davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1905-08-13

"Reason?" teered back IN half mock
cry. when that fierce spirit was stu
enshrined in human flesh how often.
save in matters Of state. were her ae-
tions guided by mere straight reasoning
that anyone might comprehend? How
much less. then, would reason guide
the movements of this-this projection
of a powerful personality
I3 But - SIN WSarily foo1shig; NE oF To4la a
cree lures the most ignorant in strange
ness like to thIs2 Why 70 me? again
and again-rO Writhe from my rough an
swering: WIN you then be a fOol-utter
and cOmpiete2 Come to you?-neYerl
The imTneasurable ipSigniAeanc8 Of your
existent to her now as formerly were lne
dust notes dancing in the ray or sun
shine that lanced q narrow window or
our good Tower of LondOni'" She did not
come 10 YOU! BY a mere accident Of
nerve and soul and brain, being IN at
tune with unusual conditions TRANCE,
OF one. in her habit as she lived VINO q
moment before, a moment later was 10
the blindness OF your mentality merely a
''sightleSs substance
Thus one side of me was silenced. quite
Convinced that my humble station in
life. nay individual nOthinsnesS. had rob
cance But the other side goes on ask
{ ing '.JFhy?-she. the great victim OF
hsredity. receiving from her royal father
her coiOring. her vigorous strength, and
the swift IUsts that made life SO turbu-
lent for her-so unqueenly at times
while beautiful Anne Boleyn, her moth
er, lowered her with Il splendid intellect,
a silkeu subtlety OF mind and a mad
ambition. that made il impossible Tor
J her TO wed even Tor England's 8 sake
/ because, almost she died At the mere
/ power. with any cunsort the world could
offer her. Why. then, was such a spirit
wandering through the universe? Her
mortal body was given Christian burial
/ IL EgE3l State-WnN can she not rest
] WhaT keen desire Of revenge had been
/ left rnsated, during those long decades
! CT stern rule, Of treasured enmity. OF
! casSctteG small SplleS. nursed and kept
/ warm with false smiles and honeyed
words; until The time came to strike
with safety and therefore to strike deep
The Washington times., 1905-08-13

he was set up and made Teady for bust
ness. But when he first lifted up his
voicc-holy smoke! Say. that was the
most expensive speechmaking ever per-
formed by a public Official You see.
the first they done was to ram GO
pounds of srnokeless powder down Bus
ter's throat. Next they showed in that
prOjectile-2,4 400 pounds of nice, pure
steel. Just think how many pocket
knives that would have made. Well.
anyhow, in It went. and then the Off
GERS they hid behind other guns and
give a signal, and out It come. ! was
there, and when them $40 pounds of
slnokeless powder went off Il seemed
Ike the earth reached up and smashed
me in the face.
After It all was over the big human
guns got together and commenced doing
come figuring I was standing near EN-.
and heard every word they said. One
of 'em-I won't mention his name be-
cause you'd know hInl-one of en- said.
This shot cost the United States Gov
ernment exactly 1864"
&" All right ckimed in another officer
who was somewhat younger. All right,
he says. let's shoot it off again Their
q third officer he says. Well. even II It
old cost the United States Government
1854. look what it could have done. Sup
pose there'd been a battleship a few
miles off. shore. If it had been hit by
that proiectile it would have gone down
in no time
with that all the big human guns
went away. talking and whispering and
arguing a whole lot. Then they fixed up
/ their reports and sent EN- on TO Wash
| ington. From that time 1t seemed like
Buster was all right We let him speak
up once IN a while, just SO his voice
wouldn't get husky. and the boys
/ thought he had become regular mem
/ Der OF the family
The Washington times., 1905-08-13

quit letting Buster himself do any
speechmaking around the Hook. So
that's what the biggest gun in the world
has come to. However. Buster won I
suffer none. Wen keep his pipe clean
for him. even If he has got to quit smok-
ing.
Il said a while ago that Buster cost
the United States Government half q
million dollars. Well the way that ex,
pense was divided was that the gun it
self footed up a cool 100000 and
the machinery came to 100000. o.
course. that all goes IN on Buster be,
The Washington times., 1905-08-13
re az 70 "BU0 &c z /"

cause they amt going to build any
more and the machinery was fixed up
especially for making big guns of that
type.
"Oh. I know all about this here chap.
even If I am d 'non-com. Don't ever
fool yourself about the men Uncle Sam S
got IN his ranks OF course. I'm not
blowing my own bugle, you know, but
anyhow I'm on TO tricks. I know right
now that II one of the commissioned Of
flcers happened along and heard what 1
was saying I might be court-martialed.
But there amt none in sight. and q
The Washington times., 1905-08-13
strangest Of Military Ventures.

Thus spoke the sergeant. In his own
quaint way he was commenting on one
Of the strangest military ventures ever
entered into by the United States Gov
ernment. This venture was the con-
structIon of the biggest gun in the world
at a cost agsregating haif q million
dollars Seven years ago the Govern
ments s war ezpertss who had planned
the terrific machine, bubbled over in
their enthusiastic predictions as to its
future. They declared that a few OF
these nonstrous guns scattered along
the important points Of the Atlantic
end Pacific coasts. would render the
United States Impregnable to any for
eign naval invasion.
So the gun was built under almost in
describable difficulties. When mounted
at Sandy Hook two years ago IL was q
thing of appalling proportions. In length
II would reach over the top OF u four
story building
After the huge rife had been complet-
ed, however, the experts began to lose
their enthusiasm. for they foresaw that
Uncle Sam had erected unto himself
a sort Of Frankenstein- It had been
planned originally to construct eleven
Of the big guns, and distribute them at
Boston. New York Hampton Roads and
San Francisco. For months and months
the military men debated as to the
advisabiuty OF constructing the remain
ing ten cannon. A short time ago the
question was settled for all time by
the announcement from Washington
that ne more OF the giants would be
built Furthermore it was stated that
the Sandy Hook cannon would be pFac-
ticaily abandoned.
News of this decision had been given
out at Sandy Hook on the dag that the
sergeant and his squad marched 10 the
spot whore the big gun lay amid all
the forlorn surroundings of a thing
abandoned ana this was why the ser
geant stepped forward ard uurmured
his tribute 10 the monster, for every
nlan-jack at Sandy Hook worships the
sixteen-inch rife with that characteristic
alteration which soldier bestows or
anything possessing power, whether that
thing be a great general. q pluclsy horse
a powerful gum or an ordinary eur dog
that keeps ttsTweather eye open FOR 9
fight
when the sergeant had finished mourn
The Washington times., 1905-08-13

OF the length Of this pipe they took an
other steel tube and fitted it and shrunk
1t on. That made two big thicknesses
thai third 10 the middle Of Buster they
fitted on q jacket of steel. That made
three thtcknesses. Three more big steel
hunks were fitted over the rear half
After this they fixed on the breeca
mechanism, fitted up the sight, rifed
the barrel, and thero was Buster ali
dressed and ready for parade. Now
he's just as good as gone 10 the scrap
heap. No more test shots will be fred
from him. He's ike the giants OF the
fairy tales-too big and ferocious to De
any good TO modern civilization
The Washington times., 1905-08-13

TO their cage I noticed the strange. wintry
pallor OF the sunlight and at the same
moment a sullen, gray cloud was rent
apart. and through the ragged open
Ing, from immeasurabIe white distance
beyond. there burst q blast of wind of
such velocity and power as mado the
heart leap high with mingled joy and
terror; While from the wide fireplace
the chimney poured such a tempest of
shrill Whistling, shTicks and means as
made one comprehend the stiu living
faith in the Banshee; and while the
house yet quivered from the blast my
lips involuntariIy pronounced the
words:
Wherever in your sightess substances.
You wait on Natures mischief
"Sightless substances"-yos, that aw-
ful wind had torn through the clouds
just as the circus rider leaps through
the paper-covered hoop. "Sightless sub
stances" I muttered again, while my
whole soul seemed crying out to know
who were the riders of those mighty
steeds of the upper air Whence came
they? Where went they? Did they ride
In pride and triumph, or were they
scOurged forth to their mad fight by
thongs OF punishment, of pennance. OF
remorse? I smiled at the absuTdIty of
my own thoughts, and took to read
ing, til I found it was time to dress
for dinner. I rose and trailed across
! the room 10 the dressing table. Lean
ing against it 7 slowly united the rib
! bon, loosely knotted about my waist
and lifting my lids. I loolled-straight
into woman ewes,
The Washington times., 1905-08-13


~A7S@S - and then halted before
II waiting for the condmand to start IN
and give the monster its usual morning
cleaning.
But the sergeant in charge OF them.
much to their surprise, did not issue
The customary order. Instead, he strode
forward and patted tsse gan several
times on the muzzle Just at the spot
where projectiles Weighing 2 4o6 pounds
have left It and sped &c sea some eigh-
teen OF twenty miles a look Of curiosi-
ty overspread the usually expression
less features of the soldiers. The man
nearest the sergeant. however, soon un-
derstood why the strange caresses were
bestowed. Tor he heard the non-comnais-
stoned officer talking softly. and what
he said seat 8 sympathetic thrill through
Ehe sturdy regular.
'' 'Buster,' old boy. ''murmured the
sergeant as he fondIy stroked the huge
thirlg OF steel. they've gone and given
you the double cross at Washington.
You're too big for US. pal, so they re
going 20 lay you aside. and they won't
build no more Ike you. We ! clean you
up Just the same. but you're dead
one Buster, and you won't never have
nothing 10 say about any little argu-
Ineats your Uncle sam may happen tc
have with outsiders who try 10 butt in
around these here parts
The Washington times., 1905-08-13

hand. Malebranche declared
that he heard the voice OF God. Des-
cartes thought he was followed by an
invisible person, telling him to pursue
his search for truth. Goethe says that
on one occasion he met an exact coun-
terpart Of himself Sir Walter Scott was
fully persuaded that ne had seen the
ghost OF the deceased Byron-and oh.
poor me, Z swear that 7 saw the no
man so long dead as plainly az see my
own hand now, says Clara Morris in the
Brooklyn Eagle.
No. II was not a midnight dream-she
came TO me by daylight. It was not the
half-drugged Imagining OF a sick wo-
mans bTain-fo- ! was quiet well. Nor
had. I been recently making 4 close
study OF the character of the mighty
woman I looked upon that day, with
out aid OF midnight mystery gloom OF
draperies. dimly lighted. strange sur
roundin8s, or unduly excited fancy. L ga "
her-only I remember the day had been
windy. From dull gray dawn 10 cloud
torn eve the winds blew high and wild.
some times In fierce guests. sometimes
rushing out straight from the North,
with such sustained and terrific power
as made up-stranIng buildings sway
-iIH Au-eSi' "iI'iS al tIlS G+uIiLC-l crew
who shelter in wide Chtmneys. shrIeked
and mOaned. slLrled and droned. while
the Unsbeltcred ones placed sobbing lips
close to loose hanging window frames
and walled with shriu insistence-the
sort OF windy day that always leaves
US with nerves keyed 10 concert pitch
with hot, bright eyes and a quickened
breathing.
Being alone / had amused myself for
some time with q pair OF tame doves
and as / smoothed the pretty ring about
their slender throaJs and returned then
The Washington times., 1905-08-13

man likes to talk. no matter whether
he's a soldier or q preacher.
''I like specially 10 talk about old
Buster was UP at Watervliet
while when they were putting on his
clothes. I seen him when he was as
naked as baby. Maybe you think I'm
romancin' about that Well, I amt
"All that there was to Buster when
he didn't have no clothes on was a long
piece of pipe looking just Ike a sewer
main. That was Buster in his un-
dressed state The long pipe was the
purest kind of steel. and it measured 49
feet inches in length. Over one-third
The Washington times., 1905-08-13
The Blow That Killed "Buster."

But few days ago Busters finish
came. The experts at Washington de-
cided he was a back number. The way
they figured it out was that the Pinch
guns were plenty strong enough to pro.
tect the coast because a heap Of i'm
provements were made In them whiIt
Buster was being built So they de-
cided not TO make his ten brothers
which they had figured on, and also II
The Washington times., 1905-08-13
Her Fear Runs Chill.

felt no SURPRISE knew no thrill Of
recognition at the first-I saw but those
eyes; was conscious only Of the trouble
some necessity os fIding word to de
scribe their color. hey were not lovely
The Washington times., 1905-08-13
Fierce Ewes No Longer Stare.

The round. fierce eyes no longer stared
at me, or 7 think I should have cried
with terror They looked beyond me.
and two hideous, red splotehes broke
out high upon her cheek. I dropped my
The Washington times., 1905-08-13
New York Anr u

1T at Sandy Hook the
other day q squad Of
soldiers marched up to
the new .o-inch rifle-the
biggest gun in the world
- than halted before
The Washington times., 1905-08-13
~ Clare Morris Saw the Spook Of Goo

ACBETH saw the dagger of
his imagination as distinctly as
tho dagger which he held in ais
hand. Malehrancha decIared
The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-26
Running Away

Jessamine climbed to the cows back
again, and the cow and the rabbit ran
side by side till they came to a thicket.
The brush was too close for the cow to
pass through. but the rabbits had broken
tunnels for their use all through the
underbruSh.
Jessamine cried as she bade the cow
goodbye.
"Who will milk you now?" she sobbed.
The cow wagged her ears and winked
one eye, while she twisted her mouth
into a most comical laugh.
Dame Prudence will try to-" she re-
piled, but it is little milk she will get"
Come. JesSamine," said Yellow Eyes.
Lets run to the burrow. or we will
miss our supper"
The poor cow stood still till long after
Jessamine and the rabbit were gone.
IF l were a calf" she sighed, 'T
would run away, too; but am too old"
The rabbits tunnel was so low that
JeSsamine could not stand up in IT. She
found it hard work to keep up with
Yellow Eyes. when she must creep on
her hands and knees.
yellow Eyes," she called, 'you go on
home and get your supper. Maybe | will
get there after awhile. I am so tired
now that / must rest"
"You don't know the way to our bur-
The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-26
Home at Last

Just TO think" she said, ''if Il had
not been for you. where would my little
Yellow Eyes be nowi L do hope you can
stay with US. but IL will have to be as
great-grandsire says"
Il never heard OF such thingI"
croaked great-grandsire when she told
him the story. Man is our enemy and
always has been. To take one OF his
young to raise is bound to bring trouble,
bound to bring trouble"
Then they talked the matter over and
came to a conclusion.
The next morning Mother Rabbit took
JeSsamine on her lap. and the little bun
Ries clustered around her. She told them
that she and Father Rabbit and Great
Grandsire Rabbit thought that Jessa-
mine would not be happy to live all her
life away from her own kind.
You shall not send her back TO Dame
Prudence and Old Simeon, mother."
cried Yellow Eyes.
His mother patted him on the head.
mo, my son, she shall not go back
to them; but We must let her go TO live
with the people in the big house up on
the hill. They are good people to little
girls, though don't you ever get in reach
OF them. They would think no more OF
making pie out OF you than you would
of eating a carrot top"
Jessamine played with Yellow Eyes,
Thistlefur. Leaper. Clovereater and
Pinkey from that Saturday to the next
Saturday. and then they all went with
the hill. Father Rabbit went clear to
the front gate. when somebody opened
a door. and he darted OFF like a fash
Jessamine passed up the walk and into
the house. where she found a happy
home.
The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-26
Chip StOne--A Game for Bows

IAN BEARD. In one OF his Handy
~ Books, tells how to play the game
of "Chip Stone" Boys who are
not familiar with 1t will be glad to learn
how IL is played.
In the gravel-pit. or somewhere along
the river. creek, lake or seashore, may
be found disk shaped stones called
''skippers." or sailors" because the boys
can make them sail through the air or
skip over the surface of the water.
These stones are used for counters In
the game of Chip Stone. The pure whito
or semi-transparent shippers. about the
size of an old-fashioned copper cent. are
the kind selected
A bull ring about five feet In diameter
is made on the ground, or two taw lines
about five feet apart are drawn on the
sidewalk, and each boy, as in marbles,
lays in a counter. II the game is on
the sidewalk the shippers are placed In a
row between the two taw lines. III In
a bull ring the stones are placed In a
small circle in the centre of the ring.
In turn each player spins his top and
The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-26
Unnatural History.

TT HE juvenile members of a certain
i school were taken to the Zoologi-
cal Gardens. The object of this
treat was to improve their minds. on
the following day each boy had to write
an essay on any animal he had seen.
one budding genius chose the lion for
the subject of his essay. and wrote as
follows:
Lions always walk, except when they
eat, and then they growl. Their roar is
most terrifying to men and other beasts
when heard in the forest, but when they
are in cages it sounds like they were
sorry about something. Their tails are
not as long as the monkeys, according
TO their size, but keep switching all the
time, and the seals can make Just as
loud noise and have more fun in the
water. They are cats, no matter what
you think, and their size has nothing to
DO with 1t. and they think without talk
ing; once donkey stole a lions skin
and went around Dragging about, but
the other donkeys got on to him because
he talked so much. That showed he
was donkey. Keep still when you are
thinking.
The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-26

where she lay and trembled- The cow
came and looked into the barrel
What is the matter with good little
Jessamine?" asked the COW.
81 am not good" soboed Jessamine.
'T have broken the dishes. and Dame
Prudence will kill me-"
Get on my back" said the cow, anu anu
I will carry you away where all the Oic
Simeons and Dame Prudences in-in
Dreamland-cannot find you.
From the top OF the barrel JesSamine
mounted astride the cows back As
they passed the orchard they heard the
cry of Help. helpw
"Old Simeon has caught rabbit In his
"ket me down a minute" said Jessa-
mine
No matter how much she pitied the
rabbit. Jessamine would not have darea
she was going beyond Old Simeon's
reach forever. The trap was DIG.
strong. heavy wooden box. for rabbits
there were not small like the rabbits
that scud across our fields. Jessamine
lifted with all her strength. yet II was
all she could do to raise the door. A
fine rabbit. fully as large as Jessamine,
81 went in there to get cabbage leaf"
said the rabbit. 81 heard a crash. and
when ! turned around I couldn't find
the door"
at is a good thing for you that we.
instead of Old Simeon. heard your cries
6or help" said the COW. You are the
first rabbit that ever came out OF his
.:Trap!" cried the rabbit. "Is that
thing a trap? Father told me never to
go into a trap, no matter what good
thing was inside. but to run away as
fast as l could co.
With that Yellow Eyes-that was the
rabbits name-was darting off.
''Wait" called the COW. This little
girl has broken the dishes. and she Is
running AWAY from Old Simeon and
Dame Prudence. Why can't she go
home with your
Come on: she will be welcome" said
Yellow Eyes.
The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-26

ders were very broad, and his hair was
seagreen and so long that II looked like
a long train. and what had been his legs
was now q large fish's tail. The gods
told him he was beautiful, and he, poor
thing. believed them and felt proud. At
first he did not know how to move and
he felt strangely. l am sure we would
have felt very queer II we had no legs,
but fish's tail Instead. For some days
he lay down In the deep sea not knowing
what to do; but at last he tried to move.
and when he found that he could swim
like fish. of he went to see the sea.
One day after he had been swimming
for long time he thought he would
rest on the sand and take q sunbath,
and he fell asleep. What was his sur
prise when he awakened and opened his
eyes to see Scylla. the most beautiful OF
all the sea nymphs, sitting on the shore
watching him.
She was very shy. and when she saw
he was awake she ran up on the rock
far away where she knew he could not
follow her. He called to her: Come
The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-26
A Cat That Loved a Bird.

Mary had for pets cat and spar
row. The sparrow was tame and had
the liberty of the kitchen and was very
happy. Now, the cat loved the little
bird and he allowed him TO sleep on his
back and to eat out OF his saucer, and
they were very good chums.
One day q strange cat came in the
house, and seeing a nice. fat sparrow, no
thought this would make a good break
fast. The bird, accustomed to a cat, did
not in the least suspect his murderous
intentions. In a twinkiing the bird was
the strange cats prey, poor thingi Now
the sparrow's friend, Pussy, seeing his
playmate being borne away by the in
truder, ran after him.
How he released the little captive no
one knows. We only know that, after
some time, Pussy reappeared. trium-
phant. holding his little friend in his
mouth, to the delight OF Mary and her
mother, and he got an extra dose OF pet
ting that day.
know that this story is true because
little Mary happens to be my grand
mother.
NANON DE HUIERSDCRFF.
The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-26
s S2j%7
April Fool Trick.

TAKE sofa cushions, books. dishes.
etc. and scatter them In the middle
of the floor. Then select some one. and
tell him to walk all around and between
these articles. so as to familIariZe his
mind with the relative positions OF the
various articles.
Then blindfold him and tell him to pick
his way between all these articles with
out touching any of them. In the mean
while some one should rapidly and noise
lessly remove all the articles
II will prove very funny to see the
blindfolded player stepping softly and
carefully along so as to avoid the arti-
cles which he believes to be in his path.
He will be so pleased to think he has
succeeded. Then he will look so silly
when he discovers he has been made \
fool OF.
The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-26

plugs at the shippers In the ring or be-
tween the taw lines; If his top fails to
spin. he lays in" another skipper.
II his top "dies"-that is, stops spin
ning-inside the ring. he lays in an
other stone. But If his top spins as It
should. he takes 1t up on little wooden
shovel and drops 1t so that the peg hits
the edge of a counter; he continues to
scoop up and drop the top SO long as it
will spin, or until it has knocked a
counter over the taw line or outside the
ring, In which case, as in marbles, he
has another turn.
Chip Stone is really game of marbles
in which sailors or shippers are used for
ducks and tops are used for taws. or
course each boy takes great pride in his
collection of trophies. each of which he
considers as a medal won by his su-
perior skill as a top spinner.
You can make your own shovel or
spoon with your good pocketknife. Red
cedar Is the best wood for the purpose
but any other kind will do well enough.