davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21

The Scheme to Blow Up Napoleon ~.
With Gunpowder.

with SunpoWGer.
An interesting story Is that of a frus-
trated plot against Napoleon III. which
has never got into the history book,
but which is one of the favorite stories
of VI. Victorien SardOu.
In 1900 when the frontage of the
Theatre Francais was rebuilt after the
disastrous fire in which one of the
most charming actresses of the Maison
de NJ jiere lost her life, several shops
disapl among them being that of
the famous Restaurant Chevet. 1t was
not properly speaking a restaurant
Cheyet used to sell liqueurs, groceries.
smoked meats, etc, and in a couple of
low ccilinged rooms on the first floor
he would serve a meal or two 10 con-
uoiS- aurs One day in 1865 or 1866
two young men of fashion, Russians
both Of them. came In and called for
dinner IN one of The little rooms which
We're above the shop. They asked for
caviare. but when they got It they pro-
tested luU.ir That the cayiare was of
inferior quality ana called for the own
er of the Silop. lie came, apologized
and was met Win the remark, tender
ed Iaughiuglg by one of the diners
that next time they came they would
bring their own c3yiare, They came
again and brought it in little white
wooden barrel, and when they left they
had II put ca one side for them. From
time 10 tine ne two young Russians
cam" and d'nel chez "hevet dined in
variably in n" same room and always
began thoir dinner with their own ca
Ware. One Gay they finished the bar
rel, and rsv days later. in the after
noon, one OF them brought another one,
Put it in the little cupboard IN the
room we always dine in he said to
the waiter, "and do not let anybody
touch it until we come TO dine" The
waiter took it, but on his way upstairs
something peculiar struck him,
Look at this barrel,' he said 10 the
restaurant keeper There is some
thing queer about it."
THAT is no business Of ours" said
the master of the establishment 'and
| am not going to look at it, anyhow,
W nat Will ttl CNlStOiLCIS say IL thCJ
find we have opened it,"
oh" said the waiter, I'VE can open
1t and close it again, and they will new
er know. 1t is certainly different from
the last barrel 1t is heavier to begin
with"
His insiStence prevailed, and the bar
rel was opened. The restaurant keep
er and the waiter started back in
fright. There was no cavaire, but gun
powder in that little barrel, which was
an Internal machine. The little dining
room was exactly underneath the impe-
rial box, and there is little doubt that
the emperor's next visit TO the Comedie
Franchise would have been his last had
the carefully laid plot not been discov-
cred. The plotters never were caught.
although the secret Of the plot was
carefully guarded and traps were laid
for them in Chevet's restaurant for
several days.-St. James Gazette.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21
A POINTER FOR TOURISTS.
Put Your Prayer Book on Top of the
Things In Your Trunk.

Things In Your Trunk.
eff you ever 20 to Bermuda | can tell
you how 10 make time at the custom
house" said a returning Washingtoni-
an. II reached Bermuda early IN the
morning | made up my luggage rath-
er hastily before leaving the ship.
Just as | was ready to close my
suit case | noticed that | had left my
prayer book on the lounge. | pitched
1t in rather unceremoniously, strapped
down the case and hurried ashore.
You don't have TO wait to declare as
you do when coming into the port of
New York As | stepped into the office
of the Johnny Bull official | unstrapped
my case and opened it up. The official
talked at me ms if | had been tele-
phone.
Hello" he said the first thing
What's this:' he asked picking up my
prayer book. Prayer book. ehf All
right Shut up your case
"'Want to look at anything elseT
asked
"'No. You're all right, my friend.
Any man who will put his prayer book
on top of his traps isn't likely to beat
the government. III take that for your
declaration
81 threw him half dozen cigars.
That's where l made my mistake.
"Got any more like these in that
caseT asked the official.
Il said l hadn't, lut do you know he
wouldn't believe me, and | had to open
up the case again, aa1 he went through
it as if he thought WA - smuggier. ~
WaShingt u Post
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21
Samuel TaYlor Coleridae.


The largest, broadest, deepest anG
most Intellectual genius of the nine
teenth century'-thus has Coleridge
been described, and probably no bet
ter description Of the great philosp'
pher and litterateur can be found. ES
was Il youth of impulses and tried IL
turn 10 become a cobbler, surgeon
ana soldier before he settled down
and gave proof of his vast literary at
tainments. Some of his poems have
been accepted as the noblest pieces Of
imaginative writing produced by a
modern poet, while as literary critic
he had few equals in his generation.
He was a born journalist and lecturer
too.-Pearsou's Weekly.
children and Dogs.
The child who is taught to love ant
mails and to have a dog rs a companion
is introduced to a friend Of the truest
and best kind-the kind of friendship
that lasts Have you never had a dogf
Then you don't know what pleasure
can be had IN his companionship In
rambles, in his quiet presence In your
room, his unobtrusiyeness when human
company would bore you; q 'chum"
who always adapts himself to your
mood when man or woman would jar
upon you. By all means cultivate in
children love of animals, especially
of mans best friend" the dog.-New
York Herald.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21
EATING IN PUBLIC.
Tho Varied Sorrows of tho Critical
Man Who Dimes Out.

Tho Varied Sorrows of the Critical
Man Who Dimes Out.
What chance has the diner out Of
being completely happy? The mere
actions of eating and drinking are nei-
ther pretty nor conducive to showing
people at their best. 1t is really a
most uncouth sight to see man or a
woman stoking food. The necessity
of being polite at the same time makes
II uncomfortable as we'll. No sooner
have you got into conversation with a
pleasant woman than the soup in your
nustache stops all inspiration. She
iespises you for your play with your
napkin. and your mustache is out Of
shape. And who can feel that the
evening is going TO be what he hoped
when he realizes that his shirt front Is
smirched with some relic of the mealf
Indeed, dinner parties are really a
struggle between eating and talking, a
struggle which does not always end,
as do most things, In the survival Of
the tittest. AS one can't speak with
ones mouth full and first hunger must
be appeased, conversation and eating
go on rather as q game, the one person
whipping up some food while the other
is speaking and then In his turn speak
ing in order to enable his partner to
get some nourishment. To talk or to
eat might be a sensible question at the
beginning of dinner. but 1t is not one
likely TO be asked. One Is seldom sure
which is least worth sacrificing, the
food or the conversation. How much
simpler 1t would be If we fed apart
and indulged in conversation after
rd.-Macmillan's
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21
COFFIN WOOD MINES.
The Chinaman Digs For Wood Prlxsd
For Burial Caskets.

For Burlal OaSkerS.
There exists no object which the av-
erage Chinamau exhibits more regard
for than the narrow box which Is des-
tined to contain all that Is mortal of
him. He Is never happy until 1t Is in
his possession. 1t occupies a conspicu-
Gus position in his house, and the rich
er he Is the more he eXpends on It's ac'
QUESTION and adornment.
The coffins most esteemed by the Ce-
lestialS are manufactured from a pc
culiar resinous wood, possessing quite
extraordinary preservative properties
and found only in one small district in
Tonquin, buried in the earth, no living
specimens Of the tree now being In ex-
istence.
The natives search for 1t quite as
eagerly as elsewhere gold and precious
stones are run after, and, indeed, the
deposits, for such they are, are to all
intents and purposes mines Of wood,
the origin of which has never been sat
isfactorily explained.
Local legends have 1t that in far
distant past vast numbers Of these
trees existed in the dense forests with
which the whole region was covered
and that as a result of some tremen-
dous cataclysm they were uprooted and
precipitated into the ravines. Wheth-
er this account is true or not, the
buried trees are today n source Of quite
considerable wealth to the lucky per-
son who finds them. For coffin made
OF this special wood a Chlnaman does
not consider ESQ or eco at all too high
q price to pay-Grand Magazine
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21
Turkish Political Prisoners.

When a Turkish political prisoner is
sentenced to be deported to Tripoli 0f
TO the Euphrates, his friends bid him
farewell. They know that they will
never see him again alive and in all
probability never hear of him again
unless enormous sums are forthcoming
to bribe scores of different officials. In
fact, the only difference between
death sentence in Turkey and one OF
transportation is that the former is
more rapid and more merciful The
government prefers the latter because
it is less public Now and then, how.
ever, news leaks through. OF poor
Midhab Pasha, for instance, it ~
known that near Bagdad his brutal
guards beat out his brains with tho
butt end of their rifles.-London An
swers
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21
FAMOUS ARCHERS.
Stories of Wonderful Skill With Bow
and Arrow.

The expression drawing a long bow
does not Of necessity mean the telling
of a faIsehood II sometimes refers TO
a wonderful story, which may be true
enough. but which is 50 marvellous as
10 require a firm trust in the veracity
of the narrator to enable the hearer to
believe it. Some Of the longest bows
Of this sort have been drawn about
bows and arrows.
These stories began long ago. Virgil
in the ".EGeid" tells Of four archers
who Were shooting for a prize, the
mark bel. g a pigeon tied by cord to
the mast o ship. The first man hit
the mast. the second cut the cord, and
the third shot the pigeon as 1t flew
GweE. Tho fourth archer, having moth
ing left to shoot. drew his bow and
sent his arrow flying toward the sky
with suca eueei that the friction of the
air set the feathers on fire, and It
swept oH, Ike Il meteor, to disappear
IN tho clouds
The stories told OF Robin Hood 5
archery. Illustrated by his wonderful
performance rs Locksley in ScOtt's
"ivanho"' gra also a decided strain
uaoU sensible persons credulity. The
famous story of William Tell doubted
by man" persons, is believed by others
To h0-r r3TuGltion of fact There
WAS "a Dune uameI Foke OF whom the
same story is toI3 and William Of
ClnI1InsIpv e., Trg,iSbmau is said TO
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21
TRADES THAT CURE ILLS.
II You Want to Drive Away Disease,
Turn Shepherd.

"Oil workers are never bald" said a
druggist Visit our oil regions or
those of Russia. Examine the work
mems hair. 1t Is soft and thick and
glossy, for petroleum cures incipient
badness, and II your hair IS thinning
rub some In. Never mind the smell.
It will do you good
shepherds enjoy remarkable health.
The odd odor Of a sheep seems to drive
away disease. Sheep are especially
good for whooping cough. In the sheep
country when a child takes the whoop-
Ing cough 1t is the custom for the
mother to put 1t to play among the
sheep and the next day it is well.
"The men and women who wcrk
among lavender, gathering 1t or dis
tilling it, never have neuralgia or nerv-
GUS headache. Lavender, moreover, Is
as good as a sea voyage for giving tone
to the system. Run down persons Of
ten work for nothing in lavender plants
In order to build themselves up.
"Salt miners can wear summer
clothes in blizzard weather without
fear of catching cold, for colds are un,
known among salt workers. Breweries
and tanneries and printing ink fac
tine works and ropewalks bar out rheu-
matism. Copper mines bar out ty-
phoid New York Press
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21
TIPPED AS HE WENT.
His Promise to Pay a Lump Sum
Weekly Did Not Bring Results.

His Promise to Pay Lump Sum
Weekly Did Not Bring Results.
Il had heard all about the tipping
system in Europe before going abroad"
said the young man just returned from
his maiden voyage, 80 / thought I'd
inaugurate a new system. At fash
ionable hotel in London the valet as
signed to my floor was the subject Of
my first experiment
"'See here | said In a frank, jovial
manner when he came in to attend me,
Il want to make an arrangement with
you. It's an Internal nuisance to be
handing out tips every few minutes, or,
at least, when | want anything done.
Now, | purpose to lump the whole
thing In weekly payments. | expect
to be here at least three weeks. You
look after me to the best of your ability,
and at the end of each week III make
1t all right with yOu-in fact, I'll give
you more in a lump sum than you
would get in tips. Is that satisfac-
toryT
"'Quite, sir he said cheerfully, but L
fancied he looked disappointed.
Every WE'LL said |. I'm going out
for a drive about town. Meanwhile
take my evening clothes out of my
trunk, have them pressed and laid out
for me- You'll find studs and buttons
for the shirt in that box on the dresser.
My shoes are in that valise'
"'H'all right sir Very good, sir.
Thankee kindly said he, and l left
with feeling of elation.
when | got back to the hotel |
found my evening clothes still in the
trunk. the shirt and shoes untouched
and, in short, nothing doing Next
day l went back to the old system."-
New York Press
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21
As Clean as z Whistle.

Any one who has witnessed the man
ufacture of n rustic whistle can be at
no loss for the origin OF the saying,
AS clean as a whistle" \ piece of
the thickness of a finger is hammered
all over with the handle of knife un-
til the bark is dlsengaged from the
wood and capable of being drawn off.
a notch and Il cut or two having been
made in the stick, the cuticle is re-
placed, and the instrument is complet-
ed. When stripped Of Its covering the
white wood. with its colorless sap, pre-
sents the very acme of cleanness.-
London Answers.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21
CRACK NUT SUNDAY.
Suasr Method of Hearing q Sermon
Still In Use In England.

"One fine autumn Sunday attended
try church that would have driven a
New York preacher clean crazy" said
the man who travels. THE congrega-
ton didn't do a thing but sit around
and crack nuts. Fancy New York
minister talking to a crowd of that
kind! The modern preacher likes to
have things quiet when he talks. 1t
disconcerts him to hear baby cry or
a woman cough or an old man snore.
If he is put out by such trihes as these,
It is interesting to conjecture what ho
would do II he were to take hold Of
congregation where everybody brought
nuts to crack during the sermon.
"Worshipers, 1t seems, used to do
this In England and even In our own
states during colonial days. This dis
turbance was not a weekly occurrence
by any means. II 1t had been, the
poor preacher would have undoubted-
ly left his flock to administer spiritual
consolation to suit themselves. But as
1t happened only once year he was
forced to endure II. This one day
which was attended by such remarka-
BILE license came the Sunday before
Michaelmas day and was called crack
nut Sunday Nobody, no matter how
pious he might be, hesitated to avail
himself of the peculiar privilege grant
ed him, and men, women and children
came to church with their pockets
stuffed with nuts, which they compla-
Gently cracked and munched during
the sermon.
''It was that kind of sermon that
SO impressed me with its oddity. 1t
can be easily imagined that when for
ty or fifty people get to cracking nuts
with all their might the noise is apt to
be something terrific, and many times
the minister was hard put to 1t to
hear himself think That custom,
from being regarded with high favor
for many years, finally came to be
looked upon as a nuisance, and the
habit was suppressed, except in few
remote localities, although the act Of
suppression was attended with consid-
erable difficulty, SO firmly had the nut
cracking fever taken hold Of the fancy
of the people" New York Press.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21
NATURAL KITCHENS.
Places Where Cooking In Done I'm
Boiling Springs.


There are one or two countries-Ice-
land, for example-where washday is
not dreaded because nature provides
the hot water at ones very door In the
shape OF steaming springs Of spouting
geysers. But there is only one country
where the native women do practically
all their cooking by unaided nature,
and that Is the North island Of New
Zealand. Here Is O wonderland Of a
thousand square miles so volcanic that
a fire may bV lighted by inserting a
few sticks in the earth, and wherever
one makes hole he speedily has pool
of boiling water, into which a pudding
may be lowered incased in cloth and
cooked expeditiously.
Frequently in perfectly cold streams
a boiling hot current may be seen and
felt running along the edge Of the
river, and here the Maori women do
their own and the white mans wash
ing. Naturally the volcanic region of
New Zealand is u dangerous country to
wander In without a guide, and many
tourists have lost their lives as the re-
suit of such carelessness. Maori serv-
ants boil coffee and eggs in this way
New York Tribune
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21
GRIM OLD CROMWELL.
The Protector Made Christmas z
Gloomy and Serious Day.

The Protector Made Christmas N
Gloomy and Serious Day.
Christmas was Illegal in Cromwell 8
time" said an antiQuary. Those grim
old Puritans were so gloomy that they
would not have any gayety even on
Christmas day.
Cromwell said that holly and mistle-
toe were heathenish things. He said
that they had no real Christian slgniti'
canoe; they were a part of some pagan
festival Of the Druids. Accordingly he
made law that IL you decorated your
house with mistletoe at Christmas you
got thirty days In Jail.
"rhe terrible old fellow forbade
Christmas celebrations-no dancing, no
singing, no playgoing, no feasting on
Christmas day; penalty, thirty days.
You see, 1t was his idea that Christ
mas was a religious, a serious time, q
time for churchgoing and prayer and
reverence and for nothing else. The
innocent family that In Cromwelrs day
sat down to turkey and plum pudding
and wound up with Christmas games
got r'onth all round.
90 Tor time, though. The people
rebelied. Willing as the people had
been to put on the gloom of those
dreadful old Puritans, they insisted on
having a little Joy on Christmas day,
aud Cromwell after n year or two had
to give In to them."-New Orleans
Times Democrat.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21
LAUNCHING A VESSEL.
khe Crucial Moment Is When She
Takes the Water.

That launch is a matter of mathe-
matics, as well as of great skill and
labor, is shown by the fact that the
man of science who has the matter In
charge always makes a set of calcula-
tions showing the strain of the ship
and Its precise condition at practically
every foot of the journey down the
ways. If a boat should get in the way,
or if II should take an unusual length
of time TO knock ont the keel blocks,
or If any one of half dozen things
should cause serious delay, the scien-
tific man knows just how long he can
wait and just how far the limit Of
safety extends.
There is always one supreme mo-
ment in launch, and it is at time
that escapes the average spectator. 1t
is when the vessel gets fairly well into
the water This IS when an important
factor known as the moment of buoy
ancy" comes into play. If you can
imagine a vessel sliding down an in
cline without any water into which to
drop, you can see that the vessel would
tip down suddenly at the end which
has left the ways and would rise at the
end still on the incline. But really in
successful launches the stern of the
vessel Is gradually lifted up by the
water, and this throws the weight for
ward on that part of the ship still rest
Ing on the ways. The force Of the
water is called the moment of buoy
ancy." and the natural tendency of ths
ship to drop to the bottom Of the
stream Is called the moment of
weight" Now. the moment of buoy
ancy must always be greater than the
moment Of weight, but 1t must not be
very much greater for If 1t were II
would throw too much weight forward
on the part of the ship still on the
ways and might break them down or
injure the plates or keel Of the ship.
When the English battleship Families
was launched, this did really happen,
and so great was the strain near the
bow that parts of the cradle were ac-
tually pushed right into the bottom Of
the vessel 1t is this danger of disaster
that causes the scientific launcher to
make the most careful calculations az
to the conditions surrounding the ship
at every foot of her journey into the
water.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21
HE DID SLEEP.
The Result Of Taking Peanuts and
Milk For Insomnia.


Yesterday a friend who had heard
that / sometimes suffer from insomnia
told me of a sure cure, says Good
Health Clinic. Eat pint OF peanuts
and drink two or three glasses Of milk
before going to bed" said he, land I'll
warrant you'll be asleep within half an
hour" l did as he suggested, and now
for the benefit of others who may be
afflicted with insomnia / feel Ii to be
my duty to report what happened, so
far as am able this morning to recall
the details. First let me say my friend
was right. did go to sleep very soon
after my retirement. Then a friend
with his head under his arm came
along and asked me IL I wanted to
buy his feet. l was negotiating with
him when the dragon on which / was
riding slipped out Of his skin and left
me floating In midair. While l was
considering how l should get down a
bull with two heads peered over the
edge of the we'll and said be would
haul me up if ! would irst climb up
and rig q windlass for him. So as
was sliding down the mountain side
the brakeman came In, and / asked
him when the train would reach my
station. I'VE passed your station 400
years ago." he said. calmly folding the
train up and slipping 1t into his vest
pocket
At this juncture the clown bounded
into the ring and pulled the center pole
out Of the ground, lifting the tent and
all the people in 1t up. up, up. while /
stood on the earth below watching
myself go out Of sight among the
clouds above.
Then l awoke and found that had
been asleep almost ten minutes.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21
Where Snow Falls.

If you are not q lover of snow, go to
Malta, which is the nearest spot where
you are certain of complete immunity
If you are fond of it. the suburbs Of st.
Petersburg VIII furnish all you need to
ask, for there you may be sure of it
for 10 days in the year The happy
medium IS supplied by Copenhagen,
with thirty days, while Palermo, Rome
respectively, may be recommended to
those who merely care for snow as a
casual and deeting guest-London
ChrOn lie.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-21
4 ROYAL BIip,

Considerable amusement was once
caused by slip OF Emperor Nicholas
pen in accepting the offers of several
companies Of Siberian militia who vol
unteered for service at the front The
petition read, I'VE humbly lay at your
majesty's feet our desire to be per,
mitted to light and die for the father
land" The emperor in accepting wrote
Oh the margin OF the petition in his
own hand, i thank you sincerely and
hope your wishes may I've fully real
led