davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
WORST FOES OF THE LEvEEs.
Sources Of Danger to the Artificial
 Banks Along the Mississippi.

People who know little about our system of Jevees, the artificial banks built to confine the flood waters that pour into the Mississippi, no doubt imagine that the heavy rains are the only enemy with which the levees have to contend" said D. J. Gerry of Baton Rouge, La.
 'On the contrary, the levees. both during times of flood and low water, are subject to the incessant attacks of living foes, the destructive work of which costs millions of dollars. These foes are alligators, turtles, muskrats, field rats, fresh water terra pin and crowfish. Of all these bur rowers that prey on the levees. ex- cavating within them goodly chambers or tunnels, the crawfish do the most damage, with the turtles and terrapins good second. The harm done by the alligators is comparatively small
 Tn repairing the banks crawfst holes are often found of immense size It Is these hollow spaces that in time of freshets cause caving in and break of the levees, which of course, brings on an inundation of all the ad. jacent country. The worst part of the business Is that no way of exterminat. ing these pests has yet been found, md the only thing to be done Is to try to keep them away from the banks as much as possible"
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
DRUG STORE AS FITTING ROOM.
Precedent Clerk Hopes Will Not Be
 Generally Followed.

The drug clerk said he didn't mind It that one time; still he did hope it wouldn't become fad.
 T don't know how the rest of the customers would feel about it." he said. Personally, don't think l should mind. l like to be aecommo- dating. That is why I said. Yes when the woman with red hair asked If she might stand before the long mirror to the right of the soda fountain and turn up the hem of her new skirt
 have no long mirror at home, she said, and it is so hard to get a skirt to hang even around the bottom when you have nothing to look into except one of those dinky little glasses found in most boarding houses
 Well, when she got my permission to turn the drug store into a fitting room, she hustled away and presently she returned with the new skirt and a paper of pins. She slipped that skirt over the one she wore, as cool as any thing, and then for half an hour she teetered and tilted around in front of that mirror, turning up the hem. felt a little embarrassed myself, but she didn't mind. But maybe that was be- cause the skirt looked so nice. Still. as I said before. I hope turning up hems in front of this glass won't be. come popular"
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
WATERS HEAVY wlTH PERFUME
Remarkable Lake to Be Found a the
 Caspian District.

"Grasse, clinging to its Alp, high above the Mediterranean, Is supposed to give the stranger a headache on ac- count of its perfume at this season" !" said perfumer. "Grasse makes the worlds perfumes. You see mountains of flowers there, as. in a milling coun- try, you see mountains of wheat. The odor is powerful, but as far as head aches--nol
 But in the Caspian district there Is a lake So strongly perfumed that ii the stranger boats on it or swims in it he really gets headache. This lakes banks are of white salt crystals. Its waters are mauve in color. and from 1t an odor of violets is exhaled.
 Tt is Lake Mankishlak. visited 1t to see if couldn't bottle 1t up and put 1t on the perfume market No go.
 You see. 1t Is tho presence of the seaweed Polydcystia violacoa that gives the lake its hue and smell When you bottle the waters the sea. weed atoms, after few days, die and rot. Then the odor changes from vio let to-pah!
 But If you are ever in the Gas plan. visit the Mankishlak peninsula and take look at the lake. It is In It's way as curious as the asphalt lakes of South America"
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
As to the sneed Mania.

In demanding to be carried in the shortest possible time between. say, New York and Chicago, do travellers relinquish their right to the exercise of due caution by the carrying corpo- ration7 Even if they choose to so relinquish, is the company justified in neslecting properly to guard them against the fatal effect of their own inclinations? A man Is forcibly re- strained from committing suicide when the attempt is discovered in time. The railroad officials say they are using the best machinery and the most perfect type of equipment and are constantly trying to secure the most complete safeguards against ac- cident But, meantime. the proportion of fatal accidents, when compared to numbers of people carried, increases. Official statistics have shown that the ratio of passengers killed to those carried is nearly six times greater here than in Great Britain. The rail- roads in Great Britain have faster trains than ours, but the accidents gre far less
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
Poor Waoes In srItIsh Arny.

Tn the British army the daily pay of second lieutenant Is 5s. 3d. with deductions), and when that officer goes on a government transport he has to pay 6s. Cd. a day for his food alone. The pay of a major is 13s. I'd. a day, average service IS to 20 years so he would be about 40 years of age and very likely married. There are no married quarters for him and he is allowed no lodging allowance. Hith- erto he had hopes of better pay and allowances when he became command ing officer of a regimental district, but those appointments have been swept away and major has nothing to look forward to as such, unless he is a stan college man. The only officers who receive a living wage are the stan, the royal engineers and the depart ments. The regimental officers, the backbone of the army, receive little or nothing and, unless they have friends who can provide for them with an annual allowance. they are bound to get into debt.
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
THE RAILWAY ENGINEER.

There are heroes famed in story, rightly
 famed for deeds of arms Men who've fought their country's foe-
 men, and in sudden night alarms Have rushed out to shots and shouting in
 the smoke and reek and dark, Never pausing, never heeding. offering
 themselves a mark; Going where their duty called them in
 the nations game of war; Finding death or finding glory never
 questioning what for But peace has It's greater heroes. men of
 throttle and of wheel, Men who crouched fin their cab windows,
 drive their panting steedR of steel Over moor and fen and mountain. dash
 Ing over trestlee high Thrown across deep cleft and chasm like
 mere cobwebs 'gainst the sky On whose nerve hang lives of hundreds
 as they leave the station light And with straining of steel sinews plunge
 afar into the night. Men who. facing swift disaster. are keyed
 up to such height That each nerve and joint and muscle
 springs to do the thing that's right: Men who. when they can't avert it, go 70
 death ciear-eyed and brave, With strong hands closed on the throths
 in last attempt to save; Hope of glory or of pensions Is not theirs.
 no more than fear; Are. indeed peace hath it's hero in the
 railway engineer. U M Lewis, in Houston Post
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
a.nlnnlnn. of Graft.

Frequently one has to deal with chiefs. in fact in every village the traveller will probably be welcomed oy the chief An interchange of greetings through an interpreter establishes good understanding. |.
 An interchange of presents i' usual on these occasions and IS an almost universal custom. Etiquette re ouires the chief to give present ID return. As a rule chief can only onei A bunch of bananas, some pawpa"s oi nossihlv a goat or two. some Of which may possibly be welcome.
 On a special occasion the cniei ma, offer the traveller wife. gift . wnlc. he will probably decline with sres' nrofusion of thanks. s.-The Engineer.
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
HORSES HOOP LIKE TOE NAIL.
Grows on Average Third of an Inch
 Every Month.

Few persons realize that horses hoof is really the same thing as the toe nails of human beings or of ani- mals having toes. The horn of hoof grows just as a toe nail does.
 The hoof grows more rapidly in unshod horses than in those wearing shoes And 1t grows faster in horses which are well groomed and well fed. But on the average the horn grows about third of an inch q month.
 Hind hoofs grow faster than fore hoofs. The toe of the hoof being the longest part. it takes longer for the horn to grow down tfsere than at the heel. For instance, the toe will grow entirely down in from Il to t3 months, while the heel will grow down in from three to i've months
 As the new hoin grows out any cracks or defects in the old gradually work down to where they can be cut of, just as with human finger nails, you can watch the progress of bruise from the roof 10 the tip.
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
 RECORDED THE TRUTH ALWAYS.
Wordsworth's Poetry Set Against Ills
 Failure as Correspondent.

Wordsworth, except by virtue of one quality, was not remarkable as let ter writer. His happiest moods were those frances of thought and mount ings of the mind" which came to him when wandering among the hills or seated upon some old. gray stone. The act of penmanship was always a dis tress to him; in his elder years he was troubled with inflammation of the eyes, and he often dictated his letters. He could chain his mind to record facts, but to do so implied state of servitude He cared little for the let ters of great writers, and expressed a wish that his own might de de- stroyed He bad no pleasant malice eager to escape from the tip of the pen, such as Horace Walpole had He had no bubblins mirth which will not be repressed like that of Lamb. He could not engrave an exquisite vignette for friends delight and his own, like Cowper. His pen was not an etcher's 8 needle, nor dagger to stab, nor Q sword to cut, nor a hobby horse on which to canter. But to set over against all this Wordsworth could write the truth. and the truth he In. variably wrote.
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
, ,,klro the nEar for Music"

He bears a great loss and sorrow who has mo ear for music" Into one great garden of delights he may not go. There needs no flaming sword to bar the way since for him ,here is no gate called Beautiful which he should seek to enter Blunt ed and stolid. he stumhles through ufe for whom its harp-strings vain ly culver. Yet, on the other hand. what does he not gain? He loses Inc concord of sweet sounds, but he IS spared the dlscord of harsh noises. For the surges of bewildering har- mony and the depths of dissonant disgust. he stands on the levels or perpetual peace.-Gail Hamilton.
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
Turks as 5eggsrs.

Beggars are never suppressed :" Turkey. An American lady by ms take gave a beggar of Constaptinopie a gold piece. The man had left ms nost when she returned. but one or ms colleagues told her where he re sided" It was fine house ana ~ Ina door was a servant who politely informed the lady that "my master ,s dressing. He will be down soon And then the well groomed oeggar arassed for dinner. appeared and glad lv returned the gold piece. exciaimlns ,n the meanwhile that such mistakes wera highly embarrassing -Chariue' and The Commons
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
Sold nt "candIe Auction"

Candle auction" is an ancient GUS. tom which still survives in Somerset shire. Eng. A valuable piece of meadow land in the village of Tat worth was sold recently by auction while the candle burned. The cere- mony consists of the burning of an inch of candle. the last bidder before the candles final flicker becoming the tenant for the ensuing year. Previous to the auction freeholders assembled for supper of bread and cheese. beer and pickled herrings, the funds for this being provided from the "colting' of the new tenant Fines are also i'm. posed for speaking, nose blowing laughing out loud and H1sving. other than bidding, while the .andle is burn ing
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
FOR THE RAILWAY BEAUTIFUL.
Sood Progress Being Made on Most os
 the American Lines.

Much is heard--not too much-ahou, the house beautiful and the city beau, tltul, but what about the railway beau. tiful! Sylvester Baxter discusses i, interestingly in the Century Magazine, With the aid of profusion of magnifi. cent illustrations he makes an i'm. pressiye appeal for the identification Of the American railway.
 To Germany he awards the palm for tn's sort of work. The way stations are artistically designed, the terminal stations are monumental and imposing and the railroad grounds are every. where decked out with flowers and shrubbery. The way stations In Eng. land, he says, are without archi. tectural pretensions, prosaic and com. monplace and disfigured with adver tisements, though there is an attrac tive neatness displayed along the way. side as well as at the stations.
 MT. Baxter's treatment of the rail. way beautiful In the United States is optimistic. He takes pleasure in show. ing the immense improvement that has taken place in late years and that is now in progress. He spreads before his readers a series of charming views of particular way stations east and west, and makes it perfectly plain that before a great while this country, despite its immense spaces and dis. tances, will be the real home of the railway beautiful.
 Nowhere is this improvement more visible than in the suburbs of Chicago Thirty years ago any shanty was good enough for the suburbanites, but now many of them take their trains from buildings and grounds that would be credit to any park and that are not often surpassed In any country of Europe. There Is good deal to be desired yet. but the actual improve. ment is remarkable.
 MT. Baxter has not much to say about terminal stations except to de. scribe the new union station in Wash. ington as the grandest in the world But he might have said, also, that there are some great terminal stations in this country and that others are projected, in Chicago and New York which will leave very little to be de, sired in that line.
 The day will come when the railway beautiful will mean the whole railway from end to end. There is no reason why positive ugliness should not be banished from every railroad track and much of it give place to neatness and even beauty-Chicago Record Herald.
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
Study of Mountain Sickness,

Although the subject of mountain slckness has been carefully studied at alherent times. and reported upon by skilled observers, the effects of pro- longed residence in high localities nave not received the same attention rom scientists It is taken for granted by most writers that after a certain length of time a healthy man can adapt himself perfectly to any uesree of altitude. Medical practI- uoners resident in elevated parts ot south Africa have, however, lately cast doubts on the ideas which are usually held on this subject Observa- uons on persons apparently well ac- ehmatized to an elevation of 5000 lcet above the coast level frequently ieVeal a constant increase in the pulse rate. while the examination of a number Of Johannesburg school chil. ofen showed large proportion of eases Of cardiac hypertrophy.-L don Hospital.
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
New Fountain of Youth.

A certain poet famous for the warmth of her earlier effusions desires to avoid the learned wrinkle that be- comes part of the literary face. So she has above her desk a little mirror in which she glances occasionally as she writes, and if she finds her brow wrinkled in thought she breaks it by smiling vividly and murmuring some assertion of Peace. Joy and Se- renity!"
 One day as she was doing a very learned essay of the High Think or der she found that the crease between her eyes persevered. She got angry then and stopped the assertions. On the spur of the moment she tore cor ner from her writing pad, dabbed it with mucilage and placed it on the wrinkle.
 It stuck fast ip a few minutes and then hardened, and now she declares that she has discovered new fountain of eternal youth.
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
HAD LOST TRACK OF s,sToRy
italian Evidently Knew NothIno of
 Declaration of Independence.

Lewis Morris Iddings of New York diplomatic agent of the United States 10 Egypt, and at present on leave of absence in this country, tells the fol. towing anecdote as an illustration of now backward in civilization are ger. tam remote districts of Italy Hay. Ing been secretary of the embassy in Rome for many years. MT. Iddings can well qualify as an expert.
 During his secretaryship it appears mat relatives of an expatriated Ital ian who had come to the United States were endeavoring to locate their long lost dear one, having heard through friends who had returned to the native village in the Appenine mountains that he was making hints of money in America.
 Ihelr Inquiries, in the form of an appeal, were drawn up by the enlight- ened mayor of the village. who for. warded them to the British embassy in Rome, possibly after careful study Of his own prehistoric atlas.
 MT. Jardine Kidston, the British charge d'affaires, who received the communication, referred 1t to the at tention of the American embassy, in closing the document with a note to this effect:
 My Dear Iddings: Can you do any. thing for this applicant, the mayor of Roccacannuccia? His honor's knowl edge of geography seems bit hay and 1t Is evident that he has not yet heard of the Declaration of Independ ence'
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
vsoarles Of the Plumb Line.

One of the curious things that men of science have discovered in theif lnnumerable efforts to measure and man the earth with the least possible error. is the fact that there are places where the direction of plumb line is not vertical Irregularities of den sity fin the crust of the globe may pro duce this phehomenon.
 A remarkable instance has been found fin the island of Porto Rico. where the deviation from the vertical is so great that, in mapping the Island, the northern and southern coast lines. as shown on the older maps, had each to be moved inward half a mile.-ll' lustrated Sunday Magazine.
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
what Become. ot th. colt nall.1

In the afternoons when the dishes are washed up Ciss goes and sits down by the golf links. There's a place where many of the gentlemen send their balls over. Ciss takes a basket of apples with her and when ball comes near her she puts 1t in her basket under the apples. Then when the gentlemen come and look for it they can't find 1t and they think 1t must have gone down stream.
 Ciss sells the balls to her young man that lives in the village He gives her twopence apiece for them and he sells them himself to the mak- CTS for sixpence.--Grand Magazine
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
hlntor. Reneata ltasIf.

It Is interesting In this day and generation to know that the lawyer for the defense In the Brown-Bradley case is of the opinion that woman who Is interested in politics must be an abnormal creature. T have no taste" said Napoleon, for women who meddle in politics" You may perhaps be right" replied Mime. do Etael, but since people have taken the freedom to cut their heads or on account of politics. they ought at least to be allowed to understand why
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
Swadeshi.

In the sense in which Sir William Harcourt remarked We are all social ists now" it may be said that all An glo-Indians are believers in Swadesh, While all reasonable Angio-Indians dep recate the senseless agitation and the unsound economics of the extrem ist advocates of Swadeshi principles, they are all anxious to assist that natural development of indigenous in. dustries and the creation of new ones upon which the future prosperity of the country so largely depends.-Pio- neer Mail.
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
Looklna Into the Future.

A minister of church in Edinburgh Scotland. recently surprised the con gregation at Sunday evening ser vice by handing in his resignation He was only 60 years old and was in good health and vigor. The following Sunday . committee of the members waited upon him and expressed theil regret at the step he was about tc take. They said to him: You have plenty of work in you yet. Why re sign?" Yes" he replied. T know but you had better accept my resigna kion now. When am TO you will mol be able to get rid of me"
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
starved to Death

is what could truthfully be said of ,9anv - children who die. They have ,rorns. ~ poor little things they don't Dnow if and YOU don't realize it. If
 ronr child is cross, fretful, pasty soornnlexioned and loses weight for DO annarent ann reason, give it Whites Sream Vernifuge, you will be sur s.r;Ssd at inc results and how quickly lt hicks up. Sold by Jackson Drug Co.
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
Wise Counsel From the South.

want to give some valuable ad- wee to those who suffer with lame pack and kidney trouble" :" says J. R.. blankenship, of Beck, Tenn. ''I have proved to an absolute certainty that Electric Bitters will positively cure tlis distressing condition. The first o9t.ie gave me great relief and after taxing few more bottles, l was com pleleiy cured; SO completely that It peeomes a pleasure to recommend this great remedyn Sold under guarantee ~ Jackson Drug Co. Price soc.
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
Feli Down.

"SQuibob. yon've made a remarkable success as a writer of ads. It must take a peculiar talent to do that sort of work"
 "Ruggles. I'd rather you wouldn't say anything about 1t. but my success was only an accident. can't write ads for shucks. found that out when advertised for hired girl for Mrs Squibob. We didn't get any applica tions. Ruggles. Lot lone. solitary. .og- goned ons."
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
LEGAL NOTICES,
NOTICE ro ouIEr rIrLE.

NOTICE TO QUIET TITLE.
 Notice Is hereby given that on May l2, 1918, F. NJ. Cecil nied in my office his petition Co the Chancery Court of Polk county, Arkansas, praying that said court al its A prll te' m, 1908, by It's decree connr m and quiet his title to the following described lands situated in Polk county, Arkansas. to-wit: the SEi4 NEL, NELf Skl4. NWh SEl4 and SWi. NEi4, Sec. 28, and all that part or the SWL NWl1, Sec, 27, lying west of Hick- ory Creek, all In Twp. s., K. 32 W SEi4 Swtf See. 2i, Twp. 1. j., k. S2 W; the $. Pt. S1z SIsl. See. p. and the NEl4 NE14 Sec. 27, Twp. ! S., K. g w; the SWlf SE4 Sec. !, Twp. ? B. It. F ", and the NEA NEA Sec, 1, Twp. 5 k, K. 32 w.
 Therefore, all persons who claim any Interest in snid lands or any part thereof, are hereby warned and called upon to ap- pear Tn said court within seven weeks rom this date and show cause, if any there be, why the prayer Of said petition should not be granted and why the title of the said petitioner to said lands and every part there of should not be quieted and confirmed. Given under my hand this l2th day of May, 1908,
 w.. I. Green,
 Clerk of Polk Chancery Court
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
A nnIden We dding

means that man and wife have lived to A good old age and consequently have leept healthy. The best way to keen healthy is to see that your liver does it's duty 365 days out of 365. The only way to do this is Co keep Rallard,s Heroine in the house and take it whenever your liver gets inac- tive. 50 cents per bottle. Sold by Jackson Drug Co.
The Mena weekly star., 1908-07-23
A MiIIionaire's Baby

2 attended by the highest priced baby
 asseIsit aa,,enialist could not be cured Of stoul- sp.b nr bowel trouble any quicker or
 o,,ee, aon r than your baby fl you give II su.el sssassoe,s s Babv Elixir Cures diarrhsoe,a, SvSsntary Mc and all heterogeneous oi /. 1nS 7, ~ sa,,ach sTasJ or bowels. Price p cents ano so sSosen cents Sold by Jackson Drug Oo'