davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1906-09-05
Ship Remains In London.

Marienbad.-After brief services in
the chapel of the cemetery, TIE body
of Lady Campbell Bannermau, wife
Of the British premier. was placel on
board train and started for London.
King Edward was among the mourn
ers in the funeral procession.
Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1906-09-05
OREGON NOTES.

r. II. Bjorman. steeple climber
at Salem, fell from the smokestack Of
the electric plant to the ground, a dis
tance of so feet and was practically
uninjured. =,
Six Pendleton youths have been
arrested on the charge Of taking liquor
IN the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
James Bricker, a farmer near Mabel,
was killed recently by falling tree.
Fifteen head Of cattle were found
dead near Cornucopia as result Of
having eaten giant powder carlessly
eft by workmen who were building
road to the Queen of the West mine.
The cattle are fond Of glycerine, as 1t
melts in the rays Of the sun.
The largest crop OF wheat grown
by any one man in Umatilla county
this year is that of George Perringer.
who has farms upon the Umatilla
Indian reservation largely. Mr.. Per-
ringer has just finished harvesting and
he made 10000 shocks, or about S5,-
900 bushels.
Weston Is experiencing it's usual
annual water famine.
Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1906-09-05
Clumsy Attempt At eIaIystok.

Bialystok. Sept. IA clumsy at
tempt to kill Lieutenant of Police Ho-
doroffsky with bomb failed here Sun.
day. A Jew. charged with being the
author of the attempt, was arrested.
Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1906-09-05
MONTANA NEWS.

w. B. Taylor we'll known citizen
Of Bozeman, and soldier named
Charles Allen Of Cincinnati lost their
lives by drowning. With three WON.
en-. Taylor and Allen took a boat ride,
and when out but short time the
boat began leaking 80 badly that It
capsized. Taylor and Allen both tried
to swim to shore. but were seized with
cramps and sank. The women clung
to the boat and were rescued, after
great efforts. The mems bodies were
not recovered.
Ed Flynn, well known mining
man, was shot and instantly killed at
Salt Lake recently by Alvin McKin.
ley. The two men had been enemies
for years. and when they met the
quarrel began at once. Flynn was
armed with knife. with which he
cut Mckinley In several places. Nc
Kinley Is under arrest.
The annual reunion Of the Spanish
War vetrans Of Montana opened in
Butte last Saturday and adjourned
Monday OF this week.
The secretary of the interior has
awarded the contract for the construc-
iion Of the lower yellowstone dam Of
the lower Yellowstone irrigation pro.
iect In Montana. to the Pacific Coast
Construction company Of Portland,
Ore. for the sum Of $142.S25. This
dam Is TO be rock filled timber crib
bed structure across the Yellowstone
ut thn NJ hn oh
IS miles northeast Of Glendive and
according to the terms OF the contract,
will be completed February /. 1909.
From Glenham the Chicago, Mil
waukee & st. Paul road will pass
through Borman and schnasco coun-
ties in South Dakota. and will cut
through the southwestern corner of
North Dakota In Nettinger and Bow
man counties. From there It will run
into Custer county. Montana. The
road crosses the Northern Pacific at
Terry and parallels that road and
the Yellowstone river to Miles City
and FOrsythe, then II strikes of in
northwesterly direction to the Mus
selshell river to Yellowstone county.
tOioWIuS tuc IiVoi " IlhIboWtOu anu
Lombard. Here the Montant railroad
in operation from Lewiston to Harlow
ton will connect as a feeder. From
Lombard the main line will cross the
mountains to Butte.
A chain Of strange fatalities seems
to be connected with C. o. Mosier. a
ranchman living some miles west Of
Red Ladge. Mosier fell of haystack
Friday and was instantly killed. Two
years ago his Oldest son, Oliver. was
involved In a murder and holdup and
lie now fugitive from justice. Some
months after this a son in law was
killed in the railroad yards at Billings.
His widow gave birth to twins less
than a month after his death, and
the little ones died during the epi.
demeic of smallpox that ragged In Bill.
ings a year ago.
Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1906-09-05

The little French girl. in whose eye
the figures 22.4 distinctly appear, may
or may not be phenomenon II would
be we'll to inquire II PA was preceded
by Watch This Space. Puck,
Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-25
-
Curious FloatiDe lslapds

The delta of the Mississippi has obtained
much of its material in this way and the is
ands often cause great damage and, indeed, loss
of life, by suddenly breaking from their moor
ings and rushing down the streams and rivers,
carrying all before them.
In South American rivers large trees are
often entangled and float down, forming, IN
time large islands, called "Camelotes," and
during a food in the Parana the sight pre-
sented by them is remarkable.
The heavy rains cover the surface of the
country with sheet of water, often many feet
Deep and all animal life is threatened The
floating islands then become very populous
abodes, and are at times literally covered
with wild creatures of every possible variety,
and of course, antagonistic.
Here win be found the puma, side by side
with a band of half-drowned monkeys, while
near at hand will be large snake, birds and
smaller animals of all kinds-all now at peace
with one another when threatened with
common danger.
When such a load goes floating by native
village there is general rejoicing, and the
floating island is soon depopuated.
Sometimes the balfstarved animals are
landed at night near towns and villages and
create great CONSERVATION. Such was the
case once at Montevideo, when large float
ing island ran ashore and carried four large
numas that prowled about the locality for a
long time, terrifying the natives.
Often the animals run the gauntlet OF the
native hunters and are carried out to sea. A
large one, well peopled, was met by a ship
and hundred and fifty miles off the mouth of
fine Ganges River, in India, and some have
been sighted near the Molueca and Philippine
islands after hurricanes, the bare trees SO
resembling the masts of vessels that they have
been taken for wrecks.
The longest voyage on record is that of a
boa. or snake that was picked up in the Gulf
Stream off Bermuda 1t had drifted on a
small floating island probably from some one
Of the South American rivers, the incident
showing how important factor the floating
island may be in assisting in the distribution
NJ animal and vegetable life.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-25

enemies in these floating homes.
+ Some remarkable floating islands are in the
back waters, or highlands of the Congo River,
in Africa.
They are of all sizes, from mere bushes to
tracts an acre in extent; and, as regards their
vegetation, they are literal reproductions of
the neighboring shores.
Some are anchored to the bottom by the
creepers and roots thrown out, while others,
not so attached, float about in the current.
But we need not go to Africa to find large
floating islands, as our own Red River and
the Mississippi have produced some notable
ones.
In the spring-time the water cuts into the
vegetation that, on its passage down, accumu-
lates at certain spot and forms an island,
often of such large proportions that the course
OF the river Is entirely changed.
One OF these raft-islands once formed in
the Atchafalaya, branch of the Mississippi,
and gradually grew and accumulated for for,
ty years, until it was ten miles long and six
hundred feet wide and eight feet deep-the
most remarkable floating island that | have
ever heard of, or seen recorded in the annals
of any country.
1t was the home of myriads of birds, rep
tiles, bears and animals of various kinds.
The vegetation upon it was far richer and
much more profuse than that of the neighbor-
ing shore. Great trees sixty feet in height.
grew and fourished, their roots penetrating
the Island and reaching out into the water
below that rushed along beneath It.
Unfortunately for the inhabitants of the
neighboring shores, this island was attached
to the bottom, its only movement being a
rising and falling, and when it reached such
dimensions that navigation was threatened. it
required four years of labor to cut it up so
that it would float off down stream.
The Red River was rendered almost un-
navigable by floating island that formed in
a similar way, and the Rio de la Plata is now
encountered for hundreds of miles by lust
such islands, that are great factors when they
wash down, in forming deltas and swamps
at the mouth Of the river.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-25

They found it anchored on the State line by
long rope, and as the wind was blowing down
the lake, it was swaylng about, now in Yer
mont, now in New Hampshire, SO that by the
time one collector established his claim, it
was evident that it was not legal, and they
became involved in such a war of words that
at last accounts the hermit had not paid his
taxes, though he expressed himself as willing
to do so when the collectors could decide
where he lived AS far as he was concerned,
he "claimed neither State"
Almost every country has its floating ISL
ands, though they are not often put to such a
curious use as related in the story above.
They are especially common in warm coun-
tries in equatorial regions, where rank vege-
tation characterizes the lowlands and every
thing is favorable to its increase.
The islands are formed in number OF ways.
They may be deposited in lake bottoms during
extremely dry times, when the water is only a
few inches deep.
Here vines and innumerable plants grow and
become entangled mud and soil from the
bottom tend to cement them together, and
finally, when a strong, compact mass Is form
ed, the rain fills the basin or lake, and hits
Il without destroying its shape, and the de
post becomes hoSting island, either fastened
or anchored by long roots. or free to sail
about at the will of every breeze.
Another method of formation is often seen
in the South American rivers, where the water
In the rainy season undermines the banks,
the vast areas Of land, covered with vines and
even large trees, are precipitated into the flood
with an appalling roar.
Part Of this material may float away, and,
being continually added to, soon becomes a
floating island, that may go sailing on until
It reaches the ocean, when it is then broken
up and destroyed.
The most interesting islands, however, are
those found in inland streams and lakes In
many of the South American lakes they have
4 ,I,roa in axfa
and affording homes for many animals, that
aoat about perhaps without knowing i.
On many native camps have been formed,
the people finding greater security from their
Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-25

longitudinal bar of very fine black hair on his
back, rather lower than the shoulder blades.
On each side of this black bar there is a
space of yellow hair, equally fine. II has the
appearance of being pressed into the body,
and looks exactly as If it had been snged.
There. is a saying among the Indians that
when the wind blows the sloth begins to
travel. In calm weather he remains tranquil,
probably not liking to cling to the brittle eX;
tremity of the branches, lest they should
break with him In passing from one tree TO
another, but as soon as the wind rises, the
branches of the neighboring trees become In;
terwoven, and then the sloth seiZes hold oil
them and pursues his journey in safety
There is seldom an entire day OF calm IN
the forest within the tropics, of which the
sloth is an inhabitant. The trade wind gener-
ally sets in about ten o'clock in the morning,
and thus the sloth may set of after break
fast, and get a considerable way before am
ner in wood where the trees touch each
other in the greatest profuson
He travels at good round pace, too' Wnen
in his native element, and were you 10 see
him pass from tree to tree, as have done'
you would never think of calling him siotn,
though he would be as much at loss W
proceed on a journey upon silooIn W ~
level floor as a man would be VINO nuu W
walk mile on stills upon nne ol ie"Vnel
beds 1,,.oo,,;bo
saw a large. two-toed soth on the ground
upon the bank. How he got there nobody
oanld tell The Indian said he had never
svrnr;sed a slotb in such a situation before
He would hardly have come there to drlhk;
for above and below the place the branches OF
tbe trees touched the water and anorueu
him an easy and safe access to It,
BE that as it may, though the trees we,g
not above twenty yards from INN, ne eouu %
not make his way through the sand IN time
enough to escape before we LANDED. 80, az
soon as we got up to him, he threw nlnisei i
upon his back, and defended himseii III gar
liant style with his forelegs..
I had no desire to harm the creature so !
took long stick, which was lying near, j nel9
Il for him to hook on to, and then co4Yeyeu
him to a high and stately mora-tree. ne as
cended with wonderful rapidlty, ana IN
about a minute he was almost AT tne .opi i
He now went off in SIDE drection anu anu
caught hold of the branch OF nelghporiIng
| tree, and from this proceeded to"aro VIC
heart of the forest -
T stood looking on, lost in amazement at
his singular mode of progress. L followed MN
with nv eve till the intervening branches
closed in between US, and then lost signt
| forever of the two-toed sloth. l was gong TO
add that / never saw sloth take TO ms
heels in such earnest, but the expression VIII
not do. for the soth has no heels.
| He is a creature also wonderfully tenacious
of life. / saw the heart of one beat for hatf
an hour after it was taken out OF his body.
The wourali poison seems to be the only
thing that will kill it quickly.
In the sloth we have an animal, and the
only one known to naturalists, that cannot
be at ease in any situation where It's BODY IS
higher or above its feet
Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-25

used his arms both together, but first one
and then the other, and so on alternately.
There is singularity in his hair different
from that of all other animals. 1t is thick
and coarse at the extremity, and gradually
tapers to the root, where it becomes fine as a
spiders web
His fur has so much the hue of the moss
which grows on the branches of the trees
that it is very difficult to make him out when
he is at rest
The male of the threetoed sloth has
Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-25

eagle to soar in the expanse Of the skies, and
trees Still these may change their relative
situations without feeling much inconyeni-
ence, but the sloth is doomed to spend his
whole life in the trees, and, what is more
extraordinary, not upon the branches, like
the squirrel and the monkey, but under them.
He moves suspended from the branch, he
rests suspended from it, and he sleeps sus-
Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-25
Me Mo- -EoNa9HolH

pended from it. To enable him to do this, he
must have very different formation from
that of any other known quadruped.
1t must be observed that the sloth does not
hang head downward like the vampire. When
asleep he supports himself from branch
parallel to the earth. He first seizes the
branch with one arm, and then with the
other, and after that brings up both his legs,
four are in line. He seems perfectly at rest
in this position.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-25

Now, had he tail, he would be at loss
to know what to do with it in this position;
would interfere with them and were he to
let it hang down, it would become the sport
Of the wind Thus, his deficiency of tail is
a benefit to him. ft-is merely an apology
for tail, scarcely exceeding an inch and a
half in length.
observed, when he was climbing he never
Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-25
conrr,rhl Nv Inmes ElversOn.


This singular animal is destined by
nature to be produced, to live and
to die in the trees, and to do JUS
IGISMEN1 tiee to him. naturalists must exam
- inc him in this his upper element.
He is scarce and solitary animal,
and being good food is never allowed to es'
cape. He inhabits remote and gloomy forests,
where snakes take up their abode and where
cruelty stinging ants and scorpions, and
swamps, and innumerable thorny shrugs and
bushes, obstruct the steps of civilized men,
His forelegs, or, more correctly speaking
his arms, are apparently much too long, while
his hind legs are very short, and look as II
they could be bent almost to the shape of a
eorkscrew. Both the fore and hind legs by
their form, and by the manner in which they
are joined to the body, are quite incapacltated
from acting in perpendicular direction, or
in supporting it on the earth, as the bodies
of other quadrupeds are supported, by their
legs. And the reason for this is plain
enough, for he has no soes to his feet, and
his claws are very sharp and long and curved,
so that, were his body supported by his feet,
it would be by their extremities, just as your
body would be, were you to throw yourself
on all fours and try to support it on the ends
Of your toes and fngers-a very painful posi-
tion.
Were the floor of glass, or of polished sur
face, the soth would actually be quite sta
tionary, but, as the ground is generally rough,
with little projections upon it, such as stones,
or roots of grass and vines, this just suits
the sloth, and he moves his forelegs in all
directions in order to find something to lay
hold of, and when he has succeeded, he pulls
himself forward, and is thus enabled to travel
onward, but at the same time in so slow and
n oyulrUa rd a man IN tha IF
sloth.
Some years ago l kept sloth in my room
for several months. 1 often took him out of
the house and placed him upon the ground,
in order to have an opportunity of observing
his motions.
If the ground were rough, he would pull
himself forward, by means of his forelegs, at
a pretty good pace, and he invariably immed
ately shaped his course toward the nearest
tree. But if put him upon smooth and
well-trodden part of the road, he appeared
to be in trouble and distress.
His favorite abode was the back of a chair,
and after getting all his legs in a line upon
the topmost part of it, he would hang there
for hours together, and often, with low and
inward cry, would seem to invite me to take
notice of him.
The sloth, in its wild state, spends its whole
life in trees, and never leaves them but
through force or by accident.
An allruling Providence has ordered man
to tread on the surface of the earth, the
Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-25

side were formed of thick bog, and In some
way a portion of three or four hundred feet
in length had become separated from the
shore, and being formed of vegetable matter
and extremely Light, it had foated OF drifted
away-a vertable floating island.
The top of this strange bit of New England
was about four feet out of water, and covered
with fine crop of grass and a number of
trees. the latter forming SAIL SO that when
the wind was from the west the island slowly
sailed away until it stranded on the New
Hampshire shore, we will say; and when an
easterly gale came up, away it went again,
crossing the State line and arriving in Yer
mont. ., c ;.
the direction of the wind, and often cows,
chickens, horses and stock or various kinds,
tempted upon the treacherous island by the
Creep grass. were transported across the bor-
der. much to their astonishment and the an
noyance of their owners.
Finally. an old hermit who lived in the
,,;c;nity bought the island from its alleged
oxvner and built small house upon it, and
for some time lived in peace and happiness.
Rnt one day the tax collector came around,
ond as it happened, the old man was out
next day, he cast off the moorings of his isl
and craft and towed it out into the pond,
y%e, fine tax man came he claimed to be a
"Vermonter."
Some time after the Vermont tax collector
anneared but the old hermit had heard OF
tbe expected visit and when the official ap-
neared the island was in the State of New
For some time this went on, until finally
the two tax collectors, it is said, joined forces
and advanced on the island from both sides
Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-25
Copyright by James Elverson).

the line of two of the New England
States there is small lake or pond
that several years ago, as the story
goes, was brought into public no
tice in a somewhat curious way.
The borders of the lake on one
Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-02-16
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST"
How a Pretty Old Story Is Misread
and Uninterrupted.


When lovely woman Weds rlcR
coarse. cruel man, the cynical modern
observer exclaims, Beauty ana the
Rest % The characterization is WICK
ed misleading Of one Of the loye1est OF
mvths. a story as fruitful Of wisdom
to-day as when it sprang out OF the
early life Of the world.
Beauty was a good daughter and
brave woman. Her father lost his for
time. and she set herself to serve him.
When prosperity promised to return to
him. she begged a gift of roses rather
than Of jewels or laces. When he
again fell into trial, was captured by
the Beast and forced to promise one
Of his daughters as a ransom, Beauty
at once offered herself as the sacr1-
fee.
In the palace Of the Beast, surround
ed by every luxury, but not knowing
what fate awaited her, she never for
got her old father, dreamed OF MIN
nightly, and at last begged leave to go
to see him and return. Although she
WAS " stay q WON ~ 49,
her leave, she came back Loyalty to the
palace Of the Beast. The poor crea-
ture was half-dead Of grief for what
he believed to be her loss, and the
sight Of his pain and his delight gave
her courage to avow her recognition OF
his noble qualities, her love for him,
and her resolve to be his wife in spite
of his hideous exterior.
Instantly the Beast was transformed
into a handsome young price, freed
from an evil charm by the devotion of
the brave woman, and Beauty and the
prince came into their just Inheritance
Of joy and peace.
The symbolism Of the myth has a
profound truth. The Beauty who would
work a charm upon the Beast in man
to-day must also possess the simplicity
which prefers the rose to the dia-
mond, the industry which does not fear
poverty, the fiIial loyalty which will
not finch from dangerous duty, the in
tuition which sees the great heart with
the ugly form, and the courage which
dares all for love.
When the woman Of to-day and to-
morrow has all these powers at her
call, we shall see, not the hideous mod
ern parody Of Beauty and the Beast,
but the perennial repetition Of the love
~ old story In which, led through trials
by a brave and yirtuous woman, they
all' live happy ever after.-Youth's
Companion.
Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-02-16
A Historic Leg.

There resides in Washington an old
man who saw service in the Civil
War as a colonel, although in after
years he came to call himself general,
hose only wound in action was a slight
scratch on his leg. Nevertheless, this
wound has always been a matter Of
great glory and pride to him, and he
has nursed it ever since, and has
grown lamer every year that the mem
Dry Of his bravery might ever be with
him.
One afternoon, when he sat at his
club, nursing the injured leg, fell
low clubman Of recent acquaintance
sympatheticalIy asked:
Lame, general?'
Eyes, sir" was the reply, after an
inexpressibly solemn pause, 81 am
lame"
"Been riding, sir?''
NO" this time with rebukfng
sternness, II have not been riding"
''Ah, trust it was not due to a fall
on the ice, general?"
NO came in tones of ferocity.
Perhaps, then, you have sprained
your ankle?"
With painful sIowness the old fell
low lifted his pet leg in both hands,
set 1t carefully on the floor. rose de-
liberately from his chair, and looking
down upon the unfortunate questioner
with mingled pity and wrath, burst
forth in almost sublime rage:
''Go, sir, and read the history of
your country, sir:''