davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Amador ledger., 1908-08-14
Table Manners In old France.

Could we restore for half an hour the
dinner table of old France and obtain
half dozen instantaneous photo
graphs of royal banquet at any era
between the reigns of Francis and
Louis Quatorze such a cataract of
laughter" would be heard as might
disturb the serenity of Louis in para
disc. The duchess. her napkin tied Sc
curely round her neck, would be seen
mumbling a bone. the noble marquis
surreptitiously scratching himself. the
belle marquise. Withdrawing her spoon
from her lips to help a neighbor to
sauce with it, another fair creature
securing her plate with her bread,
gallant courtier using his doublet or
the tablecloth as a towel for his fin
gers and two footlnen holding yard
Of damask under 1ady's chin while
sht emptied her goblet at draft. Dur
ing a feast of inordinate length it was
sometimes necessary to substitute a
clean cloth for the one which the care
lessness or bad manners of the guests
had reduced to deplorable condition.
IAN Idler In Old France"
Amador ledger., 1908-08-14
Elintv Plant cnver..

When Sir Humphry Davy was a boy
about sixteen, a little girl came to him
In great excitement:
"Humphry, do tell me my these two
pieces Of cane make tiny spark Of
light when rub them togetherT
Humphry was studlous boy, who
spent hours in thinking out scientific
problems. He patted the child's curly
head and said:
II do not know, dear. Let us see If
they really do make light, and then
we will try to find out why"
Humphry soon found that the little
girl was right The pieces of cane If
rubbed together quickly did give II
tiny light. Then he set to work to find
out the reason, and after some time,
thanks to the observing powers of his
little friend and his own kindness TO
her in not impatiently telling her not
to worry" as so many might have
done, Humphry Davy made the first
Of his interesting discoveries. Every
reed. cane and grass has an outer skin
of flinty stuff. which protects the in
side from insects and also helps the
frail looking leaves to stand upright.
Amador ledger., 1908-08-14
The Midget Snakes.

81 see by your paper" says CORE
spondent. "that you want to find man
who can tell snake story with the
sound Of originality to it. Here it is:
Nearly forty years ago in the woods of
Indiana l captured three snakes, each
less than three and one-fourth inches
in length, combined length of less
than ten inches, little longer and a
little larger in the middle than an old
fashioned wool darning needle. AL
though these snakes were so small they
would crawl around with their heads
up and dart out their tongues like
larger snakes. | put these reptiles in
an eight ounce bottle, and they had
plenty of room to crawl around on the
bottom of it without crowding. These
were not the kind of snakes generally
seen in bottles. but genuine snakes.
Among those who saw them was q
minister of the gospel, and he had not
been taking anything to make him see
snakes either."-Emporia Gazette.
Amador ledger., 1908-08-14
The Pirates.

The Chicago News fails to name the
hero of this story, but has it that the
visitor to the home of well known
Hoosier State author found his three
youngsters romping in the hallway.
What are you playing, boysT he
inquired.
I'VE are playing pirates" elucidated
the smallest.
PIRATES? Why. how can you play
pirates in Indiana? There are no seas
bordering Oh this state"
'Oh, we don't need any seas. We
are literary pirates. like pa"
And five minutes later chorus of
yells from behind the barn told that
the hand that Yields the pen can also
WELD the shilgle.
Amador ledger., 1908-08-14
Outside of His Practice.

"All that is the matter with you, sir"
said the eminent physician after a
thorough examination. ''is lack of nu-
triton. You don't eat enough"
81 eat all can hold, doctor" said
the attenuated caller.
Then you need to have your capac-
fly enlarged. and that's a case for n
surgeon. Five dollars. please. Good
morning. Chicago Tribune.
Amador ledger., 1908-08-14
Overstudy.

Books are pleasant. but If by being
overstudious we impair our health and
spoil our good humor. two Of the best
pieces we have, let us give it over. |,
for my part. am one of those who think
that no fruit derived from them can
recompense so great IL oss.-Montaigne.
Amador ledger., 1908-08-14
She Was Safe.

Latte four-year-old Mabel was run
ming dowHi.ln hnlding her dress tight
ly.
BE careful" called her mother. "or
you will fall"
"Oh. no. won't" replied Mabel.
"'cause Pm holding tight to myself"
Amador ledger., 1908-08-14
Not What ho Meant.

Physician-Have you any aches or
pains this morning? Patient - Yes,
doctor; it hurts me to breathe-in fact,
the only trouble now seems to be with
my breath. Physia,94-All right. I'll
give you something THAI x9A soon stop
that!
Amador ledger., 1908-08-14

never listen to ealumnies, because
If they are untrue l run the risk OF
being deceived and If they are true OF
hating people not worth thinking about
49, :. ontesquieu.
Amador ledger., 1908-08-14
Eorhearsnce.

Bacon-Did you ever have any desire
to go on the stage? Egbert-0h. yes;
only last week did. oh. the actor
was vile! But | contented myself with
shying an egg at him.-Yonkers States
man.
Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-11-27
TRIES SENSATIONAL
ESCAPE FROM TRAIN.
Prisoner Leaps When Car Is Going at
lightning Speed-Race for Life
Follows

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, Nov. 23.--
Leaping from train running fifty miles
an hour, being rendered unconscious by
the impact with a rock after being hurled
eighty feet by the force of his jump,
regaining consciousness only to be sub.
jected to a fusilade of bullets and finally
being run down and recaptured by q
half breed Indian, was the sensational
experiments of a prisoner, who attempt
ed to escape from a Southern Pacific
train near Banning yesterday.
The name of the prisoner was not
learned. He was being taken to Kansas
after being captured in San francisco.
As the train neared Banning, the pris-
oner made a flying jump from a win
dow Of the train. Alighting on his feet,
he was propelled for eighty feet and
then hurled against an embankment,
The train was finally stopped and backed
Lthree-quarters of a mile to the scene of
the escape.
Arriving there, the officers saw the
man regaining consciousness struggling
to his feet. They opened fire on him,
but the prisoner escaped injury. He
would eventually have escaped, as he
was outrunning the officers when Henry
Matthews, a half-breed Indian, ran him
down. Tufts of bloody hair and flesh
were found on a rock embedded in the
embankment against where the prisoners
head had come into contact. His face
above his right eye was crushed in and
his clothing was in rags.