davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
NdpOleon'S Tribute To Brienne
Brienne the Faherand of My Mind 1t Was There That
Received the First Impressions of Man

nance, climbed to the belfry where hung
which long resounded in the ear of Ma
poleon.
On a level with the belfry sits the
chateau which once no doubt seemed to
frown down upon the little Corsican,
but where the Bauffremonts,. proud OF
their long descent, were made prouder
still when they welcomed him back to
Brienne in 1906, for now he wore the
crown of France and was pausing here
with Josephine In his imperial progress
to his second coronation at Milan.
He came back to Brienne once more
in 1914. and here again he led the French
in battle-but this time not with snow
balls. He was fighting now to save his
two crowns, and like a wounded eagle
fluttering to its nest, he ran into the
village with all Europe in pursuit of
him. He found no welcome at the chateau,
for Blucher held it, but he took it by
storm and slept once more in the castle
whose showroom to this day is the "cham-
bre coucher de Napoleon" with every
thing in it carefully kept, just as he left
it 100 years ago the 2lst of next January.
Turning, my eye followed him as he left
the chateau for the wheat fields over
about La Rothiere, where the next day
the Car and King Frederick William re-
joiced when he lost a battle for the first
time on French SOIL
Where else may one look upon the
scenes Of such contrasting fortunes as
from the belfry of Brienne?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
Mr.. Morgan in Brienne

He had been at Brienne more than five
years and was few months past his 18th
birthday when he was promoted to the
Ecol Militaire at Paris Probably the only
person in town who marked his depar-
ture. the only soul who cared whether
he stayed or went was Bourrienne, who
rode with his friend as far as tie stage
line for Paris. But Napoleon came to
Brienne again after 20 years and once
again after 20 more
l have come here, however in the course
of my long journey In the Path of
Napoleon" only to mark his first pas
sage through this town, which lies in
the bosom Of France, some 125 miles to
the east of Paris and near Troyes, the
ancient capital of Champagne. 1t is a
charmingly simple village, only a dot
on gentle rolling. well wooded plain,
where the red roofs that shelter its 1900
inhabitants cluster about two cross roads,
These are really the only streets, with
few little lanes straying off from them
into the pretty countryside. while crown
ing, dominating all is the chateau This
is not, however. one Of the old French
chateaux; 1t was new when Napoleon
came here to school, but on its hill the
Counts of Brienne have had their seat
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
The Little COrsican

The little Corsican had found himself
mark for the boys of Autun at the out
set of his life in France and never was
permitted to forget that he was an alien
He was greeted with the same mischiev-
Gus hostility here in Brienne and had to
contend with bitter disadvantages.
His appearance and his foreign accent
moved his young comrades to laughter
His Corsican nobility was not taken any
more seriously by these children of the
old mobiles of France than If he claimed
descent from some tribal chief among
the American Indians. Corsica to their
understanding was a savage country and
they knew of it only as a scene of re-
bellions and vendettas, regarding it per-
haps as our world today regards Albania
in the scale of civilization
The paying pupils made him feel his
poverty and with the thoughtless and
unsparing cruelty of boyhood, the friend
less, unsocial stranger became a target
for all manner of taunts. which sometimes
threw him into fits of ungovernable rage.
He found moreover that the little aristo-
Gratis of sophisticated France had by no
means the innocent minds and wholesome
thoughts of the youth of his more prim-
tive race, and he was shocked and re-
peeled by the moraa tone of many of his
schoomates.
All circumstances united to drive the
moody boy in upon his moods, and for
awhile at least he led gloomy, solitary
existence up here on the prairie of north
eastern France, far from his kindred and
IN what seemed to him by comparison
with his sunny island bleak and wintry
land.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
A Rebellious Subject

He did not get along with the friars
much better than with the boys when. he
first came to Brienne. He was not m
ruly, but his air Of sullen defiance and
his aloofness troubled the priests While
corporal punishment had been forbidden
py the government. he seems to have re-
ceived at least one fogging. Again, for
some infraction of a rule, he was ordered
to do penance by eating meal on his
knees at the door of the refectory. before
all the boys. He protested vehemently
that his mother had told him ito kneel
only to God, and that he would kneel to
no man. His indignation finally running
into a wild tantrum he had to be carried
off to bed.
Plainly the King of France was nur-
turing a very rebellious subject. One of
the friars reminded him Of the debt of
gratitude he owed the King, but the boy
was steadily forming the purpose to en-
ploy the education the nation was giving
him as means of promoting the liberty
of Corsica rather than the glory of France.
II will do these French all the mischief I
can." he muttered, according to the re-
port of one of his classmates. priest
reproving him at confession for his de-
nunciation OF France; he ran out into the
church, shouting: II do not come to this
place to talk about Corsica, and a priest
has no mission to lecture me on that SUBJ
ject."
Probably with the idea of bringing him
into line. the friars gave him a post
of honor in the corps, but the boys court
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
A Near Novelette,

From the Detroit Free Press.
The fat man with the mole on his sec-
ond chin, took the proffered chair ana
gazed at the great detective wistfully
You may be surprised when you learn
what it is l ask you to help me fnd.'
he began, but they say you can find
anything. Is that SOP"
Anything" admitted the great detec-
tive. with slight smile, except the
cause of the high cost of living
"Ah, then, did right in coming to
you Oh. sir. in all my life 1 have known
not one moments happiness. I want hap
piness l will swap my fortune for IL.
Tell me, where l can ind happiness"
II think can help you. milkman,' said
the great detective.
Milkman? Why how did yoli---'
by your reference to a fortune first
and second, by your watery eyes," said
the great detective simply
And happiness. Where can ind
that2"
The great detective hitched his chair
nearer.
In the dictionary" he said, conhden-
TALLY. There is no charge
Absently the milSman threw sofa
cushion.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
Graduated Without Honors
THE SPORTING sIAMEsE
Simple Disciples of Buddha Manage to
Eat Flesh Without Taking Life

The pious Siamese. while averse to eat
Ing the flesh of an animal which they
believe to have been killed, and, as race,
hating to take life. are not vegetarians
In fact the average Samese partakes-
con gusto-of fish twice day. the first
thing In the morning, and the moment
the tropical sun, sinking in a sea of as
tonishingly gaudy colors, puts an end to
the afternoons work. And If he belongs
to the small minority of natives who are
sportsmen at heart. he slays big game,
says the Bookman.
me sporting Siamese. overcoming their
repugnance to slaughtering live crea-
lures, cunningly beg the question by ar
guing that to remove fish from the
water is no offense against religious
teachings. Putting out short way to
sea In small canoes, each holding two
fishermen, they sink long and stout
line furnished with some 20 hooks. the
spot being marked by buoys, repeating
the operation till all the lines have been
sunk. Then, returning to the short, they
sunk. Then, returning to the short, they
revisiting the area, haul up the lines often
hooking 2o-foot shark or a warlike
swordfish, whose flesh is cured and dis
patched to countries where the delicacy
is appreciated. Sometimes the shark gets
the better of the crew. and the last
named. instead of eating. are eaten. When
nphe OF this description occurs,
the priests read the community at large
-ie s,nlulness of flying
In the face Of Buddhist teaching.
All a.VH-s the coast. Iisn are netted and
of traps there are no end. One of these.
as will be seen, is as simple as it is ef-
fectiye. A canoe Is furnished with a plank
fastened TO the side, and slanting toward
the water. which 1t penetrates to a depth
of some three feet; and the paddler keeps
.lose In to the waters edge where the
hsh lie up In hundreds. Surprised in the
middle of their slumbers they make a
dash for the deep water, and striking the
plank, glide up it's inclined surface, and
are done for. Ingenious. too, is the bush
trap, consisting Of large bush placed
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
His Only Friend

At any rate, he found himself after
awhile on better terms with his surround
ings, and with one of the boys, Louis An
toine Flauvelet de Bourrienne, he formed
a close friendship, which we shall follow
through many chapters. Another name
that we shall meet again is that of
Charles Pichegru, who was for time
among Napoeon's instructors here in
Brenne, very poor young man, who
had been a private soldier, but now
hoped to become friar.
In Napoeon's last winter at Brienne
there was a heavy snow. which brought
him an opportunity, the only recorded
one, to be leader among his school fell
lows. The snow was SO deep in the big
courtyard that the boys were snowbo
Napoleon proposed that they get shovels,
build snow forts, and dividing up, en-
gage in sieges and attacks IT, said the
strategist. II will direct the movements"
The boys took hold with enthusiasm; the
forts were erected and were furiously
stormed until the contending forces had
delved SO deep that gravel was mixed
with the snowballs and the casualties
grew serious.
The school as a school seems to have
been rather poor. 1t utterly failed to
discover Napoleon, and there is no
record of this world beater having won
single prize at Brienne. He received
dancing lessons. but did not learn to
dance. He took German, but seems not
to have remembered any of it in man
hood. He read Latin authors with
real hunger for knowledge, but never
got beyond the fourth class in his Latin
studies. He received writing lessons.
but his penmanship is perhaps the worst
in history
The library was his favorite haunt. In
the recreation periods he was more like
ly to be there with volume Of Piuarch
in his hand than on the playground. He
had found for himself the combination of
the lock on the storehouse of knowledge
"a desire to read books, the habit of
reading them and a capacity to UNDER
stand them.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
First Entry Into Paris

| have anticipated enough, however.
and it is time to follow the 15-year-old
schoolboy out of the village and to see
him make his first entry into the capital
of France at the heels of a Minim friar.
who delivered him to the authorities of
the Ecole Militaire. The old building,
which is still standing and belongs to
the army, is not far from the EireI
Tower-and the Hotel des Invalides
Here Napoleon was entered as a gem
tleman cadet and here he was confront
ed with a still prouder aristocracy, for
the first families did not send their sons
to Brienne.
The French military training as a
whole was now the envy of other ma
tions and attracted many foreign pupils.
While Napoleon was at the Paris Ecole,
there was in another French school at
Anglers an Irish boy, Arthur Wellesley
by name, but better known to history
as the Duke of Wellington
At the Ecole Napoleon had a room
mate, Des Mazis. who became his bosom
friend and his only real friend in all
Paris. Here, too, he made an enemy
""' was ueS'ihe" W ciosS Inc rain OF
Napoleon" in after years This was a
boy named Phelipeaux. Picot de Pee
cadeuc-we shall also meet him again
sat between the two boys for a time,
but when his shins We're black and blue
from their wild kicks at each other he
asked to be moved from the firing line
The most important thing that hap
pened to Napoleon while at the Ecole
was new course Of reading he took up
at once after entering the place. Paris
was then sitting on the volcano of the
revolution, reading Adam Smith. dAlam-
bert, Montesque. voltaire and Rousseau,
and the boys mind passed under the in
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14

James Morgan's Centenary Life of
Napoleon is the first biography of the
man to be written chapter by chapter
at the scenes of his amazing exploits.
10 equip himself to write this dis
finctiyely newspaper story of the most
sensational career in history, Mr.. Nor
gan visited all the principal back
grounds in Napoleon's life, going into
three continents and crossing inter-
national frontiers more than 20 times.
In this way he is enabled to make
news of history, and while he has
written complete, fair and accurate
life of Napoleon, he has done it as
freshly and viyidly as if he were re.
porting current event.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
"BRIENNE LIE NAPOLEON. -

The fickleness of fame! Brienne had
been proud one day to link her name
with that of the little Corsican she once
despised, after which there came an
other day when she painted out his name
as If. it never had been. But there it
still is, shining through the unavailing
effort to eclipse it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14

ings and white metal buttons on his coat.
and he had to do his own mending. His
hair was cut short until he had reached
the age of II, after which he was priv
ileged to sport pigtail but 1t must not
be powdered except on Sundays and
saints days He slept by himself in a
six-foot cell. but ate with the other boys
in the mess hall and knelt with them in
the chapel at morning mass and evening
prayer
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14

,
which was swaying the thought of the
capital.
The Death of His Father
In the first months of his stay at the
Ecole his father was in France once
more, but this time for his health. He
came to see d Paris physician regarding
a severe stomach trouble which had
been afflictng him for some time and
it was found that he had cancer Leaving
Paris, he was at Montpelier, in southern
France, when his disease overcame him,
and there he was taken into the home of
M Permon, lately returned from service
in the American revolution and whose
wife was a Corsican. After a long Illness
he died at the Permons and was buried
in Montpelier, in the seth year of his life.
Carlos days, though few, were yet
crowned with a success which he coveted
above any gains for himself; an oppor-
tunity for his children to take fhe posi-
tion in the world to which he though
their birth entitled them.
Like most men of great force, Napo-
leon was the son of IL weak father and
a strong mother. Yet there was some
thing truly Napoeonio in Carl Bona
parties bold assurance and restless am
bition, and this may have been his
legacy to Napoleon. AS a whole his
character was a vain and futile one. but
his very weakness fitted him to play a
certain useful part in the drama of his
sons life
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14

in the stream. and fenced in with Screen
openings being left for the obliging fish.
who innoeently seek shelter therein. Sew
eral times a day the falling doors are
closed, and the fishermen have fish for
dinner.
Rod fishing does not appeal to any bus
the oid, who using a small kicking frog
or sort of caddis worm as bait. Accord
ing 10 the size of the fish to be taken,
spend hours beneath the shade of the
bamboos, replenishing the larder. Some-
times the grandmother of a Siamese es-
Enlistment angles, but only when she IL
too decreplt for .houseWork.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14

TEEN since he disdained their affections"
His independence, however, was piquing
them at last, and this, with his uncom-
planning acceptance of their verdict,
served to bring him more into their
favor
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
At the Fancy Dress Rail

From the ST. Louis Republic.
who's the big, audacious fellow dolna
all the talking to the crowd around himrs
That's Wigley-representing Success"
And the quiet modest little girl sitting
over there alongside the wall, and whom
nobody seems to know?'
That's little Gertie Willxins-represent
ing Unvarnished Truth"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
The Immortal Schoolboy

Turning into the other main street /
soon found that ! was I'm the Path of
Napoleon" and passing along a block
of idle village shops, l came to the
slightly Hotel de Vile. There stood in
bronze the immortal schoolboy of Bril-
enne, with golden eagles and a crown
at his feet, but yet only long haired,
lean and hungry boy Behind the statue
is the door of the Hotel de Vile and
over it in marble the head of Napoleon
the man, with fame and victory crowning
him.
A little farther on in this street rises
an old wall and here behind this wall
stood the school Of the Minim friars, the
first perch of the eaglet in his flight from
the mother nest at Ajaccie. The school is
no more; it was closed by the revolu-
tion in 1898. when there was no longer a
King of France to pay for the education
of the sons of poor noblemen and when
noblemen and friars alike were banished
from the country.
The one survivor, the one spared monu-
ment of the schol, is the convent in
which the friars lived. 1t still stands un-
der the shade of a noble tree and there
the soldiers of the republic. little garri-
son of 60 men, have their barracks. its
name printed on the gable end of the
old convent 'Caserne Bonaparte 1885,"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
WHERE NAPOLEON
WENT TO SCHOOL
The Dates

Conquest of Corsica by France. June %,
1863
Napoleon born. August Is, 1863
Left for Autun, aged 8. December Is.
177s.
Entered Brienne school, age ., March
10, 1T79.
Entered Ecole Militaire, Paris, age I5,
October 81, 1854.
Father died. February "a, 1856.
Graduated. age 16. September %, 17S5.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14

for 900 years. Coming to the cross roads
in the center and standing almost in
the shadow of the great mansion of the
count, 1 read this street sign:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
At the School Gate

The memory of the boy who went to
school here is more graphically preserved
by weatherstained marble statue of
him above the gate with the inscription,
Napoleon. 1779-17S4'' The statue stands
on an arch beneath which the soldiers
come and go on their dull routine. and
on which is inscribed "Ancienne Ecole
Militaire, 1776 to 17s3'' while one of the
stone gate posts bears the roll of the
more famous school boys of Brienne:
Bonaparte, Bourrienne, Pichegru, Dava-
oust. Nansouty. D'Haupoul. Gudin, Sor-
bier. Marescot La Bretoheche, Bruneteau.
Vallee.
Turning away from the gate I strolled
in the lanes of Brienne-all by-paths of
Napoleon presumably-past little stone
dwellings as shining clean as the homes
of Holland. Back at the cross roads
stands the old church, bare and still
within, where the family of the count
worship on red cushioned pews In a spe-
oial reservation. By permission Of the
kindly vicaire. man Of noble counte-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14

Next Sunday-Mr. Morgan will follow
"rhe Path of Napoleon" through bars
racks and attics where the artillery lieu-
tenant dreamed and despaired on few
cents a day. and THE Path of Napoleon
through revolution to his banishment
from his native Corsica
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14

at the Ecole he read much and studied
hard but won no special mark. he
never was an officer of the corps or head
of the mess. He got along well with his
teachers and some of them he never
ceased to remember with gratitude. In
after years there We're those who boasted
that they had recognized his genius when
at the Ecole, but poor Baur the German
teacher, never could live down a remarh
he made one day in September, 1856.
Where is NJ de Bonaparte?' he askeds
as he loked over the class.
I'm for the artillery examination" soms-
one replied.
What! Does he know anything?" .
why. he is one of the best mathe@
maticians in the school,"
20. / have always thought that only
idiots were fit to study mathematics"
Napoleon was examined by LaPlace. tha
celebrated mathematician and astron-
omer. And among the Sc young men who
passed, he stood 42 from the top!
His long and hard apprenticeship in the
trade of the sword was finished at last
and he was now at the threshold of ans
other six years apprenticeship, which
held privations more bitter STILL an ap-
premiership in the great schol of life.
Copyright. 1913, by James Morgan>
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
"BRIENNE LIE CHATEAU"

But beneath the newer lettering 1 could
dimly read an older sign:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
-=EE7Ss2zES ==-
ZhE CEZkB1RAzyD c5NON G97vZk. 65~ Ia9zez@
CEHRLETt5 SfLZEX or
(1ZHF0ZEaY AT ZHE LCQLE M ZzRc

fluence of the revolutionary philosophy,
which was swaying the thought of the
capital
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14

5CW0lZ8QY ar RRzx15sZ' W nkWz3
6ETDRH mr. LOZXZ de IzLZE a.. =,
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1913-03-06

ma MI, willie LCOll Sdl L lCu d IdSC
which was not thing of beauty.
The fight has put Willard no
nearer chance at McCarty.
Luther does not consider licking
men like Leon getting a reputa-
ton" Where are there any heav-
les through whom Willard can
secure that rep? The present crop
is a bunch of lemons and Willard
is taking on thebest men he can
find.
McGraw's recruits beat the
regulars yesterday at Marlin
Springs. Jim Thorpe is not men
toned in the score. The Indian
should speak to his press agent.
Frank Chance will not take
part in the. Yankee practice at
Hamilton, Bermuda, until Mon
day because of a slight injury to
his foot. The P. L. has filled the
hole at short with Jack Martin, a
New Highlander, who has been
covering a lot of ground Roy
Hartzell is slated for utility man.
Billy job has been officially
chosen by the New York boxing,
commission to referee the Nc
REHABILITATION fight in Gotham
tomorrow night Dan Morgan,
Britton's manager, is not expect
ed to raise any more objections,
as he agreed to abide by the de-
cision of the commission. McFar-
land is in tiptop condition for the
go and is full of confidence. The
same feeling pervades the Britton
camp. The -Chicagoan from the
North, Side said TODAY he would
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1913-03-06

Collins and Buck Weaver invent
ed a game of handball played with
tennis rackets at Paso Robes, and
Jacks spryness showed he would
be the same fast man on the bases
this year.
Joe Tinker fears revolution
has broken out in Cuba. Marsans,
Almeida and Romanach, the Gin
cinnati cubebs, have not showed
up at Mobile. Suggs and Benton
joined last night.
Manager Birmingham of the
Maps is worried over the absence
of Joe Jackson, his star outfelder,
who was to have started for Pen
sacola Mach l..
The White Sox first and second
squads will not get together again
until they reach Chicago. By that
time many of the youngsters will
be back in the minors.
Charley DAILY, former Army
and Harvard football star, has
turned down the offer to coach
the Northwestern team next fall.
DAILY has been reinstated in the
army.
Jess Willard put the quietus on
another white hope last night at
Fort Wayne, slapping Jack Leon
to the canvas for keeps in the
fourth round. Willard took the
lead from the start, battering
Leon with triphammer. blows to
the face. The ex-wrestler clinched
often, and in the mix-ups slipped
=