davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29

Bottomless pits are facts, not fancies.
according to Professor e. A. Martel
the French geologist. He declares that
this term may be applied to cliff caver
whose lower part has been cut off by
the erosion of the valley below, thus
turning them into tunnels, through
which the valley may be seen. The
most remarkable abyss of this kind
which the savant has seen is the so
called hole Of Platary, on the summit
of the eastern ridge Of Vercors, above
Clelles. At about 800 feet a horizon
tai orifice opens suddenly like the
mouth of an ordinary cave, which il
probably once was. The bottom has
been cut off, demolished by the i'm
mense erosion of the vast basin of
treves to the east, $500 to $500 feet
flee of the present cave opens out in
superb arch twenty-six feet high
From the railway between the sta
lions of Clelles and Percy, on the line
from Grenole to Veynes, it is seen
2,300 feet in the air like a pinhole near
the summit of limestone cliff. 1t was
from the car window that the extraor
binary aperture was discovered In
Belgium in the Grand Dukes hole one
may descend and contemplate the
windings of the Lessee, holding to the
shrubbery to avoid being precipitated
into the river $50 feet below. In the
chalk cliffs of Etretat there is another
evidence of an incompletely destroyed
cave whose remaining upper entrance
doubtless soon will disappear
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29

The pelican Is not an attractive bird.
He offends both the eye and the nose.
But he is commercially regular in his
habits. The parent birds catch fish and
after eating their fill deposit the others
in their pouches under their bills and
carry them to their young. These
pouches will hold from three to eight
pounds Of fish They are elastic and
when distended to their utmost nearly
touch the ground. When empty, the
pouch lies close up under the big bill
and is merely mass Of wrinkles. 1t is
this pouch that gives the pelican his
characteristic and disagreeable odor,
caused by particles Of decaying fish.
The pelican's legs are short and strong,
and its feet have large webs. 1t Is not
a fast swimmer or a rapid f1ier, but it
is practically tireless in both air and
water. On land it is awkward and I'M
Wieldy.
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29
wb;ttIer,s Pot Of Butter.

Once at the close of the midweek
service held in the Friends meeting
house Mr. Whittier was inquiring
where he could get some fresh made
butter. The next morning he received
a pot of the very best butter that
Pond Hills could produce. The sender,
Friend Ruth Challis, was rewarded by
one of those spontaneous poems with
which he was wont to burden" his
friends. The original copy Of the poem
hangs upon the wall of the home of
Ruth Challis' granddaughter, who
treasures the note, given In payment Of
her grandmother's pot of butter, as not
redeemable In silver or gold:
Words butter no parsnips." the old ad-
age says
And to fill up the trencher is better than
praise
So trust me, dear friend. that while eat
ing thy butter
The thanks that feel are far more than
I utter.
Kind Providence grant thee a life with
out ills.
May the cows never dry up that feed on
Pond hills.
May the cream never fall in thy cellar SO
cold
Nor thy hand lose its cunning to change
II to gold.
Thrice welcome to him who, unblest with
a wife,
Sits and bungles alone with the ripped
seams Of life.
Is the womanly kindness which pities his
fate
And sews on his buttons or fills up his
plate.
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29
PenSiOned
For Life.
BY JENNIE LEE.
Copyrighted, 1908, by Associated
Literary Press.

eff you pull my hair again, Louise,
I'll discharge you without moments
noticew snapped the lovely Sibyl
Stevenson to her French maid, who
was dressing her mistress head.
miss Sibyl is very cross" suggest
ed the maid In meek reply as she
went on with her thankless task.
"Wen, you'd be cross, too, if''-
.'Shall / dress the hair high or low
this morning, miss?" interrupted Lou
Use.
"The ugliest way possible" said
Sibyl sharply. make me the ugliest
woman on the beach. Make me so
ugly that no man will ever look at
me- Do you understand" she contin-
ued. II hate men,"
Louise went on making puffs and
curls regardless Of her mistress direc-
lions. For a time nothing was said.
Sibyl was decidedly moody, and 1t
was the maid who again started the
conversation.
miss Sibyl, what is a good looking
glassT'
"Why, Louise, you are stupid not to
know that A good looking glass is a
mirror which tells no lies. Now, with
the men-they are not so responsible
they do not always tell the truth, but
you can depend on good looking
glass to be brutally frank. But why
do you askT' inquired Sibyl.
''Well, have here a letter from a
mysterious stranger, who asks me to
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29
The Wearing of a Watch.

At a meeting Of the British Watch
and Clock Makers guild (Which is
the better way to keep watch at
night-lying fat or hanging up2" was
debated. The general opinion was
that it was better to let 1t lie fat.
The vice president of the guild said
it depended upon the kind Of watch.
II it were one such as Captain Cutie
wore or anything incapable Of giving
some sort of timekeeping, the wearer
should be advised to keep It always
in one position 1t viii wear out soon
er, bat that does not much matter. A
good watch should lie fat at night.
The variation Of rate between hang
ing and lying Is very small, and the
difference is practically constant, so
that the mean rate Is constant. In the
hanging position all the parts are run
ming on the side bearings, where there
is the greatest friction and wear. By
letting the watch lie fat at night and
run on the end bearings, where there
Is less friction, the wear is distributed
and the watch made more durable.
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29
=. CAUGHT o,connsIl.

Daniel O'Connell, the famous orator
when taking a ride In the neighbor'
hood of his house had occasion to ask
an urchin to open a gate for him. The
little fellow complied with much ALAG
rity and looked up with such an hon
est pleasure at rendering the slight
service that O'Connell said:
"When / see you again III give you
sixpence."
Riding briskly on, he soon forgot the
incident and fell to thinking Of graver
matters, when, after travelling some
miles, he found his path obstructed by
some fallen timber, which a boy was
stoutly endeavoring to remove. On
looking more closely he discovered II
to be the same boy he had met in the
morning.
"Whatr cried he. "How do you
come to be here now?"
you said, sir, the next time you
seen me you'd give me sixpence," said
the little fellow, wiping the perspira-
ton from his brow.
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29
The Very Thinq.


The old gentleman poked his nose In
and out of the mysterious corners OF
the furniture shop.
"By the way" he said suddenly, my
daughter has just started to-er-have
a young man come calling, and sup
pose really ought to get pretty sofa
for them to make love on"
Most certainly, sirl'' responded the
suave shopman. "And here, l think
l have the very thing you need. 1t Is
called 'Cupid's Retreat and Is spe-
cially suited for counting couples"
Specially suited?" repeated the old
gentleman. "Well, what is its par
ticular good pointf
"Why, sir. the particular good point
is this-the pretty covering you see
before you is guaranteed to wear of
In just one year."
"And what on earth's the use OF
that2" asked the old gent
"Why, sir, because 1t leaves dis
played a card upon which are written
the words, Time to get married. Neat
isn't itY'-London Answers.
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29

Fishing well known river in Nor
way one June, one of the tenants of
the fishing lodge opposite ours caught
a fish of Twenty-Five pounds in the
morning and lost another, his spinning
line being broken by the rush Of
heavy fish. Fishing with prawn the
afternoon of the same day, the same
angler in the same pool got into good
fish at his first cast. After long fight
the fish was gated and landed. Then
was revealed a strange state Of things.
The prawn tackle had never touched
the fish, In fact, the hooks were foot
or more from it. They had caught In
the cast which had been lost that
morning and was now twisted into
knots and tangles no doubt by the
salmon endeavoring to get rid of the
treble Norsk cast and hooks. The line
had been got rid Of. AS the prawn
swung down the pool it had grappled
the lost cast still attached to the salm-
on, and fish (thirty-three pounds), cast
and tackle were recovered. We watch
ed the incident from the road and
crossing the river, handled the recov-
cred cast. Many maintain that salmon
once hooked and played for any length
Of time leave the pool.-W. 81. in Lon
don Field
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29
a rhouoh+fuI. Conductor.

Ignorance often saves much dispute
tude. Many have heard the story Of
the woman whose first experience In
railway train ended with an accident
Thrown from her seat and shaken up
generally, she nevertheless retained
her equanimity. When asked If she
were frightened she replied: Fright
ened! No. 1 didn't know but that was
the way they always stopped" It is to
be hoped that the trolley passenger in
Mr.. HowelPs anecdote, introduced into
Confessions of a Summer Colonist,"
was possessed Of the same trust in the
event. The conductor, at least, preserv-
ed his presence Of mind Says Mr..
Howells:
II had long expected to see some one
thrown out of the open trolley car at
some Of the short curves. One day
woman was actually hurled from her
seat into the road. Luckily she allght-
ed on her feet and stood looking about
as If In a daze.
"'Oh, OH exclaimed a passenger.
She's left her umbrellap
1.-THE conductor promptly threw 1t
out
"'Why, did that lady wish to get
outT asked.
1.-THE conductor pondered moment
before he answered.:
"'Well, she'll want her umbrella any
way"
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29
JOYS Of Relna Fat.

According to a writer, In an English
magazine, it is the fat men that get all
the good things in life. They are con-
Quoted to the best tables at restau-
rants, they get the corner seats In the
theater and always seem to have
enough money to get along without
worrying. When a fat man enters a
drawing room, doesn't he always get
the most comfortable chair? asks the
writer. When his hat blows of on a
windy day, doesn't some one always
run after it for him? No one expects
him to get up In bus or train to
give his seat to lady. He would
block the gangway if he did. Even
his wife doesn't expect him to stoop
to pick up things when she drops
them. Everybody tells him the bes'
stories, because everybody likes to hear
him laugh.
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29

Sammy explained that they both feared
to breach the subject to him.
He nodded approvingly over Dawes
reluctance to do his counting clandes-
timely and again at Lucy's refusal to
consider an elopement
Sammy was startled when the inqui-
sition was concluded at being released
with only mild reproof for not having
read his Josephus. He scampered
around the corner Of the house in a
spirit of thanksgiving at getting of SO
lightly.
When he had gone Josiah Temple re-
sumed his seat and the contemplation
of the dusty road that ran. a river Of
white, between the fields of grain.
1t was Mrs. Temples favorite obser-
walton that you couldn't count on Jo-
siah's moves no more'n you could on
hens" and now this coutrariness was
working in Lucy's favor. Had Ryder
boldly demanded Lucy's hand in mar
rage the refusal would have been
prompt and emphatic.
1t was because Ryder anticipated a
refusal that Josiah called to him as the
young man was plodding along the
road, having made his appearance
through a bit of woodland half mile
beyond the place Of the tryst.
Ryder turned in at the Temple gate
wondering If perhaps, after all, Lucy
had spoken In spite Of their decision
to let matters rest awhile. He stood at
the foot of the steps and doffed his hat
In respect to the others age.
when was q lad" said Josiah, with
a twinkle in his eyes, ut was proper to
call on a young lady at her folks an
not go sneaking of into the woods.
You en- come over tonight If you want
to. I'll tell her to expect ye."
Josiah watched Dave leave the yard
after an unintelligible tumble Of apollo
gy, thanks and explanation.
81 fooled yer he cried exultingly
after the retreating figure.
And he laughed as though the joke
was on Ryder and Lucy.
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29


In his book on "The World of the
Infinitely SMALL Professor Gruner Of
Berne gives an interesting account Of
ruby glass. Genuine ruby glass is ex-
pensive, because 1t is prepared with
gold. 1t owes It's color to the presence
throughout Its mass of particles Of
gold too small to be seen with the
microscope. Only the ultra microscope,
which renders visible objects percepti-
bic by means Of their diffusion Of light,
is able to show the existence of these
minute particles. With the ordinary
microscope the glass appears as uni
form transparent mass, but the ultra
microscope shows that 1t is filed with
points of light resembling stars on
black background. These points In
dicate the presence Of the particles OF
gold to which the color Of the glass is
duA
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29
And So She 4pidna."

Perhaps it was because he was
Scotch that his temper was quick, but.
whatever the reason, he lost 1t during
a rush hour at the little country sta
ton where he was employed as porter.
and he told one lady near by that she
could go lowell, place not down on
the time table.
Quite naturally, she complained to
the station master, and it was he who
sent Sandy into the waiting room to
apologize for his strong language. He
found several ladies there, and, not
being sure which was the she with
whom his business lay, he asked them
all around whether he had told her to
go-there. The very last one answer
ed yes.
"weel," said Sandy, 'ye MEDINA
Lippincott's.
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29
The GantIet
And the Mitten.
BY Martha Cobb Sanford.
Copyrighted. 1908, by Associated
Literary Press.

Muriel stood by the steamer rail,
smiling goodby to group Of summer
frocked girls on the wharf. Suddenly
the wind whipped one of the long white
gloves out of her hand as she was
waving last farewell and carried 1t
down to the deck below. There was
little ripple Of laughter from the watch
ing girls, and Muriel, In order to escape
attention, hurried quickly into her
stateroom
1t was an unlucky omen, she argued
to herself, but quite in accordance with
the losing game she had now been
playing for three long, desolate months.
She took off her hat, arranged her
wind blown hair and studied herself
critically In the little stateroom mirror.
II ought to be pale and interesting
looking" she said to the reflection that
looked earnestly at her, "but Pm only
disgustingly healthy"
She turned away with a sigh, and
then with quick determination opened
chair where she could look out on the
restless water when she relc so Ill
clined and began cutting the leaves Of
a new magazine.
But the story selected either did not
interest her or else interested her so
personally that she soon forgot the
print before her eyes and was lost in
introspection.
Up till now, the middle Of Augu.t,
she was sure she had presented very
brave and cheerful front and that none
Of the girls she had been visiting sus-
pected for a moment the real state Of
her heart. Why had she broken it off :?
That was the question she had to an
swer everywhere. Varied as were the
reasons she gave, they were also all
more or less flippant.
"Why, you see," she explained to one
Of her most intimate friends, "Tom and
1 had known each other since we were
children 1t was almost prearranged
by our families that we should marry.
We were the end men, as 1t were, IL
a minstrel show that every one was
watching. At last Tom popped the
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29

now that we have broken bread to-
gether can't we talk together too2 1t is
full moon tonight, you know. In about
fifteen minutes shall be stro1ling around
the upper deck and shall expect to find
you tucked away in a corner there some
where. Six weary months ago you gave
me the mitten. little MurieL Come and
see now what have to offer in return.
THE SAME OLD TOM.
P. Spy the bye I'm on my way to
visit with your mother. She and I have
always been good chums, you know.
heard you weren't to be at Ciiffside this
summer, SO thought perhaps your moth
er might be q bit lonesome. Queer she
didn't tell me you were comingi
1t was lucky that Tom had given
Muriel fifteen full minutes Of grace In
which to obliterate somewhat the I'M
becoming traces of her tears. She had
no sooner established herself comfort
ably in deck chair on the lee side of
the pilothouse that Tom appeared idly
dangling by his side one long white
glove.
Muriel caught it instantly.
"shly boyr' was her greeting "Where
did you get it?"
Tom stood smiling down at her rap
turously.
"Why, of course, 1 was watching you
when you lost it. Several of US made
scramble for 1t, and got it. knew
then my luck had changed"
"And I thought" Muriel told him,
crushing the glove in her hand, sit was
an omen Of misfortune. Why, what's
in it?" she exclaimed suddenly. 81 feel
something hardw
And she began to investigate each
finger. Tom sat down close beside her
and watched her with absorbing adj
miration.
'Why, fists my engagement ring"
gasped Muriel, shaking out the third
finger Of the glove. isn't that funny?
1 hadn't had 1t on at all because
Then as she realized the unpleasant
truth she had stumbled upon and also
how the ring had really come there she
looked up at Tom and smiled her adora-
ton.
won't you put it on again, Tom,
dear?" she asked with very sweet hui
mility.
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29

Experiments in reviving frozen in
sects by a naturalist show some sur
prising results. A large cecropia moth,
frozen in the center Of a SNOWFALL
until it was perfectly brittle, revived
In twenty seconds when held near a
stove. Several newly Matched 10 moths
revived in a similar manner after being
frozen stiff and then thawed out. Sim
liar experiments with ants, butterflies
and house flies gave the same results.
But the naturalist noticed that recent
ly Matched insects resist cold better
than older ones.
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29
When the Woman Painted.

A travelling man was in smoking
car when a man rushed In from the
car behind evidently In a great agita-
ton and said: HAS any one in this
car any whisky? A woman In the 9th
er car has tainted"
Instantly a dozen TASKS were pro
duced. The man who had asked fol-
it picked out the largest one, drew the
cork and put the bottle to bis lips
With long. satisfied sigh, he handed
the flask back and remarked: '1That
did me a lot Of good. needed it, fol
it always makes me Ill to see woman
faint kansas City Independ
ant
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29
R,,+ Not LlteraIlv.

1t is related of preacher in a small
town who was to be absent from his
pulpit fortnight that he recently an
nounced after the sermon:
"The preacher for next Sunday win
be Mr.. Plank, and the one for the Sun
day after you'll find hanging up be-
hind the door on the other side Of the
Vestry."
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29

Like most important inventions. that
Of the organ is yelled In mystery. The
invention Of the organ has been attrib
uted to Ctesibius, a barber Of Alex
andria, about $50 B. O.; also to the
celebrated Archimedes, 220 B. @. 1t
is certain that the organ was brought
to Europe from the eastern or Greek
empire and was applied to religious
devotions In churches about A. D. $50.
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29
Professional PessImism.

The actors who solemnly advise
young men and women to keep of the
stage, the lawyers who speak discour-
agingly of the laws delays, the writ
ers who decry their own profession,
all are wasting their time and adding
nothing to their own regulations. The
general croaker is a pessimist and
therefore a nuisance.-Chicago Trib-
une
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29
When Sammy
Turned Detective
By Mabel Herbert.
Copyrighted, 1903. by Associated
Literary Press.

Raised upon a diet of Biblical litera-
ture until he had passed his eighth
year, Sammy Temple took eagerly to
the nickel novels when at last knowl-
edge of their existence was communi-
Gated to him. First he liked the
stories of men who sailed strange craft
In the sky above, the earth below or
in the waters under the earth.
Later these were as naught beside
the bold detective who could arrest
band of counterfeiters single handed
and who ran murderers to earth juss
to keep in practice for greater things.
Captain Beggs, the solitary town con-
stable, at once became a more impor-
tant figure than Ben Dwyer, who ran
the single engine which constituted
the motive force on the little branch
line. Sammy had liked to dream of
the day when he should be an en-
gineer, too, and would have charge of
the great iron steed.
He had planned to sneak past the
switch at the junction some night and
run down the main line clear out to
California, or maybe to Mexico, or
up to the goldfields Of Alaska. A fel-
low could go anywhere on an engine
like that.
But after 'The Boys Own" and the
detective books the engine, tied to its
iron roadbed. seemed tame. Dwyer
was deposed from his pedestal, and
Beggs was installed thereon, although
he was only a constable, which is not
at all Ike real detective.
Detectives are people who tell con-
stables when the latter have the right
prisoner, and he looked forward to the
day when he could show his badge and
say to Captain Beggs: "Oficer, there
stands the man who killed Cyrus
Blake. Arrest himp' He was ready to
bet that old Beggs would be surprised,
and how the other fellows would stare!
But meanwhile there were oppor
tunities to do little detective work
about the farm. and Sammy became
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29
A Natural Inference.

''Pa," said Johnnie Dumbley, whats
an applelogue?"
"Why, it's a-er-a fable, my son"
said Mr. Dumbley Usually designed
to convey a moral lesson. Why do
you askT'
"Oh, nothin'," said Johnnie, "only
I've lost a dime on it. Me and Billie
Watkins had a bet, and / said 1t was
the original commandment in the gar
den Of Eden. If the Decalogue Is the
Ten Commandments I don't see why
that first one amt an appleiogue. =
Harper's Weekly.
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29

Changes on the moons surface, espe-
cially at the point known as the crater
Linnaeus, are recognized by some as
tronomers. 1t is concluded that the
diminution of a white patch must be
melting of hoarfrost at sunrise and
that the deposition and melting frost
must be taking place In other parts Of
the moon.-London Chronicle. i
The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29

Algy = They want $4,000 for the
lease, Maria. 1t runs for eighty-nine
years.
Maria-Oh, don't buy it, Algy. Only
eighty-nine yearsi Fancy. dear, baby
being turned out Of his house at nine
ty-one and possibly infirm into the
bargain London Fun.