davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
Death and Snuff.

A certain Margaret Wilson of West
minister. who was an inveterate snuff
taker, enjoined that a quantity OF
Scotch snuff should be placed In her
coffin. She also ordered that the ar
rangements connected with her funer-
al should be as follows: "Six men to
be nv bearers who are known to be
the greatest snuff takers in the parish
Of st. James Westminster. Instead OF
mourning, each to wear SNUFF colored
beaver hat, which desire may be
bought for the purpose and given to
them. Six maidens Of my old ac-
quaintance to bear my pail, each to
carry box filled with the best Scotch
snuff, to take for their refreshment
as they 90 along" Snuff was also to
be thrown on the threshold OF de-
ceased's dwelling before the cortege
passed out, snuff was to be strewn on
the ground at every twenty yards IN
advance of the coffin, and the off1ciat-
ing clergyman's fee was to be proper
tionate to the quantity of snun ne
consumed during the ceremony.-Lon'
don Globe
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
How tho Debt Was Collected.

In the home Of a certain influential
family they arose one morning to ind
that no breakfast had been prepared,
even the kitchen fire had not been
lighted. Upon investigation the cook
was discovered peacefully reclining in
bed.
'Are you ill?' inquired the mistress.
''Not ut all. l feel quite WELL" was
the surprising response, but still no
persuasion would induce her to arise.
After time the doctor was sent for.
He put to her his usual questions, but
the girl insisted that she felt perfectly
well.
IF, as you say, you are not III, said
the man of pills and potions, then tell
me in confidence why you won't get
up and 60 to work"
'Well," said the girl resolutely,
"these people owe me $25, and I won't
stir until they pay it."
''Do you think you'll get It quicker
by staying In bed?' asked the doctor.
Il most certainly do," she replied
with CLEAN Of the eye that expressed
determination to fight it out on tha,
line IL it took all summer.
The doctor. advancing. said: "Roll
over and stay there. That's the only
way you'll get it. They owe me $8O.'
! National Magazine
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
Sneezinq.

The custom Of saying God bless
you" after sneezing must be at least
as old rs the fifteenth century. as a
reference to it appears in the first edi-
ton of Cations Golden Legend"
After describing certain malady
which broke out among the early
Christians, the result apparently OF
their Incorporate habits. Caxton pro-
ceeds, 'In this manere somtyme they
deyed, so that when any persone was
herd snesyng anone that were by said
to hym, God helpe you. or Cryste
helpe, and yet endureth the custome.'
A curious superstition with regard to
sneezing still fingers in the villages OF
Devonshire. 1t has found expression
in the following couplet:
Sneeze on Sunday morning fasting.
You'll enjoy your own true love to ever
lasting
In the highlands Of Scotland it II
believed that a newborn child is undel
the thrall of the fairies until it sneezes
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
When Ladies Wore Masks.

In the seventeenth century ladies
wore masks in public, and great was
the variety Of face screens that were
seen. Ladies who had "coralline' lips
preferred short masks, as was natural.
For others who wished to hide the
lower part Of the face the mask was
completed by chin piece OF linen,
which afterward passed under the
chin and over the ears. In 1852 new
mask called the mimi, from the Ital-
ian mimics. was all the rage and
threatened to usurp the place Of the
black one. 1t was even the cause Of
violent quarrels between the ladies
who held to the latter and those who
preferred the latest novelty. Some
years later it became the fashion to
trim the upper part Of the mask with
n ruche Of lace, to lengthen it with
beard Of the same material and even
to cover 1t more or less with lace to
the borders Of the eyeholes. Young
ladies' Of this period. however, fire.
quently contented themselves with COW
ering the face simply with piece of
black crnpe for coquetry's sake and to
appear the fairer.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
ExnIodino Ice Bubbles.

The intensely cold nights Of Siberia.
says a writer. produce curious phe-
nomenOn. Occasionally the silence IL
broken by loud report resembling the
boom of cannon The noise is caused
by the bursting Of an ice bubble on
river. The streams coming from the
hills are incased in ice six to nine
inches thick. and as the water de-
scends faster than 1t escapes through
the river the result is n heavy hydro
static pressure This first causes the
ice upon the river to rise in mounds
often six to eight feet high. For a
time they seem to yield elastically to
the pressure. but finally can With
stand no more and burst with an ex.
plosiye report. The water rushes out,
soon freezing, however, and causing
further explosions. The writer asserts
that he has seen scores OF these Ice
hillocks within few miles.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
Reasons For Cannibalism.

According to writer in French
review. there are three causes for can
nibalism, It is due either to necessity.
Measure or fashion. Twenty per cent
of the cannibals, we learn, eat their
dead to honor them. The ancient II
betans belonged to this class. This IS
sentimental anthropophagy. Nineteen
ner cent eat their great warriors to
obtain their courage. This Is desig-
mated egotistic anthropophagy. Twen'
ty-nine per cent eat human fesh 70
punish their enemies and 81 per cent
because it is the fashion or because
they consider the flesh savory-ih
dianapolis News.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
AAVA\N\D\NV\ \VVO\DO0Ns
THE LADY OF I
THE PARASOL.
BY Martha Cobb Sanford.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Copyrighted, 1908, by A
Literary Press.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
So far as Tom Brewster was con-
cerned, feminine accessories were fash
ioned for the sole purpose of frightep.
ing masculine beholders. Ii. for in
stance. when walking on the avenue
in town he saw mass OF dancing
plumes and feathery streamers about
to swoop down upon him, he SHE'D as
would nervous thoroughbred at the
sight of futtering paper.
This timidity was due both to his
temperament and his circumstances.
His mother had died when he was
very young he had had no sisters. had
never cared for women's society. and
last. but far from least. had never
ayailed himself of the privilege Of
studying the eternal feminine In the
abstract-that is. by gazing into shop
windows.
And so it happened that Annette
Avery, with her rufily gowns and
alarum supreme, her whirling parasol,
terrified Tom to the point of paralysis.
From the hotel veranda, painfully con-
scious of his own ineligibility, he
watched other men from time to time
stroll off with her, all of them adopts
in the art of parasol manipulation.
Ordinarily such an exhibition Of flip
pant superiority would not have piqued
him. 1t would have either reused his
disdain or escaped his observation al
together But for some reason wholly
unintelIigible to himself the thought
of any other mans holding Miss
Ayerys parasol sent him into a state
of feverish emotion.
Tom was nothing if not ingenious
and persistent In the seclusion of his
10 by 8 hotel bedroom he prac'
ticed twirling carefully poised um'
brella over his shoulder. The idiocy
| of it tickled his demure sense Of hu
NOR, and the results were very graft
flying.
Whether the bewildering presence OF
Miss Avery beside him would upset
this heroically acquired equilibrium
could only be discovered by putting
| himself to the actual test. He decided
to risk it.
Miss Avery''-he venturcd on hav
ing the good luck to find her alone OF
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
Time to Go,

81 wonder how many Of those con-
nected with newspapers said re-
porter, remember the famous d1s
patch sent by press telegraph oper-
ator at the time Of the San Francisco
earthuuake. 1t was the only smile
raiser In the whole horrible catas
trophe. 1t read something like this:
THE building is beginning to rock,
bricks are falling about. and it's me
for the simple life Then 1t traifed
off as If the operator had scooted for
the open door. or wall, perhaps. This
dispatch was handed about the news
paper offices and made all the boys
laugh in spite of the serious picture II
chilled to mind.-Philadelphi Ledger,
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
THE HUMAN RACE.
Will Man Simply Shrink OF the Faes
OF the Earth?

Will Man Simply Shrink OF the Face
OF the Earth?
A French statistician who has been
studying the military and other rec
ords with a view Of determining the
height of men at different periods has
reached some wonderful results.
He has not only solved some per-
picking problems in regard to the past
Of the human race, but is also enabled
to calculate its future and to deter
mine the exact period when man will
disappear from the earth.
The recorded facts extend over near
ly three centuries.
It is found that in 1910 the average
height Of man in Europe was 1.75 me-
ters, or, say. five feet nine inches. In
1850 1t was five feet six inches. In
1920 1t was five feet five inches and
fraction. At the present time it is
| five feet three and three-quarter inches.
1t is easy to deduce from these figures
q rate of regular and gradual decline
in human stature and then apply this.
working backward and forward, to the
past and to the future. BY this calcu-
lation it is determined that the stature
Of the first men attained the surpris-
ing average Of sixteen feet nine inches.
Truly, there were giants on the earth
in those days The race had already
deteriOrated in the days of Og, and
Goliath was a quite degenerate OF
spring of the giants. Coming down to
later time, we find that at the begin
ming Of our era the average height OF
man was nine feet, and in the time of
Charlemagne it was eight feet eight
inches. But the most astonishing re-
suit Of this scientific study comes from
the application Of the same inexorable
law Of diminution to the future. The
calculation shows that by the yeal
1000 A. D. the stature of the average
man will be reduced to fifteen inches
At that epoch there will be only I'LL
putians on the earth. And the con
clusion of the learned statistician Is
Irresistible that 1.-The end Of the worlt
will certainly arrive, for the inhabit
ants will have become so small tha
they will finally disappear''-"tinish b!
disappearing" as the French idiom ex
presses it-"from the terrestrial globe
London Tit-Bits.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
The Rack. Pace and Amble.

The rack is gait Of the horse be-
tween a trot and gallOp or canter. In
which the fore feet move rs In a slow
gallop. while the hind feet move as In
a trot or pace. 1t Is usually an arti-
fetal gait, but is sometimes hereditary
or natural. There is much confusion
Of terms in respect to this gait. due
to the fact that the gait itself is some
what varied, according as the racker
carries the one or the other fore foot
foremost in the galloping motion OF
the fore feet; that many confound the
rack with the pace. the words often
being used anonymously, and that
many have mistaken the use OF the
words "pace" and "amble." There Il
abundant evidence that the American
pace Of today is the amble OF Eu-
ropeans Of the last century and earlier.
The motion Of the hind feet is the
same In the trot, the pace and the
rack. In the trot the diagonal hind
and fore feet move nearly simulta-
neously. In the pace or amble the
hind and fore feet of the same side
move nearly Observation-Disclosures
GlOhQ
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
Muskrat and Perfumery.

The question is asked US whether
the musk Of the common muskrat Is
not used to make cheap perfumery.
We have never heard Of such use OF
muskrat musk, nor can we find any
thing definite on the subject In the
books. Application to a large manu-
facturer Of perfumery, however, brings
out the information that some years
ago musk from the muskrat was tried
out for perfumery purposes. but was
not found, available for this use. Not 4
single instance Of its being used now IL
known. The musk Of commerce comes
chiefly from the musk deer.-Forest
and Stream.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
A PEG Too Low.

A tankard was made of precious
metals. of pewter or Of wood. Among
the most ancient specimens are the
"peg tankards." These are said to have
been introduced by st. Dunstan as a
check on the intemperance Of his day.
Pegs marked theatankard ut intervals,
beyond which the drinker was not to
60, else he had more than his COM
rades. But, curiously enough, this de-
vice proved the means Of aggravating
the evil it was intended to remedy. for
as Il refinement on st. Dunstan's SIM
ple plan the most abstemious drinkers
were required when the tankard went
round to drink precisely to peg indi-
Gated, whether their heads could stand
the amount Of such 'distempering
draft" or not Thence comes the
phrase, He is peg too low.'-London
Spectator.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
OnIv His Share.

George" said the maiden aunt re-
proyingly, shaking her finger very SOL
emnly at her small nephew. there
were two mince pies on the iardef
shelf this morning, and now they have
disappeared. I didn't think 1t was In
you"
"'Tisn't all in me" blubbered the wee
boy. Zone Of 'em is In Gwennie."
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
Eat sinoers-Why?

A medical gentleman. writing IN
Comoedia. explains that the physical
mass;veness Of the majority OF famous
singers comes mainly from abnormal
DEVELOPMENT Of the lungs. We must
confess that we had been under the
impression that 1t was due to a lauda-
ble effort to make grand opera anus
ing.-Punch.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
They Do Their Share.

Milton complained Of his wife that
she did not talk to him enough. Three
hundred years have wrought a change
When Matthew Arnold visited this
country a woman with more zeal than
discretion asked him:
"Ar. Arnold, will you tell me wnat
is the most novel impression you have
received in the United States"
"Certainly. madam" he replied, with
perfect English suavity. "The women
do all the talking."-Youth's Compan-
ion
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
GOT AHEAD OF PITT.
The Ruse by Which George III. Out
witted His Premier.

The Ruse by Which George Ill. Out
witted His Premier.
On Jan. 10, 1905, DIR. Manners-Sut-
ton. bishop Of Norwich, was giving
dinner party in his Windsor deanery
when his butler Informed him that
gentleman wished particularly to see
him, but would not give his name.
"Well, I can't come now in the mid
die of dinner" said the bishop.
BEG pardon, my lord, but the gen.
tleman is very anxious to see you on
important business" and the butler
was so urgent that the bishop apollo
gized to his company and went out.
The gentleman who would not be de-
MED proved to be King George III.
"How dye do. my lord?' said he.
"Come to tell you that you're arch
bishop Of Canterbury-archbishop OF
Canterbury. Dye accept-accept? Eth
eh?'
The bishop bowed low in token OF
acceptance.
"All right" said his majesty
you've got a party-see all their hats
here. Go back to them. Good night
Next morning Pitt appeared at WIND
sor castle to inform his majesty that
Archbishop Moore had died the day be
fore and to recommend the bishop Of
Lincoln, DR.. Pretyman. for the vacant
primacy.
Every sorry, very sorry, indeeo
Pitt" said the king, "but offered 1t t.
the bishop of Norwich last night. ant
he accepted. Can't break my word.
Pitt was very angry. but the deet
was done, as the king meant 1t shoule
be, and so DR.. Manners-Sutton became
archbishop of Canterbury and held tn
great office for twenty-three eventfu
years.-Michael McDonagh in Cham
bers' Journal.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
a Soool of Thread.

But for Napoleon" said the spool.
81 like the Arc de Triomphe. would
never have existed. In Napoleon
time thread was made only Of SILK and
Of wool. Napoleon to ruin the English
silk thread trade destroyed the worlds
silk stock, which lay at Hamburg. In
this crisis the Paisley spinners turned
TO cotton. After tremendous labol
they at last made cotton thread. Cot
ton thread is the worlds chief thread
ay."-Cincinnati Enquirer.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
Not to His Taste.

Proud Mother Ito admiring visitor)-
Yes. we think that little Harry has
prettier hair than any of the other
children. Five-year-old Bobby ICON
temptuously)-Umph! They showed
me that color. and l wouldn't take It,
Exchange.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
cava the Snap Away.

The Dominie-How Is 1t, my young
friend, that your mother always does
the carving when you have company
to dinner? Freddie-'Cause dad al
ways say> things while he's doing 1t.
-p,,ck
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
A Nice Distinction.

Mrs. Farmer-And you say that the
last man you worked for was 81 Hig-
gins? Rambling Resteasy-No, ma'am.
I said dat he wuz de last man dat en-
pioyed me.-Chfcago News.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
Short. All RiQht.

De Tanque-Oh, believe in short
life and a merry one. Wigwag-WeA.
/ guess you'll get the benefit OF the
first half Of your theory, all right
Exchange.
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
Procrastination.

"Why is procrastination said to pe
the thief OF timer asked the teacher.
"Cause it takes a fellow so long to
say it." answered the bright boy at
the foot Of the class.-Chicago News
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15
Either Way.

Psmith-Td invite you home to din
ner with me. but we have no COOK.
Kiones And I'd invite you home with
me, but we have one.-Cleveland Lead
or
The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-15

He who foresees calamities suffers
them twice over.-Porteous.
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-04
BRUTALITY CHARGES
MADE BY WIVES
Say Husbands Beat, Threatened
to Kill and Failed to Pro
vide for Them.

TWO more women applicants for MEM
bership in the divorce colony made their
appearance In the Third District court
Thursday.
Although Joseph Couit owns n farm OF
forty acres. with fifteen shares OF water
stock In the Thompson ditch. near Sandy
and earns SO day or more, Edith E
Coult alleges he has allowed her TO be-
come n county charge. Once he allowed
her To go without food until she became
i'll from lack OF sustcnanCe. she says
They were married at Sandy July %,
1906, and II was in September OF last year
that Cout allowed her TO become Ill from
lack az food, Mrs. Coult alleges. since
the first of this year. she charges sne
has been forced 10 leave Coult and rely
upon her own efforts and the charity oil
friends and relatives for her maintenance
II was then that she was compelled 10
seek ala from the county, and she Is sun
being assisted by the county. she says
Mrs, Coult demands a divorce $40 at
torney fees, $40 month temporary ana
reasonable permanent alimony There
are two daughters, and 10 years old
by n former marriage, Mrs, Coult says,
but no mention is made OF any chlIuren
by this union.
Repeated assaults. accompanied by
threats OF death. are Laura y. seals s al
legations against Charles :. Seals. This
is another disastrous Pennington mar
riagc, the couple being united at the l,a- pa
Wis county Grctna Green March IL. 1908.
On Nav 80 last Seals struck her over the
head and face with his fists and drove her
out of the house with shovel, at thc
same time threatening her life, Mrs.
Seals says. Al divers other times prior
TO that date Seals abused her and threat
ened To kill her, Mrs. Seals charges ac"
companying the threats with blows on
some occasions,
Jointly they have acquired n home
stead worth $1,000 In lots 81 and 80. block
Of block 2S. plat {. Salt Lake city sur
vey. Mrs. Seals says, and pending the
termination OF her case she asks that
Seals he restrained from disposinG OF the
property. She demands 500 attorney
fees and $40 n month temporary allmony.
and upon the settlement of the case she
asks for $50 a month permanent alimony
and the Same amount OF attorney fees.
No mention IS made OF any children,
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-04
Special to The Tribune,

Special to The Tribune.
BOISE. Ida. June 2.-Dr. G. w Barnes
of Boise, presiding elder OF rhis district
of the Methodist Episcopal church, dur
Ing an address made before the Idaho
Christian Endcavor society, In session in
Boise this week. appealed 10 all the Meth
odlsts Of Idaho 10 awaken from their
apparent Indifference which they as Chris
tions were cvidcncing regarding the rapid
inroads Of Mormonism In Idaho"
The following IS the Boise Statesman s
account OF the words OF the presiding ell
In his address. "rho Inland Empire
for Christ" DR.. Barnes spoke OF the
broad spirit in Idaho which was DOING
away win dsnomlnational lines OF every
KIND and transforming society. Its work
he said, was similar to that OF the great
nnroank' fsn , who iirst removed the thistle
caused to grow on 1t luscious. nourishing
fruit. Az the very vItals, however, he
said, OF the work IN Idaho, was the
CROWN OF religious false doctrinc-of Nor
monlsm; He cited three cities, two Of
1000 Inhabitants each, not more than
seven miles apart, and one of 1000 in
therc We're no churches Of Protestant or
Catholic denomination.
At one town In the southeastern part
OF inc state Z minister OF the gospel was
refused building In which to hold meet
lnSs, he said IA short time after this
several Mormons from the town listened
TO the same minister preaching fu-
denuy being stricken with qualms of
conscience. told him that they understood
that he had been refused Il place 10 speak
when IN their town the week before, but
that II lie came back there they would
see that he had the use OF the school
house. He accepted the invitation ap-
peared the next Sunday and was handed
the key by n little girl. He opened the
school building. rang tho bell for service
waited half hour, rang agaln-waited
an hour. and then locked up the school
house, paid his hotel bill at the rate of
$1 per day and left the town. convinced
that Christian religion was not popular
In that city"
1T is within the power OF tsc young
people Of Idaho to break up this indlf-
ference to Mormonlsm. But to do {. we
need a zeal equal To that organization
which at the present time has forty mis-
slonaries In training in one city of the
state"
Brother Barnes needs discIplining He
Is not properly advised. His counsel
has been bad and he has not received the
right "tlp" as to Idaho affairs.
,on MormSPsm; iG ,ssnss doGtGr is forbidden
ton in Idaho. Let well enough alone"
else harm may come to your position
The Mormon church. doctor, is a
power: mighty power. Nationally. doc
nationally. doctor for IT sends many
times the forty missionaries of which you
speak TO foreign lands annually. and
there they teach and preach polysamy
to young women and their powerful
agents. some OF whom are United States
senators, doctor Help step them past the
port of entry because of the power OF
this organization.
It's power. doctor, even served 10 tickle
the ambition OF the great reformer Roose-
when "A score or more OF the biggest and
the best women of the nation, members