davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-03
HARDER THAN THE DIAMOND.
TantaIum Easily Drawn Into Wire or
 Rolled Into Sheets.
From the Chicago Chronicle.

From the Chicago Chronicle.
 That nothing Is harder in nature than a diamond and that a diamond alone can cut diamond is a popular belief of long standing. Yet there is something harder. A new substance has made its appearance which. if 1t can be obtained in sufficient quantity. will probably replace the dia- mond alike In the operations of drill bor- ing and in the lapidarys workshop, for it is harder than diamond; so hard, in fact. that the only effect produced by dia- mand drill, worked day and night for three days a sheet of the substance one twenty-fifth of an inch thick, with a speed of 5000 revolutions a minute. was a slight dint in the sheet and the wearing out of the diamond This substance is pure metallic tantalum.
 Tantalum is not a common metal yet 1t is also not one of the rarest. It's exist ence was discovered more than century ago.
 Pure tantalum was first prepared by Dr. Bolton, a member of the famous electri- cal engineering firm of Semens & Halske. One of his methods is to fuse the double fiuoride of potassium and tantalum with metallic potassium in an electric furnace in vacuo but he seems to prefer much simpler electrical method. Making up the oxide into a filament. exactly like that of Nernst incandescent lamp, he places it
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-03

cepting where the suns rays fall directly
 upon it in one great binding circle. The
 moon and stars would make even our shadows
 Rays of sunlight or any other kind of light go straight through all kinds oi
 gases, no matter of what they are made.
 In passing through them, if they contain
 no dust, the rays cannot be seen They are invisible. You have often seen sunlight en- ter darkened room through partly open
 ed shutters or crack of a knothole You
 have noticed that the rays are full Of aust
 moving about in every direction The ar is made of gases mixed. You did not see
 the rays of light; you saw the light In the
 sun reflected by the particles of dust Mill lions of these particles were too small Tor you to see, out not too small for such a searching thing as light to miss.
 The light we call daylight is the light of the suns rays reflected from the particles of dust in the air about our earth. Moon- light Is the light of the sun reflected from i the moon, which is a great mass of par ticles compressed into a huge ball. The
 earth is nothing more. If both of them
 were ground fine and scattered, they would be but dust
 Each cubic inch of air contains an enor-
 nous number of dust particles. The num- Der is beyond our conception. John Aitkin, of Falkrk. Scotland, was the first to count these dust particles. He couned them by a little machine he carried in
 his pocket, and in very simple way. He has been able to count 7.500,000 dust particles in a cubic inch of the ordinary
 air of Glasgow. The air of Pittsburg probably contains ten times as many. After a meeting of the members of the Royal Society of Edinburg in their hall
 he counted 65O0,O00 to a cubic inch near the ceiling.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-03

in a globe connected to an air pump and turns on the current. The oxide is decom- posed and the oxygen being gradually re- moved by the pump, the filament is re- duced to the metallic state.
 Tantalum differs from all other known substance in combining extreme hardness with extreme ductility. When red hot it is easily rolled into bars, and sheets are drawn into wire. It is scarcely affected by the oxygen of the air, even at red heat and not at all at ordinary tempera- lures, and the strongest acids fail to dis solve it; nor does 1t amalgamate with mercury It melts only at the highest attainable temperatures, and is therefore well fitted to serve for filaments in incan descent lamps, being much stronger than carbon A pound of it will make 10000 lamps. and these require exactly half as much power to light them as do carbon filaments giving the same brilliancy.
 If only it can be produced in sufficient quantity tantalum should prove moss useful metal. It will furnish better boring tools than the diamond drill and cheaper electric lights than carbon, while the pos sibe uses of plate or wire harder than diamond. and yet tough and strong, are almost infinite. for every other hard substance is brittle, and this fact has hampered the engineer for centuries.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-03
GAVE UP HER CIGARETTE.
Rules Against Women Smoking In Ho- tel Parlors and Public Dining Rooms.

From the Washington Post
 Sorry, miss, but 'tisn't allowed" said the waiter in restaurant the other night. at the same time politely offering a plate for the offending cigarette.
 But the jeweled fingers held 1t fast. while the bright eyes looked defiance. scorn, and surprise in glance. Her es- cort protested against interference. but in vain
 The girl shrugged her shoulders and gave another puff at the cigarette.
 'I never heard of such nonsense" she exclaimed, angriy. Why, everybody knows that the very best women in New York smoke"
 Not here, they don't. miss" interposed the waiter. If you were with party in a private room you could smoke all you , wanted, and the management would not be supposed to know 1t. but in the public dining room-well, it's simply against the rules and can't be done'
 Its perfectly ridiculousl" again re- monstrated the fair smoker. Why, on the continent"
 'rhe cigarette. miss, If you please" said the obdurate waiter, firmly but re- spectfully, and after another defiant puff and a beseeching look from her escort.
 
 quered.
 Inquiry afterward revealed the fact that such scene Is a not uncommon oc- currence at restaurants nowadays. but so far public sentiment favors the manage ment
 The fair smoker must surround her self with sufficient number to warrant the seclusion of a public dining room be- fore she can indulge herself to this de- ha fu IT. ing among women Is more or less com mon practice, 1t Is not allowed in public as 1t is in Europe. Not long ago report was made to the head clerk in the office of an uptown hotel that one of the women guests was standing at the window of the public par Tor on the second floor puffng a cigarette as if such a proceeding were quite cus- tomary.
 The clerk, properly mortified, at once went to the guest with a polite protest. saying it was against all precedent, and also contrary to the rules of the house, to allow ladies to smoke in the dining room or in the parlors. If ladies wanted to smoke 1t must be done in the privacy of their own apartments.
 Did the lady make a scene? Not at all. She simply walked down the hall to the next room, produced the key, and was in her own suite of rooms. A moment more and cabman outside said: Look at the lady enjoying her cigar cite at the window" It was again reported to the clerk but he was powerless. He could forbid her smoking at the parlor window, but at the very next window, which happened to be in her own rooms. she was entirely with in her right, and smoke she might. This is a snag which modern hotel man. agers are constantly encountering. All hotel maids can testify to the Increase of the smoking habit among women. Sometimes a woman will smoke half dozen cigarettes after her cafe au lait and before she actually rises for the day
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-03

ident. No one was more surprised than Castro himself
 He had certainly never dreamed of su-h a thing when, at the orders of another, with sixty men he raised the standard of revolt in the Andes and began marca of hundreds of miles. He may have hoped to become a general and .hus join Fene- zuelas great majority; but to oe presi' dent, never. He was not even the village leader, but. rather, the fliitg cancer. His father was of the Indian class. The boy learned the sports of the ilanos, and Is yet an excellent horseman. He worked in the village store, and there, 1t is sad, waited on his future wife. According to the story she was the servant in the home of a village merchant. The mer- chants wife, after formal assurance of the young mans intentio i5 gave him leave to pursue his courtshp in her kitchen Marriage followed. Mrs. Castro Is known as lovable woman--kind, plain, thoroughly respectable. But the Clcacao tales. describing her husband as the most cynical of libertines, do not leave her much room for happiness.
 The state of Tachira in the Andes Is the very region for turbulence, and Cas- tro in those early days had his uil share. There was a revolution, and he found himself exied Another time, 1t Is said, he killed policeman and again sought refuge, either in Colombia or Cara cao. He served once as a congressman. Sev- efal years before his own revolu .ioa he took liking for history and read wide v about Napoleon. It was just enough leaning to be a dangerous thing
 The danger came when he rose to h.s pos,uon. This means that he rose to t in the fullest, most sinister, sense of .he word. The president of Venezuela has al ways been the owner of Venezuel No one can understand conditions there nntl tins is understood. The absolute owner may also be common criminal, with all the criminals instinct whether m ..f"r- ous, avaricious, lecherous, or merely spectacular. Let the reader try to imagine this one thing. if he can. for otherwise he will never accept the ruth about Venezuela It Is too incred.o.c
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-03
DUST IN THE ATMOSPHERE.
Without Most Agreeable Sights Would
 Be Lost.
From the Sunday School Times.

From the Sunday School Times.
 While dust contains many of our mortal enemies, 1t is one of our very best friends, and the finer 1t is the more we owe to it.. If there were no dust the sky would not be blue, there would be no raindrops. no snowfiakes, no hailstones. no clouds. no gorgeous sunsets, no beautiful sunrises.
 The instant the sun passed out of sight we should be in darkness. The instant 1t rose it would be a sharp circle of light in a black sky There would be no evening glow to chat or think in, no lovely dawn, with bird song and cattle low. at natures widening. The dome of the sky would be as dark as 1t is on bright moonlight night. The moon and stars would shine by day in all their brightness. The whole earth would be deep, bark shadow ex-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-03

residence in West Philadelphia was dis covered by the occupants of the house, when they came home late from the the atre One of the women of the party re- fused to enter the door or to sleep in the house until the cat should be dislodged and so a long broom was produced ana pussy was chased away. The following night the same cat was found in the same place, and investigation showed 1t had chosen the spot because 1t was warmed by the electric light immediately beneath 1t and made fairly comfortable bed. Ali efforts to induce the animal to come in and sleep In the house proved useless and it was not until the united brains of the people concerned hit upon the plan of turning the electric light out that the problem was solved.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-03
ciqar Sizes and CoIors.

From the Tobacco Journal.
 Few cigar smokers are aware that all cigars are named according to their color and shape A dead black cigar for in- stance. Is an "Oscaro" very dark brown is "Colorado," medium brown is colorado Claro," and yellowish light brown is a "Claro.
 Most smokers know the names or tho shades iron, "Claro'' 10 "ce'orado.' and that is as far as most of them need to know. AS to the 'tres Sapoleon Is the biggest of all cigars-it is seven inches long; a "Perfecto' swells in the middle and tapers down to very small head at the lighting end; "Panatelo' is a thin. straight up and down cigar with ont the graceful curve of the 'Perfecto;' A ..Conches'' is very short and fat, and q ..I,ondras'' is shaped like a "Perfecto" except that 1t does not taper to so small A head at the lighting end. 'Reina Victoria" is a 'Londras'' that comes hacked in a ribbon-tied bundle of fifty pieces. instead of in the usual four ley- CTS of thirteen, twelve, thirteen and twelve.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-03
eT. V. BOARDN1AN S COMPANY 1fgsGISdd'aaSz fsISd aSsz 2 3AAAAvAAAAAAAAAAA A AAAA AAAAA A

children. Young MacMonnies saved his odd
 pennies until he could buy what he want
 ed of it, and then he made from 1t an equestrian statue of George Washington. which is still among the ranily treas ures.
 When he was 10 years old Barnums cir- GUS came to town He was an enthusiastic
 admirer of the parade, ana when the ele-
 phant appeared he became intense He
 watched every motion and studied every
 line of the strange beast Then he rushed
 into the house and, working as fast as he could, modelled from memory clay
 elephant of which he need not be ashamed today At 13 he carved a likeness of a a pet bulfrog out of a Belgian paving block. with an ice pick TOT a chlsel.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-03
THE LITTLE RUNT."
President castro's Rise to Power and
 Ills Sinister Significance.

Eugene P Lyle, Jr.. writes in the De- cember wrold's Work of "Venezuela and the Problems 1t Presents" Among other things, he considers the astounding rise of Castro to the presidency and the mean ing of his power. He says:
 Then there Is the story of Castro 8 crushing defeat near Valencia. when, alone, wounded, he waited only the sum mons from President Andrade to give himself up. This does not resemble un- animous country back of him. But around Andrade there was a quarrel. Mates. and one Mendoza, left the capital with 20.000 men and brought back to Castro as pres
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-03
Ice Picks and Art.

The Worlds Work for December has the following account of the boyhood excur- sions into art of the distinguished sculp- tor, MT. Frederick MacMonnies:
 The career of MT. Frederick MacMonnies as a sculptor began when, as boy or $ years. scarcely tall enough to reach up to the top of the kitchen table. he mod eled little figures in dough- Two years later he discovered better material fos his purpose. At that time a white-wax chewing gum was much fn fashion among
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-03
TO MERCHANTS.

Effective Wednesday, Nov. 18th, lO:25 a. m. Bessemer freight train will go to Bes- semer via South Bessemer line and return via North BesSemer line.
 Birmingham Railway. LignS
 & Power Company.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-03
About a Philadelphia Cat.
Phi,adelphia Record.

From the Philadelphia Record.
 The other night when 1t was cold To. the first time this season cat perched on the top of the vestibule door of .
St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1905-08-18
Some More Stuff

A. j. feeling, OF the Heights, was ON
the sick list this week.
Mrs. Rider and Mrs. Beleher have
moved into the Finley house ON John
street.
Rev. II. A. Leonard will preach at the
Baptist services in the Adventist church
Sunday morning.
b. S. Hoover and wife. OF Cambridge,
Idaho, are visiting Mrs, Rutherford, at
St. Johns Heights.
Mrs. Jennie Davidson, of Oswego, was
in ST. Johns on Wednesday to visit her
aunt, Mrs. w, ii. Belcher.
Lost.-A purse containing deposit ON
First National Bank, Portland, OF $50.
Return TO Hugo Sjodahl, st. Johns
Review.
Mrs. Addie Vuffs. OF Eugene, and Mrs.
Dean, of Grants Pass, were in ST. Johns
this week, guests of Mrs. c. J. Anderson,
of Point View.
Arkie and Rex Anderson left last
evening for Salem, where they will
spend few weeks visiting their annts,
Mrs. Helen Curl and Mrs, {. A. Barr.
w. NJ. Macy and wife, and his son, A.
T.. Macy, and family, all from Dayton,
are camping back OF the Evangelical
church. They will remain for while
and attend the fair.
Born, TO Mr.. and Mrs. ID. S. South
maybe, Wednesday, August 10, a
daughter. And so We grow. He says
that the worst of it is that he will have
no more help hanging paper
II is rumored that there will be large
hotel and large store erected in North
St. Johns in the very near future. II
begins TO look as il some one had faith
in the big mills starting very soon.
Elmer Poquett recently disposed of his
half interest in the St. Johns Realty
Company to ]. II. Canright, Of Portland.
Although Mr.. Canright lives in Portland
now he expects to make 81. Johns his
home in the near future.
George Baker and Mrs. Rowena Baker
mother OF Frank Baker, started for their
old home in Clyde, Ohio, last Wednes-
day, where they will make their future
home. Mr.. Baker will secure position
in the county treasurer's office.
On Thursday evening, September !,
the Royal Neighbors plan TO give a
benefit for Mrs. York, a woman in needy
circumstances. Mrs. York has several
children dependent upon her earnings
from washing-and has lately been 50
prostrated by illness as TO prevent heI
working. The Royal Neighbors should
be aided in this enterprise.
St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1905-08-18
Still Improving.

On Wednesday n. A. Gee COM
menced moving the house where NJ,
S. Rowland is living, Alexander
Forbes, Of Eureka, California, who
purchased the property will imme-
diately start the erection of two
story business binding on the lot.
The lower part will be used for
store rooms and the upstairs will
likely be large hall to be used for
lodge meetings. Mr. Forbes states
that he is not fully decided whether
he will have Office rooms or a hal
on the upper floor-but presumes il
will be a hall. George Packing
ham, who owns the Home Bakery
is the contractor.
St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1905-08-18
Bonds Turned Down.

The Chicago firm of buyers has
turned down the municipal bonds
OF ST. Johns upon the ground,
principally, that the money TO be
derived from these bonds was not
to be devoted to public utilities.
1t is yet possible to communicate
with one other firm who made an
offer for the purchase OF these
bonds but it is question if it, too,
would not turn down the propo-
sition without examination-owing
to the length OF time that has
elapsed since the bids were opened,
The firm would doubtless fear some
chicanery.
St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1905-08-18
Funeral Tuesday.

The funeral of Mrs, Mary Redner,
who died at the home of her daugh-
ter, Miss Bell Redner, last Saturday
afternoon. took place Tuesday OF
this week,
Mrs. Redner was born in New
York state, and came to Oregon
about two years ago. She has been
living in St. Johns for two months.
Death resulted from a general break
ing down of her system, she being
seventy-four years old. She was
taken to Portland to be buried
She leaves four sons and two
daughters.
St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1905-08-18
Dissolution Notice.

Notice is hereby given that the firm %
!. {. Allen aud T, X. Anderson, doinI
business under the name of the Boston
Bakery, IN 81. Johns, Oregon, Is dissolved
by mutual consent. I. X, Anderson will
continue the business under the title oi
Anderson * Co., and all bills are payable
to the new firm,
J, {, ALLRS,
7. X. ANDERSON.
Dated ST. Johns, Oregon, August 10,
Iuls.
Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-01-12
AUT0IST HAD
CLOSE CALL.
Was Riding Up Smith Street Hill
When His Coat Caught
in Machine.

A curious accident occurred to an
automobilist yesterday morning and it
will long be remembered by him, no
doubt. He had crossed to this city
from Tottenville and was taking the
covering off the rear of the auto to
make some repairs. When the ferry
boat landed here he had not completed
his task.
The machine was started up the
hill and the owner jumped on the rear
so that he would not have to walk up
hill. He plunged forward and the
big heavy coat which he was wearing
caught in the cog wheels. The auto
was going so fast that before it could
be stopped the coat had been torn
half off the man. The cloth ologged
up the gear and it WAS some little
time before the auto could be started
again.
Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-01-12
WANT TRUMPET
BROUGHT BACK.
Washington Hose Boys Called
Special Meeting TO Appoint
Committee to Get il.

a special meeting of Washington
Hose Company was held in the hose
house, in Rector street, last night,
fore the purpose of irving to solve the
mystery concerning the trumpet which
had recently disappeared from the
Washingtons house, A committee of
seven was appointed to investigate and
get the trumpet back at all costs.
A member of the Washingtons, in
conversation with a News reporter,
this morning, said: "We now know
where the trumpet is. 1t was stolen
by the members OF a hose company in
this city and is now in their posses
sion, but we will get it hack and that
within very short time, and also
a memento from their headquarters. p"
The committee in charge of the
ball and reception which the boys
will hold in Wilder Hall on the night
of Washington's birthday, reported
great progress.
Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-01-12
WORKING. FOR
8 CENT FARE.
That TOttenvIIIe Petition PeiHg
Enthusiastically Received
Everywhere,

The petition which, as told in yes
terday's News, was being circulated
in Tottenville for a three cent fare
between that place and Perth Amboy
over the ferry, is meeting with great
success and most all OF the people at
the lower end of Staten Island will
sign it. 1t is expected that duplicates
Of the petition will be drawn up and
placed in the drug stores from Totten
Vile to Princes Bay.
In conversation with a News man
yesterday afternoon, q number of peo-
pie who are compelled to come te
Perth Amboy twice aud sometimes
more in week, said that they would
work hard to get people TO sign it.
Rumor has it that a petition will
also be circulated in this city, and
when News reporter asked a number
OF men who work in Tottenville at
the Atlantic Terra Gotta CT the ship.
yards what they thought of it, they
were all eager that the petit on be
started in this city.
Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-01-12
LOCKOUT is
ABOUT OVER.
Labor Men Here Are Glad the
Trouble in New York Is
Near Settlement.

Labor leaders in this city were glat
to hear that there is every Indication
that the lockout in the building trades
in Now York will soon he settled.
One thousand eight hundred stone.
cutters, who have been out of employ
ment for five months, unable to resist
the demands of their families longer,
surrendered 10 the terms of the EN-.
ploy ers and went lack 10 work by
joining the new union of Stonecut-
ters and signing individual arbitra-
tion agreements.
Now that the stcnecutters have gone
back to work it is believed that their
example will be followed by the $500
carpenters end 1900 plastcrers who
are still locSed out. and prevented
from going to work unless they join
the new unions organized by employ
ers to take the place of the old ones,
which the employers will no longer
recognize because they violated the
arbitration plan by going on strike.
The stonecutters were responsible
for the throwing out of employment
Of more thnn 10, 600 men through sym
pathetic strikes.
Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-01-12
SUDDENLY FOUND SOME
OF HIS LOST MONEY.
TuubOat Man Said 1t Was All Gone
Until Being Led Back to
His Cell.

Louis Folk, Il Norwegian tugboat
hand, was arrested about | O'Clock
this morning by Patrolman Whit
worth, on Front street. He had a
heavy load aboard, and was looking
for trouble. He was locked up, after
some little difficulty.
This morning he appeared in court
in rather bad shape. Recorder Pickers
gill administered the alternative OF
paying fiue of SlU or going to the
county Jail for thirty days.
\ Folk said he had had $40 last night,
but thought he had lost it in some
manner He said his tug was at New
London by today, and lie begged for
clemency. He was, however, led
back to his cell, Just as the officer
was locking the door, Folk found
some of his money in an obscure
pocket. He paid his fine and WIS re-
leased.