davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
Still They Wonder Why.

The two women were discussing that
never failing theme-the incompetency
Of domestic servants. And the bit Of
the conversation we overheard gave
US a line on a possible reason for many
a disappointment In that line.
well. l am looking for a new cook, :"
said one OF the women. "and I am at
my wits end They come to you as
experts, well recommended and all
that, and they turn out to be lazy and
Incompetent declare can't under
stand itr'
what became Of the cook you had
last weekT' asked the other.
my dear. she was positively the
limit She couldn't cook, she broke
dishes. she wasted food, she wasn't
neat. and she was impudent 1 have
reason to believe that she drank. Oh.
I had to get rid Of her. Honestly, she
was so bad In every way that could
hardly think Of a thing to say when
/ wrote a recommendation for her,
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
Snaad of Iinht.

The specific speed OF cosmic energy
as adopted by the United States gov
eminent and published in the National
Almanac is lS6.324 statute miles per
second IL Is well for the reader to
pause and think of this fact and per
init the mind to again revert TO 1t dur
ing the day and during life. This
number. 1SG.324. cost 220 years of ar
duOus labor. beginning with Roemer.
the Danish astronomer. in 1915. in his
now classic and historic researches on
the motions OF the moons OF Jupiter to
determine the velocity OF light This
final result is that obtained by the
great masters. Newcomb and Michel
son. And as this value OF the speed Of
light has also been adopted by the
Paris conference Of astronomers and
physicists IL Is final-Edgar Lucien
Larkin In New York American
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
international Questions.

international questions constitute
one Of the greatest known boons OF
the human race international ques-
tons are so broad that they do not re-
quire any close reasoning In order to
express opinions about them That Is
their great beauty. One can strike In
almost anywhere without any great
danger Of hitting bottom, and one can
say almost anything about an interna-
tional question without being called to
account except by some one who Is
equally unreliable. Local questions are
quite different In that respect Local
questions are much more prosaic and
less romantic. One must be surer OF
his data and more consistent In his
conclusion. In explaining local ques-
lions there is always danger that the
man you are explaining to knows more
about the matter than you do yourself
II you must make ignorant statements
do it In the way that best conceals
your ignorance--Life-
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14

What a freedom from cares and per
plexities one finds among the howersi
They are never unkind- You may be
with them from morning till night and
not have one bitter memory or disa-
greeable thought to take with you to
your pillow. A tiger lily won't dig Its
claws into your breast, the Gala lily
win not prolong her call Indefinitely.
The sweet Williams honeyed personal
ity is honest and sincere; sweetness
that win not under fancied provoca-
don turn into vinegary revenge The
snowdrops win not chill you with cold
words and looks. The dogwood viii
not bark at you or dog your footsteps.
Jaek-in-the-pulpit does not preach too
loudly or make awkward gestures, TAX
ing your mind insensibly from the
heavenly message he Is striving to de-
liver and which your soul earnestly
desires to grasp, the mind being VIII
ing. but the body weak. = Christian
Herald.
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
YsIIowstons PARK Fossils.

OF the fossil forests which have 90
far been discovered probably the most
remarkable is TO be seen In Yellow
stone park. where the greater part Of
the trees stand upright in their natural
position instead Of being recumbent
and scattered about the ground. as In
other parts OF the world In Arizona
the fossllized trunks have evidently
been carried a long distance from
where they originally grew. In the
Yellowstone the trees now stand
where they grew and where they were
entombed by the outpouring OF various
volcanic materials.
Now as the softer rocks surrounding
them are gradually worn away they
are left standing erect on the steep
hillsides just as they stood when they
were living. In fact. It is difficult at a
little distance to distinguish some OF
these fossil trunks from the nchen COW
cred stumps OF kindred living species.
II should not be supposed. however,
that these trees still retain their limbs
and smaller branches. for the mass OF
volcanic material falling on them strip
ped the trunks bare.
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
H.m6nsa.s Unique Ferry.


Hamburg possesses a steam ferry OF
q somewhat original type, for the main
deck can be raised and lowered by suit
able machinery In order to take up
difference Of level OF some sixteen feet
The large structural framework rises
TO a considerable height and Is intended
TO guide the whole platform In its YER
tical movements. By the use Of pow
erful electric winches It Is possible
to raise and lower the deck as a whole,
even when 1t Is loaded with numerous
heavy vehicles, such as are used In
landing material at the port The rea-
son for adopting this arrangement Of
the deck lies In the fact that at the
Hamburg port the difference In tid1
level Is considerable, so that when the
boat lands at the wharf 1t is by no
means on the same level at all times
and In the ordinary case the heavy
vehicles would be obliged to mount or
descend a steep incline. 1t is In order
to avoid this drawback that the pres
ent type OF ferry was constructed, and
as the movable deck can always be
brought flush with the level OF the
dock. the vehicles can now run on In
the ordinary way.
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14

The infinitely little and infinitely vast
alike bafIe the understanding, develop
ed as It Is by our concrete finite life.
Creation Is typifed by the sphere. A
circle Is a straight line that at every
point ceases 10 be straight line. and
the earth's surface is a plane that ev-
cry moment ceases to be a plane. Fol
lowing the surface Of the earth does
not carry US to the under. side. be-
cause there Is no more an under side
than there is an upper side. There is
only a boundless surface But II II
were possible for rs TO build a globe
on the globe as large as the one we In
habit would it not have an upper and
an under side7
The rain causes the grass to grow,
and the sun causes the snow 10 melt
but we cannot apply the idea OF cause
IN this sense to nature as a whole. but
only to parts OF nature. Gravitation
caused Newton's apple to fall. but
what causes the earth to fall forever
and ever and never to fall upon the
body that is said to attract itf-John
Burroughs In Atlantic Monthly.
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14

Britain Is probably the only eountry
that has ever allowed historical regf
mental hags to 80 In the pawnshop or
auction room. As an instance. the
First battalion Gloucester regiment In
1886 recovered from q pawnbroker at
York four Tags which the regiment
had borne from 1895 TO 1910 through
the Egyptian and peninsular cam
paigns.
Another flag which for three years
had proudly waved over the gallant
Thirty.ninth foot during the great
siege Of Gibraltar was actually found
covering the soft cushions Of trades
mans sitting room
In the year 1888 a pair Of old colors
belonging to the Second battalion Dor
der regiment were rescued by Lord
Archibald Campbell from a London
uphoIsterer who had advertised them
for sale as II they had been mere win
dow curtains. These flags were after
ward preserved at Kendall Parish
church. and probably they are there
still.
To prevent old colors meeting similar
fates to the foregoing many OF them
have been cremated with great eere-
mony and the ashes carefully preserV-
ed, In box. Others have been buried
with full military hOnors- - London
Globe.
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
Some Stevenson ReeoII..,;

Mr.. Standardization, in ,So,,a SINS
Beacheomber" makes several all and
ences to Robert Louis SteyensOn refer
ne saw on different occasions in S "uOn
In one place he writes: sauna
Stevenson was one Of tboso
with a keen face that made v0D men
OH reucent until he spoke ana %
you discovered a human mote : 'uen
voice that put you thoroughly NJ = ro ole
ease and as he spoke to a Cur yOuF
sailor be picked up my violin and s+n an
60 TO Try and play some Old foIl "a. :
ody' He seemed fond Of LUG, -l5l'
ing over the ships side, gazing or ,,O =
sea. and up at the stars. He WI, ~ -" 70
friendly with all the sailors Won, , &C..
the fo'c'stle. talked to the crow w ~, mo
was greatly interested in shin Iifor 1uu
In another place he saws.
IF had seen and spoken 70 -
s. without knowing who he No. = :
should have thought he WAS a sI 80 l
or mate of some American or T ,.,LteF
ship. His manner was easv-in f fao.
almost rOllickinS at times" '1''
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
Anti.Air Graf Shells.

Special shells have to be used IN
anti-air craft guns. for the ordinary
shell fred into the air cannot be seen
In its flight. and the gunner would
have no idea whether he went near
his target or not So tracer" shells
are used In anti-air craft guns.
This shell leaves a trail OF smoke by
day and Ere by night. so that its fiight
can clearly be seen. and the gunner Il
able to observe how far or his target
be Is.
The tracer" has In its base an In
dammable composition which is fred
as the shell leaves the gun The actual
base OF the shell has In It a number
Of holes. through which the smoke
streams as the shell makes its way
through the air. At night a nrework
attachment TO the base OF the shell
takes the place OF the smoke compost
don
The shell itself Is a high explosive
shrapnel-that Is to say, 1t Is shell
with a thick steel high explosive head
and a thin steel body filed with bull
lets. When Il bursts the flying frag-
ments Of thick steel from the head
smash up the aeroplane or Zeppelin.
while the flying bullets XIII or wound
the aviators.-Pearson's-
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
Adxiea 70 Youna Peopls.

Be not a counterfeiter. my boy.
COunterfeitS don't make good.
Seek public office If you Will, but
where many things occur. few take
place.
Ny daughter. always give the cen
sus taker your present husbands name.
Why confuse him with recital Of past
divorce or future alimony?
Ability. my children. Is not all or one
kind. One man gets what he wants
because we like his amiability: another
because we fear his irritabiIIty Some
professors are accounted wise because
OF their incOmprehensibility and
know a man who draws a pension for
total disability.
My boy, ! hope they'll call you the
salt Of the EARTH" but have some gin
ger and pepper on your mental prem
ises. tOo.-Judge.
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
The Greek Language.

In ancient times, before the con-
quest OF Alexander the Great there
were many differences in the dialects
spoken In different parts of Greece.
About $50 B. c. a common dialect
sometimes called Hellenistic Greek,
arose. This is the Greek Of the New
Testament By 500 A ID. the differ
ences between the spoken and written
language had become so great that the
literary language was supplanted by
the spoken. From this time the Ian
guage has been further changed In
grammar. infection and by the intro
duction OF loan words from other Ian
guages. notably from the Italian and
Turkish. Since the Greek kingdom
was established in 1880 there has been
a movement toward the ancient idiom-
This has resulted again In a gap be
tween spoken and written Greek The
new movement has made sSch prog
ress. however. that it is not too much
to say that a modern newspaper would
be now Ineligible to Plato.
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14

The first naval hero OF the United
States now almost fOrgotten-was
jeremiah O'Brien. a Maine man. whose
racial descent Is clearly indicated by
his name. He commanded an Ameri-
can vessel in the first naval battle OF
the Revolution. which was fought near
Machias. Me-. June II. HIS. Some
little time before an English schooner.
the Margranetto. was at Machias. and
number of people OF the town. led
by jeremiah O'Brien and Benjamin
Foster. cOnspired to capture her. The
attempt was successful. and. with
O'Brien in command. the MargranettO
made a voyage TO the bay Of Fundy
An English schooner and tender were
sent out to look for the Margranetto,
and when O'Brien returned TO Machias
be found them awaiting him. The
first naval battle OF the United States
was fought then and there. and
0'Brien and his men added the schOon-
er and tender TO their prizes.-New
York World.
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
Glaciers of Nebraska.

Many Of the physical features Of
eastern Nebraska were produced by
sheets Of ice that invaded the region
during and after the earlier stages Of
the great ice age. At the opening Of
the glacial epoch the great Keewatin
glacier spread southwark and covered
large parts OF the Dakotas, Minnesota
and Iowa and extended thence into
eastern Nebraska. where It was proba-
bly, several hundred feet thick This
first stage Of glaciatiOn was brought
to a close By the melting Of the ice In
a warmer interglacial time or stage
the Aftonian- A remarkable assem-
blage OF animals invaded the region
after the ice had disappeared. and the
bones and teeth OF many Of these ami
mails have been found In the Aftonian
deposits Of western Iowa. The late
Professor Samuel Calvin identified the
remains Of horses, camels. stays, ele-
plants. mastOdOns. mammoths and
sloths.
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
Jupiter's Belts.

1t has been suggested by Lau that
the reason Jupiter has belts instead Of
zones Of spots is TO be found In its
rapid rotation. The material forced
upward from the lower strata Of the
planet. bringing with a smaller linear
velocity than that Of the surface
streams eastward and assumes the ap-
pearance Of elongated streaks. II the
centers Of eruption are sufficiently nn-
merous belts are formed. and it is sug-
gested that. were the suns rotation
much more rapid than IT is, the solar
surface at spot maximum would also
present dark streaks or belts. In ac-
eordance with this theory of belt for
nation the Scientific American notes
that the great revival Of Jupiter's
north equatorial belt in 1928 began
with the outbreak Of a few isolated
dark spots. which quickly spread out
around the planet
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
When th. World Was Ns~.

The world is biggest when we are
young enough to conceive OF the pas
ture as an empire and the city block as
q republic. Time is longest when we
are young enough 70 see day as an
epoch, a week as an era, a summer va
cation by seaside or lake shore as eter-
nifty itself. AS we grow older the
world grows smaller. and so does time.
Space and time are nothing for boy or
man save as he holds measures for
them In hand or In memory. The boy
understands ten feet because that Is
three long strides. and ten years be
cause he has just lived them Now We
have lived another ten and yet another,
but the first ten were the longest and
are the truest measure. for the more
years we are granted the more scorn-
full of the gift we grow. though the
more insistent. too. In our demand for
more-Collier's Weekly.
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
Sinking the Responsibility.

Now. this is the way 1 Ike to be
treated in a hotel" said the breezy
drummer as he sat down to break
fast in the .Pikesvflle House. The
morning paper is lying beside my
plate"
Il beg your pardon, boss" said the
head waiter In considerable agitation.
"You's In Judge Hornbuckle's seat
He's been settin' there for twenty
years an'-an'-he's due here at any
minute"
Il should worry" was the drum
mer's only reply.
well. maybe you kin take keer Of
yo'self, boss. I guess you amt never
been befo' de judge like l has. OATS
why rs gwine out an stay In de
kitchen till de rucus blows over
Birmingham Age-Herald.
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
Monkeys and Microbes.

In the geological gardens in London
the anthropoid apes have been Kept
alive during recent years by shutting
them in behind glass not TO protect the
visitors from them. but to protect them
from the viSitOrs-that is to say, from
the microbes that man harbOrs In BIS
mouth. Man has more or less success
fully learned how to disarm those IL
yaders, but they will readily destroy
those near relatives OF his whose Dol
les have not learned how to resist
them. Mankind has no better frlendS
than those who. like MetchnikOn. teaeh
Us what to do and what not to DO Ii
arming and inuring ourselves against
these sleepless and implacable but as
suredly doomed enemies Of our KIND
DR.. C. W. Saleeby in Youths Compan-
ion.
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
Lucky Thirteen.

Once there was a man who found
the number 13 most lucky for him.
self. His name was John Hatfield
and he was a soldier in the army Of
William and Mary, doing guard duty
at Windsor castle One morning be
was arrested on a charge Of having
fallen asleep at his post before mid
night The court condemned him to
die in spite of-Or possibly because Of
the fact that he declared he had heard
the great cathedral clock strike thir.
teen times when it tOlled of the hour
OF midnight After the death sentence
had been passed a score Of persons
came forward with the statement that
on the night in question the clock had
actually blundered in its count, includ-
ing the single stroke for the quarter
hour with its hour stroke. 1t was re-
ported to the king. upon investigation,
that the striking apparatus was weak
and John Hatfield was promptly par
doned--St. Louis Globe-DemOcrat
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
Why the esnius 4. Barn

It is a strange and perhaps sad fact
that most men and women endowed
with the finest sense and apprehension
for good literature have no gift or tai
ent for effective expression in letters.
and it is as strangely and equally true
that many Of those who love music
most cannot play any instrument or
sing even the simplest song. The
world is crowded with people who
have the acutest eye for form, color.
motion and linear grace who cannot
either draw or paint
And it is that he may serve all Of
these superior-and yet unfavored-
people that the writer. the musician
or the painter is born and equipped
At his best even q genius is only the
involuntary mouthpiece. interpreter.
illustrator Of his time.-Minneapolis
Journal
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
Ghost of the Castle.

HurstmOnceaux castle. about the
restoration" Of which. antiquaries APP
pear to be perturbed. is strictly fort+
fed mansion-what Cromwell called "a
strong house"-rather than a castle
and probably the only English strong
hold since Roman times that was built
OF brick 1t once possessed the taIlest
and noisiest ghost in Europe. he was
nine feet high and used to stride along
the battlements On stormy nights beat
ing big drum. Some kill Joy skeptic
seems to have discovered that this
ghost was really a gardener signaling
to Pevensey smugglers. with whom he
was In league Whoever he was, he
achieved dramatic Immortality through
being introduced into play by Add
son.-Westminster Gazette.
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
Willing TO ObIiqe.

Johns father kept q candy store. and
the little fellow often carried candy
to school 10 divide with the other chill
dren- One morning the teacher motto
ed a strong smell Of peppermint and
began TO investigate in order to stop
eating during school hours Unable to
detect the culprit. she bent over small
John and whispered:
John. have you any candyT
mo. ma'am." be replied
"Have any Of the other boys anyT
mo. ma'am."
As she turned away he touched her
hand and said. Il will bring you some
at noon."-Ladies' Home Journal
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
Namino a Vest Size.

A curious item in the trade slang of
hosiers is the term ''pope's size." ap-
piled to vests. They classify the scale
OF chest measurements for these as:
Small mems. 81 inches; slender mems.
81 inches; mems. 80 inches; pope's, 80
inches; out size. ~ inches.
The origin OF this term. which has
been current for nearly century, was
discussed some years ago In Notes
and Queries. when 1t was stated on
good authority that IT had no connec-
ton with the successors OF 81. Peter.
It appears that the head Of an old
firm Of west end hosiers, Messrs
Pope & Plante. ordered this size to be
made specially for his own personal
use, and the manufacturer called II
after him for want of a better name
London Taller.
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14

Ii IS strange how the color NJ q IL.
makes 1t more or less visible irrosTaa
tive Of his actual briIiancv To ~ ~.
this place two lights OF the som
power-twO candles Of the sama Sic
will dO-in two tin boxes and in ooaE
box perforate a pin hole. Cover ono
pin hole with green glass and one WITH
red and place them in 4 perfectly do..
room To normal person the proon
light will appear five times bripbto.
when viewed Obliquely than Whom
viewed directly. but the red light ho
HAYES in the opposite way. Most noo
pie will pick up the green light whom
looking in some other direction and
viii be quite conscious Of its presence
but when they turn their eyes diractIv
toward it they will not see If ar all
The faint red light, on the other hand
viii not be noticed at all until looked
at directly. when it appears quite
bright, but the instant the eyes arc
turned away from It it is gOne.-St
Louis Post-Dispatch-
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
LAWYERS and Liars.

The eminent cross examiners OF New
York city have their favOrite methods
Of knowing when a witness is telling
the truth or lying. One lawyer says
he can tell when a witness Is lying by
the movement Of the lips. Another
declares the hands form the best ba-
rometer, and another declares the
twitching of the muscles OF the cheeks
Is a sure sign that the witness has
been trapped In a lie. Still another
disciple OF Blackstone says that facial
expression always helps him, as well
as watching the feet, which are usual
ly shifted uneasiIy when the lie Is ap-
parent Then another declares that
by keeping constant vigilance on the
eyes Of the witness he knows when he
has his man going" II taken as COM
plete formula 1t would mean that
perjurer to escape detection would
have to school bis face to be impassive.
keep his hands In his pockets, hook
his feet IN the rounds OF the witness
chair and shut his eyes.-Pittsburgh
Dispatch
The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1915-08-14
SEEING Backward.

The hare can see objects behlnu d.
well as in front. Its eyes are large
prominent and placed laterally. ls
power of seeing things in the rear :
very noticeable in touring. for, thousH
the greyhound is mute while runnns'
the hare is able to judge to a hlce!
the exact moment at which it VIII PC
best for it to double. The glrane'
which Is a very timid animal IS aF
preached with the utmost difficulty Oh
account Of its eyes being so placed tna'
IT can see both ways with equal iaen'
ity. This faculty enables it to direct
with great precision the rapid s1OrDS
of kicks with which it defends itself.