davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-23
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The shaft is a deep hole like a great well in the highway from the bank. as the pit mouth to the mine is called. Every mine must have two of these shafts and a circulation of air very much like that of the blood in the human body. One shaft is used to admit fresh air and the other is to throw out foul air. There are many tunnels leading through the mine and the fresh air must be carried to the men working there and the current must be made to pass inward while the foul air is made to pass out through another set of tunnels.
 In going down in the cage, the sen sation is most peculiar as the motion of the car is felt very keenly with a sort of sensation of the floor giving way. Then the sensation changes. caused by the gradual slackening of the speed as the car hears the bottom. The time occupied in the descent varies according to the depth of the mine and the speed of the engine, only a few minutes being required to reach the bottom of a very deep mine.
 The foot of the shaft. known as the "pit's eye'' is lined with brick and from it lead tunnels to other parts of the mine-some of them a mile away. At this point are boilers which are used for working any un- derground engines, and stables for the ponies or mules especially in Eng land, for these patient animals pull the trucks of coal from the various sections. They know their work so well that they scarcely need a driver and many instances are recorded of their great intelligence when acci- dents have occurred. Electricity is used in most of the mines. in the United States. '
 The chief gallery is called the "dip head 1evel' and it's sides and roof are very like those of railway tunnel
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-23

except it is very much lower in some
 places than in others. There are sort of caves in the sides of the wall in many places known as refuge holes"
 These are for the men to get out of
 the way when truck of coal is pass
 ing to the shaft.
 From the many passages are many side streets where the men are work ing to dig out the coal. The old
 method was to dig in with a pick aX
 and get out as large sized pieces as possible, as small sized Jumps are re- garded as of little value. These men
 were usually nearly naked owing to
 the great heat in the mine. They were compelled to lie on their sides
 which caused them to wieId a pick at great disadvantage. When the coal is sufficiently undermined it falls
 by it's own weight or is assisted by a charge of gunpowder. Happily this hard work has been done away with in most of the mines and a man merely guides an electric cutter. Compressed air is frequently used as
 the motive power as well. Strong timber and even steel frames are used in our mines to protect the men from the fall of heavy coal and a special kind of fire-proofing is used. There are also many ways by which the
 men may escape if a great weight of
 coal begins to show signs of bending
 the supports. Only timber which has
 passed through 8 certain preservation is used for coal mining work and every precaution is taken to protect | the workmen.
 1 Two systems, one known as the 'longwall" and the other as the room and pillar systems are gen
 erally used in the United States. By ] the latter system coal is mined from
 a nSnber of small places called rooms
 which are driven at an angle to the i hauIage way and pillars are left to
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-23

lands! Kerstrydt (Christmas) was
 first and foremost of all their festivals.
 Indeed, it was twice a festival with
 them, because it was also Landing
 Day-the date on which. in 1924. the
 first large party of them arrived.
 The first Christmas celebration on
 Manhattan Island (which the Dutch
 had meanwhile bought from the h. dians) was in 1895. But among those people the preparations customariIy
 began at least eight weeks in ad- vance. For ons thing. there were huge
 fruit cakes and puddings to be made
 ready.
 On Christmas Eve the master of the
 house went. candle in hand, throuar, each barn and outbuilding. to whis- per to every living creature. from csr- | tie and horses to pigeons and pigs the joyful news that the Christ child was coming. And on the great day there was a love feast in the church when the women. in caps and aprons freshly laundered and starched, car ried around inviting trays of pretzels and shining mugs of scaiding coffee. Christmas Dinner
 And, oh! the dinner. 4 sumptuous meal. Turkeys. chickens. and geese enough six times over for everybody l who sat down. But an important and most attractive item, there was also ! huge cheese" compounded Of pork i and moIasses after a Dutch recipe possibly of prehistoric origin. | Sugar cakes. made in enormous i quantities. were sent from house 10 | house. And, following 8 custom of 1 the old country. young men in gay and picturesque disguise tramped from farm to farm. bearing gifts-each | such brtnger of good things being | accompanied by another. attired to
 represent the wicked BelsnickeI ar ! imp clad in skins and armed with i huge whip to frighten children who | had been naughty.
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-23

the same historian that ''at night the master caused us 10 have some beere." Naughty, naughty! What should we Puritans of today think of that?
 In the next year the struggling col ony was strengthened by the arrival of another vessel, the Fortune, which brought thirty-fve sturdy young Eng 1ishmen.
 These young chaps seem to have had too much red blood in their veins to find social conditions at Plymouth altogether to their liking. William Bradford writes: I've had colde Christmas. Ye Governor called them out to worke, but most Of ye new company excused themselves and said it went against their conscience to worke on that day. When ye others came home at even from their worke. he found them on ye street at play. pitching bar and throwing ball So he tolde them that t was against his conscience that they sholde play while others worked. If they made 1t a matter to keep Christmas. they must keep to their houses"
 Crowned Upon Christmas
 No sympathy was felt by the stern and ascetic Puritans for rye ungodlie pleasures of the English church and it's festivals In 1859 the General , Court of Massach husetts enacted that
 anybody found observing, by ab- stiuence from labor, feasting. or any other way any such day as Christmas Day shall pay for every such offense , shillings." Christmas. in fact, was outlawed; and in Conn on that day the law strictly forbade the mak- ing of mince pies or playing upon any
 musical instrument except the drum the jewsharp and the trumpet.
 How different with the jovial Dutch coIonists who, four years after the
 arrival of the Mayfiower. brought their plump wives and cheerful fam i lilies to settle in the New Neither
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-23

maize" samples of which the dis tinguished guest took back with him to Spain as a curiosity. Also a bread of cassava. a, stew of parrots cooked in an earthen pot. and a myst terious dish (known today in the West Indies as "pepperpot''). which Columbus liked so much that he asked for the recipe.
 The spaniards, however, could not be persuaded to partake of the meat of an 'uglie serpent" which was broiled whole over a quick fire on a uana, which their descendants learned to relish as a great delicacy, it's flesh resem bling chicken.
 When the native notabIes present at this Christmas dinner had eaten their fill. they did something alto gether extra ordinary. Producing small rolls of dried leaves, they light ed one end, drawing the smoke into their mouths and blowing it out. Others burned leaves of the same kind in a sort of pipe with two stems, the latter being inserted in the nostrils. Thus was given to the white man his first opportunity to see tobacco used: but the Spaniards would have none of it.
 Clothes Unfas!lionabIe In Haiti
 Guacangari wore at the banquet a costume consisting of a shirt and a pair Of gloves, which Columbus had given him. All the rest of the natives
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-23
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the human race.

the human race.
 Origin
 In a period far back in the earth's history when wide jungIes and vast sWamps occupied the sites of the great industrial centers of the world the trees and plants became decomposed. As time went on the swanlps filled up with sand and other substances and sunk below the level of the sea. In time another forest was formed only to<foIIow the way of the first. In this way step by Step coal was formed and may be regarded as a mineraliZed fossil, as roots and branches of trees are still found in the coal beds The beds are found at irregular intervals among sandstone and clay and vary in thickness.
 II is not definitely known which na- ton first took advantage of this un- derground fuel but it is generally be- lieved that it was used at very re- mote period of antiquity as coal ashes have been found in among old Roman antiques,
 It was first mined and in a most primitive manner and as the people knew little of it's chemical properties there were many accidents. It seems that 1t was first mined for sale at Newcastle, England. and in 1925 was exported. Gradually colleries sprang up in various parts of the world and the miners safety lamp was invented which has had many improvements since, but is still the miners light when digging in his subterranean chamber for the ''blacll diamonds How Mined
 A trip into the underground modern coal mine is most exciting and gives one a better appreciation of the work done by the men and it's isagreeabIe features. Every mine contains an en- zine house with a ponderous drum and innumerable coils of wire rope to send the miners down and to draw up the coal and workmen to the surface. i There is another engine which is used to keep the mine free from water.
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-23
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support the roof. By the 'Tongwall'' is taken out usually by machine guided by two men. No coal is left behind and the roof is allowed to settle behind as the coal digging prog resses.
 Ventilation
 Ventilation of the mines is one of the most important things owing to the presence of gases peculiar to coal formation. Firedamp. choke damp and flood are the miners great est danger as they mean death by suffocation, burns or drowning. As coal is removed little lakes will form and often a miners pick stuck in certain point will cause an thrush of water and result in a flood in the mine. Firedamp is an inf1ammable gas which often forms in the pit. It is similar to the gas we burn and has the same effect as an open stopcock in a room. Of course, if it comes in contact with fire there is an explosion. Occasionally canary birds have been taken down into the mines with the men as the little creatures are very susceptible to gas and when they fall down in their cages it is a signal for the men to get out. The birds gen. orally recover when they get to the fresh air and they have saved the lives of many men, The fredamps is the most disastrous of all for when the explosion occurs everything Is de- stroyed. Choke damp or carbonic acid gas follows in the wake of the firedamp and is the miners dreaded enemy. The atmosphere grows dim and his lamp goes out. He starts to find a place of safety but in the dark ness he St11on b1eS and iS So0n over
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-23
How This Necessary Com modity Brings Happiness To Our Homes Its Origin and Mining.

Copyright, 1919, The International Syndicate. N NE of the essential materials in # @ our commercial life is coal. # M Without it our entire industrial NS fabric would be paralyzed. Its importance is eviden6ed by the great public concern which arises every time a strike in theH coaI@ mines. is agitated It touches every part of our social life, the home as well as the factory, and it's scarcity is felt in every walk of life. It is for that reason that public opinion is thor oughly aroused whenever there is a probability that the quantity of coal will fall short of the demands of trade.
 Hard Problem
 The labor required for coal mining is a tremendous draft upon vitality and the conditions under which the work is performed is necessarily dis agreeable and dangerous, although our Government has spent thousands of dollars in making 1t as safe as pos sibIe. But it must be done: the con ditions of danger and unpleasantness cannot all be eliminated and there is some difficulty in measuring with any degree of accuracy just what is a proper wage for the toiIer under ground in the mines. and each time the problem seems solved for a short time only. The greater part of the men engaged in this industry are foreigners. many Of them speaking no English which makes arbitration or reasoning with them next to impos- sible.
 Many ages ago wood was mans only fuel. As the years passed by the number of people increased and men opt down the trees as if the supply would never fail. Nature, however, was not idle and ages and ages ago she deposited beds of coal in every quarter of the globe and today they affeFd liettz and heat to millions of
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-23
Copyright, 1913 Th

~ HE first Christmas celebrated tn A America was on the island of A Haiti, and the principal guest al S0 he banquet on that historic oc- caslon was Christopher Columbus His host was a native Chieftain.
 Columbus had arrived in October 1492, at Watkins Island, in the Ba- hamas, where he made his first land ing m the New World. The island is recognizable today from the de scription he gave of it, most of it's interior being occupied by large lagoon. Thence he sailed to the north coast of Cuba, which he supposed to be part of the mainland Of Asia, and, after exploring the bays and river mouths, he sent an expedition inland to treat with the Great Khan of Tar tary.
 From Cuba he crossed to Haiti, with his flagship, the Santa Maria, and one of his caravels, the Nina. leaving the other caravel, the Pinta, behind. Off Cape Haitten his expedition met with it's first great misfortune, the Santa Maria running in the night upon a reef. where she stuck. Though the weather was calm, if soon became ap-
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-23
SWAPPING GIFTs-A SUGGESTION

SWAPPING GIFTS-A SUGGESTION Oh, brothers got a walking stick. A present he abominates; And sisters waist just makes her sick. It is a shade she fairly hates; And mothers gift is a patent thing For toasting bread. which she can't
 bear,
 And father has a signet ring,
 Who 1ewelry would never wear And they have picked with equal
 skill
 Their maiden aunt a carving knife. A lounging robe for Uncle Bill, Who never lounged in all his life; A set of James for Cousin Sue.
 Who doesn't like his works jot; And all the presents seem askew And no one. likes the things they
 got. If, then, we rack our wits in vain, And all for naught each year go
 broke;
 The giving will become a pain, And Christmas but a sorry joke. And so, that no one will be vexed, And none be blamed for lack of sense.
 Let's get together ere the next And shop with some intelligence. '
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-23

3 HE first Christmas celebrated in
 America was on the island ot
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-23
Christmas Dinner With Christorher Columbus On the Island of Haiti-The rst Christmas Of the May
 flower Pilgrims A Jolly Festival.
ILernlEIUnal SEnQIcate.

parent that she would be 9 total loss.
 Fortunately the natives were friend ly. They thought that the strangers had come from beyond the sky. Guacangari, the local chieftain. actu- ally shed tears when he learned of the shipwreck, and sent 100 canoes 10 help unload the Santa Maria. Even the spars were unshipped and car ried ashore, no attempt being made to steal anything. Columbus wrote in his logbook: Tn no part of Cas- tile could things be left about in such safety, without the loss of so much as leather strap"
 Banquet On Christmas Day
 The shipwreck occurred on Christ mas Eve. Next day-possibly with rhe idea of d5stracting their minus from the misfortune - Guacangari save for Columbus and his men an enormous feast. which that navigator described in writing as the most elab- crate he ever attended. It was served by comedy Indian damseIs, and in cluded many wholly novel dishes. There was a kind of bread made from an unfamiliar grain called
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-23
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pathetic in it's earnestness and it is to be hoped that he will not be led astray by agitators whose main idea
La prensa. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1913-1962, 1919-12-11
T DE MONTERREY

MONTERREY. Dicimbre S.-En el
pr5ximo ano darase principle a Ia
construction del Nuevo Casino de
Monterrey, que vendra a suplir con
muchas ventajas al antique que &C
entertainments Sc incendi6 hace varios
amos pues la realization del proyec-
to hara del nuevo edificio una YER
dadera obra de arte.
-Informes que proporciona e. Je-
fe de Hacienda. Leopoldo Castro, n@
cen saber que espera reclblr de la
CAPITAL de la Republica muy en- bre-
We. una fuerte cantidad de moneda
f~raccionaria, cuya escasez ha estado
dando lugar a muchas dificultadcs
entire ell concrete y los consumldores
de esta pcblac;6n.
Han sido ncmbradas dos conf
stones DC p~rofesores con obJeto dc
gestionar G, translate a esta cludad
dc los restcs del Pedagogo neo'ones
Pablo Iivas.
FL cadavcr del maestro Sc halla in
l.uaado Ell Ia ciudad de Laredo. TIE
yas. lucar donde falleci6 el senior Ii
vas durante ST. dcstierro.
La prensa. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1913-1962, 1919-12-11
SON DESTITUIDOS LOS
MARINOS DE LA GA.
NAVIERA MEXICANA
Notas diversas del Puerto de
Veracruzy

VERACRUZ, Diciem6re 6.-Moti-
70 de preocupaci0n ha sido para los
marines que prestan u servicios en-
Ia Compania Naviera del Sureste, Ell
darse cuenta de que la empresa los
eStaba desocupa1do en- pequenas par
tidaS. sin cauSa justificada, pero no
sin pagarles religiosamente los tres
meses de salario que marca Ia Ley
en- eStos casos.
Sc dijo que tai procedimiento por
parte de la empresa obedecia a una
habil maniobra para irse deshaciendo
De los marines Y obreros mas diSol-
venteS. a ~quicnes POGO 4 POGO iba
alejando del campo de Ia agitacion
bolsheviki. aun a costa del page que
Sc veia ob!igada Z h~accrles.
Como este fuc considerable de pel;-
gro : tcasceadencia para la agrupa-
con q Que d!chcs marines pertenecen.
acordaron cclehrar urgcncemcnte una
session cor CT iir de r~esolver so5rc Ell
particular, DueS han c~omprondido que
con unos cuantoS miles de pesos. pa
gaGoS por iAdemniZacion 4 los obre-
ros desocUDados, IA empreSa Sc quI-
a de cncima 10 CUE segun ella cons
:i:uvc I'm Soviet. tambicn pel:groSo.
La prensa. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1913-1962, 1919-12-11
CUENTO DEL Ola
Ell ROBO

media de plata que tenia en- un bolsi-
10 del nantalon, juntamenre con la
moneda de diez centimos que mi ma
Dire NE dada los ~juevss, Y aquella
mlisica me embriagaba y me daba
alas para precipitar mi Marcia.
No eyperimentaba nj Ia sombra DE
IN rem0rdimiento.
Allegro, ligero Y sonriente, halla-
bame en- Ia atm6sfera de mi placer
favorito.
De pronto. al pasar ror delante
del portico de Il igesia. detuvo-
me Ia tcndida mano de n mandiga.
Compadecido de la miseria de la MT
jcr V ror la palidez del Eino que lie
vaha en- los brazos, saque de nj bel
sillo Ia moncda de dicz centimcs y
Sc "a arrojc a la pobre, Ia cual me
do las g~racias con tan marcaGas prue
bias lie extraordinario recorocimicnto
que a los pcccs minutes ne asatto
una sospecha terrible.
-;Dios mic, cXclame Isl por c.
Quivccaridn.....
Sin p6rdida de tempo nett Ia ma
no al b)olsillo y lance un critic de cs-
panto. Habia dado los dos frances
y solo era dueno de diez c@ntimos.
Rstroccdi furicso y hab!ando 500.
81. s.. encontrarc en- seguida
La prensa. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1913-1962, 1919-12-11

-csia Y las GALES iHmediatas, sin 10
grar mi proposito. Embellishments
Ia pobrc habia regrcsado a su casa.
dando por terminada su expedition
del dia.
Fuora de mi. me dirigi Il mi domi-
clio, Y a~roiandcne al cuello dc mi
madre. con una explosion de lagrimas
en- las Que habia mas indignation que
rcmordimiento. adootc Ell part!do de
~contarsclo todo.
rs ccsa frecuente.-segun dicen-
cue IN !adr6n confiese su de ito q
la iusti2ia. Ga rahia de habcr dado
IN golpe en- vano.
Alfonso DAJDET.
La prensa. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1913-1962, 1919-12-11
ALIVIA Ell RESFRIADO
DESDE La PRIME
RA DOSIS
"Pape'S Cold Compound" cura
los reSfriadOS en- unaS
cuantaS hOraS

FL aliv;o cS Immediate. Una dosis
tomada cada dos horas. h2sta compile
tar tres Gosis. son suficiences para
curar el resfriado mas fuerte Y eVi-
tar las mclestias de la .gripa.
La primera dosis abre los conduc-
tos n~asales Y e. s!stema reSpira:orio,
evita la mocosidaG. a!ivia el dolor de
cabeza. ~estoraudos. irritac!0n Y f.e-
bre.
10 permanezca I'd. acatarrado.
Dele de loser Y e~stornudar. NADIA
hay en- el mundo que de alivio mas
rapido Y SECURE que el "Pape's Cold
Compound" que cuesta ul.os cuantos
c~entavos en- ~cualquiera droguer:a.
Obra sin causar moleStias, su sabor
es agradable y no contiene quinina.
Insista Siempre en- adquirir "Pape's
Cold Compound. (Adv.l
La prensa. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1913-1962, 1919-12-11
la SuPrcma Corte fallara sobre
el Panama del Arsenal

Sc IN preseHtado una divergencia
tc c~riterjos en- o relative d la ap!i-
,ar.5u de la Ley de- Amparo a que
rccurri0 e. comaHdantc Izaguirre acu-
ado de ser responsible del desfalcO
Ha5iGo CT las oficinas del Arsenal
Nac.onai del puerto.
M.eatras cl Jucz de Distrjto super
~r@mcrario c~a.ifjea que cabe el ampa-
re p~resenta&o per Izaguirre, el fun
c~ionario propictario dice Que no debe
! ser concedido dicho amparo. c%oNfor-
nc 4 IA Ley. en- el case DC que Sc
trata. Con este motive. ei aSunto Sc
IA rcsuelto pr Ia $uprcma Co.te de
Jus.icia de ia Naci0n.
La prensa. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1913-1962, 1919-12-11
COMO DO FIN \ ST ENFERME.
DAD DE LOS RINONES.

"Tuve III fuerte ataque de enfer-
medal De los rjWones Y por tres Sc
manas no pude salir &c casa ' ca
81 70 pude levantarme de Ia CANA.
escribi1 c. +. Brewer, Village
Springs. Ala. No podia moverme 4
csusa de los Suer;es dolores. Com
pre- una botella dc Fo!ey Kidney
Pills Y 4 las Pocas dos;S mejore hQ-
d endo cunjiuuado 81 uso hasta mi
comple:o aIiy;o. ConSidero a las
Foley Kidney Pills cl meior rene
do del mundo. No he vuelto a pa
ieeer en- 10 absolute t.Ady.)
La prensa. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1913-1962, 1919-12-11
Todavia hay roba-vaca,
en- el Estado

De "A hacienda de Tlachichilco. Ger
cara = Ori1aba. ha comenzado a desa-
2@recer miSJeriosamcnte cl gaDado. i
pesar de que eSa region esta p~~rfec-
tamente cu:dada por las fuerz2s del
gobierno, encargadas de Ia campana
contra los revoIucionarios. Il senior
Julio ESp!Eosa, dueHo del ganado ro-
5auo. dice a las autoridades militia
RS que 10 6 possible Greer que las re-
se> y las AGA hayan podido sal.r
del circu.o que torman las tropaS en-
carSadas de Gicha campana. y sup!;ct
SC haga Il avcriguacioN sobre Il
particular.