davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
sTRATEGIOAL USES OF TAILS.
The Clever Little Weasel and His
Means Of Defense.

Take another of our animals. q
fierce little weasel. clad in summer
In coat Of brown, in winter turn
ing white, but always with a jet black
tip to the tail. The ermine. as 1t is
Incorrectly called in its winter coat,
has an easy time Of 1t, sneaEing upon
the mice and birds upon which 1t
preys, but when a hawk takes after
1t in an open field In the sunlight or
al owl in the moonlight, it would
have but short shrift with all it's
sinuous leaping, we're it not that the
black tall tip is so conspicuous that
1T constantly attracts the eye and al
lows the pure white OF the body to
be confused with the snow. Even
when we place a dead weasel on the
snow and look at it from a distance
we realize how true this is, and how
valuable must be the pencil tufts of
black hairs to this little vermin
who spends his life in hunting or
being hunted.-The Outing Maga-
zine
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
Everyone of Them a Bird.

A current newspaper item is as
follows: The wife of a Methodist
minister In West Virginia, has been
married three times. Her maiden
name was Partridge; her first hus-
band was named Robin; her second
husband, Sparrow; and the present
ones name Is Quayle. There are
Eow two young Robins, one Sparrow,
and three little Quayles in the family
One grandfather was a Swan, and
another was a Jay; but he's dead
and now a bird of Paradise.
They live on Hawk-ave.. Eagle
vile, Canary Islands. and the fellow
who wrote this article is Tyre bird
and an interesting relative of the
family"
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
Followers of Mark Twain.

The latest addition to the fresh air
fiends seems to be included In the
young ambulance surgeons. In spite
Of near-to zero weather 1t is common
to see one OF these young men re-
spending to a hurry call without 3
hat. and it is quite as common q sight
to see them, even at night time.
when 1t always seems colder than Ia
the day time, seated en- the rear seat
of the ambulance, attired In white
duck trousers. Doubtless IL Is only
part of the exuberanoe of youth,
but duck trousers on 8 night when
the mercury is trying to push the
bottom out of the thermometer do
seem 8 trifle out Of place.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
SmokeleSs Coal.

A London inventor claims to have
discovered a process for producing
umokeless coal, apparently by distil-
lation Of coal at low temperature.
This, after distillation, is said to de-
posit a very brilliant substance, the
heating properties of which are far
greater than those Of the original
coal, and which is absolutely free
from smoke and dirt. The inventor
contends that efforts to overcome the
smoke plague have hitherto been un-
successful because they have been
made in the wrong direction, and
that by the extraction of the smoke
producing material in coal before be-
ing burned, he has been successful
in producing a smokeless coal.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
Dogs Around Blacksmith Shops.

Two or three dogs are nearly al
ways to be found loafng about every
blacksmith shop. This fact is so
we'll recognized that detectives when
sent out after valuable dogs that
have been lost invariably visit first
all the blacksmith shops in the neigh
borhood. The reason why dogs visit
the blacksmith shops is that they
love inordinately the odor and the
taste of burning hoofs. They snif
the odor as a woman shifts a rose.
and they eat the hoof parings as q
gourmet eats truffles.-Minneapolis
Journal.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
Dead Historians.

for my part believe in the dead
historians. I glory in the possess
sion of some hundreds of volumes by
them. A great deal of cant Is talk
ed and written on this subject. There
Is an idea in some minds that book
on history to be good must be new.
In nine cases cut of ten the new book
Is a commonplace re-statement OF
facts that were better presented by
An older writer.-The Sphere.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
Arctic Dog Life.

Nowhere in the world has the dog
such unrestricted right OF way as in
our most northeTly possession
Alaska. In winter, when the more
than $4,000 square miles of territory
are sealed up in solid ice, dogs are
almost the sole means OF getting
from place to place-in fact. they
seem necessary to life itself.
The aristocrats of Arctic dog life
are the mail teams in the service of
the United States Government. They
are to-day a superior breed to the
dogs employed some half dozen
years ago before great gold discov-
cries demanded increased mail SER
yice.-St. Nicholas.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
age AID were moi
Cards for Everything.

So thoroughly has the card inde.
or catalogue become a part of mod
ern business that practically no ac>
tivity is without 1t. Brides keep the
list Of presents OF cards. Pastors
are adopting the card index to keep
the name AMI addresses of their par
ishioners. Not long ago the COM
plete list of members Of the Grand
Lodge of Masons of New York was
transferred to cards. There are a
million names. Owners of stables
and kennels keep the records of their
animals on cards instead Of in books.
Writers now keep cards on which
they put down experiences" or
episodes" to be filed away and to
be used for material when they get
down to writing g.-Sat. Evg. Post.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
SuDDIy of Gold.

It is mainly from Africa, Ameri-
ca and Australia that the world
draws its supply of gold, some s4OO,-
100000 worth won regularly every
year. Africa leads with about $780,
OOO,000; next comes the United
States with about 95.0OO,0O0; Aus
tralia ranks third with some $685.
100000, while Russia, both In Eu-
rope and Asia, Mexico, Canada and
several other countries, make up the
remainder.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
Hanging Pictures Dangerou .

Railroad casualties receive sue
wide publicity" said an Insurance.
man, that there is a common belisa
on the part of the public that one =
more liable to accidents while trlvea-
ling than when living the simple life
in the confines OF his home. "As .
matter OF cold fact, statistics show
that accident insurance companies
pay more money to people who get
hurt hanging pictures or taking
stoves apart than they do TO the Vio-
tins OF head-on collisions. H
sounds strange, but it's the truth"
Kansas City Journal.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
Three Men to Move Book.

There lies in the British Museum
the largest book yet printed, q Co
Iossal atlas of engraved ancient
Dutch maps. It takes three men to
move It from the giant book case
in which it is stored in the library Of
the museum. II is bound IN leather,
magnifcentIy decorated, and is fas-
tened with clasps of solid silver,
richly gilt. It is nearly seven feet
high and weighs 500 pounds and was
presented to King Charles II. before
he left Holland in the year 1860.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
WORTH ADVER TISING FOR,

There 99 Negroes employed here in Washington by the
alone and these 99 Negroes draw salaries aggregamg
$3o444c4 These than three millions of dollars spent right
here Washington but scattered among the hundreds of rademen
Is this of money worth bidding for? 1t certainly and
the largest in this city would refuse to the big
did they but realize how much money the Negroes real
y spending Ill .sl4A G-f sGl4@d t4ai4@
Now The Bee is the only Negro publication this city 1t stands
without rival competitor ancovers the field like blanket II
few merchants in this city will paonize the advertising col
Bee presenting the attractive bargains they have
Negroes these 499 Negroes who draw annually from the
Government over three millions collars will assume that b. pat
no publication edited and operated by of their that
such firms desire and their patronage And such hns VIII
receive the bulk of these millions of dollars received ant
spent by the Negroes of Washington
What clothing stores what furniture what dry goods stores
and what other lines will make an effort to divert 10
themselves these three millions dollars spent by washington
Negroes by advertising in The B ee:
Place your advertising The ee and watch these 5499 aPec
five Negroes spend the millions OF dollars with you
Now is advertise IN The Bee the ne"SPaPe ~
into every NEGRO home Wasn gton Remember merchants o
rboton It's what advertising pays you, not what costs
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
Saving Paper.

The price of paper has increased
so much in the last few years that
We may have to do our writing on
bark or celluloid. But here is a
pointer: One of the big firms in New
York, employing 1000 people, has
way of assisting you to save letter
paper, and at the same time serves
itself In a matter of file and record.
In writing to a customer. for in
stance, only one side of the sheet is
used. Sheets are made Of many
sizes, to fit the length of all cores
pondence. At the bottom is printed
in blue ink: "If necessary to reply,
please do so on the back of this let
ter. This is a clever idea.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
Names that Don't NamS.

Many chemical names convey no
exact idea of the things they stand
for. Oil Of vitriol is no oil, neither
are oils OF turpeptine and kerosene.
Copperas is an iron compound and
contains no copper. Salts of lemon
Is the extremely poisonous oxalic
acid. Carbolic acid is not an acid
but an alcohol. Cobalt contains
none of that metal but arcensic. Soda
water has no trace of soda, and su-
gar OF lead has no sugar; cream Of
tartar has nothing of cream, Tor milk
Of lime any milk. German silver
has no silver and blacklead no lead.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
TUsKLEss ELEPHANTS.
Ceylon the Only Part of the World
Where They Exist.

What a sight for a Ceylon elephant
hunter would be the first view of
herd OF African elephants-all tus-
kers! 1t is a singular thing that
Ceylon IS the only part of the world
where the male elephants have no
tusks; they have miserable little
grubbers projecting two or three
inches from the upper jaw and in
clining downward.
Nothing produces either ivory or
horn in fine specimens througout
Ceylon. Although some of the buff
faloes have tolerably fine heads, they
will not bear a comparison with
those Of other countries. The horns
Of the native cattle are not above
four inches IN length.
The elk and the spotted deers ant
lers are small compared with deer
Of their size In India. This is more
singular, as it is evident from the
geological formation that at some re-
mote period Ceylon was not an is
land, but formed a portion of the
main land. II is thought there must
be elements wanting In the Ceylon
pasturage for the formation of
ivory.-Ceylon Manual.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
Good Sentries.

"Silly goose" is an expression
which should be used by the extreme
ly ignorant alone. No bird requires
more patience to shoot with gun or
camera. especially the latter. When
feeding you will find flocks varying
in size on open ground, and nearly
always on such ground that q stalk Is
impossible. On the outskirts CT these
fiocks you will always find sentries
with heads erect, eyes and ears alert
the slightest sound OF movement and
you are detected-true descendants
from the ancient preseTVers Of Rome.
County Life.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
Prince Bismarck.

Bismarck himself, was a tremen-
dous smoker, eater, and dEinker, and
would stride about the house fol-
lowed by his dogs. The pipes and
long cigars which he smoked In q
day would have killed an ordinary
man. He loved to pour into a huge
stein a bottle Of champagne and then
a bottle of porter, and drink the
whole mixture of at a single draft
Bismarck said Of himself: IF there
were many eaters like me in Prussia
the state could not exist. l should
have to emigrate. p. T. o.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
The ShV Man.

Women show no mercy to the sEI
man, for he stands outside OF The
compass Of convention. Could hS
break out all might be saved; the
man might be permanently cured.
But he cannot. He has been bro. gh4
up to respect convention. His nus
cles may be OF steel, his heart of fire.
but in his soul the spirit of difid noe
holds him In a vice. In a drR vim
room he stands gaping, quskiI g.
prey TO interpretive torment-hs
Who would perhaps storm r2n
part with = triumphant smile o -
ups.-London Observer.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
Valuable East African Forest.

The Colonial Office recently sent
out an expert to report on the Ken
la forest, in the East Africa protec-
torate. He finds the forest extends
2S7 miles long by eight miles broad,
and comprises 100000 acres Of
timber. Taking the average value
of the AID. per cubic foot, this
works out to a23 per acre, or a total
value for the whole forest Of $685.
600, Tit-Bits.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
A Long Sleep.

An astonishing trance case has
come to light in Berlin. A clerk
aged 46-a healthy normal man
suddenly fell asleep in June 1904.
All efforts to awaken him were un-
successful and the sleeper since then
has never opened his eyes. He
breathes regularly and swallows his
food mechanically, but is insensible
to the seVerest attempts to arouse
him
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
Bank of Englsnds First safe.

In the Bank Of England's museuz
may be seen the old oak chest which
was the Old Lady Of Threadneedls
Streets first strong-room. Il Il 3
little larger than a common sea-
mans chest and in this the baak
stored it's cash, notes and valuable
papers.-Strand Magazine.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20

Mustard manufacturers grow F1GAs
We are told, not By the quantity q
mustard consumed. but By that
which Is wasted and left on the din
srs' plates. The saying is recalled
~ an fAtArsstiag statement made By
che Pogtmastsr-qeneral as 70 the
number Of pens supplied for use by
the public in the post ofnces Of the
country. It seems that last year the
total was / 100000.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
Lace Curtains.

Lace ,nnuow curtains should al
ways lie soaked for an hour in cold
water to which a little borax has
been added, before being put into
warm suds. This getc out the
smoky smell that is sometimes so
noticeable In curtains that have
have been used in city.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
Life in Germany.

Every one who has travelled in
Germany Is familiar with the word
rboten"-forbidden He finds IL
is verboten to almost everything
which he thinks he has been accus-
toned TO do IN the United StateS.-
Chicago Standard.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
A Man and a Woman.

A mans idea of being stylishly
dressed Is to wear something IN
which he looks atrociously bad; q
wSman's to wear something no other
eAan can duplicate.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
As to Rnffer.

Great Britain consumes more but
ter than any other nation. ThS
average per head is 13 pounds DSR
year, as against eight pounds in Ger
many, four pounds in France ans
TWO. pounds in Russia.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
go far Much Trouble

Tha Sultan Of Turkey recently
n.id s4ee 600 for . diamond. II ne
Sossn't wish TO have trouble WIN
hts haram he will insist On using Ihe
s4oue himself.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
BORN CLAIRVOYANT
AND
CARD READER
TELLS ABOUT BUSINESS.
1913 zsth St. NV. Washington, D. c.
Gives Luck to All.
n. B.-No letters answered unless
accompanied by stamp.
n. B.-Mention The Bee

Fireless stoves, or self-coOkers, -
they are variously known have been
In use In Germany fer 4 number
of years. These cookers are used ss
follows: After a thorough heating
the food to be stewed or boiled =
placed inside the box. sealed and
left for a sufficient time, when II is
opened, and the food cooked by the
retained heat, is ready to serve.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
Another Way to Put It.

It might not be incorrect to say
that the man who was smothered in
q bin OF oats. died from an overdose
Of breakfast food.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
N~ YnEk RoaAs.

Danger In New YOFk Bo@As'
There Is an average Of seven car
collisions q day on the steam, sub
way, elevated and surfacs railways
of New York -...--.yz,-
,s.y gssy ). yzsysss- = FF73zis-i *
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
A Valuable Relic.

A thirteenth century copper and
gilt ciborium, supposed to have come
from Maimesbury abbey, was sold
by auction In London for $4,000.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
81 Un%.

The goFd "stung" has now cOns
20 mean such a variety Of things In
The vernacular that the busy little
c.e. the wasp. the hornet, and thSaF
lk. have especial Eeai to think
twice before they act.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
F7a- s1z15slssEl5l:ssss.. s..,..'iiliEzss LIS
ANTIQUITY OF GLASS
Made in Egypt Thousands Of Years
Before the Christian Era.

Made in Egypt Thousands Of Years
Before the Christian Era.
Though the art of making glass Of
certain kinds is very old, spectacles
mad to walt on the discovery or in
Vention Of some method that would
presaS 1t perfectly transparent.
BpS~s42ens of glass have been found
N the Egyptian tombs that are more
than 1000 years old. and glass bot
ties are represented on tombs at
least 1900 years earlier.
In Mesopotamia the art re maxi
Ing glass has been '~~o~' s.-~: least
z'OOO year lass
Vi dht'' y,
and w a
Vi~rr
t.
=
ut
~-~-A i'm
age and were not ...--. .. laed.
That window glass, such rs is now
in current use, was slow to gain cur
rency is shown by the little panes in
many old buildings in Europe. They
are usually round, or nearly so, and
so small that one of them can easily
be held between the tips of the fD
gers and the thumb.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20

Prices in the Diamond market are ad-
vancing, but OUR PRICES HAVEN'T
BEEN ADVANCED in some time. We
still have largc collection of superb
Diamonds which we bought a consider
able time ago at lower prices than pr
vail today.
We shall not adwnce prices on these
stones. We are mer hants and not s. c.
ulators, and our fair percentage of r
is all we ask. So, as long as these Dia-
monds last, it will be possible to buy
them here under the regular market for
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20
The Man With the Gun.

Trouble is always waiting round
the corner for the man who has .
gun IN his pocket.
The Washington bee., 1909-02-20

fine stones
Ladies Diamond Rings, $500 to SI5o
Ladies Diamond Brooches, $3.50 to
$1,000.
Diamond Earrings, $500 to $4,000.
Diamond Scarf Pins, $500 up.
Diamond Cuff Buttons, 500 up.
Diamond Studs, $1,000 up.
We have Ladies' Handsome Diamond
Rings set in Tiffany Mounting, which
We are selling at $1,000. This will make
an appropriate present for Christmas.
Every stone a ball of fire.
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-12-24
Market Does't Respond to VIC
lent Individual Movements.
READING SECOND RUSHED
Rise in Wabash Preferred Connected
With Rock Island Movement IN
Days Cenjecture-Strength in Penn
sylvania Que to Dividend Hopes.


NEW YORK, Dec. 23.-The move
ment.s in individual stocks which nave
made the feature of the stock market
for several days past were even more
violent to-day. while the general list
was even more inert and unresponsive
Yhis may have been yartly due 10
suspicion of the move ments them
selves for which there was no ade-
quate explanation in any known de-
velopmeDts.
Reading second preferred was rush
ed I'D to 1171a by leaps and bounds.
At the time of the reorganization OF
the company dividends on the first
preferred were problematical and the
advantage at that and subsequent Pc
liods of transforming the second pre-
ferred stock was perceptible. Almost
equal obscurity surrounded the VIOLA
tile movement in Rock Island. The
failure f the preferred stock TO snare
in the movement increased the sIs-
picion felt towards it..
TIL rise in Wabash preferred was
Connected with the Rock Island move
ment in the days conjectures- me
demand was alleged to come from
Rock Island and this renewed the
surmises OF a coming conjunctrre OF
Rock Island and Lehigh Valley
through the medium of the Wabash
The early strength in Pennsylvania
was due to the dividend hopes raised
by yesterdays increases in the divi-
dends of two Ct its subsidiary com
panies.
The preparations for the year-end
money requirements kept the loan
market stiff and had a restraining Ell
feet uron the speculation.
Bonds were irregular. Total sales,
par value. s3.007 900. United States
bonds were unchanged on call
Total sales for the day were 49,
200 including: Sugar. 200: Tobacco.
800: Atlantic Cast Line. 500: Chesa-
peake. 1900: Louisville & Nashville,
400: Norfolk & Western. 1,S00; Penn
svlvania. $4,000: Reading. $500:
Rock Island. $4,000: Sloss Sheffield.
200: Southern Railway. $500: pfd..
800: Union Pacific, $500: United
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-12-24
''D|x|E" MOST POPULAR
Famous Southern Song First
Among Patriotic Melodies.
"YANKEE DOODLE" SECOND
Chief Sonneck, Of Music Division OF
Congressional Library, Issues Ex-
haustive Report on Four Famous
American Musical Compositions.
YANKEE DOODLE" SECOND
(By Associated Press).

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. %
Dixie" has been officially proclaimed
as first of American songs and
music in patriotic popularity"
Such is the verdict of o G. T.
Sonneck. chief of the division OF
music OF the library of congress. who
mas Just isued from the government
press an exhaustive report on four
famous American musical compost
tiops.
Yankee Doodle" though no longer
national song is still national air
and second only TO Dixie in the
popularity contest.
The origin and evolution Of Yankee
Doodle" "Star Spangled Banner,
Hail Columbia" and America" are
! treated in full detail in Mr.. Sonnecks
volume He has furnished as far as
possible. a correct version of both
text and music of all four pieces.
FacsImiiies of the original manuscripts
are reproduced in the volume.
The history of Yankee Doodle is
described as "a perfect maze OF con-
ficting stories" and countless addi-
items to and variations from the
original. AS many as fourteen var
iations of the Star Spangied Ban
ner" are noted, accompanied by a
gradual process of polishing and modi-
fcation. The Year in which America
was first sung in public is fixed as
1882. but the exact place and date
was not definitely ascertained-
HAL Columbia" is strictly a pro-
duct Of the United States in both
words and music, in contradistinction
20 America" and The Star Spangied
Banner" beth of which partly orig'-
mated IN England
Mr.. Scnneck's volume is not fer free
distribution.
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-12-24
CHRISTMAS WILL Be
GENERALLY OBSERVED
Young Folks Already Cele-
brating and Older Ones Take
It Up Today.

Christmas Eve IS mere and the fule-
tide spirit Is unconfncd Among the
small boys the celebration Of the time
began yesterday with TIE firing OF
crackers and today the older folks
xili take il up and tonight and tomor-
row the air viii be rent by little and
hig noises produced by almost every
known devise for ncise-msking
Late shoppers were busy all day
yesterday and far into last night AMI
even buster scenes viii be depicted
today in the shopping district The
shipyard viii close down az Eocr to-
day. the employees being paid their
weekly wages. and there VIII be a
general rush to purchase Christmas
presents. TOYS. candles and what not
The city schools cIssed for the holi-
day season yesterday al noon and
celebrations weres held IN nearyI al
cs the school rooms Last night nc
Hieh school literary society hal 'ts
annual Christmas entertainment. the
assembly hall was crowded snd n
program proved very enjoyable ." al
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-12-24

any such misfortune is slight All OF
Herene's plays of which the public
has heard had been acted. which in
wolves the preparation of several
copies. and it Is not probable that
Mrs. Herne would have left the only
copy she had Of those works in a
wooden country house.
Hrene was our pioneer realist The
plays by which he was best known:
"Shcrc Acres" and Sag Harbor." are
not dramatls masterpieces. bu they
taught American audiences the value
Of naturslness and simplicity on the
stage. thus making 1t easier for sue
ceeding dramatists to break away
from stage convention and 10 treat
life as other artists dc. with an eye
to truth first. and leaving effect as
monor stion-Brooklyn Eagle