davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1914-10-25
HALLOWEEN is A PAGAN FEAST


her castle of Balmoral. IN Scotland, in
1874. at which the people gathered
from all the surrounding country at
dark. The queen and Princess Beatrice
drove about the grounds in an open
phaeton with a lighted torch. followed
by a long procession Of tenants and
servants also bearing lights. Around
the gloomy pile the long line wound
its way. making striking picture,
and when they reached the entrance
on the return big bonfire was aflame.
AS the glare shone on the gray stone
pile a figure dressed as goblin in
brightest attire came on the scene pull
ing a car containing the effigy of
witch, the wagon itself being sur
rounded by fairies. The figure of the
hag was at last tossed into the flames
and consumed. after which there was
dancing of the native steps to the
music OF her majestys piper
Your future partner can be discov-
cred Halloween by carefully pairing an
apple SO that the peeling comes off in
one long, unbroken strip, whirling this
carefully three times around the head.
then casting it backward. 1t will form
the first letter Of your sweethearts
name. Two apple seeds named for two
lovers and stuck on the eyelids will
show the faithful ones name by the
sticking of the seed named for the most
constant one. If there Is a church con-
venient, a maid can take a bag of
hempseed, walk around the edifce, say
ing. "Hempseed I sow, hempseed I
Evening star., 1914-10-25
Understood a Joke.

MANY years ago. when Victoria was
AVA Queen Of England, she and the
consort, Prince Albert. had as their
guests at Windsor Castle the three
predecessors of the present rulers of
Prussia, Austria and Russia. Today
the holders of the thrones Of those
countries. though cousins. are at war
with each other.
On the occasion Of this visit of the
morning walking quietly about the
beautiful gardens of the estate Arm
in arm the King Of Prussia, the Gear
of Russia and the Emperor of Austria
of the trio is Franz Josef of Austria.
On their way down path they met a
gardener and at once engaged him in
conversation. The laborer. seeing three
signs of royalty about them. at once
concluded that they belonged to the
suite Of the visiting crowned heads.
But he decided to find out with GER
to whom he had the honor of speaking.
WELL replied the one addressed, II
am the King of Prussia" This was
true. and 1t might also be added that
first Emperor of Germany.
And I am the Gear Of Russia" said
the second gentleman with smile.
The gardener looked incredulous
And l am the Emperor of Austria"
added Franz Josef.
The gardener burst into loud laugh.
Now, pray tell US who you are"
ing he was the victim of joke, and
determined to get the best Of it, the
gardener stuck his hands behind his
back. tapped his coat tails in the air,
and strutted on, saying with loud
why. I am the Great Mogul of
India"
Evening star., 1914-10-25
Cob Pipe Survivors.

NOTWITHSTANDIN the fact that
I this age is roundly and soundly de-
nounced as the age Of luxury, age OF
extravagance. age of high living and
the age Of reckless waste. there
is one of the symbols of early
American simplicity and old-fashion-
ed plain democracy which holds
on in the world. even though 1t may
not hold its own. The surprising thing
is that it survives at all. 1t Is plain
and old-fashioned. and besides these
drawbacks and handicaps is positively
cheap-repulsively and vulgarly cheap.
1t is the corncob pipe-the American
meerschaum.
The world which does not rim to
cigarettes and brilliant-banded cigars
seems to draw on French briar pipes
made of American cherry and other
United States woods. The mouthpiece
is Of amber. which may be yellow glass
or celluloid. Around the stem NAV be
thin metal mounting of Sin stamped
with silversmith's hallmark. But it
is called a sweet briar despite it's odor.
To look at the crowd In the bleachers
and the grandstand. which is said by
sporting reporters to be typical
American crowd, 1t would appear that
the French briar has become the Amer
ican national pipe.
Yet corncob pipes are still made and
are sold by the million. They are sold
in the United States and outside of the
United States. They constitute quite q
respectable article of export. Most of
them are made in Missouri, and in 1918
the factories of that state turned out
more than 32.000.000 corncob pipes,
worth about half a million dollars.
They are smoked on the streets of
Cairo. the streets Of London and
throughout South Africa. Smoke goes
up from them all over Australia.
America gave the world tobacco and
it has given to the world the corncob
pipe.
Evening star., 1914-10-25
Too Fresh.

~THE German advance on Paris. its
arrival almost at the gates of
Paris, then its swift swerve to the east
and even swifter retreat-well, 1t all
reminds me OF the hunter
The speaker was Paul Rainey, the big
game hunter and cinematographer of
New York. He went on:
"A hunter. taking a chew of tobacco,
said In a general store:
YESTERDAY mornin' / struck a,
grizzly's trail. I followed 'er up till
sundown. Then 1 hiked back ter camp
why did you hike back to camp?
asked the general storekeeper.
wall. to tell We the TRUTH said
the hunter, 'thet thar trail was a-gettin'
too fresh'"
Evening star., 1914-10-25
A Disappointment.

tfpooR Germans! I understand that
they had about a ton of iron
crosses marked Paris. 1914" which
were to be distributed among their
soldiers as soon as the French capital
was taken
The speaker was J. A. Conry, the Rus
sian consul to Boston. He went on:
Poor Germans! Their disappoint-
ment after the battle of the Marne re-
minds me Of the girl and the mil
lionaire.
"A bachelor millionaire had been call
ing on a girl for some months. and
one evening he said to her, with an
embarrassed air:
- have ventured to bring you a
small-er-present, a small present. 1t
is gold. But perhaps 1t won't-ha, ha,
ha.-perhaps 1t won't fit your finger.
VIII you try it ong'
why. certainly, George--1 mean, that
is, Mr.. Ritches,' said the girl, and she
blushed as red as a peony, and motor
cars and pearl necklaces and Paris
gowns danced before her eyes. Why,
certainly -.s,
And she put out her hand, and the
timid millionaire slipped a gold thim-
BILE on her finger"
Evening star., 1914-10-25

the artillery. which did such excellent
work In the late Balkan war, and
which has not been idle so far in the
present struggle against Austria, for
the Servians are said to be exception
ally good artillerists. is a quick-firer.
built on the Schneider-Canet system.
The uniforms Of the troops of Servia
appear to be in general style a COM
prevailing military garbs OF Russia
and Austria. Infantrymen wear a
blouse tunic of dark blue and artillery
men wear a similar garment, but with
black collar. Engineers wear the
same style of clothing. but affect col
lars of a cerise color. Foot soldiers
wear a high-crowned kept similar to
the cap worn by Austrian line infantry
men and jaegers. but the officers have
the flat cap that is characteristic of
the armies of Russia. Servian cavalry
men are a delight to the eye in light
blue tunics and crimson trousers.
Evening star., 1914-10-25

prominent parts in the great world
struggle now in progress.
The Servian army was one of the
two armed forces earliest engaged. for
the nations first to pair off in mortal
combat were little Servia and powerful
Austria, an it has been corresponding
ly before the public eye. Moreover, its
reputation, made in the recent and
severe Balkan war, was already very
high, and the world in general knew
that, though small, it was an exception
ally well drilled and equipped body of
men. Few countries. probably, have
ever placed in the field an army so
large in proportion to their population
has this little Slavic kingdom.
The Belgian army had not been en-
gagged in hostilities for many decades,
If it ever could be said to have engaged
Evening star., 1914-10-25

home defense purely. 1t would usually
comprise only about fifteen regiments
and a few squadrons of horse.
In the infantry continuous service is
for one and one-half years, for artil-
lery and cavalry two years. Service in
the first line reserve extends over q
period Of eight or eight and one-half
years, according to the branch. SO that
ten years is the term spent by the
Servian youth in the first ban. After
this decade Of more or less active serv-
Ice he passes successively into the Sec
ond ban, where he remains six years,
and the third, where he remains enroll
ed for eight more.
Servia is laid out into divisional
areas. five in number, each of which
supplies a division of the active army.
Each of these divisions Is composed Of
two infantry brigades of two regi-
ments of four battalions each, regi-
ment of field artillery, comprising nine
batteries of four guns each, and regi-
Evening star., 1914-10-25
Vv7HILE the Eve of All Saints. or
w Halloween. is commonly sup

w7HILE the Eve of All Saints, or
Nv Halloween. is commonly sup
w posed to be solely a Christian
festival, the fact is that this celebra-
tion is really survival of the pagan
feast to Pomona the goddess of fruits
and seeds.
This same date was also used by the
Druids of ancient England to give
thanks to the sun for its harvests.
One of their teachings was that on
this day Saman, the Lord OF Death,
gathered together all the spirits which
for the past year had been obliged
70 live in the bodies of animals. The
Druids held great ceremonial religious
services in order to propitiate this
fearsome god and with gifts and long
prayers sought to gain his good will
On this date the same people lighted
their huge fires in honor of the god
Baa1 In Wales the observance is Kept
up to this day, and on the Welsh
hills the flare of flames may still be
seen on the last night of October.
The custom was for every family
TO build a fire and each member throw
in a stone. over which they then said
appropriate prayers. If the stones were
found in the morning. 1t meant good
luck, but any one whose stone was
missing must understand that 1T was
a warning of death for the coming
year. In Scotland pretty much the
same customs held, fires being lighted,
apples and nuts eaten in great guam
titles and then the ashes were raked
into a circle within which was a stone
placed for each member of the group.
blazing torches were borne about viii
lagos typical of the burning of souls
in purgatory and also as sign of
Immortality
In Ireland the observance of Hallow-
cen was also a pagan feast and was
called the Vigil of Saman. Men went
from hut to hut collecting food. while
the women baked cakes and feasted on
apples and nuts. IN the Island OF
Lewis there was an observance OF sac
rificing to a sea god. The people would
gather at church, bringing provisions.
one man being selected as spokes-
man. This person would wade out
into the sea and pour into the water
a cup of ale as a propitiary Offering to
this god, whose name was Shony- After
this the candle on the altar was put
out and the folks fell to drinking and
danh eaIed In aay maae haa
roasting apples. but t:is word was
originally 'lamasool." This was drunk
in honor of the angel supposed to pre-
side over the fall fruits and nuts. All
of the many ways of telling the future
and of foreseeing husband were used
in Ireland.
In some parts of England it was
usual to bake cakes called soul cakes
on this day.
In many parts of Ireland and Scotland
today there is prepared for the even
ing meal dish of mashed potatoes
and parsnips known as "call-cannon
A large bowl is filed to the brim with
this mixture, n well is dug in the cen
ter of the mess and filled with butter
while somewhere In the dish Is con-
cealed a gold ring. When the food is
served the person getting the ring Is
supposed to be the one who will marry
during the coming year.
Queen Victoria gave a celebration at
Evening star., 1914-10-25
BELGIAN TROOPERS IN ANTWERP.

The army of Belgium is peculiar as
regards the fact that it is recruited
partly by voluntary enlistment and
partly by forcible conscription. about
so per cent in each case. Firse engage
ments for those making voluntary
choice of career of arms are from
five to seven years for those under
eighteen years Of age. and from three
to five for those above eighteen. OF the
compulsory recruits, infantrymen serve
fifteen months, as do engineers and
garrison artillerymen: field artillery
men serve twenty-one months, and
troopers two years. At about the age
Evening star., 1914-10-25
Work for All.

AN epigram OF John D. Rockefeller
is being quoted with approval in
Tarrytown.
Mr.. ckefeller. on the occasion Of his
wife's seventy-f1fth birthday, said at
Pocantico Hills to the grandchildren
gathered round the great white BIRTH
day cake with its decoration OF seven
ty-f1ve wax candles: - ,
Children. remember this, Success
means hard workout failure means
harder"
Evening star., 1914-10-25
The Continental Method.

tfEIGUREs can't he." said Represen-
tative Wagner. apropos Of a CAL
weston girls ,wooing at the hands of a
Polish baron. There's nothing like fig
ures.
This Galveston girl. entering the par
lor. said to her father in surprise:
why, where's the baron%
1--we just told the baron the old
man answered. what yohr 'dowry is to
be. and he has. fetired ito the library
to figure out whsther he loves you or
Evening star., 1914-10-25

as such, and none knew at first how
the ancient military reputation of the
natives of this little neutral state
would fare. The question did not re-
main long unanswered, however, for
the brave deeds of the soldiers of King
Albert in checking the German advance
and giving France the chance she need
ed to get herself together" are now a
part of history. and right well have
they acquitted themselves in every re-
spect = organization, equipment and
morale. Not lightly did julius Caesar
say in his commentaries that of all the
Gauls 'the Belgae are the bravest."
Evening star., 1914-10-25

They Have Already
Played Important Parts
in European War.
Servian Army One of
the Two Armed Forces
Earliest Engaged.
Army of Belgium Re-
cruited Partly by Vol
untary Enlistment and
Partly by Forcible Con-
scription How the
Soldiers Are Dressed.
Evening star., 1914-10-25
Very Superior.

SENAToR WORKS. in an address In
- Los Angeles. hit of nicely a dip
lomat of very aristocratic views.
"He is a very superior diplomat" said
the senator I'm fact. he is SO superior
that. II he were invited to open an
automobile show, he'd be sure to turn
up in an aeroplane"
Evening star., 1914-10-25

ment of divisional cavalry. This last
corps. however. Is on the order Of the
British yeomanry regiments and Is not
embodied in time of peace. The regular
cavalry forces Of Servia are taken care
of by a division composed exclusively
of cavalry. four regiments in number.
and recruited from the country at
large.
The field army proper in time OF war
is estimated to amount to about 49,
900 officers and men. Reservists of the
first and second bans are depended
upon to make good losses occurring in
the field, and amount to about $4,000
troops.
Servian infantrymen are armed with
the Mauser rife. having a caliber OF
seven millimeters. and with the pop
ular sword bayonet. The field gun OF
Evening star., 1914-10-25

Belgian army Is bout 300 officers and
so, 300 of other ranks. The number of
trained men available in war, as at the
present time, eventually comes to only
about $4,000.
The field army in time Of peace, the
nucleus around which are built the war
time forces. Is organized into six gen.
eral divisions and two cavalry divi-
sions. Members of the various STATS.
the medical department. the veterinary
department and the administration Off
GERS, number about 1000. The infantry
forces comprise about $1,000, the cav
airy 5000. the artillery 800, the train,
or army service corps, 225: the engi-
neers 1,700, and various other corps,
including the recently formed aeronau-
tical company. composed of a number
OF sections of four airships each, about
1000 more.
Antwerp, Liege, Brussels. Namur and
Ghent, all names on every tongue just
now, are among the divisional head
quarters in both war and peace times.
The two brigades of field artillery and
the two cavalry divisions are stationed
at Brussels and Ghent, while the two
brigades of fortress or garrison artil-
lery, those men who have So keenly
felt the brunt of the German advance,
and Namur. The engineer regiment has
its headquarters at Antwerp, as does
the army service corps.
In addition to the field army, there
are two additional armed forces In
operation during times of peace. and
Evening star., 1914-10-25
LTHouGH greatly

LTHOUGH greatly
inferior. in mum
bers to the armies
of the great pow
ers- f n g l a n d,
Russia, Germany,
France and Aus
tria-the troops
of the two little
countries of Bel
gium and Seryia
have already play
ed conspicuously
tho Ore3f world
Evening star., 1914-10-25
rGi0lf5 IE1Ii0f0II0M0 M6iT0liIWEWiM

Hw1ITH most of England's ladies
w gone to the front "the girls they
" left behind them will have little
incentive for the gay and superstlt1ous
practices of "Nut-crack night" as they
call Halloween. In that country. as In
our own, this festival is celebrated the
31st day of October, being the eve OF
All Saints day, and it is supposedly
the time when spirits walk on the earth.
spooks hide in every corner and hob
COLLINS run wild.
With such superstitions, probably in
augurated by the ancient heather. it Is
quite natural that all practices on this
night should be Of such a nature as
might be favorable for. spirits to mani
fest themselves. But it is also time
for 1assies to test the faithfulness Of
their lovers, and many girl will find
some atonement for the absence Of her
lover if the oracle of the nut" proves
favorable for her.
This superstition forms the larger
part Of "Nut-crack night" practices in
England. and is performed as follows:
A number of nuts are named by as many
girls for their lovers and put on q bed
of Goals. If a nut jumps the lover Is
nfaithful-probably he is a man Of
spirit and finds conditions too hot for
him. But II a nut should blaze and burn
he surely loves the lass who named the
nut-the fires Of love rage in his bosom.
If both nuts, named for a maid and her
lover, burn together, they will be mar
ried. 1t is we'll to advise those on the
anxious seat performing this ceremony
to use dry, combustible nuts and a fine
bed Of red Goals.
Burns gives US q picture OF the nut
burning rite:
The auld guidwife's weel hordet nits
Are round aud round divided,
And monte lads and lnssies' fates
Are there that night decided etc.
DIR. Goldsmith in the Vicar Of Wake
field" says that the rustics religiously
cracked nuts on All Hallow's eve"
Scotland. too, carries out its celebra-
ton in much the same manner, and
often the unromantic cabbage plays
prominent part in the festivities Of the
day.
After a young girl has been carefully
she gropes her way to a cab
bage patch and pulls the first plant she
stumhles against. Returning to the ex-
fully judged In the following manner:
The amount of earth cling-n to the
roots shows the amount of their dowry
better luck to her if it's a wet night
the shape and size lnulcateS the appear
ance and height Of the future husband.
while the flavor of the heart and stem
signifies that gentleman's disposition.
X X
But listen to what the worthy Scot
advises for superstitious young men
who have plenty Of courage and a good
Young men go out, one or more
for this is social spell-to a south
spring or rivulet where three
lairds' lands meet. and dip your left
shirt sleeve. Go to bed in sight Of a
to dry Lie awake, and some time near
midnight an apparition, having the
exact figure Of the grand object in
Evening star., 1914-10-25

of twenty. young Belgians draw lots
for service, and out of the annual con-
tingent of some 100000 liable to service,
1900 are usually taken.
The total theoretical period of serv-
ice for those taken into the army by
the conscription route is eight years in
the active army and five more in the
reserve forces. Actually. in times of
ways greatly reduced. Reservists are
liable for four. six or eight weeks
training, according to their arm of the
forces, in the second, third or fourth
years of their service. This training
years.
Evening star., 1914-07-11
SHIP LEGATIONS TO DURAzzo.
No Suitable Residences for Diplomats
in Capital of Albania.

PARIS. July 4.-Having become an in
deoendent principality. Albania has been
promoted to the honor OF possessing d
diplomatic corps. French foreign office
estimates have made a provision accord
insly, and granted a yearly salary of
Sl2Juo to the new French minister to
Albania.
There was no difficulty about that; but
a serious obstacle was discovered. Where
was the new minister to put up? The
King. or rather the Mpret, of Albania has
a so-called palace. which is the only
house tit to live in at DuraZZo.
Italy has a happy idea. and France
has borrowed it. y portable wooden house
will be sent from Italy to Durazzo and
Will he put up there and become the
Italian legation France will do the same
and for $500 has also bought Il portable
wooden house. which Will become the
French legation III DuraZZo. The Quai
d'Orsay proposed first to rent for 500 a
year the piece of ground on which to
put it up. but on inquiry it was found
that in Durazzo the same piece of ground
which was to be rented for $500 a year
could be purchased as a freehold for
5000. and this the French government
has accordingly done.
Evening star., 1914-07-11
HEARD AND SEEN HERE AND THERE.
By Earl Goodwin.

drifting masses has anchored itself"
| roared 'Finsy. he shook his fists in
| G1ttlns face. The common people have
| been uplifted from the financial slavery
| in which they We're chained, and by the
| creation of federal reserve board the
right Of the poor man to the credit of
banks has been demonstrated. No longer
will the multi-millionaireS of Wall street
he able to say who shall and who shall
not have the blessing of the right to use
a little capital.
'Fiusys face sweled and grew pur-
pie. and the waiter lodged around. on one
foot and another. waiting for chance
to slip that check to .'F'inEy.' who had
ordered the dinner with grandiloquent
air. Ffngy" knew it. too and kept on
yelling. while the diners in the car be-
lieved him crazy
The waiter started to give the check to
Gittins. hut Gittins refused it:
Give il to him-he ordered it,. said
he and the waiter dodged in and out try
ing to land that check where ii belonged.
hut every time he got near 'FinEy he
would be rebuffcd by a gesture of the
speaker in d manner that was most
threatening. Finally he ducked, shifted.
and managed to land the check beneath
'Fingy'S' plate.
The incident did not stop the political
haransue. "Finsy' picked up the check
and took some dollar bills from a tat vest
pocket. AS he called upon the political
powers to witness the fact that New
York state was going to do turn i'll po-
litical revolution this fall he made it
clear that he had three dollar bills in his
right hand AS he roared and rampased
he took each bill from the right hand TO
the left. that every one. waiter IN
cluded. that there were three dollars
there and nothing else Then he assem-
hed them all back again in the hand with
the missing thumb so that three ends of
three or"-dollar bills We're sticking out
in plain sight of all beholders. including
every ore in the car And meantime the
waiter was quakinG with fear. He had
never been so close to a wild man before.
AS "Fingy" continued he managed to
palm one of those dollar bills in perfect
manner so that one of them turned