The fathers of these families in
variably choose the land, to which
they are entitled, as near as possi-
BILE to their own homes, lands that
are held under lease from the gov
ernment by lumbermen to cut their
timber thereon, but the lumbermen
are bound by the terms of their
leases to relinquish such portion of
the lands as may be claimed for set
tlement, Notwithstanding that the
limit-holders have paid the price of
their holdings to the government.
Lumbermen are therefore much
exercised over the present situation.
The tax on the timber limit-holders,
who are called upon to surrender
large portions of their timber areas,
has become so great that they are in
a quandary how to protect their in
terests.
Applications for land grants be-
came so numerous last year that the
lumber merchants waited in a body
upon the Quebec Government, de-
manding relief from the wholesale
spoliation of their timber holdings.
AS consequence, the law was
amended so as to provide a bonus of
$50 in lieu of the land grant, and as
many prefer the cash to the land,
1t may serve to relieve the situa-
ton somewhat.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13
CALIFORNIA FRUIT ROT.
Disease Battles Plant Doctors-Gov-
crnment to Assist.

crnmCnt to Assist.
A dreadful plant disease has aris-
en- to trouble California fruit grow
ers, and Professor r. f.. Smith, as
sistant professor in plant pathology,
has been asked to cure the i'll. He
has announced that the Government
at Washington would cooperate
with the Agriculture College here in
an attempt to wipe out the lemon
brown rot disease which is threat
ening the destruction of the entire
lemon growing industry of Califor-
MIA.
The brown rot in lemons consti-
tutes new problem for plant path
ologists, its character differing radi-
cally from any fungus or parasitic
growth known to those who make
the expert study of such diseases a
specially. Its effects thus far have
been to partly paralyze the lemon
growing business, nearly so per cent
of the crop last year having been
spoiled by the brown rot. The dis
ease spreads a brown mold on the
surface of the fruit, which eventu-
ally shrivels the lemon, making 1t
unfit for use.
Three years ago the first sign of
the brown rot appeared in the lemon
orchards of Southern California. 1t
spread and attacked nearly every or
chard in the State. 1t is a pest not
known in other countries.
Professor Smith and his assistants
have four plant diseases to which
they are devoting especial attention
these being the walnut blight, which
is receiving study at the hands of A.
M. West, Government expert, at
Whittier, in Southern California;
pear blight, lemon brown rot and
sweet potato blight. The Legisla-
ture has appropriated $4,000 for
this purpose.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13
Fate of Men Who Shot a Spy.

while with the British army in
South Africa, said Major Barchard,
an attache of the British Consulate,
II was allotted on one occasion the
stern task of commanding a firing
party of ten men who executed
Boer officer who had broken his pa
role and afterward been condemned
as a spy. He had assumed the uni
form of an English soldier and pene-
trated our lines after having le-
wanted when on his parole.
every member of that fiiiug
party has come to fatal or serious
grief since that Friday morning
when in the gray dawn we shot the
spy. Sudden death or a bad acci-
dent has befallen each one.
"My turn has come, as you see,"
And the soldier who had fought in a
half-dozen campaigns pointed to his
left arm, which was in splints, hav-
ing been fractured in a street car
accident.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13

The newer plan of using deposit
ted funds not so much for the dis
counting of the regular commercial
paper of customers as for the pro-
motion of more or less speculative
enterprises has come into use In an
swer to natural demand and is
doubtless capable of being employed
to the great advantage of general
business as well as that of individ-
uals. But the greater profits possi-
BILE In this kind of banking business
necessarily involve greater risks. and
these should not be incurred without
the provision of extreme precau-
tions, These precautions are to be
sought primarily in the integrity
and exceptional ability of those who
secondarily in proper system OF
governmental examination and con-
trol,-Py9vtdsncs (R, H. Journal
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13
Land of Twins and Triplets.

Scotland Is the land of twins and
triplets, holding a long lead over
her sister countries in this matter.
In twelve months no fewer than
1925 mothers gave birth to twins
and twenty-five presented triplets.
Scotland is among the few countries
OF Europe where the proportion of
male babies is greater than of fe-
males. Striking an average, it is
found that there are about 104
males to every 100 females, but the
surplus of grown-up girls is never
theless large, as so many men travel
south and apparently neglect to
take the precaution to obtain return
tickets to the land of cakes.
There is yet another interesting
fact about Scotland. 1t is the land
of hale Old age. Aecent returns
show that during one year 673 peo-
pie died between the ages of ninety
and one hundred.-Chicago Journal
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13

A smuggling case which is proba-
bly, unique, even in the strange an
nails of contraband, has just been be-
fore the Customs Court of Mar
seilles. Besides its novelty, the case
has deeper interest as indicating a
new danger with which the West is
threatened by the insidious East. On
board the French steamer Touraine
there was found large quantity of
opium smuggled, not by any indi-
vidual in particular, but by the
whole ships company. and the
strange spectacle was witnessed Of
the heavy fine of $4,000 being levied
on all, every man in the vessel be-
ing mulcted in his proportion, as
sessed according to the wages scale.
The incident of an entire crew
turned opium smokers is the more
startling, as among French ships
trading regularly to the East 1t Is
not by any means so rare as might
be pposed,-London Globe,
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13
Money Hotel Cashiers Dislike.

1T is a curious habit the great
American public has of wanting the
kind OF money that hotel cashiers
dislike and have the least Of" said
one OF those useful functlonarie3.
Many are the times each day
that | am called upon, by ladies es-
pecially, for so cent pieces. Quar-
ters won't answer, they want half
dollars, though why that particular
coin I've never been able to UNDER
stand. No cashier cares to keep
halves on hand, but always main.
tains good stock of quarters and
dimes for the reason of their great
er convenience. Many of the guests
also beg for 50 notes, despite the
fact that of all forms of currency
they are the most Objectionable. We
never take them voluntarily and pay
them out as fast as they como in"
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13
PEARY'S NEW SHIP
Specific Points of Difference From
Other Arctic Ships.

First and foremost, she will be
powerful steamer, carrying all tho
engine power which the size of her
hull will contain. All previous arc
tic ships have been sailing ships,
with only accessory or auxiliary
steam power. The sail power OF
the new steamer will be auxiliary
only.
Second she is the first purely fore
and-aft-rigged vessel yet built for
arctic work. None of the others
have been able to get away entirely
from the old-time square-rig Her
rig will be three-masted schooner.
and her sail area about three
fourths of the sail area of the typi-
cal Maine schooner of the same size
of hull. In hull model the ship diff
fers from other arctic ships in sew
eral points.
The rake of her stem Is much
more pronounced than in any pre-
vious ship of her class. Her fore
foot is more rounding. and her bows
are more wedge-shaped. This in
crease in the rake of the stem not
only makes her effective as an ice
breaker, but is necessitated by her
unusual engine power, the incline OF
the stem acting as buffer to her
impact against the ice.
The pronounced wedge shape has
been given to her bows because the
greater portion of her work will he
that of slowly and laboriously
squeezing her way through and be-
tween fields and fragments of heavy
ice, and the sharper her bow the
more effective will be her engine
power Earper's Weekly.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13
WHAT THE sIMPLON MEANS.
The New Tunnel Has Effaced a Ho-
mantle and Historical Path.


The piercing of the Simplon has
unhappily, brought with 1t the maj
effacement of one of the most ro-
mantle and grandly historical paths
in human expedition--the closing
curtain in the most picturesque
drama Europe has afforded. The
Napoeonic spectacle was full OF
surprises; its argument narrates
the complications of society and
war. its complexities detail the en-
thralment of personal magnetism
and force.
The superbly built road over the
Alps has remained one of the most
fascinating diversions for the
thoughtful tourist, and has been
fraught with memorable expert
ences. From the moment OF en-
barkation in the yellow diligence,
when the whip was cracked over the
heads OF the post horses at Brieg,
until the arrival in the gorge of the
Condo at Iselle, it was a continu-
ously unfolding tableau of grandeur
and charm. The overture had be-
gun back in the Rhone Valley with
the castles of Sion and Sierre, the
towers of Loueche and Martigny, at
the foot of the Great st. Bernard
But when the ascension of the Sim
plon began it became a long series
of windings Though fortified defiles
leading around terrifying abysses
and through the widest of noun
tain recesses. One was awed by the
splendor and stirred with conflict
ing emotions. 1t was indeed ref
uge-the hospice of the Augustine
monks Who that has experienced
1t will ever forget the welcoming
hospitality of the four secluded
brethren in the desolate spot?-
Century.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13
Resting the Heart,

REST your heart now and then
during the day" said an instructor
in gymnastics.
But the heart can't be rested" q
pupil objected. 1T works incess-
antly from birth to death"
1T rests the heart to lie down."
said the instructor. Every nights
sleep of nine hours saves the heart
the lifting of 3s,40O ounces Of
blood. Considerable rest there, ehr
When we lie down, you see, the
hearts action becomes slower
slower by ten strokes a minute.
Thus in an hour 900 strokes are
saved, and in nine hours $500
strokes. Each stroke pumps six
ounces of blood, and therefore, In
nine hours the heart Is saved the Ia.
Dor of pumping 32, 400 ounces.
THE heart often requires a rest"
Philadelphia Bulletin.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13
ROyalty's Many Residences.

The Gear of Russia and the EN-
peror of Germany might, if they
please, dispute with each other as to
which of the two owns the greater
number of palaces. Each might
sleep in a different house every
night for a month and not exhaust
the number of his various dwelling
places. The Gear is said to own
many country seats -- which are
kept up in every detail, furnished
and furnished and crowded with
servants-into which he has never
set foot. King Edward of England,
while regularly occupying only four
has dozen or more houses which
are ready for him at all times
Chicago Journal
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13
GUARDING AGAINST FLOODS.
Warning Given Twenty-Eight Days
in Advance.

in Advance.
One of the most remarkable cases
Of flood prediction on record was
the warning of the disastrous floods
Of 1903. Twenty-eight days in ad-
vance of its coming the forecaster
ut Washington announced the ex-
act time when the crest of food
would reach New Orleans, and said
that the height of the flood would
% twenty-one feet. Punctually to
re hour the food came, and it's
rest was 20 feet and inches, only
we inches less than the height pre-
iicted. The immense ocean of
water had started one thousand
miles away. 1t had dropped from
the skies over a territory six times
larger than the State of New York
lover 100000 square miles); but
the weather man knew its rate of
march as surely as the engineer,
with his eye On the indicator, knows
the speed of his locomotive. Thou
sands of men were set to work to
raise and strengthen the levees
and embankments, to clear the
wharves and river banks, to remove
women and children, to drive the
cattle to places of safety. When the
food arrived the people were ready
for it. Comparatively few lives were
lost, and the damage to property,
while terrible, was millions and mil
lions of dollars less than it would
have been If the people had had nc
waters.-Century.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13
Standard Oil in ROumania.

Charles Wood, Bert Graham, c.
K. Deter, Joseph McCastle, and
two other Muncie oil workers re-
Gently signed contracts to go to
Roumania in the employ of the
Standard Oil Company, where the
Standard has come into virtual con-
troll of the immense Roumanian
field. One stipulation in their
agreement with the Standard is that
on finishing their days work the
men shall don evening clothes be-
cause, it is set forth, there are but
two classes of people in Roumania
the peasants and the rich-and
the Standard desires to keep up it's
prestige by having its employees
well dressed.-Indianap News.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13
The South Becoming Active.

There is noticeable activity in the
development of railroads in the
South, and more especially toward
the south Atlantic and gulf ports
Much Of this is, no doubt. due to the
prospects of the Panama Canal,
which should be completed within a
decade at most. The great systems
Of the middle west are striking for
outlets to the ocean highways, and
the short water route to the Orient
is especially engaging their atten-
ton. The eastern systems are pre-
pairing to conserve their own inter-
ests in the great developments that
will come from this immense work.
The increasing product of the coal
mines of the South in Tennessee and
Alabama and southern Ohio and
Kentucky also justify the establish
ment of depots at the southern coast
points for fuel for the ships of COM
merce, which are coming in fleets to
the South for the splendid trade
that is growing almost beyond meas
ure in this section.-Charlesto IS.
c. Post.