davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07

upon investigation find that a devil-fsh or cutie
fish was trying to bite off a corner of the rudder.
Numerous cases of the fish attempting and sue
'ceeding in towing ten-ton sloops for miles have
been recorded in the annals of the industry. The
'deVil-fshers always are compelled to put up a hot
fight against this animal of the sea. The intend
ed quarry will pull them far out of their course
after the first harpoon has stung his hide and
1t takes two and sometimes three of them be-
fore the catch can be brought close enough to
the sloop to allow the gunner to place a shot in a
vital spot.
The fish must be continually worried or it
Will descend to the bottom to rest, in which case
1t usually takes the boat, crew and apparatus
with it.
A story is told of a boat crew which had not
had a deyil-fish strike for two days until finally
the harpoon expert on the bowsprit imbedded
his instrument of torture within the vitals of one
of the monsters. The creature, of course, went
through the formality of turning the water there
;abouts into a delicate black, this being one Of the
traits of the species when attacked. This done
the devil-fsh started for home, which was the bot
tom of the gulf. The harpoon expert hated to
aet go, on account of strikes being few and the
boat, crew and harpoonist also began the descent
In tnky darkness. The craft being provided with
air tanks at each end, the harpooned had ONE
job on his hands, and when down in the sea
about 20 feet, as near as the mariners could
figure, the eight-armed namesake of the American
trust gingerly climbed into the boat with the
men who were seeking his life-blood. 1t being
dark the fishermen did not perceive his presence.
Once more at the surface. however, and there
was a miniature fire panic. Regaining his pres
ence of mind, however, the harpoonist put an out
drop on his second throw and put an end to the
pranks of the fish. That tale has been called
'"just a fish story" but there are three deep sea
fishermen to-day who vouch for the truth of a
portion of it and they still ply that trade on the
coast of the gulf. But now when the devil-iish
starts for home, they let him go. M
The manta. as the creature is called by sci
.ence, is to be found as far north on the Atlantic
coast as the Carolinas and in those waters some
of the largest of this class of sea creatures have
been seen. One caught on the Atlantic coast
several years ago required three yoke of oxen to
drag 1t from the sea and its weight was estimated
at four tons.
Usually the devil-fsh measures from 20 to rs
feet across it's back when full grown and one
mariner on the Pacific coast reported that he had
estimated one to be 40 feet, which eye measure
ment. of course. is within the realm of possibility.
The l~rcoture has two well defined plans OF de,
IIAA
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07
UNCLE SAM SEEKS STAMP vENDER.

Will the time ever come when Uncle Sam can
dispense with letter carriers? The increasing use
of the automobile, the pneumatic tube and me-
chanical devices in the postal service would indi-
cate that eventually some method of delivering
mail will be found which will, in a large measure.
do away with the present system of distribution.
The postofice department has an annual appro-
priation which is used to experiment with mechan-
ical devices, and every year the officials are called
upon to investigate the practicability and utility
of inventions There have been hundreds of differ.
ent styles of mail boxes submitted, and there is
no end Of devices designed for picking up mail
bags by fast-moving express trains. There Is no
doubt, so experts say. that the stamp-fxing ms
chine will come into general use, and they are
equally certain that the government will adopt
slot machines for the automatic sale of postage
stamps, as Germany and numerous other foreign
countries have. The department has made an Off
cial trial of such machines.
A little more than a year ago the postmaster
general appointed a special committee of officials
to make a thorough investigation Of the stamp.
vending machines. Washington is now having its
extended public demonstration of these machines.
and other cities also will have a chance to try
them for a long period under the direct supervi-
sion of the postofice authorities.
When the postmaster general decided to make
experiments with stamp-selling machines, he In.
vited all persons with inventive tendencies to sub
NIT models. He did not confne the invitation to
America. The result was that some rs machines
were offered for experiment, and the postofice
committee had a long and tedious task in selecting
those that appeared to be practical.
After much investigation the committee selected
a half-dozen machines for further test. To the
owners or inventors of these six makes was given
tie opportunity to make public tests of the ven
ders under the direction of the department. but at
their own expense. Finally three different models
were picked out for an extended public test at
government expense.
Two OF these. machines are foreign Inventions
one a German machine and the other the invention
OF an Australian.
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07
JAPS GREETED AT FRISCO
Training Squadron Are Welcomed at
the Golden Gate by Firing OF
International Salute.

San Francisco, Cal.-The Japanese
training squadron, consisting of the
cruisers Aso and Soya, arrived here
today for a weeks stay in this
harbor before proceeding to ports
in the north Pacific. The ships were
welcomed by the firing of an inter-
national salute by the guns Of the
fortress and the flagship West Virginia
of the Pacific coast.
The reception that will be accorded
to the Japanese officers and men dur
ing their stay Is designed by the
people Of San Francisco and by the
federal representatives as an express
sion of the appreciation of the Ameri-
can people for the many courtesies ex-
tended to Admiral Sperry and his men
in Japan.
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07

of Mexico there are lots and lots of
men who exc cut their livings doing
just this thing. For the man who
doesn't have to fish for the devil-fish,
its fun. but to the man or crews of
men who do it for their daily bread;
well, they content themselves with a
single catch a day.
Aristotle of old is recorded in his
tory as the first writer on the sub
ject of devil-fishing, but as he was
exceedingly fond of MI. Aristotle's
health he left lots unsaid because he
didn't investigate.
Every Gulf of Mexico sailor who
fishes for this creature carries a
Ratchet close by, for that is the only
means of getting away from the fish's
tentacles-simply cutting them off as
they are about to grasp the intended
victim.
In the gulf the devil-ish is har-
pooned and seldom after one of these
great prongs has been imbedded in
the body of the victim are the fisher
men able to land their quarry within
W hours. Usually it takes from
three to four hours of good. hard mus
cle-grinding work and her lots of
times the crew of the hunting craft
must cut the cable and lose the har-
poon simply because the brute fights
too hard to allow the occupation to
be carried on safely. 1t is little
y onder that n fish a day of this
rariety is considered sufficient.
Many wild, weird tales are told of
the devil-fish. One class of stories
deals with the creatures addiction to
towing ocean-going steamers out of
their courses. So strong is the deep
sea monster that captains of vessels
have been known to wonder what
was carrying them to windward, and
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07

with this there is the set of eight tentacles,
which possess grips of iron and are lined under
meath with suckers" which, when in working
order, form a vacuum over the OBJECT grasped
and thus insure a firm hold.
So firm is this grasp that story tellers of sever
al decades ago were fond of dropping the treas
ure-hunting hero into the hold of the sunken
galleon and there bump him up against the ter
rible devil-fsh which had thwarted all human
wiles and for umpty hundred years been the
guardian of the don's loot" The hero always
won and captured the coin, being dragged to the
surface unconscious.
There have been one or two cases where the
cuttlefsh has made its home within the cabins
OF sunken ships. In one case in particular off
the northern coast of South America it is told
that a devil,fsh killed three divers who descend
ed to lay plans for raising the ship. AS each
man was brought to the surface dead from a
cause which none Of his mates could guess, an
other was sent to take his place. Finally the
trouble was suspected and the last man sent
down gave explicit instructions about being
brought to the surface upon the ~faintest tug at
the guide line. After numerous trips up and
back he succeeded in dislodging the creature
by cutting off it's arms one by one. Deprived of
it's arms, it fed and DO further trouble was ex-
perienced.
Perhaps the most uncanny sight which ever
befalls the devil-fish hunters Is when, on a clear
day, the denizens of the deep may be seen on the
pOttOm Walking dlcnR WIN LnS du Oh tHelT
tentacles, which are used as feet. On land, it is
recorded. this is a physical impossibility, for the
fish. but buoyed up by the water of many faith
oms, it's easy.
Though absolutely the most dangerous of crea-
lures of the sea, 1t Is said the devil-fsh displays
greater fear of human attack than any of the
other species. The first move when assailed, Is
to try to grab the hunters with two or more of
the long arms that stretch ont as occasion de-
mands. Failing in this the fish will attempt to
get away under cover of the inky 'sepia," but
when caught with the harpoon and it finds there
is no apparent escape the real tug of war COM
mences and the struggles, are never ended until
the quarry ceases quivering in death, Then the
cables which hold the ~harpooLs are dashed to the
stern of the craft and the sailors turn the yes
sells nose towards home, the most welcome part
of the voyage.
Study the habits and origin of the cuttleish
is one of the most interesting which any scien-
fist ever attempted. The fish are propagated
by means Of eggs. The tiny creature at first has
only one tentacle. which. when 1t grows older.
gradually divides into two and then into four
H A NKNA MIL NLL
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07

often told Of the battles which they have seen in
clear water between these warriors of the briny
deep, but accounts telling Of the victors are scarce.
Along the coast of the Gulf Of Mexico the sharks
show their delight at the plight of the devil-fish
when caught by following in its bloody wake and
with wide-open Jaws, seeking a bite here or there
from the carcass. At night along the coast they
fight in the water for the opportunity to consume
the dead devil-fish after the fishermen have fin
ished with him.
All in all devil-fshing is the most thrilling, most
hazardous, most enhancing method Of angling
which has ever been discovered, for the creature Is
doubtless the %craftiest of the inhabitants of the
tropical waters. And the man who goes after the
scalp of the devil-ish while he is not armed with
modern ac%coutrements is taking his own life in
his hand. The plain hardware store Ratchet with
the short handle is declared to be the best weapon
of defense in close quarters and dozens of lives
have been saved simply because the parties at
tackled were equipped with hatchets and knew
how, when and where to use them upon the an
atomy of the dangerous fish. .
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07
Gets THE EDITORS
MISSOURI PRESS ASSOCIATION
TO MEET MAY IL. 10 and ID.
Real Live Subjects Will Be Discussed
by Successful Publishers
Of the state.

The Missouri Press association will
meet May IL, 10 and IA at Fulton, Mo.
The program, dealing with practical
subjects, will include papers on the
following topics by practical and sue
cessful men:
Type, furniture and material equip.
ment for the country newspaper and
job office; its purchase, care and use"
X. Il. Douglas, of Charleston.
Machinery equipment Of the
country newspaper; its purchase, care
n use" T. A. Dodge, Milan.
THE circulation Of the country
weekly; how to build and maintain"
A. J. Martin, Unionville.
"The country correspondence" E.
L. Purcell, Fredericktcwn.
Home and foreign advertising"
Philip GAM, Macon.
How to make money in the job
office Of the average country ship"
Chas. l.. Miller, Unionville.
Contests as circulation builders"
G. w. Mulinex, Labelle.
what makes for success in the
small town" Chas. Richards, Wentz-
vile.
Grip Of fellowship" Lee Shipley.
Kansas City.
This year in the school of journ-
alism." Walter Williams, Columbia.
The editorial and business depart.
ments and politics as it affects the
country editor and other interesting
themes will be handled by experienced
writer's and thinkers.
Address by Hon. Ewing Herbert,
editor Brown County World, Hiawatha
Kan, evening of May 10Th.
Fulton is located or a branch line
of the Chicago & Alton, intersected
by the C. & A. and Wabash at Mexico
on the north, and by the Missouri
Pacific and NJ. X. G T. on the south
at Jefferson City.
Make arrangements with the rail-
road on which you live to reach one
of the four connecting lines with the
Fultan branch. Apply to the passenger
agent direct of the Wabash, Missouri
Pacific or NJ. X. T., for %transporta-
ton to and from Mexico, Jefferson
City or North Jefferson and A. D..
Perry, D. P. A., Mexico, Mo-, for
transportation over the G. & A. from
any point in Missouri.
Hotel rates will be as follows: The
New Fulton hotel, $500 per day
single, $3.50 per day double. The New
Palace hotel, $500 per day single,
$500 per day for editor and his wife.
The hotel rates includes meals.
Barbecue for the Editors.
A barbecue by the Fulton Com
mercial club for the association will
be part of the entertainment given
the editors by Fulton. The feast will
be held on Friday evening at the
hospital for the insane.
The first entertainment for the
visitors, as planned by the committee,
will be an exhibition by the pupils
of the school for Deaf, May 10, after
which a reception will be held in the
parlors of the institution.
The ladies attending the meeting
will be entertained at William Wood
college by the faculty and students
and given a view of life in a large
boarding school. After adjournment
Friday the visitors will be given a
carriage ride. The grounds of Fulton
institutions as we'll as some Of the
residence streets will be visited.
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07
Fairgrounds In Boston.

Boston women established the first
playground In 1862. Last year there
were eight, and nearly $4,000 was ex-
pended, or about 81 for each child, q
very cheap price for tho amount Of
good obtained. The Playground league
Is the name OF the society of the play
ground boys themselves, who wear
buttons and discipline all bad boys,
thus making the government easy
enough for those in charge. Not the
least important result of the play
grounds in that city is said to be that
involved in the self-government.
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07
AnOther Woman Cured.

Another omar cured
Christiana, Tenn.-"I suffered from
the worst form of female trouble SO
that at times / thought 1 could not
live, and my nerves were in a dreadful
condition. Lydia E. Pinkham's Vege-
table Compound cured me, and made
me feel like a different woman. Lydia
L. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound is
worth its weight in gold to suffering
women."-MRs. MARY WOOD, REDS.
If you belong to that countless army
of women who suffer from some form
of female ills, don't hesitate to try
Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Com
pound, made from roots and herbs.
For thirty years this famous remedy
has been the standard for all forms Of
female ills, and has cured thousands Of
women who have been troubled with
such ailments as displacements, .fbroid
tumors, liberation, Inflammation, IT.
regularities, backache, and nervous
prostration.
If you want special advice write
fOrittOM Mrs. Pinkham, Lynn, Mass.
1t is free and always helpful.
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07

and after a year or so into eight
small arms. These grow larger and
stronger as the age Of the fish in
rease Some adult specimens have
been caught, the tentacles Of which
were ove 20 feet in length. Jets Of
water squirted by means of fins con
stitute the method Of locomotion of
the c%uttlefish.
The devil-fish's choicest occupation
is that of feeding upon shoals Of
smaller members of the finny tribe
and when interrupted in this pursuit
he effect is terrifying. The great
creature will toss several of it's ten
tacles to the surface, still continuing
to feed with the rest of them; and If
this bluff fails to scare the intruder
away, the devil-fish will come to the
surface personally to see about it.
While next to human beings,
sharks are the greatest enemies of
the cuttlefish, the scavengers of the
sea are just about as frightened by
the tentacled monsters as the latter
I----
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07
Wealth of MELODY.

After a hard day in Wall street he
had been dragged by his spouse to the
opera, where he promptly proceeded
to TAX a nap. In the midst of it. he
was awakened by this in the most
soulful accents:
"Ah! What a rich chord! Isn't Il,
dear?"
"Er-ah-yes-how much would O
say it's worth?" he murmured.
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07
Bells Out Of Western Canada.

Winnipeg, Man.-Promptly at mid
night last night the government Of
Saskatchewan province took yer
the entire telephone system in that
province recently purchased from the
Bell Telephone company, and now the
Bells are out of the vast tract from
the great lakes to the Pacific. Man
itoba and Alberta already had taken
over the systems in their borders.
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07

tense, and thus the Al
mighty has endowed the
species with more than
the ordinary powers, for
usually fish, beast or
bird of the air has only
one natural mode of pro-
lection. The cuttlefsh,
however, can cast from
its tissues an inky sub
stance known as "se-
pia," which turns the
water in it's vicinity an
impenetrable black and
allows escape. Combined
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07
COM

Doctor - Most-er-fortunate you
consulted me. I'm just the very man
to-er-cure-you.
Patient-Ah, that's lucky! You are
quite familiar with my complaint,
then?
Doctor-Familiar? My dear sir. I've
had 1t myself-er-this 20 years!
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07

Am using ALIENS FOOT-EASE, and
can truly say / would not have been with
VTS 81 eoI nv n Citing kf feetI me thi rIHe 4 II =
rare good thing for anyone having sore
or tired feet.-Mrs. Matilda Holtwert,
Providence, r. l." Sold by all Druggists.
25c. Ask TODAY.
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07
Reformed

Baldwin-Havs you sworn off for
good?
Enthusiastically. l have sworn
not to take another drink until the
legislature at Springfield elects a
United States senator .-Chicago Trib.
tine.
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07
pIpIodocus In italy.

Andrew Carnegie has offered to
King Victor Emmanuel for the Bo.
iogna university q model Of the fossil
d~ipiocodus. similar to the models he
has given London. Berlin and Paris.
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07

a long time. Doc
tors had failed to
help me. Lydia E.
Pinkham's Vereta-
BILE Compound was
recommended, and
1 decided to try it.
1t cured mytrouble
and made me well
and strong, so that
I can do all myown
work" Mrs. JOS
EPu HALL, Bards-
town XIV
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07
The Sorrow of L.

Scribbles-Jingleton's latest poem Is
certainly rhythmic and beautiful.
Criticus-Yes; it's too bad it doesn't
mean anything.
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07

IMAGINE a great, fat
Shiny something poked
out of the water into
your face, quickly fol-
lowed by another Shiny
something and then
another and another;
each endeavoring to
secure an option on a
different portion of
your anatomy, and you
have one of the vari-
Gus joys of fishing for
the devil fish.
But along the Amer.
lean coast of the Gulf
The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-07
MADE
WELLAND
STRONG
By Lydia E. Pinkham's
Vegetable Compound

Bardstown, Ky.-"I suffered from
and Observation-Disclosures
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-05-01
BY TIP WRIGHT

I'm suffocated with pleasufe be.
cause Joe Jeanette knocke4 out
Sam McVey in Paris. The United
States has had to stand for 1ot
OF things, but McVey was about
the limit. A first water dub on
this side, he was a veritable king
in the French capital, where the
nobility lionized him to an extent
that his head swelled like a wa
ter-logged bareback.
Imagine a great big, overgrown
chunk of black humanity, of the
type that sometimes gives cred
ence to Darwin's theory that we
are creatures of evolution, with a
small, cone-like bean, powerful
torso and ape-like arms, possessed
with little intelligence and as ig-
norant as freshly landed Slav
immigrant, wined and dined by
the so-called representatives of a
nations leisure class. Imagine
pretty women, bearing names that
trace back through generations of
gentle blood, fussing over this big
brute. W
That's what they did in La Belle
France. McVey was fad. He
was admitted to the privacy OF
boudoir and den without muzzle
and chain, and lucky the count or
countess who secured him for the
nonce. Distinguished was fhe
party he honored with his pres
ence on the boulevards. Phew!
But It's different now. Paris
won't stand for a loser, and the
popular song is lie Roi est Mort!
Vive lie Roi," which is apropos in
this case. McVey is down and out
and Joe Jeanette has stepped
into his place.
Not much difference, you say.
On the face of it, no. Jeanette
is of the same complexion as Nc
Vey, but he is different breed.
In the first place, Jeanette has
something In his head besides
bone. He has some education. Is
quiet. unobtrusive, and well be-
haved. You won't see him riding
about Paris in an open carriage
dressed in silk evening clothes
and buried In flowers, as did the
man he knocked out. He won't
permit the Parisians to make a
jackass of him as 1t did out of
McVey. Jeanette is fighter, not
a monkey, and, If his skin Is black,
his head Is full of common senee.
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-05-01
NINE, STE|NHE|L
AWAITS TRIAL.:
Pen MEMOIRS

PARIS, May 1.-The dossier of
the Steinheil affair, which con-
sists of forty volumes of 400 pages
each, is now in the hands of the
|procureur general, together with
the report of 100 pages of M.
IGrandjean, the legal official, who
was charged to examine the docu-
ments. The whole will be consid-
cred by the chamber of indict-
ments, which is composed of five
counsellors, including the advocate
general. The question ,as to the
attitude which Nine. Steinheil will
take up when she is brought be-
fore the chamber of indictments is
now being eagerly discussed.
1t is said that the widow is de-
sirous of ending their formality as
soon as possible. There is also
curiosity on the part of the public
as to the witnesses she will call
at the assizes. Tt Is pointed out to-
day that during her examination
by M. Andre she made no attempt
to evade the direct questions put
to her, and that, while she made
strenuous efforts to establish her
Innocence, she took care not to
mention the names of personalities
with whom she has had dealings.
There is report, which, how
ever, lacks confirmation, that the
widow is at work on her memoirs.