davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-12-08

foreigner, II he arrives early enough,
can generally secure a room to him
self, such as IL is, and not reckoning
the ever-present vermtn.
Some of the roads are fair; some
stretches are worse than the worst
America knows. Most of the traffic
is by donkey and camel caravans, and
these patient beasts, with their deep
sounding and musical bells, bearing
great loads of hemp and grain, may
be passed at all hours of the day and
night. They travel in companies, for
mutual protection. Foreigners are ex-
pected to have an escort of one or
more zeptiehs, or soldiers, but these
unkempt fellows are a nuisance, and
mere petty grafters. No American
would count much on the protection
of one of them. A zeptieh of mine
dropped his rife in the road and a
wagon ran over it! He wanted me to
buy him a new one.
One of the most picturesque of the
ruins on the way here is at Membij,
the old Bembigie, from which bomba-
zine cloth takes its name. The Ro-
mans called the city Metropolis. The
abundant memorials of ancient great
ness are now used to make houses and
fences; columns, cornices, capitals, in
scriptions and great cut blocks Of
marble are all employed in the miser-
able buildings Of the present resi-
dents. The reason for the fences, in
the fenceless east, is that the govern
ment has settled colony of Moslem
Circassians here, and they represent
type Of European ways, as contrast
ed with Oriental.
Hlghwaymen Out Of Work.
This region in the past has been
famous for its lawlessness. Here 1t
was that David Fraser, London jour
nalist, was shot by an Arab, a short
time ago. Everybody goes armed,
and good part of the foreigners
protection Is the display of his mod
ern weapons. The Arabs at the cross
ing Of the Euphrates are a particular
ly Villainous looking lot. The worst
Of them all wore a ministerial frock
coat, along with his other raIment, be-
meath his Arabian abeyah. fear that |
in its better days that now green and
shiny coat kept a missionary warm; |
hope when It was taken away from |
him the poor man was left with some
other raiment. It Is a favorite Arab |
trick to leave their victims clad only |
in the Edenic fashion. This was espe-
cially embarrassing In the case Of
two tourists, ! lady and a gentleman
comparative strangers to each other,
who had strayed together short dis
lance from their hotel, when the
Arabs held them up.
This particular thug with the frock
coat carried. in plain sight, dagger,
. sword. pistol and shot gun. He
The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-12-08
When Fathers Arc HumbIed.

Euclid entered the stadium looking
blue and discounted.
His associates held aloot for a
while, expecting the great problemist
to throw OF his gloomy air.
But they waited in vain.
When they continued together and
finally selected Timmyanus to ap-
proach the master.
What is Il disquiets you, great
one?" quoth the messenger in his
softest Peloponesian.
Euclid looked around.
I'll tell you, Jimmy" he replied.
MY little girl came home from school
last night and asked me to show her
how to do one Of her geometry prob
lems-an'. by jings, couldn't do it."
The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-12-08
Reason for BeIno.

you seem surprised to see met?
'I am"
why, don't you remember I prom
Used to come in today and settle that
bill?
Yes, that's why I am surprised"
The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-12-08

Worries overbalance our Joys be-
cause so few of us are content with
Just bearing the burdens of today;
we insist on piling on our shoulders,
as many cares Of the future as we
can stick on.
The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-12-08

Of the tobacco shops, are stored out
side Of the city of Aleppo. This city
by the way, one of the oldest in his.
tory, is already in process of rejuvena,
ton, since both the American and
German railway projects make it a
junction point Of the first Importance.
Among the signs of new life is an
elaborate new "Hotel d'Amerique,"
which is really hotel, and not a
khan. Aleppo will bear watching.
Copyright, 1911, by Joseph B. Bowles.)
The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-12-08
&c AAKING
@ DE
IN lODEp
NAIIONS

Over the Worlds Oldest Route-The
Ancient Highway Across Mesopo-
tamia Will Again Be a Main Artery
Of Trade and Travel.
Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-11-24
A Rocky Mountain Echo.

"Hoot mon," said Christine McDon-
aid, the. charming Spring Maid"
we've got fine echoes in Scotland,
but they Gamma beat your American
liars. An American and Highlander
were walking one day ON the top Of
one Of the Scotch mountains. The
Scotchman, wishing to impress the
visitor, produced a famous echo to be
heard in that place. When the echo
returned clearly after nearly four min
utes, the proud Scotchman, turning to
the Yankee, exclaimed:
There, mon, We Gamma show any
thing like that in your country
ITO which the other replied: 1
guess we can better that. Why, in my
camp in the rockies, when I go to bed
just lean out of my window and call
out: thine to get up; wake up!" and
eight hours afterward the echo comes
back and wakes me- "-Young's Mag
aZine
Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-11-24

brushes and other missiles have been
found in the yard under his bedroom
window on more than one morning.
However. that has nothing to do with
the case.
His phlegmatic exterior merely
masks his tenacious intensity OF pur-
nose He became acquainted with the
haunts of the under world in Myslow-
itz which, after all, was not dlmcult
achievement in such comparatively
small community One night, at a
cheap boarding house in the lower
mart of the town, he managed to make
an examination of the overcoats- that
hing on the hall rack. One OF them
had a purple lining and a large part
of II had been torn out. 1t matcneo
nerfectly with the fragment that nao
been found in the stiffened myers u
the murdered cashier.
Rusdorf learned that the garment
belonged to one julius WoolWich. the
latter was a youth of only nineteen
wears of age, but he had already COM
messed as much crime into that ume
as the ordinary crook accompiisnes
Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-11-24
AS RHODESIA TREATS FLIRTS
Women Have Their Faces Disfigured
There When They Are Found
Guilty.

Doctor Dunbar-Brunton a we'll
known big game hunter, who has spent
some years in northeastern Rhodesia,
has some interesting stories to tell
of that country, where he lived as a
district medical officer.
The lions which roam the country
stretching southwark from Lake
Mwern have been man eaters from
time immemorial Within a recent pc
Rod fifty-three men have been killed
by them in one district. The natives
cannot protect themselves, as they
have no guns, and run additional
risks owing to their carelessness.
1t happens not seldom that two or
three men sitting in the open tell
ing the old folk lore stories which
they love so dearly will be bounced
upon by man-eating lion and killed
before they can turn their heads
Many a man STOPPING over his tobacco
plants has been seized and carried.
off by lion which has made it's way
stealthily through the outskirts Of the
| village. !
1t is no wonder that they hold to
| this superstition, for the ferocity Of
their chiefs has been beyond words
to describe. The late Mwamba was
a blood-thirsty monster Determined
| to show his power over his tribe and
| to punish them for the immoralities of
| which they are too often guilty, he
| put them to torture and death for the
least offense. Fifty men and women
| were spiked on stakes, and as they
| did not die quickly were roasted in
their last agonies by bonfres lighted
close to them.
For flirting and light behaving wom-
en- had their noses, ears and lips cut
off and Doctor Dunbar-Brunton has
seen many of these creatures. For
speaking against chief the punish
ment was mutilation of the tongue and
ears. For stealing one hand was
| chopped off at the first offense and the
other hand at second offense. This
penal code was in full operation as
lately as ten years ago. The pres
ent Mwamba is a man Of somewhat
milder disposition.
Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-11-24
THE Story OF the
Purple Lining
IAMrMlWyd0ba0yM1e tie cmeer~
! M0Aymv3 llHrkhyAZR1l1em/6nzn

turning to the bank, found that the
cashier was dead. He lay there
clutching the bit of purple lining in
his icy fingers.
The police made a careful investiga-
ton, but did not succeed In obtaining
any facts beyond those that have al
ready been related. The few people
who were in and around the bank at
the time were too much excited to
give an intelligent description of the
assassin and his accomplices. The
local authorities did all in their power
to run down the crooks, but without
result. Their resources naturally
were not great enough to cope with a
gang of such audacious and blood
thirsty criminals.
In addition to this, the local police
seemed to have a wholesome fear Of
the thieves. They did their duty as
far as that term is commonly accept
ed, but they did ont appear to have
any great desire for hand-to-hand
encounter with men who were SO ready
to shoot and kill.
of Myslowitz appealed to the police of
Berlin. They asked that a frst-class
officer be detailed to run out this
case and to bring the offenders to JUS
tice, and thereby put an end to the
reign of terror which was otherwise
sure to continue in their town for
some time to come. AS a consequence
of this, Otto Busdorf, of the Royal
Police of Berlin, was assigned to the
task of bringing the criminals to JUS
tice. He came unannounced and he
wandered about the quaint little from
tier town until he knew the place and
the people by heart. He sat in the
rathskellars with a mug OF beer be-
| fore him and studied the people who
came and went. He dressed in a COM
monplace style and acted in such a
self-effacing way that his presence
was scarcely noticed. Busdorf is a
small, compactly-built man. He is
smooth-faeed, red-headed, has blue
! eyes, a positive chin and jaw, and is
about thirty years of age. His only
weakness, and he confesses it with a
| smile, is his love for the cornet. To
| him it is the music that hath charm
| to soothe the savage breast" What
| his neighbors think OF it is not to be
| mentioned in this connection. En-
vious persons say that bootjacks. hair
Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-11-24
Posed as Woman
for IS Years

The Chevalier D'Eon De Beaumont
was famous character in his time,
which covered the period of eighty
two years from 1928 to 1910. His
title to celebrity rests chiefly on the
fact that during the last thirty-five
years of his life he adopted feminine
attire and passed as woman at the
French court and in London and then
left the world in doubt as to whether
he was not, in fact, woman. Atten-
ton again has been directed to him
by the publication in France of new
book ''D'Eon De Beaumont His life
and Times" which has just been is
sued in London as an English trans
lation.
The chevalier began public life as
a soldier, and later was attached to
the French legation at st. Petersburg,
where he took part in negotiations of
the most important nature. Even at
that early date, 1882, the question
arose at the Russian court if DEon
were not a woman. Probably DEon
did secret service work at ST. Peters
burg in feminine attire which aroused
the comment. After some years at
st. Petersburg the chevalier rejoined
the army and was aid-de-camp to Mar
shall Broglio in the campaign on the
Rhine in 1852. The next year he
went to London as secretary to the
Duke di Nivernois, who went over
to negotiate the peace of 1853. For
his services in that matter D'Eon was
invested by the French king with the
order of st. Louis, and when the Duke
di Nivernois returned to France he
was for a time appointed minister
plenipotentiary of France to England.
About 1911 the st. Petersburg Cos
sip reached London and there it soon
grew into debate which was backed
by immense sums of money. In the
next few years the wagers on the
question as to whether the chevalier
was a man or a woman amounted in
the aggregate to one hundred thou
sand pounds sterling, and the question
got into the courts before SO distin-
guished a jurist as Lord Mansfield.
The result was that the chevalier
thereafter was universally regarded
as woman, although he repeatedly
insisted that he was not. Leaving
England, he returned to France,
where it seems that he was induced;
willingly or unwillingly, to adopt fem
mime attire, and from that time on
till his death he dressed as a Wom-
an and passed as a woman at the
French court and in London. He re-
manned in France until the Revolu-
ton and then returned to London,
where, still in feminine garb, he gave
public exhibitions in fencing in which
art he was an expert. The chevalier
died in want May 81, 1910, and was
buried in the Church Of St. Pancreas,
London.
The most famous painters Of his
time painted him, and the most skill
full engravers engraved his portraits.
The multitude of portraits that re-
main bear witness to the vogue of the
cheva1ier in the zenith of his career.
He was caricatured, poet likened
him to Joan of Arc, and privateering
ship was named the Chevalier D'Eon.
In the early part of the nineteenth
century so celebrated a person as
Horace Walpole wrote life of him
and edited his letters. With the ap-
pearance of the new story of his life
the riddle Of his sex is solved. The
cheyalier was a man.
Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-11-24

HE town of MyslowitZ is
eu wz On the Prussian frontier.
VII ! II has a population of
Id about ten thousand persons
III and is a thriving little
IL community. The fact that
it is almost on the line be-
,roan Germany and Russia, and that
+ has zinc and coal mines, has given
+ more than ordinary prominence. It
hos its schools. churches and theaters,
md Notwithstanding financial in
,,itution which is known as the Mar
koEski bank.
The constant exchange of money
FIR Dse in the two countries has made
hp bank one of the most prosperous
Establishments in the town. The cash
Ipr of the bank, Franz Onoil, occu-
MED little cage by himself in one
Mrper of the counting room. On
New Years eve of last year the young
cashier was practically alone in the
hIiding. barring, Of course, the mes
;engers and watchmen. It was few
minutes before closing time when four
men stopped in front of the building
. and engaged in conversation with
persons who happened to be going in
\ Or out Of the place. Presently two of
81 H. NAV, r+o+;C-,oJ +boyY, c,oIvac n + 40 n n
corner of the building, and the other
3 two went inside. One of them, a tall,
smOOthfaCed, fair-haired young man,
asked the cashier to exchange Rus
sian for German money. Anoil read
4 uy aSsented He brought the cash out
s Of the drawer and had counted out
what would be about thousand dol
lars in our money in German marks
and Russian rubles. After he had
made the proper amount he gaZed up
at his customer and found that he was
boxing into the muZZle OF an auto
matte revolver.
Give me that money" said the in
trlder, making a reach for the cash
with his disengaged hand.
You'll not get it," retorted the
ElCky cashier.
If you don't give it to ME, I'll kill
you" was the fierce retort.
You can't have it," was the uncom-
promising rejoinder.
The next moment the stranger be-
gan firing. He sent five bullets into
he heroic cashiers body. Then. with
aS pal, he broke into the enclosure
ana tried to open the safe. Anoil.
Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-11-24
The Cost.

A Japanese diplomat, during Adj
miral Togos American tour, said at
a dinner at Narragansett Pier:
Admiral Togo well merits his
wealth and his honors. But a boyhood
friend one day-after the manner of
the boyhood friend-sneered at the adj
miraPs success, whereupon our great
warrior retorted:
".Come now, I'll resign all my
money and titles to you, bat on one
condition-that you pay the same price
for them | did. Wen just go oat in
to the garden there, and I'll fire can
non at you ninety times. All | have
shall be yours il you survive"
Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-11-24

b ~ srs oaaLy wounded, got hold of
b., ~ uted to throw him out of the
l. ss Su' he was already dying from
lrl5 ~sVS OF the pistol shots and
|gss. 70 but little. However, he
l. su the inside of the assassin's
NV, ~ IN the struggle that ensued
| Jo;, away a large part of the pur-
D'ns Of the garment.
|s y his time the noise of the en-
b. wi was heard on the outside and
snS 'VOple started to come into the
i And woman was the first to en-
Rs5Ir aS the crooks saw her they
R,tes s Sanered up their booty and
IN, ut the door. She endeayored
kocsas Den and they promptly
h. = her down. When they
sobar ,4e outside of the building a
bs VI Citizens started after them,
h sD. ogf robbers ran at the top of
ers,, su' while the murderer kept
b ~ ., 9s at a distance at the
/? had pistol. In a few minutes
j Rps,;s.I0 Ssed the bridge leading to
IL p,t, sn side and were soon on
soil. The pursuers, re-
Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-11-24
Different.

A full-grown elephant can carry
three tons on his back; but a full
grown elephant, unlike man with a
large family. is not always required to
do it.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-12-20

peared with the team ready. harnessed
to the. bob-sled, on which four empty
barrels could dimly be discerned.
Have you put the pail and rope in ?"
asked the boy.
The man nodded as they solemnly
shook hands. while the boy shielded
his eyes with the crook OF his arm
and gave the horses their heads. He
tried from time to time to- peer into
the storm. but the snow made wraiths
round him and froze his eyelashes to-
gether.
How the horses got there the boy
never knew. but get there they did. and
whilst the icy blast probed remorse-
lessly amongst his clothes for tho
flesh beneath. and poured the powder.
ed snow down his neck. Fl
The maddened animals charged him
as he lowered the bucket into the we'll,
and spilled the water all over him as
they fought for the first drink.
It was a slow process at best. and
his clothes and mittens cracked with
the CONCEALED Ice as he hauled up each
pail. When they had drunk their fill
they qulvered with the cold. and
plunged to get back; but the boy bound
the reins round the runners of the fore
most bob. They bucked as the frozen
bits CALLED them, causing him. to spill
as much as he put In the barrels. and
to slither. about on the rapidly form
ing ice, rendering foothold almost
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-12-20
HkS5a&
Origin of New Year Gifts

Like the customs OF Christmas,
which. in their origin, are curious
mixture OF poetry and symbolism and
Of superstition. those that belong to
the observance Of New Years day are
) also relics OF ideas that date from
early heather ages. The French de-
rive their term for New Year pres,
ents from the Latin word. Strenia.
the name Of goddess whom the Ro-
mans venerated as the patroness Of
gifts There was grove in Rome
dedicated to this goddess. where 1t was
customary to get fresh twigs. to give
as presents to friends and relatives on
New Years day. During the sway of
the emperors, Roman subjects made
New Years gifts to their sovereign.
Augustus received such quantities Of
these that he had gold and silver
statues made OF them. Tberius did
away with the usage. because he con-
sidered 1t too troublesome to express
thanks for the gifts. Caligula. on the
contrary, reintroduced the custom. and
even made up for his predecessors re-
fusal to receive presents by requir-
ing those that had been offered to him
to be given to himself as arrearages.
The custom of making New Years
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-12-20
Meant to BE. Real Bad.

W
Two little girls residing in East
Eighty-sixth street. Virginia Clough
and Claire Feldman. who had long
envied their boy playmates for their
ability to enjoy such badness as is in
herent in boys. resolved to be bad
themselves. To this end they shut
themselves up in Virginia's room and
proceeded to be naughty. In fact.
they practiced swearing-just to see
what would happen.
When they were quite sure that
none would overhead them each pro-
duced a slip Of paper containing the
swear word and fred away.
BULLDOG" said Virginia.
Cigars" was Clairie's reply.
But the ceiling didn drop, and
there was no earthquake to swallow
them up. and the two resumed their
play, trifle disappointed at the tame
termination Of their badness. Cleve-
land Leader.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-12-20
AsToNIsHED THE GOOD MAN
Preacher Might Well Have Cause to
Wonder at Contents Of Note 81 {
Delivered to Him. 49,

Just as the minister was about to
begin his sermon the woman remem-
bered that she had left the gas burn.
Ing In the range oven. Visions of a
ruined dinner and smoky kitchen
stared her In the face. She borrowed
a pencil from the young man in the
next pew and scrubbed note. With
a murmured Hurry" she thrust 1t
Into the hand of her husband, an ush-
er. who came up the aisle at that mo.
ment. He, with an understanding nod,
turned, passed up the aisle, and hand
ed the Rte to the minister. The wom-
an sawthe act in speechless horror
and shuddered as she saw the min
lister smilingly open the note and be-
gin to read. But her expression Of
dismay was fully equaled by the look
Of amazement and wrath on the good
mans face as he read the words: 60
home and turn off the gas!"
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-12-20

-
4 least, that the nearest well Is old
man Reds, which is three miles away.
and that you can't see six feet in
front Of you 2"
81 know all that, said the man.
/ .'and more. can tell you that the
horses will 60 like the wind, and
when they have had their fill OF cold
water there'll be no holding them
while the barrels are Allied. OF course
the trails obliterated. but they'll find,
their way like blue streak ;.
n n s@ sounds inviting" said the boy with
his ridiculous laugh. I'D offer to toss
y n to who goes II l had a coin, but a.
Haven't (more injustice). we'll draw
Sstraws.'
cts the only way" replied the man.
Those cattle are our all. II they
break loose they'll be frozen stir The
one that wins harnesses the horse. and
divides the water round when the loser
{ gets back. 10 it Q bargain?''
The boy cut two straws OF unequal
length, put them in basin, covered 1t
with . cloth and shook it about
you draw frst."" said he. Long. one
gets the water. short one bitches
( the horses"
When they came to measure the
{ boy had drawn the long one. MY luck
i again." remarked he.
Without a word the man passed
through the door, which the boy closed
behind him, but not quickly enough to
escape, a cloud Of snow which swirled
round the room. Silently he pulled on
his moccasins and wrapped himself
in such outer clothes as he possessed.
5cursing luck generally that he had no
/ furs.
BY and by there was tinkle OF
sleigh-bells outside. and the man APP
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-12-20
"Wa,.s HALL"

The custom Of drinking to the health
of friend and foe at the season of
New Year dates back to very early
days. Indeed, "our forbears'' exem-
plified this idea at the season OF New
Year more fully than we, their prosatc
descendants. The picturesque old was
sail-bowl"-a relic Of Saxon days
from which each man drank spiced ale
with a "Wass hail!" or Here's to your
health" to his neighbor, was always
q feature in their celebration Of the
closing night of-the year. Hence grew,
the custom among the poor Of going
or carrying a ribbon
decked bowl from door to door. and
asking aims that would enable its bear
ers 70 enjoy a similar libation to their
richer neighbors.