davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Drier Than the Camel.

The "wild cow" of Arabia, in reah-
ty an antelope, the Beatrix oryx, Is
said never to drink. which Is probably
correct, for unless these animals can
descend the wells they can find no
drinking water for ten months In the
year. There is no surface water, and
rain falls but precariously during the
winter. Only once during my journey
did l find pool Of rain water, caught
in a hollow rock, and even this i
should have passed by without know
ing Of its existence had not my camels
shifted it from a distance and obsd-
nately refused to be turned from going
In that direction. These antelopes,
however, are provided by nature with
curious food supply, especially de-
signed as a thirst Quencher. This is a
parasite which grows on the roots Of
the desert bushes and forms long
spandix full of water and juice. The
antelope dig deep holes in the sand in
order to get at these.-Wide World
Magazine.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
The Famous MosIem Kaab..

1t is curious fact that the kaaba,
which is one Of the great attractions to
the pilgrims who go to Mecca and Me-
dina, antedates Mohammed as an in
stitution and consequently is of pagan
origin. 1t Is small building, in one
wall Of which is set the famous black
stone, probably a meteorite, which the
pilgrims all seek to kiss. The structure
has actually been rebuilt more than
once since Mohammed, but its old pa
gan form has been preserved. 1t was
originally a heather temple, of such
standing among the Arabs that Mo-
BANNED felt compelled to adopt it into
his new religion and even to permit
the continuance Of ancient customs
concerning it. He did destroy the idols
it contained, but he made a great con-
cession to the old prejudices of his
converts by making the observance Of
an old pagan feast Of Mecca one of
the five great precepts Of the new faith.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Heavy Money.

How to keep your money safe from
thieves is a problem that was solved
by the inhabitants Of Jap, In the Caro-
line islands, when they devised cur
rency too heavy for burglars to carry
away. The money used by the natives
Is In the form Of huge wheels of stone,
weighing as much as 500 pounds and
roughly shaped in the form of grind
stone. A large hole In the center Is a
feature Of the Jap money. Even the
clam shell pennies are perforated. The
stones are used for large purchases
only. If an islander becomes wealthy
enough to purchase pig he must part
with 500 pound circular stone, but II
he Is required to deliver 1t for any dis
lance the pork Is well earned.-Ameri
can Bow
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Early Railroadind.

Some seventyhve years ago when
two trains of the Western Atlantic
railway met on the roads single track
line violent discussions ensued be-
tween the conductors as to which train
should back up and take the side
track, and the engineers frequently
Joined in the dispute. Rule IA, issued
March l, 1852, says: "As a general rule
when trains meet between stations the
train nearest the turnout will run back.
Any dispute as to which train is to
retire is to be determined at once by
the conductors without interference
on the part of the engineman. This
rule is required to be varied In favor
Of the heaviest loaded engine or worst
grades if they meet near the center"
Conductors were admonished never to
leave either terminal point without the
mail or at least first sending to the
postoffice for it.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Entered as Seeond-Class Matter Aug.
10, 1902 at the Post Office At Chicago,
illinois, under Act Of March 3, 1879.
Suffrage In Norway.

Among the most important laws en-
acted by Norway since women have had
che vote are the two maternity insur-
ance laws Of 1909 and 1915 and the di-
vorce law of 1910.
"Since the women in Norway have got
the VOTE" says Ella Anker in Jus Suf-
fragii, "they have turned their chief
attention to their rights and duties as
wives and mothers. Education and eco
nomic independence are the basis Of wo-
mans freedom, but her greatest work
and happiness will be as wife and moth
er. 1t is an astonishing fact that in all
these centuries, while men have taught
Us that woman's place is in the home,
they have neglected to prepare us for
the chief duties Of our home life"
Norwegian women have also given
particular strength to the work for sra
tonal housekeeping" by the establish
ment Of state high school for the ed
ucation Of teachers for the elementary
housekeeping schools, to a campaign
against consumption and to the support
Of the peace movement.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Arkansas the MIGHTY,

II all the rice in Arkansas were one
grain it would take a Grand canyon to
store it If all the corn in Arkansas
were one ear it would take the COM
bined force Of all stump pullers to ex-
tract one grain from that ear. If all
the chickens In Arkansas were one
chicken it would straddie the Rocky
mountains like colossus and its crow
would shake the rings from Saturn. If
all the hogs in Arkansas were one hog
ne could stand with his hind feet on
the island Of Cuba and his fore feet
ON the isthmus Of Panama and dig the
canal with one stroke Of his snout. If
all the cows in Arkansas were one COW
she could Craze on the eyergreens Of
the tropics and switch the icicles from
the north pole 9th her tail and it
would take a canal from the great
lakes to the gulf Of Mexico to carry
boats laden with her butter and cheese.
If all the mules in Arkansas were one
mule he could stand with one fore foot
on Mexico and the other fore foot on
Canada and kick the man out Of the
moon.-H. S. Taylor, Inspector United
States Indian Service.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
soxs and Gfeia.

The difference is apparent early: A
boy has as much fun in stontng cat
as a girl has In hunting for vtolets.
A boys curiosity is directed to the ice
box; a girl would like to see what IL
in the top bureau drawer.
, A girl can give the impression when
away from home that her parents are
wealthy; boy cannot.
Every boy is old enough to be well
come to sit in the neighbor girls par
lor many years before his sister thinks
he is old enough to sit in the parlor
at home.
A girl is never SO young that she will
reveal to guests at party that the
spoons are borrowed; boy child never
grows so old that he fails to.
Give the boy a dollar and he will
eat it; give his sister one and she will
wear it.
A brother and sister may have hair
Of the same shade, but the boys is
called red and the girls auburn.
When brothers fight it is over the
larger share Of pie; when sisters quar-
rel one has worn something belonging
to the other without asking permis-
sion.-Youth's Companion.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
School Strikes In Japan.

School strikes seem peculiar to ia
pan, and invariably one Is under way.
Such strike Is a calamity dreaded
by head master and undermaster alike.
A head master who has had a strike
In his school Is under suspicion, even
though he may be quite innocent of
any unjust conduct, and eventually he
must seek a new field for his activities,
so unpleasant do the students make
bis continued stay. When students
combine against one of the undermas-
tiers he has nothing to do but tender
his resignation. If the strike Is tenn
porarily Gained down It Is tacitly IN
derstood that the master In question
Is on the lookout for a new place
Sometimes strikes take place for the
retention Of the teacher rather than
for his dismissal In this latter case
It Is always the head master who
suffers the most, as the move Is direct
ed against him for not retaining some
favorite.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
In Northern France.

1t Is strange and terrible to visit
Paris-and no one can be happy-but
to one who has loved France 1t Is far
worse to visit the lovely northern
country. There is here a sense Of
emptiness, as If terror stin hushed the
normal cheerful noises Of mankind
The people Of these regions have lost
everything. Their houses are burned; ;
their animals. even the rabbits, are
gone; their farm implements are shape
less pieces Of grotesquely melted iron
They live In temporary. patched shell
tiers and In the houses built by the So
ciety Of Friends or mass themselves
in some nearby village that escaped
destruction. After time In this silent
country one gets the sense that de-
struction is normal, and tears start to
ones eyes at the sight Of an unde-
stroyed French village smiling In the
sun. So changed are all values that
could feel nothing strange In the
words Of the woman who told me:
Fortunately my husband is a bunch
back. He can't go to the war."-Mary
Heaton worse In Century.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
ST. Louis m aPain Court

Not many people of today would rec
ognize the metropolis of Missouri by
the name pain Court" yet that name
was quite generally applied to st.
Louis in its early days. Laclede, who
founded it In 1764. Loyalty. called it
after his French sovereign, Louis XIV.
But the people of the other villages
up and down the Mississippi and along
the Ohio and the Wabash derisively
nicknamed it Pain Court. 1t appears
that the French settlers Of St Louis
neglected agriculture and devoted near
~ all their time to hunting and trap
ping and trading with the Indians. On
this account and because a considera-
BILE garrison was maintained at the
fort provisions were scsrcer and high
er priced than they were In. the other
villages. The people Of the latter, who
frequently went there to trade, took
note Of this, especially the high price
and scarcity of bread, and dubbed the
place Pain Court, which In French
signifies short or scant bread. - Ex-'
change
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Abused Superlativea

1t Is hard to make people understand
that the adjective almost invariably
weakens the noun and that the word
very" for instance, does not strength
en- a statement, but qualities II. But
the use of the superlative Is even more
abused. We talk Of the 'unimpeach-
able" honesty Of somebody or other,
knowing perfectly well that anybody's
honesty may be impeached. What
seems to be required is a reimbursement
Of our habits OF thought and better
teaching of the value Of words and
even of the usefulness Of grammar. A
necessarily involves an ak
iom. 1t commits you, like saying that
the sum of the angles Of any triangle
Is equal to two right angles. Your d.
lemma arises when you try to prove 1t.
'Tmpregna bility" and ''invulnerability"
and all other superlatives In general
use are posing as axioms when they
are mostly fallacies.-Wall Street Jour-
nal.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Good Journalism,

There are many stories of the Jour
nalistic genius Of the blind Joseph Pm
liter. One cropped up the other day.
There was big championship golf
tournament to be played" a golfer
said, This was years ago, before Mr..
Pulitzer went blind. Golf at that time
was In its infancy In this country.
@"Well, Mr.. Pulitzer sent for his
dozen best reporters and special writers
and, lining them up before him, said:
"Those who understand golf stand
on the left; those who are ignorant of
1t, on the right
''The stars separated themselves &C.
cordingly. All understood golf but
three-three very excellent writer's.
"'You three chaps win cover the
tournament said Mr.. Pulitzer, with
his nervous smile. 4 want all our
readers to enjoy our story Of this
event, and, since most Of them are
ignorant Of golf, what interests you
three will be sure to interest them
Washington Star.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
EiHel's Tower.

The most famous tower since that
Of Babel is the Eiffel tower I'm Paris,
q monument to the engineering genius
Of Gustave Eiffel. The tower Of Babel
was reared in the hope that ir might
afford a passage to heaven, but the
builders, we are told in Genesis, were
fooled by their language being con-
founded.
Gustave Eiffel had no such ambition
IN rearing the highest edif1ce the world
has ever seen. 1t is q tower dedicated
70 science. Its rearing was one Of the
greatest engineering feats Of modern
times and was a result Of experiments
undertaken to prove the greatest limit
10 which metallic piers In viaducts
could be safely pushed. It is now the
worlds must celebrated wireless tele-
graph station.
Eiffel tower is 1000 feet In height
and Is constructed Of iron lattice work,
1900 tons of iron being used in its con-
sruction. A system Of elevators car
ries visitors to the top.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
First Horse Omnibus.

The first horse omnibus was seen in
the neighborhod of Nantes In 1926 and
ran to facilitate access to a bathing
establishment which a M. Baudry had
set up in the outskirts of that town.:
'@The name Of these vehicles" NJ.
Baudry said, shall be omnibus-that
Is to say, open to all" The venture
was so successful that limited COM
pany was formed to inaugurate a simi-
lar enterprise in Paris. The Partisan
experiment was at first failure, but
after its originator had manifested his
disappointment by drowning himself
In the Canal St Martin others reaped
q rich harvest from his ideas.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Takind Him Down,

A lawyer with a liking for billiards
had occasion recently to visit small
town in the west Of Scotland. While
there, seeking to pass the time, he
found a new and excellent billiard Ia
BILE. Upon inquiring IL there was any
body about who could play the land
lord referred him to one Of the natives
They played several games, but the
result was against the lawyer. Try as
he might, the countryman won every
game.
'Mr. -" the lawyer remarked,
I've quite reputation at home.
They consider me a good billiard play
er, but I'm not In your class. May I
inquire how long you have playedr'
"Oh. for awhile back" replied the ma
tive. But, L say, ] dinna want To
hurt yer feelin's, but you're the first
fellow / ever beatp'-London Tit Bits
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Eriuhtful Friends,

The friend who welcomes you by
creeping up behind and knocking off
your hat
The friend who invites you to the
theater and buys only one ticket.
The friend who introduces you to
Miss Wallfiower and then disappears.
The friend you ask to dinner on Sat
urday and who stays over the week
end.
The friend who drops in to talk over
old times and incidentally borrows all
your spare cash.
The friend who insists that you visit
him and continually quarrels with his
wife.
The friend who telephones you in the
middle Of the night that he's been ar
rested.-Life.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
GranuIated Butter.

The Chinese preserve their eggs in
definitely by drying them, the yolks and
whites being first separated and then
each reduced to powder by evaporation.
In India butter is treated In much the
same way, so that 1t never becomes
stale and may be kept fresh for a hun
dred years. The butter Is boiled till
all the water and curds are got rid of
and nothing remains but clear oil.
When the oil cools into q solid It is
graduated and in this form viii re-
main fresh indefinitely. This Is what
they call ghee, and ghee Is nothing
more or less than dried butter.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Art of Politenesn.

All truly artistic effort is a labor of
love, and love never counts the cost
Art has no price arG makes none.
A perfect art Of politeness ever in
wolves in one respect or another acts
of self abnegatfon.
There is the famous example of Lord
Stair aDJ Louis XIV. when his lord
ship. being hidden by the king to pre-
cetle lin in-o one of the royal car
ria :::.S. immediately complied.
TIE poli:eness was equal on both
sides The French sovereign gave
proof "f so magnanimous monarch
by abandoning his prerogative OF pre-
.ce,!cIi i'll his own dominions to the
SCoI, u viscoInt.
The English ambassador returned the
compliment by yielding immediate ODE
dience to the behest Of a king who
was not his master. Neither sacrifice
was outdone by the other.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Uncle Sans Uniforms.

An act Of congress, approved March
/ 1911, entitled IAN act to protect the
dignity and honor Of the uniform Of
the United States" provides "that
hereafter no proprietor, manager or
employee Of a theater or other public
place Of entertainment or amusement
in the District Of Columbia or In any
territory, the district of Alaska or in
sular possessions Of the United States
shall make or cause to be made any
discrimination against any person law
fully wearing the uniform Of the army,
navy, revenue cutter service or marine
corps Of the United States because of
that uniform, and any person making
or causing to be made such discrimins-
tion shall be guilty Of misdemeanor.
punishable by q fine not exceeding
300"
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
eJust liNin, AIonu.s

Frank /. Stanton Of the Atlsnt,
Constitution is one Of the best know
newspaper men In America. Likav;,.
he is one Of Americas sweetest nootS
One Of his dainty lyrics is entitlad
"Just Livin' Along" 1t Is a SONG :.
optimism. 1t embodies a philosonhr
which might be adopted with profit h.
all men and women.
Let US be thankful that we're ms.
Twin along.
Life. joyous, jubflant, vital and
thrilling, Is all about US. Birds. beasts
plants and flowers live and love ana
pass to the great change.
Indeed, Is there anything other o-
greater than Life In its myriad mani.
festations? 1t doesn't much matter
how we designate the forms and ss-
poets Of being. Let Us be thankful that
we're just livin' along We shall con.
tinue to live. All our worries and
frettings win not affect that fsct
though they may hurry Us to other con.
ditions, hurry Us more swiftly to o
new plane Of existence.
But let Us join In the song Of the on
timist and be happy forever that we
are just livin' along.-Dayton Herald.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Chimnev

The chimney is something that is
relatively new In architecture. Many
Of the old castles and other buildings
Of Europe which were constructed be-
fore the fifteenth century have no
chimneys. In some Of them a flue
leads from the back and above the
fireplace through the wall to the outer
air. 1t was somewhere about the thir-
teenth century that In certain build
ings the masons began to run the fiue
to the top Of the building, but the
chimneys Of that period had openings
in the side, the top being rooted over.
1t was about the fifteenth century that
masons began to build chimneys that
extended above the roof Of the house
and to leave the top Of the chimney
uncovered.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Victor Huqo,

Victor Hugo was born at Besancon.
France, Feb. 26. 1902; died May %.
1885. He began his literary work at
fourteen. and by 1927 his reputation
was continental In 1852, on account
Of his democratic sympathies, he was
an exile in the island of Jersey, but aft
er 1870 he returned to France. Forced
into politics, he soon became disguised
with its insincerities and resigned his
seat in the assembly to which he had
been elected. In 1876 he was made a
senator, but never accomplished much
on account of his uncompromising hos
tlity to every form Of official trickery.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Seen on an ostrfch Farm.

Il b no uncommon thing to see a
male ostrich strutting about followed
BY three or four distinct broods, all of
different sizes. When the incubating
process Is completed the cock bird leads
his young ones or and, II he meets an
other proud papa, engages in terrific
combat with him. The vanquished bird
retires without a single chick, while
the other, surrounded by the two
broods, walks away triumphantly.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
No Immediate Benefits.

Things looked black for the dramat-
list For the fourth time in one season
O play had been withdrawn after a
weeks run.
Cheer up. old man." said a consol-
ing friend Perhaps posterity will
recognize the genius displayed In your
plays"
Maybe" said the dramatist bitter
ly, 'but the difficulty is that SO far as
am concerned posterity Is on the free
hst"-New York Times.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
BREAKING on the WhesI.

In medieval days breaking on the
wheel" a most barbarous mode Of In
nicting capital punishment was often
used In France and Germany. It con-
sisted Of stretching the victim upon
wheel or upon a wooden frame in the
shape Of St Andrews cross and then
breaking his limbs by blows from iron
bars. The sufferer was then left to
die slowly from fear, thirst and ex-
haustion-
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
A Curiosity of Sound.

IF when riding In q balloon at q
height, say, OF 1000 feet q charge Of
guncotton be fired electrically 100 feet
below the car, the report, though really
a. loud as a cannon, sounds no more
than pistol shot, possibly partly owing
10 the greater rarity Of the air, but
chiefly because the sound, having no
background to reflect It, simply spends
itself In the air. Then, always and I'M
der al conditions Of atmosphere, there
ensues absolute silence until the time
nor the echo back from earth has fully
elapsed, when q deafening outburst Of
thunder rises from below, rolling on
eften for more than half o minute.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
PRACTICAL HEALTH HINT.
Winning Long Life.

y A recent investigation made to !
= find out what class Of men live
= the longest revealed the fact
y that clergymen live longer than
y other men. Mcneil Sayre, who
= made the investigation, attrib-
y utes the longevity Of clergymen
= to their simple life and says that
= the extra years which the clergy
+ accumulate are the results Of l
= clean personal nves-nves Of sac
= rifice and abstemiousness.
y Moderation Is now considered !
, the salvation Of this life. A
+ splendid rule for attaining Ion
= gevity is summed up by the
y United States public health serv- !
= Ice in the following curt state !
y ments:
> "Other things being equal. IL
= IS the man who leads the well !
y balanced life who lasts the long
y est. whose work to the end Is !
= uniformly the best: he who nei- !
, Their Overworks nor overplays. !
y neither overeats. overdrinks nor
= oversleeps: he who maintains q !
= standard OF simple. healthy diet
= In moderation; who offsets men
= tai work with physical recrea-
= don: who Is as honest with bis
= own body as he IL with bis own
= business. When success comes
= to such q one his physical and
= mental condition Is such that be
= can enjoy IN peace Of mind and
y contentment Of body the fruits
= Of hs faborsL- 4
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Couldn't Fool Him Twiee.

The manager Of Kidem's great me-
nagerie had induced all the crowd to
become patrons except one individual,
who stood gazing up at him with
mouth agape.
Fright in this way, sir, II you wish
to see some deer stalkingT' shouted
the animal king.
mo fear, lad" came the reply. 81
was In yesterday, and none Of 'em said
Q bloomin' word."-London Mail.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Sad Proof.

"Yes," said the young wife proudly
father always gives something e1pen-
sivs when he makes presents"
$50 / discovered when he gave you
away" rejoined the young husband.
And, with a large, open faced sign
he continued to audit the monthly bills
Of his better half.-Stray Stories.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Just a Precaution.

$50 you are attending cooking
schoolT said the friend "Are you
going to do your own work after you
are marriedT
mo; want to be able to teach my
husband how to prepare the meals in
an emergency"
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
PRACTICAL HEALTH HINT.
Use of Mineral Oil.

y Dr.. lie Tanneur contributes to
= the Paris Medical some practical
y points in the use Of mineral oil
y In constipation. The oil. he says. :
y Is in no way digested or even :
y modified by the juices Of the /:
y stomach and intestines Il acts :
y as q lubricant and nothing else, .
= though II tends to heal abrasions l..
= Of the intestinal wall caused by /.
y rough particles Of food. .
, The New York Medical Jour. .
, nal says mineral oil should be ,
y taken either before breakfast or ,
= after dinner, two tablespoon d.
= fuls being dosa Its use should .
= b continued every day for at l..
? least . fortnight when the 1
? bowels VIM continue to work 1
= naturally without It. for the min 1
? eral Oh u In no sense q cathar- 1
DE- nse Il wmeus eoussapstapn
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Just Had "a Grow.

why are American men taller than
most racesY
Its a case Of evolution"
~HuhT
I'VE had to grow to reach those
street car straps"-Louisville Courier.
Journal.
The broad ax., 1917-02-24
Talleyrand,

Talleyrand's conservatism was sum-
med up by witty compatriot, Paul
de Courier, who on one occasion de-
clared that If Talleyrand had been pres
emit at the creation he would have ex-
claimed: Good gracious! Chaos will
be Destroyer