davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-02-10

Want ads. need not be "next to pure.
reading natter" for-as rule-they
are. themselves, real reading matter,
OF the widest human interest. Use
the Evening Times.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-04

prone under the Dyes of all the world.
Ills discovery, II I may SO term the find
ing 0f 1t. gave me infinite delight.
There were but. two of the threo islands
observable forty or fifty years ago-the
lower one named In the Stegge plot
"Harrods." and sometimes In other YER
sions OF the plot, Edwards" and the
next one above 1t. "Prince Folly Island.''
These two islands were often rcsortcd TO
three score and ten years ago, by hunt
crs and their pointing, and setting dogs.
cartridges abotndcd there in the rank
grasses, and wild ducks might be seen
feeding in the rushes.
Samuel Marx, n we'll known and highly
esteemed merchant of our city four score
lands, inclusive Of the islands, which lay,
extended southwark as far as AYhitby.
Finding ready access TO his farms onc
OF the most productive Of which vas
"'AIy Lords Island" barred by tho water
of the channel. he caused bridge to be
throwneover It. Mr.. Peasants, who had
made the necessary survey. of the
ground for Marx, informed me upon my
breaking tho subject to lin, that he re-
numbered the islands channel to have
been so flooded with water season in and
season out as to cbc impossible even to
pedestrians.
The thought OF It's having once been
an island had never, occurred to either
himself of to tho old merchant. The
bridge was In existence In 1928, when 1t
was removed to mako way for the cause
way of the horse railway company, which
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-04

by attorney William Drlmmond. OF oc-
tcber u.s. 1860. We llavo here some OF
tho names, IL not all, OF tho pntertccs or
lands lying at the head Of the river, as
tie falls were then called Several OF
tho Virginia Company's tenants" VIC arc
told. "wcro seated there in tho interval
between 1909 and 1922. SO that, IL tT &c
true, the vicinity of the falls. wi,S =
cludes the present and ancient sfte OF
Richmond, IT, next to jamestown. the
Oldest ground known to have been pos
sessed and occupied by the first adven-
turers to Virginia.
Tho Byrd memoranda are at fault i'm
ascribing the purchase of the country
of Powliatan'' to Lord Delaware. For
Stith expressly says. 1.-THE President
tSmith) followed the other company up
to tho falls. TO sec them we'll seated.
Rut he was surprised. in his way, TO
meet Captain West. so soon returning
to Jamestown: and he found the settle
mcnt very inconsiderably made. in n place
not only liable to tho rivers inundation.
but also subject to many other intoler-
able Inconvenience. To remedy which.
he Immediately sent to powhatan, to
purchase tho place, called Powhatan.''
Smith presumably forcsaw on his first
visit to the falls In 1907 the advantage
tho place possessed over all others cN-
plored by him, and Newport as mill
tary stronghold, and had not his design
been frustrated by Captain West the
subsequent disasters that befell the
colony might have been in all proba-
biity, averted. Lord Delaware came to
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-04

Any light. however family. thrown
upon our local topography Will. make
no doubt be deemed worthy. of consid-
Grafton by all who take a kindly interest
IN tho early settlement of the site OF
Richmond. And he who shall hereafter
undertake to write its history Will not,
I feel suro, overlook oven the huublest
contributions to its truth. Though much
OF our archival material has persisted II
great store yet remains for tho historian
who shall venture the pleasing yet dill
cnlt task
Tho Byrd manuscript now In the keep
ing OF tho Virginia Historical Society
was put into my hands by tho late Judge
Bassctt French. of Manchester many
copy and mako literary use OF Its mat
ter. After aibstracting much that con-
ccrncd tin vicinity of Richmond, ] gave
1t. as directed, into tho hands of him WHO
WAS then the Secretary of the Common
wealth.
This manuscript is itself pretty much
made up of abstracts from originals or
their copies in the old records. all OF
which, It would seem, have persisted.
These abstracts are not to be relied OH
in certain instances, which will be men
toned in the course OF this paper. They
appear to concern Byrd's acquisition OF
lands at tho falls by grant, escheat and
purchase, and 80 no further back than
the year 1894. whom n patent was issued
TO ono George Minifee, ESQ. apparently,
Out not really, the first owner and set
tier of 'the place" known and called by
the name of Powhatan. There werc liv-
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-04
In that year Joined island and mainland
The Stegge House.

The remains OF Colonel Stegges stone
house figured in the accompanying dla-
gram were discovered by me thirty Vests
ago in a tumulus. which appeared to be
about five feet above the general level
OF the !owgrounds. Whether 1t had been
naturally or artihcially so raised up /
know not. Fragments of stone, bricks
and stakes lay In and on tho surface as
yestiges of what may have been two and
a half centuries ago a lordly mansion. ]
felt much tempted to dig deep own to
tho foundations. but had at the time
neither means to do SO, nor tho permis-
sion OF the owner of the land. might
have found the soul Of the old worthy In
one of the corner-stones, as tho sage
tells us iii Gil Bias, the curious student,
of Penafiel, found that of Pedro Garcias
under his epitaph.
From tho Byrd manuscript I shall set
down in brief certain facts which touch
the quality and character OF Stegge.H He
was tho maternal uncle of William Byrd,
the elder his sister Grace having been
married to "John Byrd, citizon and gold
smith of London" His mother was Eliza
beth Grindon wife of Thomas Grindon,
an old settler. in these, parts, after whom
Grindon's Run took name. Stegge was
in his day ono of the largest owners OF
lands on either side of the James River
below its falls. BY his Will, bearing date
of the year 1910. he left large estate
chiefly to his klnsfolk- all OF his personal
estate ITO his cousin,'' as he styles VII,
liam Byrd. the elder.
| cannot close this paper without con-
1uring up all sorts OF romantic fancies--
the old. manor house, built OF stone quar-
ried from tho granite boulders of the
land, tho triple rows OF palisades spear
pointed, that fenced the manor about;
the long roadway that led UP stream to
the old garrison; the evergreens giving
delightful shade in summer; the rustic
bridge, that spanning the channel of
My Lords Isle; the horses and tho hounds
in comfortable quarters: tho gay COM.
panies who, of holy days. pnrtook OF the
good cheer Of the gentle host and hostess;
tho parlor sparkling with. the many
lights OF the tapers, making 1t rich like
a lily in bloonl--what more shall I con-
ceive?
Red brick and asflar long and low,
With dorrner and with oricls lit;
Geranlums, lychnis, rose arrayed.
The windows, all wide open thrown;
And some ono In tho study play'd
Tho wedding march of Mendelssohn.''
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-04

a half dozen worlds engage In a con.
troversy with u fellow-mortal, IL /
could avoid It. said that he could think
Of aust four poems that appeared in The
English language IN the last ten years
that We're clearly worthy of heins re-
meinbered and qsoted a hundred years
from now lie named them az being
Edwin Marklam's Man with The Hoe. I,
R,dyard Kiplin's 'secessional," Stephen
Phillips 'Marpessa,r and Josephine
poaswksn,'s "Motherhood,H
And that is tho way things arc sized
up, Aanan reads poetry--he must read
IL, the sarnaSas ile5eats food. ono salts.
fies his hungsr. -his physical longing, the
other satisfies hunger the yearning Of
his sonhSSse ne soul teeaAson poems and
grand 'trnths irnd fidtlans and. realism,
sone5aai4 !. ssthpag ind-vbltt lMhan u poem
sinks drep down into thn Eeart II rings
tho beu on the charnbsr Of llis soul.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-04
Fairbr0ther's FQncies.
Being Some Remarks On a Subjec, Often Discussed.

was reading the other day some COM
mepts ty a well known North Carolina
writer on the subject of Poetry Nearly
every man who reads poetry has mis-
owp notions concerning 1t. and IT all
ZONES back, finally TO the proposition
made by Colonel Ingersoll when DISCUSS
ing Wagnerian music. He said he didn't
know how TO sing and he didn't know
how TO compose musio--ncither did he
know how TO cook, but he could always
tell when the soup suited him. There
TORE. no was fond of some Of the high
class muscr-althongh lie could not make
II. And SO j take II. poetry il the same
Way. A man need not necessarily be
a poet. he need not DO q writer Ia
thoroughly appreciate that which appeals
10 him.
rhe North caroilnisn, no use here 10
mention mage. became would not for
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-04

You have pressed button that some
now iillds responsive chord--,an 3iuyisi-
bic and intangible something----a You
read 1t again and again. and finally YOU
have committed 1t to msmory-it 30
nearly filled a long felt want.'' as tho
editor says when lle starts q new apa per
IN country town. If a man is a war
rior. lie wants to read poems of war;
and Homer may get under his briskets,
put II he Is not a soldier he sweuld rather
read something more TO his taste. The
poem must s dcve-tail With his i,lea and
y II man is dead deep In lovcs-out in
the mystic waters above Ills boot tops;
u he sees IN his day dreams and his
hisht dreams the one girl Whofis ali tho
world ia htm-7yoll can sing him To sleep
seven nights % week on Annie Laurie
And II ne Ism, In love--or. Ii lie has been
through the mill and looks on the other
side and finds Love a grim reality, 1t
takes q, Very fine performer aud singer
To even attract him with Anpie fal,irie,
II ho is lust about TO he marrIed If
he is going II counting every night AMI
the date of the wedding has hesn fixed
sond tie parson seen hewitt sit down
aud read page after page of ella Wheel
er's first vsrsef-hot stuff from the trcpic
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-04

| regions and the torrd zone-and he will
30 before any magistrate am swear
soernnly that her verses are the finest
he ever -read-that she is tho only poet
| ess In tho whole wide world. He will
read those poems and they will remain
| with him. He will commit them to nlem-
! Dry: nothing, he thinks would cause
him to forget them--her Ad Finem, for
| instance. But after no gets over the
first dash of matrimony; after he has
/ been married q year or two and he finds
I Indeed. as NIL men have found, that life
lis real and life Is earnest. you will note
| that tho poems of Ella are never read
1 the whole world read And soon it was
Iouh Sitting hero at my desk I rack4d
my brain in vain to recall the name of
that book, although / had reviewed it,
J. had discussed it and cussed it.
\ had heard the name mentioned five
| Thousand tiInes-and this lis no exae-
setiStion, but to-day 1 was forced to
30 tn q nearby book store and look over
an iiAdexed catalogue before I could re-
call the name Of the foloomin' fad that
swept tho country in IS.
Now and then of course you find some
one reading it--and yet dare say that
but few Of the readers who have come
into line IN the last eighteen years have
ever as much as heard of it. Such was
true to q great extent with the works
of =. F. Roe. However, those books
still find readers and perhaps will always
appeal TO youth
|sszRut,Sto got back to the proposition, I
made In the beginning the great poYm
or me great prose work will live. per-
rttps nl%ays-bht the man who goes out
~ Iatl l.1, -
principle that to-day you might enioy 4,
boiled dinner-aIid tomorrow you would
pe surteited with cabbage and turnips
ana potatoes. The poems that are going
I 70 I'VE must stand alone the test OF time
Anything that has been written in ina
last ten years has no assurance OF long
cSltS. 1t may be IN the mouths of the
multllude to-day and Tomorrow 1T muy
1 we. ne ~ Nlan.Wlth the Hoe may thrill
\ sEeolie Tor Thousand Years and twenty
4 years hence 1t may not be ever, me,,tion3
ca among Poems You Ought To Enou u
4 II rs altogether according to l,ow vo,,,
leeL whether q; poem strikes Won Tr'tIn
4 poet has put himself In YOUR placo nd
strings out the beauty Of his rhymc ana
every mo lis heart throb or a. sol,l-soh
INV .1 ~ MS yoiiN case, relieves you OF that
.lsu ie.,i'i'e Sou arc willing to sit down
ana write testimonial !
Hut if / would liapnon ira VA, 4.
not IN The mood. and the srandest man
eyer peAnned ylmortal man were brought
70 you and read TO YOU, you wouldn't
,tsbea moved. II might strike your fancy
60 !; !. certain eNtent--bllt it couldn't set
you to put out the lights and feel thrilled
and filled With new sentiment ana new
i istrength III
There was once q PIttsylyania county
farmer came to ME iii Danvlle with Il
poem That he said heshad written him
self He said lie Couldn't read, but in
4 plowing along the field the poen, mad
come to him He said his daughter
could write, and he told it to her, and
she Wrote lt lust as he had composedit.
/ One conplet was: 3
i I do not like thca yankees AZ
. was wounded 10 the3anliles
J And, without nentionipY his name, lie,
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-04
Jalnestown after Smith had loft it for

Jamestown after Smith had loft IL for
England. and could not have made pur-
chase from Powhatan, who was then
unfriendly 1t is remarkable that Byrd
should have been so forgctful of the
facts related by Stith. and never ques-
toned by any writer after him. He has
given us, however. some names of the
later patentees. but no account of those
who had preceded them before tho
massacre. Among these names We find
that of Colonel Stegse. q plot of whose
lands herewith Ssubjoned, bearing the
carly datn-of 1862.
The Three Islands.
Tho three islands which the Smith re-
lation of 1907 mentions have all been
joined to the main land of the right bank
of the James--the two lower ones artl-
ficially. and the uppermost ono naturally.
The plot is defective In placing mysLord's
Island between Harrad's and Prince IS.
Folly islands. or If not defective when
tho survey was made, 1t certainly APP
pears so now. All the marks OF an
island above my Lords isle are absent.
If once In being it should have lain
athwart the track of tho southern ter
minus of MaSo's Bridge: or. It's barely
probably that the strip of land called
Walkers island. over which the rails
of the Seaboard Railway have been re-
Gently laid. may be its fragmcntary re-
mains.
My Lords Island was formerly OF
creator. breadth when owned by Colonel
Stegge and subsequently by Byrd, the
elder. than it now appears to be. The
.encroachments artifcally made on the
left bank OF the river opposite to It lave
turned the currents of the James full
tilt against It's left Side and threaten
eventually to make it one with the
Southern main. 1t is the largest OF the
three hundred or moro islands in tho
falls below Belle Isle. list of which
chiefly by numbers, in default OF given
names is certified by John Mayo-bullder
of Mayo's bridge-in old records. I speak
of 1t as an island because its channel.
though shallower. and narrower than il
had been three centuries ago is vet OF
such width and depth as TO warrant the
belief that small craft might have sailed
through it, Tho tide at flood still In
Nades It's open mouth-which is but a few
steps below Mills old coal yards-and
freshets of the river still find a gentle
passage through its channel. had long
doubted the existence of the once fl-s
nous Lords Island. Smith In his history
had mentioned II as one of three lying
before the Indian town of Powhatan--but
not by name. He lay under my suspicion
until came, saw and observed It lying
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-04
JAMES RIVER AND SOME OF THE HI NDRED ISLANDS,

ing in Byrd's time, no doubt, several Of
those pioneers who before the great mas
sacre of 1922 had established themselves
on either side of the james below and
abreast of Its falls. From these, and
from Others who had probably heard
hem recount their stories of hardship
on the extreme border land OF the colony
west, not one word occurs in Byrd's
manuscript. This is gap that Will ap-
pear in any history of the first settlement
of the site of Richmond that may be
hereafter written by one of Its then in
irabitants. 1t ia toAbe regretted that we
know 80 little OF tho first settlements
hertabouts, and nothing whatever OF
those who had made them. Pioneer So
cieties in several of our Federal States
hound--not one. so far as / am aware,
exists to-day in Virginia.
"A mist comes DER the beauty of the
oh, that the voice of magic could recall
The upright spirit to the Wondering
clay
rhat once was life, or for ono hour
The ruined past"
Land at the Falls.
THE great Emperor Powhatan dwclt
At the Falls of James River, whore he
kept his court. but being jealous OF tho
neighborhood of the English. who eS-
tended themselves high up that river. and
Intending TO remove to a place on Pow
Ioneck. he sold tho lands about the
Falls to the Lord Delaware for the use
OF the Virginia Company, and several of
the compary's tenants were seated there.
the land being exceedingly good. But
thero being a great slaughter of them at
the time Of the massacre by the Indians,
that place was deserted rntil the disco
luton OF tho company; nor did anybody
dare to so thither to live for several
Wears afterwards, for fear of the Monacan
Indians.
I'm that deserted condition this fine
place lay until the year 1884, when it
was granted by patent to George Minifec,
ESQ This gentleman granted the ianti
about the Falls to CAPT Matthew Cough.
and he conveyed it to John White, mer-
chant. Mr.. White conveyed the same by
deed, dated the Goth Deer. 16.9. TO Fleet
wood Dor1ncr. Gentleman, for 5000 lbs.
Fifteen thousand pounds> Tobacco and
Casf.
Abstracts OF titles In this connection
are White to Dormcr, one thousand acres
of that land lying near unto the falls,
called My Lords Island Princes Island.
etc. Dorrner conveyed to Robert Lesley
tclark), who conveyed to Colonel stcGga
The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-10-25
To Make Harness Las, Lonaer.

A little economy. which sometimes
means a good many dollars TO u man. g.
the proper care OF harness, Clyr.aE"-tOps,
etc. Leather In daily use. exposed aK u
Is TO sun and wind. soon becomes dry
hard. incl1stlc and unable 10 stand strain.
Then. very likely at the most unfortuuat"
moment, a break occurs. lud precious time
and money are lost. All this u easily
prevented by liitlc farothnught and care
on tho part OF the owner Every one own
ing horses should be- supplied with a good
leather prCServativr, ana q good axle oil
These two things are necessary 60 th"
largest economical us" OF a working outHt
Of pleasure UquipaE,
Observation has shown that 10 Oh pen
ciratCs leather 80 deeply. and ryslsts tho
drying effect ~ suu ana wind so well a.
Eureka Harness oil.
NcatElOot ana some other inferior oils
sometimes used easily bncum" rancid. or
because Of containing acid, hurt the lcath-
or. Stable men and others posted on to-"
subject. invariably us" Eureka Harness
OIL when harness IN given an occasional
dressing OF this oil and wagon yfindlcs
creased with Boston Coach OH. very
large reduction IL made In the necessary
repair bills. Boston Coach OIL. by the
way. Is very much superior to Castor oil
IL has splendid lasting qualities. will not
gum ar cosrodc. and Is more economical
In every way.
People who are after economy In stable
management win do we'll TO ask for these
oils
The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-10-25

IL r. astonishing how great change q
few years Of married life often mako In
tho appearance and disposition III many
women. Tho freshness, tho charm. tho
brillIancc vanish like tho bloom from u
peach which Il rudcly handled. Tho
matron Is only n dim shadow. n faint echo
Of the charming maiden. There are two
reasons for this change. ignorance and
neglect. Few young womc.i appreciate
the shock 20 the system through tho
change which comes with marriage and
motherhood. Many neglect to deal with
the unpleasant pelvic drains and weak
ncsses which too often como with mar
riagc and motherhood. not understanding
that this secret drain Is rubblng the check
81 It's freshness and tho .orm Of It's
fairness.
As surely ns tho general health suffers
when there Is Arrangement Of tho health
Of the delicate woman@x organs. SO surely
whgf these organs ar0>Ss,abllshed In
bcaINh tho fQec 9ndrSSFinat oSSo witness
10 the Tact in fsssSNtd comclrrHGA Ncnriy
q million women haYe found health and
hapl!ncSs ln the llEn Of Or. Iicrcc.s IN
yorite PrescrLpiion.. IL makes weak wom-
on strong and sick women well. Ingrcdl-
cnts on la.cl-contains no alcohol or
harmful habit forming drugs. Mado
wholly Of those native, American, medic
inal roots rnost highly recommended by
leading medical authorities Of all the sew
cral schools of practice for tho euro Of
woman's peculiar ailments.
For nursing mothers. or for those broken
down In health by too frequent bearing Of
children, also for the cxpectant mothers,
to prepare tho system for tho coming of
baby and making its advent easy and
almost painless, there Is no medicine quiio
so good IS -Fayorlto Prescription" Is
can do no harm In any condition oi tho
system. II Is a most potent invirorating
tonic and strcnE ihcning ncrvinc nicely
adapted Ia woman's delicate system by n
physician 81 largo experience In the treat
mcnt Of woman's peculiar ailments.
Dr. Pierce may he consulted by letter
free Of charge. Address DR.. X, V. Pierce.
1nvallds' Hotel and Surgical Institute.
Buffalo, n. Y.
The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-10-25
From Judge.

The Louisville drummer Rad been read
Ing the political news. and after making
few inconEruoue remarks on sectional
differences and other sGiass not gcriuanc
to IN. issue he turned 10 tho drummer
from Maine selling spruce gum by the
carload TO make gum shoes out 81,
Did you-or any OF you lankccs-
know that they are stlll selling nisgcrs'
down south! hc asked.
NO. We don't know IL. hccaUFc u " not
So" replied the spruce gum drummer.
Wei. I say yen" insirlcd the nrst
speaker. Il saw man IN kentucky
town. not two weeks ago. seh a co'or,i
boy"
Come or" protested the Maine man.
~ tell YOU I did," the other Ict listed.
And that g. rot AL" hc continued With
confidence. Il made Inquiry and Nc has
been doing u riE.t along igE ton years.
! reckon b.. mus, have Eoll a dozen or
two 'r.gg,fs' I'm tina; ,iJI" Iaybc more.
This sort OF testimony was having iis
cflcct ana the Malac man became more
intgr,Htcd.
Tell me about IT," ~ ynld. II have
n brother who runs A republican nrwspa-
per. and III give the facts 20 him and
ict him work them up into campaign ma
tcrlaL"
We'll" and IN" Louisville drummer
drew his chair up clos. and became very
confidential. the mans name Il Jenkins.
and he ~ a coat dealer. Iir has darby
drivers for HE carts. and I'll - blamed
u he doesn't sell hair ~ one of those driv-
crs every time he SELLS a load OF coal. and
he has been doinE u. as I have said. for
ten years. Sells them by the hushd. too
iil;ccn cents a bushcl. Now what do you
think of thn;7
The Main" man pushed hack hIs chair
and sCorncd 10 make reply.