davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12
Rrouuht peath to PIaeons.

At a meeting of the Linnean society of London, Professor Poulton presid- ing, a letter was read from Herr Paul Scherdlin, as follows: For hundreds of years pigeons have nestled on the spire of Strassburg cathedral. They increased so much that many at- tempts have been made to extermi- nate them, but in vain. During the last few years there has been sud den and startling diminution in the number of these cathedral pigeons. l am of the opinion that this manifest reduction is due to the asphalting of the streets round the cathedral. Be tween the stone sets of the pavement the pigeons were able to pick up food in quantity. In consequence of the asphalting and daily watering and cleansing of the places in the immedi- ate neighborhood the birds have gone"
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12
Stocking RenovatIons.

Skill with the needle saves money at every turn, and in respect to few articles of apparel does this fact be- come more apparent than in the case of stockings. Even when stocking feet are past re-mending with darns it is possible to give the leg" portions a new lease of life by providing them with new feet" cut from the "legs" of similar hose. The objection ire quently put forward that the seams which join the fleet" to the legs" are uncomfortable in wear, is avoided if the following method is adopted:
 From the pattern obtained by cut ting off the out-worn feet" cut new pieces from the "calf'' portion of an- other older pair. Join the seam at the back of the heel with run and backstitch. Then place the edges of the seam flat and stitch them down with the fine herring-boning.
 Fix the foot" in position on the 'rleg," and work from the center of the heel towards the toe, on each side, with run and backstitch. Great care must be taken to get the toe portion to fit quite accurately. Then herring bone the raw edges down fiat as in the case of the heel seam. Press the seams with a hot iron.
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12

UJASHINGTON.-Prof w. J. McGee " of the department of agriculture has been at work upon a curious sort of census for some months. This cen sus is not the counting of souls, but of the wells of water upon which souls are nourished. He has secured data concerning the wells of the country, and they are bearing on the national water supply and incidentally upon the ultimate food resources of the na- tion. This well enumeration has al- ready reached 35,OO0, and covers the states and practically every country of the United States. Records are com piled, so far as possible, showing the depth of the well and the depth of the water and the variation of water level from year to year. The signifi- cant part of the showing is that the water level in the wells of the country is decreasing at the rate of a foot and c half for each decade. Some of the records go back for 20 years and some to the first settlement of the country.
 The average reduction in level of the ground water" is shown to have been 14 feet since its first settlement
 This is regarded as a serious condi-
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12

PORTSMOUTH, N. Hone deter mined woman, Mrs. Ellen Quinn of Washington street, showed what she could do the other day with a city government that held up her claim for damage to property through the overdowing of a sewer.
 She tied up the City hall with at tachments, tied up the police station with attachments, tied up the water department and the street department and every other thing about depart ments with the same manner of legal documents until the city officials threw up their hands and were humbled be- fore her.
 Then she agreed to let the garbage still continue to be removed, and the city horses came forth from the pri- vate stables where she had placed them and the typewriters in the city building get to clicking again, after Mayor Daniel w. Badger had passed out his personal check of $3,000, as bondsman for the city to insure the payment of her claim in case the courts support her contention that
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12
Priest Converts Hundred to Marriage

KANSAS CITY. = Forty-eight en- M agreements and one marriage are the fruitage thus far of the matrimo- nial guild of Father William J. Dalton of the Church of the Annunciation.
 "I am expecting London and Kan sas City to span the ocean and join hands in the continuation of a romance started a quarter of century ago." he said, land if the hearts that were es- tranged then are united now it will mean that our little efforts here have been responsible for a well-known pro- fessional man of Kansas City marry ing his boyhood sweetheart.
 "It happened this way" Father Dal- ton continued. "I received a letter from a woman in London soon after the papers there contained an account of our little venture, asking if could find a man of certain name in Kan sas City. She said they had been en- gagged more than twenty-five years ago; that an arrangement had come and that he had departed for America. She said that she still loved him and asked me to find him for her. I found
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12
The Story of Scotch.

Scotch was a short-nosed collie, with a slight strain of shepherd blood and had face that was exceptionally expressive and pleasing. When grown he was trif1e larger than the average dog and was surprisingly agile and powerful for his size. His coat was a shaggy, silky black, with feet, tip of tail, and breast of pure white.
 Talking to animals appears to make them gentler and more responsive Scotch never tired of listening to me and I often talked to him as though he were a child. He came to under stand many of the words used. If said "hatchet," he hastened to bring it; if fire" he at once endeavored to discover where it was. CheerfulIy and intelligent1y he tried to help me, and early became efficient in driving cat tie, horses. or burros. Instinctively he was a heeler and with swift heel nips quickly awakened and gave direction to lazy or unwilling critters.-Country Life in America.
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12
How They Kept. Their Word.

If you happened to be in the town of Scituate and should see two men engaged in an ordinary conversation, with the exception that they were standing back to back and looking di- rectly away from each other, you may be sure that they are the Litch- field brothers. And the wherefore of their strange relative positions origi- mated many years ago. when both were young and lived at home with the old folks
 A bitter quarrel resulted in the mu- tual declaration that q don't never want to look at ye ag'in.''
 And although the passing years have obliterated the "casus belli, 1" they still adhere to this traditional show of carrying out the letter of their passion fraught resolution.-Bos- ton Record.
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12

ID OSTON.-Boston is soon to lose an- ID other of it's historic landmarks, what is claimed to be one of the old est structures in the city-the Sun tavern, in Dock square.
 Some time ago there was a fire in the rear of the building, and it is un- 1erstood the fire commissioner con demned the set of buildings at that point, owned by the c. w. Galloupe estate, which also includes the old Bite tavern, in the angle made by South Market street and Faneuil Hall square. Orders have been given to re- move the structures within the next three months. It is understood a mod ern brick building will replace both structures.
 The rough-hewn oaken beams of the Sun tavern seem as sound today as when they were placed in position upon the hewed and shouldered up- rights which support them. The loss
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12
BACHELOR IS EXPOSED
TWO SPECIES, THE TRoGLoDYTE
 AND BUTTERFLY, KNOWN.
Their Unnatural Civil Condition Re earded by Woman as a ReProach to Her Claims and Reflec-
 ton on Her Skill.

The bachelor is a man living in a singular and unnatural state; social buccaneer, fawned on and followed by dowagers, feared and feted by daughters; whose type in all the ages has been considered a danger to so- ciety, a threat to civilization, a scan- dal to his race, a man to be chased, captured and chastened.
 There are two species of bachelors the troglodyte or hard-shel bache- Tor, and the butterfly or temporary bachelor. The former has his lair in a flat, his habitat in a club, and his at- mosphere is smoky, alcoholic and cynical; the latter is a fiutterer in drawing rooms, an habitue at four o'clock teas and assemblies, smiling, elusive, sartorial male creature, who is netted and hobbled in due season. There is large and negligible genus of male creatures who are mere ly quasi-bachelors; men who are re- luctantly single, and are captured and led away by any petticoat who hap pens along.
 The bachelor is the pursuit and prey of woman, who regards his civil condition as a reproach to her charms and a reflection on her skill; and her aim is to snare him and lead him into captivity to the end that she may acquire a house, a home, a husband and a helot to harry, hector, humble and humanize. To survive long in freedom a bachelor must be gifted with unusual wisdom and unwonted weariness. The female of the species camps on his trail eternally wise, willy and wistful, attentive, attractive and alluring, smiling in his face. prais- ing his talents, turing him into corners where dangers Turk and traps are sprung, and where the helpless old he bachelor is hypnotized, held. hooked, haltered and harnessed, and where he speaks instead of holding his peace. Then in the meshes of his slim, silken, soft-eyed feline cap tor, the bachelor is led away to the church. tied up in knot and reduced to serfdom. Then is his glory depart ed. The chase done, the quarry seized, he becomes merely payer of bills, a hooker of waists, scalp hanging at a slender belt, pitied by those who chased and failed and stig- matized as silly old fool as he is led around by the Diana who hunted and haltered him.
 As a bachelor he was the envy of his sex, the desire of women, the vel comed of spinsters, the sought-after of mothers, the exposure of le in spirer of signs, lion among the ladies. As a benedict, none is so poor as to do him reverence; he is an OK in the yoke, broken broncho, hold CT of hats, carrier of cloaks, a but toner of gloves, a shadow in the pro- cession, a mere married man. Sic transit gloria bachelorum.-Life.
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12

ing erected at Arlington. These, witl the three huge towers, which, when erected, will be visible from any point within many miles of the nations capi. tai, will constitute the most powerful wireless station in the world.
 When completed the station will be able to communicate over the seas with the Azores in the Atlantic, all West Indian ports and South Ameri- can coast towns as far south as the mouth of the Amazon river Aerial disturbances, which are greater over land than over sea, will, it is expect. ed, make transmission over land more difficult, but it is said that after al lowances for impediments in trans. mission over land wireless communt cation from this station will extend over half of North America.
 The steel work on the towers has been completed for some time. The towers were shipped to Arlington from the shops here in sections and erected as fast as the different sec tions were completed.
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12
Aeroplane Gun Fires from Both Ends

TESTS of another invention designed | to make war in the clouds" pos sible are being prepared by the United States. It consists of an aeroplane gun that discharges a projectile from each end. One of the projectiles is designed for destructive work and the other as a dummy, to neutralize the recoil Commander Cleland Davis, U. S. N, is the inventor.
 The practicability of the weapon has been partially demonstrated in tests at Fort Wright Two light can vas wings, corresponding to those of an aeroplane were rigged up close to the gun. Delicate springs and recoil- Ing discs were placed under the stanchions to record the vibration and concussion and recoil. The results in Heated that it's use on an aeroplane hundreds of feet above earth is prac- hcable.
 As the two projectiles weigh about
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12
ORIGIN OF THE WORD "sTEEL"
\ncTents Made It, But They Are Said Not Actually to Have
 Named 1t.

We do not know much" writes c, W. Ernst in the Bulletin of the Ameri- can Iron and Steel association. we do not know where the word steel came from, nor do we know the orig hal meaning. A leading authority claims the word as having started in | England; he is sure mistaken, as the records show.
 When the word first appeared in English or Anglo-Saxon 1t had become 3 proper name on the continent, show Ing the general diffusion of the term. We are equally disappointed in the Greek and Roman classics. They knew how to harden soft iron, but had no name for the finished product we call steel.
 'The Greeks obtained a good brand of steel from the Chalybes at Sinope; that brand they called 'chalybs' or 'chalybos,' and the Romans adopted the term. But the common people did not use the word, which occurs mainly In poetry. It was so used by Aeschy- Ius about 475 B. c. and in Latin by Virgil few years before the Chris Han era.
 When the writers of good Latin prose wished to convey the idea of steel they were apt to use the word acies,' which means a sharp edge or sharp point. In the third century of our era We find the word 'acieris' and later still the word 'aciarium' whence the French 'acier,' meaning steel.
 "The word steel has not been found prior to the eighth century. It occurs In the so-called Epinal gloss, where 'steelr is given as the Anglo-Saxon equivalent of the late Latin 'acceari- um' just mentioned. Students wishing to verify this may consult Henry Sweets edition of the gloss, 1883, page 2.
 At that time the word was common on the continent and had become a proper name, both as simple 'stahl' or in compounds like 'stalhart' We have no word like steel before the eighth century; we have no trace of the French 'acier' before the third century. Yet men made steel in the days of Homer and before his time in India. But even in the best days of Greece and Rome they hardly knew cast iron. Their iron statues were made of wrought iron and only trivial examples of cast iron are of classical antiquity.
 gro temper meaning to harden wrought iron by heating and then dip ping it in cold water, is a term used by Pliny. The process of 'tempering, of course, is much older. It is men toned in Homer and may have been nown long before"
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12
Taking a Census of the Water Wells

ton, because the food-producing pos sibility of the country depends even tually on the water supply.
 One group of 10 states was taken in the rectangle inclosed by Minnesota. Ohio, Tennessee and Iowa. It waa found that this was representative of the general condition It was shown that the water level was gradually but steadily falling all over the country so that the ultimate outlook, not next year, but in a few centuries, will be for a vanishing drinking supply not only on the farms, but in urban com, munities where the water supply ia drawn from lakes and rivers.
 Prof. Melee says that the supply could be increased by digging the wells deeper, but that this would be merely a palliative measure. The real remedy is in changing the system of farm cultivation so as to conserve the water supply.
 He explains that when the country is in a state of nature all the rainfall and the melting snowfall sinks into the ground and the rivers run clear With settlement and cultivation the ground is broken up so that 1t ia washed into the streams and the riv CTS run muddy in the spring, and tbere are intervals of disastrous floods and bad drouths.
 He says further that as land be comes more valuable the farmer Is unconsciously applying the remedy by more intensive cultivation and manag ing his land so that 1t is not allowed to erode and wash away.
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12
Two Warriors Taken; Fight Plans End

CHICAGO. = American reinforce V ments for the rebel Mexican troops set sail for the southern republic from Dundee, H., on the Fox river, the other night.
 Captain Unafraid" Merle Farms worth, thirteen years old, was in com mand of the good ship Ferber, while General Do Or Die Charles Martz, fourteen years old, commanded the troops.
 The skipper and the general were the crew and the general and the skipper were the troops. Their trans port was a twelve-foot skiff, owned, until they seized it as contraband of war, by Lyman Andrews of Dundee.
 The young soldiers of fortune made up for their lack of numbers in the strength of their armament. Each wore belt strapped around his waist carrying 110 rounds of ammunition, while in their holsters were ,revolvers.
 Dangling from their hips were huge two-edged dirks in seabbards, almost Q foot long.
 The expedition was halted at Au- rora, H., after two days sail
 The skipper and general were cap- tured by the Aurora police.
 They had covered not more than thirty miles when they were taken at North Aurora.
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12
Indication of Character.

Insincerity in dress is a very good indication of other kinds of insinceri- ty, and if woman's lingerie does not accord with her dresses, you may be pretty sure that her actions will not accord with her words.
 There is, besides, nothing so satis- flying as the feeling of being well dressed all the way through. There Is nothing which gives such perfect poise and grace as the consciousness of well-ftting undergarments and a petticoat of which one need not be ashamed. The woman who puts all her spending money into the things that show," feathered hats, silk gowns, chiffon blouses, etc, and is willing to go about wearing the cheapest of un- derskirts and stockings, is rather like the hypocrite who could carry whole load of secret sins hidden beneath a zmiling countenance.
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12
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Woman's Will Stops Administration

$500 is not too much to be awarded for having a fine hot-air furnace ru ined by pesky sewer backing up.
 Mrs. Quinn got Sheriffs Spinner ana Shaw on her side directly afteI she had learned that Mayor Badger had vetoed the recommendation made by the committee on claims to pay her the money. They appeared just after the city hall opened and attached everything the place contained, chairs tables, desks, typewriters and all manner of furnishings.
 Then they went over to the police station and attached everything there save the astounded officials and the prisoners. It was the same thing in the rooms of the water department, attachments being handed out right and left.
 When they found no more inside the city buildings to levy upon they went out upon the streets and attached the street-sweeping machines and the gar bage carts and the horses that dragged them, directing that they be taken immediately to certain privatf stables they designated. A sheriff is a sheriff, so that drivers compiled. By this time the city authorities begaT to realize that they were being pu out of business and called upon Mayor Badger. He gave in for the time be ing, and after going surety for the city, declared that he would take the claim to the courts.
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12
Boston's Historic Landmark Condemned

of this historic group of buildings will bring great regret to many interested in the early days. The Sun tavern boasts on it's Faneuil Hall square face a tablet stating that the building was erected in 1890, and the date has nev- CT been disputed as far as is known. In fact, there is a tradition to the effect that it's timbers were cut in Cornhill. This story is not generally known, as it is known Cornhill was built upon in 1890. Of course the oak could have been cut there prior to that and stored, but it is more gen. orally believed the heavy beams were cut near Cornhill, as was entirely pos sible at that date.
 The tavern is older by half a cen tury than Faneuil hall, which faces it. It is the last survivor of the buildings that stood about the ancient dock, from which it was hardly more than thirty feet distant.
 In it's day it has served in many ca- pacities, first as a residence, then a tavern, grocery, fruit store, market, and for many years past as a combina- tion fish and meat store. In 1712 it was the dwelling of Thomas Phillips, and even at that time was known as the Sun tavern, as Phillips had a per init for ten years previous to that date.
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12
Historic Ship Is Abandoned by Navy

embryo admirals who transgressed the rules. In more recent years she was used as a garrison for marines and sailors on that station. A few days ago large section of her bottom gave way and she sank slowly to the bed of the river.
 The Santee is a wooden ship of the square-rigged type. She was built just before the civil war, but because of a mistake in her design she never was used for any important service. Ira dition has it that the error was point ed out to the designer by his young son soon after the vessel was launch ed, and that the designer committed suicide by shooting himself on her deck. The mistake was that the port holes were built directly opposite each other, thus affording an open line of fire to an opposing warship. The Santee was taken to Annapolis in 1865, when the Naval Academy was transferred there from Newport. Soon after that she was dismasted and roofed over. Huge anchors were cast fore and aft to steady her in position and, in fact, for years she practically rested on the soft mud at the Naval Academy dock
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12
MA ereat Eriend of MIne.v

Why is 1t that when people who are rather superior or distinguished are mentioned that phrase "a great friend of mine" is attached to them? Turn your thoughts to the best-bred people you know, the people in whose society 1t is a real privilege to be included; do you notice how seldom they refer to people whom you don't know? After all, their intercourse is with you and naturally well-bred people think of the interests of those they talk to, and have no desire to drag in their private affairs and friends for the sake of forming an impressive picture In their friends minds.
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12

him. I am hoping soon to hear of their marriage"
 Each day Father Dalton's mail grows larger. He has had letters from every big city in the United States; from nearly every state; from foreign countries; from one man worth $2,O00,OOO; from Indian girls of Oklahoma and Texas; from bank CTS, judges, lawyers, physicians and farmers.
 In the local classes-those which meet every week at Father Dalton's home-there are twenty couples who are expected to embark within the next few months. Several of these aL ready have announced their engage ment. while the rest are understood"
The Holbrook news., 1912-07-12
First Giant Wireless Towers Erected

THE first of three giant steel towers ! to be used by the bureau of yards and docks of the United States navy as wireless telegraph stations has been erected on a high hill overlook ing the Potomac river at Arlington, Va Two of the towers are 450 feet high, while the third is 500 feet high, the latter being the highest in the world built for use as a wireless tele- graph station
 When the other two towers are erected the three will be capable of seeding wireless message a distance of 5000 miles over the sea and almost that distance over land. Had they been completed and in working order week ago direct communication could have been established between Arlington, Va, and any of the vessels within hundreds of miles of the ill., fated Titanic.
 The 600-foot tower, when erected, will contain an elevator, and the steel work on the two smaller towers has been so arranged that elevators can be placed in them at any time. How ever, for a while at least, persons will ascend from the bottom to the top of the smaller towers by means of a stairway. The 6OO-foot tower rests on a base 150 feet square, while the two 450-foot towers rest on a base 120 feet square.
 A power and engine house, trans hitter and receiving buildings are be-