davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09
cLIFF CLIMBING FOR BIRDS EGGS

Any young man In search of call
ing which would combine daring and
plenty of nerve could not do better
than become one of the climbers who
search the Yorkshire cliffs for sea
birds eggs. The entire length of the
cliff is rented during the breeding
season by two or three separate lots
of climbers, who have great respect
for each others rights. The man
about to descend to gather the eggs
gets into a kind of leather breeching,
which fastens about his waist, and to
this a long, thin, strong rope is at
tached A strong running iron pulley
is fastened into the edge of the cliff,
50 that the rope shall work easily and
run no risk of being frayed by rubbing
against the sharp edge of the cliff.
Three of his companions, having dug
their heels firmly into the soil a few
feet away from the edge of the cliff,
sit down one behind the other; the
first man wears a stout piece of leather
around his body round which COM
plete turn of the rope is taken, and
the other men assist him in paying out
or hauling up the rope, as the case
may be- The third man also has in
his charge the signal rope by which
the egg gatherer intimates his desire
to ascend or descend. There is little
danger in the business, The ropes
are carefully tested and well tended,
and even should the climber turn
turtle he cannot fall from the leather
preaching. The only danger is from
stones falling upon the head which
have been dislodged by the pulley
above. These men become very ex
pert in swinging about to reach the
lodges.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09
GREWSOME DANCE

The death dances of the Thibetan
formed on the last three days of the
year, are called the ceremony of the
sacrificial body of the dead year." The
effigy of a man made of dough, rs
lifeless as possible and having inside
a distinct heart and all the entrails
filled with a red fluid, is placed by four
cemetery ghouls in sight of the nu-
merous spectators in the center of the
yard, and at once bands of skeleton
ghosts rush upon the corpse to at
tack it. This is the time to display
the necromantic power of Larnaism
over the evil spirits. Monks and lamaS
come forth and go through a series
of ceremonies, the magic effect of
which keeps the fiends away. But q
more formidable devil with great horns
and possessed of superior powers
makes his appearance and takes the
field. Whereupon a saint or an incar-
nation of Buddah himself comes to
the rescue, sprays flour on the enemy,
makes mystic signs and utters incan-
tations. The skeleton ghosts and the
big fiend grovel before him and i'm
plore mercy. He graciously yields to
their supplications and allows them
to partake of a sacramental meal.
While they kneel before him he gives
to each one of them a little flour to
eat and a drink out of vessel of holy
wafer
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09
AS A PUNISHMENT

The treadwheel is still in vogue at
many English prisons. Within the walls
is a little building, built of blue-gray
stone, standing somewhat apart from
the main structure in a corner of the
exercise ground and prison garden On
the chocolate colored door is painted in
white letters the two words "Wheel
House, AS the door opens the dull
grinding sound that we heard outside
grows a little louder and clearer. The
door closes behind us with the newt
able clash and click of the returning
bolt. The house is an apartment some
thirty feet long and fifteen wide. On
the left hand side are the wheels, four
of them. in two tiers, divided by a
galley running the whole length of the
house and communicating with the
floor by a staircase at the opposite end.
On the right hand side there is another,
lower and shorter, gallery, on which
stands the warder in charge. The
wheels are separated by a section of
brick wall
Each wheel Is divided into compart-
ments cutting off each prisoner from
the other. The object of this is to pre-
vent the prisoners from seeing ard
hearing each other, although conversa.
tion in a low voice, pitched in diff
ferent key to that of the music of the
wheel" is perfectly easy and intel
ligible.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09
SOME TEMPERANCE STATISTICS

Investigations made by the depart
ment of labor into the attitude of
large corporations on the liquor ques-
tion have recently been made public
Circulars were addressed to large
employers of labor throughout the
country. Many circulars, as usually
happens, were unanswered; but over
1000 establishments, employing 100000
persons, took the trouble to reply. In
transportation lines alone 113 employ
ers replied, representing 45S,0O0 en-
ployes. OF those who answered the
specific inquiry regarding liquor 1858
reported that means were taken to as
certain the habits of employees and 1894
stated that they prohibited, either in
whole or in part, the use of intoXicat-
ing drinks by their employees. In very
few of these cases did the motive of
philanthropy or public spirit seem to
count for much. Sobriety was insisted
upon from motives of purest self-in-
terest. OF those who restricted their
employees only twenty-eght gave as
their reason, ITO make good example
for their employees" second, ITO guard
against temptation" and third, For
the good of employees"
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

Capital punishment came near to be-
ing abolished the other day in France
on account of the expense, and the cost
Of the institution does certainly seem
rather high. The chief eXecutioner
draws a salary of $1,000 a year. He has
two first-class assistants, each drawing
$500 a year, and three second-class as
sistants, each drawing $500 a year. II
addition to this the executioner draws
$3.50 and each assistant draws $1.6O a
day for expenses when operating in the
provinces, while the stabling of the
guillotine costs $500 a year. and an
Algerian executioner is salaried at the
same figure as his Partisan colleague.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09
HUMAN FUEL

In India the gross superstitions pre-
vailing among the natives frequently
produces horrible tragedies. Occasion
ally they come to light. In the up
country town of EIingoi, in the Deccan,
is q cotton ginning mill owned by ma
tives. one Of the proprietors, a Parsee
named Nowroiee, looked after the en-
gines and machinery of the mill Late
ly. the machinery had not been working
well and the engine in particular had
given considerable trouble. The ma
tive engineers seem to have got 1t into
their heads that the engine was really
driven by a god which took the form
thought the god was angry and needed
propitiating by the sacrifice of a hu-
man being. one night hiudoo labor
er named Govindah was passing the
mill. Some workmen sitting in the
yard smoking called out to him to
join them. The gang had just been
discussing the vagaries of the engine
and the necessity for offering a sacri-
flee to it. The whole party walked to-
ward the boiler, and some of the men
seized Govindah. Others swung open
the furnace door and the unfortunate
man was crammed inside, head first.
They had to lose their hold on his
body in order to shut the furnace door
whereupon Govindah. who was a very
powerful man, managed to get out and
F,.n 1t a
pain and fear and sustained CHASTITY
injuries. The engineers did not make
a second attempt to thrust him into
the furnace and he crawled away to
his hut.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09
A SNOW DOORWAY

THE accompanying illustration Is
not, as might be supposed, an ig-
loo, or snow house, built by an
Eskimo way up in the far north.
where such a house is the only kind
to be seen.
1t is true that the structure shown
in the picture is a snow house, but it
was built by switchman on the elec-
trio road near the capitol, in Washing
ton.
Having a great deal of leisure on his
hands, he began by collecting the snow
in a large space at the corner of the
park. Little by little his supply of
material accumulated and he worked
industrously in the intervals between
the arrivals of the cars. Having first
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09
a ROYAL PAGODA

~ NE of King Leopold's rarest treas
I ures is a genuine Chinese pago-
da, built at Laeken, close to his
palace in Brussels. The tall tower, as
we'll as the low buildings which form
the approach, is a mass of gliding ana
beautiful carving. The interior is filled
with some of the finest specimens of
japanese art that have ever found their
way abroad. The majority of these art
objects and nearly the entire pagoda
were bought by his highness at the
Paris expositions japanese exhibit
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

opposite of the normal one. If the ex-
pertinent has not been tried before the
is now termed looking glass" writing,
which can be read only with the aid
of a mirror. By writing with both
hands simultaneously and with the
eyes closed it has been discovered that
the characters are invariably re-
versed. The idea offers a suggestion
to those who have need of cipher
writing.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

ITO BE ambidextrous has its advan-
tages, but most persons who are
able TO write with the left hand
manipulate the pen and produce char
acters in an Enthusiastically left
handed" way. Some physicians now
assert that the proper manner to write
with the left hand is to reverse ex-
actly the right-handed operation.
For example, the pen is held with the
tip slanting toward the left shoulder
and the position of the fingers is the
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

Gwandu. a town in Africa, contains
between 10000 and $1,000 inhabitants
and is surrounded by palisade of poles
the top of every pole being crowned by
a human skull. There are six gates and
the approach to each gate is laid with
pavement of human skulls, the tops
being the only parts that show above
ground. More than 1000 skulls are used
in the pavement leading up to each
gate. The pavement is of snowy white
ness, polished to the smoothness OF
ivory by the daily passage Of hundreds
of naked feet
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

A colony on the Tolstoy plan has
been founded by some of the Neither
landish disciples of the Russian teach
er at Apeldoorn, in Holland, where
William III had his favorite hunting
seat before he became king of Eng
land. Three professional men have re-
nounced their positions and have
joined as agricultural laborers. one
is Professor Van Ries and the other
two are Protestant clergymen. Each is
to be paid a yearly wage af 700 florlns
for his labor.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

The color of the pagoda is dark red,
with splashes of black and gold.
Instead of the customary antique
bells which fringe a pagodas curled up
caves as they rise one above the other,
strings of electric lights now outline
this royal building. The pagoda is sup
piled with beautiful stained glass win
dows, done by a French artist after
japanese designs. The walls are COW
cred with lacquer panels. decorated
with ivory and gold. and the various
rooms contain some rare bronzes. Upon
the death of the king the pagoda viii
become the property of the nation.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

1t is not generally known that the
remains of all the czars of Russia since
Peter the Great lie in a memorial
chapel built on one of the islands of
the Neva. All the cenotaphs are ex-
actly alike each being a block of white
marble without any decoration what
ever. The only distinction by which
one is marked is the name of the de-
ceased emperor.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

ONE curious things have been
found in the briny deep, but one of
- the oldest is az ecclesiastical en-
blem made of pearls which washed
ashore on the coast of West Australia.
There are nine good sized gems in this
natural curiosity. These have been
Joined together to form a perfect Latin
cross. Seven pearls of equal size COM
prise the upright and two more form
the transverse piece. The joining has
been the work of nature. The odd
prize, discovered in a pearl oyster, is
said to be worth at least 100000. 1t is
called the Great Southern Cross pearl.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

The spider has a tremendous appe-
tite and his gormandizlng dehes all
human competition. A scientist who
carefully noted SPIDERS consumption
of food i'm twenty-four hours concluded
that if the spider were built propor-
tionately TO the human scale he would
eat at daybreak approximately a small
alligator, by a. m. lamb, by 9 a. m.
a young eamelopard, by 1 o'clock a
sheep and would finish up with lark
pie in which there were 12O birds.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

fine, and chiefly for that reason the
government bureau of animal indus
try has imported half a dozen speci-
mems, which are now at the expert
mental farm maintained by the depart
ment of agriculture near Washington
on the opposite side of the Potomac.
These sheep are to be used for breed
ing, and If trial shows that they are
worth while the stock will be regularly
introduced for extensive propagation in
this country.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

In the course of a day a person
breathes about twenty-six hundred
gallons of air, weighing thirty-four
pounds, which is about six times the
average amount of food and drink con-
sumed. 1t therefore seems rather
foolish to be constantly on guard
against adulterated food and impure
water and to allow your neighbor to
pollute the atmosphere because it is
cheaper for him in his business.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

The sun is so vast that if it were a
hollow ball the moon could revolVe In
the orbit which it now follows and still
be entirely inclosed within the suns
interior. For every acre on the sur
face of our globe there are more than
ten thousand acres on the surface of
the great luminary
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

An Austrian takes his oath in front
of a crucifix, flanked by lighted can
dies. With upraised right hand he
says: 'I swear by the all powerful
and wise God that l will speak the
whole and clean truth and nothing but
the truth in answer to any questions
that may be asked in this court"
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

1t is a curious fact that the roots
and branches of a tree are so alike in
their nature that if a tree be uprooted
and turned upside down the under
ground branches will take to them
selves the functions of roots and the
exposed roots will in time bud and
become veritabe branches.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

There are 1O,7 pieces of wood, cloth
and felt and 1885 feet of wire in a con-
cert grand piano. The earliest recorded
public performance on the pianoforte
took place at Covent Garden on May
16, 1867.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

To raise money for the French treas
ury the municipal council of La Cour-
tine gravely proposes that a tax be
levied on every dress woman pos
sesses over and above one for every
day wear and one for Sundays and fete
DAYS,
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

A common nail is an excellent il
lustration of the difference between old
and new methods. Formerly metal was
cut into strips and forged into scrap
with hammers, an expert taking one
and a half minutes for each. Per-
feet nails are now made at an average
rate of seventy per minute.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

In Frances navy there are forty-five
admirals to 1860 officers and 1885 men.
In the army there are $50 generals to
21,4SS officers and $4,000 men, while
the marines have seventeen generals
TO 21O5 officers and 52SO5 men.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09
CRYSTAL PITCHER

ESCUED from a pile of ordinary
x glass and pantry crockery this
L \ tiny rock crystal vase is now re-
garded as a great treasure by it's own
ers. Though scarcely more than six
and a half inches high, there has been
price of about $21 900 placed upon it
by London experts. The vase was
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

Smoking a pipe while riding bicycle
proved fatal to a commercial traveller
recently He fell and the stem of his
pipe was driven into his tongue. Nico-
noiSoning.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

A fly so minute as to be almost in
visible ran three inches in half Sec
ond, and was calculated to make no
less than $40 steps in the time a
healthy man would breathe once. A
man with proportionate agility could
run twenty-four miles in a minute.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

The woman tennis champion of New
Zealand has but one hand. and that
is the left one, but she can serve a
bali that is exceedingly difhcult to re-
turn
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09
WOOLLESS SHEEP

IT HE sheep that has no wool comes
from Barbados How it got
there nobody knows, but it is
supposed to have come from Africa
originally.
Anyway. it's mutton is remarkably
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

Thibet's 100000 people have to sup
port an army of 100000 priests, who
produce nothing but beautifully illum-
mated copies of the sacred writings.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

In England and Wales about one In
four of the population has an account
In the Postoffice Savings bank; in Ire
land one in ten. and in Scotland one
IN eleven. y
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

A boy narrowly escaped being cleo
trocuted in London recently while drag
ging an iron hoop along the slot rail
of an electric tramway line.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

shaped and smoothed the exterior, he
excavated chamber within, and when
all was finished a flag was unfurled
from it's summit. The edifice so strange
in the latitude of our national capital
was the result of the labor of work.
ingman who fashioned it without plans
or specifications.
The interior is large enough to admit
of use, and contains a good sized seat,
where it's owner can rest and seek
shelter from the wind and storms.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

A method of plating aluminium with
gold and silver has been devised The
troublesome oxide is removed from the
surface and the superficial coating of
zinc or copper applied by electroplat-
ing can be plated with gold or silver.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

In 1884 railway printed on its time
cable: 'The locomotive viii leave the
depot every day at 10 o'clock II the
weather is fair"
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

army made use of torpedoes as land
missiles. They were found to be emf
nently satisfactory in the destruction
of the enemy's forces and fortifica-
tions.
The torpedo is fitted with a rudder,
or, rather, d group of them, but it has
been shot with such speed that this
part does not show in the illustration.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09

above him and see the giant elephant,
moulded in the rugged and crumbling
stone as it juts out against the sky
line, perfect in every part, and he will
wonder as he gazes at the likeness
at the perfect lines of the great hulk
and it's natural attitude as it stands
stretching longingly toward the north.
The Washington times., 1905-06-08
STIDHAN SAYS DISTRICT
DOES NOT DUMP REFUSE
Reply to Complaint Shows Objection
able Material Is Deposited On
Leased Ground.

Superintendent Stidham, of the Dis
trict Street Cleaning Department, has
replied to the protest Of George a.
King. Of 72s Seventeenth street north
west. against the continued dumping cf
refuse along Rock Creek In the vicinity
Of p street bridge. Mr.. Stidnan de-
fends the departments action in, ono
case and denies any responsibility in
others.
He says the dump north Of street
bridge on the east side Of the creek is
on private property OVER which the de-
partment has no control. The District,
says Mr.. Stidham. has no wagons haul
Ing to that point, as stated by Mr.. king.
Mr.. Stidham continued: THE state
ment as TO the Continued dumping of
refuse lower down the creek ir35a iol y
refers to the dumping OF ashes, tin
cans. etc, at the foot Of Dumbarson
avenue by r. V. Rusk, contractor for
the removal of ashes. This dump Is on
leased ground and the District has no
control over II.
THE only dumping now hein;, per-
formed by the District along Rock Creek
Is at the abandoned ash dump aI TWEEN
ty-fourth and = streets northwest,
where a few loads Of street sweepings
are being hauled daily to face OF me
ashes and to cover up the tin cans and
ether unsightly Hitter. ALI other dump
Ing at this point ceased April l."
The Washington times., 1905-06-08
In London Eyes.

open the Illustrated London News
between the pictures of King Alfonso
learning to shoot-thereby setting an
imperial example for the gunners of
his erstwhile navy to follow-and the
Royal Horse Artillery "Practicing the
Most Popular Evolution of the Mill
tary tournament, the Gunners' Musi-
cal Drive"-which, somehow does not
suggest the last war in which the
British artillery participated at all.
Well, between those two pictures you
VIII find: ''The Stranger Within Our
Gates. Tourists under the Portfco of
the National Gallery.
From appearances we should say
che portico Of The National Gallery
was something of cross between the
Plaza of st. Marks in Venice. with
its pigeons flying around loose, and
the Bowery on rainy Saturday. The
place IS filled with Americans. No
body's clothes fit, which is a particu-
larly subtle tribute by an English
artist 10 English trade, and the
draughtsman has given all the women
folks boas, which may be either a
London joke on the American prac-
tice OF permitting young girls to 20
about unescorted, even in London,
England, or deft concealment of his
inability to draw necks. In the mid
die ground, dominating the scene, is
the Original man from Cooks, the
figure of General Corbin in the garb
OF Lord Chumley. There are street
lamps, too-lit; perhaps a Fremont
ton of the fog that is to come, as the
handbook of the National Gallery
might say, but doesn't.
But there are two figures in the
foreground to which we Americans
take of our bats. They are unmis-
The Washington times., 1905-06-08

takably our countrymen. The man has
g. weazened, sharp face and chin
whiskers-a modern version of your
Uncle Sammy or a study OF a recent
ly retired member Of the Interstate
Commerce Commission in a fedora hat
and custom-mede sack suit
The other figure is that of young
American girl, evidently Uncle Sans
daughter. She has a guide book in
her outstretched hand, as much as to
say that If she misses seeing anything
In London she will sue old Baedeker
himself for damages. The Governor"
is carrying her parasol He would
carry a Piccadilly bus or the dome of
ST. Paul's if she wanted him to- There
may be some service in the world
which means more happiness than
the slavery Of the American Dad" to
his growp-up daughter. but if there
is we do not know of it. And the
American girls clothes fit Do you
think she would go about Kankakee,
OF Cincinnati, or Richmond, or Wash
ington, to say nothing of London,
with wrinkle between her shoulders? :?
She has veil, like the rest (and
boa), as though she came to look out
over Trafalgar square or muse over
the tomb Of Nell Gwynne every
morning before breakfast
Guide book, smart gown, veil and
boa are ali tributary, however, to her
face. There is no need to describe
into which The Times goes day after
day An artist would talk of its
regular features, or the balance be-
tween the clear cheeks and the coiled
tresses What we see in it is some
thing better than that. 1t is a nature
Of wonderful gentleness, a sympathy
broad enough to include every beggar
in Europe, sturdy loyalty to her
own. new, rushing, happy country
across the water, and love for her
old Dad that makes your heart tug
just to think Of it.
We may not think much of this
Tiew Of the portico Of the National
Gallery. Plainly, we do not. But we
are properly grateful to the artist of
the Illustrated London News, just the
same, for this picture of a shrewd,
proud, loving American father and
his sweet, domineering, beautiful
daughter.