davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18
GR4ND DYKES 1--WE NTTON.
The Nikki Screw Attracting Attention
Among S%hiphuiIders IN GernnnN.

German shipbuilders are beginning 70
believe that royalty has made a considerable
contribution 10 the speed Of steamships
They are beginning 10 give serious atten-
ton 10 the Nikki screw. which for some years
after IFS invention wac treated rather as a
joke or at best an amiahle fad of 2 ruler
with a taste for mechanics.
The inventor is his ROYAL Highness
Frederick Augustus. Grand Duke of 0lden-
burg. and the invention Is named in honor
Of rhe heir TO the Grand Duchy. the heredi-
tary Prince Nikolaus Nikki is the Princes
pet name.
The fundamental difference between the
Nikki screw and the ordinary propeller is
that all its blades are not set in a circle
around the core. They are arran-ed
spirally. the pitch Of the spiral and that
lated. The pitch Of the spiral is not very
great. 30 that the length OF the core has
not 10 be very greatly increased. but the
effect upon the action Of the blades in the
water is said 10 ! . anazinTly treat
AS the tour blades do not turn in one ring
each secures an independent hold on the
water. This added hold ON the water
makes II possit le 10 diminish the pitch OF
the ladies' and so no accumulation Of
dead water are carried around IN the
concavities. reducing the driving Tov-r
Of the flades. Greater rapidity of rsvolu-
tion is also secured and 80 ths propeller "a
more in tune with the high speed engines
now in Use. This il largely due 70 the facr
that the screw constantly throws he water
out from itself much more rapidly than
the old fashioned propeller
Theodore Icise. y prominent builder
at Ottensen, has made further Developments
in the idea. reyulating fhe pitch and asceT
tanning the metal most favorable Tor me
"cnrructiOn ~ the propeller WITH ms
~ pr ,vements il il called the Ie!sc- NiEki
ec,-y. The combination War tried on a
tugboat, the Brer on. and an increase IN
efficiency II oue-th'rd was secured. The
verdict was that the screw was a great
ADVANTAGE in river navig1tion, l. has
! cen tried AZ sen also The North German
LLOYD steamship Scydlr2 used i on a
voys - 70 East Asia and reports Increase
Of speed with diminished coal consumption
Onc marked feature was said 10 b" the re-
duction Of VII ration. due TO the greater
ease with which fhe propeller travels
through the water. n If eKpecr"a that
the Nikki screw will ba found adapta' y"
to warshipS and thai i y i'll combine weG
with turbine engines,
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18
SLAMS RAILROAD TO MECCA.
4 RELIGIOUS ENTERPRISE IN
THE ARABIAN DESERT.

Ar Nohammedans Helping I'm the work
OF Making the Way Easier for Pilgrims
Bound 10 the Holy Cities Of Medina
and Mecca Nearly $50 Miles Built.
For five years the faithful OF Islam nave
Seen pushing southwark into the Arabian
desert a railroad that il 10 connect the
holy Mohammedan cities. Damascus, Medina
and Mecca. Starting from Damascus the
yn4 when il enters Mecca will be more than
100 miles long. II will DO completed by
tho end Of this year to Tubuk, $50 miles from
paraascus, more than half way to Medina.
and one-third Of the way TO Mecca.
NJ the present rate Of progress tho rail-
road Nill be completed to Mecca in 1913.
The interest of the entirc Mohamu cian
porld Is enlisted.
The line stands in q class by itself, for
here ia 10 other enterprise like it. Its
Inception and progress are due To no
political, strategic or commercial cousid
srations 4 religious necessity impelled
Sultan Abdul Hamid IL. the ruler of Tur-
lev and the head of the Mohamrledan faith.
u, build the road
ae called upon Mohammedans all over
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18

pleted works where many hundreds If
man in tAc arid dciHf mast he amply
supple |, and greet quantities # water
are nee LED for mixing the mortar which
goes into the construction Of the bridges
and other works. Explo 'ations all along
the lin" make II evident that sufficient
water vlII be secured. but how II will be
mo practically and cheIplv obtained Is
o question of the future.
Auother difficulty is the scarcity Of fuel
Both Syria and Arabia are very poor in
forests and coal fields These resources
fail completely along the pilgrim railroad
and its branch line.
The locomotives ard stations are supplied
with imported coal which, of course. Is
costly Fortunately the temperature is so
mild that little coal will be neeGed e1-
cept for locomotives and machine shops.
Along the northern fourth Of tue line
there IL no dri.t sand, but south Of Mudew-
were the desert is entered. On the Trans
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18
Falcon ss n Ships Mascot.

from Lhe SedtLc Fost lLCetttgtnceT
Ohio Fred is a large falcon with a curved
and wicked looking beak and claw which COM
mand respect from all. He was captured by
Chief oficer F. G. Mills when the vessel was
about 100 miles inside OF Unimsk Pass, on the
voyage north.
Mr.. Mills only secured Fred after a hard
struggle. The bird slighted on the foretop OF
the steamship one afternoon. There was a
heavy wind and the big bird was tired out.
Mr.. Mills climbed aloft and after a struggle
succeeded in bringing Fred 70 the deck. Fred.
however, almost took them both overheard on
the way down from the foretop. He struggled
with his large wings and nearly took the ON
Ger from the rigging.
Mr.. Mills, however, stun 70 his prize and
the result was that Fred became the pet and
mascot Of the ship. II was only with his
Captor that he would become friendly. To
any one else approaching he shows his beak
and threatens them with his claws and they
keep their distance.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18
CFRRfIWG WITH ~ TANKS
[VTO IKE OESE R7-

sibIe, a station is erected, side tracks are
laid. storage houses built the stone found
in the neighborhood being the chief build
ing material
Trains are now running on tbe completed
portion Of the road twice q week. OF
course. most of the business IL that Of the
railroad itself.
Five trains "a week are running during the
pilgrim season and they are crowded with
the devotets. Large caraN ans Of Camels
are kept at the end Of the completed track.
whereNe it may he. 70 carry the pilgrims
on their journey.
The Turkish Government is already
reaping great advantage from the road.
because II places Constantinople within
easier reach of It's Arabian prov inces. In
the rehS lion in Yemen. ~twenty-eight bat
talions of troops were carried south On the
pilgrim railroad from Damascus 10 Ms,an
whore they we're GebaTkf Il and marched
overland ~ the Gulf of Akaba, the north
eastern exte nsion Of the Red SEA
Here tbev took ship and sailed south
10 Hodeida. near the scene Of the disturb
ancs. They spent two days on The rail-
road. four on the land march and five on
the Red Sea, eleven DAYS. and there is
proof that if thev had taken instead the
Suez Canal route they would scarcely
have reached the Red Sea by The time they
were landed al HoGeida
4, present forty-three locomotives. thirty
one passenger cars ana d. trslEht cars are
in the service. The railroad is steadily
though NOT rapidly advancing and IL is said
10 be a most inspiring sight 10 see the busy
stations amid the Lleakest of scenery, the
little cities Of white tents that are the homes
of hundreds OF men who are pushing this
line OF rails through rhe yellow sands
The miles of track added every week are
constantly trinRinR the holy cities nearer
10 the vast host Of pilgrims who long for
the completion of this easier way TO reach
the places which on earth are most sacred
to them.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18
CHICkENS 4 PENNY APIECE.
4 Gov for 81 80 and As Glasses OF Beer
for Two Cents. '

Two cents or IFS equivalent would buy
q pair Of chickens-in the fourteenth GEN.
turv For the value Of a nickel one could
acquire A goose fit for a Christmas dinner
in the fourteenth century.
A penny would purchase a dozen strictly
fresh eggs-in the fourteenth century,
while for Two cents tho brewer was COM
PEELED by Law 70 sell three gallons OF beer.
the equivalent Of forty-eight glasses.
A man could buy the finest fat sheep
for twenty-four cents. A COW was more
expensive. says the " sckdnic. but ono dollar
and a half would buy the best in the market,
while for a fat hog one need only part with
eighty cents.
cents a quarter, though after a great storm
or in a time of grieVous famine IL would
rise as high as our OF five dollars aquarter.
Still at these prices a good many pounds
Of bread could be bought for a penny.
Pasture and arabic lands we're ridicu-
lousy cheep--two cents an acre for the
former ard twelve cents an acre for the
latter being considered a fair nnual rental.
Draught horses were a drug on the market
At sevenfy-two cents each and oxsn at
one dollar and twenty-five cents In the
days Of The second Henry 1it- dollars
would have equipped . farm with thru
draIgh' hCrseS, half a dozen oxen, twenti
COWS and Two hundred sheep, leaving a.
balance Of NO dollars toward the paymeisS
Of the rent. which would be perhaps Avs
dollar = wear.
The other side Of tho story, 20 far as the
lsbor,ug man l. concerned, comes in the
following figures Three cents a day
was considered good wages for an ordinary
lsborer. Even at harvest time -four cents
wa the highest amount expected
House rent was 20 low that the Lord
Mayor OF London paid only s4sO a year
70 his landlord The Chancellor had an
annual salary Of ei92 When a father sent
his son 20 . university our cents a day
was looked upon ss a comfortable allow
ance, with a margin for such l~uyIries as
pine az eighr or Twelve cents a gallon.
A salary OF s2i q year was cons dered
m%unifcent. King Edward VI. gave his
daughter an allowance Of s4.SO a week.
with an additional s247.s go a yea for ths
maintenance of nor eight servants
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18

Caspian railroad Gen. Annenkov overcame
the evil Of sand drifts by building sand
dams across the line Of drift and covering
the dams with plaster; also by planting
many thousands Of tamsrsks n other
desert plants whose roots tend to keep the
sand from moving,
They cannot depend on desert plants
along the pilgrim road, but many places
yield an abundance Of stone and lime rock
80 that sand dams may be built To advan-
tage.
AS the road passes through a wholly
uninhabited waste We might suppose that
the question of labor would be a serious
problem, but one Of the peculiarities of this
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18

are provided with cisterns to conserve rain
water in districts where there is any rainfall.
An adequate water supply. however has
not yet been assured.
Deep wells are being sunk, some of them
with success. The attempts TO reach ar
tesisn sources Of supply have thus far been
without result.
The locomotive tenders have unusually
large capacity for holding water and
hundreds Of tons Of the precious iuid are
transported many miles in big iron tanks.
The necessity OF transporting water ADDS
much to the cost Of construction
4 great deal of water must Of course
be carried To the southern end OF the COM
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18

and detailed reports df their work for the
use OF the second party, which as IL I'D
vanoes finds monuments showing the line
selected for the track.
The second rarty also consists chiefly
Of engineers and surveyors. They are taxi
ing levels along the line. determining the
depth of the cuttings ard the height OF the
entertainments to be made, working out all
the details Of the bridges across the dry
ravines n preparing everything for the
advent Of the rOadbed graders, the track
layers. the masons, bridge builders and
other artisans and common laborers who
follow a short distance behind.
At distances Of from thirty TO forty miles
and always at the source OF water, II pos
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18
Thrushes Guarded Berry Vines.


rom country LVe.
The fret spell OF severe weather seems TO
arouse in certain birds instincts akin TO
hooligan.l like selhshness. We had a few very
cold days in the first week of October, and
Immediately the missed thrushes took pos
session of the hawthorn bushes.
As long as the cold weatheT lasted every
hawthorn was policed by its proper missed
thrush. who kept other birds away from the
berries. small birds ~chafinches. hedge
sperrows and tits-oouid visit the bushes az
much as they pleased. but tbe instant a bla OK
bird or a thrush approached the storehouse
the guardian flung himself at the intruder.
The whole countryside rang with the cries
Of missed thrushes chasing other birds.
Then came the return OF summer weather,
and they promptly lost all interest in the
hawthorn berries.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18
PLAYS that PROVE MISFITS.
WtNhGERS OFTEN POOR JUDGES
~ WHIT- STARS NEED.
vhc Old Timer BewsIIs the Present system
which Gives the Actor Little Chance
10 Pick out FITS Play Loraine's
Luck Miss NsrlOwe'S Pet Grievance.

The group about the ia BILE in the Actors
Club listened while the oldest enlightened
Them a. 10 what used 10 happen in days
thar were. in his opinion. better and were
certainly older.
Think of being allowed to play Peer
Gynt,'" he said, and there are not
two men in this country who would have
been able to do il. Mansfield and Sothern
1ave that much Independence because
hey are not stars Of the kind that are de-
PENDENT on their managers. I'd like a
snapshot Of any manager when one OF MS
stars proposed TO him TO perform losens
play. They would look Just as astonished
and compassionate for the Door fool OF
an actor as they used 10 when the per-
iormance of shaw's plays was suggested.
That u another result Of tho Ho-c9lied
ttar system. The actor never has any
say as 70 what he il going 70 act unless
u happens that he owns the rights 10 a
psv th=t a manager wants. That nsde
= sr.r out ~ Robert Lorraine. he had
managed 20 save enough 10 ger from Yer.
nard shaw the right to Man and superrnan.
which nobody else here had ever Thought
you'd prove a success
Arnold DAILY had Just had his great
season with You Never Can Tell, and
here was such a demand for shaw that
aren that play Of Loraine's was sought
-ut by managers Lorraine was in . pos
zion 20 n AXE his own terms.
II was only q few years sgo that sven
Julia Marlowc was unable TO say that
she would and what she would Eos ne.
Ehe wanted so much TO play Lagoon
hat uhen Charles Frohmsn gave the piece
~ Miss Adams instead Of her she went
T. another manager. She thought that
NJ an actress OF romantic drama the part
should have gone 10 her. Annie Russell
was ar,tber victim OF what she might have
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18
r OF BIRD LIFE.


Reod,no correspondence Philadelphia Public
Ledger.
Albert Baker and Charles Yeager OF this
city returned from a two days hunting trip
IN the vicinity of Fritstown to-day. They
shot nine rabbits. three red squirrels. a pole
cat, a hawk and a red fox. The hawk meas
ured 4 feet 10 inches from tip TO tip OF wings.
Baker. who shot the bird. had a most ex-
citing experience. lie only wounded It. and
when he went TO obtain Il the bird attacked
and sank its claws into his face. Shout
ders and hands. Baker fought the bird for
fifteen minutes before he succeeded In killing
it. II in one of the largest birds of lie species
caught in this section for some time.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18
Venezuelan woodpecker.

From the Loncon Evenin1 Stondord.
The Santa Cruz woodpecker. of which a
specimen is now exhibited in the Geological
Gardens. is a pretty Venezuelan species
nov represented in the collection for the first
time. In its specially constructed cage
in the insect house the woodpecker may
be observed busily ensa Eed in tapping the
cork walls in its search for imaginary in
sects.
In a wild state these birds feed at all hours
Of the day. unlike moet OF their kind. which
feed in the morning and evening. But when
II is considered how much labor each insect
costs the woodpecker 1t will be seen how
necessary TO its existence is this untirinE
energy. No time is wasted in tapping a
sound tree: IL is behind soft bark that the
woodpecker expects to md its prey. IL
seems then that by its instinct il cannot de-
tect the presence Of insects; but only by the
state Of the wood can it select a likely place.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18
sparrows' Ala 20 the InJured.
From me Shourec Ners

This morning as . sp1rrow vas hvirg about
II became caught in the window ill over 'hs
English Kitchen and held prisoner b. m"
foot In y short time other spnrrovs came
TO ~ all and tried 70 free "
Finally, one bird caught ne prisoner BY
the wing and a third bird held the wing pf w."
second until a number were engaged In IN"
work But all their efforts were IN vain. \
large number of persons we're attracted by tho
sixht ard a. last Mr.. McCies went no aud re.
leased IN" small bird, which dew ava" r"-
IOiCinG.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-18
screech Owls ON Engine Pilot.

ITOT ~ UV'W ~ FWVoF
That's sendin' An en- ine some when you
make 'er overtake and Kill birds OH the wing"
said a railway vardmsn at the union depot
last night. He found three dead screech
owls on the engine pilot of q Burlin gton train
that had Just arrived
The enginee and fireman knew nothing
Of the owls. II is supposed the birds were
on the track and few up Just a. the ugine
reached them.
Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1906-05-12
WERE IN TEMPORARY ECLIPSE.
Neighborhood DepopuIated After the
SPELLING Bee

wanted to make inquiries about
several different people in a certain
neighborhood in Iowa, and when
found farmer leaning over his gate,
l stopped my horse and asked him II
he knew one Henry Smith.
eyes, sir, I've knowed him for ten
years." he replied, 'but can't tell
you where he is today"
"And do you know James Thomp.
SOM"
Jim Thompson? Why, him and
me are like brothers, but I can't say
where you'd find him to-day"
'How about George Snyder?"
George Snyder? Why, I was
tradin bosses with him the other
week. but I can't say where he is to
day."
/ asked after four or five other men
and received the same answers, each
one ending that it wasn't known
where the man was just that day.
"Why don't you know where they
are to-day?" finally asked
"Becase, sir-becase we had an
old-fashioned spelling bee at the
schoolhouse last night, with every
body loaded for bar, and most every.
body for five miles around has had
to take to the woods and won't be
comm out for three or four days yeti"
Baltimore American.
Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1906-05-12
Education as an Investment.

When one of the greatest financiers
of the United States was asked by
the widow of a man who had been
his secretary how she could invest the
$4,000 which her husband had left to
her, the financier shook his head, says
the Worlds Work.
Madam" he said. 81 can name for
you no investment that will give you
more than four dollars a week in in
come from such sum. To try to do
so would be to expose you to danger
that you should not run. Put the
money in savings bank. Use what
you need of it to pay a six months
course in stenography and will give
you salary that will net you 20 per
cent on your whole capital"
Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1906-05-12
And Then He Knew.

Gen. Pleasant Porter, an Indian
chief, desires to enter tie senate.
'But / am by no means overconfi.
dent in the matter" said the chief in
an interview. 81 know that if | get
the election I'll have to work hard
for it. Overconfidence causes laziness,
defeat, humiliation.
my ancestors, who came from Nor
ristown, sometimes Illustrated the
evil of overconfidence with an anec.
dote of Norristown man.
This man was talking to a beauti-
full young lady, an heiress, at ball.
"'Yes,' she was saying, when !
don't wish to accept mans atten.
lions and he asks me where l live l
say in the suburbs
"The man laughed.
'Ha, hal Excellent, he said. But
where do you live, Miss South?
"In the suburbs. Mr. Jones' she an
swered."
Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1906-05-12
Sound Advice.

One morning a Sunday school was
about to be dismissed and the young
sters were already in anticipation of
relaxing their cramped lit e limbs af-
ter the hours of confinement on
STRAIGHTFORWARD chairs and benches,
when the superintendent arose and,
instead of the usual dismissal, an
nounced: "And now, children let me
introduce Mr.. Smith, who will give us
a short tall"
Mr.. Smith smilingly arose, and after
gazing impressively around the class
room, began with: 81 hardly know
what to say" when the whole school
was convulsed to hear a small, thin
voice back in the rear lisp:
"Thay amen and thit down!"-Sa-
vannah News.
Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1906-05-12
CENTURIES BEHIND THE TIMES.
Eccentric German Lives In Feudal
STYLE and Raids Neiuhbors,


The well-known German anti-Sem.
tie, Count Pueckler, was heavily fined
by the court of Glogan recently, in
consequence of one of the eccentrici
ties which have gained for him the
title of modern Don Quixote, says the
London Express.
Count Pueckler maintains a corps
of mounted dependents, with whom
when not frightening Jews from his
own estate, he frequently makes ex
petitions into neighboring properties
On one Of these excursions the
count and his retainers CHANGED upon
a farm yard, where thrashing was in
progress under the supervision of the
steward of the estate. On seeing
smoke rising from the machine the
count, who abhors modern inventions,
dispatched a patrol, who so terrified
the farm hands that they sought ref
uge under the thrashing machine
The steward ordered the patrol away
whereupon the valiant count himself
rode his horse at the steward and
forced him also to seek safety behind
the machine.
On another occasion the patrol re,
ported a number of women working
In potato field, whereupon the count
led his cavalry to the attack, and,
waving his whip, forced the enemy to
seek any means of shelter.
The count explained in court that
the whole affair was a harmless joke,
and that the country people under
stood his ways.
But I absolutely cannot compre
bend the present time" he added,
for natural man is no longer under
stood. We live in a period of degen.
Grafton and decadence."
The judge said he had doubts as to
whether the count was in his right
mind, but considered him responsible
for his actions.
Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1906-05-12
Senator Clark BUYS Mine.

Senator Clark has bought for ST.
100000 the famous Union mine, Ell
Dorado county, California, for which
the Standard Oil Company offered
$1,250,000 last spring. Former owners
of the mine lost the vein after TAX
ing out $1,500,000 in bullion and sold
the mine for $1,400. The new own
ers found the vein again, and up to
date it has yielded $12,000,000.
Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1906-05-12
Rival to Niagara Falls.

The hight of the great Victoria falls
of the Zambesi river in South Africa,
is much more than double that Of
Niagara Falls, but the average vol
ume of water flowing over the African
precipice is so much less than that of
the American river that in horsepower
the Victoria Falls probably averages
only about 1 to 20 per cent, as much
as the American cataract.
Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1906-05-12
Another Derivation of yankee"

ftUOtnCi DSi'Notioh VI dlNCCs
When the New England colonies
were first settled, the inhabitants were
obliged to fight their way against
many nations of Indians. They found
but little difficulty in subduing them
all except one tribe, who were known
by the name of Yankoos-which sig
nifies invincible.
After the waste of much blood and
treasure, the Yankoos were at last
subdued by the New England men.
The remains of this nation agreeable
to the Indian custom) transferred
their name to their conc"erors.
For a while they were called Yam
koos, but from a CORFU tion, common
to names in all languP c, they got
through time the name of Yankee
New York Gazetteer, June 1, IT'S.