davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
AN ANCIENT YokEL.
Not Quite Sure Of His Age. but Knsy
1t Was Something Fearful.

Not Quite Sure Of His Age. but KnsM
1t Was Something Fearful.
During u Saturday stroll in the coun
try u pedestrian came upon an ancient
rustic engaged in breaking stones
Drawing him into conversation, the pc
destrian eventually asked the old fel
low how old lie was.
"Oh, dunno was the reply, but
know be n fearful age!'
but you must have some genera
idea how old you are
mo. ! dunno. but know ! be Q
fearful age" was the only estimate
that could be drawn from him.
IAN right; We'll try to get at 1t II
another way" said the pedestrian
bringing out his pencil and notebook
Now. how old were you when You left
school:.
81 be nine, sur, when finished
echulin'."
"And what did you do then?"
"Well. l was boy fur Farmer Giles
fur fifteen year.
"And after that?''
after that worked fur Squire
Noakes fur seven and thirty year.
"And what -next?"
well, was WAGNER fur Cruker
the carrier, fur four and forty year"
And SO on, and so forth, until the tina
fact was elected that he had been en-
gagged OH breaking stones for quartz,
OF a, century. Then the inquirer OBJ
served, with whitening sarcasm:
$50 you do not know how old you
are? Well. I'll tell you. You're SIS
years old on your own showing
II dsssay," murmured the ancient
yokel,s with undisturbed serenity. 81
know be n fearful age."-Liverpoo
Mercury.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
THE NORMAN "oYEz.n
A Legacy of William the conqueror to
the Courts


A Legacy Of William the conqueror to
the Courts.
Everybody who has ever been in a
United States courtroom knows that
when the Judge walks out Of his cham.
bers and ascends the bench the court
crier drones out:
"Oyez. oyez, oyez. the honorable court
of the whatever district 1t may be) is
now In session"
Not many persons, however, realize
that the crier says ''oyez, oyez, oyez,''
instead Of "harken, harken, harken,"
because of IL chance visit that William
the Conqueror made to an English
court almost 900 years ago.
William had overrun England, seized
the government and placed himself at
Its head. Happening to enter court.
room, he heard the crier call the as
lsemblage to order In English. William
rebuked him and on the spot decreed
that the business of all English courts
should, be transacted in Norman
French, his native tongue. Afterward
the courts went back to English, but to
this day ''oyez. oyez. oyez," clings to
court customs wherever the English
language is spoken as reminder OF
the great. Norman who whipped King
Harold In the battle Of HASTINGS
Scrap Book.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
Our Sanitary Oak Borders
Water Color Decoration
Wall Paper Bargains

We have them for you, and to p
economical they are, let us refer
used our Wall Paper.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
LlsTLEss READING.
Tho Way to Correct This Fauls and
Get Beneficial Rest,i.c

Tho Way to Correct This Faule and
Get Beneficial Results.
Reading can lie made n mucli great
err source of pleasure to those who
now only read %lisn they can find no
other rleasures,n said a Columbia uni
versity lecturer Gu English literature.
"You have perhaps noticed with
what keen se..Ec of satisfaction some
people read the newspapers. Do you
went TO know che secret of their abil-
lily to extract enjoyment iii this way?
Well, YOU have probably NOTICED that
those who can so rivet their attention
to the printed page are the ones who
make 1t a point 10 talk about what
they have read.
"Iliat IS the secret. Try 1t. Read
something. then tell some one about
1t. Do this with books as we'll us with
papers. Seen you viii notice that In
reading a stoly yen fix IN your mind
the things you want to relnte. You
get the writer's point Of view, then
You fix unon the points he has pre-
scented.
AT the beginning your story telling
Will lack the completeness of the story
as written. and you VIII notice that
your shortcomings In this direction
are due 10 listless reading This will
correct itself Just to the extent of
your ambition TO become reader for
all there is in reading. I have given
this bit Of advice before and have
been thanked many times by those
who followed my directions. Try it
and mark the results. '-Exchnnge.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
Tho Division of Time.

The division OF time into hours was
practiced among the Babylonians from
remote antiquity. but it was Hippar-
chus. the philosopher, who introduced
the Babylonian hour into Europe. The
sexagesimal system Of notation was
chosen by that ancient people because
there is no number having SO many d.
visions as sixty. The Babylonians d.
vided the daily journey Of the sun, the
ruler of the day, into twenty-four para
sangs. Each parasang, or hour, was
suhdivided into sixty minutes, and that
again into sixty seconds. They COM
pared the progress made by the sun
during one hour Mt the time of the
equinox to the progress made by u
good walker in the same period of
time, both covering one parasang. and
the course of the sun during the full
equinoctial day was fixed at twenty
four parasangs
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
FROM LEFT 10 RIGHT.
10 tho Habit Legacy From The Old
Sun Worshipers?

NJ tho Lok;+ = I er,cu Eron, Ake N1d
c., v,.ssl;,.u.o
n,,o ,.,e,',
n na., o''eA, upeu. ~ pe +.acAieu'
s SILL" ~. .,'n 1890 ~ . 'ons sulse
~, 'oe iis Ut ne was s'on uo"n=
60 ON,
he o.hei siee A.e" NC Mousu turn
n ~ IN .uit 70 l.sn.' saiu vc.e1a an
wv .i .uih ifoH' ie.' " .isn'. ~
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
Rsnerinn Damn Walls.


An excellent and comparatively In
expensive WAY to paper damp walls. is
the following; Paint corrugated card
board, such as is sold for packing
bottles etc. on both sides with as
5phalt varrish and fix Ii when dried
with fve-eighths inch tin tacl,s to the
damp wall so that the smooth surface
Is directed toward The room ard the
corrugations run from ceiling to floor
against the wall. At the floor level
one-Ialf inch Should be left uncovered.
The cardboard should then be covered
with coarse hessians or ether packing
material, on which plain covering
paper and lastly The wall hangings
may be pasted. The skirting board
should be- removed while lacking on
the cardboard, which should have
small holes Of an inch In length made
in the raised cerrugatlons ut intervals
of fen to twelve inches before 1t is at
.tached to the wall.-Architects and
Builders Journal.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
HELPED THE BOYS.
A Letter That Aroused King Christian
of Denmark,

~ Iettef lhat Aroused King Christian
Of Denmark.
King Christian of Denmark once
found In his morning mail letter
which moved him more than did most
matters of state. The letter was in a
boyish scrawl and read as follows:
Dear king-We are four boys at Flax
kebjerb school. and the master whips us
daily with piece OF steel rope he found
In the barber II he doesn't stop there
will be q fire.
The name of the teacher being given,
the king ordered him to report at once
to the minister of justice, willie he
took the next train for Flakkebjerb
and examined the class in the teucher's
absence. The children. un;iwed by the
presence of the cruel teacher told their
grievance to the kindly old king, who
promised immediate relief. closed the
school for the day and ordered that the
boys be treated to chocolate and cakes
Mt his expense ito remember him by"
Bnt he did more than that. On re.
turning to Copenhagen he dismissed
the cruel teacher without pension, at
the same time giving n general warn
Ing to all teachers to be chary of cor
poral punishment. III boys cannot be
trained without cruel beatings," this
wise king said. then there must be
something the matter with those who
train them. The coming generation
must not be made ruffians by ruffianly
teachars
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28

Z A rather pompous looking deacon ic
a certain city church was asked to
take charge of 4 class of boys during
the absence of the regular. teacher
While endeavoring TO impress upon
their young minds the Importance of
living Il Christian life the following
question was propounded:
"NVhp do people call me Christian,
chtldieE?" the worthy dignitary asked,
standing very erect and smiling down
upon. them.
Because they don't know you,v was
the ready answer of a bright eyed lit
tie boy, responding to the ingratiatlng
smile with one equally guileless and
winning. Lippincott's.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
THE LETTER THAT KILLETH.
TriAins Errors That Have llaa Big
Results In Court.

TriAins Errors That Have Has Big
Results In Court.
& 1t is OH record that Lord Denman
established great reputation at the bar
by securing an acGulttal in famous
:cnse on the ground that certain firm
described IN the Indictment as pro.
'prfetors, OF 81 silk and cotton lace man
ufactorys should have been described
as ..proprietors of a silk aud of Il cot.
ton lace manuf:lctory." IL having been
ascertained that they made both silk
and cotton lacc.
In 1927 a judge quashcd an inquisi-
ton for murder because it was refer.
redsto the Jurors as ION their oaths.
instead of 'on their oath"
In yet another case the Judge held
that the omission of the word eve
was sufficient 10 invalidate n convic.
ttion because the word eve as we'll
as sheep was used in the statute.
ain 1871 Lord Cardigan was indicted
for firing on Captain Tnclyet In Il duel.
1 He was acquitted because the cap
tafn's Christian names were wrongly
entered In the Indictment.
III another case about the same ne
sriod a legal document was inyalidated
because the letters A. D. were used
Instead of HE words Gin the year of
our Lord. Westminster Review,
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
STUPID SHEEP.
They Are About the Most senseless
All Animals.

Ihey Are ABOUT the Most Senseiess OF
All Animals.
A Colorado ranchman declares that
no animal that walks Is as big fool
as a sheep.
I'VE have to watch them every min.
ute, and il vigilance is relaxed for an
Instant the entire flock is. likely to
practically commit suicide In han
ding most animals some degree of self
help or intelligence can be relied on to
aid the owner in saving their lives. but
sheep seem to set deliberately to work
to Kill themselves.
"9 caught In a storm on the plains
! they will drift before the wind and
die OF cold and exposure rather than
move hundred yards to windward to
obtain shelter In their corral To drive
sheep against the wind is absolutely
impossible. once lost over COO head
because l could not drive them to a
corral not 200 feet away.
I'm the corral they are still more
foolish. II Il storm comes up they all
move down wind until stopped by the
fence. Then commences the proceed.
ing so much dreaded by shcepmen
known as 'piling.' The sheep win
climb over each others backs until
they are heaped up ten feet high OF
course all those at the bottom are
smothered. Not one has sense enough
to seek shelter under the lee Of the
fence, as horse or dog would do.
again, If a sheep gets into II quick
sand its fate teaches nothing to those
that come Immediately after but the
whole flock will follow its leader to
destruction. No more exasperatingly
stupid animal than sheep walks."--
st. Louis Globe Democrat.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
SHOES AND STOCKINGS.
Away by Which Their Lasting Quail.
ties May 30 Increased.

ties Nay 30 Increased.
While yuur shoes are new or before
the soles are ,nu.i, worn apply with n
small brush severil coats OF llnseed
oil, letting it dry in well each time be-,
fore reapplyi,sSg The Gil acts much
the same oil the leather us it does on
wood, and If the applications of oil
are repeated frequently the sole may
be preserved intact Indefinitely.
1t sounds unreasonable TO talk of
preserving hosiery to any appreciable
extent, but 1t may be done. The Of
tener hosiery Is washed the longer 1t
will last. BY washing | do not neccs-
sarily mean the ordinary laundry
method, which is calculated to fade
aud rot tile fiber. Really. 10 preserve
hosiery It must hnve personal super
vision. Stockings should never be
worn longer than one day. They
should then be rlnsed In luNewarm
water with n few drops of ammonia
In IL, dried and Worn without ironing.
This repeated wettlng of the fiber
Keeps 1t so firm and strong that It Will
not break at the points of greatest
distension. This treatment applies to
cotton, Isle thread and silk hosiery
8 Il you viii treat your new hose this
way from the beginning. you need
darn but very little. OF course in time
all hosiery. however expensive or
strong. will succuinb TO wear but the
above method of treatment viii double
the lasting qualities. New York
World.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
Eats In : sedreo,,.

An army of bats Invaded the he'd.
room of reetory In Dorsetshlre. and
from every part OF the room they.
could be heard piunging against mir
rors and glasses, knocking against the
ceiling, while too often to he pleasant
one would hit against the head of the
bed. The rector struck n match and
lit candle. This served to attract
the creatures nearer to flat particu-
( lar part of the room in which the bed
was placed. Then the reverend gen
tleman placed the candle near an open
window, only to find that other bats
began to come in. so that it was i'm
possible to count how nnny there
We're In the room. Another plan was
tried. All the curtains were drawn
aside and the east window opened
wide. The light was put out, and the
visitors gradually dispersed.-I London
Standard.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
An Unpleasant Visitor,

A frightful shape doomed up before
the nearsighted eyes Of the frightened
professor. 1t was of heroic size. 1t
stopped u little, its arms were unusu-
ally long, Its forehead was retreating
and Its feet were bare and very broad.
"You have taken great liberties With
me-" said the shape. You refer to me
on every possible occasion, ascribing
to me characteristics Of which know
nothing. You have reprehensible
way of shifting to my shoulders u
great many problems that are too
much for your limited mind to grasp.
Come. now. what do you mean by it?"
1--we never seen you before" STAN
mered the professor. "Who are youg"
The shape haughtily drew itself,up.
II am the primitive mani" 1t cried in
n terrible voice.
And the professor is understood to be
running yet.-Cleveland Plain Dealer
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
Laying a Ghost.

rms ghost" story was among those
omitted from Mr.. Stead's famous col
lection: There was an ordinary cup
board door that always mysteriousiy
creaked open at five minutes before
midnight unless 1t was kept locked,
and when ii was kept locked 1t groan-
ed and rattled instead precisely ut the
same hour. Then came along snook
expert. who discovered that ut five
minutes before midnight the fast ey-
press train passed along the highroad
mile away from the house and set in
motion some vibratory wave that acted
upon the cupboard and scared whole
household,
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
A CHINESE STORY.
The Noted Liar Who Had Fairly
Competent Spouse.

inc Noeeo LIAR VINO rad Fairly
Competent Spouse.
A noted liar once told friend that
he had at home three precious things
bullock which could run 800 miles a
day, fowl which crowed ut the begin
ming Of each watch, day and night, and
dog that could read books. The friend
intimated that he would lose no time in
seeing these marvelS with his own
eyes. The man did not expect this, as
his house was somewhat distant, so he
went home and told his wife that he
had got caught at last and that tomor-
row the man would arrive and lie
would be disgraced.
"Never mind" said the spouse.
"Leave That to me. 1t will be all right,
only you must keep out of sight"
Next morning the visitor arrived and,
being met by the mistress. asked where
her husband was.
"He has gone to Pekin," she replied.
when will he be back?"
SIN eight or nine days.
"Why, how can he be so quick?"
HE has gone off on our fast bullock
and so can do 1t easily"
~ hear you have also wonderful
fowl" said the visitor. And, behold, as
he was speaking small cock crew.
tThat's It," said the wife. HE crows
Mt the beginning Of each watch and
also when visitor arrives"
II would also like to see the learned
dog" he said.
"Ah," said she. II am sorry; but, you
see, we are very poor, and so he keeps
school in the city."-Scrap Book.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
: MADE 4 Big mi.
A Speech That Hanlan, tho oarsman,
Delivered In Enuland.

Edward Hanlan. once champion oars
man of the world, related good story
Of how he delivered speech after
winning his second race in England.
His Grst victory had found him unpre.
pared. He was ready for his second
With a speech composed for him by a
newspaper friend neatly copied out on
paper ard stored away for use In his
coat pocket
house insisted upon seeing and hear.
Ing the winner he was helped out upon
n window ledge by his friends and
held there by the coattails and the
legs. The crowd cheered him wildly.
lie was too confused to speak They
cheersd him again. He threw cut his
hand in gesture of helplessncss and
moved his lips in some inaudible mum
bic OF apology for his inability to de.
liver speech. They could not hear on
account of the noise that they We're
themselves making, but they encour-
aged him with generous applause. He
saw his escape and proceeded to
Shake his head and work his lips Ia a
fine frenzy Of oratory, gesticula,ing
cleqnently and smiling his thanks. Tn.
noisy and ;;ocd natured crowd chee:cd
hin to the echo, and his friends drew
h'a IN from his precarious position on
the window ledge.
"Ieu carried that crowd along In
STYLE they congratulated him. What
cid You say? We couldn't hear you"
Yes. Give MS IN idea Of your speech
the reporters pat in, drawing out their
notebooks.
Hanlan took the manuscript fros
his pocket. Here's the whole thing"
he said. "Do you want 1t alp
"Well, rather" they answered. "Tha:
speech made hit"
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
One of LIES TRAGEDIES.

( He had expected a tender embrace
from his sweetheart, but her greeting
of him was cold. He could not under.
stand It.
Darling" he exclaimed in agony
"what is the matter?'
But she remained silent, her lips
tightly closed. and motioncd him from
her.
I He fell upon his knees.
"My love-" he cried, tell me what
have done to offend you? l swear
have done nothing wrong! confess ]
kissed the Simpson girl last night at
the party. but on my oath II thought
she was you"
Her lips closed even tighter, but she
uttered not II syllable. and, in despair
at her. unbending demeanor. he fed
from the place, he knew not whittier.
Would yon know. oh. reader, the rea'
son Of the conduct by which woman
blighted two young lives? Twas sim
ply this: She had left her false teeth III
the bathroom.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
QUEER DEFINITIONS.
Al Early Eighteenth Century inter.
prefer of Hard Words,G


prefer Of Hard Words.
Bailey's Universal chronological Die
tionary, with the subtitle, AN luter
prefer of Hard Words was first pui.
lished in London in It'll. Nest Of It's
definitions are eccentric, and some OF
them incredibly so. Here are speci
mems plucked at random:
Mana creature endowed witt, rea
son..
Thunder-A noise known by persons
Not deaf.
Iightning-A meteor.
A Rainbow-A meteor of divers col
ors.
Weapon Salve-A sort OF ointmen,
which is said 10 cure would by, he
Ing applied to the sword or ether wear,
on that made the wound.
Balloon-A football: also u .:rsa, ball
with which noblemen and princes usa
to play.
Cow-A beast well known.
Milk-A food well known. r}t},
Peacock--A fine bird.
ELEPHANT biggest. strongest and
most Intelligent Of all four footed
beasts.
Medlar.-,A fruit which is grateful to
the stomach, but is not ripe till it be
rotten.
Snow-A meteor well known in north.
erly and southerly climates. especially
beyond the tropics.
. Mouth-Part of the body of living
creature.
Eye-An instrument of death.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
MoaAMaEb.
His Vision of Heaven and the Story
CT the Mountain.


Halabi. tlic founder, of Islam, was
bcrn ut Mecca in the year A. ID. go.
He died June s. G32, at the age of sew
enty-two. He assumed the titnlar
name Of Mohammcd, which means, ac-
cortling 10 some authorities. the pre-.
dicted Messiah"
One of the most cxtravagant reia-
tions which cun be found in any Ian.
gunge is credited to Mohammed.
Speaking Of the sights lie beheld when
transported to heaven" he says: II
saw there an angel. the most gigantic
of all created things 1t had 10000
heads. each head Ind 10000 faces. each
face had 10000 mouths, each mouth
had 10000 tongues and each tongue
spoke 10000 languages. All were en-
ployed in singing Gods praises
When Mohammed first announced
his diyinely inspired and appointed
system the Arabs demanded super
natural proofs of his commission.
Moses aud Jesus" said the Arabs.
wrought miracles In the testimony
Of their divine authority And If thou
nrt indeed u prophet of God do SO like
wise"
ut would he tempting God to do so, =
replied Mohammed. land bring down
his anger, as In the case of Pharaoh
As the story is told IN Brewers
PHRASE aud Fable" the Arabs were
not satisfied with this answer. nnd
Mohammed then commanded one OF
the numerous eminences near Mecca
to come to him. The mountain not
stirring at Mohammed's bidding, the
prophet exclaimed: God is merciful!
Had the mountain Obeyed my words 1t
would have fallen on us to our de-
struction.
II win therefore go to the noun
tain!'
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28

II there We're any money to be made
in astronomy everybody would be
studying 1t. About all we can see is
figures, and these are so big that they
stagger the understanding. Every child
in the United States knows how to find
the north star (Old Polaris) from the
pointers Of the dipper, but no child
can appreciate the statement that this
star is distant from the earth 21O,OO0,-
0OO. 000.0 600 miles-two hundred and ten
trilllons! The Twentieth Century Lin
tied, travelling ut one mile minute,
would have to run without stopping
for 4T0,O0O,0OO years in order to trav-
erse this distance. If light really
travels 1sT,50O miles n second, ray
from the north star would be thirty,
six years in reaching the earth.-New
York Press.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-04-28
THE CANNON RoARED.
How an Ovation by Youthful De-
mosthenes Was SPOILED.


While campaigning in his home state
Speaker Cannon was once inveigled
into visi Ing the public schools Of u
town where he was billed to speak.
In one CT The lower grades an umbi-
ticus teacher called upon. Il youthful
Deilos1hcnes 10 entertain the dlstin-
guished visitor with an exhibition of
amateur oratory. The selection at
tempted was Byron;s Battle OF Wa
terloo.' and just as the boy reached
the end OF the first paragraph Speaker
Cannon suddenly gave vent to vio-
lent 3necZc.
But hush, bark" detained the
youngsber-"a deep sound strikes like
a rising knell! Did We hear lit"
The visitors smiled, and moment
later the second sneeze-which the
speaker was vainly trying to hold back
came wish increased violence.
But, ha..k.' tbawled the boy)-.that
heavy sound breaks In once more,
And nearer. clearer. deadlier than before!
Arm! Arm! 1t Is the cannon's opening
roar
This was too much, and the laugh
that broke from the party swelled to
roar when Uncle Joe chuckled: Put
up your weapons, children. / won't
shoot any more" Success Magazine.