davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-09-05
EXPEDITIONS TO POLES.
Last Portions of Planets Surface to
Be Reached.

THE last portions of the planets sur
I face to be reached and explored
are the poles, both of them more or
less ice-bound. The south pole, espe-
cially remote from the great centers
or civilization, has never attracted
more than scientific interest. The first
work done in the geography of the ant
arctics was done by the discovery of
the South Shetland islands in 1916 by
Capt. Smith. Various lands" have
since been revealed-among them En-
derby Land and Graham Land by Bis
coe in 1881. WITHSTAND in 1910, by
Wilkes, and Victoria Land by Sir
James Ross. two years later-but it
is not yet definitely known whether
these are mere islands or parts of a
continent. Extensive land areas
around the south pole are meanwhile
suggested by the slope of the ocean
floor and by the character of the ant
arctic icebergs. The coasts are fronted
with glaciers, which project for long
distances into the sea, showing that if
an antarctic continent exists it must
be covered everywhere by immense
sheets of ice. Ross passed an ice
front 200 feet high and $50 miles long;
he saw great mountain ranges on Vic
toria Land. including two volcanic
peaks whose height he estimated at
from 1000 to $4,000 feet. One of these
was in eruption, pouring forth its lava
upon the surrounding snow. The sup
posed antarctic continent, if one ex-
lists, has been estimated at nearly
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-09-05
Absorbina.

Silas-Ha! Ha! Reuben got
bupkoed again.
Cyrus-Do tell! What was 1t this
time?
Silas-Why. Reuben saw an ad
that stated that for one dollar they
would send him some of the most abb
sorbing literature he ever read.
Cyrus-And what did they send
him?
Silas-Why, they sent him a PAM
phlet entitled How Blotters Are
Made" and another entitled Points
on Turkish Towels"
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-09-05
the $4,000 pocketful when the first

the $4,000 pocketful when the first
steamships arrive from Nome.
Later vessels arriving from Valdez
will bring the first dust from the new
gold finds in the upper Copper river
country, says the Seattle Times. and
by fall 1t is estimated between $780,
100000 and 100000 will be added
to this years Seattle gold receipts
from the north.
Eleven years ago July IL there
landed from the old steamer Portland
at Seattle dock less than 100 rough
coated, bearded miners from the Klon-
dixie and in the "outfit" there was more
than a million dollars in the yellow
dust. The man with the big poke was
in command of the squad of lucky
ones who came down the Portland's
gangplank and quietly chased away in
carriages to the fashionable downtown
cafes to order great thick 0eefsteaks
and all the trimmings.
tits little early yet for the big in
flux of miners from the north, bring
ing the gold from the gulches just as
they found it," said Jack Burton at
the Diller hotel. Burton arrived on
the steamship Jefferson. which brought
upward of million dollars n gold
from the north.
I'VE had three men aboard that
knew brought more than 100000
each, but the money was in drafts and
currency. The purser's strong box
carried more gold than half a dozen
men could carry, and in the mail ship
ments, under the protection of Uncle
Sam, there was enough to pay the
salary of John d. Rockefeller for
year or more"
Old-time Alaskans say that the day
of the individual miners poke Is about
gone. Time was, they say. when all
the gold that came out of the Yukon
valley was brought to Seattle In the
leather bags of the miners and sold to
the melting shops. Then a United
States assay Office was established
and the miners found it necessary to
'mush" up the hill to Ninth avenue
But even these Improvements over the
old-time way of handling the golden
product of the creeks and gulches of
Circle, Birch and Eldorado were forced
to the background when the miners
heg'- shipping their gold to Seattle
by mail.
Wien the first steamers reach here
from Nome it is expected that the
price of ice cream and watermelons
will be doomed considerably. This is
the statement of old-time sour
doughs," who assert, backed by evil
dence, that men who have lived all
winter on bacon and beans in the
north have a laundering for ice cream
and watermelons that nothing else can
satisfy
Next to the ice cream and water
melons the miners demand fresh
green vegetables, young onions pre-
ferred, and then later on perhaps they
become learned in the mysteries OF
cauliflower au gratin. Rich and juicy
beefsteaks stand at the top Of the list
and clam chowder is not far behind.
BY the time the men from the
glacier-bound gulches become accli-
mated they turn from these enjoy
ments, carefully examine their bank
accounts and then buy ticket on q
railroad to visit "the old folks at
home"
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-09-05

Japan is making an attempt at loco
motive construction. As an expert
ment, five engines are being built at
the Hyogo Railway works. One is
completed and in use. giving satisfac.
ton.
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-09-05
DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA.
Great Continent Has Only Recently
Been Opened Up.

A ERICA is another great continent
"A with which the world made late
acquaintance. Egypt, the shepherd
kings" the Nile, the pyramids, make
up its classic period. Modern Africa
began for geography when. about $50
A. D., Hanno. the Carthaginian, sailed
down its west coast as far as Sierra
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-09-05

One Of the effects Of the German
old-age pension scheme IS rather pc
culiar. The pension is forfeited If the
workman does not work As or 40 weeks
out of the 50 on an average. and this
provision has been deterrent to
strikes.
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-09-05

plorer. This immense continent first
fed the demand for slaves, then salts
fed the greed for territory. Unlike
China, 1t was not coveted too late to
be partitioned, and to-day, outside Mo-
rocco and Abyssinia, there is not a
square mile of it's area which is not
claimed and owned by one or other
of the European powers.
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-09-05
CONTINENTS ARE BEING MAPPED
Marvellous Results Achieved by Sys-
tematlc Exploration
Tremendous Tracts Haze Been Opened Up in TIE Last
One Hundred Years-Northern Asia Still Field
for the Venturssome -Peary Now Undertaking One
of the Greatest Feas

hen a blank on the maps, and Alaska
Utterly untraveled. There are still
patches of North America which need
description, and vast areas of South
America On which the zeal of the ex-
plorer is yet to cast light.
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-09-05
FRANkLlN's FATAL JOURNEY.
One Of the Most Terrible Episodes of
Arctic EXPLORATION.

One of the Most Terrible Episodes of
Arctic Exploration.
one of the most terrible episodes of
" Arctic exploration was the loss of
Sir John Franklin and his crew of
1923 men. He began his voyage in
May, 1S45. A year later his vessels,
the Erebus and Terror. became ice
bound near King William Land. After
the death of their commander in
June, 1S47, the crew made vain eff
fort to fight their way over the ice to
Great Fish river. Many expeditions
were sent out, both by land and sea.
to search for the missing, but they
succeeded only in finding three graves
of men who had died at an early stage
and had been buried in Beechey
island In 1854 Rae met young Es-
kimo who told him that four years
previously 40 white men had been
seen dragging boat to the south on
the west shore of King William Land,
and that few months later he had
found the bodies of 80 of these men,
In 1889 McClintock discovered in
King William land a human skeleton
lying on its face, and his companion,
Hobson. found record of the Frank
lin expedition, stating its history be-
tween 1S45 and 184S. Further
searches were continued up to 1879,
in which year Lieut.. F. Schwatka of
the United States army, discovered
several graves and skeletons
The northward movement, after ex-
hausting mercantile, exploratory and
humanitarian motives, finally became
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-09-05

100000 square miles. Up to the
present, and in spite of several recent
expeditions, navigators are much far
Their from the south than from the
north pole In 1912 Ross reached rs
degrees 10 minutes, one of the latest
records is that of Borchgrevink. who
in 1899, gained rs degrees so minutes
by using sledges in a dash over the
ice.
The romance of polar exploration
of it's perils and it's heroism-centers
in the north. The arctic pole is much
nearer to civilization than the antarct-
ic, has closer connection with the
great continents, and is or ought to be
somewhat in the line of the worlds
travel The movement northward be-
gan with the discovery of Greenland
by Gqnbiorn at the beginning of the
tenth century, and with the planting
of colonies ON its shores by Eric the
Red in 1885, Nearly ten centuries
thereafter were spent by explorers,
first from the Asiatic, then from the
American side, in discovering and de-
filming the contours of the Arctic
coasts. Both mercantile and scientific
aims were il evidence. On the one
hand was the search for the northwest
passage by Davis. Frobisher. Hudson
and Baffin; on the other the no less
eager pursuit of the northeast passage
by Barentz, Chancellor and others In
1S50-54 Mcclure successfully accom-
plished the northwest passage, and
gained the reward of $4,000 which
had been offered by the British parlia-
ment in 1853. By an equally success
full feat in 1S7S-79, Baron Nordensk-
jold. the Swedish scientist, made the
northeast passage in the Vega by pass
ing from Norway along the Asiatic
coast into the Pacific ocean.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-07-15
william r. Porter.

William Ross Porter, one Of the
old and respected residents Of this
county died at his home in this city.
Sunday, July 12. He was born in
Meadville, Pennsylvania, Nav 2,
1882. In 1853 he came west and
located in DeKalb county, Illinois,
where he was married to Miss Fall
linda P. Colvin. They remained
there until 1863 when thew removed
to this county. They purchased a
farm in Collins Grove township, still
known as the Porter farm, and re.
sided there until they retired from
active work nine years ago. After
leaving the farm they lived in La
mont four years and then came to
Manchester whete they have since
resided. Mr.. Porter is survived by
his life companion and their four
children, Frank Porter of Strawberry
Point, Mrs. John P. Whitman, Mrs.
N. o. Davis and Mrs. Hugh Clemens
Of this city.
Mrs. Porter was man Of upright
life whose sterling qualities endear-
ed him to all who knew him. His
large circle Of friends deeply mourn
his death. He was a member of the
Weslyn Methodist church.
The funeral service was held at
the home Monday afternoon at 5
o'clock, Rev. w. II. Ensign, official
ing. lnterment was made in the
Manchester cemetary.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-07-15
THE KooKABuRRA.
Australia's Laughing Bird and Its
Startling Cry.

Austraiia's Laughing Bird and It's
Startling Cry.
To the outside world the GREATEST or
astrological oddly in Australia is the
kookaburra. Though Australians take
little notice Of 1t except occasionally in
n hostile way, its exclamation appeals
irresist.bly to the newcomer. Like the
shrikes and parrots, the curlew and
the mopoke, 1t is conspicuous figure
In the scenery of II typical bush home
and therefore too common to be worthy
of notice. In earlier times 1t was
known as the settlers clock" from
belief that its joyful paeans were vent
ed regularly, at morn. noon and dusk.
being quiescent through the heat of the
forenoon and the wanc Of the after
noon. That belief has long been shat
tered. The kookaburra laughs just
when the ut takes 1t, particularly when
excited, and It laughs us readily at the
violent death of its mother-in-law MS 1t
does at the enraged settler when he
falls off his haystack. A wounded-bird
makes demoniacal row, which will
bring all others within hearing into
the neighboring trees. and these ut
once set up an echolng cackle that is
repeated again and again.
The kookaburra is also known ms the
laughing goburra and the laughing
jackass.-Sydney (Australia) Times.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-07-15
Laws AGAINST seoo.r.


Begging was capital offense in
England in the days of Henry VIII,
when the laws were very severe
against beggars. and under statute
passed In that reign any one caught
begging for the first time, being mel,
Their aged nor infirm, was whipped at
the carts tall If caught a second
time his ear was slit or bored through
with hot Iron. If caught n third time
he suffered death as a felon unless
some honest person having f1O in
goods or 40 shillings In land or some
householder approved by the justices
would take the offender into his sery.
Ice for two years, entering into bond
of l10. So the law of England remain.
ed for sixty years First enacted by
Henry WILL, 1t continued unrepealed
through the reigns of Edward and
Mary. Reconsidered under Elizabeth,
the same law was again formally pass.
ed, the two legislative houses thereby
expressing their conviction that 1t was
better for man not to live at all than
to live the life of d beggar.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-07-15
a vINDIcTIvEs REPTILE.
Ways of the venomou. Eel. e-ianes
of Martinique.

Ways Of the venomous Fer de lance
of Martinique.
The fer-de-lance is found on the is
lands of Martinique aud Santa Lucia.
where the natives counterfeit Its virus
with detection of jungle hemlock.
and the basis of Its grewsome reputa-
ton seems to be the fact that 1t does
not warn the intruders of its haunts
after the manner of the cobra or the
rattlesnake. but flattens its coils and,
with slightly vibrating tail, awaits
events.
If the unsuspecting traveller should
show no sign of hostile intent he may
be allowed to pass unframed within
two yards of the coiled matadore. but
a closer approach is apt to be construed
as a challenge, and the yivoron. sud-
denly rearing its ugly head. may scare
the trespasser into some motion of self
defense. He may lift his foot or brand
ISL his stick In menacing manner. IL
lie does. he is lost The lower coils
will expand. bringing the business end,
neck and NIL few feet nearer; the
head points like leveled rifle, then
darts forward with electric swiftness.
guided by an unerring instinct for tho
selection of the least protected parts OF
the body
And the vindictive brute is ready to
repeat its bite. For a moment 1t rears
back, trembling with excitement, and
If fclled by blow of It's victims stick
will snap away savagely at stumps
and stones or even. like a wounded
panther. at its own body.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-07-15
It Was In His Head.

Balzac once promised Lirleux, the
manager of the Odeon theater in Paris,
n five act drama, 'srhe Springs Of
Quinola." He was so busy with other.
work, however, that not till he had
been long and urgently importuned did
he promise to read his piece to the
company the next week. The company
gathered about him on the day APP
pointed. and he read his five act play
fluently through to the end. Lirieux
was enthusiastic. ran up to shake
hands with the great writer and turn
ed over the pages of the manuscript,
whose contents had pleased him might
lily. But what was this: There were
only four acts. The last pages of tho
manuscript were blank. In surprise
the manager asked what 1t all meant
Balzac smiled and admitted that he
had not yet written out the fifth act,
but declared that he had it as clearly
In his head as II 1t already stood on
paper. and" continued the poet mer-
rily. 81 have in the same head two
more outcomes of the plot in case the
one just read doesn't please you."
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-07-15
Republican Committeeman Resigns.

A dispatch to the Register and
Leader says that because he felt that
he, q strong progressive republican,
would not make good member Of a
campaign committe for the election
of a standpatter like Col. w. P, Hep
burn to congress, M. z. Bailey Of
Ringgold county has resigned from
that body. He was elected mem
Der Of the Eighth district committee
by the recent republican county con.
vention. Mr.. Bailey was not pre-
sent at the time, but he was chosen
because Of his long experience in
politics and because the county
wanted to honor him.
But as soon as Mr.. Bailey learned
Of his selection, he announced that
he could not serve. He has notified
the district chairman, T. w. John.
son, of his resignation in letter in
which he says that he is not in sym
pathy with Hepburn's candidacy and
therefore his conscience would moi
let him serve as a manager Of the
Hepburn campaign.
Mr.. Bailey represented Ringgold
county in the state Legislature il
three sessions. His fellow republi.
cans sought to honor him again, bu
he declined to be candidate.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-07-15
THE PRISON BIRD.
This African Beauty Seals His Mate
Up In the Nest,


The popularity of the prison bird, a
feathered beauty of Africa, is that
he is the most tyrannical and Jealous
@ husbands. imprisoning his mate
throughout her nesting time Living,
stone watched the birds habits while
in Monpour and in his subsequent OBJ
servations referred to the nest as a
prison and the female bird as slave.
The nest is built In the hollow of a
tree through an opening in the bark.
As soon as 1t as completed the mother
bird enters carefully and fearfully and
settles down in 1t. Then papa walls
up the opening, leaving only just space
enough for air and food to pass through.
He keeps faithful guard aud brings
food at regular intervals without fail.
The female thrives under her enforced
retirement. But If the prison bird Is
killed or In any other way prevented
from fulfilling his duties the mother
and her little ores must die Of starva-
ton, for she cannot free herself from
bondage.
Normally the imprisonment lasts I'M
til the chicks are old enoughato fly.
Then the male bird destroys the bar
rler with his beak and llbcratcs his
family. ut is charming" writes Lly.
ingstone, ITO see the joy with which
the little prisoners greet the light and
the unknown world.'
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-07-15
A HAPPY SOLUTION.
The Way the Family Compromised o,
vexed Problem.

The Way the Family Compromised on
Vexed Problem.
There had been long standing Diff
ference of opinion in the Plunkett FAM
lily concerning the dining table. Mrs.
Plunkett maintained that Its legs were
too short and ought to be heightened
at least half an inch.
at doesn't fit our chairs, Jared, and
you know It," she contended. when
we sit down to this table we're too
high above 1t. You could have pieces
of wood glued on the ends of the legs.
That would be easier than. to saw of
the ends of all the chair legs"
81 don't agree to your proposition at
all, Cordelia,v said Mr.. Plunkett. 81
think the table is just right. But I'm
willing to compromise the matter. You
have been wanting hardwood floor
in this dining room for a long time,
haven't your"
sYes."
well, we can have that new kind OF
hardwood flooring that is laid on top
Of the old floor. That will raise the en-
tire surface three-eighths of an inch or
more, and that will raise the table, of
course. just so much. How will that
dog"
This seemed to be fair proposition,
and without moments hesitation
Mrs. Plunkett accepted it us salts
factory compromise. Compan.
ion,
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-07-15
TOBACCO POISON.
II You Must Smoke, Puff Your Cigar
or Pine Leisurelv.

If You Must Smoke, Puff Your Cigar
or Pipe Leisurely.
That 1t is much more injurious to
smoke quickly than slowly is the con-
clusion arrived at by two Austrian
scientists after careful study and ex-
pertinent.
The two professors-Dr. Liebermann
and DR.. Dayidovics-tested pieces of
cotton which had heen placed in the
mouthpieces of pipes and cigar holders
and found them covered with yellow
ish brown fecks These were found
to be of tarry nature. produced dur
ing the process of combustion, and
highly poisonous.
1t was found also that two cigars of.
the same brand and strength often
produced differing degrees of discolora-
ton of the cotton. Further investiga-
tion showed that these differences were
due to the length of time occupied In
smoking The same weight of tobacco
smoked In five minutes produced near
ly three times as many yellowish
brown spots as IL 1t We're smoked in
| fifteen minutes. The professors there
fore concluded that n rapid smoker
inhales much larger quantity Of
poisonous substance, to the consequent
injury of his health, than does his
more phlegmatic colleague.-PallM Mall
Gazette.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-07-15
Why Negroes Lik. wat.rmelon..

The humorists always associate the
African with the watermelon, assum-
ing that the taste of the colored man
for his favorite dainty arises from his
life in the southern states, where the
melon vine grows like weed. As a
fact. however the African taste for
the watermelon is hereditary. The
vine is native of Africa, where it Is
found wild in the great central plains
of the continent. and has also been cul-
tivated for many ages. In Egypt the
melons grown along the Nile rival
those of southeastern Missouri. The
melons mentioned by the Israelites as
heing among the good things they had
in Egypt were undoubtedly watermel-
ons for In the wall paintings about
the time of the exodus the melon vine
Is represented. and In one case long
procession If slaves is depicted, each
herring OH his shoulder huge, dark
green watermelon. = Washington Her.
aid.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-07-15
Her Sweet Revenge.

Difficult subjects require careful
handling, and for this reason room
clerk at woman's hotel must have
special qualifications. One of the many
applicants to approach n clerk of this
class was young, prcpossessing wom-
an, who. a few days ago. walked to the
desk and hesitatingly asked If room
could be had at moderate price.
"Would you like room Mt dollar and
half day." With a startled look
she replied, II want one Mt So a week"
I'VE have rooms at that price. but none
vacant. You can see that the Office is
full Of guests. and 1t is not probable
that we shall have such n room as you
desire until one of our guests dies or
gets married. Sweeping the office
with her eyes. the young woman re-
piled swectly, "Oh. then, 1t is hope
less" New York Tribune.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-07-15
Horses and Music.

Horses are particularly sensitive to
music. Guenoe. who carefully studied
the matter, quotes the following curl
GUS fact: Sin 1892 the I'ifty-elghth reg
iment of infantry was making mill
tary test march when the music struck
up The young horse of Captain De
r. fastened forward and placed itself,
in spite of Its rider. behind the last rank
of the musicians. Then 1t followed
peacefully, giving obvious signs Of
pleasure.
when the music ceased the captain
was able to resume his place at the
head of his company. but the band
struck up again, and the horse, not
withstanding the efforts of Captain De
r., galloped ahead and once more
plnced Itself behind the musicians.
This happened every time the band
played"
Lions have been found to listen with
marked joy to the piano. They appre-
ciate the top notes and the medium,
but roar terribly when the bass keys
are struck loudly.-Paris Revue.