davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
Their Absence Explained.

During an acrimonious debate In the
house shortly before the civil war Mr..
Potter of Wisconsin made some very
sharp structures on Mr.. Pryor OF Nir-
ginia. The result was challenge from
Pryor to fight duel. which Potter
promptly accepted, naming as terms
bowie knives at five PAGES, terms
which he well knew Pryor would no,
dare TO accept. as he was a small man.
while Potter was large, powerful
man and familiar with the use of the
bowie knife. Pryor declined on the
ground that the proposed terms were
beneath the dignity of a gentleman 10
accept. and so the matter ended. But
on the day following the challenge,
while the result was still UNKNOWN
both Potter and Pryor were absent
during roll call, and when Potters
name was called a Quaker member
rose and In mild voice said, MIR.
Speaker. am informed that the gen
tleman from Wisconsin had Prior en-
gagement." And when Pryor's name
was called moment later he rose
again, saying. Mr.. Speaker, L hear
that the gentleman from Virginia has
gone to be rs clay in the hands or the
Potter"
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
Chiniupya.

Chimneys are modern-that Is, chin
neys with fireplaces and fues. None
Of the Roman ruins shows chimneys
like ours. There are none in the re-
stored buildings in Herculaneum ana
Pompeii. Roman architects complain
ed that their decorations were smoked
M 4 kitchen in Rome was always
sooty. Brazlers were used in the living
rooms. The chimney Of antiquity con-
sisted Of hole In the roof. Inc
wealthy Romans used carefully dried
wood. which would burn in the room
without SCOT. The modern chimney
was first used in Europe In the four
teenth century. The Oldest certain ac-
count of chimney places 1t In Venice
In 1347.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
D,Sy Kings.

When pOsies inside wedding rings
were first introduced does not seem TO
be known. Time has covered that, as
ne does so many things, with the moss
rs Of oblivion. but we know that from
the sixteenth century until the middle
Of the eighteenth it was customary to
have them engraved OH rings. These
posies or notices are seldom TO. be
found with more than two lines or
verse and often with only one, but
there are few instances known where
three lines are used. Some OF these po-
sizes are very quaint and curious, and
few reach high standard Of poetic
beauty. In 1G42 a small collection or
rhymes was published with the title OF
Loves Garland; or, Posies For Rings,
Handkerchiefs and Gloves and Such
Pretty Tokens That Lovers Send Their
Loves" 1t contains some posies that
are not TO be met with elsewhere and
Is q very interesting work, though but
few people seem to have heard or II.
The South Kensington museum has a
good collection Of posy rings, and
among them we find the following:
United hearts, death only parts
LET us share In Joy and care" Love
and live happily" There is a story
TO the effect that DR.. John Thomas,
who was bishop Of Lincoln in 1753,
caused 10 be inscribed inside his fourth
wlfe's wedding ring:
If l survive.
I'll make them five.
London Graphic.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
Medicine.

Throw out opium. said DR.. Holmes
which the Creator Himself seems to
srescribe. for we often see the scarlet
poppy growing in the cornfelds. rs II
II were foreseen that wherever there
is hunger TO be fed there must also be
pain to be soothed; throw out few
specifies which our art did not discover
and is hardly needed TO apply; throw
out wine, which is a food ana the
vapors which produce the miracle OF
anaestheSia. and | firmly believe that
If the whole materia medica as now
used could be sunk 10 the bottom OF
the sea il would he all the better for
mankind and all the worse for the
fishes.
The shortest system Of medical prac-
tice that know OF is the oldest, but
not the worst. 1t Is older than Hip
pocrates. older than Chiron the Cen
taur Nature taught ii to the first
mother when she saw her firstborn
child putting some ugly pebble or lurid
berry into its mouth. ! know not in
what language ii was spoken. but /
know that in English it would sound
thus: spit it out"
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
VIII Row TIL Judgment Day.

There is shivery. shaky legend
among the people who live along the
Hudson river which is TO the effect
that that stream is the everlasting
boating waters Of srecter who Is
personified as Ramhout Van Dam.
Away back in colonial times Ramhout
and his friends were drinking until
late at night. Finally this nan Ram
hout started for home, some distance
up the river, in his boat. swearing that
he would row the distance II it took "a
month of Sundays" Ramhout never
reached home, AMI the superStitiouS
people say that he has been condemn
ed to row till judgment day.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
A shifting Landmark.

In the first years of navigation on
western waters. says the author or
EARLY Steamboat Navigation on the
Missouri River" pilots were forced to
use all sorts of signals and marks to
decide their courses. One had GUS
tom of running a certain crossing II he
came to it at night by the aid OF
dog. The animal belonged to family
living In house at the foot OF the
crossing directly in the course or the
bend. Whenever boat was coming
this dog ran out & the bank. always
In exactly the same place, which was
in lie with the channel. and barked
his loudest. The pilot ran toward the
sound Of the barking with the utmost
confidence. Unhappily the dog one
NIGHT took notion to change his stand
and barked a little higher up. The
next morning the boat was hopeless
wreck on sand bar, into which the
pilot had run at full speed.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
Tha ChamDfon Parrot.

A woman in London fathouse was
accused Of singing hymns to her par
rots for the benefit of their souls. Ihls
recalls to the London Chronicle the
most accomplished parrot in history
It belonged 10 Colonel Dennis Ohelly
and was famed for its whistllng or the
One Hundred and Fourth Psalm. When
the colonel died in 1871 large proper
ton Of his obituary notice in the Cen
tleman's Magazine was devoted to this
remarkable bird, which got another
considerable notice of It's own when It
died fifteen years later in Half Moon
street. Piccadilly. This parrot could
also whistle God Save the King and
THE Banks of the Dee" and would go
back and correct itself If it got note
wrong. 1t could even answer ques-
tlons. and it's master was said to have
refused 800 guineas a year to SHOW it
In public.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
Salnagundf.

Halllwell in his Dictionary or Ar
chaisms and Provincialisms' describes
salmongundy to be a mixture or ap-
pies, onions, veal or chicken and pic
kled herrlngs, minced fine and eaten
with oil and vinegar; hence a nickname
for a cook.
Halliwell-Philllpps' Dictionary of
Archaisms and Provincialisms' has
"Salmongundy-apples, onions, veal OF
chicken and picked herrings, minced
fine and eaten with oil and vinegar;
hence a nickname for cook" CT. also
Crosses classical Dictionary OF the
Vulgar Tongue" Bailey's Dictionary
has "salmingOndin."
Salmagundi, OF course; made or pic
kled herring minced up raw with pep
per. vinegar, ETC. From Sea WORDS
and Sea Phrases Used Along the sur
folk Coast" by Edward Fitzgerald
communicated by him to the East An
glian News.-LondOn Notes and Que
rios
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
How Doiphins Play.

The waters of the gulf Of California
teem with other wealth than pearls.
Here are fish OF every description. The
tuna Is abundant. and the gamy Span
ish mackerel is everywhere. The dol
phin seems monarch Of all the gulf.
In the vicinity Of the great island OF
Carmen they are encountered by the
thousand. one school. comprising
many hundreds. were encountered by
the steamer on which the writer was a
passenger n short distance from the
beautiful bay of Esconddo. They were
1 Lalf mile distant when they observed
us going in the opposite direction. Sud
denly the leaders. in n clearly evinced
spirit OF rollicking sea dog fun, turned
every one OF them and gave chase TO
the steamer. 1t was perfectly evident
they enjoyed the performance as much
rs the spectators. For 4 little while
The noise was deafening. as If thou
sand gamins Of the streets had been
turned loose in go-as-you-please bath
house. Then. having proved their abil-
ity to catch up with the steamer, they
as suddenly veercd and sped south
ward.-Sunset Magazine.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
Noors Consider Us Dirty.

A habit OF our own which we con-
slider far more cleanly than eating
with our fingers is looked upon by the
Moors as filthy-that is. washing our
hands or face III basin and. still
more. taking bath where the water Is
not running. The cleaner we become.
they say, the dirtier tie water we are
washing with must necessarily be-
come. and eventually We step forth as
cleansed from waier which Is no longer
clean. \ Moor 10 wash his hands has
the water poured from Il vessel over
them and never by any chance dips
them into tie dirty water. The same
way in the,r baths. The water is
thrown over their bodies out Of bright
brass bowls and flows away through
holes in tie marble or tile fcor.-Mod-
ern Society.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18

~ ch9,rrrgno d.1uer once cost ~.
Joseph. Mo. The Union Pacific rail
road" SAID an old railroad official
The Uu.on V@c.Lc aid bill was NJ for
consideration in congress in the early
sixties. 1t fixed 81. Joseph rs the
eastern terminus Of the road. While
tle bill was under consideration a ban
cuct was hell at St Joseph. 1t was
attended ly many Of the leading men
Of lie town. After tLey had filed ~
on Oh. mpaglc a question arose as t.
which Cac should l0@t from the city
hal. The Confederate Gdg was finally
decided on. and in the morning the
sta, and stripes were hauled down
ana the stars ana bars hoiSted. The
news reached Washington that very
day. While the Union Pacific bill was
still under consideration. Senator
romeroy moved that the name St. Jo'
scYh. NO. be stricken from the bill
and Omaha. Neb.. be substituted. The
amendment carrjed and est. JOSEPH
thereby lost the Union Pacific. kan
sas City Journal.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
Made the Bear Work.

BIZ Winters uses his Wit to save MS
strength. During camping trip In the
Maine woods Bill was easily the LATEST
man in the party. Finally his eXas-
Derated comrades told him that II ne
did not kill something besides time
they would pack him off home. The
next morning Bill borrowed rifle and
went off up the mountains. Two hours
later the men in camp saw Bill run
ming down again as fast as he could
come. and close behind him was bear.
The men watched the chase, with load
ed rifles ready. On reaching camp BIZ
turned and shot the bear. When the
men could stop laughing one OF them
said, bill, what Oh earth possessed
YOU TO run that distance with the bear
so close when you might have killed
him on the bill and saved your breath Z
Bill smiled slowly. What's the use OF
killing a bear in the mountains ana
Juggling him in when you can run him
inf" he asked.-Boston Herald.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18

80 man likes to be surpassed by mer
of his own level.-Livy.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
An Elder Brother.

In Il case In the orphans court OF an
eastern city one Of the principal wit
nesses was asked if he had any broth
ers or sisters.
Il had a brother" he replied, but he
died 80 years ago"
What? \ hundred and fifty years
ago?" echoed the judge, with an mn
piled rebuke for a possible jest.
Yes. am telling you the truth. My
father was married at nineteen years
Of age. Within the year n son was
born to him. who shortly afterward
died. Becoming il widOwer before he
was thirty. my father married again at
the age Of sevcnty-hve. | was born
next year. am at present ninety-four
years old. II YOU will make the neces-
sary calculation by adding my age,
nincty-fOur. 10 the number fifty-siX.
which is the difference between seven
ty-fve and nineteen. the ages OF my
father nj the time Of his respective
marriages. the result will be exactly
100. SO it Is just century and half
since my brother died"
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
CnnnIelixht.

Hall. candleight. without disparage
ment 10 the sun or moon. the kindiieSt
luminary of theNthrec, If we may not
style thee radiant deputy. mild viceroy
OF the moon. We love TO read, talk, sit
silent. eat. drink. sleep by candlelight
They are everybody's sun and moon.
This Is our peculiar and household
planet. BY the midnight taper the
writer dlgests his mcditations. by the
same light we must approach to their
perusal If we would catch the fame
the odor. Night and silence call out
the starry fancies. Milton's Morning
HYMN In Paradise" we would hold
a good wager. was penned at mid
night. and Taylor's rich description OF
q sunrise smells decidedly Of the taper.
Even now a loftier speculation than we
have attempted courts our endeavors.
We would indite something about the
solar system. Betty, bring the can
dles."-Charles Lamb.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
when You Write. Abroad.

In Writing TO France or Italy, post
master pointed out the other day, the
address should be printed, for the
printed characters of French, Italian
and English are alike. but of the writ
ten ones this is not true. The capital
letter T. for instance is written In
France and Italy like c. The top
stroke is made as with us, but the
downward stroke curves TO the right
instead of TO the left. Our c Is taken
for a 7 abroad. Our T IS taken for
orJ. 1t Is important therefore to print
instead of to write proper names on
foreign letters. \ letter addressed In
writing to- for instance. a man named
Treat would he thought by the French
and Italian TO be addressed to Treat,
and in the general delivery department
of the postofiice 1t wC1ld be placed In
the | instead of in thSr compartment.
Thus when Mr.. Treat called for his
mail a search Of compartment would
reveal nothing for him, and his letter,
hidden among the Is, would never be
delivered.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
Our Lead Pencils.

Many boy is made happy these
days by a present of half dozen pen
ellis with lis name printed thereon III
gold letters. Perhaps the name lead
pencir' will last through oil time ana
eternity. The original pencil was really
made Of lead, and on the rough paper
Of the time made clearly discernlDle
mark. Germany led in its manufac-
ture. Our earliest importations were
much sought after, and none could be
bought VIII other money than goid
coin. 4 COMMON '1ead" pencil was al
most wo-.h its weight In gold, and
man who got supply had to be wei
recomme9 ed. : hen New York mer-
chant ADVERTISED the arrival of con
sIgnment Of lead pencils" the rush 10
buy vas pc.lmell. This seems incredi-
bic to us young roosters, who can buy
q dozen pencils today for 10 cents
New York Press.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
Daring and DexterOus.

For feat OF deXterity and nerve 1t
would be difficult TO surpass that OF the
Bosiesman OF South Africa, who walks
quietly up TO a pun adder and delib-
erately sets his bare foot on its neck.
In its struggles TO escape and attempts
TO bite its assailant the poison gland
secretes large amount Of the venom.
This is Just what the BOsjesman wants.
Killing the snake. he eats the body and
uses the poison for his arrows.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
A Fish's Tall.

A fish exerts its great propulsive
mower with its tail, not with IFS ms
The paddle wheel was made on the m
theory of propulsion, and the screw
propeIler had its origin in noting the
action of the tail. 1t is now shown
that the fins of the tail actually per
form the evolutions described by the
nroneller blades and that the fish in
It's sinuous motion through the water
depends on the torsional OF the Tall
to give it power.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
A Useless Model.

An English manufacturer Of pottery
is the subject Of joke told in the
Liverpool Post While on continental
tour he purchased Sevres vase FOR
some hundreds Of pounds and brought
it home most carefully. Thinking that
the foreman of his works might gather
a hint from the design he called that
gentleman in and showed him the treas
ure. How do you like it, be asked.
The foreman took the vase in his hand.
turned ii over and returned it, with the
brief reply, Il don't think | can learn
much from it,. "Why nOt| asked the
manufacturer. Il don't like telling
YOU. sir" Come. Out with II.
We'll, | designed that vase myself. IL
is a foreign imitation Of our own work
and Is worth f5 at the outside"
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
noubIe Thinking.

Professor JastrOw, writing In lne
Popular Science Monthly of the causes
Of certain lapses of speech, recalls the
singular power that Sir Walter Scott,
among others. possessed Of conducting
two trains of thought at the same
time. When highly developed this pow
er enables its posseSsor subconsclous-
" to find words expressing a thought
already formed while at the same time
shaping the next thought period in
conscious preparation. An instance Is
given by Scott's amanuenslS, who re-
lates that while debating the novelist
would sometimes search through a
book. finding and reading passage,
and thus keeping two trains OF
thoughts going simultaneously. The
amanuensis discovered the fact that
Scott was doing double work in his
brain through the occasional occurrence
in the dictation Of Il word which did
not fit In the sentence, but four or five
lines farther on the place where the
word belonged would turn up.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
Ants XIII n Rather.

A hunter tells an interesting story
of the way in which a colony OF red
ants put to death rattIeSnake which
dared to disturb their abode. He was
out hunting when he saw the rattler
and started To put load OF shot into
the reptile when be noticed that IL was
headed straight for an ant hill or un-
usual size and waited TO watch the
proceedings. Ii had hardly got half
way across the mound when a big red
ant hastened TO the attack and sank
his nlppers into the snakes body. In
less than two minutes he was Joined
by the whole colony, which practically
covered the whole body of the rattler,
each one sinking its scssoRs-like blades
into the intruder's body. The snake
began to thrash and squirm, but the
ants held OH like bulldogs. The rat
tiers fury grew 80 great elat he sank
his fangs into his own body. then
Strengthened out after n few more
convulsve efforts to get away and was
dead in less than ten minutes after the
first ant had mounted his body.-kan-
sas City Journal.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
Honeymoon Reading.

The house had Quieted after the wed
ding Mother and Aunt Mary were In
the parlor talking it over.
$50 it's over" said Aunt Mary, smil-
ing into mothers eyes.
YES" said mother bravely, although
a little tearfully. Its overland be-
gun"
They'll be happy, I'm sure"
Eyes. They are very well suited to
each other"
VERY. l could see that They both
have studious habits"
"Yes. But, Mary'-mother paused,
and the gleam Of mischief evoked by
Aunt Mary sooner than anybody els
darted into her eyes-"Mary, they can't
have much sense OF humOr. Though it's
my own girl, say it,"
"Why notT
"Do you know what she took TO read
on their wedding journey? Stevenson
Travels With Donkey .'"-Tit-Bi
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
Nelson In WoIsey's Tomb.

Lord Nelson's sarcophagus in ~
Paurs cathedral has been aptly dc
scribed as secondhand national
tomb. for il was originally constructed
for another great Englishman, Cardi-
nal Wolsey. Wolsey had cherished an
ambition to be buried within the pre-
cincts of Windsor castle and caused
his sarcophagus to be carved by one O..
the most famous sculptors Of his time.
But Wolsey died In disgrace, and the
sarcophagus remained empty at Wind
sor until Nelson's death, when ii was
thriftily employed to hold the remains
Of the hero OF Trafalgar.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
Give Your Horse More Water.

Water should be before horses at al
times when indoors, and at least nc
meal should ever be offered and nc
night lights ever turned out until every
animal has had his chance at as many
brimming buckets as he will take, says
the Outing Magazine. The shy drinker
may be tempted by many articles, like
mixing little mOlasses, or salt, or oat'
meal. or faxSeed jelly, or bran, etc.
with the water. and constantly varying
the flavor. Horses may even have al
they want right after feeding. provided
they have not been deprived or water
for some time previous. Many shy
drinkers. like shy feeders. who are gen
orally nervous, take all nOurisimeni
best at night. when 1t is dark ana
quiet. and morning finds the empt!
mancer and bucket which ii hac
seemed, by day, almost nauseated
them.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
Let the Children Plny.

II IS too often true Of the unhappy
children who are forced 10 rise too ear
IL in their classes that they are con
ceited all the forenoon of life and stu
Did all its afternoon. The vigor ana
freshness which should have been stor-
ed up for the purposes of the hard
struggle for existence In practical life
have been washed out Of them by pre-
cocious mental debauchery-by glut-
tony and lesson bibbing. Their facul-
ties are worn out by the strain put
upon their calow brains, and they are
demoralized by worthless childish tri-
umphs before the real work Of life be-
gins. | have no compassion for sloth.
but youth has more need for intellectu-
al rest than age. and the cheerfulness,
the tenacity of purpose, the power or
work. which make many succeSsful
man what he Is. must often be placed
TO the credit not of his hours of indus
try. but 10 that Of his hours of idleness
in boyhood.-lIuXley.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18

Two groups Of persons were seated
in q railway station, according to Lip
pincott's Magazine. One consisted OF
fashionably attired pair, the other OF a
pair who looked as If they were from
the country. They had been there only
q few minutes when girl came In
whose complexion was as nearly per-
feet as anything in this world ever Is.
While she was buying her ticket the
young man remarked to the ladies with
him:
Isn't Miss Cransford beauty! Her
complexion is as perfect as rose"
At the same time the other man
clutched his wife's arm and whispered:
Lord. Nan, hasn't that gal got a
purity hide?"
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
His Daughter.

A gentleman who was once stopped
by an old man begging replied, Don't
YOU know, my man, that fortune
knocks once at every mans doorT
"Yes." said the old man, "he knocked
at my door once, but | was out, and
ever since then he has sent his daugh-
ter"
His daughter?" replied the gentle
man. What do you meanT
"Why, Miss Fortune"
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1906-05-18
The Harvard Cross.

The iron cross FURNISHED with gold
which /; over one Of the entrances TO
the Harvard college library Gore halll
was at tie time Of the 1I4j siege OF
Louisburg taken from Catholic chap
el there and brought 10 Massachusetts
as one of the spOils OF victory. In 1871
Justin Wilsor. the librarian Of Har-
ward COLLEGE library, found 1t in the
cellar of the library and had it gllded
and placed in the position which it now
occupies.