davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
A PRENATAL lMPRESSION-No. by Dr. W. E. Evans

tin of baby in six months. In 'bouI
10 months | wuz right peart an
wanted to cum home. but the doctors
lowed as how I'd orter stay thar till
my baby cum, which l dun. Hit amt
dun cos me nothin'. fur tn dawgs wiz
owned by the prism. That's why /
amt got no love fur dawgs"
During the narration boy came up
and stood by her side The woman
was embodied responsiveness, / thought,
but her son was odious beyond the abil-
ity of words even family to describe.
| looked from the woman's CHASTITY.
Scared face, to the hideous appearance
of the boy and to hide my sense of
horror, asked for a gourd of water.
While the son was gone to the spring,
the mother asked me If I didn't want a
boy to work for me. I did want one,
true; tut I did not want her son.
tried to evade her question However.
as she pleaded her poverty. I consented
to try the boy for a month. l de-
scribed the whereabouts of Eastwood.
and she said that she would send her
son the next morning.
As was mounting Dandy the woman
approached me, and, in a low voice
said, Don't mind Kunos eff he seems
queer sometimes, put up with him: fur
he's oncomm'n handy" | asked, "Where
did yeu get the name of Kunos?" For
| recognized it as the genitive form of
Greek noun that I had declined many
a time in my boyhood, whose nomi-
native means "a dog She told me
that the doctors gave him the name
when he was born thought of Ho-
mer at once:
kunos ommat echoon."
ON the following morning bright and
early, kunos appeared at Eastwood,
bringing with him brown paper ba g
containing his clothes l showed him
belongings and in a little while
he was ready for any task that 1 might
assign him.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

action. He chose to be called a Meth
odist, yet he ehafed under the imposed
limitations of his church. and dehant1y
trampled down all restrictions, while
he followed the bent of his own sweet
WILL uncontrolled by nome. not even
his bosom companion. Peggy, IL the in
direct suggestions of her journal are
to be relied on. He did not seek to
found churches, but only desired to
preach in his own wild manner. Some-
times he would make appointments q
year in advance. at remote points, but
would meet them promptly at the hour
named
In point of whimsicalness, I.ornzo
Dow has had few peers, for he would
veer from the ordinary, for which he
had a singular passion, but no one was
ever found who could pronounce Lor-
EMO Dow q fool. He was not without
extravaganza of speech and of manner,
but when challenged he was gladly
able to evince strength equal to the oc-
casion.
His son, Neal Dow, was a brigadier
in the union army and the author of
the "Maine law" which procured a
prohibitory statute for his state.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

passing. He laughed and said, "I'll be
hanged If I'd keep that boy on my place.
Why, doctor, he's positively spooky |
told my wife about his scenting NAL
lory's hound an eighth of mile off,
and she got scared a the thought of the
boys living in the same county with
her." l followed the majors remark
with the boys history, as his mother
had related 1t to me-
When we arrived at the courthouse
we found the village in a condition of
great excitement. A nameless crime
had been attempted near the secluded
village, the victim being the daughter
of Judge Holmes, young lady of the
highest social distinction. Men had
come many miles with their dogs and
guns to hunt the villain, several bring
ing ropes with which to hang him on
sight. They had sought everywhere
but their efforts had been futile and
their vengeance baffled. They were
now awaiting 1or Turner's blood
hounds from the state farm. At last
the hounds arrived. They We're led to
the place of the attempted assault, their
long, black noses were forced to the
ground, and with a yelp they started
their tails as rigid as steel rods. The
crowd tumultously took after the dogs
hating at certain trees, then onward
and onward. Major Warbutton fol-
lowed all the way, but 1t was too great
tax on my strength, and l turned
back to the courthouse. At four
o'clock the crowd and hounds came
back without the negro.
1 was sitting on the gallery of the
hotel. Major Warbutton hurried to me
and excitedly asked IL he might send
for that strange boy as Eastwood p"
He added Jack Roane will send his
horses and bring the boy here in
three hours" l said,s "Send at once
I'll write a note to my wife" Nobody
at the courthouse went to bed that
night. big fire blazed all night on
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

The night was very dark. We climbed
the tree and waited. At least an hour
passed before any of us spoke Finally
kunos exclaimed in a whisper, "a
dawg's cumin' now, an hits a houn'
dog. too" you can't see your hand
before you, boy, and how can you see
a dog at distance" said the major 2"
Kunos replied, Il ain't seed him, but I
kin smell i'm" We waited in silence
for few minutes longer-then the re-
port of a gun, a flash of light and a
quick howl, told us that Kunos had
killed a dog. We descended the tree.
Kunos lighted the lantern, and we
found that we had killed one of Mr.
Mallory's hounds Kunos took out his
knife and picked wool from between the
teeth of the dead dog and exclaimed
He is the rogue wot wuz here las
night; that proves it."
Some days after the killing of the
sheep killing dog, Major Warbutton and
/ were to go to the courthouse. about
twelve miles from my home The ma
jor was to call by for me and take me
in his buggy. | ordered Kunos to let
me know when Major Warbutton came
in sight. AS my neighbor did not come
as early as I expected him, I went out
and enquired If Kunos had seen any
thing of him. He replied, Nav. sir, I
aint seen him but he's dun passed :"
lhdl cdHliot pe, Sdlu lftipdtleHlly,
for he was to call for me-" The boy
muttered, "He dun taken his way down
de road" "If you did not see him. how
do you know that he's passed?" well
doctor, I know fur smelt i'm" This
seemed so absurd that smiled. and di-
rected him to hitch Dandy to the light
runabout. I was about ready to start
alone when Major Warbutton drove In
sight AS I took my seat beside him.
the major said, "I passed down the
road by your place a half hour ago
for l wanted to see Busby before We
started for the courthouse" I then
told him what Kunos had said, about his
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

diary and in the "vicissitudes" of Peggy
Dow we learn much of the adventures
of this anomalous brace of souls. He
would sleep in the open air in the resin
GUS regions of south Alabama, where
the abounding pine straw could be raked
together in a heap for a mattress, and
where he could be lulled to slumber by
the soothing monotone of the tall pine
trees. There is little doubt that his frail
system of this wonderful man was pro-
longed by being nurtured in the open air,
freighted with turpentne, and strengthen
ed by activity.
Mrs. Peggy, on the other hand, Judging
from the tone of her journal, did not
find so much qualification in this rough
and tumble method of life as her incorri-
gible liege lord. There is an undisguised
reluctance in her words of compliance
with conditions from which there was no
appeal.
One of the most singular chapters in
the life of Lornzo Dow preceded his
invasion of the far southwest When
seized by a peculiar fancy that he was
seibed by peculiar fancy that he was
called to preach to the Roman Cath
olics of the world and having learned
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

! had occasion to send him to the
! kitchen. and as old Prudence caught
sight of the boy. | heard her exclaim,
Fore Gawd, wot's dis? Well, sahl
! Who's you, anyway? Lord Almighty, dat
beats Noah an de arkl"
The members of the family were
afraid of Kunos, but as his duties
brought him no nearer to the living.
rooms than the kitchen, to which he
toted wood l secured their tolerance
Kunos was only Ia and very small for
his years; but he had great industry
and never seemed to tire of his work
One day he was assisting me in pre-
pairing the garden for some early veg
etables and he worked with such ey-
ident knowledge of what ought to be
done, that asked. did you-ever live
with anybody except your mother?"
He replied, Yes, sir; I dun lived with
Major Coles three days las summer
why did you leave there?" Il amt
lef' thar; he sont. me way" For what
did he send you away?n Dunno, sir
What did he say to you when he told
you to go?' He lowed that | wuz
trickey an his wife wuz scared of me"
He worked industriously and was al
ways ready to eat The cook complained
he ate enough meat for two or three
men. He would crack chicken bones as
If they We're macaroni strips, but he
cared little for bread
One day Major Warbutton, a near
neighbor, called to ask If my dog had
been kept at home the night before.
assured him that he had. well. two of
my lambs were killed by dogs last
night, and I thought that your dog
might have been led into mischief he
said. When Major Warbutton was
about to leave, Kunos. who had heard
the Major, said. "Tnem dawgs will cum
gin. 'lieve me; and | kin kill 'em fur
you" Before my friend left, we de-
cided to take Kunos with us to an old
hollow sherry tree that night and await
the coming of the dogs.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

volved II is necessary to sketch with
accuracy and in most just proportion,
giving the stage scenery of his photo
play, here again the biographer's work
Is great. There are few lamentable
evidences of careless proofreading, but
none of the authors neglect of proper
investigation.
But the man and his time are Of
more interest than any memorial can
be The results of the mans life We
in America are as surely garnering and
yet to garner as is the present gem
GRAFTON of English folk. 1t is as Ger
tain as anything can be that purer
politics, the worlds peace movement
more honest and sincere diplomacy,
more thoroughgoing democracy, the
attention of statesmen to the questions
of wages and welfare, housing and
health, among all the people, and in
deed the whole distinctive tendency Of
our time toward Christianized civil
iZation are traeeable back to the Roch-
dale Quaker John Bright. Lord Pal
merston used to sneer a him as "the
Rev. Mr. Bright" even when his ora
tory was enchanting the mind of a hos
tile House of Commons. "Punch's" po-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

matics and no science" but" observes
his faithful biographer, "his real educa-
tion in literature, history, economics
and politics was about to begin with
himself as master. The schools of his
sect had done we'll for him, for they
had preserved the influence of his home.
His boyhood had been spent in the at
mosphere of that Society of Friends,
that intangible but pervading spirit
which instills rather than teaches the
doctrine of equality and brotherhood
of men and women, of rich and poor;
the nothingness of worldly distinctions,
and the supreme duty of humane con-
duct. He had not, like SO many pupils
of more fashionable places of education,
unlearned the lessons of his home and
of his own nature-the independence of
opinion, the quick response to the whis-
per of conscience, the aspirations after
a higher life. lie may have suffered
more than he learnt from some of his
masters, but at least he had not been
taught like most young Englishmen,
to quail before the public opinion of his
school fellows, or to put on the air of
being ashamed of the things of the
mind and heart. Like Wordsworth, he
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

boy leading a procession OF infuriated
men. everyone OF whom held aloft a
blazing pine knot.
He stopped alta oale tree, around
which the blood hounds had circled
several times, so man who had fol-
lowed the hounds told me. He shifted
the air passed the tree; but immediate1vl
wheeled around and returned to 1t. Ha'
began to climb, and men quickly sprana
to assist him. Out to the end of n
limb he crept autiously. Then letting,
himself down to lower limb, he care-i
fully dropped into a flowing stream.
Regaining his balance. he said to me.
Doctor, this Is where the hounds wuz
fooled, reckin." Again he shifted tha
air. He waited an instant, then. AID
most in a run, he bore to the rieht.l
He had changed his course, and wa >
now making for the direction of the
village. | heard man exclaim, 20.
hell! He's off the track now, for the
nigger would not have gone there"
on we were led by the boy, who was
painting like a tired dog. We were at
the rear Of the hotel from which we
started. Kunos climbed the terrace.
sped to remote room that proved to
be the cooks bedroom, quickly threw
back the door, and pointing under bed
exclaimed hoarsely. That's himp'
And 1t was "him"-the cooks son.
coal black brute He was dragged
down the steps more dead than alive.
and lodged in the jail less than 200
yards distant In five minutes Kunos
was asleep I'm n corner of the hotel
gallery on the floor.
Before dispensing. the crowd made IN
q sum of money for Kunos It was
Sls5, but Major Warbutton and
rounded 1t out to 5000
AS my space is full. I must ask the
reader to await the next Sunday issue
or The Age-ierald for the completion
of the story
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

was last February that l heard a
woman's voice crying aloud, way,
dawg g'way," as | was riding over a
road about five miles from my home. |
at once called my dog, but as he did
not appear l galloped my horse in the
direction of the voice. | discovered a
woman standing in front of a log cabin.
with a stick in her hand, with which she
menaced the comfort of my dog, who was
sinking away.
Tile woman belonged to that distinct
class whom the colored people have al
ways designated as 'po' white trash. :"
and was the most repulsive looking wom-
an that / have ever seen. Her face,
throat and neck were rdged with white
and red scars, and so much of her skin
as was not thus disfigured was notified
and hard
| apologized for the dogs trespass. She
Informed me that she didn't like dawgs,
good, bad or indiffrunt,r and added,
An III tell you why. ef you amt in a
hurry" | dsmounted. and leaning
against the fence awaited her story
You see. hit wus this way: A long
time back pris'ner 'scaped frum the
State farm an stopped heah fur shelter.
an | hid him in the closet whar l
thought he mought be safe: then l
went to the doc an stood thar. But it
want long fore the dawgs wus on his
tracks an followed heah. When they
cum to the doc | tried to scare 'em
way, but them blood houn's wouldn,
be scared They jumped on me.
throwed me TO the foo,' an gan to eat
me up. They tore my face. my throat,
an chewed hunks outen my arms am
legs. | specS they mought a killed me
EFF the constables hadn't cum iip which
they WIZ jist hind ths dawgs. | wuz
mos dade anyways They sont me to
hospital in Richmon' whar every
body lowed | couldn't live, cause /
wuz in delicate condish on like, spec
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
MR. CONFER AS A HUMORST-By Hugh W. Roberts

else to whom he referred-with the excep-
ton Of the two gentlemen who aided in
introducing hirn-and that he discharged
that portion of his duty in mastery fash
ion as no other man. it is probable, could
have done. The reader acknowledges,
also, that the reporters did refer to GER
tain humorous passages, and to certain
humorous actions-especially those by
means of which the speaker endeavored
with success to attract the writer's atten-
ton. But still the reader contends that
the reporters instead of turning out
columns of what Conner said to the detri-
ment of those who oppose him, should
nave served paragraphs of as excellent
humor as one could find in all the volumes
of English literature.
Conner was funny right off the jump.
As is remembered, Alto v. Lee introduced
him very handsomely. He was described
as a great statesman with a religious soul,
a strong fighter against iniquity, and a
warm friend of those who uphold the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

And vou-when we we're passing our
tax laws of the railroad. our railroad
law Mr.. Jim Weatheriy-he was a friend
of mine-Jim Weatherly come to me-he
was attorney then for the Southern rail-
road and Mr. Thompson over here at At
ianta was their political manager-and
Weatherly came to me-he says, You are
very fond of hunting and fishing
SAYS, Yes, I am. He says, L have
got brother-in-law down here. Howard
Douglass, down here on the river above
Mobile piece, that has the finest pre-
serves more fish lakes, more birds. mora
sea-gulls-we could just go down tgere
and spend a week and have a fine time
That sounded pretty good; and We will
take Mr. Thompson with us | says,
'Weatherly. the hunt is off we won't go
That is what you call environment"
Qaughter)
Is there finer passage of nnadui-
terated humor in the English language7
Poor old shade of Mark Twain.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

the Methodists, as the zeal of that peo-
pie was an attraction to his heated tenn
perament. His errant and arbitrary course
soon made him an undesirable acquisition
to the Methodists, and while not sever
ing his relations with the church, he was
disposed to yield to disposition to be-
come general evangelist or missionary
of the independent type. His health was
broken, and he conceived the idea of 60
Ing as far westward as the advanced line
of Caucasian occupation had gone. and
take with him on his perilous journey
his young wife,
AT this time Mr.. Dow was about q
years old. By means of the tedious and
uncomfortable methods of travel at that
early time he found his way from New
England to the thin line of settlements
along the Tombigbee. Here. in company
with his wife, Peggy, he preached as a
son of thunder, but as though the dangers
encountered did not crafty his love of
the perilous, he sought his way through
the dangerous wilds to the region of
Natchez. Miss, long before made an inn
portant French settlement. To Dow peril
was fascination, and like the Vikings
of Saga story, he sought danger in order
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

burden yourselves with blind child!
Stand up and be counted
How many would have the moral cour.
age to face the criticisms of friends and
relatives and neighbors and say boldly
Yes, know the boy is handicapped
for life I know he may never be able
to repay me for the care I am goins
to give him. I know that his training
will be long and .nIicult and perhaps
costly.
But to the best of my ability | shall
care for him. 1 shall not look for reward
or recompense, save as 1 shall know that
his hands, outstretched toward me for
aid, are confident in the feeling that
shall not fail him. He shall be to me a
son in all ways in spite of his affliction. .
How proud will Blumhart be of his
blind adopted son as the baby and then
the lad and then the young man grows in
wisdom and knowledgel
1t is pleasant to sit back and thinI,
Of the two going hand in hand along the
road of life-the man, endowed by nature
with all his faculties bearing cheerfully.
willingly lovingly, his self assumed task
of rearing a blind boy; the other going
trustingly hand in hand with the man
who has shown thus his unquestionable
love.
Let all who read this Join in saving:
May Blumhart be spared for many years
to cherish his sacred care; And may his
blind adopted son well repay him for IT,
In the announcement by a PHILADELPHIA
scientist, DR.. Herbert e. Ives. that he ha s
invented daylight-an artificial light
which Stimulates that produced by the
suns rays-lies the suggestion of an in
teresting thought
Granted the further invention of a
means to enable human beings to live
without sleep, should we be glad to see
night abolished?
Think of daylight for "a hours contin-
uouslyi No night. no darkness, no ces-
sation of the days activities,
How much work we could do! Some
times We feel the day is all too short for
all we should like to see. to do, to be,
to enjoy.
Perhaps we should emulate Edison, who
can toll "a hours without resting. sleep
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
HISTORY-LORENZO DOW-By B. F. Riley D.

throng heard him with avidity.A He
found peculiar delight in his assaults
on the Jesuits whom he denounced as
conspirators against civil and religious
freedom.
Weird, stormy and extensive as the
career of Lorenzo Dow was, he was
not an old man when he died, being
only 81. He fought off constitutional
weakness and heroically braeed him.
self against the inroad of disease with
the same force with which he did all
things else. For years he held the
dark monster, death, AT bay and grim
" declined to die that he might live
and fight, to do which none was fonder
than the rodubtable Dow.
As may be easily inferred Dow was
man of seant learning, SO far as
pertains to books, but he was a close
and apt student of man and of af-
fairs, and from this acquired fund he
preached with great effectiveness, un-
restrained by conventionality and nn-
hindered by prim propriety. He told the
truth as he saw it, not in tones of
choice diction, but with a quaintness
and pluck, and with such projectile
force as to stir conviction and arouse
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

ne said, 'of a boil of cotton, and turn
ing to the reporters he asked: Nov
wouldn't it be a proposition
Mr. Ennis answered, Awful"
Mr.. Conner continued. 1T would be aw-
ful; you have got the right word did
you say 'awful?' Have you got that
down? That would be awful
And again to the reporters-''who is
your figurer, Mr.. Ennis?'
And Mr. Ennis answered-"Mr. Rob-
erts'
And Mr.. Conner continued: Now some
of you smart figurers-and that figurer of
yours, Roberts-tell him to figure it up,
put it in, put it in the paper; figure 1t up,
just what the state saved
But the finest bit Of humor In his speech
was his description of how James Wealth
erly extended him an invitation to visit
the farm of Howard Douglass and how
he declined that invitation. The record
tells the story as follows;
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

law. Mr.. Conner was affected. For what
does he say after taking his feet? This
is from the copy.
Mr.. Lee, you know just rather like
that Introduction
It isn't reported that laughter followed.
But every man must admit that that little
line was as full of humor as any line off
the reel of Mark Twain
But by no means was that the funniest
remark made by Conner. As matter of
fact, 1t would be impossible to select any
single passage and declare it to be more
mirth provoking than all others. There
is an abundance of humer everywhere,
even in his most lofty thought
For instance, he tells the story of hav-
ing been confronted on the occasion of
| the last birmingham fair by q coop of
fine chickens. He was told that one oil
the hens in the lot was valued at 5000.
He declared that the chickens were called
birds, and added that every chicken, out
of the ordinary. acquires the more aristo-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03

that Ireland was one of their strong
holds he hied himself thither. To the
quaint Irish he was wonder. His
vociferous preaching and pungent zeal
drew large crowds, but at times his
path was not strewn with primroses
and the rougher element of the Irish
throngs offered battle at times to his
vaunting baanters, but nothing was
more to the liking of the iudomitable
Lorenzo. He even stood ready to meet
any rising emergency even when it
was as grave as the attacks of the
scraggy sons, of the Emerald Isle.
From Ireland he crossed over into
Britain, and introduced the camp
meeting method OF worship, which
meetings became popular in England,
and later in the United States. So far
as is known Lornzo Dow was the
founder of the camp meeting with its
flexibility and abandon of worship. His
way in England was clearer than 1t
had been in Ireland To the staid Briton
he was an object of wonder and his
natural eloquence and eccentricities of
speech and of dress won for him
boundless popularity and the pressing