davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24

deathbed some OF the grand councillors
proposed to raise to the throne another
prince than the one she had selected and
to make Prince Ching regent. Thereupon
til" Great dowager gathered her strength
and rose up, saying:
you officials think you can humbug me
because / am old. Verify l think the
time for your death has arrived"
Such is one view of this great ruler
character. GA the Other hand, Miss Carl,
who wrote Il book giving her experiences
in painting the empress dowagers por-
trait, says that anc was kind and sweet
and good. Mrs. conger. the wife of our
former minister. speaks of her Il
scholar and an artist. and there are many
who Will tell you that the charges of ner
being an ASSASSIN are false and malicious.
l know the story about Ter being d slave
girl is untrue. She came from one of the
best of the Manchu families. Her father
was Duke chaO, u military man, who
was beheadcd after She had married the
Emperor Hsien-Feng.
There is no doubt but that she was
true to her friends; and that Pu Vi is
now on the throne is "A living evidence of
that trait of her character The inside
story OF how this baby became emperor
is yet To be told. One of the highest
officials gave me the bones of the mat
ter as we chatted together last night
Said he:
1T had it's birth in the coup d'etat of
1898. kWang Su. the young emperor, had
entered upon his course as an imperial
reformer. and had planned to put the
great empress dowager out of the way.
In company with his advisers. kang Yu
Web and others, he had planned to have
her majesty and her most influential Off
ciais executed For this purpose he com
manded Yuan Shih Kai. who then had
charge of the only modern army III the
empire, consisting of about 5000 well
drilled troops, to come TO Peking. AS
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24

IT is Still in Peking, But
J. Will Have Million-Dollar
Funeral-The Richest Wom-
an of Asia-A Fortune in
Squeezing-Was She Demon
or Angel?-How Kwang Su's
Sweetheart Was Strangled-
Behind the Scenes in the
Palaces of China-The Dow
ayers Artistic Tastes - Her
Love for Children-Her Ter
rible Death.
Copyright. 1909 by Frank G. Carpenter
Special Correspondence Of The Star.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24

Yuan kneeled before him in the palace,
the emperor ordered him to march his
army to Tientsin ana slaughter the
General YunG Lu. the great dowagers
friend. After that Yuan was to march on
to Picking, surround the imperial palace
and capture the empress dowager her
self. Gen. Yung Iu the VicerUy of
Tientsin, and as such was commander
in-chief of the army of which Yuan Snih
kai was the general. Yuan bowed
low as the emperor gave him. these or
ders. and then begged that the command
might be put in writing. This the en-
peror refused. saying that a verbal or
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24

ordered the emperor to come before her
and then had his sweetheart brought in.
When the two were kneelng she charged
them with treason. and said to the en-
peror:
Il shall now show you how I treat
traitors
She thereupon gave a signal, and her
executiCners seized the concubne and
with a silken cord straneIed her to death
before tie eyes OF her imperial lover.
The power of the great dowager was
supreme. A word from her could slice off
A head, and her followers knew It. They
trenbed in her presence ard dared not
resist her. When her majesty lay on her
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24
l&zz0z94 11e C&12zar

OF pairing the apple. Due care should be
taken not to break the peeling. and when
pared off intact it should be tossed over
the left shoulder while the omen seeker
chants:
~ pare this pppin round and round again.
My lovers name to flourish on the plain,
Ming unbroken parngs Ger my head.
opon the floor my lovers name TO read
incarnation. forms the initial of the lover.
Apple seeds named by some obliging
friend to designate the various natrimo
NAL possibilities are stuck on the cheeks.
The one remaining there the longest is
the successful and constant lover. The
counting of apple seeds which have been
named Is another favorite diversion
''One I love; two l love: three | love I
say. chants the person who thus seeks
her fate. -Four / love with all my heart
and five / cast away. Six he loves: seven
she loves: nine he comes: ten he tarreS :;
eleven he courts and twelve he marries.'
the chant continues. No apple is sup
posed to have less than twelve seeds.
Another charming diversion is to go
into the garden and walk about. sowing
hemp seed, the while chanting: Hemp
seed. l sow thee: hemp seed. l SOW thee:
hemp seed. I SOW thee. and him that is
to be my true love come after me and
show thee" Then. by looking over her
left shoulder, she will see her future hus-
band.
If a dumb cake is desired for a charm.
the girls must meet in the kitchen be-
tween 10 and IL o'clock. Each girl must
place a handful of wheat flour upon a
sheet Of white paper and sprinkle it over
with as much salt as she can hold be-
tween finger and thumb. Then one OF
the party must make them into dough,
being careful not to use spring water.
Then each girl must roll her dough out
into a thin. fiat cake and mark her mi
tails upon it with a new pin. The cakes
having been placed before the fire, each
must take a seat before her respective
cake. This must all be done before II
O'Clock. and between that hour and mid
night the cake can be turned once. When
the clock strikes IL the husband of heI
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24
What Imagination Will Do.

DR. CHARLES X. MILLS the nerve
- specialist of Philadelphia, told at
a dinner an amusing story of the in
tiuence of the ina gination on the
health.
"A young bank clerk he said. feel
ing tagged from the excessive heat OF
trying Philadelphia summer, consult
ed Il physician. The physician aues-
toned him, sounded his lungs and then
said gravely:
Il will write you tomorrow"
The next day the bank clerk re-
ceived letter from the medical man
telling him that his right lung was
gone and his heart seriously deranged.
and advising him to lose no time in
putting his affairs in order
..'Of course the doctor wrote. you
may live for weeks, but you would do
well to leave nothing of Importance
unsettled.
Naturally, the young bank clerk
was very much depressed by this sad
letter, nothing less than a death war
rant. He did not. of course, go to
work that morning, and before noon he
was having trouble with his respira-
ton, while severe pains shot rapidly
through his heart. He did not get up
all day, and on toward midnight he
had IL sinking spell that caused his
people to send post haste for the doc
TOR.
THE doctor, on his arrival. was as
founded.
Why, he cried. there were no
symptoms of this sort yesterday. What
on earth have you been doing to your
self?'
The patients face screwed up with
pain he pressed his hand to his breast
and said feebly:
Its the heart. | suppose. doctor
The heart?' said the doctor. There
was nothing yesterday the matter with
your heart
MY lungs. then the patient
groaned.
what ails your the doctor shout
ed You don't seem to have been drink
ing.
Your letter, doctor-you told me I
had only few weeks to live
Nonsense: Are you crazy? I told
YOU to take months vacation at the
seashore and you'd be as good as new
again
The patient drew the fateful letter
from drawer beside his bed.
We'll said the doctor, glancing at
it, this is a pretty mess This letter
was intended for another man. My
The patient laughed. He sat up in
bed. His recovery was rapid. That
night in fact. he was we'll again.
And what-ended DR. MiIls-"what
of the dying consumptive who had got
this young mans letter? The con-
sumptive, delighted with the predic-
ton that month at the seashore
ed his trunk and took the first train
for New England. That was ten years
ago, and today he is in fair health
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24

I'm latter years the preparations for Hal
loween have been far more elaborate than
in the days of our grand fathers. Nowadays
the parIor and dining rooms are llberaily
and tastefully decorated, and as on other
autumn festivals the flowers and Vese-
tables OF this season play an important
part in the color and decorative scheme
OF course, the pumpkin is the vegetable
which has more possibilities along THESE
lines than any other. and it Is every
where to be seen. Soup plates and plat
ters are fashioned from it. and then
too. grotcsque and weird masks can be
cut from this vegetable where skilled
carver yields the knife.
Autumn leaves in the first blush of their
frost-tinted glory are always brought into
use and no decoration where Dame Ma
t,,re Yields the brush is delicate in tint
or tone as the boughs of gum or oak.
There is no need for an expensive outlay
on flowers at this time. CabbaSes draped
with crepe paper make pretty fruit or
flower baskets, and nothing is more beau
tiful at this time of the year than golden
rod Salad dishes fashioned out of cab
bages are pretty, effective and useful and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24

HE body of the
great empress dow
ager is still in
Picking. 1t lies in
one of the palaces
of the Forbidden
City. in a coffin Of
cypress wood al
most a foot thick,
bound with raw
hide and covered
with lacquer. 1t
will rest there for
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24


This bit Of verse may be recited when
this game is in progress:
These glowing nuts c,nhlems true
OF what in human life we view.
The Ill matched courl" fret aud fume.
And thus in strife themselves consume;
Or from each other mildly start
And with ii noise forever part.
But the happy. happy pair.
With natural fondness while they burn.
Still 70 each other kindly turn.
And rs the vital sparks decay
Together gently sink away.
Till lifcs fierce ordeal being past
Their mingled ashes rest at last.
A custom still prevalent iii Scotland is
pulling kale stalks" Couples journey TO
the feds hand in hand. blindfolded each
person must pull the stalk that first
comes to hand. The future partner Is
bound to be stout or slender. snort or
tall according to the size Of the stalk Sc
lected. The quantity of earth or turf
to the roots of the stalk decides
the size of the dowry or fortune, while
the taste of the pith determines the tenn
per of the mate selected. Finally. the
stalks are placed in a row over the door.
and it is believed that the Christian
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24

o he of Irish or
Scotch extraction
is to feel the keen
delight in all Celtic
customs and adds
certain zeSt to the
spells and incanta-
tons of that truly
Celtic tradition
which sets aside
the 31st of October
as the night OF
doom, when i'll or
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24
Tie aZIoWe 20 RZe

1.-The auld guidw!fr's weel horded n'ts.
Are round and round divided:
An monte lads and lassies' fates
Are then that night decided.
'Snmc kindIc couthc side hy side.
An burn the either trinity:
Some start ava wi saucy pride
An jump out oWrc the chmley
Flu high that night
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24

names of all those who enter during the
evening will be identical with those of
the future life partners.
Three Dishes" or "Luggfes, is an
other Scottish observance still in favor IN
the Highlands. Two of these are filled,
respectively. with clean and dirty water:
the third is left empty. They are ar
ranged in a row and placed upon the
hearth. Each papitating lover. blind
folded, advances i'll turn and tremblingly
dips his hands into a bowl. If it is In the
clean water he will surely we'd the maid
ell of his choice; If in the foul, a widow
will fall to his lot; but IT, sad fate. he
strikes the empty bowl, single blessedness
will be his fate forevermore.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24

There are hundreds of old customs,
equally primitive, still INDUCED in in Eng
Land. Sotland and Ireland, ard many Of
the Halloween games that have found
their way to this side of the water are
notifications of these. Halloween IS gem
orally observed in the United States, but
il is the New EnglanGer, perhaps-that
grim and unimaginative Puritan-who
lays more store by the omens of the
night when witches stalk abroad, gnomes
gamboi and Jack-O'-lanters fit hither
and thither DER hill and dale and through
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24

but, owing to the dowager's death. they
Will not be carried out. | am told that
her majesty gave equally elaborate direc-
lions as to her mausoleum, ard that it is
being constructed Il magnificent scale
The great empress dowager is said 10
lave been the richest woman in Asia
There is no queen living who has had
such sums at her command. At the time
of her siAticth birthday hint was sent
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24
Papa's Plan Prevents Proposal.

Papa 1IdH 1TeVeuIS proposal.
From the Boston Transcript.
He GmpecuniousD--But you say yourself
that your father Is anxious to get you off
his hands.
She-Yes; that's why l don't think hell
listen to you.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24
With LiIien Wing. of he eunuchs.

upon the Chinese general acceded and
left.
AS Yuan Shih kai started back to his
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24

Take, for instance, story which is
whispered among the officials here at
Picking. 1t relates to Kwang-Su. the late
emperor. and to a favorite concubine of
his whom the great dowager thought was
melting him TO rebel against her. She
The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-10-12
Attention EI.s

baEuAr meeting oi ATdmD-"
Lodge Tuesdsy night All members
are requested 70 attend.
ARTHUR WALCOTT,
Exalted Ruler
JOE X ADAMS. Secretary
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1909-02-10
Fireman Loses Foot.

Fireman Thomas j. Howell. of
Roanoke, was brought to DR..
fuckers Hospital last Friday
morning, where his right foot was
amputated just above the ankle.
Mr.. Howell. who was firing for
Engineer Mullinix, on a north
bound freight. reached for a drink
of water just g, his train was going
into Cedarvilie, and in some man
ner his foot slipped and he fell
from the engine, his foot being run
over by he wheels as ne struck he
ground.
The young man is son of Mr..
and Mrs. A. b. Howell. of Lear
Roanoke, and his brother. Mr.. ID.
". Howell, cine here To visit him
on Sunday
He withstood the operation ex-
trsmely well. and it is now be-
icved that he will be able to get
oct and around within the next
couple of weeks.
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1909-02-10

warm place for a few days. The
number that germinate can be used rs
guide as to the amount OF seed To
use per acre.
one reason why clover and alfalfa
are not more popular with farmers is
the difficulty OF curing the hay II IL
is left IN the swath until dry enough to
put in the NOW. the leaves. which are
the most valuable part. viii become
SO brittle that many OF them will be
lost. a better way is 20 40 over the
field with side deliver rake as soon
as the leaves have v-ilted n little ana
throw the hay together In loose wind
rows. Handled i'm this way. II dries
evenly. and the leaves viii not fall or
SO easily. Hay cured i'm this way is
also less liable TO be dusty thaa when
cured 10y direct exposure 60 the sun.
Once In awhile. even with the best OF
care, some OF the hay will he caught I'm
rain. 4 hard rain on clover CT al
falfa hay washes out much of the nu-
triment which ii contains. Such hay
is hardly worth putting in the barn.
but may be made good use Of Tor bed
ding. In this way 1t IS mixed with
the manure. and the plant food which
1t contains is returned TO the soil.
Cowpeas and soy beans arc 10 the
southern part OF the United States
what clover and alfalfa are TO the
northern sections. They are gown
more as hay and forage than for the
grain These legumes are also used In
some sections of the corn belt as catch
crops. IL sown on early fall blowing.
they prevent the soil from washing
and thus losing much OF it's available
plant food They may he paSturea or
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1909-02-10
Little Locals

Mr. John NJ. Fcnton. Of Berryville. Va.
~ visiting his sisters. the Misses, Fenton,
al their home on North BraddocS street.
Winchester Star.
Money 70 Loan-Money 10 lend in any
amount on Farm Land.
BLACKBURN SMITH.
WANTED-Relisble. energetic man
10 sell lubricatng oils, gresses and
paints, in Clarke and adjoining counties
Salary or commission. FAiRFAN REIN
ING Co. Cleveland, ..
Remnant Sale now going on at
COiner's
Money TO Loan-ln sums Of 81 900 or
more. secured by deed Of trust on Real
Estate
GEo. B HARRIsIoN, Atty;
Boyce, Va.
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1909-02-10
Funnisatins Library Books.

The library subscriber shifted suspi.
ciousiy at the copy OF "The Three
Musketeers" which she was about to
take home. "Carbolic acid" she said.
Have you been fumigating the
books"
NO, we haven't said the librarian.
but some subscriber has. Many of
our patrons like TO do their own fumi-
eating. Usually they use carbolic acid.
AT times when good deal OF sickness
Is reported the fumigating craze Is es-
pecially severe and one-tbird Of the
books brought into the library smell to
heaven with carboIic acid."-New York
Press.
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1909-02-10


ALFALFA.
later or disAei up in the s9riug They
are often sown in corule.dS during the
last cultivation TO keep the weeds
down and L. add nitrogen TO the soil.
Because OF the fact that other crops
make 50 much better growth after the
field has grown iegume FOR year or
SO Il Is important that n crop OF clover
or some other legume be grown occa.
stonally. II n plan OF rotation Is ar.
ranged so that the fields are regularly
changed from one crop TO another. so
much the better. IL has been found
that when any crop Is grown year aft
er year on the same land the yields viii
grow less. The particular Kinds OF
food that certain crop requires grows
Scarccr. ana weeds and Insects become
more numerous. III another kind OF
plant is substituted. other elements OF
plant food will be drawn upon. the in
sects Will be starved out and the chang
ed methods OF soil treatment will dis.
courage the weeds
Plants vary greatly in their ability TO
get food from the soil such crops rs
rye and bucllwheat are strong feeders
and are able to obtain food from n soil
on which more tender plants would
starve. Some plants use much more
humus than others. Crops like corn
that are cultivated frequently deplete
the humus supply rapidly. since the
constant stirring OF the soil hnstens de-
cay. Oats. on the other hand. take
comparatively little humus from the
soil
These differences may be largely
eQualized by a consistent system OF ro-
tation. I'm planning rotations the aim
should be TO so distribute the crops
that they will be best adapted 90 the
condition in which the soil was left by
the preceding crop. The starting point
or every rotation should be clover or
some other legume. The length OF time
that field should be left In TO such n
crop depends largely on local condi-
lions. In the east. where alfalfa seed
is high and the difficulties OF obtaining
n stand great, ii is usually wise not TO
pillow up the crop for three or four
years. Red clover lives only two years:
- -A~N fACNNN tliC StCOllQ year
the land must be reseeded. In most
cases two years is as long rs the land
should be left to any one crop.
Since clover is grown with small
grain the first year, this means only
one year in which 1t will be the sole
crop. If the second crop of clover is
TO be plowed under, as is the case
when the soil is considerably lacking
in humus, this work had better be
done in the fail, so that the mass of
green clover may have time to decay
before the following crop is planted.
II the soil has been properly cared for.
however, this green manuring will be
unnecessary. AS a general rule 1t is
more profitable to feed the hay or
grass to stock and return the manure
to the land. In this way from so TO
30 per cent as much plant food Is
added as would have Deen If the crop
had been plowed under. and at the
same time the stock has had the bene-
Mt of the extra feed. When only the
stubble is to be turned under. the
blowing may be done either I'm late
fall or early spring
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1909-02-10
Woodstock Raises License Taxes.

AT the regular monthly meeting
of the Woodstock Town Council
last week tax of $50 per annum
was placed on railroads entering
the town; dealers who sell ice
cream by the freezer, So: dealers
in bottled soft drinks that contain
alcohol, 5000; moving picture
parlors, S25; persons selling any
medicine, salve, liniments or COM
pounds, $500.
The Berryville Town Council
can take these matters under con-
sideration, and act accordingly.
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1909-02-10

FIG. - EIGHT-MoNTHs-oLp AIFAIr,
PLANTS.
mote the long taproots and the nodules. J
~ known. Clover seed are usually
sown with small grain i'm the spring.
y surer way of obtaining n stand is ia
SOW AFTER the oats have been dislied in
ana cover with a harrow: otherwise
the seed are put in so deeply that many
81 the ihtie plants never reach the sur
face.
one OF the principal reasons for fail
ure with clover is poor seed. 4 sam
pie should always be tested before
sowing. This can be easily done bv
putting a hundred seeds between =
couple Of moist blotters and keeping in
Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1909-02-10
Franchise Application Decided.

The Winchester and Washington
Electric Company was victorious
over the telephone opposition in
the Jefferson County Court last
week, their charter being granted
as asked for. The electric com
pany found that the road from
Charles Town to Shenandoah June
ton was SO crooked that IL would
cost too heavily 20 build their line
by that route, aud therefore secur-
ed a right of way from the railroad
company from Charles Town to
Shenandoah Junction. and SO stated
to the Court. The Court there
upon granted the electric COM
pany's application for charter
from Shenandoah Junction to the
Berkeley county line.
The electric company was given
all that it asked for. and feels per
fectly satisfied with the opinion of
the Court. The facts are as above
stated, and the following article
from the Farmers Advocate, as can
be readily seen, is erroneous in
several points:
Much interest conferred in the
order of the Court in connection
with the granting of the power
franchise Wednesday morning.
The order of the court had been
held over from Monday. pending
study of the subject matter on
the part of the commissioners.
Both the Jefferson County Tele-
phone Company and the Winches-
ter and Washington City Railway
Company were dissatisfied with
the courts decision when a vote
was finally taken, resulting i'm the
rejection of that part Of the fran
ch'Se, providing for the privilege
OF erecting poles and stringing cleo
trio wires along the road from
Charles Town out the Flowing
spring road To Shenandoah juno
ton, and granting the franchise
for the same right on the county
road from Shenandoah Junction.
to the Berkeley county line by WAY
of kearneysville. The electric
company will, it is said, either ask
for a franchise over another road
to the junction, or buy right of
way through the farms between
the latter place and Charles Town.
To grant the franchise, as the court
lid, for a part of the road between
Charles Town and Kearneysville,
will leave the telephone company
lmost as much disabled in its ser
ice as though the entire appIica-
'on had been granted. The telc
ohone people may asked the Circuit
Court to prevent the electric COM
any from putting its power wires
m any portion of the county road
'arallelling their wires. State's
Attorney George ID. Moore was
n court looking after the legal end
# the county's interest in the APP
plication, and earnestly advised
against granting it. His objection
vas based on q conviction that the
enabling act under which the court
is empowered to grant such fran
chlses is clearly unconstitutional"