davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-22
Muskrats.

Rare old Captain John Smith in his quaint History of New England and the Summer Isles" published in Lon don in 1924, gives probably the first written account of the muskrat. He says that the mussacus is beast of the form and nature of our English) water rat and adds that some of them smell exceedingly strong of musk" These animals may be caught in almost any sort of trap baited with sweet apples or parsnips. Musk rats have very strong teeth and can use them on wood effectively, so it is wise to protect all corners and cracks in your wooden traps with pieces of tin or sheet iron. They have good noses and can smell an apple a long distance of Place your traps in the shallow water at the edge of the mill pond or stream inhabited by these rats, and they will doubtless find it without difficulty Young muskrats are very gentle and playful and may be handled without fear. They do not grow fierce with age if reared in captivity and ac- customed to gentle treatment.
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-22
Rcceiyinu Tommy.

There is a certain inspector of schools who brides himself on his original method of examining. but occasionally his originality receives a shock. In a fatherly manner be had gathered a class of young children round him and soon had their open mouthed atten- tion.
 Now. suppose that you and were playing a game of marbles" he said to little Tommy Jones. You have ten marbles and have eight"
 The class gathered closer round.
 At the end Of the game you have won half of my marbles, and of course want 10 play again to win them back"
 The children pressed even nearer.
 Al the end of the second game I win half of those you now have. Tell me-'-exciteuent waxed inteuse-''tell me-" he continued, how many mar bles you are left with
 With a look of inex7reSSible disgust .he boy addressed fell back. Why, Billy be said. "blowed if + aiHt suns. .--Lo1don Answers.
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-22
WORKING PLANS
Outlined By Cooper When Inler- viewed By Reporter At
 HOiel in Chicago
AIDS THE DESTITUTE

Chicago, Oct. 21.-L. T. Cooper was seen in his hotel this morning by a reporter and proved to be a con-. paratively young man, as he is little over thirty years of age.
 MT Cooper is the mah who is said to have created a sensation in east ern cities by his extensive charitable work and the enormous sale of two preparations of which he is the own CT. While talking his face lights up with smile,, almost boyish in it's expression, and he seems very young to have acquired the enormous for. tune he IS said to possess. When asked about his plans for his visit to Chicago, he said:
 l shall remain in this city about four weeks. 1 have come here to in- | troduce my preparations in my usual way, and l will give the public ample opportunity to ascertain whether the claims l make for these medicines can be verified.
 Tt is one of my beliefs that every successful man should devote a part Of his resources to aiding the unfortu- nate. l rely to a great extent on the public for information concerning families, or individuals, who are in need, and 1 will, therefore, be very grateful to all who will send me the name and address of people who are destitute
 Upon being asked about the public removals of deafness. which he has made in St Louis and other cities. Mir Cooper said: T have appeared each night in the cities I have visited, be- fore audiences that ranged from two to ten thousand people, and have stated that I would remove in less than three minutes time, deafness of years standing.
 "l have treated in public in this manner over a hundred people each night. l shall do this work. in Chi cagO to some extent and I will then prove whether l am successful or not. It will be time to discuss this work after l have given one of these de- monstrationS, as my claims would now seem eXtravagant
 The preparation with which give these demonstrations is not the one to which l owe my success, as my New Discovery is my principal remedy. This preparation is for the removal of all forms of stomach trouble.
 "l have not yet decided where my headquarters will be while here. but will know within the next twenty. four hours"
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-22
Archduke Francis Ferdinand. Who Succeeds to the Austrian and Hungarian Thrones Upon
 the Death of Francis Joseph.

were most rife, the Rev. Charles Nuss- baum of St. Louis, who had once been tutor of the archduke and his broth CT Otto said, T am astounded that two such fine little boys should have become the undeserving men they are said to be-" They rose every morning at when they were under his obser- vation, he said, and began their studies at 6. With short respite for break fast at 9, they continued at their books until noon. After, lunch from 1 to 3 they performed military tasks, includ- ing riding, fencing and gymnastics. At 4:30 they resumed their studies and at had dinner. In the evening they played simple games in their mothers room and went to bed at 9. Twice a week they attended lectures at the high school that they might learn some thing of public school life. Their brief holidays were spent travelling under the supervision of tutors Such a regime was not particularly likely to produce a debauche.. No kinder heart ed family. royal or otherwise, exists than theirs," said Mir. Nussbaum.
 Lately revulsion of feeling toward the archduke has taken place. His un- conventional marriage to Sophie Cho- tek, woman of unroyaI birth, was fearful shock to the Austrian court, the most aristocratic on earth, and even the people whom one would eX- pect to regard his act as that of a true democrat thought he had disgraced his rank. But his devotion to his wife, now the Princess Hohenberg. and to his children and the absolute freedom of his life from all domestic scandal have reconciled both court and public to his condescension, and, though his sons can never ascend the throne, his mo.- ganatic household is held in high re- spect:
 Politically, too the archdule's posi- ton has changed. Hungary was par ticularly hostile to him. The fact that he did not speak Hungarian had some thing to do with that, but as some if teen languages and dialects are spoken in the empire Americans will appre- ciate his inability to talk in them all. Hungarians called Francis Ferdinand arrogant, reactionary, and accused him of holding opinions more Bourbon than those of Louis XIV. They declared they could expect nothing of him. But when the old emperor fell ill and began
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-22
PRINCESS HoHENBERG AND TWO OF HER CHILDREN

and her husbands modest simplicity of disposition and habits have done much to overcome the unpOpularity engender- ed by their unconventional alliance and the islanders which shrouded Francis Ferdinand's bachelorhood. It was to be expected that the princess would be accused of harboring the ambition of seeing her son upon the throne in spite of. her husbands solemn oath and the prohibition of the pragmatic sanction, which forbids to unrOyal birth the crown of Hungary. and hence the Aus trian diadem if the two countries re- main united. There seems to be no reason. however, to believe that Fran cis Ferdinand will not respect his promise, and fear of future trouble over the succession is fast dying out
 An interesting story. probably apoc- ryphai. is told of the manner in which the love of Francis Ferdinand for So- phie Chotek first became known. The archduke had been wooing the count esS in secret for some time.
 One day a servant brought to the ArchducheSs Isabella q slender silver chain. to which were attached q num- Der Of trinkets the Archduke Ferdi- nand carried in his pocket. That mOrn- ing Francis Ferdinand had left the pal ace Of the archduchess at an early hour. having been summoned to his place. Eckartsan. on the Danube. By some oversight the valet had left the bunch of pocket trinkets half concealed under the lace covering Of a toilet ta- bic.
 The archduchess did not pay much attention to the trinkets until she saw among them an odd little gold medal lion. She could understand the other tTinkets-the knife. match safe. pencil. etc.-but the medallion stirred her euri- osity. She examined il closely. and when opened it revealed a lock of brown hair In lifting out the hair to hold it to the light her finger touched a tiny hidden spring. which brought into view all exquisiteiy painted miniature of the Countess Sophie CbOtek-
 The cat was out of the tag then. and it wasn't long tefUre the whole court knew Of the archduke's love affair.
 Francis Ferdinand is not the only Austrian of priHeeIy rank uhO has loved outside his circ,e. though his is the most cOlSpicu0Es r0uaEce. Steph- anie. willow of Crown Prince RUdolp1. whom Ferdinand was expected to wed. followed his exaErge and mar red a count. hy which act ste forfeit ezi an iDcoue of S130OoO a Year and Iost the custody of her only child It wzs love q the Baroness Vetszra that cost CrOuu Princs Ru30lph his life The HapstErz history is fus Of rc-
 1znce. sOcne of il sinister Ii1r5e of it bzVpy- Frz1e5s Ferdfnznd Es O1e of fbs few foT wbsu tbe oourse of true LsEz. UkHe far frou suoolh. has 10t besa cruoks1
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-22

1 Not long ago a diplomatic sensation was caused in Washington by the thoughtless act of an American official in assigning the Austrian ambassador as dinner escort to the wife of the Mexican minister. Francis Joseph still regarded Mexico as his brothers mur derer. His gratitude to those who had showed mercy or pity to the ill starred Maximllian was no less long lived. Ev- cry year-the emperor never forgot the date-a Mexican singer named Concha Mendez received a generous birthday gift from his majesty. With it went note in the emperor's own hand ex- pressing his grateful remembrance of the fact that when such q thing endan- gered her safety and almost her life she refused to ridicule the dead 'em- peror of Mexico" It was not long after the execution of Maximilian that Con cha Mendez the popular singer of the day. in the City of Mexico was asked to sing a song vilifying the late em- peror and his unhappy spouse. COncha Mendez Stopped short. and her black eyes flashed. ''No,' she said, ''I shall not decry tho dead and the unhappy" then left the stage before the audience had recovered from the surprise.
 The scandal which touched so many members of the Hapsburg house did not spare the emperor himself. and many stories of his alleged indiscre- tiOns have been current for years. Some of them perhaps are true, but in so far as his daily doings reveal his character the monarch appears to have been an ascetic rather than a libertine. Even in his old age he rose at ,. Court physicians when he was almost too ill to sit up could not prevent his rising at his usual hour and proceeding immedi- 'ately to the business of the state.
 The head of one of the oldest reign ing families and master of the most conventional of continental courts. Francis Joseph, while never relaxing his imperial dignity. was still the most democratic and kindest hearted of kings Every year on Mauady Thurs aaA tue eIuIGEDE elDNNu HIS HlAuAA4t by following the example of Christ in washing the feet of the disciples. Twelve old men. paupers all. were brought tO the palace on the Thursday before Easter. and the aged emperor personally served them with food and drink. then. attended by high military and eharchoEcialS. proceeded to each old man in turn wet his feet. dried them and dismissed the tuelve with gifts Possibly this was too Ostsata- tfcus humility. but the adufring Aus triz1s did not So consider fl
 Stem but kind TuIer Of a turhgIent realm. a king made human hE suffer ing. with all his faults he deServes the eubozy Marx Antony PrO11uzced over the corpse of BTutus. The eswelts were SO mixed i1 him thzt Nature night stand uq a1s say to ali the wrsd This Ezs a Us1
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-22

to turn the cares of state over to his chosen successor they had to confer with the archduke
 Count AndrasSy. the Hungarian min ister of the interior, very recently was referred te Francis Ferdinand by the emperor when he came to Vienna to discuss an important matter of policy and after a long consultation with the archduke came away saying. He is q man We can work with" Subsequently other high Hungarians revised their views of their next ruler. and the pre- dictions of the parting of Austria and Hungary at Francis Joseph's death gave way to optimistic forecasts of con tinued union and even to expectations of Hungarian autonomy
 In Bohemia the prince has always been a favOrite. He spends a consider able part of the year there. where he owns immense estates He is very gen erOus to the Bohemians. who appreci- ate his having chosen one of them to le his wife at the cost of renOuncing the rights Of his descendants to the i'm perial throne.
 In assuming the reins of empire Francis Ferdinznd will take up a heav- fer burden than even that the Emper- or Nicholas bears. for his realm is com posed Of even more diverse c0nstifu- ents than that Of Russia Austria and Hungary are continually striving for hezem0uy. There is conflict between church and state Bohemia makes daily demands for somethlng CT 01heT. LifhusnEz- GzI5cia and all the rest hava their uarTi1g interests. and all the tine Italy Es thinking ab01t the border provinces uh5ch are nerer spoken Of fa the eoaEres of Vbctor E-uznusI bgt as Italia t-Tes5enfz- faareIeewe1 IT. alyl- AEs5 tie BzIkzzs are sitting uB zni tzkEnz u0l5te- Tb.-e is deep Vo-- tent En tke sEz1s q tHe dues fer Frzz- cis Feu5zzzzL -
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-22
I-Eart P---i-res-

h nine our of c-n cases your infant prodigy is a musician Among paint CTS the prodigy Of proifgies was Sir Thomas Lawrence- One Cf his earIiest pictures i1 is sad. was produced ia 1715. quite cary enough. for the Iove- Y cherUb whO Iaiatet Tt was thsa six years 0.I He was getting on ia life. totterl1E oa tEe verge of twelve. whea the quality Crgv Ged his studio at Bath Tle fate were kind tO the i1- fant prodigy ubea Ilsy ua6e his fa- tEer izBIO15 e tae Back Buu De- vbez. tLe z1 vhere fashiulzble us7 and women called fo- rest aaI refresh Eeur ol tEeir var to tke waters At the Back B1U the prudIzy uz3e his first scluziz5aE1e win Lle great Eo-5d EhEeh EzIrered hzm ia after life ard vhEeh ks Ezt5ered oa eznvzs-St JaueS G8zs1Tz-
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-22

ular ignorance and miscOnception of his real nature continued. The late NJ. de Blowitz gave publicity in the London Times to a tale to the effect that be stopped q peasant funeral near Prague and amused himself by jump ing his horse half dozen times over the bier. a libel which was afterward repeated in parliament at Budapest and for which there was not a shadow of foundation.
 Even people of the court at Vienna related as an illustration of his lack of culture that when he attained man. hood and became as much his own master as an imperial prince can ever hope tO he he made a bonfire Of his books As a matter of fact. Francis Ferdinand is not merely a well read msn. but an author. among his books being an entertaining description of his travels. including his visit to America in 1Sg3: several graceful mon osraphs. notably one on the great field marshal Radetsly. remarkable for it's high sOuled patriotism. and two volumes of very pretty Alpine poetry
 The archduke is also an engineer and is said 10 have been the only prince of the blood who ever took his dipiO- ma as sucb- He is of an inventive turn of mind. and his expert kn8Wi- edge of machinery would have got hiEl a sUol job if revolution had deprived him of his princeIy patTim0ay- Fran cfs Ferdinand is furthermore sn adept in zoology and natural history. Which should appeal to Pres5dent Roosevelt Naturally a prince whO spent 90 much tine in the acq1Irene1t Of eTu.liiiOl had few Eeisure moments ia wh5ch to pose as a Poqllar t10l- and zs a sPee- tsealzr feature of c01rT and r1bI5c life he was a0t a sg1Ss
 Fo1r yezrs ga vbe1 st1-ss oF Frz1css Ferdiazndz z1les=d esdzPzdS
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-22

and finally. when the expulsion of Louis Philippe from France set all the shackled people of the continent to rattling their letters in the face of royalty, the Emperor Ferdinand abdi- cated, and his nephew, Francis Joseph, whose father had resigned his imperial rights. climbed upon Austrias totter- ing throne. an emperor at eighteen. The most optimistic of oracles, the most sanguine soothsayer. would not have predicted that he would remain emperor for almost sixty years and give his people peace.
 The young monarch's first step was to promise a free and constitutional government, but in this he was beyond his time. The course of events com pelled him to close the national assem- bly be had called and assume absolute power He centralized the govern ments of his heterogeneous nationali- ties at Vienna and inaugurated impor- tant fiscal and commercial reforms. which soon won him the favor of the AuSAl NlaAceNs- AAC NANNhCh a concordat with the pope which cOncil- lated his Roman Catholic subjects. He put down the Hungarian revolt.
 In 1859 he had to fight France for his Italian possessions. and after the disastrous defeat of Solferino. where he commanded in person with great bravery. he lost Milan and northern Lombardy. The Sleswick- -Holstein dis pute following the spoliation of Den mark involved him with France again and with Germany. Sadowa cost Aus tria Venetia and eliminated her from German politics. But these catastro- phies ended Francis Joseph's foreign complications for the time and left him free to attend to his domestic dificuI- ties. He succeeded in recOnciling the almost irrecOncilable interests of Aus tria and Hungary, consummated the compromise under which the dual king dom is still governed and about which there has lately been so much talk. promulgated a most liberal constitution and on June S. 1S51. was crowned king of Hungary at Pesth- -Ofen with great pomp and ceremony. From that time. though constantly the center of pOlit- teal whirlpool. he ruled his eccentric empire as an animal tanner controls his nenagerie. using alternately force and diplomacy. not only keeping his charges from eating each other un. hut preserv- Ing his own person and adding daily tOI his prestige
 His youth 90 Saddened by the losses ,f territory vhich his ancestors had owned for agzS. vas further inbitteF- d by the efforts of his political enc 1ies to cause trouble between him and ais beautiful y0Ing wife. the Princess Elizabeth ef Bavaria They did sue -eed finally in eTeefi1z a separz- tion Of tbe Dpenor and empress. but T. was o1ly tsuporzry- Throaghout ais life the -curSe cf the HzpsI1ngS n the foru Of domestic tragedy pur-
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-22
THE Archduke Francis Ferdinand
 H,Fcfo who cJ1nooa6c to tho

"HE Archduke Francis Ferdinand
 d'Este, who succeeds to the
 throne of Austria on the death
 of Emperor Francis Joseph, be- came heir presumptive through the tragic death in 1889 of the Crown Prince Rudolph, the emperor's only son. Francis Ferdinand's father, the late Archduke Carl Ludwig, brother of Francis Joseph, was then next in the line of succession, but owing to his great age and his ill health-he was but three years the emperOr's junior his chances of ever inheriting the crown appeared so slight that he re- nounced his rights in favor of Francis Ferdinand, who was then twenty-six years old.
 This sudden change in the status of the young archduke brought him at once into the fierce light which beats upon throne. From a pripcely non- entity he became the head of the an- cient house of Hapsburg, next to the aging emperor. Everybody wanted to know all about him. Newspapers at home and abroad began to play him up," and fertile invention supplied de- tails of his character and habits which the short and simple annals of his pre- vious obscurity withheld. The most scandalouS stories were told about him, and knowledge of the idiosyncrasies of a quick credence in the general mind. He was pictured as weak, dissolute, half mad. It was predicted that if he lived to wear the iron crown made from the nails which pierced the hands and feet of Christ, the most precious possession of his house, he should lose it before a year had passed. The dis solution of the dual kingdom was re- garded as certain. "When Francis Jo- seph dies, then dies the empire" was a popular phrase. Hungary saw visions of a new Kossuth whose work would be made easy by Francis Ferdinand's infirmity, and Austria despaired.
 Of a naturally retiring disposition, the new heir apparent failed to avail himself of the opportunity to rise like a new sun to the Austrian horizon and dazzle his calumniators into silence Instead he kept the noiseless tenor of his way. devoting himself to study of statecraft, literature and music, ap- bearing in public only when his presence was officially demanded. Pop
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-22

tria was aghast! But Francis Ferdi- nand was not of the type of certain others of his house. What he did he did openly. He had enough of the Hapsburg obstinacy to withstand even the emperor in this, and so he married Sophie Chotek. It was said that he had been chosen as the husband of Crown Prince Rudolph's widow. and his children were to sit upon the throne of Austria-Hungary after he was gone. No son of a woman not of imperial or royal line could sit upon that throne. and. wedding Sophie ChO- tek. Prince Ferdinand had to take a solemn oath renouncing for his de- scendants all claims to imperial power. When he passes away the succession goes from his family. When one re- members how Napoleon divorced JO- sephine that he might obtain through another marriage a son to succeed him one may realize what Francis Ferdi- nand sacrificed for love.
 Sophie Chotek. the widow of an Aus trian nobleman and daughter of a rich Bohemian. was lady in waiting to the widowed Crown Princess Stephanie when Ferdinand first met her. It was a case of love at first sight Sophie was one Of the most beautiful women at court. Their first encounter took place at Abbazia. where Stephanie was then staying and whither the archduke had come 10 make a few days visit He remained for weeks. It was at the time supposed that he was enamOred of his hostess. for a marriage between him and RudO,ph's widow had been talked about and would have fitted in well with the plans of the emperor. But when it was discovered that the princess beautiful maid of honor was the real magnet that held Francis Fer dinand at Abtazia there was conster- nation in the court The emperor sent for the archduEe and urged him t0 form an alliance with some royal house. but the prince was Otdurate. He declared his determination Co wed the Countess Chotek- -Can it be that you intend to renOunce your claim tO the thrOneE7 the emperor asked iE as- tOnishment and anger.
 Not at aiI.- replied his nephew T am simply taxing your advice- heard you say one that in choosing a wife an emperor should pay DO attention to pOlfties. but follow only the impulses of his own hearL-
 Bat the emperor evtfe1tly did not intend that his nephew should Obey his preachueuts 90 iupLiciTly- for be sent him a q tour Of the uO-id to cure his fnfzfuatioa- Bat absence only made his heart grow fOlder- and be eams tack as obstinate as ever
 The emrersT e51tIuseI hzs opposition ts the E1aTrEz-e and wzs EscEe1 UD hT an tbs imperial family bet exposition Ezs fruit5eSs- Frzzcis JeseVh had to give Ia. and haviBg uszS11esd tks