davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
FIRE EATERS.
The Trick of Breathing Flames and
Sparks From the Mouth.

The Trick of Breathing Flames and
Sparks From the Mouth.
Fire tricks were practiced in very
ancient times. The first known fire
breather was a Syrian slave named
Eunus, a leader in the ServiIe war in
Sicily, 130 B. c. He pretended to have
immediate communication with the
gods. When desirOus Of inspiring his
followers with courage he breathed
flames and sparks from his mouth.
In order to accomplish this feat Eu-
nus pierced a nutshell at both ends,
and, having filed it with some burn
ing substance, he put it in his mouth
and breathed through it. The same
trick is performed today in a more
approved manner. The performer rolls
some fax or hemp into a ball about
the size of a walnut, which he let's
burn until it is nearly consumed.
Then he rolls around it more fax
while it is still burning. By this
means the fire is retained in the ball
for long time. He slips this ball
1lIlO Ills lllOuLll uu DClCClh Su anu
breathes through it. His breath re-
wives the fire, and he sustains no in
jury so long as he inhales only through
his nOStrilS.
Various theories have been advanced
to account for other feats of this sort
performed by the ancients. An old
ordeal was the holding of a TedhOt
iron by the accused, who was not
burned if he were innocent Probably
some protective paste was used on the
hands. The peculiar property of
mineral salts, such as alum, in pro-
tecting articles of dress from fire has
long been known. An old Milanese
devised a costume consisting of a
cloth covering for the body which had
been STEPPED in alum. A metallic
dress of wire gauze was added to this
and thus protected a man might walk
on hot irOn.-HaTper's.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
MIGHTY ARCTURUS.
H This Star Were Our Sun Ii Would
Instantly Consume the
Earth.

The parallax Of a star is its angular
displacement as seen from two op-
pOsite points on the earth's orbit. The
base line employed in this gigantic spe-
cies of surveying is 1S6,000.OOO miles
in length. but the calculation is re-
duced to the semidiameter of the orbit.
The results are at the same time amaz-
ing and instructive.
Let US take the famous star Are
turus, often called the "star of Job"
because in the Old Testament the
Almighty is represented as saying to
the unfortunate patriarch, who main
tains certain dignity in spite of his
helplessness and his sufferings, "Canst
thou call forth Arcturus and his sOns?"
Many conflicting measures of the
parallax Of Arcturus have been made,
but the latest made at Yale seem more
probably correct than their predeces-
sOrs. They fix the parallax at 0.O66
seconds E.. sixty-siX One-thOusandth
easy to calculate the distance of the
star. 1t comes out at nearly 100000
OO0000,0O0 miles two hundred and
ninety trilliOn niles. This is more
than 100000 times the distance of
the earth from the sun.
Having this distance, we can calcu-
late the actual amount Of light shed by
Arcturus. or, in other words, its ac-
tual brightness as compared with that
of our sun, On the sUppOsitiOn that
both were at the same distance from
US. We thus find that ArctuTus ex-
ceeds the sun as a light giver about
$500 times. 1t is a sun $500 times
brighter than ours.
Put the earth as near to Arcturus
as it is to the sun and all life would
disappear from its surface as if swept
of by a blast of incOnceivable heat.
The summer temperature would rise
to tens Of thousands of degrees. The
oceans would boil away. Vegetation
would be burned up in a twinkling,
The eyes Of living beings would char
in their sockets. The plains and
mountains would burst into fame.
Minerals would run in molten streams,
There would be no comfort for a ltv-
ing world nearer to ArctuTus than
about 4OOOOOO.OOO miles. If he has
planets he must keep them at re,
spectfuI distance. And yet nearly
100000, ,OOO,OOO.OO0 miles from him we
can look into his blazing eye and see
only bright star.
Still, DR.. Alfred Russell Wallace
maintains that this little earth, this
tiny attendant of a tiny sun, is the
only seat of intelligent life-Outside OF
the misty midregiOn of disembOdied
spirits-that the universe contains
and Dr.. Wallace is a learned man. But
his learning is not that which astron
omy offers.-Garrett P. Serviss in New
York American.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
NOT A GAME OF CHANCE.
After Test the Jury Decided That
Seven-up Was Decided
ly Scientific.

One of Mark Twain's old time sto-
ries concerned the game of seven-up,
or old sledge. Some Kentucky boys
were arrested for playing this game
under the usual charge Of playing
game of chance. When they were
brought before the judge their lawyer
claimed that this game was not q
game of chance, but was game Of
science. The court, puzzled, asked for
a suggestion. and the lawyer declared
that if a jury of six gamblers well ac-
0uainted with the game in scientific
way and six deacons be impaneled
with a pack of cards their decision
ought TO be determinative So the sto-
ry goes:
There was no diSpUting the fairness
Of the proposition. Four deacons and
the two dominies We're sworn in as
the chance jurymen. ana six inveter-
ate old seven-up professors were
chosen to represent the science side
Of the issue. They retired to the jury
ROOM
''In about two hours Deacon Peters
sent iDto court to borrow So from a
friend In about two hours more
Dominic MiggIes sent into court to
borrow a stake from a friend Dur
ing the next three or four hours the
dominic and the other deacons sent
into court for small loans.
''The rest of the story can be told
briefly. About daylight the jury came
In, and Deacon Job, the foreman, read
the following verdict:
"'We, the jury in the case Of the
commonwealth of Kentucky versus
John Wheeler ct al. have carefully
considered the points Of the case and
tested the merits of the several theo-
ries advanced and do hereby unani-
mously decide that the game common
Is eminently a game of science and
not of chance. In demonstration
whereof it is hereby and herein stated,
iterated. reiterated, set forth and
made manifest that during the entire
night the chance" men never won a
game or turned a jack. although both
feats were common and frequent to
the opposition. and furthermore in
support Of this our verdict we call at
tenti0n to the significant fact that the
chance" men are all broke and the
Science" men have got the money.
It is the deliberate opinion Of this jury
that the chance" theory concerning
seven-up is a perniciOus doctrine and
calculated to infict untold suffering
and pecuniary loss upon any cOmmu-
nifty that takes stock in it "
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
COLOR AND SOUND.
Hues That Humans Cannot See and
Tones Louder Than Thunder
That Are Unheard.

The primary colors shown in the
rainbow vary from red to blue and
violet, and the vibrations or lengths
Of the light waves that give Us violet
grow shorter and shorter and at length
give us red. These vibrations can be
measured. One day, quite by chance,
J cam S"FOss the statement that there
were inAcmerable light waves longer
than those which give violet. At once
the question sprang, Were these longer
waves represented by cOlOrs which we
don't see, cOlOrs for which we have no
name, cOlOrs of which we can form
no conception? And was the same
thing true of the waves which, grow
ing shorter and shorter, give us the
sensation of red? There is room. Of
course, for myriads of cOlOrs beyond
this other extremity of our vision. A
little study convinced me that my
guess was right, for all the cOlOrs
which we see are represented to our
sense of feeling in degrees of heat;
that is, blue shows one reading on the
thermometer and red a higher read
ing, and by means of this new stand
ard l discovered that mans range Of
vision is not even placed in the mid
die Of the register Of heat, but Occu-
pies a little space far up toward The
warmer extremity of it. There are
thousands of degrees of cold lower
than blue and hundreds Of degrees Of
heat above red. All these gradatiOns
are doubtless represented by colOrs
which no human eye can perceive, no
human mind imagine. 1t is with sight
as with sound. We know now that
there are noises louder than thunder
which we cannot hear, the roar that
lies on the other side of silence. We
men are poor restless prisoners, hem
med in by our senses as by the walls
Of a cell, hearing only a part of ma
lures orchestra and that part impeF-
fectly; seeing only a thOUsandth part
Of the color maryels about us and see
ing that infnitesimal part incorrectly
and partially.-FOrum.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
Discrediting an Astrologer.

4 certain king, says a tale from the
Persian, asked an astrologer, "HOw
many years of life remain to me?'' The
wise man replied 'Ten" The king
became very despondent and betoOk
himself. as one stricken with a sick
ness, to his bed. His vizier, who pos
sessed great wisdom, sent for the seer
and in the kings presence asked him,
How many years have you to live?"
He replied, Twenty" The vizier or
dered that he should that very hour be
executed in the kings presence. The
king was satisfied ana commended the
sagacity Of bis minister and no longer
attached any Importance to the astrOl-
oger's saying.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
SLEEPING SICKNESS.
The Grip This Dreadful Disease Takes
Upon Its Victims.

The course Of the dreadful disease,
sleeping sickness, is an extremely slow
one. The first stage is said TO last
year or more, ana the cause of the dis
ease may be in the blood long before
any symptoms whatever present them
selves. The patient has occasional
fever: indeed, a disease hitherto called
Gambia fever has recently been TecOg
nized as the first stage Of sleeping
sickness. 1t is said that the swelling
Of the lymphatic glands Of the neck is
a characteristic early symptom. This
was known in 1903 to Dr. WinteTbOt
tom, who states that slave traders,
recognizing the symptom OF d fatal
disease, would not buy slaves who had
this glandular enlargement. The pa
tient feels well and strong and is able
to 80 about his usual occupations.
The second stage is indicated by a
distinct change in the appearance of
the patient. His expression grows
heavy and dull; he becomes apathetic,
lies around a great deal and cannot
exert himself. With the progress of
the disease these symptoms become
more marked; walking and speech be-
come difficult and finally impossible.
During the last week the sufferer lies
in a state of complete coma, from
which the illness derives its ntIIe
Often during the second stage Of the
disease the brain becomes affected.
and some Of the patients try to run
away into the forests or swamps,
where they die of exposure or staTva-
ton. To prevent this the relatives of
a sufferer frequently chain him down
until the time comes when he can no
longer move.-McCIure's Magazine.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
Some Famous Men of Old.

The nine worthies" were Joshua,
David Judas Maccabeus, Hector of
Troy, Alexander the Great, Julius
Caesar, King Arthur of Britain, Charlie
magne of France and Godfrey of BOu-
illOn. The list varies somewhat, but
this is the most popular one. The
seven wise men of Greece" were So
Ion, Thales, Pittacus, Bias, CleObOlus,
MySon and CheilOn Of Sparta. The
SuppoSItion is, Of course, that these
were not the only wise men in Greece,
but the wisest.-New York American.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
CARLYLE an Incorporate Smoker.

For about seventy of his eighty-six
years Carlyle smoked and made most
of his contemporaries smoke. The
trouble with him was that he was too
fond Of smoking a rank pipe on an
empty stomach. That gave him pains
and his contemporaries particular
pains, for "puir auld Carlyle" was as
time He cared for but two men in
the world, TennysOn and Dickens.
All the rest were ''puir, feckless, reek-
less, Incorporate bladders and gas
bags" and all because Tom did not
know how to clean his pipe and keep
it clean and would smoke before break
fast.-TObaccO Leaves.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
Unavoidable DeiaY,

A woman went before the magis-
trate and mOdestly inquired:
''YOur honor, can 1 have a warrant
for the arrest of my husband? he
boxed my ears yesterday"
Certainly. ma'am," replied the
Judge. II will make out a warrant on
the ground of assault and personal III
juries."
''Can l fetch the warrant in about a
month";
''In a month? Why won't you take
it at OnceP
'Please, your honor, when my hus-
band slapped my face 1 took my roll,
ing pin and hit him on the head so
that he had to be removed to the hos
pital The doctors say, however, that
he will be on his legs again in a
month"
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
HIS DOLLAR BILL.
His Charitable EndeaVor Was Not Ap-
preciated, and the Bill Was
Pocketed by Another.

Diplomacy doesn't always work, as a
certain bnL hearted business man in
West Philadelphia has just found out.
He says that the lesson was cheap at
the price. but at the same time he viii
employ more direct methods next time
he wishes to play the philanthrOpist.
1t happened on the subway the 9TH
er night He had just closed a real
estate deal at considerable profit and
was feeling very generous, so when he
saw a poor woman in a threadbare
dress carefully count out FIVE pennies
for her ticket and saw that it was the
last money in her worn pOcketbOOk
he determined to help her. Of course
it wasn't easy, but the man prides him.
sell upon being diplomat. So, crum-
pling a dollar bill up in his hand, ne
stopped over as if picking something
up and then, holding it out to the wO-
man, said:
dropped" He tried to smile signih-
cantiy as he said it, but she didn't
seem to understand and said simply;
''Tain't mine"
You'd better take it," he said. 1T
isn't mine, and it was lying right by
you"
The woman shook her mead at first
then took it slowly out of his hand and
looked at it gloatingIy. The man
smiled, well pleased with himself. but
an instant later the woman, seeing a
man looking down at the platform
rushed up and cried, WAS you look,
ing for a dollar biIIP'
Il sure was" answered the man
promptly.
'WeIl, here it is" said the woman
and the man with a delighted "Oh
thanksY calmly pOcketed the sum and
walked away Philadelphia Times.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
London's Dramatic Censors,

London has had its absurd dramatic
censOrs even if it cannot quite come NJ
to Vienna. COlley Cibber in his auto
biography tells us Of one master Of the
revels who was responsible for the Ii
censing of plays in those days expung-
ing the whole first act Of Richard III" "
on the ground that the distresses of
Henry VI would remind weak people
of King James, then living in France.
In fact, Shakespeare has more than
once been censored, fOr king Lear
was inhibited during the illness of
George III. George COlman when
reader Of plays banned the use of such
words as angel and heaven.-London
Chronicle.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
To Make Him Sleep.

Unfit for duty because Of insOm-
MIA" was the record Of a New York
policeman for several weeks.
Inspector Byrnes sent for the man
and gave him a little bit of advice
thus: Tonight, about midnight, put
on your uniform, belt, hat, revolver,
take night stick in hand and go to
some corner house. Lean against it, and
lean against it hard, as If you were
really on duty. You'll go to sleep. aIl
right. New York Tribune.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
THE DEATH OF A CAR.
Dramatic Story of the Way Nicholas |.
Committed Suicide.


There are various stories of the death
Of the Gar Nicholas l. Here is one
which the great singer Mario heard
from doctor of the court and which
is told in ''The Romance Of a Great
Singer"
When the Russian army was meet
ing with reverse after reverse in the
Crimean war the czar sent for his doc
tor and demanded to know which was
the quickest and most painless poison
that he knew Of, bluntly telling the
startled physician that he had re-
solved to commit suicide. He further
warned the doctor in the stern manner
which was his characteristic that if he
were not Obeyed the doctors life would
be worthless. He sharply silenced the
mans nervous remOnstrances and com
manded him to bring the poison. The
doctor did not dare to refuse and few
minutes later brought a small vial
containing the poison, which he as
Sured the car would deprive any one
Of existence in few minutes To be
the doctor was speaking the truth the
cZar obliged him to remain in the room
warning him that if the poison failed
his life should answer for it. The czar
took the poison without the least tre-
NOR or the movement Of muscle and,
although twice told by the doctor, who
held his watch in his hand, that there
was time to save him by an antidOte
should he alter his mind, the czar re-
fused, answering the second entreaty
by simply waving the man away, he by
that time being unable to speak. 1t
was given out that the czar had died
from the effects of a severe chill, but
those who knew the facts also knew
that he had committed suicide rather
than face the defeat of his army"
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
Getting Into German.

In the use of legal terms the Ger
man lawyers gain In a saving of
number Of words over our equivalent
expressions seems to be lost in multi
pltcatiOn Of syllables in the words used
by him. For example, he says GU
ruckbehaltungsrecht'' for right of
lien" and ''gesammtgutsverbindlich-
keiten" for liabilities of common prop
erty." What an awful word he must
have as an equivalent for our "impre-
scriptibility. docket.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
Breaking the Sabbath.

Two Scots. one old and the other
young, set out one bright winter Sun
day morning to walk ten miles to kirk
The sun shone gloriOusly. The frozen
road rang under their feet. The cold,
pure air was as exhilarating as wine.
The younger Scot looked up at the
glittering blue sky and said:
TITS a fine day"
The older man frowned and an
swered:
aye, it is a fine day, but is this a
day to be talking about daysw
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
Doubtful VocaIisrn.

There is only one trouble about
Chinese cook" said the man from the
west
What is that?"
You can never tell whether he is
singing at his work or whether he has
burnt himself and is moaning with
pain. Washington Star.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
Runn In an Arknr

How did you enjoy the vaudeville
performance
ut was good. They had performing
cats, baseball player, a champion pu-
giltst, trained cOckatOO, and, l give
you my word, they even had an actor
doing a turn. Louisville COurter-
Journal
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
Waiting Enr Hin

Yes, num- said Poetic Pete as he
twined an autumn leaf through his
buttOnhole. Il am a great lover Of the
romantic. l stopped at dis gate be-
cause l saw de sign lakewood"
You did," approved the housewife
Well there is a lot of idle wood down
at the wood pile. Just take this ak and
split up half a cord. Chicago News.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
No Skill REQUIRED.

Litigant-Your fee is outrageous.
Why, it's more than three-fourths of
what l recovered. lawyer furnish
ed the skill and the legal learning for
your case. Litigant-But 1 furnished
the case. Lawyer-Oh, anybody can
fall down a coal hole!-BostOn Tran
script.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
A Greater Attraction

Herr Harden told of a meeting at
Gastein between William l. and Fran
els Joseph. The Austrian sovereign
commented impatiently on the too
pressing attentions of the crowd. at
won't last long," returned his ally
soothingly. Bismarck will be here di-
recty, and then no one will look at
us."-LOndOn Spectator
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
A Wsy Thev HaNa

People are forever striving to get
things for nothing and then failing to
appreciate them because they didn't
cost anything-Chicago Record-Her
aid.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
Alarmed Her.

Servant-Heayens! l have knocked
the big GowerpOt off the window
ledge and it struck man on the head.
Mistress-What. My beautiful ma
jOlica -Fliegende Batter.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
The FanciesF E.sar

New Boarder-Haven't you got any
fancy dishes here? Rural Landlord
Sure thing. Name, bring the gentle
man that mustache cup your grand
father used to use.-Puck.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21
a Friendly Succession.

Baron Ito creditors)-I see no hopes
OF being able to pay Ehat 1 owe you.
Why not organize a suicide club?-
Aeggendorfer BIattsI
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21

We may forgive those who bore us.
We cannot forgive those whom we
bOre.-La ROchefoucauld.
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21

How easy it is for one TO suggest q
sure way for some one else to manage
q troublesome AFFAIR."
The Washington bee., 1911-10-21

y mere madnesS-tO live like d
wretch and die rich.-BurtOn.
Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1911-10-12
Moveable School of Agriculture
necessary

A petition is being circulated request
ing the Agricultural Extension Depart
ment of the State University of Idaho to
conduct school of agriculture for at
least one week at Jerome some time in
the early winter. 1t is necessary that al
least $50 persons agree to attend this
school OF instruction, paying a small reg
istration fee, and there is no doubt but
what the requisite number will be easily
obtanable.
This school will be conducted along
the same lines as the one held at Wen
dell last winter, which proved very in
teresting to those who attended. Tht
instructors and demonstrators are fur
nished from the faculty OF the State Uni
versity, who are conversant with agri
cultural matters of interest to this par
ticular locality.
Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1911-10-12
NO REASON FOR DOUBT
A Statement of Facts Backed by q
Strong Guarantee.

We guarantee complete relief to all
sufferers from constipation, or, in
every case where We fail, We will supply
the medicine free.
Rexal Orderlies are gentle ehec-
tive, dependable, and safe bowel regu-
lator, strengthener, and tonic. They
aim to reestablish natures functions
in a quiet, easy way. They do not
cause inconvenience, gripping, or nausea.
They are so pleasant to take and work
so easily that they may be taken by
any one at any time. They thoroughly
tone up the whole system to healthy
activity.
Rexall Orderlies are indispensable
and ideal for the Use OF children, old
folks, and delicate persons. We cannot
too highly recommend them to all sui
ferers from any form OF constipation
and its attendant evils Three sizes,
l0c., 25c., and soc. Remember, you car
obtain Rexall Remedies in this commu
nifty only at our store-The Rexall Store
The Jerome Drug Co.
Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1911-10-12

According to Mr.. Speakman, the pres
ident, whose discovery politically was
made by Mr.. O'Connell, the secretary,
the Farmers Association comprises G,s'
members. Considering the relative size
OF the district, 400 Of these should belong
to the jerome branch. 1t comes out
from behind the closed doors that at the
annual election OF officers OF the branch
last Saturday, fiity-iive votes were cast, -
News.
Now we don't know whether Bro.
Minis meant this seriously, or was
endeavoring to perpetrate one OF
his Jokes. However, as a matter OF
comparison, it might be stated that
though the village Of Jerome has a
voting population Of some 400, al
the election a. couple Of weeks ago,
when the important question of &
bond issue was up for approval, 81
votes were cast. Comments are un.
necessary.