davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20

sense of calamity had bee with him since
morning, intangible. undefnable
"Somethins going TO happen, old boy"
he had murmured to Hector when lie went
TO the big horses stall in the morning
Hector had shifted at the back of Skinnys
head while he poured out the oats, out
had vouchsafed no answer. He was hungry
for the oats and paved impatently at the
floor.
"Somethns sure goin' TO happen he
said later and Hector had turned ard whin-
MED to him while he polished the buckles
and joints of his horse s harness.
Il feel just the way Johnny Burns did
him. Gee, ] hope | amt goin' to lose my
The alarm had come as a welcome relief
from this gloomy foreboding.
Once on the seat Skinny was himself
down the long street he found hlms going
over in memory the days since he and
Hector had gone into the department.
Away down town they had met tirst-down
in the skyscraper section of the city-he a
fine big. outstanding five-year-o.d.
They had taken to each otner from the
very start. perhaps because they were both
strangers and lonesome.
When on the late watch Skinny had &C.
quired the habit of talking over with Hector
the things he knew would interest him.
Hector standing solemnly in his narrow
stall would hang his big head over the bar
rier and thrust his soft nose inquiringly
into Skinny's hand. After the sugar had
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20
RAILWAYS IN AFRICA.
Rapid Progress in New Construction
Opening Mineral Fields.

From the New York Sun.
Next to the Cape to Cairo line the most
important railroad now in construction in
Africa Ia that which will connect Lob1to
bay, on the Atlantic, with the mineral
fields of Katanga. in the southeast corner
of the Congo State. 1t is being l'sas by
the Tanganyika Concessions, LtTs.t' ed.
British company which holds f. nces-
sion from the Congo governm#. = an
area in katanga 10000 square .'.ues In
extent or about thirteenth of the en-
tire dominion of the Free State. The line
will be 100 miles in length, the longest
east and west road yet projected in At
RIGA. Fifty miles of it have been COM
pleted from Lobito bay, which affords a
fine harbor little North of Benguella In
the Portuguese colony Of Angola. Many
hundreds of men are now building the
second section, 200 miles long, which Will
carry the road through the mountains
and up on the inland plateau 1t Will
then follow mainly the water parting be-
tween the Congo and Zambesi river sys-
TENS, a level region offering few engi-
neering problems and not a single i'm
portant river to cross.
This large enterprise Is eloquent testt-
mony to the faith of it's projectors In the
great value of the Katanga mining re-
gion. This faith is based upon the results
Of seven years of investigation khich
Mr. Robert Williams and his force Of min
ing engineers have given to this region.
In an Interview the ether day Mr.. Will
liams said that they had found q zone
rich in copper extending almost 200 miles
northwest and southeast nearly to the
frontier of Rhodesla. They had marked
about 100 locations on this line which
promised remarkable rich returns, and
his company intended to begin operations
on large scale as soon their railroad
should supply the essential transporta-
| ton. He had not found the gold pros
| poets promising, but the amount of iron
! Is enormous, and coal has just been dis
covered, though 1t is too early to say how
| important 1t will be in the development
of Katanga.
, This company, however, does not hold
| nearly all the mining preserves of that
region, and a pretty race is now in prog
| ress to see who will be the first to reach
| 1t. The Cape to Cairo railroad hopes to
| tap southern Katanga in a year or two,
and the Congo State has 5000 men build
| ing the line around the last rapids that
| impede steam transportation from the
| Congo mouth to this territory. The Tan
ganyika concessions will, however, have
| the shortest route from the sea to the
| mining districts.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20
Rubber Cultivation.
From Cent Per Cent.

From Cent Per Cent.
In Brazil, Belgium and other countries
the interest in rubber cultivation is spread
Ing, and letter frcm Jamaica, printed in
the London Telegraph, states that many
banana planters are giving up the produc-
ton of bananas and planting rubber trees
instead. All of this points to the gigantic
development Of the rubber growing indus
try and to the stupendOus profits in store.
If one Is seeking for a motive as to why
certain capitalists are trying to buy up
shares in good Mexican rubber planta lions
here it is The United States is the world s
largest buyer OF raw rubber. We use twice
as much any other country. and the
consumption is increasing every day. Dur
ing the first eight months of this year, as
shown by the customs report. 39.924,92o
pounds were brought into this country,
while Great Britain received 19.SSS, lT6.
Germany 1898, 800. France 9,527 800 and
Belgium 4,473,3 This being so. II is clear
that Mexico is our market for rubber, and
that there, of all the rubber countries. the
biggest fortunes in rubber growing are to
be made, and that every man with money
invested in good Mexican rubber planta-
lions is going to have his share of the
riches.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20
PWE GEoR9E = YsWcE AsMNpBK-
qps@ RG& Or bpA Or }EWA'

coronation mantle, and held drunken
orgy with them. While the carousal was
at its height the king entered the room, at
tracted by the noise. The princes COM
panions were frightened into sobriety and
hastily decamped, but George was not a
bit feaZed. Il was just trying these things
on he said, land 1 fatter myself that I
look much better In them than you do"
Then he coolly invited his father to join
him in drinking the health Of his successor.
The scene was ended by some attendants
carrying him off to bed. He makes no
secret Of his contempt for his father, even
that some one will kill you" he is reported
to have said to the king on one occasion.
DO not worry yourself. I will be the
one to kill YOU
The other day a mouse was caught in the
palace. The crown prince took the little
animal out of the trap still alive, and Or
dered one of the sentries on guard to bite
its head off. The soldier refused, and the
prince, drawing his revolver, threatened to
shoot him If he did not obey. Only the in
PREVENTION of one of the kings adjutants
prevented him from carrying out his threat.
One OF his favorite amusements Is to pury
cats up to their necks in the earth and
stamp them to death with his military
boots. Another diversion to which he Is ex-
tremely partial is to sit at one Of tn, palace
windows with an air gun and take pot
shots at people as they pass in the street.
In this way he inflicted painful wound
recently on an old woman's face. If not
really mad, he Stimulates madness better
than even Hamlet did. And in some meas
ure his role seems to be that of Hamlet to
King Peters Claudius.
The people of Belgrade live in terror Of
him. In his reckless moods he knows no
restraint. He gallops through the streets
utterly regardless OF pedestrians He has
more than once announced his intention of
erecting gallows in the chief square Of
Belgrade, when he ascends the throne and
to hang thereon those who oppose his royal
will. To the Servians he appears to be q
scourge sent by Providence to avenge the
assassination of King Alexander and Queen
Draga.
Several officers have bluntly refused to
serve as his aids de camp owing to the in
dignities which he heaps upon those who
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20

pitched In and gave the prince a sound
thrashing, and left Servia, and no other tu-
tor has yet been found bold enough to take
his place.
During a recent hunt near Belgrade the
crown prince purposely shot a peasant IN
the eye just to show his companions what
an excellent marksms.n he Is. Quite re-
Gently, after a dispute with DR.. Dimitsch
the court physician and chief of the royal
cabinet, the prince boxed his ears with
such force that the doctors hat fell off. At
the Karageorgevitch fete. the other day, as
the procession headed by the king ap-
preached the cathedral, a cab passed in
which were the crown prince and some
, women, all Intoxicated. He shows such
symptoms of mental and moral abnorm-
atty that if not actually insane he is GER
tainly not fit to be at large. The report
that he was to be sent to a lunatic asylum
has been denied. but it would surprise no
one If that course should be adopted. If he
should ever become King of Servia he
would be deposed by revolution or assassi-
nation within a week.
AS for Servia itself, it is in most I'M
happy plight, politically financially and in
dustrially. Chaos and anarchy prevail
everywhere outside of Belgrade. 1t is cred
itably stated that there have been more
political murders in the country districts
of Servia in 1906 than in the whole of Mace
donia. The only difference is that the latter
are all reported and chrontcled, sometimes
two or three times over, while the Servian
press is so tightly muzzled that the boldest
opposition papers dare not make the slight
est reference to the murders within their
own land. Some months ago one of the
most prominent men in a country district
near Nitsch was brutally murdered by a
band of his political opponents. Eight men
were arrested for the deed, tried and sem
fenced to terms of Imprisonment ranging
from five to fifteen years. A few weeks
later they We're all pardoned and released
from jail. There is no security for life or
property anywhere.
The cabinet and parliament are entirely
at loggerheads, and political conditions are
daily growing worse. The country is prac-
tically bankrupt. Since the tariff war with
Austria-Hungary the farmers have been
unable to sell their pigs. and the agricul-
tural districts, which means practically the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20
Erosion in Modern Guns.
From the Iron Age.

From the Iron Age.
at the United States War Department
offer valuable illustration of the SUI
perior endurance of modern artillery US
ing smokeless powder as compared with
the guns which burned the old black
powder. The casts show the interiors of
two twelve-inch guns. The first is that
of a piece which had been fred $50
times with black powder and then re-
lined. The bore of the gun was so deeply
pitted that the cast resembles the bark
of the toughest old oak trees: The cavi.
ties are deep enough to contain walnuts,
and the riding has completely disappear
ed. The second cast was made from a
gun which had been fired 300 times with
smokeless powder. There was some ero-
sion, but not enough to destroy the
was fairly smooth.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20

pitched in and gave the prince a sound
thrashing, and left Servia, and no other tu-
tor has yet been found bold enough to take
his place.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20

wait upon him. Occasionally, though, he
meets more than his match. A ma jor, whose
ears he had boxed after grossly insulting
him, drew his sword, and 1t would have
Jared Ill with the prince If some other off,
directions give by his tutor, NJ Levas-
saur, he threw pears and apples at his
head. and wour up the performance by
hurting syphon bottle at him. That was
too much for the amiable Frenchman. He
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20

eye at Peters throne, as suitable chance
for one of his sons to exercise an import
ant administrative office.
Prince George shows no disposition to
mend his ways Instead of profiting by his
younger brothers example he seems bent
on doing everything in his power to &C
centuate the contract between them. Only
a few weeks ago he struggled lot of his
boon companions, male and female, into
the palace donned his fathers crown and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20
They Certainly Stand.
from the Yonkers Statesman.

Church-"How are the New Workers on
the transportation question:"
Gotham-"Oh, they stand pretty we'll"
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-09-29

voice WIS that Of the countess, & ring
OF exultation In it. Don't you think
she VIII dor
lam not sure there WAS hesita-
tion in this voice. Herr Schmidt's. I'VE
may lad that she may not agree
to"
Their voices and footsteps died away.
bat 1 remained staring wildly az the
door.
Was 1t / who would certainly dor
What should I do for7 What did IT
mean? had been at tl7> castle a week
Each day lad its small round Of du-
ties but nothing again happened 10
rouse my fears. The countess was
charming. the secretary civil but dis
tant. though I had an instructive feel.
ing that he watched me more than I
knew. The count had never met or
seen. The wing In which he lived was
separated from the rest OF the castle
by a covered way. and he never
seemd to join his mother.
! was growing 10 feel quite happy
and at home In ny new ur-oundingS.
In spite Of their loneliness and isola-
ton, q nd to delight In my rooms. even
in spite OF the awful abyss over which
they hung. when something occurred
which reused afresh all my uneasi-
ness.
On a heavenly evening, Just before
sunset. I was sitting In the garden.
book in hand. when the sound OF a
window violently flung open over my
head made me glance upwards, to see
mans face peering at me. II was a
singularly handsome one. with dark.
piercing eyes that fastened themselves
eagerly upon my face. saw an ex-
preston OF relief fash over the speak
ing countenance, then came a look OF
positive pleasure. and next I heard a
voice say;
''Yes-she VIII do-she win certainly
do and at the same moment the face
was huTriedly Withdrawn and the win
dow was slammed down again ith a
resounding bang.
The strange similarity OF the words
to tho sc used by the countess outside
my room a week before at once struck
me, AID sprang TO my feet, looking
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-09-29

dear and only son, who TIL now has
never looked twice az any woman. has
fallen passionately in love with you
with me" 1 cried. Why. he has
only seen me for Ave minutesF'
Il know. I know" she answered /:
but he has one OF those natures which
are on fire IN a moment. Miss Ire
mayne'-her voice grew extraordinarily
grave and earnest-'T beseeeh you 20
consider whether you could net make
my dear boy happy by becoming his
wIfe7'
gasped. and with difficulty re-
piled
But II am only a companion; how
could such thing be possibIe7 And
I DO not love him. In England"
Il know" she interrupted. IT under
stand that II is not your custom to
WOO IN such haste. buf'-her voice
shook with excitement IT long for my
sons happiness"
I was too Supplied 70 think clearly.
I only realized that for some reason
impossible 20 understand. she actually
wished that I, a penniless dependent,
should marry her SOM
Dult SLdIlIncEeu. -Ile count IN
his position could marry anyone-ths
highest born lady. the"
Yes. OF course he could" she an
sWered, and I suddenly saw an odd
furtive look In her eyes; "but ] want
his happiness''-and she seized and
wrung my hand. ut Is you who can
give him that"
She then proceeded to ten me Of all
the advantages / should reap by be-
coming her daughter-in-law. She men
TONED settlements which positively
made my hair stand on end. She talked
OF Jewels that set ny heart beating.
She spread an alluring prospect before
my eyes-and I was a poor girl. re-
memberi The prospect was sufficiently
dazzling.
Yeti remembered the odd shrink
ing with which the count had Inspired
me knew that did not even like
much lass love him, and refused the
wonderful offer.
As said the word5 an extraordinary
CLEAN came into her eyes: she leant
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-09-29

nervously around me IN the gathering
shadows. and fSSring something. yet
not knowing what I feared. There
vas step on the gravel close beside
me. and Herr Schmidts voice whis-
pered:
''Why did you not take my advice?
Il If too late. now" His voice was
broken with emotion. so unlike his
usually Indifferent accent that I turned
quickly to answer him. bur he had
vanished amongst the shrubs. and I
saw the countess issuing from the gar
den door.
My dear" she said in her smooth
est tones. I want you TO come and be
introduced TO my son. He is most
anxious TO meet you. He Is not very
strong, and therefore keeps chiefly to
his own apartments"
Feeling a little dazed. I meekiy fol-
lowed her across the great hall and
down the covered way 20 the counts
wing. where she opened a door and led
me into luxuriously furnished apart
ment looking into another garden.
Only one homogeneous feature struck
me. The windows were barred with
iron, exactly as though the room was
a prisonl
. On cur entrance a yoyrk man rose
from a big armchair and held out his
hand In cordial greeting. and when I
saw him nearly screamed aloud.
The handsome face and dark eyes
we're the very same that only a few
minutes before had peered down at me
from n window in another part OF the
castlel What did II all mean?
The countess and I stayed some time
with the count, who. IN spite OF his
handsome face. repealed rather than
fascinated me. In HIS eyes was a look
that haunted ne long after I had left
him: a look whether OF fear or some
hidden anguish I could not determine,
only know that instinctlvely shrank
when he warmly shook my hard.
Imagine my unutterable amazement
when. on my going 10 my boudoir after
dinner that evening. the countess said
to me, In a trembling voice:
my dear Miss Tremayne. the strang-
est thing has happened. Ny boy, my
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-09-29

optimists always, we do not yield
one inch in the argument that the
world is better today than yesterday,
consequently fos us today is the best
day the world has ever seen.
Growing out Of the thought tha this
day is the worlds best day is this
compelling and forceful Interrogation.
What are you doing today?
There are three things you can DO
with today. as 1t comes fresh to you
from the loom Of the eternities:
You can loaf In today. You can SIT
by the stream OF life and see II float
past You. You can let II glide through
your fingers as water glides through
the marble fingers OF a statue erected
IN the center Of a city fountain. And
all the while the statue stands unre-
sponsive to the calls Of the water.
never attempting : stay or use the
power that fiowE .hI SSgh It. You can
be a cold. nfeless beauty statue or
brainless block in today. II you viii.
for today and fits use is right up to
you Today is yours to do with as you
please.
Tie second thing you may do with
To-Day is to labor With your might. do
ing with all the bowers OF your soul
the work you find to do rou may
work 50 hard that when night comes
You will be unable to erjoy your paper.
the Intercourse with your family. or
the delightful pleasures OF life that
bring strength to the hand or power
to the brain You may labor so hard
that you will be nothing more or less
than an old horse treading round and
round in continuous treadmill. never
advancing. never getting anywhere
only moving. but not progressing.
The third thing that you may do
with today Is 20 lift. You may see the
needs Of your brother men. You may
help bear their burdens. You may help
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-09-29
THE BEST DAY By ye4. 4: gsges

TN ONE of Mr.. Emerson's mastery
essays he gives expression TO the
thought that zone OF the illusions
Of life is that the present hour
is not the critical hour. Write it .on
your heart that every day is the best
day in the year"
How that suggests that important
word OF the olden time. Now Is the
accepted tlmet"
And then. by a very natural process
of remembrance and thinking, you
come 10 the idea so dominant In our
American life. DO 1T NOW.
There is no gainsaying the truth that
today is the best day the world has
ever known. The goIdne age OF the
world is not In the past. a., poets who
rave of the halcyon day Of Queen Bess
would have us believe. For real man
hood and worth of character we are
not compelled to search the dim. dust
gray ages OF the past. We find it in
our everyday life. True, there was
manhood then, but there is more man
hood today. We may not have any
better men than Marcus Aurellus, Plato,
and Socrates, but we do have more
men of the same stamp who, because
of their broader outlook on life. see
things even more clearly than they
saw.
Ever IL is true that the mental world
keeps progress with the physical, and
the spiritual or moral keeps pace with
the mental Because men are stronger
physically today than they could have
been hundreds OF years ago is the rea-
son they are better equipped mentally
than they were in the centuries agone-
Because they are mentally better. it
follows that they must be spiritually
better.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-09-29
HIS PURPOSE.

Henry c. Frick, the steel nan. was
once guest at a dinner when he vas
unexpectedly called upon to respond 10
a toast. Recovering somewhat from his
surprise. Mr. Frick said that his situa-
ton reminded him of the case of a
" alter while fishing
With no little difficulty he was res
cued, and after ne had regained his
breath and was IN a fairly comfortable
con0lton MS rescuer asked him how he
came to fan into the water.
did not core to fan irto the water 9"
replied tho unfortunate man; II came TO
FISH. "-finrDsr's Weekly
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-09-29
ANIMULA vAGA.

A spirit from the grave
Again I come
Fen as I vanished. save
Disrobe1 and dumb.
No shadow 80 1 pass
However Gear
The wave on mirroring glass
Betrays me ne&r.
Nor unto them th5c 1--we
ForloI OF me,
A signal can I give
OF sympathy.
dh. better { were to hide
Where none appear
That thus In hath abide
To Efe SO near.
John B. Tabb, in the Atlantic
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-09-29

relieve their dlstresses. You may make
the world brighter. better, and nobler
because you have lived. II you live
as worid-lifter. surely today viii be
the best day for you the world has
ever given you.
litter?
Times-promoter. (Hernando, DeSoto County, Miss.) 1898-1970, 1907-04-19
YET UNIDENTIFIED
Mystery Of the Muse Negro UnsoIved by
MANY Witnesses.

The identity of the negro prisoner,
supposed to be Buck Muse, who killed
w. P. Jackson near Independence
June A, 1898, yet remains unsolved.
During the past week e. d. Lauder
dale, who has taken personal inter-
est in the case has had several wit
nesses come here and look at the
prisoner, but while all are certain
that the negro is either Buck or
Judge Muse, which it is has not yet
been definitely settled.
The negro himself says he is Judge
Muse, and if that is the case, he is
also wanted. Jailer Shelton has re-
ceived information that Judge Muse
is an escaped convict from the Illinois
penitentiary, where he was confined
for forgery, and has communicated
with the authorities there, but has
not yet heard from them.
Times-promoter. (Hernando, DeSoto County, Miss.) 1898-1970, 1907-04-19

seriously injured in runaway near
Horn Lake on Feb. "a, and who has
been confined in the st. Joseph Hos
pital since that time, has undergone
an operation, which coniisted in am
putating his leg below the knee.
Friends and relatives of the unfor-
tunate man had hoped that amputa-
tion would be Unnecessary, but it was
found that the bone was dead and
would not heal, 80 he was operated
on last Monday. His physicians ex.
press the belief that he will, in the
absence of complications, be able tc
be out in about two W ,eks.