davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
Two Examples.

The teacher was explaining to
the class the derivation and signifi-
cance of the word "ambidextrous."
''Tt comes from two Latin words, +"
she said, "ambo, meaning both, and
dexter, meaning right or right
handed.
"Literally speaking, IN ambidexr
trous person has two right hands ;
that is to say, he can use his loft
hand just as we'll as he can use his
right, Do any of you know of an
ambidcxtrous person1"
Twolittle boys raised their hands.
"My sister is," said Tommy
Jones. "shc plays tho typewriter
with both hands"
"So's my mamma" said Bobby
Smith. "She spanks Just as hard
with the loft hand as she does with
the right,"-Youth's Companion.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
Recovered Her Dignity.

Queen Victoria once paid visit
to Parkhurst female convict prison.
AS soon as she entered the women's
great ward, accompanied by Mrs.
Gibson, the then handsome and
stately superintendent, a great 81
lencc fell upon the vast assamblage
of hor suffering and crring sisters.
Her majesty was greatly affected.
And then an indescribable scene en-
sued. "The quccnP cried the poor
convicts. "It's the queen herself
She'll pardon us! She'll set us
freew And, screaming and crying,
tss}y tns}y Frustrated themselves at her
For few moments the queen lost
her nerve and begged her attend
ants to clear way for her to an
adjoining room. Half an hour
elapsed. Suddenly the door of the
great room was thrown open again,
and her majesty, with supreme dig
nifty, with all unutterable faraway-
ness about her and every inch a
queen, walked through tho women,
now hushcd into awed silence
Mainly About People.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
CARRYING tho Newo.

Before the advent of the telo-
graph news travelled slowly, and in
times of war reports of victory or
defeat were anxiously awaited and
were at times long delayed. One
writer, relating his own expert
ences, tells us of the cXhilarating
scene in Glasgow when the mail
coach arrived bearing the news of
some great victory, such as the bat
tic of tho Milo or tho battle of Wa
terloo.
"On such OCCASIONS" he says,
"the horses were decorated with
laurels, and red flag Aoatcd from
the roof Of the coach. Tho guard,
dressed in scarlet, sounded his horn
as they galloped through the echo
ing streets. Along Gallowgatc they
went with an ever increasing crowd
till at the foot of Nelson street tho
coach pulled up, the guard dis
charged his blundcrbuss into the
air and communicated the news,
which spread like wildfrc."-Glas-
gov Times.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
Ala,. Poor klds.

"This book" remarked tho house
to house merchant as he dexterous-
ly inserted one foot in the door.
way and smiled pleasantly, "is well
named THE Mothers Guido With
its aid you can bring up your chill
dron properly"
His victim thoughtfully exam
med the binding and felt the
weight of the book. Then she
gripped it by the edge with her
tight hand and brought it down,
whack, on the other.
To the astonished salesman she
appeared to be trying to see how
convenient it was to handle. But
for what purpose2
"I don't think III take one" she
remarked at last. "T'm sure it's no
bottcr than the ordinary slipperP
London Answers.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
OLD PARIS STREETS.
odoss and Filth Of the ThOroushfaroa
of Long Ago.

w hSN0 wv
The automobile which glides
noisclessly and smoothly along the
we'll paved streets of Paris would
not have had so easy time some
centuries ago. Nowadays one of the
first demands civilization makes
upon community is that the paw
ing and the sewerage shall be good.
1T is hardly possible for tho TWEEN
tieth century mind to conceive the
conditions Of old time streets and
of the inconvenience and dangers
the public endured. Some idea OF
ancient Partisan thoroughfares is
given in Hghe Hopkins can ldler
In Old France" .
eLutctia, tho name by whicil Paris
was first known, is said to8haye
come from word meaning nld. ."
This derivation is inexact but it's
Appropriateness was practically
borne out in the condition of Ethe
streets. Uhpaved, rough as wood-i
land tracks, flooded withswaste twa7
ters from the houses, the rcadWeys
were populated by pigs, dogs, geese,
ducks and rabbits. In l13!
Philippe, son OF Louis le Gros and
hoir to the throne, was killed while
riding in tho city streets by being
thrown from hia hose by an abb
bots pig.
almost impasable, and the odor
from them rose far above the
housetops. 1T was said that on the
darkest night traveller, out of his
course, might know by tho stencil
how near lie was to Paris. The
mud Of the streots gained an early
celebrity. at sticks like Paris
mud" was a proyerb of antiquity.
If clothes were stained with it one
was advised to "out the piece out,
for it burns whatever 1t touches"
In 1888 the king, standing by an
open window Of the palace, viewing
a cart which had stuck In the mud,
was SO sickoned by tho stencil that
lie gave orders to have tho streets
paved. This movement inaugu-
rated the street department OF Par
is, but the effort was a feeble one.
The work was begun, but at the
peoples expense. The king offered
only a slender contribution. Taxes
wore levied on duelists, on candles,
boots, cake and other things. But
the enterprise was soon abandoned.
1t was not until 1348 that any
systematic care vas taken of the
streets and pigs denied the public
ways. Even then the cleaning was
confined to the highways. The
smaller streets were still filled with
heaps and hillocks of rotting ref
use.
The germ wise minds of today
may we'll wonder that any good or
any continuance of life came out
of such conditions.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
TRICK OF a THIEF. T
Reformed Jallblrd Explains How Ne
Lost Faith In Mankind.

Lost Faith In Mankind.
"a short while before 1 reform
cd" said the man who spent much
of his early life in Jail, II had an
experience that shook my faith in
human nature. Going uptown one
night on the street cars, | extract
cd from mans pocket letter and
$50. i hadn't wanted the letter,
but it was SO tangled up with the
bills that couldn't help taking
it too. After once got It out OF
the man's pocket / couldn't very
we'll put it back, so / kept it. I'm
fortunately, / read 1t.
at was pathetic letter. Even
a heart OF stone couldn't hold out
against an appeal Of that kind. 1t
had been written by woman who
evidently had some claim on tho
man. She was In deep trouble. The
letter related in touching simplici-
ty a story Of sickness, want and
death. The writer inPloEad thu
man to aid her and her family, and
it was clear that the $50 1 had ro-
lieved him of had been scraped to-
gethcr to send to her.
"Well, with that $50 in my pock-
ct and that woman's letter on my
mind l put through the most mis-
cradle night of my existence. l
hadn't much of q conscience left,
but whot lifflo hit had Was hard
at work. Even when ! dropped off
to sleep 1 tmented with
dreams of that Poar woman. BY
morning the strainhad told on me.
1 couldn't stand. 1t to keep that
money in my possession another
hour. The mans address was on
the letter, and / wrote to him, In
closing the $50 and the lettor that
had brought me to that softened
state. / did oven more than that.
1 inclosed $5 of my own. / told
the man that / was about as low as
they make 'em, but wasn't low
enough to keep money that had
been meant for those poor souls.
"For Obvious reasons l did not
give my 1iame and address. was
satisfied with doing good. l did
not want to be thanked. wanted
no notoriety. On account of my
obscure position it was impossible
for tho man to communicate with
me if ho had wished to do so. How
ever, l did hear from him again,
Just a week before / went out OF
business for good. 1t was what !
heard then that made mo doubt all
mankind.
81 learned that the letter was a
kind of financial life preserver. The
man always carried It wrapped W
with whatever cash he happened to
have on hand. A sister-in-law OF
his out in Indiana wrote fresh
copy and mailed it to him every
week so it would always look nice
and new and prevent suspicion OF
its being a fake. You see, that tel-
low rcckoned the chances were ten
to one on evon the most hardened
jailbird being melted by that ap-
peal and returning the money. He
guessed right too. Is 1t any wonder
that 1 have been cynical since
then? TO see nice, respectable
man stoop to such trickery is
enough to sour the most trusting
disposition" Washington Post.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
Tho Aae Of Proerssa-

re robbor brought his sand bag
down with considerable force on the
head of tho citizen, but the latter
only staggered q little and passed
on.
"Your money or your lifep tho
robbcr called after him impatiently.
The citizen instantly retraced his
footsteps.
pardon mop quoth, he. II know
by the feeling it was sand bag, and
! supposed, of course, it was vas ballast
1t was now the robbers turn to
make apology.
IT don't blame youp he protest
ed. "AIy style of rob5ing is SO
dreadfully out of date that few ex-
cept very old fashioned people know
what / am about until | have ex-
plained to them,"- Puck.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
Both Taotful.

When a tactful host entertains q
tactful guest there is sure to be TO
warding conversation for the on
locker and listener. "What do you
think of our place, on the whole p
asked Mr.. Brown as he stood with
his old school friend on the piazza,
waiting for the station carriage
which was to bear the twenty-four
hours guest away.
Rather good little place" said
Mr.. Ray impartially, "perhaps q
bit bare now, but no doubt time will
change all that"
eyes, indeed" said his host, with
great heartiness and no hint of Of
fenso. "I hope before you come
again the trees and shrubs will have
made good growth. Then you'll
Roe n chanpen
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
n. Could ees, No More.

Two old school chums met after
tho separation of many years in the
house Of the prosperous one, and
something like the following dia-
logue ensued: "How is the wife ?"
asked the host. "Don't ask me.
She died two years ago. "I'm sor-
ry. And your grlfo ooh, didn't
you hear? She's got divorced, and
it's been a lot of trouble to me-"
"Terriblel But how Is your son
getting on?" 'Don't mention him.
He ran away last year, in debt"
The host rose, touched the bell and
said to the butler: "Tomkfns, throw
this man out. He is breaking my
heart."-Pall Mall Gazette.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
A NAVAL HERO.
The Highly Exciting Career o4 Cap
tain John Manly.

tain John Manly.
Tho adventures of no dashing
rover of fiction make more exciting
reading than the true history of
Captain John Manly. The valua-
ble aid of tho privateers during the
Revolutionary period hos always
been recognized and acknowledged
by tho navy, and it is In apprecia-
ton of the fact that torpedo boat
No. % bears the name of the gal
liant captain. Mr.. Edgar S. Maclay
in his "History of American Priya-
teers" gives an account of Manly's
services to his country.
Captain Manly took charge OF
tho Cumberland in 1910. Soon
after he took command he was cap
tured by British frigate and car.
ried to Barbados, where he was
cruelty treated. His escape from
prison was most audacious. He.
bribed the jailer, fled from his 4p.-
fines, seized an English goYernH y
tender, placed the crew In ironsland1
made his way to the United States.
Ho was Immediately placed in
charge Of the fine ship Jason, Of
twenty guns. He had hardly left
port when squall carried away his
masts and left him helpless. The
fact of this disaster, coupled with
his misfortune on the Cumberland,
made the crew suspicious, and they
mutinied.
A disabled ship and rebellious
crew are difficulties enough to dis
hearton any commander. But Man
ly was not to be downed by unto
ward circumstances. With the Wig
orous help of cutlass he reduced
the mutiny and brought his ship to
port for repairs. More than that,
ho took two prizes, the Hazard and
tho Adventurer. These he carried
to Boston. There he heard that a
British fleet of merchantmen,
homcward bound, were supposed to
be skirting the New England coast.
Manly could not lie quiet under
such news, and off he started In
pursuit. One thick day tho fog
suddenly lifted and revealed to the
Jason feet of forty large ships in
alarming proximity. This was q
bit too much, even for the bold
captain, and by the aid of the fog,
which fortunately shut down again,
he escaped.
Not long after this the Jason
came up with tho British vessel
Surprise.
"iIeavc to or we will fire into
youw shouted the English captain.
Giro away! We have as many
guns as youP coolly replied Manly.
Ho fought bravely, but again his
crow mutinicd, and the Jason was
captured. Manly was carried be-
fore the lord admiral.
care you not the same Manly
who commanded the CumberlandT
questioned the admiral.
"Ycs."
"woro you not taken by the
Thundorer2"
dyes"
"Did you not escape by bribing
the jailcr and taking the kings
tender" roared tho admiral.
Manly did not wish to inorlm-
inatc the jailer, so he held his
peace. He was sent to England to
be kept in Mill prison until tho end
of the war, but in 1882 he was ex-
changed. He was at once put In
command of the Hague and In
thirteen days had captured o val
liable prize ship. How much more
he would have hNrricd British ship
ping is not known, for he was run
into Martinique and blockaded
there until peace was declared.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
rha sot of tho salI,.

II stood on the beach," said Il.
De Witt Talmagc, "looking off over
the sea, and there was strong
wind blowing, and, noticing that
some vessels were going one way
and other vessels were going an
other way, 1 said to myself, How is
it that the same wind sends one
vessel in one direction and another
vessel in another directionT
sand / found out, by looking,
that it was the difference in tho
wsy they had their sails set. And
SO does trouble come in this world.
Some men it drives into the harbor
Of heaven, and other men 1t drives
on the rocks. 1t depends on the
way they have their sails set"
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
POINT PLEASANT MASON COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA. WEDNESDAY. Sc
FAcToRY READERS.
Cuban clgurmaISero Are Entertained
While They Work.

While They Work.
!, Work ina Cuban cigar factory Of
the best class is agreeably spiced
With entertainment. According to
the Cuba Review and Bulletin, not
only does every cigarmaker have
plenty of light and air, a leather
covered chair to cit on and tho
privilege Of keeping his hat on
while ne works, but he is enter
tanned meanwhile with serial sto-
ries and newspapers, song and dis
cussion.
The factory reader sits at the
rear Of the workroom, enthroned
upon an elevated stand. He is paid
from the private funds Of the cigar
makers, the cost to each man rang
ing from 10 to 1b cents a week.
81 This covers the cost of the books,
novels and newspapers, as we'll as a
salary of $50 which Is paid tho
presi lent Of the reading committee
to make up for the time he Is sup
posed to lose from his work while
engaged III counting votes or maxi
ing the weekly collection,
The readers earn from $40 to
500, a week, reading for period OF
threeI or four hours q day. AS a
rule, each factory has two readers,
and newspapers are taken up in tho
morning and books or serial stories
IN tho afternoon
The selection of the look or serial
story to- be read Is all interesting
feature. 1t takes the character OF
q political election, each man yot-
ing for the book he wants. The
president of the reading committee
counts the votes and announces tho
winning book, which is forthwith
bought and placed in its turn to bo
read.
Those who cannot read or write
are yet kept informed in this way
on public questions and are able to
discuss intelligently problems of
national and municipal interest.
They seem to bc we'll informed on
scientific discoveries and other mat
tors.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23

Warned BY Hlo whIskero.

OF what use arc cats whiskersl
Arc they merely to give puss hand
some, martial appearance, or have
they a distinct use2 The latter is
the case. They are organs of touch,
each one being connected with tho
nerves of the lip, says Answers. Tho
slightest contact OF these whiskers
with any object is therefore felt by
the animal, although the hairs them
selves arc insensible. When O lion
is stealing through the jungle his
whiskers warn him of any obstacle
which may retard his progress or of
any bush which might rustic II iht
touched it in passing. So his whisk-
ers, in conjunction with his pad
ded feet, enable him to move
through the thickest growth with a
deadly silence.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
in A RACING cAR.
The esnsation Of hish Speed In a
Record Breaking Motor.


The driver of racing car thus
expresses the sensation of high
speed;
"a man with nerves has no busi-
ness in the tonneau of record
breaking motor car. 1t is difficult
enough to keep ones person in the
machine without being compelled
to hold tho heart in its proper
place in the body.
"On hill climb, when the car
rushes across the starting line at
sixty miles per, tho feeling is one
of intense exhilaration, but when
the first bump is struck figurativc-
ly you descend to the earth again,
but literally you perform quite the
contrary action. Suddenly your legs
become unmanageable, and, mar
rowly missing the head of the
driver or mechanic on the front
seat, your feet shoot into the air
above your head. The descent does
come in time, but it does not como
without accident, for you are GER
tain to strike the back of the ton
neau on your way down.
"By this time you are so en-
crossed in maintaining your preca-
fious hold on the car that the pros
pect OF turning over worries you
only as remote and not unwel-
come reliof to the troubles which
have already assailcd you.
"There is stone wall at the side
of the grade, presumably as a safe
ty precaution, but the fcndish way
In which the man at the wheel
holds the skidding machine toward
1t promises only contest OF
strength which can have but one
ending. But the turn is safely
made, and the sigh of relief is lost
In tho final bump as the machine
goes over the finish line.
tFThe official timers make a care
full inspection to assure themselves
that they arc all there. Then the
older one, glancing at his watch,
says: ;,
"A new record, but what fool
q married man is to make such a
triRrT, Rr,,. uonnoo. :. unmarried and
therefore without wisdom. He
says nothing, but reflects joyously
that there is much in life to COM
pensate him for his determination
never to ride in record breaker
q again "-Kansns CITY Star,
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
Nov. nt Last.

A noted humorist had often pc
titioned the council of the town
where he resided to fill up a mud
hole near his house, but without re-
suit.
One night he heard spluttering
noiso and sundry CALCULATIONS unfit
for publication, and, going to his
door, he found respected member
OF tho town council floundering
about In the mudholo.
GOOD evening, sir. ] am glad to
tee you stirring in this matter at
last" and so saying he closed the
door and left the poor councillor to
extricatc himself as best ho could
London Answers.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23

"Mr. Dolley, won't you let mo
look at your watch a little while 7"
Certainly, Miss Flypp. Do you
want to consult the timer"
NO." replied the girl as she
opened it and examined its case and
works. 81 was curious to see if wa
ter tarnished gold or had any effect
on the watch's delicate mechanism"
"Water2 What do you mean2"
"Well, Mr.. Hunkcr told mo you
we're in the habit of soaking your
watch. What is the object Of such
treatment, Mr. DolleyT
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23

1t somewhat appears that our whole
country Is soon to he made available
through roads constructed by what
some one has dubbed the petrolythic
process. says the Los Angeles Times.
In riding over n country road chauf-
feur was heard to remark. II have
driven over all kinds OF roads, but that
sausage machine roller beats down the
best surface ever travelled over"
Judging by the mileage now under con.
struction by this process. 1t would APP
pear that the general public heartily
indorses the opinion of the driver quot
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23

A tall man. impaticntly pacing
the platform of waysido station,
accosted a boy of about twolvo.
"S-s-say," he said, "d-d-do y-you
know h-h-how late this train is 7"
The boy grinned, but made no TO
ply. The man passed into the sta
tion.
A stranger asked the boy why ho
hadn't answered the big man.
D-d-d'ye wanter see me g-g-get
mo fa-fa-facc punched2 D-d-dat
big g-guy'd tink l was mo-mo-
mock-ing him." ."-Evcrybody's.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
The Source Of supply.

The sling, or Shanghai" as it is
sometimes called by boys, who use
1t to shoot at birds and any other
target that takes their youthful
fancy, is an illegal weapon in Mel
bourne, where the police confscate
every one they sec.
One day Bobby, aged five, meet
ing another "bobby" in blue uni
form and brass buttons, asked
eagerly, as it true that you take
shanghais from little boys%
Indeed l do" answered "bob-
by" senior.
"Then will you please give me
one2" asked Bobby junior inno-
sently,-Youth's Companion.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
Innoesnt Oil.

eyes, Georgo-that Is, Mr.. Flo
kcl-proposed last night" said the
truthful Dora, "and we're engaged
now, and Pm tho first girl he ever
loved too"
"Indcedp replied Miss Wise. n
don't notice your ring"
ooh, he gave me one, but he had
to take it back to get 1t fixed. Tho
stupid jcwelor made the inscription
read, George to Genevieve,' instead
of George to Dora" - Kansas
City Eewsbook.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23

"The quarter dollar" said nu-
mismatist, "should be very un-
lucky coin. 1t is nothing but one
mass of thirteens. There are thir-
teen stars on it, there are thirteen
letters in the scroll that the eagle
holds in its claws, there are thirteen
feathers in the eagles tail, and
there are thirteen feathers in it's
wing. On the shield there are thir-
teen parallel lines, thirteen horizon
tai stripes and thirteen arrowheads.
Finally in the words Quarter Doll
lar there are just thtfteen letters." I"
Exchange.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-09-23
Tin MIn.n.

Cornwall, Banca, Mexico and
some parts of Australia are the
only important tin producing dis
tricts of the earth. 1t is impossi-
BILE to say how long the Cornwall
mines have been operated. They
are known to have been worked
without interruption from the car
liest historic periods. They were
probably oponed by the Phoeni-
clans anywhere from 800 to 1000
years before Christ. - New York
American.