davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
FEATHERED TYRANTS.
All the Fowls of the Air Dread the
Muscicapa Birds,

All the Fowls of the Air Dread the
Muscicapa Birds.
Police work is the strangest of the
work done in the world of birds. In
France and central Europe the musci-
capa birds police the air, posted on
telegraph wires. Black, with heads
decorated with orange fillets, these
notable flycatchers are dreaded by
the brigands of the air. Eagles, fall
cons and all the feathered strong men
of the ether shrink from an encounter
with this tyrant. When the tyrant
cannot find wires to perch on he
perches on pole. When stationed in
a prairie or pasture he perches upon
the back of an OK. He lives by hunt
ing insects and attacks all birds, even
the strongest. using beak and claws
In the unequal struggle. All the fowls
of the air fear the police bird, and
even the most active pillagers of the
sharp eye of the Muscicapa tyrannus.
In winter the tyrant takes posses
sion Of the warm shelters priced by
birds. In spring, when the young are
twittering in the nests, the tyrant
turns ''thief" and sows terror among
friends and enemies alike. Even the
sparrows banded to fall upon a field
fly away when they see the black coat
and orange fillet of the policeman"
The tyrant holds his power by his
audacity. All animals yield to the
influence of courage, a quality special
ly tenacious in birds. The tyrant bird
is small, but his attitude commands
espect.-Harpers Weekly.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
GIBRALTAR.
The "key Of the Mediterranean" Has
Had Stormy History.

The "key of the Mediterranean" Has
Had Stormy History.
England has been in possession of
the rocky promontory of Gibraltar
since 1904. From that time to this it
has been a crown colony under the ad-
ministration of a governor. By reason
of its important strategical position it
is called the key of the Mediterra-
nean."
Gibraltar has had stormy history.
In III the rock was taken by the Arab
chief Tarik, who called it Jebel-aI-
Tarik Chill of Tarik) and built a for
tress on the promontory. Part of these
ruins are still extant. In 1909 it was
taken by the Castilians, only to be re-
captured by the Moors in 1888. 1t was
held by ythem until 1462. Following the
taking and sacking of Gibraltar in
1910 by Barbarosso, extensive military
works were built there by order of
Charles V.
In 1904 the promontory was cap
tured by combined force under Sir
George Rookie and the Prince of Hesse-
Darmstadt, fighting for the Archduke
Charles of Austria. The moment it fell
into their hands the British admiral
threw off the alliance with the Aus
trians and took complete possession of
the works.
British possession since that time
has been unbroken. although it was
under Spanish siege for nearly three
years and eight months, beginning in
1779. Twice the garrison was on the
point of falling because of the starva-
ton of its defenders.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
TIPPING IN FRANCE.
IF One Doesn't Pay Up, Then Life 10
Made a Burden.

Why do we pay pourboires in
France? Simply because if we didn't
life wouldn't be worth living. Here
is what happens to the man who gives
no tip to the waiter: After a cognac
and eau-de-SeltZ he summoned the
garcOn and gave him the exact price
of his cOnsummation. Then he rose
to go, but before he had time to leave
the cafe the waiter tripped over a
stool and emptied on to the nontipper's
handsome fur coat a glass of sticky
sirup which he was carrying to an
other customer. The clumsy waiter
begged thousand pardons and i'm
mediately made things worse by seiz-
ing greasy cloth and rubbing the
slrupy substance into the coat. Sup
pose tenant does not tip his con-
cierge. What is the result? This-that
hours except when they arrive; that
callers are told you are not at home
when as a matter of fact you are
waiting for them. If you grease the
pOrter's hand from time to time there
will never be any difficulty in allow
ing the tradesman to go up to your
fiat. But as soon as the tips are stop
ped a host of irritating regulations
you never heard of will be enforced
to prevent the grocer's and the butch
er's boys taking up your orders, and
everything will be done to make your
life burden.
Your servants may go out every
night in the week and all night, but
if they tip the concierge with your
ewn coal or wine you will never know
it. When it is not the concierge or
the servants that make your existence
unbearable it is the blanchisseuse, who
brings home collars that don't belong
to you, somebody else's pajamas and
ragged edged handkercbiefs. But the
tip makes all these annoyances van
ish.-LondOn Globe.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
---- - x<--
No Color IN The Dark,

In the dark there is no such a thing
as color. The reddest dress is Just the
same color as pure white tablecloth
when both are placed in a dark closet
If you would understand this assume
the presence Of light wave motion in
the ether. The color of light depends
upon the length of these waves The
light waves producing the colors in
the blue end of the spectrum are very
short compared with those that pro
duce the colors near the red end The
light source that we know as red gives
off only waves of length to produce
that particular color. A body appears;
red because its surface absorbs all the
other waves and reflects the red waves
back into the eye. If an attempt is
made to light a blue body with red
light it will fail, because the blue body
Is capable of rejecting only the short
waves producing the blue. and since
the red source produces none of these
there will be no reflection and the body
will appear black. A thing looks black
when it is capable of absorbing all the
colors at once.-St. Louis Republic.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
AN UNFOUGHT DUEL.
The Way the Father of His Country
A,a.oaJ R.a,.

The Way the Father of His Country
Avenged Blow.
1t is narrated that on one occasion
in his early manhood Washington
came very near the settlement of a
. dispute, so common in those days, by
fighting a duel. But as he was the
one who should have issued the chal-
lenge he had the still greater courage
to apologize and admit that he was in
the wrong.
1t war in the town of Alexandria,
where the young Virginia colonel was
quartered with his troops, that an cleo
ton dispute occurred, and in the heat
of the party excitement Washington
told Mr.. Payne that he lied. That
gentleman at once replied with blow
that knocked the young colonel down.
Word having reached the barracks
that their beloved commander had
been killed, his soldiers rushed to the
city to avenge him. He met them.
however, quieted them, and they re-
turned to their quarters.
Mr.. Payne, on receiving note from
Washington the next morning asking
him to call at his lodgings, supposed it
was, of course, to give the colonel
opportunity to demand satisfaction"
for the blow he had received the day
before. Imagine his surprise when,
instead of finding pistols or swords
ready for a duel. Washington greeted
him with outstretched hand, saying:
II believe was wrong yesterday. You
have already had some satisfaction,
and if you deem that sufficient here
is my hand. Let us be friends."-H.
A. Ogden in st. Nicholas.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
CATCHING the Speakers Eye.

The practice Of catching the speak
er's eye" dates back to the session of
1910, when a heated dispute arose be-
tween members Of the house, several
of whom claimed precedence of speech
It was then decided that whoever first
caught the speakers eye should have
the right to address the house. This
rule worked smoothly until 1856, when
Sir John Trevor was elected to the
chair The new speaker was afflicted
with an abominable squint; consequent
ly two members would often catch his
eye simultaneously and decline to give
way to one another. To obviate this
further rule was framed to the effect
that the speaker should call by name
upon the member privileged to address
the house. So every holder Of the Of
fee has to possess a good memory for
names as well as keen eyesight.-Lon-
don Chronicle.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
Improving the Book of Job.

l remember the relief with which,
after long feeling the sway of Frank
Inns imperturbable common sense, l
came upon a project Of his for a new
version of the book of Job to replace
the old version, the style of which.
says Franklin. has become obsolete
and hence less agreeable. 81 give" he
continues, "a few verses which may
serve as a sample of the kind of ver-
sion would recommend"
We all reCollect the famous verse in
our translation, ''Then Satan answered
the Lord and said, Doth Job fear God
for naught?" Franklin makes this,
docs your majesty imagine that Jobs
good conduct is the effect of mere per-
sonal attachment and affectionY"
l well remember how, when l first
read that, l drew deep breath of re-
lief and said to myself. After all,
there is stretch of humanity beyond
Franklin's victorious good sense"-
Matthew Arnold's Couture and An
archy."
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
LATE REPORTS INDICATE
SHORT CROP OF APPLES

Having just returned from visit to the
southwestern part of the state, General
Manager Clarence E. MOomaw, of the
Virginia Fruit Growers, incorporated,
reports that that there will be short
crop of apples in that section, owing to
the dropping of the fruit. While all
qua ters have not yet been heard from,
several reports which have been re-
ceived lead to the belief that the same
conditions will prevail in the Valley
According to Mr.. Moomaw the drop
ing of the young apples Is due to two
known causes, namely the late frosts
and the extreme dry, hot weather that
followed. These weather conditions
caused imperfect polarization, which
in turn is going to cause an even short
er crop of apples in some parts of Vir
glnia than hal been expected. Pollen
1zation is carried on by bees and other
insects, explained Mr.. Moomaw, and
the severe weather conditions during
April and March kept these little crea-
lures from doing their work.
One report received by Manager.
Moomaw since his return from one
largest growers in this sectle~ "a ~
that the same shortage az ,,aN.e "
oke district is also likely osaper-
fenced around here. Since.sne general
report on early conditions was publish
ed some weeks ago great quantities of
the young fruit have dropped from the
trees in this part of Virginia, this also
being due to the cause before described.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
Justifiable Protest.

"My wife is one of the unluckiest
persons l know" began a Cedar ave-
nue. man, who tells long stories about
his household affairs.
"She sure is" agreed the victim of
the conversation fervently. But bis
mild sarcasm was lost.
"She was hit by street car recent
ly,'' pursued the narrator, "and got a
broken arm. That's the fourth time
in less than a year that something has
happened to her. When they brought
her to her senses this time l leaned
over her sympathetically. Better, my
dear? says l. Tt amt fairr she yells.
What amt fair?' asks gently. Why
she groans, you're the one that car
ries all the accident insurance in this
family, and I'm the one that always
gets hurt. 1t amt fairp "-Cleveland
Plain Dealer.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02

A native diver descended into the
water to see whether one of the piers,
then in course of construction, had set
While he was engaged in this work a
great iron cylinder subsided a little,
crushing his hand between it and the
masonry. When, on signal being Civ
en-, another diver came down he found
his unfortunate comrade imprisoned
under water without hope of escape
After few moments of mute despair
and narrowing uncertainty speech
less decision was arrived at, and the
newcomer proceeded with chisel and
hammer to hack off his unhappy com
panion's hand at the wrist. The pris-
oner was thus liberated, but died soon
after reaching the surface from the
shock. Never. l think, has an opium
eater in his dreams imagined a NOR
pitiful spectacle of hopeless human
sufering.-"Travels In India"
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
Hiring a Mother-in-law.

In Marseilles the salary of a mother
in:law hired to fill the position for a
few hours is quoted at Is. Cd. 1t was
a case of separation of the girls par
ents Custom decreed that the moth
er-in-law must be present at the mar
riage ceremony, so the obliging ma
tron agreed to go to give her consent
on condition that a carriage be sert
for her, and if not, said she. she
would stay at home. The hour for the
wedding came, but the carriage did
not, so the mamma stayed at home.
The bridegroom in desperation when
she did not appear ran out into the
street and hunted up promising look
ing woman. who agreed to come and
act mother for the sum named So
she gave consent and blessing to the
daughter whom she had never seen in
her life before Buffalo Express.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
CHANCES OF LIFE.
Figures That Indicate Your Probable
Future In Years.

Figures That Indicate Your Probable
Future In Years.
Do you ever wonder how long you
are going to live? Ask an actnary. the
man who figures it all out for the life
insurance companies and who can tell
with almost supernatural precision
He'll tell you that if you are 20, and
in good health, chances are IL to ]
that you'll live beyond 80. For longer
life he'll offer these odds: To be 40,
SIS to 1; to be so. to 1 to be 60. 2-3
to 1. But he'll say that you have less
than chance in 21a to be 70. less than
1 in 51a to be so and only chance in
100 to be 80.
Suppose you are 80. Your chances
run this way: To be 40, II to 1; to be
80, AZ to 1; to be 60. 21s to 1 to be 10.
41a chances in 10; to be so. in 51a; to
be 80. / in 100
Or 40 years old Actuaries' odds are:
To be so. s 1-3 to L; to be 60. 27s to 1;
to be TO- 5 chances out Of 10; to be 80
in SIS plus; to be 80, in 100.
Fifty-year-olds' prospects are fig,
ured: To be 60, 47s to 1; to be 70,
about IL to 1; to be 80. only 1 in 5:
to be 90, in 100.
Say you are 60. 1t runs this way at
that age: To be 70, 2 to 1; to be so, ]
chance in 4; to be 90, in 95.
If you are 70 your chances Of turn
ing the so year milepost are 3 to 8;
to be 80, / in so.
Eighty-year-old men and women
have only l chance in II to stave off
the funeral until after so.
If you are 80 there's 10 hope for
you. The actuaries have 10 fgures.-
Cincinnati CONNER III Tribune.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
Drugs or ANTIQUITY.
The Doses That Mankind Swallowed
Thousands of Years Ago.

The Doses That Mankind Swallowed
Thousands of Years Ago.
1t is admitted that the Oldest medical
work known is the Ebers papyrus,
discovered by Georg Ebers in bis
journey to Egypt in 1928. 1t is a
scroll twenty yards long and foot
wide and has been studied and trans
lated by Won Oefele and reviewed by
Won Lippmann. 1t was written about
1850 B. c.. though some of the mate
rial of which it is a compilation dates
back to about 37OO B. G.
The medical substances mentioned
include copper-once more costly than
gold and silver-lead, iron. antimony,
carbon. sulphur, salt, soda, gypsum
and other minerals; milk, fats from
many animals. wax, and the horn.
blood and other portions of domestic
and wild animals; castor and other
oils, honey, raisins, grapes, figs, dates,
wine. beer. linen. fax. lanolin. papyrus.
numerous resins. caraway, fennel, dill,
meliot. watercress. peppermint. cori-
ander, lettuce, endive, absinth, pome-
granate, calamus. aloes, saffiower.
crocus. indigo. henbane, mandrake,
opium and other plants and vegetable
products.
In preparing drugs solids were graf
ed or powdered in stone mortar
There were many processes of treating
them, such as roasting. baking, press
ing, sleeping. warming, boiling in vari-
GUS substances. macerating with lye,
evaporating and fermenting with yeast.
Liquids were filtered and clarified.
Some recipes contain two or three in
gradients, but others have as many as
thirty-seven materials.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
The Kancaroo's Kick.

ems his tail and converts it into sort
of revolving pivot bearing the whole
weight Of his body. leaving his tremen-
dously powerful legs free for attack
and defense. everybody who does not
want to be ripped up or thrown in
heap for a considerable distance will
give the marsupial wide berth. Only
those who have seen the full grown
kangaroo in his native Australian bush
with his back to a tree, scattering dogs,
bleeding and torn, right and left, can
form any adequate idea of the prodi
gious strength the animal is capable of
exerting when he finds himself in
tight corner
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
LEGLESS AND ARMLESS.
Yet kavanaugh Was Daring Rider
and Famous Sportsman.


Far and away the most interesting
member and In many ways the most
remarkable man who has ever sat iD
the house of commons was the Right
Hon. Arthur Kavanaugh, who sat for
Carlow from 1869 to 1880 under condi
tions which would have been impos
sible for almost any other man.
Kavanaugh was born without arms
or legs-he was, in fact, mere trunk
of man. And yet he performed q
feat from which most men with their
full complement of members might
well have shrunk.
Strapped on to his saddle, he was
one of the most skillful and daring
riders to hounds in all Ireland. On
one occasion. it is said. "the saddle
turned under him, and the horse trot-
ted back to the stable yard with his
master hanging under him. his hair
sweeping the ground. bleeding pro-
fusely. He merely cursed the groom
with emphatic volubility. had himself
more safely readjusted and rode out
once more"
So remarkable was the sight of this
pink clad trunk perched on his big
horse that child who once saw him
dashing out of a wood ran shrieking
to her mother. eXclaiming: "Oh, mum
my. I've seen Satan himself! I've seen
him sure enoughw
Kavanaugh was also an enthusiastic
yachtsman and was the first to assert
the right of NJ. P's to moor their craft
opposite the houses of parliament. He
went on shooting expedition to Al.
bania and published a charming book
on his experiences, illustrated with ad,
mirable photographs taken by himself.
while among his favorite pastimes
were angling and tree Telling.
His most famous exploit, however.
was his ride from Norway to India
Accompanied by two friends, he rode
across Russia to the Caspian sea,
thence to Astrakhan and Astrabad
and through Persia, laughing at the
perils and fatigues of journey which
might we'll have daunted even the IA
nous Colonel Burnaby.
Kavanaugh. who was the father of
four handsome sons and daughters, all
perfectly formed. was carried into the
house of commons on the back of an
attendant. and was certainly one of
the keenest and ablest of legislators of
his time.-London Tit-Bits.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02

Many peculiar anticipations have
been cited against patent applications
At one time a congressman took to
the patent office lock invented by
one of his rural constituents. The
lock was an exact copy of lock fig
ured in ''Price on Locks" showing the
lock used on a gate of ancient Thebes
thousands Of years before Christ. The
congressman after examining the Illus
tration. which was shown him by one
Of the officers, exclaimed that he didn't
care who that fellow from Thebes
was, he certainly stole it from his con-
stituent On another occasion an ap-
plication for q patent was filed for a
flower basket whose construction cor
responded in detail with the Scrip
tural description of the ark in which
Moses was placed in the bulrushes,
which, we are told in the second chap
ter of Exodus, was an ark of bull
rushes daubed with slime and pitch.
This is also probably the first record
ed instance of REINFORCED concrete
structure. American.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
Riuht on the Job,

At the time Dewey captured the
Philippine Islands there was only one
lighthouse in operation in the Philip
pine waters-that on Cape Melville.
Balabac island, south of the island of
Palawan and marking the entrance be-
tween the China sea and the Sulu sea-
AS is the custom in time of war, the
Spanish authorities had ordered all
lighthouses to have their lights eXtin-
guished when it was discovered that
an attack on Manila was threatened
by the American navy. 1t appears that
this order was carried out at all other
places except at the lighthouse men,
toned above, where the order was
never received. The keeper of this
light kept his light burning up to June
80, 1899. without assistance. and was
paid for his services from May l, 1899.
to that date by the Philippine govern
ment.-Philippines Monthly.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
The Cruel Wolf Spider.

One of the most unnatural things in
nature, if the expression is allowable,
is the manner in which the young of
the common wolf spider treat their
mother After the little creature has
laid her eggs she envelops them in a
silken covering. so as to make ball
about the size of pea, and this she
carries about with her wherever she
goes and will defend it with her life.
When the young are hatched they
climb on her back, giving her a mon
strous appearance, and ride about I'M
til nearly half grown, and as soon as
they discover their strength they fall
to and devour their mother.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
CURIOUS DOMESTIC fETS.
Musical Insects and Waiting Mice
Popular In Japan.

Musical insects and Waiting Mice
Popular In Japan.
Among the many curious domestic
pets Of the japanese are their musical
insects and waltzing mice.
Hung up in the verandas of Japa-
nese houses may be seen small, exqui-
sitely cut bamboo cages, from which
in the hush Of dawn and at the close
of summer days proceed quaint little
whistlings. tinklings and trills. Usual
ly it is at evening that the Japanese
sit at their ease to listen to the music
of their imprisoned insects. One called
the ''suzu-mushi' gives out, it is said.
a kind of trill so delicate and clear as
to sound like an etherealized birds
song
One species of Japanese mouse may
be said to waltz through the greater
part of the waking hours of it's life.
never firing, though it's feet wear out
in the process. This peculiar little
rodent is black and white and has
pink eyes. Its chief popularity is that
at time when baby mice of other
species are just beginning to move
about this terpsichorean mouse is al
ready able to waltz.
Put together, these japanese dane
ing mice will waltz in couples, and at
times more than two will join in
mad whirl. So rapid is the movement
of the dancers that it is difficult to
distinguish their heads from their
tails.
The Japanese says that waltzing
seems to be as essential to the happi
ness of this mouse as midair somer-
saults are to the tumbling pigeon. An
upright peg forms a convenient pivot
round which the mouse can whirl, but
it is said that without any such guide
they would not in several minutes
cover an area larger than dinner
plate, and they easily spin under a
tumbler-New York Herald.
Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-06-02
Fields Einishino Tauch.

Eugene Field was once visiting the
house Of Richard Henry Stoddard in
New York. During the evening a GER
tain well known physician dropped in.
He was serious man and a bit pomp-
GUS. The talk turned on diet.
Doctor" said Stoddard, I've heard
that you eat two eggs at breakfast
every morning the year round"
NO" said the doctor emphatically.
mo. On the contrary
"On the contraryp' cried Stoddard-
whats the contrary of eating two
eggs?"
Laying two eggs" came in deep.
solemn tones from Field.