davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17

down and the wall inside was plasterei
with clay to The height Of my waist.
There was no grass hay on the floor
is common in Uganda. and the en-
trance. which was very low. was by no
means 81 beautifully made.
In my trip over the country nearby |
stopped at a large native town made up
of the homes of the chiefs and their re-
tanners These are occupied by native
rulers who live some distance away. but
who are required by the Germans &c
spend a part of each year at Bukotra
They might he called the court residences
of these men. for they come here to have
conferences with the Germans as to how
to govern their subjects. to pay their
taxes aud To see that the right amount
of government work is supplied by their
people.
surrounded by high fences OF upright
poles tightly sewed together by vines.
Inside each fence is the establishment OF
African nabob and his numerous
wives. In going through the village |
wound my way about Enclosure after in
closure. through one walled alley into
another and in and out among buildings
of poles and mud until my sense of direc-
tion was lost. and l seemed 10 be in
Rosanonds bower. One of the chiefs
was putting up a new establishment and
had chance to see how the buildings
were constructed. They are made Of
poles mud and elephant grass. and one
man may have large number. including
separate apartments for each of ms
WIVES. There were not many women
about. but such as | saw were clad in
grass strings reaching from their waists
to their feet and A few had on grass
capes of similar strings. The men We're
mostly young. They We're straight we'll
developed and fine looking. but nearly
every one of them more or less
drunk. y feast was evidently going on.
and each man had A ing Gala bash filled
with banana beer w.-icn ne was sucking
at through two straws made for the pur-
pose.
In front of one of the huts dozen mu-
sicians We're dancing to music made upon
several great drums by men drummers. I
WAS anxious TO buy one of these drums,
and ! tried 10 pulchasa one from a chief.
above my waist il stood upon the
as -four barrel narrowing to the size
of nail kes at the bottom. Ii had been
followed out of "A log. and the top and
bottom were covered with goat skin
which was laced on with cords of gut II
had evidently been used many years and
its sound was most resonant. | offered
the chief l1UoU shells for it, but he no.
litely refused. saying that himself and
his ancestors had had that drum a long
time. and that he did not know whether
he could get another as good. He told
me that if he owned another he would
give me this, But that. alas. he had only
one. FRANK G, CARPENTER.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17

Beveridge remarked the other day in an
imprisoned speech which he delivered
to the Vice President. several pages and
a soused party asleep in the press gal
lery
You don't seem to know what a condi-
ton our army and navy has got into. II
you did you'd know We'll have to be pref
~ careful hereafter about how We handy
hard words with Patsy Bolivians. or the
Terry Delfuegos. or the Michael j. NADIA
gascars. or any of those chaps. Rlght
now, If the Koreans, or the Feejees. or
the Jujubes or some other outlying but
well armed nation. should take notion
to attack New York. practically the only
uniformed bodies we could muster for
the defense of the wholesale clothing
trade and the lesser resources of our great
city would be the local letter carriers
and the inmates of the Sailors Snug Har-
bor Anyhow. that's how the magazines
figure II out.
TheSe was A time once when We couio
feel. pretty cocky. and we did If the
fruit trust didn't like the way the cloudy
republic Of Haiti was playing the game
u
the next day a gunboat would be on Its
way down to apply a little of the Monroe
doctrine with the reverse English. The
president of Haiti, who greatly resem-
bles the Hon. Joe Cans, only he has
complexion that looks more like rain
would be sitting in state, with his cabl-
net about him In a semi-circle, all In full
dress and with palm-leaf fans In their
hands. discussing the situation. the whole
presenting a spectacle something like Lew
Dockstader's first part. A lieutenant gen
eral OF the Haitian army would burst in,
drawing on his uniform pants as he en-
tered, and announce that the American
feet was without, and the executive coun-
Gil would adjourn to the nearest cellar.
But now us Jack Daltons must have a
care, or else some day bunch of Will
liam & Walker cadets will be landing
at Tampa. and. unless they should be di-
verted by a chitterlng supper or crap
game, ruin and ravage will assuredly
await the watermelon orchard of Georgia.
the fried chicken plantation of Kentucky
and the pork chop ranges of sunny Hill
nois while from the steps of the Capitol
a conquered nation may yet hear ringing
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17

house al kingfisher? And a member from
Iowa would also like to know what ABOUT
that meaSley half million for a survey or
skunk river? So they trim down the bat
tleship appropriation until tbs hardly Wis
IDLE to the naked eye. And there you are.
II would he terrible thing II. In our de-
fenssleSs state We should arouse the ire
of Great Britain. The only thing that
consoles me is that nobody ever seems
able to arouse the ire OF Great Britain.
unless it a small friendless bunch. suca
as the Zulus or Beers"
Il amt goin' to git Skeered yet. said
the house detective There may have
been somebody that's licked us from time
to time. but. If so. the name escapes me
for the moment
Me too said the hotel clerk. And
sometimes ii also seems TO me that the
modern hattleships are grand things so
long as YOU keep them on dry land. The
action of salt water appears TO have
bad effect on them. Wasn't II just the
other day that one of those fragile grain
elevators that the English call battle
ship bumped into passenger vessel ana
went down like quinine pill? hate to
tnlnk Of the loss OF HE mat Wouiu eiisue
among his majesty's sailors II their
Dreadnought ever got run into by one or
our Staten Island ferryboats.
mo. Larry. unprotected and naked
though we be. I have hopes that We'll
struggle along for some time Yet before
we get licked by Rumania or Dutch
Guiana. 1t actually seems to me our
friends the Japs. have taken in some few
reefs since that ostensible fleet OF ours
began to edge over toward their side. In
fact. I don't know OF but one heavy re-
verse the American nation has suffered
lately
"Wot wuz that" asked the house de-
tective.
Twas administered by William Wal
dorf Aston" said the hotel clerk. You
know Astor. he's the man who's sorry he
was born in this country. but not as sorry
as the country is. Well. by great dis
play of daring he captured the battle flag
of the Chesapeake at an auction and gave
ii to a British society"
You wouldn't call that guy an Amer
lean would you?" asked the house de-
tective.
No" said the hotel clerk; but Id
gladly call him nearly anything else
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17

, tened to the keel by threads OF fiber or
bark and the whole was made Watertlght.
There are also larger boats, some even
fifty feet long, which are used for nav
igating the lake. They are made the
same way.
We stepped out on the shore under the
bluffs and walked perhaps three-quarters
of a mile through the banana groves
about the bay to the opposite end Of the
harbor. Here is the headquarters of the
German government, consisting Of a
fort, a barracks. and the home of the
commander. The fort Is made OF brick
plastered on the outside and rooted. Ma
tive soldiers guarded the gates. but we
We're able to pass through into the large
Enclosure which contains the barracks and
other buildings
Call Upon Commandant.
The grounds comprise several acres.
They are covered with green grass and
have also beds of red flowers surrounded
by hedges. AS we went in we saw chain
gangs Of blacks bringing dirt to make the
flower beds. Each gang consisted of
about twenty men chained and padlocked.
Every man had a steel collar about his
neck and there was a chain which ran
from man to man by being attached to
these collars. SO that the gang made a
great jingling as il walked along. Each
had a sheet of corrugated iron his
head. and upon this about a bushel
of black earth from the sWamps outside
the fort The men were guarded at the
front and rear by soldiers. with guns.
The soldiers at the gates were not es
pecially friendly and 1t seemed to me
that the officers within did not want to
meet strangers. Archdeacon Walker
was with me, and through his knowledge
of the native language were able to
talk with the guards and make our way.
The first soldiers met told us that the
commandment was asleep and that we
could not see him until he had finished his
affer-dinner nap. We then started away.
but We're called back by another SOL
der who told us that his highnesS had
just awakened and would probably be out
presently. This man did not asa us into
the house. We stood there and waited
until the governor might appear. In the
course of fifteen minutes he did so. and
after that We We're very we'll treated.
The name of the governor is Baron Capt.
Won Stuman. He is short, fat, little
man with blond beard He was dress
ed in white duck. but nevertheless looked
exceedingly warm. He took us into the
house and we chatted together for some
told me that the trade about Lake Vic
toria is rapidly growing, and that a large
part of the gOatSkinS and hides, which
form one of the principal exports. goes to
the United States. He says there Is an
increasing demand for American cotton
goods and advises our country to push
them. He also gave the opinion that
German East Africa was beginning to
prosper and that it would eventuany be
we'll paying colony.
Shortly after this. we left the governor
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17


set eyes on one. But if the thousands
that go through the Washington termi-
nal every day would watch closely out
of the windows they would see the
wreck train at work Don't be scared.
It's not that wrecks are frequent; it's
only that they are getting the most
work out of the train. and are using it
for more prosaic purposes as well as
the one for which it is intended.
Not so very many years ago place
had to be a railroad center or "a divis
ION point TO he able to boast of a wreck
crew. Those were busy days. The train
was out nearly all the time. Wrecks
We're more frequent as most of the
roads had only one track and the dis
tanceS 10 be covered between wrecks
were something enormous, sometimes
being as much as 100 miles apart
However. all is changed now. the crews
are placed not more than thirty or forty
miles apart. and wrecks are less fire.
quent on account of most of the road Dis
being double-tracked. Thus it happens
that Washington is one of the places
distinguished by having Il wreck train
controlled by the Pennsylvania and one
by the Baltimore and Ohio.
Armed with u permit from Mr.. Harris.
the master mechanic of the Washing
ton Terminal Company, The Star man
WAS seeking the wreck train. 1t was
only a little ways down the Yard. y
young man Ia very greasy suit of
jumpers and with 4 long necked oil can
had said, but it seemed to the reporter
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17

But formerly when he touched some
body and tried to go. they'd halt him.
Germany or England would send COM
petent fleet of those chunky European
war vessels down to Caracas and make a
demonstration
'Wot's a demonstrations" asked the
house detective.
well. it's like this said the hotel
clerk IF l should come 10 you. Larry.
and rest the cold. forbidding nozzle of a
large gun against the lobe of your ear
while / frisked your raiment. that would
be highway robbery. But If l was big
nation and you was a small one. and l
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17
LPEME; Wi0DRE55 N6RAd6

and strolIed out into the town OF Bukoba
to look at the stores and the market.
These are right near the fort, the village
proper being some distance away. Inc
or more little booths. each occupied by a
Hifdoo merchant, who sits or stands In 1t.
surrounded by his goods. The black,
grass-clad customers remain outside the
store. and make their purchases by means
of cowry shells The chief things sold
favorite, as l have said. being American
sheetings Another popular article OF
merchandise is wire, OF copper. IRON ana
brass This is used by the natives as
jewelry. and it is almost as valuable as
gold and silver are in our country The
wire is brought here in great kegs. and
coils of it are hung up in front of the
stores. 1t is of all thicknesses. from the
size of human hair to the diameter OF
ones little finger. The thicker wire is
hammered out into armlets. anklets ana
collars. and the finer Is woven and plait-
ed into similar ornaments. Some of the
wire 1ewelry is heavy. and very common
anklet worn by the women looks as
though 1t might have been torn from our
woven wire fences and twisted together.
In the market square. near these stores,
l saw many black peddlers. They squat
ted on the ground. with their wares piled
about them. Here woman sold sweet
potatoes. there one offered little piles of
the entrailS of sheep or goats. and. farther
over were others selling peanuts and
white ants The white ants had been
roasted. They were displayed upon bits
of banana leaves and We're sold at SO
many shells per pile.
The cowry shell is the chief currency of
this part of Africa. and | understand it Is
in common throughout the regions about
Lake Tanganyika and the Congo valley.
The shells brought here from the
coast of India and are exchanged for
rupees at the rate of 900 To the rupee.
4 rupee IS worth about 33 cents. and as
the shells are put up in strings Of 100
each. string of shells is worth just about
cents of our money.
Traveller Needs Money-Borter.
Among my recent purchases are two
spears at 800 shells each. a carved
milk bowl at 1000 shells, and a native
chopping knife which cost 1000 shells.
These shells are very small. but,
when used by the thousand they are
clumsy to handle. Indeed 20.OD of
them weigh seventy pounds, and that is
all that one man can carry. When | go
through the country l shall have to have
at least fifteen porters to carry every
hundred dollars l take with me- Seven
dollars worth is good load for a man.
and 10 cents worth would weigh about as
much as sixteen of our silver dollars
This makes commerce difficult. and the
Germans are trying to introduce new
coinage based on the Indian rupee The
chief trouble is to make the coin small
enough. The present issue includes coins
known as hellers, OF which 100 go to d
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17

that they divide the interior into rooms
one of the huts which | entered had
two apartments about three feet wide
and six feet long, which were used for
sleeping In the center Of the hut was
a fire, upon which. in an earthen pot.
some food was steaminS away. There
was neither stove nor chimney and the
smoke filed the hut. 1t had already
turned the walls and roof deep brown
color. 50 that the whole looked gloomy.
I lln !erst and that the fire is kept up day
and night as the weather is often damp.
and also as new fires are hard to kindle.
In many parts Of this country matches
are comparatively unknown. and fire is
gotten by twisting one stick N hole
made in a block Of wood until the frict ION
brings a light.
The floor % this hut was Well pounded
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17

rupee, SO that one heller is worth one
third of a cent of our money.
Leaving the market. l visited the VIII
lage near the fort and then went across
the country to see other towns in the
interior. The houses are very much like
those of the Baganda At distance
they look like haystacks or straw tents
They are made of poles fastened to-
gether at the top, making a frame work
the shape of a cone. This is lined with
reeds which run from tie bottom to the
top and are fastened together by bands
of reeds which go round and round in
side the hut from floor to roof The out
side is matched. and the thatch comes
clear to the ground The roof is upheld
by many poles. which are So arranged
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17

Castro's the most important. He's the
boss of the works. He has a name like a
new liver pill and the lower slopes of his
face are incumbered up d far as the frost
line with stunted pine and dwarf furze,
but he has a large displacement when he
begins to rotate the propelers. He has a
disposition like a two-inch length of
blasting fuse
Il know who you mean now said the
house detective. Its a case of touch and
go with that lad, amt it,
X \
1T certainly is said the hotel clerk.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17

out the national hymn OF the victorious
foes. entitled My Noodoo Lulu
Il have no doubt YOU are one Of those
who think our standing army Is amply
large. especially no theater manager
ever seems able 70 find a seat for "A non
com. in uniform. You see trainload after
trainload of gallant shipping clerks and
ribbon statesmen going 10 camp laden with
their mosquito nets. the mandolins. t.Itir
bull terriers and other military supplies.
and you think We have enough National
Guardsmen to police every automobile
course in this fair land. and still have
few left over for hop nights at the sum-
mer hotels. But you're wrong. And as
for our navy. the less said the better
If we but knew the truth. as a lot of the
magazine editors know It, we would cease
to be proud of those floating hospitals Of
decrepit RATS whose hospitahle crews were
lately entertaining the thrifty citizens of
open-hearted Los Angeles by paying them
seventy-five cents a bottle for beer If
you still cherish the fond delusion that
Bob Evans fiotilla Of invalid soup tureens
would have any chance against the navy
Of Switzerland or Zamhesiland you've
only to read the remarks that were made
recently by Representative r. T. Hobson,
the original soul kisser, in demanding
larger fleet.
.The President has felt very strongly
about the matter. too. ever since the fleet
passed Oyster Bay in review last sum
mer. with their flags waving dada, and
the youngest male Roosevelt sat on the
front porch clutching his pet grizzly cub
in his young arms and cried aloud be-
cause there wasn't a Dreadnought in the
whole lot of them. The members of Con
gress representing the Pennsylvania To-
calties that produce armor plate are
heartily with him in his endeavors to
build up a fleet that will make Boston
feel easy in it's own mind, but apathy de
velOpS elsewhere. A bright young Con-
gresham from the smelling regions.
where the smelts come from. rises up to
make an eloquent appeal for more ships
but he is rudely interrupted by men,
Der from Okla homa where the only for
eign invaders they fear is the boil weevi
or the white republicans. The Oklahoma
member Is of the opinion that the navy
can wait But how about that eighty
thousand for new cornice on the custom
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17

The Queer Town OF Buko-
ba and. Its German Gov
|. ernor-How the Natives Are
Treated-A Look at the Vii
lagos and Description Of a
Bahia House-The Town of
the Chiefs-Markets Where
Shells Go AS Money-Some-
thing About the Women,
and Especially About One
Who Sold Her Dress to Our
Correspondent for IS Cents.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17

Are you gittin' altogether dippy in
your head?' asked the house detective
"Wot would the army and navy and Ted
dy and Big Bill Taft and the police force
be dom when them little smoked mer-
chaum guys tried to land?"
There you go, Larry" lamented the
hotel clerk. you're like 90 per cent of
the populace Of this Inflated country. You
will go on thinking we can lick any other
nation on earth simply because we
always have. Why don't you read the
magazines? They're full of the peril
that and advertisements for rust-proof
mattresses and non-refillable automobiles
Congress is full of it, too, and SO is
Senator Beveridge. and SO is Secretary
pre-digested, like a SQUAD taking nourish-
ment from it's mamma pigeon; but just
the same. he gets them-and so is nearly
everybody else, except the general public
Blind. deluded creatures that you are
you refuse to awake to the danger that
your minds with the small affairs of life
such as notes coming due in the bank
and easy times that don't seem to be
any different from hard times, except
that in some spots they're harder. when
at this very moment we are all sleeping
Oh a powder mine. which is liable any
minute to rise in a mighty tidal wave
and engulf us in the qucksand of dis
aster like rats In a trap, as Senator
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17

y VI mighty glad that little fuss
- with Castro blew over. said
the hotel clerk.
who's Castro2' inquired that
patient and long suffering seek
,r after truth. the house detective of the
Hotel ST Reckless.
Hes one great little guy. is Castro.
said the hotel clerk. He's the president
IF our sister republic on the Monroe side
of the family. the delightful little coun-
Try of Venezuela. The principal products
ST Venezuela are yellow fever. the asphalt
rust informal ; o'clock REVOLUTIONS. with
Dr. without frock coats. and Castro. But
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17

should do the same thing. then it would
be demonstration. and you'd have no
cause for complaint. Our little friend
Castro has taken the demonstrate ton de-
gree several times. And here the other
day it looked as If we'd have to play col
lection agency again down his way. But
the difference was adjusted without an
open breach. 1t would've been a terrible
thing if we'd angered Castro
Why sou asked the house detective.
He might order out the squad of postal
telegraph messengers that he calls his
standing army. and invade u.s." said the
hote! clerk. I'm glad we didn't get him
aroused. When l think of Castro ard the
Book Pantella Guards marching from
New Orleans to Washington. with flags
and shirt-tails flying. and thence by re-
bates to Philadelphia. thence by hired
hacks to New York. thence by trolley to
Coney, thence"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17

wv many travellers are familiar
with that well known object
Of romance. the wreck train!
1t would be safe 10 say that
nor one in u hundred has ever
Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-22
RoSSE NOT HELD FOR DEATH
COrOner's Jury Makes No Order for
Prosecution I'm Case of Wat
kIns Killing.

Death due to a bullet wound inflicted by
a revolver in the hands sf Charles Rosse,
an Italian, wal the verdict of the coroner's
jury in the case of Henry Watkins, the
negro who was hot by the Italian last
week when the ~latter's furniture was re-
moved from a Third ward house, where he
had %squatted.
Ne recommendation was made that Rose
be tried for the murder of Watkins and 1t
is thought the case may be dropped, as the
police have not captured the italian since
the shooting. The idea prevails that he
left the city Immediately after the occur
renee, becoming alarmed when it was found
that he had shot the negro.
AT first 1t was thought the Watkins was
only slightly wounded. His death was due
TO poisoning from the wound. The body
was buried this morning in Mount Hope
cemetery.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-22

a cinch Mack will set him. isn't it7 why
not7
But the point IL Denver appears TO be
carrying out It's avowed determination Of
landing a new team. This is the best evi-
dence that Denver really and truly has
been relieved OF the Tebeau incubus. Ard
the fans ali over the circuit win wish
Burke well IN his task Of building up a
winning team.
BY the way. that thing OF building up a
winning team has come to be the business
OF the hour in this old league. With every
team-and there are eight OF them now
building up winners, can't you see things
sizzle mex year? Bully boy!
Speaking OF Denver, they haven't yet got
used to pron6uncing the new half owners
name; they are still saying Burke right
along.