davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Gilpin observer., 1907-01-03
DIDN'T STOP TO FIGURE.
Possibilities Of Apparently Simple Bet
Staggered Frenchman.

A curious bet that partakes of the
nature of q practical joke went to
the courts in the town of Dole.
France, in 1884. A citizen of til dis
trict offered to pay one Of his coun-
trymen "a francs in advance If he
would agree to furnish him with a
number of grains of millet in proper
tion to the number of children born
In the town within a year. One
grain of millet was to be given for
the first, two for the second. four
for the third. eight for the fourth,
and so on. doubling the number for
each child.
Accepting the apparently generous
offer, the unlucky Frenchman at
tempted to carry out the provisions; /;
but &C children We're born within the
specified time. He was astonished at
the enormous quantities of grain re.
quired to fulfill the contract, and ap.
pealed to the courts for annulment
of the wager, on the ground that it
was founded on an impossible condi-
ton.
The Judges granted his appeal; but
ordered him to return the 25 francs
he had received and pay "a in ad-
didon.-The Sunday Magazine.
Gilpin observer., 1907-01-03
Origin Of Word "canteen.

A strange chronological history is
that possessed by the word "canteen"
which has caused so much talk in
temperance and army circles-if its
origin is correctly assigned to the old
Latin "quintana." which literally
means "of the fifth rank" or "fifth in
order" The "quintana (via)" was n
street in the Roman camp so called
because 1t came between the fifth
maniple. or company. and the sixth.
Here all the business and marketing
of the camp was done and "quintana"
eventually came to mean market.
Gilpin observer., 1907-01-03

BABE WEARS FAMOUS DRESS.
Infant Has Frock Once Worn by Viii
liam Henry Harrison.

Emporia, Kan.-Marianna, the 16-
months-old daughter of DIR. and Mrs.
Horace Whittlesey of Emporia, is the
owner of dress worn by William
Henry Harrison, once president of the
United States, when he was a baby
in old Virginia. William Henry Har-
rison was born in 1773. Miss Ellen
Windsor who was 'Tippecanoe" Har'
rison's nurse, was given the dress by
the mother of the ex-president. She
in turn, gave 1t to her friend, Mrs
Chaplin, for her baby to wear.
Years afterward Mrs. Chaplin passed
it on to her friend, Mr.. J. C. Whittle
sey, and Horace Whittlesey was the
next baby to wear the little garment
Mrs. Horace Whittlesey dressed little
Mariana in the famous frock the
other day. but she didn't allow her tC
make mud pies while she had it on
in fact, she wore it only half an hour
and the dress was then put carefully
away.
The pretty little garment is made
with low neck and short sleeves, anC
is one piece from neck to hem. 1t I.
shirred at the top. the hem finished II
genuine Mount Mellick embroidery
and French knots are scattered ovel
the dress. The material is the fines,
linen.
Gilpin observer., 1907-01-03
SEIZE AND HOLD AUTO,
Glasgow, Scotland, Has Effective PEN
atty for Scorching.

II child use his pocket knife to
cut the bark off a tree, or carve his
name on a mahogany table, the knife
is taken away from him. This re-
moves the temptation to mischief, de.
prives him of the object with which
damage was done and Furnishes him
by keeping from him that with which
he could have much innocent amuse.
ment. Glasgow applies this method
to automobilists who offend. The pen.
atty is imposed upon the machine, and
not the man. The automobile is seized
and locked up for from ten days up.
ward, according to the gravity or fire.
quency of the offense. The owner is
thus deprived of that which he was
not using nationally, and the public
is saved this risk of having a danger.
Gus machine in the hands of a
thoughtless person. If man were
caught lifting the dust off the road at
the rate of 40 miles an hour in the
spring and had his $4,000 auto taken
away from him and kept all through
the long summer months, he would be
likely to exercise greater care next
season. 1t really looks as though the
Glasgow baillies had discovered how
to make the punishment fit the crime
Gilpin observer., 1907-01-03
sEsr.euARDED MAN IN EUROPE
He Is "Abdul the Damned" the "Sick
Man" Of Turkey.

Constantinople.-In the Turkish
budget for the coming year several
million dollars are set aside to pro-
vide for the personal security of the
sultan, Abdul Hamid. 1t is we'll
known to people who have travelled in
Turkey that the sultan has at his per-
sonal service a regular army of spies
who are said to number $4,000. Three
thousand of these are employed near
the sultan's palace, while several
thousand more are scattered through
the capital, some of them making a
special object Of their espionage the
foreign embassies.
All over the Turkish empire are the
sultan's spies, scattered SO that even
high officials do not escape their Wig
lance. Besides, the bodyguard of the
Turkish sovereign, which numbers
$4,000 men, is like living wall which
Gilpin observer., 1907-01-03
AMERICA LEADS IN MOTORS.
French Manufacturers outstripped in
the Race Already.

Paris.-"Just as American agricul-
tural machines do practically all the
work in the fields throughout Europe.
so it will certainly be in a couple of
years with American automobiles on
all the roads in Europe. France point
ed out the automobile way. America
will reap all the profit by walking in
it,
So laments the trade journal OF the
French motor car makers. 1t asserts
that careful scrutiny Of the machines
touring the great auto routes in
Europe this summer proves that the
United States is rapidly making for
supremacy in the construction Of auto.
mobiles; supremacy which France
occupied only year or two ago and
from which it seemed she never was
to be dethroned.
Foreign travellers now bring over
heir own machines and these are
often American, even while their own.
ers are not The writer says, almost
tearfully. that most of the safest
strongest and most nearly silent motor
cars he met in various countries were
American made.
Germany and Italy make most Of the
scorchers and racers.
Gilpin observer., 1907-01-03
KEPT PLEDGE MADE TO WIFE.
incidentally, Lawyer Also Got stimu.
liant He Wanted.

An Irish lawyer made pledge to
his wife that he would partake of no
intoxicating liquor while engaged in
the trial of case. Soon after he was
retained on an important trial in Dub
lin, and the court continued it's delib-
erations until such a late hour that
nearly every one connected with the
case found it advisable to take some
spirits to stimulate their energies. AL
though invited by his colleagues to
have something, the lawyer remem-
bered his promise to his wife and re-
fused their repeated urgings. Final
ly, when he explained his plight to
one of his legal friends, the latter
said: But you did not make a vow
against eatir2 liquor, did you?" When
assured that the pledge applied only
to drinking, the ingenious chum left
the court room and soon returned with
plate of fresh rolls. The center of
each roll had been scraped out and
filled with good whisky.
Gilpin observer., 1907-01-03
Women Can't Cut Diamonds.

"A lot of women seem to be pos.
sessed these days of an ambition to
learn the trade of diamond cutting -
said a well.known jeweler. Every
little while applicants for situations
as apprentices call. But we can't af,
ford to give them trial. They can
never master the art. In other
branches of the jewelry trade wom-
en- have made some unqualified sue
cesses. There is not one of Ewes
daughters, from royalty down, |
should say, that isn't an artist in the
wearing of diamonds. Many are well
versed in the art of buying and sell
ing them. while others give excel
lent satisfaction in polishing and re-
pairing them for the market. But
when 1t comes to the real cutting of
the stones they lack the patience.
judgment and steadiness of nerve
which constitute the experts stock
In trade
Gilpin observer., 1907-01-03
Finds Hand Imbedded in Rock.

Pierre, S. D.-Ralph Bagby, a farm
boy living near Okobojo, Sully county,
while working in the Fox Ridge coun-
try near Moreau river. found large
''owlder which was set thickly with
fossil specimens of fish. turtles and
lower orders of life. The specimens
are said by those who have examined
them to have been of the mesozoic
age. Near the center of the bowlder
n perfectly formed human hand was
imbedded in the rock. On the wrist
was circlet of metal, supposed to be
of copper. Bagby carefully broke out
the specimen. leaving about 25 pounds
of the rock attached. and brought II
to his home. Reliable parties who
have seen the specimen say 1t Is
about the size of human hand lying
palm up and of perfect formation.
Gilpin observer., 1907-01-03
SHERJFFrs SALE.

By virtue of a certain writ of execution issued
out Of the clerks office of the county court of
Gilpin county and State of toloradc. and to IN @
directed, whereby l am commanded to make the
amount of certain judgment recently obtained
hundred, Fifty-Seven and .5-IOth Dollars.
damages. and the further snm of Nine and
2S-lO0'h Dollars, costs. in favor of Albert Rog-
ers ont of the lands, tenements, goods and chat
tells of the said Michael Carey, have levied on
the following property, to-wit:
block nun bered forty-two in the CITY OF BIacE
Hawk in said county and state, with all i'm
provements thereon. One certain To- or parcel
of ground on the cast side of Cooper street in
the City of Black Hawk, Colorado. ard known
as lot three in block thirty-one, according to "a
survey OF the CITY OF Black hawk, made in 1865
by Albert johnson, then city surveyor, with all
improvements the room certain lot parcel
of ground lying un the west side of Coop street.
in the City of Black Hawk. GIlpin county. Colo
RADIO, and commencing on the west SIDE of Coop
er street at point twelve feet soufheriy of that
poiut where the southerly line of Nora Colbert 5
house. upon its easterly extension, intersects the
westerly side line OF Cooper street; thence in n
westerly direction one hundred feet: thence in "a
southerly direction parallel with the westerly
side line of Cooper street hundred and fifty IT,
more or less thence easterly one hundred and
fifty feet to the westerly side line of Cooper
street, thence along the westerly side line Of
Cooper street, one hundred and fifty feet more or
less, TO the point of beginning. with all i'm prove
rrcnts thereon. And certain parcel of ground
in the said City of Black Hawk, described as fol-
lows: Cohi.enclrg at a Point where Tie quartz
-oad from No. Gregory crosses the Gillch which
from the Bobtail to the Gregory hoo 50 !:
thence easterly sixty-three feet to the west sid,
of old Bohtail road; thence southerly one hun
dred and twenty feet along the west side of said
Bobtall road: thence westerly sixty-three feet /;
thence pori herly one hundred and twenty feet to
the place of beginning, with all improvements
thereon.
Therefore. according to said command 1 shall
expose for sale, at public auction, all The right
title and interest of the above named Michne
Carey in and to the above described treperty or,
Friday the 1lth day of January. A D. 1857. !.
eleven o'clock a. m. at the front door oe the Gil
pin county court house in Central City, Colo
ra,.o.
Dated at Central City this 18th day of Decenr-
Der, A. d. 1906
THOMAS CODY
Sheriff of Gipin County.
First pub Dec 20, o6-last pub Jan 10, 'o1
Gilpin observer., 1907-01-03
STATUE WANTED TO TRAVEL.
Strange Appeal of Rome Shopkeeper
loosens Iowa Woman's Purse.

Davenport, Ia.-A Davenport WON.
an brought home from Europe recent
ly letter which she considers one Of
the most interesting souvenirs of her
trip. 1t came to her the day after
her visit to curio shop in Rome.
where the proprietor wanted $50 for
a statuette OF David in Carrara marble
after Michael Angelo. She offered $40,
which the proprietor could not think
of accepting, but he asked her name
and hotel and next morning she re.
ceived the following letter:
Roma, Ii Sth March.-Dear Madam:
Tonight have made a dream. saw
David alive! he was very angry with
me. He asked me, Why don't you let
me go to America? The beautiful lady
will take care of me. / want to see
the new world. l won't stay in Rome
any longer! want to travel as tour.
ist'
Il could not say anything against
and have decided to deliver 1t at the
price of 46 dollars. Now the difference
between your offer and mine it is
only dollars, and hope you won't
have any objection to buy it.
This morning entering my store
David had bad look.! He looked as
If he would throw his stone to me in
stead of throwing it to Golia!! l was
frightened. Good lady, buy it! other
wise David will die of broken heart
and will go after him.
BEST wishes to the gentleman and
the gentle Signorina who was with
you yesterday, and hoping to see you
again, | am much obliged for your
kindness. Yours truly,
C. MANETTI, Sculptor"
1t is almost needless to say that the
lady surrendered at this appeal and
that David enjoyed his trip to Ameri
ca