davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01
The sitting-Room Lamp.


Aunt Ethel took off the shade from
the lamp on the sitting-room table,
struck a match carefully on the little
iron Chinaman's back, and In mo-
ment there was a pleasant light in the
room.
"Aunt Ethel, what makes the lamp
burn?" asked Constance.
Kerosene" replied Aunt Ethel, who
was busy with her knitting.
"Would the lamp burn II there was
water In it?" asked the little girl.
Aunt Ethel shook her head smiling
ly. "Of course not, Constance" she
said. '"rhe oil feeds the cotton wick
In the lamp, and the wick feeds the
fame
what does kerosene mean?" Ques-
toned Mary, forgetting the shadows
In the corners and coming close to the
table, where she could watch the flame.
"Dear me-" replied Aunt Ethel. II
shall have to find that out. | don't
know myself" and she laid down the
knitting and brought a big book from
the book shelves and began turning
the leaves.
Here 1t is," she said. well. 1t Is
a made-up name. partly Greek. 1t
means fuel--that is, something that
will burn-and 1t means light"
Both the little girls repeated the
word over as II not quite satisfied.
"It is really an OIL" went on Aunt
Ethel, that Is found In the ground,
and 1t Is of more value to all the peo-
pie Of the earth than all the minerals,
such as silver. gold and copper. But
its real name Is petroleum. Kerosene
is made of petroleum,
"Does everybody have it?" asked
Mary,
"Who found out that It could be
burned In lamps?" asked Constance, be-
fore Aunt Ethel could answer Mary's
question.
"Well, Constance, will answer your
question first, because II says right on
this very page that no one knows who
first used petroleum, as thousand
the Japanese were using it, and called
It burning water because 1t came
from the ground. And they dug wells
where the oil was found to secure a
supply. And in Egypt there were wells
of oil. and the people used II for light.
very much as we do now"
81 guess everybody knows about It,"
said Mary. for her aunt had answered
both questions.
There are oil wells in this very
State, New York." went on Aunt Ethel,
"and In Ohio. where Aunt Mary lives,
and In Texas, and In Califorpia Aud
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01
Hiernelyphics.

This game, which is really trick,
Is played with a confederate, and II
cleverly done, a "goodlie companie"
may be deceived.
A Snowman, armed with a long,
pointed stick, stays in the room and
his confederate, the Guesser, is shut
out, while the company thinks OF a
word. The Guesser is called in, and
the Snowman proceeds to spell out the
word on the floor, with sundry taps
and strokes Of his stick
The solution is simple enough. The
taps represent the vowels; one tap for
a, two taps for e, three |, four for 0.
five for u, and the Guesser need pay
no attention to any other talking.
Suppose, for instance, the company
selects the word "book" The cue is
given in the sentence which the Show
man uses to call the Guesser In. He
would say, In this case, better come
in" and the Guesser would know at
once that the first letter OF the first
word in that sentence will be the first
letter of the word to be guessed. The
Snowman taps four times with his
stick and makes a lot Of misleading
strokes and signs; then he taps four
times more for the second 0, then he
says, in an off-hand way: Kind of
hard, isn't it?" or any other sentence
introduced by the letter k. He finishes
up with more signs and strokes, as II
to puzzle the Guesser, who, of course,
has already secured his word.
The Snowman must be quick and
clever in placing his consonants at the
beginning Of spicy sentences, other
wise the humor of the trick is lost.
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01
The Farm-wife.,

Where ends the road across the hill'
l do not know--I do not know;
But all day long and all the night
I long to go--I long to go!
It runs so straight beneath the sun.
So white beneath the moon;
II calls me from my work and dreams
And I must answer-soon.
/ holt my door, do my tasks.
kiss my goodman's cheek
Yet l cannot hear my baby's laugh
For what the road would speak
Where ends the road7 only know
Here, from the pasture-bars,
II Is familiar to the sun
And mistress to the stars.
Reginald w. Kaufman. In Lippin-
Gotta
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01

Nothing Was the Matter.

"A newsboy knew" said yachts
man, took to the sea. He became
cabin boy on tramp collier. He was
good boy, but
Once, when our white squadron
was at Newport, this collier steamed
in her slow way shoreward with her
ensign upside down, the signal Of dis
tress-distress of the direst. Instantly
pretty sight was to be seen. Every
warship in the fleet lowered a life
boat, and all of those beautiful, snowy
boats, manned by jackies In spotless
white duck, raced for the grimy old
collier at breakneck speed-a pretty
sight indeed. The captain of the col
lier stood on the bridge. He waved
his hat, and the crews pulled all the
faster AS they drew close they heard
the mans cries.
"'Come on! Pull! Get down to 1t!
he reared, dancing about wildly.
Whats the matter, captain? the
first officer to reach the collier asked
breathlessly.
Why, nothing's the matter the
captain answered In surprised voice.
"'Then why's your ensign upside
down?
"The captain looked aloft, then
frowned.
It's that boy Hank again, said he.
And here | thought 1t was regat
ta.'"
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01
Anecdotes Told OF wit.

When A. T. Stewart conceived the
idea of setting up a coat of arms he
went to w, R. Travers. the New York
wit. for advice. Mr.. Travsrs suggest.
ed an employer rampant. chasing a
lazy salesman with yard-stick, and
Mr.. Stewart did not speak to him
again for month. This anecdote is
probably as authentic as the other.
which states that MIR. Stewart being
extremely loQuacious at state ban.
quet at Delmonico's. Mr.. Travers ST,
fenced him by calling the length of the
table: CASH"
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01
Anima, GOOD for reulrry.

Bones and meat secured from the
butcher and cut into fine pieces by
means of bone cutter are perhaps
the best substitute for the insects
hen finds when on free range. Horse
meat, being free rrom tuberculosis, is
probably slightly preferable to that
from the butchers stalls. Skim milk
Is a good substitute for meat, but be-
ing so bulky the fowls rarely eat
enough of 1t to supply the required
nutriment unless 1t is soured to a
clabber and whey drawn off. Dried
beef scrap is a product OF the pack
ing houses and If of assured quality
makes fair substitute for fresh meat.
1t should be fed in hoppers and should
constitute about 8 or 10 per cent OF
the grain ration.
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01
The Upward sians.

''Yes," said the worker In the slumA.
II have immense hopes OF Luigi"
..But he is so ignorant" urged some
one,
"Yes." admitted the worker, "but
he shows the infallible sign OF ad-
vancement-he Is no longer disoon-
tented with his condition: he is dis
contentsd with his character"
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01
owl. for Orchards.

The fruit growers of New Zealand,
after long racking their brains In vain
to find some way Of getting rid of the
small bird pest. recently thought Of
trying owls, says the Sydney Mail. A
hundred small German owls were or
dered from Europe, and part Of the
order was delivered last September
The owls were liberated In the fruit
growing districts and Immediately
proved wonderful success. They kill
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01
sure Enough.

Mrs. Bacon--I read here that the
seins on the back of the hand are ev.
cry bit as useful for the Identification
of criminals as thumb prints.
Mr.. Bacon docking at his handl-Is
that fact2
Now, what are you looking at the
back of your hand for? You're not a
criminal, are youY'-Yonkers States
man.
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01

II the horse has defective feet keep
them carefully trimmed and shod. II
necessary. The soft hoof should be
shod and re-shol every six or eight
weeks in the winter when the ground
il frozen. and at all times of the year
where the roads are rocked or gravel
ed. By keeping the horse with poor
feet properly shod 1t win do good ser.
vice without loss OF time. 1t is best.
however to breed for good feet
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01


Once there was man who was
awakened every morning by the trum
pet of rooster. This so provoked him
that at last, putting his head out ol
the window, he shouted:
Miserable creature! Is 1t moi
enough that you crow by day? Early
every morning you crow and crow un.
til you cause the sun to rise. Then
| have to get up and work. II you do
not keep quiet In the morning shall
certainly wiring your neck"
And so he did, but too late he found
that the sun rose from other causes
than the growing of a rooster.-Chi.
cago News.
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01
xu,.aam Al Ruying Feed.

When much food Is to be bought
the aim should be to grow SO much
coarse fodder that whatever is bought
viii be bought In the shape Of fer
tilizer. The wisdom Of doing this
arises from the less cost of transport
ing concentrates because Of the less
bulk which they contain in proportion
to their nutriment The fertilizer may
be very proftably used in growing the
coarse folders needed.
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01

ed waxeyes, finches, green linnets,
thrushes. blackbirds and sparrows;
also mice, rats and young rabbits. They
fed their young on caterpillars, grubs
and beetles, and their only fault
seemed to be an occasional fondness
for barnyard chicken.
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01

tached to one end and block of wood
nailed to the other, takes the place Of
ice tongs. One person can take out a
heavy block of ice as easily as three
men could with Ice tongs. In remov-
Ing ice blocks with this board, the ep
orator will not get wet
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01

yield of this crop over s36,o0O.00O each
year. The above account shows that
an annual loss amounting to over $685.
600 1000 is sustained, due to the injury
caused by fungi to cereals and pota-
toes alone.
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01
Landing BIocks of Ice

An easy way to take the blocks OF
ice from pond after they are cut Is
shown in the accompanying sketch,
from Popular Mechanics. A plank ten
to twelve feet long, with handle at
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01
one OF the tM) N,xn, .lind

Maud--So your new beau possesses
an airship, does he? What kind 1t is?
Ethel--The best kind possible the
heirship to about million dollars
Boston Transcript
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01

A hen left to herself will get OF ha,
nest very early in the morning, when
the air is cool. She has the eggs heat.
ed to 103 or 104 degrees. She gets Of,
the nest. and the cool air. coming In
contact with the warm eggs. causes the
moisture to precipitate. and 1t molstens
them sufficiently without any addition.
al wetting.
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01
1FSlss}y2#
Back to the Farm.

There are three all-important things
to be weighed by the city man who
wishes to return. to the farm. The
first is his wife. If she is in every
sense of the word a helpmate, loves
the country and can give up what she
has been used to in the city for the
sake of the children and the building
of a real home, then the prospects are
fairly favorable to begin with. The
second thing to be considered is your
years and capacity for work; the
third, what Is your capital2 II all
these are favorable, don't lose a day
In trying to get suitably located. II
any one OF these points is doubtful.
deliberate well and move slowly. II
you have fat bank account and q
wife tied to the fleshpots Of the city
you can do nothing In the country;
but, ON the other hand, II your wife
be one with you heart and soul, then
capital might at pinch be forgotten.
As to the second point-that of years
and capacity for work-this Is very
important, because SO many Of those
who are earnestly desirous of forsak-
Ing the city to-day are well advanced
In years. who think that the country
would afford them an easy means OF
earning living. There is nothing
easy on the farm.
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01
1NuluzHycel l50zLl KS

years before the Bible was written
way off in Russia, on the western
shore of the Caspian Sea, are many
wells of oil that supply many people. .
wait, I'll get the big atlas, and
you can show us on the maps just
where the oil wells are" said Mary,
eagerly; and in few minutes the big
book with its colored maps was spread
out on the table, and Mary and Con-
stance found the places in China, in
Japan, In Burma and in Russia where
petroleum is found. Then Aunt Ethel
told them over again the list of States,
and these they found very easily.
my! ] never thought before about
what made the sitting-room lamp
burnt" exclaimed Mary, as they put
away the big as.-Youth's Compan
ion.
Winter Nature Notes.
The Juncoes are collecting junk.
They're always on the wing;
They plan to start junk shop
For birds who come In spring.
The Cat tails, who in meadows live,
Are losing all their fur,
They surely need good shampoo.
They're too forlorn to purr.
The Sparrows' favorite resting place
On each cold winter night
Is close upon leahess branch
Near an electric light.
New is the time for rabbits all,
Who wear coat of gray,
To hide themselves or else the snow
Will give them quite away.
Chicago News.
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01

Loss ON Farm Crops Due to Fungi.
Prof. w. A. Orton, In an article on
the Importance of the development Of
farm crops resistant to disease. justi-
iies his statements by pointing out
that the present losses from plant dis
eases are heavy tax upon the farmer.
He states that In the United States
alone the average annual loss from oat
smut Is more than $6,500,O0o; from
loose-smut of wheat. 100000. and
from bunt. or stinking smut of wheat,
more than $11,000,0o0. Loose-smut an
nually diminishes the value of barley
$2,000,0o0, careful estimate Of the
loss in one State last year placing 1t
as per cent. The combined effect of
the various diseases Of fungal origin
attacking the potato diminish the
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01
Increasing Flow of MILK.

1t must be remembered that beyono
a certain point grain will not increase
the flow of milk at all. The COW has
limit; she can use just so much food
and pay for 1t, and no more, and 1t is
the business of the dairyman to find
that limit, and he can readily do SO by
very gradually increasing the ration
and keeping close watch of the cows
condition, of the voiding and Of the
milk yield. Every COW should be forced
right up to her limit. She represents a
sum OF money and when idle earns
nothing, but has to be fed and is taxi
bic. Most profit comes from keeping
cows busy, and at their best all the
time that they are In milk.
The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-04-01
Profltable Hog Has strenr,n.

The profitable market hog must pos
sess good. strong constitution, for
without this no hog can make a good
market hog. The hog that possesses
good, strong and vigorous constitution
is Invariably extremely good through
the heart and chest, and here is whers
he lives. and he cannot be strong and
vigorous II he lacks in this essential
Of development. He should have a
good strong back. be broad and strong
through the loins. for 1t is a mere
chance II we ever find a profitable mar.
ket hog that is weak and poorly de-
veloped through the loins.
The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-12-15

ment of the disguised and disguised
Bunch rose before me, but blew it
away with a laugh.
He laughs best who laughs in his
sleeve" chuckled the old party. Now
that we're out in the country all of us
should learn to handle a sword or a
pistol. 1t gives us ~self-reliance. It's
very different from living in the city.
/ tell you. A tramp in the lookup is
worth two in the kitchen. l shot at
a mark for an hour today"
What WITH" 1 gasped.
With a bow and arrow / bought for
Tacks yesterday directly 1 learned we
were coming to the country. l hit
the bulls eve five out of six times.
An ounce of prevention is worth two
hundred pounds of policemen, you
know. Tacks practised, too, and drove
an arrow through a strange mans
overalls and was chased half a mile
for his skill in ma. ksmanship; but,
as l said before, the exercise will do
him good"
Where do o keep this bow and
arrow?" l inquired, with a studied as
sumption of carelessnees.
Tonight I'll keep it rnder my pill
low. Honi soft qHi cncle Pierre,
which means evil be 10 him who
monkeys with Uncle Peter" he said,
solemnly. Tomorrow I'm going to
The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-12-15

under the bed and pull the bed after
him. Therell be no interference,
Bunch; it's easy money!"
With this complete understanding
we parted and | hustled back to Jig.
gersyille.
About six o'clock Uncle Peter waded
into the sitting room, flushed and
happy as a school boy. I've just left
The garden" he chuckled.
NO, you haven't" l said, glancing
at his shoes; you've brought most
Of 1t in here with you"
/ never touched him.
John" he said. this country life
Is great. Early to bed and early to
rise, makes a mans stomach digest
mince pies-how's that? Notice the
air out here? How pure and fresh
and bracing! You ought to go out
and run a mile, joint
I'D like to run ten miles" l an.
swered truthfully.
Exercise, that's the essence of life,
my boy!" he continued. II firmly be-
lieve l could run five miles today
without straining a muscle. found
a sword hanging ON the wall in the
hall today and I've been practising q
few swings"
A vision of Uncle Peter running a
rusty sword into the interior depart
The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-12-15
John Henry
Burglar
By GEORGE v. HOBART

The country place l had promised
a day from Bunch, hadn't been so
easy to give back. Clara j. liked
ghosts, and / hadn't been able to stall
her with the haunted-house yarn. She
still thought it was mine.
When finally / located BuRch and
told him the bitter truth he acted like
a zee-zee boy in a wheel house.
Laugh! Say, he just threw out his
chest and cackled a solo that fairly
bit its way through my anatomy.
Every once in a while he'd give me
the red-faced glare and smoker, "Oh,
you mark! You Cincherine! You to
the settler bottle-fzz-izz! The only
and original wheeze puller. not. You're
all Observation-Disclosures"
Then he'd throw his ears back and
let a chortle out of his th~irst-teaser
that made the neighborhood Jump side
ways and rubber for a cop.
What are you going to Go?" ne
asked me presently when hiss face
grew too tired to hold any more
wrinkles.
Give me the count" l sighed; I'm
town and out"
Have you no plan at all?" inquired
Bunch.
plan, nothing 1 said; every time
] try to think of a plan my brain gets
bashful and hides. There's nothing In
my noddle now but a headache,
Well" said Bunch, "Pn throw O
wire at my sister and tell her not to
move out to Jiggersville until day
after tomorrow. In the meantime
Wen have to get a crowbar and pry
FOUR family circle loose from my
premises. Nothing doing In the ghost
business, eh?"
Nothing / answered, mournfully;
i couldn't coax a SILVER"
"We-o-o-u-wi' yelled Bunch. Il
ave it-burglars,"
~"Burglarsi" l repeated, mechanical.
".
Sure! It's a pipei" Bunch went
IN with enthusiasm. You will play
Spike Hennessy and I'll be Gumshoe
Charlie. Well disguise ourselves with
whiskers and break into the house
about two o'clock in the morning.
Well rouse the sleeping inmates,
shoot u hulletholders in the ceiling
nee OF twice and hand them enough
excitement to make them gallop back
to town on the first train. Do you
follow me, Ell, what?"
l sighed and looked as helpless as
q nut under the hammer.
Bunch laughed again. "Oh, very
WE'LL" he said. IL see I'm the only
iife-saver on duty, so I'll do a single
speciality and pull you out OF the
pickle bottle"
/ grasped my ~rescuer's hand and
shook 1t warmly in silence.
Leave a frent window Open
Bunch directed, land somewhere
around two o'clock I'll squeeze
through. I'll give you an imitation OF
the best little amateur craftsman tina,
ever swung a Jimmy. I'll take a late
train out and hang around till its
time to ring the curtain up. BY the
way, are there any revolvers on the
premises?
Not a gum" I answered. mot ever
an ice-pick. Uncle Peter won't show
fight. All he'll show will be a blonde
night-gown cutting across lots to beaI
the breeze. Aunt Martha will climb t
the attic, Clara J.. will be busy doing
a scream solo. and Tacks will craw.
The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-12-15

town to buy a bulldog revolver, may
be a bulldog and a revolver, for a dog
in the manger is the noblest Roman
Of them ALL"
I could see poor Bunch ~scooting
across the lawn with a bunch of ar.
rows in his ramparts and Uncle Peter
behind, prodding his citadel with a
carving knife.
/ began to get a bunch hat our
plan of campaign was threatened with
an attack of busy Uncle Peter, and
had just about decided to remove his
door key and lock the old man up In
his Don when Clara j. come in to
announce dinner.
Aunt Martha and Clara j. had col
laborated on the dinner and it was a
uccess / was Sc nervous l couldn't
eat a bite, but / pleaded a toothache,
SO they all gave me the sympathetic
stare and passed me up.
About midnight a dog in the neigh
borhood began to hurl forth a series
of the most distressing bow-bows |
ever heard. l arose, put up the win
dow and looked out.
/ saw a tall man with a bunch of
whiskers on his face flying across the
lot pursued by a black-and-tan pup,
which snapped eagerly at the mans
heels and seemed determined to eat
him up If ever the runner stopped
long enough.
/ felt in my bones that the one in
the lead was Bunch. and l sighed deep
ly and went back to bed.
l must have dropped into an uneasy
sleep for Clara j. was tapping me op
the arm when l started up and asked
the answer.
There's somebody in the house, .
she whispered, not a bit frightened, to
my surprise and dismay. Maybe it's
only the ghost you told us about
what a lark!'
Somebody in the house." l nut.
tered, going on the stage blindly to
play my part: land there isn't a gun
in the CASTLE"
Eyes there is" she answered Joy
fully, / fancied; mother brought
fathers revolver over yesterday and
made me put it in my satchel. She
said we would feel safer at night with
it In the house. Do let me shoot him;
I can aim straight, indeed / can! Why,
John, what makes you tremble SOP"
I'm not trembling, you goose," !
GU orl1I. sT can't fnd NV chnno fhoffC
all. Doggone if I'm going to live in
a joint like this with ghosts and bur
glars all over the place"
Just then an alarming yell ascend
ed from the regions below, followed
by a crash and a series of the most
picturesque. sulphur-lined oaths that
mortal mar ever gave vent to.
II was Bunch. His trademark vas
on every word. | could recognize his
birthstone vocabulary with my eyes
shut.
But what dire fate had befallen
him? Surely, not even an amateur
craftsman would give himself and the
whole snap away unless the provoca-
ton was great.
Lights began to appear all over the
house. Aunt Martha in a weird make
up come out of her room screaming,
What is it? What is it?" followed
by Uncle Peter anu his trusty bow
and arrow,
/ began to pray. 1t was all over. A
rosewood casket for Bunch. Me for
the morgue.
Just as | was ready to rush down