davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-28
HOODOOS FOR WORKERS
Workingmen Have Many su.
perstitions While Perform
ing Dangerous Tasks.

Every day something happens that
seems to justify the superstition Of
workers who find that certain ma
chimes are dangerous. certain tools
contrary, certain engines little better
than man killers. says George NJ.
Watson In Chicago Tribune.
At the present moment there stands
in the car barns of the United Trac-
ton Company mt Elston avenue and
Addison half wrecked street car
that is given up hopelessly hoodooed
There is not man in the barn who
would take the hoodooed car out on
n run for any money you could name.
The motormen say the hoodooed car
has always been bad actor" and n
track jumper" II was flnicky and
notional as coquctte. Sometimes
for days or weeks 1t would run along,
like any other car, safe. sane and re-
Liable. Then the demon of contrari-
ness would get into it,
1t was this car that killed Motor
man Meyers few weeks ago. His
regular run was from the limits barns
| out Belmont avenue to Milwaukee
| One Saturday night few weeks age
the hoodooed car was buzzing along
West Belmont without a passenger
inside. 1t was going no faster than
usual the track was clear, and there
was no hint of danger.
AT Sawyer avenue the car sudden
ly jumped the track and ran OFF into
the curbstone and turned over Il
went OFF just as easily as If there hac
| been switch there and whom fh.
stiffness came after the shock it wa!
found that the motorman was badly
hurt. The word passed along Bel
mont avenue that there was "a ca
Ion the track at Sawyer" and Mrs
Meyers. who lived only few blocks
away, was one of the first to go.
Meyers was taken to the hospital
where he died After they buried hin
the car was fixed up and put back in
TO service. The inspectors. 1t is said
gagged the track and tried out" tn
car and could find nothing wrong. |
seemed just as true as any other ca
on the line.
Two weeks later, on Saturda.
night. the same car jumped the tract
al the SAME spot 1t ran ont an
struck the same curbstone and turne,
over in the same position. The mot
orman was not hurt much but tn,
conductor was cut by the flying glass
Now the hoodooed car is back II
| the barn. and they say the compan,
4 VIII not try to use 1t again. The mel
would like to see bonfire made on
Off In order to make sure. The In
spoctors may and 1t call right AM
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-28

entering upon the perfection OF the
automobile engine muller 1t struck
me that the same principle could be
applied to gun. ] saw readily how
to accomplish this latter result In
theory. But I could not determine
upon mode OF construction which
would allow Il weapon to undergo
rough usage. Several weeks ago
was riding in street ear with 4
friend when suddenly the solution of
the latter problem occurred TO me as
if by inspiration. I reduced the whole
matter to paper. | found II was
practicable in every way. Then OBJ
tanned patent.
View of the Inventor.
IL am one of those persons who be-
leve that the best safeguard against
warfare Is TO perfect weapons of such
destructibility that that very power
hostile armies. ] trust this weapon
may have some effect toward that
end. believe the device may prove
of value in hunting large game. No:
shall not attempt to manufacture
the weapons myself. as / have al
most perfected another and more use
lul tUtlOil, ~ Which, hhNt NtNOt-
ed years and which has been an am
bition of my life"
Mr.. Maxim's friends assert that he
will tender the new device first to the
United States government. The fam
| lily, however. still Is mindful of the
| lack of encouragement which result
ed when the elder Maxim rendered
the machine gun TO the navy depart
ment Disappointed. the latter took
| his invention to England. Its service
to the British army in the Soudan re-
suited in the elder Maxim becoming
an English subject and being knight
ed By. Queen Victoria. The younger
Maxim has carefully protected the
European rights to the "noiseless fire.
arm fraught as it is with world
rcvolutionizing possibilities.
Hiram percy Maxim is ihirtynine
years old and was born in Brooklyn.
Receiving his early education there
he was graduated from the Massachu-
4 sets Institute of Technology. From,
| college he stepped into the business
field In 1890 he became snperinten-
dent of the American Projectile Com =
pany of Lynn, Mass. that company
then being engaged in developing ar
NOR piercing projcc;iles for the navy
and making use of an electric WELD
ing process. which only had recently
been perfected by Professor Elihu
Thompson
Mr.. Maxim was the inventor OF
many new ordnance missiles and
studied the subject of aerial torpe-
does for time. Since 1895 he has
been associated with automobile con-
struction and development. having
studied every type of the modern mo-
tor vehicle. He has been frequent
application ut the Washington patent
Office and twenty-five separate pat
(, ents now are held by him.
- -7---e-------es-----
4 A man always says n public dinner
:, VIVA n great succpcn ~ he ooot hio mn yffsa
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-28

Hiram Percy Maxim. mi
ram Maxim, who invente ma :
chine gun which bears his shns
been granted n patent 70 iient
tirearm." and this new wea !sthe
eyes of experts. threatens oiu-
tIonize the world of armaAthe
New York Herald. 1
BY the device of the youn ten
tor, now formally announcdlIjy
perfected. the discharge Of \ tr
revolver Is rendered, practlc5ke.
less. This possibility, comisssh
the use of smokeless powtsfo-
duces n new factor upon the Of
warefare. The SILENT firssBc
military experts assert. maj Il
entire re- equipment OF the isoi
the world. 8
In the hands OF the sport.too
The noiseless weapon Offers iii.
\ ties hitherto unknown. On th
serfhand. If within reach of TIA
Wal classes 1t presents inC
%ficuit problem with whiclnn
Arlties of the world may &c
e. Thus the name of MaSaiT
atens TO work another lne
tuition in the world OF fi9.d
Eange. indeed. is 1t that Ok
automobile should havlls
In contributing this n'ip,
% the world Yet Mr. IN
resides at Hartford, C,is.
THAT the "silent firearniIS
kn accident. resulting III,
nd careful study of TN.
silencing the constaro.
incident to the runninaI
bile engine. for the liz
II in the new weapon ii.
That made use of in Ito.
,nufflcr, the report dued,
Ease Of gases at the NIB
j. when tho discharge;
,}evented through the az
(which allows the gass-
,(dually and with but b
,iound. 4
=, Isspiece Near the Muz5
wi device. which does NJ
lIhrance of any weapon,
ali crosspicce In the,
distance from tho mnz,
i'll the gases followlS
n,S the explosive is 81
~ bullet emerges fr4
~, ,his result is obtai.
piston valve sliding
,a ,lhe barrel immediat
passes. This v
~ Ntely by the pres.
~ feniselves and is /;
~,'Yanyg Intricate mecl
iing the gases from es
and provoking O cons
Prt. this valve allows I,
fadually through n se,
bles. thus obviating ali
"a slight hissihg sound
Then resumes an open n
safety device prevents tn,
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-28

The fact that George Davis will
have the short throw at second base
makes the fans of the Windy City
think he will do as good rs the sec
ond station az he did around short,
and that's saying n whole lot.
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-28

Frank Chance. the Chicago Cubs
captain. and now a member of The
rules committee. has put himself on
record as opposed to pitchers soilinG
n new ball. Aside from delaying the
game. Chance says the custom doesn't
improve the looks of the ball
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-28

st. Louis fans are predicting great
things of Bobby Wells. the new back
stop for the Browns. Wells has q
whole raft OF boosters, ard judging
from his work last season should
make good with st. Louis.
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-28

| would not--even II 1t always seems
to wait till there are no passengers
aboard before 1t jumps the track and
runs into its favorite curbstone.
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-28
,.o-,., 1890 Hk4Ia
:. .s.ss, A,cs rene: .ETE1

The Cleveland Maps will cut cut
summer exhibition games. aud none
VIII be played after the regular sea-
son opens.
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-28
COUPON.

On presentation at the Daily Press
Office, this Coupon and 1Oc entities
tlse bearer TO one Captain John Smith
Souvenir Puzzle. Of She puzzle is Co be
mailed, SC must be added 10 cover
postage.
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-28

ing around about the enthusiasm OF
Roger Bresnahan, the famous Giant
backstop, over the Giants chances to
win the pennant this season. Roger
has had charge of the youngsters now
training at Marlin Springs, and he
makes an unqualified statement that
the Polo Grounds team this year VIII
be stronger than ever.
Jim Mcclure may find that he haa
picked up good pitcher in Clcotte,
the French Canadian, who wac secnr-
ed from the Lincoln team OF the wea-
tern League. Cicotte was originally
picked up by Detroit several years
ago and farE,ed out to Augusta. In tho
South Atlantic League. ofiiciasing for
that team the year that Ty Cobb,
broke into the game. Detroit REQ
called him In the fall. but he did NOS
get much chsnce to work and s7aa
again Rhipped so the minors he did
good ,gS,fIs fssr lincoln and Is eouSsd
fsat q
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-28

A man always says public dinner
wac great success II he got his mime
In the paper for being present.
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-28

Joe Reggy, the best ahortstop In
the Virginia League; Jake Hem. the
hardhitting outfielder, and Ray Ryan
have rcfnsed TO sign with Danville for
the salary offered for the coming sea-
son. Manager Stafford. however, ex-
poets TO land the big three in few
days.
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-28

De Croft. who was let out to
Jersey City by the New York Ameri-
cans. was great card among the fans
In ST. Louis. He is the boy who
turned to the bleachers every time
one came his way and shouted
Now. boys. watch me eat this up It's
n ham sandwich
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-28


Powell. Howell. Ferris. Spencer.
Dineen and Stone composed a bunch
of st. Louis Browns which arrived at
French Lick Sunday. for the training
season. They we're met at the train
by RUDE Waddell. who assured them
that the water there is the best he had
tasted in n long time. and the springs
are an ideal place TO condition ball
player.
Question after question comes along
the line asking whether Wagner has
| 1t on Lajoie of the Cleveland club, The
only answer to this one is that there
are several clubs who would like to
have some one who comes near them
as ball players. They don't hiring bali
players mp like Wagner and Lajoie
nowaday5.
There Is q great -desl fog TAN; float
The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-11
.uruauTuFETuruFnaunME aunMEmrHHHnmraEmHaFnau
A Mischieuous Boy and
 His Franks With a Skeleton
BY MRS. '. NJ. PEACOCK.


he said Not only do I like America and Americans. but I am always glao to welcome visitors from lana to which I feel that owe so much. one of the characters in my nv novel ID the son of an English father, and an American mother-but mustn't get .o talking about that. Perhaps you VIII pardon me If I read to you my own estimate of America written as part of My Story" which is being published in the magazine you have therein. dicating the copy of Appleton's which I held in my hand. Taking down an other volume flled with typewritten sheets he turned the. pages and read.
 T love America and the Americans. love America because 1t is big. and because It's bigness Is constantly im- pressing the imagination and stlmu- lating the heart. I love it's people be- cause they are free with a freedom which the rest of the world tnkesas by stealth and they claimg openly as their right. I love them because they are the most industrious, earnest. active and ingenious people on the earth. be- cause they are the most moral. religi- ous and above all. the most sober peo- pie in the world. because in spite of all shallow Judgments of superficial ob- servers. they are the most childlike in their national character. the easiest to uAoNe tO lduSutelp Itlc Ec9 lleSi to 09 touched to tears. the most absolutely true in their impulses, and the most generous in their applause. I love the men of America because their bearing towards the women is the finest chivalry have yet seen anywhere. and I love the women because they can preserve an unquestioned purity with a frank and natural manner. and fine independence of sex. I love the con stItution of America because its free dom is the freest I know of. because It was broken away from all effete super stitions of authority whether in Church or State. and has left the rest of the world in the pitiful shadows or both fellies. to tell after 1t by more than hundred years"
 It seemed high time for us to leave for there was no telling what Mrs. BedeIl might say next. So We bade the author adieu and he stood on the broad platform at the top of the steps leading down from the hall and watch ed us as we made our way down 70 the gate. A few minutes later as we numbered down the road a big motor car flashed past and Hall Caine waved his hand to us from the front seat be- side the chauffeur. It would have seemed incongruous to pass great novelist riding in a touring car Tn Central Park, but here among the hare brown hills of Man 1t fitted harmoniously into the picture.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-11
Surnames of The Southland
 Their Origin and Meaning

NUMBER XIV.

surname was given to ..one who had his residence at -uch a thorn-tun."
 of all trees in England the ash has gwen rise to the greatest number of p.ace- names. The oak and the thorn are said to come next. There were single thorns notable enough to give rise to place. names and surnames.
 Tn the Hundred Rolls of 1273 the surname is de Thorntone for Cam bridgeshire and de Thorneton for Yorkshire. The latter spelling was stlll alive. in the seventeenth century.
 newcastle had a merchant prince of this name in the reign of Henry " u41S-1422) and Northumberland stlll leads the shires in the number of those who bear this surname. It is well rep resented also in Durham, the West Rid ing of Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Rut- landshire and Lancashire.
 The prototheme of the name Is thorn in Middle English, Anglo Saxon, Old Saxon, Old Tristan and Old Morse. It is cognate with the Dutch doorn, Old, Middle and New High German dorn, Swedish torn. Danish torn and tjorn. Gotl..c thaurnus. Old Bulgarian truno, Servian and Czech trn, and Polish tarn. all meaning thorn. Sanskrit trnam, "a blade of grass" Irish trainin. "a little blade of grass all from a radical ter. to bore"
 The deuterotheme ton has been ex- plained under Preston in No. VII of this series.
 Chalmers.
 The Scottish Chalmers IS in its orig in a local surname, equivalent to the English ChaL--ers.
 The local origin Is proved by the early records. The Hundred Rolls G273) have de la Chambre. de Ia Chaumbre; Kirby's Quest 1327) has atte Chambre; the Yorkshire Poll Tax List d379) has del Chaumbir. del Chaumbire. Chaumbir, etc. The Latin tzed form was always de Camera.
 The chamber in question was the ex- chequer room in which the revenue was paid, the Kings camara or treasury. The man of the chamber was the chamberlain or treasurer of the house. hold. So the surname though in form local, is practically official, indicat- ing the hamberlain or one of his sub ordinates,
 The Chalmers of Gadgirth in Ayr shire are of the most ancient stock that bears the name, claiming descent from Reginald de la Chalmer of abodt 1160. They were long the chief of the name and were prominent until the seventeenth century, when they fell into decay.
 The surname Is now common all over Scotland except the extreme North. Its English form is most frequent in Suf- folk, Worcestershire and Nottingham shire. It is rare in the north and the southwest of England. more or less sporadic elsewhere, though 1t almost disappears in the counties where Chamberlain is found in any numbers.
 The English chamber and it's Scot tish form chalnner, chalmyr, chalnlr. clamur, cllamer. chawnler, and chaum- CT are from the Old French chambre, which with it's sisters, the, Proyencal cambra, the Spanish camara and Italian camera. is derived from the Latin cam era, camara, borrowed from the Greek kamara, "a vault. a vaulted chamber" from a radical meaning ito arch. bend, cover"
 Storey, story, st0rr.
 The surname Story indicates a "son of Storr This is an old English and old Danish personal name. It Is
The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-11

People went mad about the. Swedish Nightingale They waited for hours. and fought with one another for an opportunity to hear her. Many had their clothes torn off in these crushes. and women of hign degree. who had failed to get seats, sat on the stairs to hear her.
 Yet those who knew her intimately said that her voice was the. least part of her charm. Dean stanley. who was one of the many distinguish- cd men who were her friends. con- sidered her singing an tnexplieable in- terruption to her conversation. and even those who had not, like the dean' been born without the musical sense. said that they would almost rather hear her talk than sing. She had the ''manners of a princess" according to Dean Stanley. with the simplicity of a child and the goodness of an angel" Her generosity was unbounded. More than once in the various cities she vts- tied she went to sing to invalids who could not go to hear her, and she seen1- ed never to have SO mary engage nnents that she could not crowd in a concert for charity. The whole of her earnings Tn America. which she visit ed in 1850. were devoted to founding and endowing art scholarships and other charities In Sweden.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-11

About three quarters of a century ago. in the city of Stockholm, the cap ital of Sweden, little girl used to slt In the window of the stewards room in a Home for the Widows of stock holm Burgh CTS. and sing to her pussy which, we are informed, wore a blue ribbon round its neck. says The New York Tribune. The Home stood in street where many people were con- stantly passing, and so they heard the little girls singing and wondered at It's beauty. Among those who passed was the maid of Mile. Lundberg, dancer at the Royal Theatre, and she also heard and wondered. Sne toId her mistress that she had never In her fife heard anything So beautiful as the song which this little girl address ed to her pussy. On making tnquArles about the small songstress, Mile. Luna berg learned that her name was Jenny Lind. and that she was staying at the Widows Home with the steward ana his wife, who were childless, because her mother had gone out as govern ess. She probably heard also from the child's grandmother, who was one or the inmates of the Home, how the llttle girls life had been a perpetual song, and how at the age of three she nao initiated on the plano an air that the soldiers had played In the street ana then had hidden under the instrument thinking, no doubt, that it was dread fully naughty of her to touch ene niano. Frau Tengmark, the grand mother. had already made up her mind that Jenny was a remarkable chlld, and on the day that she dragged heF' frightened and fearful, from under the piano. she had said to the struggling mother: Mark my words, that child will bring you help.
 But to come back to Mile. Lund- berg. She became so interested in
 Iennv that she sent to ask her when to bring the little one to sing to her. and when she had heard her she said: "The child Is a genius. You must have her educated for the stage.
 Flau Find would not heard Of this
 She had an old-fashioned preJudlce against the stage. which was shared also by Frau Tengmark. "Ihen you must at any rate have her tanshe ,l singing" said Mile. Lundberg- Frau Lind consented to this. and accepted letter of introduction to Herr Croelius. the singing master at the Royal Ihea- ire. But she was still reluctant ana would have turned back on the steps of the theatre If little Jenny had not urged her to go on. Herr Croellus was moved to tears when he heard her sing. and took her to Count Puke, the head of the Royal Theatre.
 Nov. there was nothing whatever in Jenny's appearance to show that she was a genius. She afterward de- scrlbed herself at this time as "a small. ugly broad-nosed shy, unaer- grown girl" Count Puke was eVl- 5entlv not impressed How old is sbe?" he asked. Nine years ola." an- swered Herr Croelius. "Nine" eN- claimed the Count. This Is not a nur- seryl If is the Kings Theatre" And he would not look at her But Herr Croelius knew he had found treas ure. and he declared that If the Count would not hear Jenny sing ne wouId teach her for nothing himself and some dav she would astonish him. Then Count Puke consented to hear her sing. and he, too, was moved to tears. That settled Jenny's fate. Frau
The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-11
Birds not Homogeneous.

New YorW Tribune.
 A Swiss scientist who has devoted years of keen study to birds in their general domestic and marital arrange ments declared that most birds live polyamous lives Most people. he says, regard birds as exemplary types of conjugal fidelity. ("Coo.' said the turtle dove. Coo said she; I love my mate and my and my mate love me. etc") But the more one. knows of birds, he says the more to excep- tions to this vlrtuous rule seem Co multiply. That all the game birds and most of the duck family. as well as certainly some of the pigeons. are. when occasions offers, polygamous. appears certain. Any one. he says. who ctudied rookery finds the do- nestle arrangements extraordinarily complicated and bewilderinE.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-11
A SECRET PASSAGE.
It Leads from Royal KOnak to Fort
 rcRa of ReIxPade,

It Leads from Royal kOnak to Fort
 rcss of Belgrade.
 Vienna, Oct. 10.-All Belgrade is talking of the mysterious subterrane- an passage. just discovered. one kil- ometre long. leading from the ancient Royal Konak to the fortress. with one branch passage to the Jewish quarter. where 1t ends in a cellar.
 The police allow nobody to enter it, although the approach is daily sur- rounded by a large crowd. The pass age opens beneath a billiard table in the old Konak. and has a secret stair case.
 King Milan and his ministers. Ris- tic and Belimarkovic, and later on King Alexander, knew of it's existence. The latter had the opening bricked up not long before his murder, as he feared an attack by way of the secret road
The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-11

in vogue. the old-fashioned satin env- cred frames are in again and yet many felt hats are also shown. In combina- tion with heavy silk trimmings Vol. vet hats seem to have gone completely ont of style. Extreme styles. suggest ing the Merry Widow. seem almost to touch the shoulder One of the most notable features in the trimming of hats this season are the large wings and feathered bandeaux or Pocahontas effects that encircle the crowns and in some instances droop over the back
 Florence Fairbanks.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-11
Maae Him wInee.

Huntsville Mercury, -
 MT. Roosevelt has filed his surre- butaI to Mir Bryan's blisterine re- joinder. No Democrat need fret over this diversion from the issues.4ar Roosevelt began 1t, and he showed the white feather in the act. HIS latest screed differs radically. so far as read from iGs preceding numbers In the series l e betrays that MT. OIney made him wtnce.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-11

Hungarian has invented & washing machine which. with electrified water, will cleanse 300 garments in less time than fif- teen minutes without the aid of soap.