davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30
EdiCt Agninst the Almighty.

The conviction has long prevailed
that boldness and resolution are In
nate in the Anglo-SaXon races, but a
recent example of unheard of cour-
age is offered by the mayor of one of
the cities of Spain, who has openly
challenged no less than the Almighty
by publicly denouncing His behavior
toward the mayors province In the
following interesting decree, trans
lated from Spanish journal:
"The mayor of the department OF
Carthanas, to the inhabitants there
of, know ye:
Whereas the Almighty has not
behaved himself properly with re-
gard to this province and city, mas
much as only one rainstorm visited
the country during the last year, and
not a single time has 1t rained dur
Ing this winter, in spite Of prayers
and professions, in detriment to the
chestnut crops, on which the pros
peritv and progress of our province
depends;
Now, therefore, be 1t resolved:
!.
term of a week, from the date of this
decree, 1t should fail to rain abun-
dainty, no one shall attend mass nor
say prayers of any kind.
Art. II. Should the drought con-
tinue for term of eight days long
er, all churches and chapels shall be
burned and all objects of devotion
and prayer destroyed.
Art. III. Finally, If within third
term OF a week, It should fail to rain
abundantly, all clergymen, monks
and friars shall be massacred and be-
headed.
And permission is hereby grant
ed to all to commit all sorts and spe-
cies Of sin, that the Supreme Being
may know and understand with
whom he Is dealing. Mexican Her
aid.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30
Lake Turns Red.

One of the natural curiosities of
Switzerland Is Lake Morat, which
turns blood red every tenth year.
For centuries this freak was re-
garded by the Swiss with supersti-
ttous dread, and not until scientists
turned their attention to the matter
was the belief in the supernatural
partly removed. Even now some Of
the more ignorant persist in regard
ing the omen as one of evil import.
The reddish color Is given the wa
ter by minute plant closely re-
lated to the red snow.
Every tenth year this plant begins
to propagate. and so quickly does 1t
grow that in a short time the whole
lake Is a crimson tide. The plant Is
so minute as not to be perceptible
without the aid of microscope, and
there was some foundation for the
early belief that the lake had turned
into sea Of blood
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30
SUGAR A sTRENGTHENER.
Russian Wrestler Declares II Adds TO
Height and Strength.

Various reasons have been as
signed for the Increase in stature and
strength of the modern maiden, who
monty tall and proportionately mus
cular during the past few years. It
cannot be that out door sports, GYM
uastic exercises, and so on, have
stretched her out and made her as
strong as she Is, because her brothers
have precisely the same advantages
and they have not developed at the
same rate. It seems to me, there
fore, that the secret lies in the fact
that of recent years girls have be-
come far greater consumers of sweet
meats than ever were their mothers
and grandmothors.
Time was when we should never
have dreamed of having sweets on
our luncheon, dinner and tea tables.
Now It would be quite extraordinary
were one not to offer these dainties.
And, what is more, we are not mere
ly content to eat sweetmeats at our
meals, but we consume them at all
times and in all places between
meals. It was recently said that
boxes of bonbons play conspicuous
part in modern lovemaking. Sweets
20 the sweet" being apparently the
text by which every young man OF
she day guides himself through the
devious paths of courtship.
The great Russian wrestler who Is
shortly to enter again into contest
with the Turk, Madrall, tells us that
the more sweet stuff one eats the
stronger one grows. Sugar is the se-
eret of strength, he declares.-Lon-
don World
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30
THe LAWS IN soUrH AFRlcA.
Beers Opposed to Black Man Being
Represented

The difficulties presented to the leg
islator in South Africa are greater
than those in any other British colony
or group of colonies. Foremost among
them is the political position of the
black races. Two years ago an inter-
colonial conference met at BlOemfon-
tein, which resolved that commission
be appointed to gather information and
make recommendations with the OBJ
ject of arriving at common under
standing on questions of native pol
icy" Six months later a commission
was chosen consisting of eleven mem
bers, representing all the South Afri-
can colonies. After an investigation
lasting many months, during which
the commissioners travelled all over
South Africa, they prepared a report
which has been published by the Colo
nial Office. The first matter dealt with
by the commission was the definition
Of the word native" 1t was decided
that the world should mean an abo-
rlginal inhabitant of Africa south of
the equator; a half-caste, that is. the
offspring of a white and an aboriginal
parent and the offspring of a half
castes and an aboriginal. According
to this definition, the child Of a half
caste and a European is not regarded
as a native"
A far more difficult question was
next considered, that of the represen-
tation of natives in the colonial parlia-
ments and in the future federal parlia-
ment. In the Cape Colony all who have
the requisite qualification, European or
native, possess the franchise. AS a
consequence, the numper Of native vot-
ers is increasing every year and threat
ems in time to outnumber the white
vote. The commission, while deemng
it necessary that the natives should
have some form of representation, re-
jected, unhesitatingly, the proposition
that full and equal political rtghts
should be granted to all classes of men
fulfilling the necessary franchise quail
fcations." 1t was resolved to recon-
mead the adoption of the New Zealand
plan for the representation of the
Maoris-that is, that the natives should
'cItCl CERTAIN HuulDtI Vi Hlt1uDeTS,
mot more than Sufficient to provide an
adequate means for the expression Of
native views and the ventilation OF
their grievances, If any; the number OF
members not to be regulated by the
numerical strength of the native vote,
and no native to vote at the election OF
any candidate or member who is to
represent Europeans"
The adoption of such scheme would
involve the curtailment of native rights
in the Cape Colony and Rhodesia
(where the Cape Colony system pre-
vails) and the granting of the limited
franchise to the natives in Natal, the
Transval and the Orange River Col
ony. where they have hitherto had no
vote.
The Beers, who are about half the
population, are bitterly opposed to any
sort of representation of black or col
ored men.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30

THE full blooded Indians of the
United States are scarcely holding
their own in point of increase of
population" remarked Capt. Downs,
special Indian agent OF the United
States Government
I'm some of the tribes there Is
slight increase, but It Is among the
mixed breeds and not among those OF
pure aboriginal stock The deadly
foe of the red man continues now,
as for many years past. to be tuber-
sulosis.
Just why this disease should
seem to commit greater ravages
among the Indians Is difficult to un-
derstand. At first the theory was
that 1t was due to their changed
mode OF existence; that the transi-
ton from a savage to civilized life
made them peculiarly susceptible. l.
am inclined to think that there Is but
little basis for this view, especially
as the number of victims claimed by
consumption shows no sign of dimin-
ution, although many years have
elapsed since the Indian forsook the
primitive ways of living.
"A more reasonable explanation is
found in the present habits OF the
people. In building their teepees or
log houses they make very scant al
lowance for ventilation and sleep in
quarters from which fresh air Is
largely excluded. Besides, n dozen
or more individuals will occupy
room that ought not at the most to
contain more than two. Another bad
practice of which It is difficult to
break them Is that Of the common
pipe. A group of Indians will take
turns in smoking the same pipe, and
II one of the party be diseased there
is always the danger of its being
sransmitted.-Wa Washington Post.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30
Money In Waste Hardwood.

All the worlds woodcutters might be
millionaires if they knew how to gath
er up the twelve baskets of Industrial
crumbs as does a distilling plant in a
Michigan town. This establishment has
a capacity of ninety cords of hardwood
a day, the wood consumed being slabs,
crooked logs, treetops and other hard
wood offal from logging and numbering
operations.
From one cord of this material there
is made ten gallons of wood alcohol,
9SR per cent being pure; 200 pounds
of acetate of lime, quicklme being add
ed for this purpose, and so bushels of
charcoal, Every product of the wood
except the charcoal passes off in the
form of gas and is reduced by distilla-
tion. Some irreducible gas and little
tar product are used as fuel. Nothing
is lost
The alcohol is worth GO cents a gal
Ion. The acetate of lime Is worth 2
cents pound and the charcoal Is
worth 10 cents bushel. The value of
the lime used is worth not over one
fourth of the value of the acetate. The
value of the final product of the cord
of refuse wood is, therefore, not far
from $14. The process is not expen-
sive. The plant, running at full ca
pacity, will turn out a product daily
worth $1,000 from material that has
but little commercial value in its crude
form.-Chicago Tribune.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30
Curious Historical Waqers.

In the year 1887 a farmer laid a
wager that he would eat two dozen
penny mutton pies and drink a gallon
of ale in half an hour, feat which he
easily performed well within the speci-
fled limit, says the Queen. In about
half an hour afterward he devoured a
three-penny loaf and pound of cheese
and then attacked leg of pork
A few years later, when the prince
regent was enlivening Brighton with
his vagaries, the notorius Sir John
Lade made his celebrated wager that
he would carry Lord Cholmondeley on
his back twice around the Steine. AS
Sir John was short and his opponent
tall much curiosity was aroused, and
many spectators, including ladies', came
out to see, but were all baked of the
spectacle by the knight declining to
bear the nobleman except in the mini
mum of clothing, declaring that there
was nothing in the conditions calling
upon him to carry extra weight.
OF quite another kind was the wag-
ering by a gentleman that he would
stand all day upon London Bridge with
a trayful of new soyereigns, but be
unable to sell them at a penny apiece,
and, like Sir John Lade, he won his
wager.
In 1906 curious wager was laid be-
tween two gentlemen as to who should
assume the most singular character at
a fancy dress ball. The winner parad-
ed with his coat and waistcoat deco
raetd with banknotes of different val
ues, row of fiveguinea notes and a
netted nurse of gold adorned his hat,
while on his hat appeared a piece of
paper with the words, John Bull"
The loser would certainly appear to
have been more original still, for he
appeared dressed like a woman on one
side, one-half OF his face being painted
and the other half blackened to resem-
BILE that of negro. On one leg he wore
silk stocking and slipper and on
the other half pair of linen breeches,
a boot and spur, while he was also
adorned with half a long-tailed linen
coat.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30

An Idea of the cost of running a
great nation may be gained from the
statement that England's balance
sheet for the last fiscal year shows
an expenditure of considerably more
than three-quarters of billion dol
aars. The exact amount was Gl5l,-
$4,000. To meet this revenues
were raised amounting to e153,707,-
900, leaving a surplus on hand OF
fl 1913, 900. OF this vast expenditure
f66, 100000 went to the army and
navy, 1924, 900 for dispensing JUS
tice, and 5,161, 900 was spent on
education. There is one entry un-
der expenditure which reveals the
magnitude of the empires business
1t is that for Stationery and print
ing" and shows that three-quarters
of million pounds was expended on
this item alone during the past year.
-Leslie's Weekly.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30
A Record Crop.
This Years Production OF Cnrn Breaks All
Previous Records.

The corn crop of 1905, according
to the American Agriculturist of
November h, approximates
2,7oo, 900, 900 bushels, making the
largest ever produced, and I 80, 900, =
900 bushels greater than last years
splended total. The notable thing
in rcent weeks was the splendid
weather throughout a large part of
the corn belt. and the absence OF
killing frosts until a late date.
Fore or less corn in shock in Mis-
souri, and Kansat was badly damag-
ed by excessive rains, these causing
mold and decay. Correspondents
report an excellent rate of field in
Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Indiana and
Nebraska, 3I15 to 38 bushels to the
acre. New York is credited with
3oA bushels and Pennsylvania IS
bushels. The rate of yield for the
United States is placed at 2S-7
bushels, or one bushel greater than
the preceding season.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30
A Blind Mans Newspaper.

For the first time in history the
blind have now a weekly newspaper
of their own. 1t Is issued at penny,
too, and contains an excellent rec
ord of the events of the week, doings
in parliament, the war In the East,
and so on. 1t is called the Braille
Weekly, after the French inventor OF
the greatest system of printing and
writing for the blind, and Is printed
at Edinburgh on a cylinder machine
by a new invention which alone en-
ables the paper to be issued at the
popular price of a single copper coin
London Daily News.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30
SOME VERY STRANGE DISHES.
savages Not only ones with Fastidi
GUS Tastes.

In America horse flesh is sold sur
reptitiously, masqueradIng as beef. In
the markets of most European cities
horse and mule flesh Is sold openly, in
some cases, however, being under the
surveillance of the police. The Greeks
ate donkeys,' they say, "and if donk-
eys we're edible, why not horses to-
day?"
A strong prejudice was manifested
against eating horse flesh when its use
was first proposed but this feeling is
rapidly vanishing, and hippophagy is
as common as beef eating The worn
out steed finds his way to the abattoir
as readily as the COW that will not give
milk, or the stall-fed OK.
Frogs are dearly priced by gourmets
the world over Snails are uevoured in
France, and help to tickle the jaded
palate that has become cloyed with
swollen goose liver and decayed sal
mon roes. The snails that are eaten
are the everyday, Shiny little mol
lusks that are to be found by thou
sands in the gardens. vineyards and
woods of the provinces Of Burgundy
and Provence, and in Switzerland.
Australian natives are fond of but
terflies and declare them to be more
nourishing than the flesh of kangaroes
or fowls. The butterflies are pounded
into sort of cake.
The aborigines of South America and
Africa consider the guiana, a large liz
ard, great delicacy. These lizards
are not unlike a small crocodile, but
are far more unsightly than that crea-
ture
In Australia several kinds of snakes
are eaten roasted. They are said to be
equal in delicacy and flavor to the fin
est stewed cells. An English traveller
declares the steam from the roasting
reptiles is by no means unsavory.
Some folks in Russia will pledge
their friends in a goblet of unrefned
train oil, and not SO long ago dwelers
on the American prairies esteemed a
glass of buffalo's blood the richest
drink on earth.-What-to-E Eat.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30
A Days Dolnss In New York.


Every40 seconds an immigrant ar
rives.
Every minutes some one is arrest
ed
Every minutes a child Is born.
Every 7 minutes there is a funeral.
Every 13 minutes couple get mar
ried.
Every AZ minutes a new business
firm starts up.
Every 4S minutes building catches
fire.
Every 4S minutes a ship leaves the
harbor.
Every 81 minutes a new building is
erected
Every SO minutes passenger train
arrives from some point outside the
city limits.
Every 1% hours some one is killed
by accident.
Every 7 hours some one fails in busi-
ness.
Every hours an attempt to kill
some one is made.
Every sh hours some couple is di-
vorced.
Every 10 hours some one commits
suicide.
Eyory days some one is murdered.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30
If You WAIT to Read Something Good!

A distinct Christmas flavor found
in LibbiHc0HS Maga5iRe for Decem-
Der ADDS to the general interest
which is never lacking. This is
season of happiness and Li6biHcoHS
is happy too. Jolliness, humor and
pathos are there, but the deeper
tragedies of life have no place in
this issue.
The opening novelette,. "Of the
Lions breed" is by Grace Mac
Gowen Cooke in collaboration with
Vond Reed; and it is good enough
to indicate the quality of the seven
shorter stories which follow. 1t is
a picturesque romance of the coal
fields, strongly dramatic, yet treat
ed with the utmost simplicity.
Josiah Aliens Wife" calls her
amusing contribution The Last
Straw" This may prove illumin.
ative to husbands, Mrs. l Zang
will who still writes under her
maiden name, +. Ayrton. is the
author of Don Cupid" a sweet
child sketch with a gtown-up love
interest. An automobile racing
story by Ralph Henry Barbour,
called Victory With Honor" "
abounds in humorous situations and
lively dialogue. GA Studio Mouse
is a clever tale of artistic lie among
the "cliff dwellers." In it the
Mouse George Knox describes a
courtship which threatens to cut off
its source of supplies. Seumas
Macmauus, the Irish humorist, tells
How Condy Rhu Raised the
Devil" and makes it supe rlatively
funny. Ella Middleton Tybout's
story, GA Moment of Confidence, "
shows two pictures of the freside,-
which cynics Try to make us be-
lievc is obsolete - very real human
pictures, complete in contrast.
THE Wildwood Limited" is a
story of a locomotive engineer, by
Cy Warman, whose name in the
line he has chosen has few equals.
This tale will be especially enjoyed
by railroad men.
Marion Harland once spent
Christmas in Bethlehem of Judea.
She describes the Christmas cere-
monies in the Church, which is
built on the site of the Manger
where Christ was born, and gives
much interesting news of the town,
in her paper in the Christmas Lip
Pinc0HS.
A paper on "The Modern L,y-
ceum," by Paul M. Pearson sup
plies up-to date information on this
live subject; and Winner Bedford,
Veteran, writes an anecdot!c article
on "Some Generals of the Civil
War" This will be followed by
second paper of further reminiscent
ceS.
Christmas poems by Charles Han
son Towne and Clinton Scollard
mark the glad season.
"Walnuts and Wine" have
caught the prevailing happiness and
reflect its spirit i'll joke and verselet.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30

Calling must certainly have some
influence over the physiognomy OF
the cabman, the omnibus driver, the
butler. or the groom; each frequent
ly possesses a type OF face which
wears so characteristic an express
sion as to make 1t not difficult to
Identify the vocation accompanying
II. We speak also of the legal face.
the scientific face, the ecclesiastical
face. the musical face and artistic
face, the dramatic face, and the mill
tary face.-The Lancet.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30
A few years ago the President de-

A few years ago the President de-
cided to appoint Mr.. Wynne, now
Consul General at London, to be
First Assistant Postmaster General
How will we keep this from the
newspapers2" was asked by some OF
the Presidents advisers.
81 think that the best way would
be to take the newspaper correspon-
dents into our confidence" said the
President.
This was done, and the secret was
carefully guarded for month, al
though known all that time by hrty
or more Washington correspondents
louisville Post.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30
Plants Affected by Ether.

Ether and chloroform, so useful In
sending men to sleep, have the very
opposite effect on plants, which are
stimulated to the greatest possible ac-
tivity by these drugs. In Denmark
and Germany advantage has been TAX
en- Of this fact to force flowers in rooms
and glasshouses, and to make them
bloom out of season. The results are
said to be marvellous.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30

Madrid still has the medieval
night watchmen. They admit late
eomers to the apartment houses at
night, but no longer sing out the
hour or the condition of the weather.
They still go by the name of ''se-
reno" which they got from the fact
that, as 1t seldom rains In Spain.
their cries about the weather gener-
ally ended with that word ("las tres
y sereno~.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30

A physician long in the field of
practice says that you can keep a
cellar dry by opening the north
window and keeping the other win
dows closed. The wind from any
other direction of the compass will
cause the cellar to remain damp.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30

One-sixth of the members of Camp
nome, Arctic Brotherhood. are oot
legs graduates.
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-30
DIR. w. H. HOUSE.

W H. TIOUSE,
SURGEON DENTIST,
once Barton's Building, Main below MARI
BLOOMSBURY, PA.
All sty.es OF work done in superior m,,,
all W ork warranted as represented.
TEETH EXTRACTED WITHOUT PAIN
y 'ne use OF Gas, and free of charge vhr
.rr artificial teeth are inserted.
10 De open all hours during the dav.