davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-08

small clockwork arrangement along
side of seat so that passenger may
sit and watch the indicator and know
how his bill is running up. The in
uicator is set at seventy-tlve centimes
at the start. In other words, you owe
fifteen cents before you get away.
Then it clicks up ten centimes at
time, and when you reach your destin-
alton there is no chance for an argu-
ment regarding the total What they
need now in Paris is a mechanism to
prevent the driver from taking you
by the roundabout way
Just for Fun.-Strange epidemic of
killing in Paris. Two or three murders
every night, not for revenge or in
furtherance of robbery, but merely to
CRAFTY a morbid desire to take life.
Among certain reckless classes of
toughs, or 'Hooligans, it is said to be
quite the fashion for ambitious char
aeters to go out at night and kill a
few belated pedestrians merely in
reputation among their associates.
Seems unfair to the pedestrians. AT
one of the theatres where a 'revues,
a hodge-podge 'take-off' of many topics
of current interest, was being repre-.
scented as waiting at corner and
shooting UP, one after another. some
twenty-five citizens who CHANGED to
stray along. This performance was al
most as good as the Buffalo Bill show
and gave much delight to the audience.
costly Slumber.-From Paris TO
Marseilles is about as far as from Chi
cago to Pittsburg. Sleeping car fare
is about $40; total fare by night train,
about $50 Two cents a pound for all
baggage in excess of a measly fifty
six pounds. No wonder people travel
by day in the refrigerator cars and
try to keep warm by crawling under
hundreds of pounds of hand luggage.
Anything with a handle to 1t is hand
luggage Some of the cowhide bags
must have used up two or three cows.
ed f1dDlt- ne YEA Hapll hdo
struck Paris. At Grand Hotel and
many cafes general roundup about
five in the afternoon, every one gulp-
ing tea and eating cakes. Not as de-
moralizing as the absinthe habit, but
more insidious.
American Music-After a coon
song has earned a pension in the Uni
ted States it comes over to Paris and
is grabbed up as startling novelty
All the revues studded with songs
popular at home about two years ago
-Frenchmen believe thai all Amer
leans devote themselves day in and
day out. to accommodating vast wealth
and singing coon songs.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-08
The Chronicles of Don q.


he completed the unwilling admiration of
the brothers.
1t was clearly impossible to attack him
among his men, and though the Morunos
discussed over and over again the plan OIL
stealing up to the cave by night, and
taking their chance of escape after the
deed they had come to do was done, they
were cast back and deferred by rumors
and stories that passed from mouth TO
mouth round the fires.
Manuelo listened and pondered these
things.
II would buy his life with mine, Greg
orio, as thou knowest," the elder brother
said: "bi,t he is crafty as the devil. The
cave is secure by reason of his craft. we
must wait"
But the weeks drifted by and the grip
of winter closed more and more harsniy
upon the mountains, the robbers puile
themselves chozas. and, for the rest
shvered round the fires. And iaf uo"h
in the Murcan plains, the commandante
shook his head and invented plausipie
excuses for the absence of the Moruhos
In his heart he feared they must be dead
for he believed I'm their loyalty 10 the
uttermost: but never in their long service
had they been opposed TO any Zoe 80
terrible as the immutable ehlei Oh inc
sequcstradores.
on a certain bitter evening in peeeHlF
Der ManlelO, with taspai' MoS set
named to the cave. Although Mannelo
had no prenonitlon u ii. he was about
~ inter a few words which in the end
brought on that opportunity OF dealing
hand to hand with Don q. which lie had
almost began to despair OF finding
Don O. spoke vaguely OF an GRAND
IN the sierra segura. and desired to
1nd a messenger acquainted with the
region The Sierra Sesura IL that part
OF the mountain range which runs across
the province OF Murca. and Manuelo had
patrolled II from pass to plain during most
OF the years Of his service in the civil
guards.
For that very reason he denied all
Knowledge Of 1t. and proclaimed himself
as having been born and bred in Gata-
lcnla.
1T is unfortunate. remarked the chief
r. gretfully. but the matter though inn
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-08

II wonder if you realize the difficulty.
No one has ever got the better of-him."
we have made a VOW returned Man
uelo rigidly.
The sporting instinct awoke in the COM
mandante and sent a glow through his
veins. It rested with him to slip the
dogs on, the wildcat
Co he said; "and may the saints go
with YOU
The plan formed by the Morunos was
such a one as might have been expected
from men of their character. After
many discussions they decided that the
chance OF success lay in one direction
only. BY no attempt from the outside
could they ever hope to reach the wary
and terrible Don @. They resolved,
therefore, to make the desperate ven-
ture of following him deep into his
unascertained hiding places in the sierra
and there to gain accurate and first-hand
knowledge of his habits, with, perhaps,
some measure of his confidence. In
word. they were going to turn brlgands
and enroll themselves amongst the Sc
questradores who owed him allegiance.
Two days later there arrived at
small village not far from Castelleno a
couple OF unshayen, strengthening
men In a safe place they had buried
their passports 1t is necessary in
Spain for every man who goes any dis
tance from his home to carry a pass
port II lie is found without It the
carceI is his portion till he can make
matters straight. couple Of guardlas
ciyics came upon the pair the inevitable
question was asked and as they We're
without papers the brothers We're arrest
ed and taken off to the lookup. In much
the same way that they themselves had
frequently arrested suspicious travellers.
Sullenly the two brothers marched TO
the village carcel. and, once within the
doors they felt the first step that was
TO lead them to Don q. had been taken.
The next night the lookup was thrown
into confusion when 1t was discovered
tat the prisoners had escaped. Thor
ongh 10 the smallest details. or per
haps reverting tn the tendencies Of car
lier days Gresoro had stunned the
man who took them their evening mess
OF pottage. A hue and cry was imme-
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-08

cred why we can never have a great
native drama in the states-we have
no open fireplaces in which to de-
stroy the discriminating papers. Impos-
sible to destroy papers at a steam
radiator.
81. c. C-In musical comedies,
pantomimes and at music halls many
sarcastic references to L. C. c., mean
ing London County Council. Council
is ploughing open new streets, tear
ing down old buildings, putting up
new buildings and spending money
like sailor on a holiday. Their ex-
travaganoe has given great offence to
the low comedians and other heavy
rate payers, while the very poor peo-
pie, who are getting parks. sunshine
and shower baths free of charge, bless
the l.. c. c. The dress coat crowd in
the theatres seem to have it in for
the L. C. c., but they are very strong
for Mr. Chamberlain, notwithstand
ing defeat Mr. Chamberlain seems to
be a great deal like Mr.. Bryan-that
is, nearly every one admires him, but
not enough people vote for him. In
spite of protest from property holders,
L. C. C. is going bravely ahead with
gigantic task of undermining and
identifying London. Asked an English
man why there was so much criticism
of L. c. c. He said if you touch a
Britisher in the region of his pocket
book he lets out a boiler that can
be heard in Labrador. Didn't use those
words. but that's what he meant.
"Snowstorm. Last night a few
snowfakes drifted into Piccadilly Cir
Gus; hardly enough to cover the
ground this morning, but every one is
talking about the 'snowstorm.' Lon
don is away ahead of us on fogs, but
their snowstorms are very amateur
ish
"Coals-Buying my coal by the
quart-forty cents quart. If | fed
the fire the way | do at home would
spend 500 a day. The official who
brings fuel to my room in a small
tin measure insists upon calling 1t
GOALS, but | didn't think there was
enough of it to justify use of plural
Coming Across.-The turbine boat
from Dover TO Calais ran like a scared
deer and rolled like an intoxicated
duck. Held to rail all the way across,
looking fHedly at oscillating horizon
and wondering why had left home
bleak, snowy landscape all the way
from Calais to Paris. After dinner
went to music half and learned that
Paris could be fairly warm. even in
the dead of winter.
Keeping Tab on the Cab.--The
'taximetre' cab is a great institution
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-08

, I'VE were told.
With that the Morunos were led from
the cave, still wearing their AIR OF ouii-
ness and lminterest to be measured be-
side tbe fires in the valley below. Then
10 each was given a slip of paper, and
fhev were led back to the presence OF
the chief.
you may speak, Casper" said Don O..
",rheir nights are feet 10 and rect ~
their chests measure 81 and 30 ihches'
lord 80,
GOOD And now" Don @. looked at
Manuelo. 'let me have a short history
of your lives"
I'VE are sons of one mother, born at
a birth. our name FORBADE. They call
me Miguel and my brother they call
Miguelito Our father was contra
bandisto. He is dead. The guardias civ
iles-on whom he curses-shot MIN when
we were children. A month ago we
were running cargo over the sierra
on mule back The guardias cviles pre-
pared an ambush. They fired on us
firm behind the rocks. We fought with
them and escaped, but Miguelito killed
one They had recognized us, so we
fed. We entered Beehive without pa
pers, we were put in the carcel There
we met certain men who told us or the
Iadron en- grande, the great sequestra-
deere. Don q.
I'VE decided 10 seek refuge III thc
sierra There was stone in The court
yard Miguelito has been poseher. lie
crept up behind [ lie guard who
brought orr pnchero. lie may or may
not be dead. We are here
Thus IT. was that the TWO brothers
gained admission 10 The ranks OF the bril-
gands Without falieIing they took the
oath Of the fidelity and returned with
Ciaspar to the valley.
The days passed on; the Morunos-
though it neither affected nor weakened
their resolve-felt something very akin
To deep respect grow up In their mndis
for the iron-handed, memorable man.
who. in spite Of his fragile frame, held
i'm abject subsection a bevy Of The vilest
characters in Spain. The courage Of
Don O. was so abnormal, his indifference
to death and to danger SO absolute. that
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-08
BY GEORGE AIDE.
Copyrighted. 1906, by
George Ade.

miles away We wanted the captain to
slow up for fear he would run into
the mountain and injure it. Next
morning in harbor we discovered that
we We're still ten miles away from it.
The New Naples.-1n ten years
Naples has done a lot of sprucing up.
Streets are cleaner. new and preten-
tious buildings have multiplied. smells
have been eliminated. Guides. beggars
and cabmen not so pestiferous as Of
yore. but still bad enough to deserve
electroeution. providing some more lin
gering form of death could not be sub
stituted Cabmen seemed downcast
Municipality recently forbade any ex-
ira charge for cab service on a fiesta
or holiday. In Italy 200 days out OF
every 365 can be rung In under the
head of 'hestas' Every American who
landed in Naples found himself right
in the midst Of fiesta and had to
pay two fares. or as much as thirty
cents in gold. to ride around IN one of
the open hacks. Thirty cents would
seem reasonable charge. but not
after you have seen the hack. The
smaller the horse in Naples the heay-
Ter the harness. Evidently a desire
to have about the same total weight
in each case.
"Emigrants-Along of our ship
lay a German steamer about to sail
for America. The tender made trips
to and from the dock, and every time
she came out she was filled To the
last inch with Italian emigrants. We
saw hundreds of them disappear into
the ship, so many it seemed hey must
have been packed in below by hy-
draulic pressure, otherwise there
wouldn't have been room for them.
All headed for the land of the free to
build railroads. Englishman wanted
to know why there was such a heavy
emigrant traffic at this particular sea
son. Told him they were hurrying
over to vote at the April election in
Chicago He believed IT, Come TO
think of it. believe 1t myself
This is Mr.. Peasley's note book up
to the present moment, just as we are
departing for Alexandria. He admits
that he may have overlooked a few
minor points of interest. but he more
than made up by neglecting TO men
tion Napoleon's tomb or the Moulin
Rouge.
Since arriving at Naples this morn
ing Mr.. Peasley has arranged with the
tourist agency to change his ticket,
and he will accompany us to Egypt.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-08

portant can be delayed Meanwhile. Cas-
par, you must go down tomorrow in the
early morning to the hut of the carbonero.
Thomas ! have promised him a reward
for Information. but you shall give It
to his wife for he is Il spendthrift. Miguel
goes with you. Leave me, my children"
A day later Manuelo again found HIM
self In the cave.
Miguel" asked Don O.. do you ever
go to confesson?"
slight change passed across the mans
dark face.
no. lord" he said stubbornly, for tho
question somehow made him unoomfor-
table.
THAT is pity" returned the chief.
death is never very far from one IN
your profession, Miguel. II Is as well to
be prepared is it not?"
yes. lord" there was nothing for 1t
but to acquesce. The topic was ambig,i-
Gus and might lead anywhere. but the
next moment the mans sould thrilled
with JOY ts
II am thinking of making little jour
ney tomorrow night went on Don O.
You will accompany me-" m
Eyes, lord. Manuelo had hard work
to retain his impressive aspect. The
chance so long hoped for was come at
last.
Il intend 10 go down to the little
monastery Of San Pedro. The fathers
are very holy men, and now and again
lhey sing MASSES at my expense. for the
souls Of those who have persisted in the
mountains. l have chosen you, Miguel.
for you are a man OF sober habit not
given 10 gambling az are some about the
fires. You VIII now have time 10 prepare
yourself FOR confession Ii Is sad, as 1
myself know after receiving absplution
OF the good father. when one remembers
sona. 8ltrtfe pecpatltllo. Sucl~HS the name
of a man one has been forced To Mi in
the way Of businessl And. as ! should
never dream OF OBTAINING a priest as cap
tive. your opportunities may be few and
far between Make the MIDST of this one.
Yon may die Miguel. before the next
Quien sabef"
Manuelo left the presence Of the CHIEF
Continued on Thirty-eiohth Pagel ].
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-08
NAPLES

THE Ships Understanding across
from Marseilles in the dampfer Germ.
for boaD the weather moderated so
that l needed only one oysreoat. Got
acquainted with barber. Often have
some trouble in making up with 4
barber. Often have some trouble in
making up with a captain. but can
usually hit it off with the barberlood.
Barber is bureau Of information,
Headquarters for scandal and knows
what the run is going to be. The bar
Der on our dampfer no good. Shy on
conversation, but good on arithmetic.
Charged me two francs for a shave,
and when | suggested that he was
rather high he said he was compelled
to ask one franc and thirty centimes
for the extract of vanilla he had put
on my hair Told him | did not want
any extract of vanilla, but he said
there was no way of getting it back
into the bottle. Besides, he had the
money. so we compromised by per
hitting him to keep it, Said he longed
to go to America. | told him there
would probably be an opening in
America for any one so energetic and
muscular. and | promised to give him
letter to Armour & Co. of Chicago.
Free Fireworlls.-A full hundred
miles out at sea we could make out
an irregular oval of fire suspended in
the sky-the two streams of lava now
tricltling down Vesuvius Finest
landmark and sailing target a sailor
could ask for. When we were forty
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-08

diately raised after them, but the two
brothers had fed beyond pursuit INTO
the SIERRA
From one obscure hand to another. by
ways too devious to follow, the new
aspirants for enrolment in the robber
gang gradually drifted into the presence
or Don @.
The ever-chilly chief huddled as usual
in his cloak. was sitting beside his fire
when the men were brought into his
presence He raised his eyes from the
book of old-world Spanish romance on
his knee, in which he had been reading.
A dark mood was upon him.
"Gaspar, take these fellows away and
make the usual examination, said the
chief. II hope. for your own sakes, that
you will fulfil our requirements, he
added to the brothers. f-
1--WE do not understand" Manuelo said
stolidly.
Don Q. passed a slow glance over the
two fine well-set-up figures.
by the way" he began in his soft
way that somehow sounded so deadly
to his hearers, you are, you say, newly
from Malaga There is point upon
which you can perhaps enlighten me. Is
it true that the chest measurement Tor
enlistment in the civil guard mas been
raised half an inch?
The two black-harcd men kept their
expression of impressive dulness.
I'VE are poor men answered Manuelo.
land when We see pair or suardias
civlles we hide In the bushes OF the rocks.
/ do not know And you, brother? he
turned towards Gregorio
II heard that recruit must now
measure 90 inches round the chest n he
desires To be of the corps
Don @. considered Gregorio's reply
"Gaspar." he said, Il can take no more
applicants into our band under 3J-inch
measurement Of the chest. The hight can
remain the same" then seeing look
of surprise come into the eyes Of Man
uelo. he added:
III these men do not happen 10 feach
the standard you will know what to do
with them. Did any tell you on your
way here that those unfit 10 be counted
amongst our number are also UNIT to-
leave u.s.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-08
still with us. We waited for

IN still with US. We waited for
a Y him in London until he re.
covered his lost trunk, and he was so
grateful that he decided to go along
with us.
He said that he was footloose and
without any definite plans and 1t al
ways made him feel more at home TO
travel with people who were just as
green and as much scared as he was.
A week ago we were In London
sloshing about in the damp and dis
NAL mixture of mud and snow which
lined the dark thoroughfares.
This morning We are basldng in
the crystal sunlight of Naples-the
blue bay, with the crescent outline on
one side the white wall of the mount
ing city on the other. Vesuyius LOOM
ing in the distance behind a hazy cur
tain and tourists crowding the land
seape in the immediate foreground.
Three big steamers are lying at an
Choir within the breakwater-one from
Genoa. one from Marseilles and one
from New \ ork-and all heavily laden
with Americans, some sixty of whom
will be our fellow passengers to Alex
andria. The hotels are overlooking
with Yankee pilgrims, and every
Neapolitan who has imitation coral
and celluloid tortoise shell for sale is
wearing an expeetant smile.
The jack rabbit horses attached to
the ramshackle little victorias lean
YEARLY in their shafts, for these are
busy days. The harvest days are at
hand. The Americans have come. An
English woman who had seen the
horde in the streets remarked to a
friend this morning, 1T must be aw-
fully lonesome in America just at
present"
And she meant it. too.
1t has been a fairly busy week for
Mr.. Peasley. Mr. Peasley. is addicted
to the habit of taking notes. Every
night at the hotel he takes out small
leather bound book, presented to him
by an insurance company in America
in appreciation of the fact that he has
paid the company all his ready money
for the last fifteen years. and in this
small volume he iots down brief men,
oranda of anything thrilling that has
happened to him during the day or
some detailed information regarding
the sights that strike him as being
truly wondrous.
Mr.. Peasley has terse style. Some
times he uses authorizations. His Eng
lish is not of the most scholarly brand.
AS he is merely writing for himself
it makes no difference.
The Peasley notebook, after TWEEN
ty days in Europe. is full of meaty in
formation and contains many a flash
light on life in the Old World By per
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-08
The Dark Broth
ens of the Civil
GUARD.

-HE names of Don Quebranta- huesos
spelled despair to the civil guards
of Spain. Time after time he had
foiled their best-laid schemes Yet it
must be owned that he was a fair and
even an appreciative enemy. He had been
heard to say more than once that, but
for the existence of the guardia civle he
would. in one of his black moods, have
taken his own life from sheer ennui.
He was wont to add that he owed
debt to none in the world, save only to
the euardia civile and the ibex of the
sierra. For the ibex lured sportsmen to
travel up into the solitudes of the noun
tains, where now and again they were
captured by Don as scouts and held to
ransom while the civil guard kept alive
his interest in preserving his own life,
since they were always trying to take it,
The guardia civile is a picked corps of
military police, who possess manual
containing one of the most remarkable
= nd noble codes of regulations the world
has ever seen. Port | opens with the
Following sentence: Honor must be
THE chief object of the civil guard. and
Ii must be preserved spotless ana IN
tact" The outcome of such code as
this. added to a gathering halo of ira
dition, has produced a body of men well
equipped in every sense of the word
splendidly disciplined, only to be matched
by the famous Irish constabulary
Unless you have Travelled through some
o fthe despoblados, the desert tracts OF
Spain, or in the lonely sierra, II Is hard
fully to understand the duties and the
qualities of a civil guard. He holds
rowing commission 10 patrol the high
ways and mountain passes and always
works with comrade. for the wild roads
owe their safety to his presence. Don q.
had defied them year after year. setting
at nought their efforts, battling their
plans by acuteness of brain and a per-
fectly systematized intelligence depart
ment.
Ultimately after the visit paid by the