davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
World. Biggest chlnam.n.

Sergeant Ting-uWang is the biggest
Chinaman in the world, and one of the
earth's tallest men. Wang, who Is
twenty years old, stands seven and
half feet in his socks, and is built in
proportion. He served three years in
France as a coolie in the Chinese
labor corps. Most of the time he act
ed as escort to the German prisoners
as they were moved back from the
front lines. He never lost prisoner,
his enormous size and strength strik-
ing terror in the hearts of the cap
tNes. When peace came Wang hoped
to be engaged as body guard to some
rich European or American, but no
such Individual apparently needing his
services he has decided to go back to
his farm in Manchuria.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
Stece and Movie.

To me tha ic.y Of the theater is 10
the attentiOE forced by skillfully con-
structed play acted by players Of con-
vlction and artistic power. have Of
ten watched an audience coming from
movlng-plcture theater, and rarely
have | seen look of more elation OF
spirit upon the faces of the crowd
than would result from the perusal of
newspaper, Whereas, after an eve
ming at an interesting play. the audi
ence pours forth In animation; and
even though the play may have been
tragedy, emotions have been stirred
and minds stimulated until the reac-
tion shows n every face. So long as
the human relation is preserved be-
tween actor and audience. so long will
the acted drama retain its supremacy
In any community.-Otis Skinner in
the North American Review.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
MONUMENTS OF VAST SIZE
That on Leipzig Battlefield, Though
Higher, Less Costly Than Me-
mortal to Italian King.

Leipzig possesses monument
which rises only few inches short
Of 300 feet. "The Battle of the Ma
tions" monument stands in the middle
of the plain where Blucher routed Ma
poleon's army. One million cubic
meters of earth were displaced to
make room for its base. 1t Is sur
rounded by an enclosure quarter of
a mile wide and nearly half mile
long.
Next to the Pyramids it is the high
est in the world, but it is by no means
the costliest. This distinction belongs
to the national memorial to Victor EN-
manuel II, erected on the Capitoline
hill in Rome at cost of $4,000, 900.
1t took 81 years to complete this huge
pile of marble steps, covered with
statues, bas-reliefs, and mosaics. Sac
conf, the architect, who designed it.
died long before the work was finish
ed. but he left models complete in
every detail. and his original plans
were never tampered with.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
Steel Rail Easily Weakened.

A steel rail on the Great Northern
railway in England broke into II
pieces, causing serious accident. A
committee Of the board Of trade, ap-
pointed to investigate the cause of the
breakage, made an interesting report
and the investigation led to, several
discoveries Of practical Importance.
Among these was the surprising effect
of cracks in the upper surfaces Of
rails. II was found by experiment
that a rail nicked across with a chisel
inch broke under weight of 900
pounds falling from height of IL
feet, while the same rail not nicked
resisted the fall of a ton weight from
a height of 20 feet.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
Deer Visits City.

AS reminder to the 100000 inhab-
itants of this rapidly growing city that
Winnipeg still is an outpost of civili-
zation. deer wandered into town the
other day and cavorted through the
main streets of the retail business dis.
trict. 1t wasn't a fugitive from any
of the park ZOOS nor from the menag.
erie of circus that happened to be
in town-it was wild animal. fresh
from its native haunts, presumably
the bush country that lies to the north
east of the city. Whether the deer WAS
more surprised to find itself surround
ed by trolley cars. automobiles, high
buildings and gaping crowds than the
people down town were to see it there,
is matter of conjecture. There Is
no uncertainty, however, as to who
had the most fun. The deer crowded
enough experiences into one afternoon
to last 1t the rest of its life.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
Plant Pjck.Me.Ups!

A farm and garden machine Of
great ingenuity is now being tested in
the south OF England. Its function IL
to bestow a pickme-up of the cheap
est and most stimulating sort to every
seed put into the ground
As 1t is drawn along 1t punctures n
little hole, drops In a single seed from
one cylinder, and simultaneously a
pinch Of artificial manure from anoth-
er The hole Is Immediately filed in.
and from third cylinder falls n pinch
Of powdered lime, which encourages
the benehcent bacteria that assist
growth.
II hopes are justified. the machine
would save fourth OF the usual
amount Of seed andNa immense deal
Of artificial manure.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
FAMOUS BELLS OF BOSTON
Not the Least In the Historic Old
City Is the One That Was Cast
by Paul Revere.

A bell which was cast by Paul Re-
we're still hangs In the belfry of Kings
chapel, built when Boston was in its
infancy. This bell was the one hun
dred and sixty-tirst cast by Revere.
Besides being bell caster Revere al
so was an engraver a goldsmith and
n dentist. Rising above the modest
houses is the old North church, from
which Revere received his signal
previous to his famous midnight ride.
Christ church. the second Episcopal
church of Boston, Is situated in the
north end, and is an offshoot of Kings
chapel. Its spire, designed and built
in 1923. has served as landmark to
gIide ships into the harbor. In 1904
this spire was blown down by gSet
gsie. and was shortened by 16 feet.
Tla chime of bells. now silent. which
haii,s in the tower, was made in 1774,
In he foundry of Abel RuGdall. OF
Gloucester. England. Eacr bell has
engraved rpon Il an Inscription denct-
Ing Its history. The bells, as was com
mon be'ief IN tina, time. we're "urposed
10 possess the ptver to dlsps' evil
spirits.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
Strange Marriage Customs.

A very odd marriage ceremony takes
place in Afghanistan just after one of
Afghanistan's brown daughters weds.
Then a number of men in weird masks
surround the bridegroom's house, and
after that a dozen or so men clad in
black. with skeletons outlined on their
skin-tight garb, dance frantically
round the figure of a woman stretched
on the ground.
This is to teach the bride what will
happen to her if she seeks affinities or
does not CONDUCT herself with proper
decorum tOv ards her husbands moth
err; what VIII happen to her if she
does not conduct herself with proper
decorum towards her husband they
indicate will be far worse. -
This is the naive Afghanistan man.
ner of teaching women their proper
places and making them properly
humble.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
Landing Stage for AirpIanes.

Such "a landing stage would be sup
ported by latticed columns. Its hori-
and cables, overlaid by a flooring of
metal lath and surface sheet of
heavy wire net. This elastic floor has
the incidental advantage of not gath
ering snow or ice. At the same time,
it is sufficiently firm and substantial
for the purpose contemplated and per-
ms plan would, he says. afford ample
landing facilities for airplanes of the
present type.-Philadelphia Ledger.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
Worth While Innovations.

There were two things my friend on
the liner returning from Italy would
really like to introduce into the States.
One was that Marsala wine-"say,
that's some stuff. say. If was n drink
ing man ! could sure set my cork bob
bin on that stuff. And the other was
that's great. I'm goln' to tell my wife
about that dope. just little orange
juice and little sugar; and / know
what she'll say All right you got
more things In your old head than the
comb'll take out. haven't your
Stark Young in the New Republic.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
Lightning Butchers Flock Of Sheep.

A jarrIng crash of lightning inter.
rupted the rest of two herdsmen re-
Gently as they slept near their flock
of 1850 sheep on the range above the
American Fork canyon. In north CEN
tral Utah. hurried walk of some
200 feet brought them to their charges,
declares Popular Science Magazine.
Striking the close gathered flock. the
lightning had cut two wide swaths,
about 250 sheep in each. Between
these swaths and on either side, the
animals were not touched.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
EFFECTIVE TRAP FOR RATS
Probably Nothing Better Has Been
Devised In the War Against De-
- structlve Rodent.

1t is a pretty well settled fact that
the rat, in addition to being a distrib-
Nutor of several terrible diseases. is a
thief of no trifing consideration. Be
cause of their rowing propensities and
their predilection for ocean voyages,
they have been known to carry dis
ease germs from one part of the world
to another. In addition to this. the
amount OF food devoured and de-
stroyed by rats in the course of year
totals at something enormous. There
must be war ON the rat, 1t is ar
gued, in order to combat the Fl. g. OF
L., for the price of feeding the rats
In this country alone represents the
work of large number of farms and
an army of farmers.
The best way of getting the rat Is
to poison him. Trapping is generally
slow procedure. but the objection to
poison Is that the death-dealing drug
that is scattered around for the rO-
dents is likely to reach other animals
for which it is not intended. The poi
son holder and decoy shown herewith
is device which will especially at
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
coIors Save the Eggs.

We have heard great deal abou
protective coloration In nature, and
when we consider the advantages
which accrue to protectively colored
eggs we may wonder why scme eggs
have remained pure white through the
ages. why others are of the most con-
spicuous greenish blue, and why still
others stand out by their spotted or
speckled patterns. says the American
Forestry Magazine. White eggs are
for the most part laid by hole-Desting
species Of birds like the owls End
woodpeckers, and since the eggs are
well hidden in their dark cavities II
has not been necessary for them to
develop protective coloration. The
bright greeEish blue eggs Of most OF
the thrushes. for example, must be
hidden In nests which are concealed
in dense vegetation and the speckled
eggs of the ground nesting sparrows
depend for their safety upon the good
hiding Of the grass-woven nest.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
Adjusting ones Burden.

To make the thing work right you
should load up gradually. A sudden
load is apt to stall you. To say the
least you are apt to become discour-
aged when confronted with heavy
burden. Men have been known to
break under the strain of new loads.
When you are accustomed to things
they don't seem so heavy to carry.
Familiar roads are never so long as
new ones. Load up gradually and
learn how to carry each new weight
and 1t will surprise you how much
you can get away with. We are not
advocating that you try to do every
thing. That is fair neither to you
nor to others. Load up only with
what may legitimately be associated
with your speciality. There are some
things you will be- able to do better
than any one else. They are yOur
job. You will be stronger by doing
yOur part.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
THE TWILIGHT HOUR.
When the brightness Of the day has
worn till somber shreads show

When the brightness Of the day has
worn till somber threads show
through
Let us linger in the twilight hour
And talk of joys the sun shone on and
plan our rest when work Is done
While the weary heart renews its faith
and power.
It's the time whom recollection and an
ticipation meet,
For the past and future mingle. and the
draught is very sweet.
Oh. we cannot then feel long ~ there's
glamour over all
II friend sits where the shadows fall.
When the glow Of life has dimmed away.
before the dark creeps on.
Let us linger In the twilight years
And talk of joys the sun shone on and
plan our rest when work is done
Without the chill of doubt or hint Of
tears
It's the time when recollection and an
ticipation meet
For the past and future mingle. and the
draught is very sweet.
Oh, we cannot then feel lonely, though
alone we must embark
For we know we have a Friend beyond
the Dark.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
Reckoning Longitude.

Longitude In the United Kingdom
md generally In the United States is
reckoned from Greenwich, degrees be.
Ing known as east longitude and west
longitude from that point until they
meet In the Pacific ocean AT $50 de.
grees from Greenwich, the opposite
zero point. Asia being In east longl.
tude and the United States In west
longitude. For the same reason the
term Orient is applied to the East and
Occident to the West. II may be said
that Germany reckoDs longitude from
Berlin, France from Paris and Spain
from Madrid, while sometimes 1t is
reckoned In this country from Wash
iDgton. but usually speaking, Green
wich is meant.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
NOT so TRAGIC, AFTER ALL
Fair Travellers Emotion at Seeing A.
feeting Parting Was In Large
Part unealied For.

The temperamental difference be-
tween restrained and an emotional
race occasionally brings about kindred
effects through accident. A lady, wait
Ing for belated train. witnessed a
most affecting parting between an
aged father and his son, both Italians.
The old man seemed In frenzy of
woe. He moaned, raved, fffted his
clenched hands toward heaven and
shook them despairingly.
"Poor, poor souls !" she exclaimed,
compasslonately. '.rhe young man go
ing away to seek his fortune and the
old man left behind. suppose he
fears they may never meet again. A
common tragedy. but 1t grips ones
very heart"
"Cheer up!" briskly advised her
companion. who understood Italian.
1.-THE young chap is only going to the
next town to visit his married sister
and the venerable old person Is wor-
ried because he loaned him his sea-
son ticket and wishes now he hadn't
promised to do so. He says he knows
the boy will lose it, but, anyway, If
he does, he'll break every bone in his
body when he gets home. That's ALL"
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
The Wonder Of Eeqs.

One cannot had among the multitude
of wonders in ynature anything more
marvellous than the development OF
an egg, writes Elsa 6. Allen In the
American Forestry Magazine. Wheth.
er it be butterfly which fiourlshes foi
day only TO die after depositing its
eggs. or Il reptile which lazily leaves
Its eggs with only the warm sand to
mother them. or n fish, like the salmon
which, with Incredible strength, jumps
the rapids to spawn In the upper
reaches of rivers, or most appealing
of all. bird which builds a beautiful
nest for Its treasures, the egg In every
ease is structurally the SAME. and the
miracle of life unfolds according to
the same laws Of cell division.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04

do you know that the feet of the
Statue of Liberty, In New York har-
Dor, measure siXtXeen feet five
inches?"
$50 I have heard"
1.-The waist is thirty-five feet round"
sae continued, giving him an Icy
stare. "The nose is four feet six
inches long; the mouth is yard
across; the thickness of the head is
ten feet. Did you know these facts?"
"Y-yes."
"Then will you kindly explain" she
demanded frigidly, "why you state in
your poem that I remind you Of the
Statue of Liberty?"
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
New Submarine Cables.

Despite the great development OF
wireless telegraphy submarine cables
are still being constructed. and with
the great increase In commercial and
journalistic messages are still regard
ed as necessary alternative to wire
less, and by no means obsolete or like.
ly to fall into disuse. In fact. new
cable to the far East from Great Brit.
ain through the Mediterranean, involv.
ing length Of 1000 miles, is being
laid section by section ms ready, while
the possibility Of new cable from
Vancouver TO Tanning island is now
being discussed.-Scientific American
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
Japs Eating Frog Meat.

Frog meat made its first appearance
last month In the menu Of one of the
most popular restaurants Of Tokyo
Japan. Frogs had never been consid.
cred as n food until very recently by
the japanese.
In 1918 DIR. Watanabe brought some
edible frogs from the United States
They were kept at the infectious dis
ease experimental station. where ex.
periments were made In breeding and
raising.
The government has taken steps tc
encourage the raising and eating OF
frogs.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
United States Gets Manuscripts.

Rare manuscripts said to have n
market value of $4,000 were brought
to this country on the steamship Lap.
land by Charles Sessler. dealer of
Philadelphia. who had been abroad
several months in search of such
treasures. says the New York Trib-
une. Although he bought much on his
own account. Mr.. Sessler Is said Ia
have acted as agent for several pri-
vate collectors and museums.
His purchases, which amounted to
S325 900. included n group of T. let.
ters exchanged between Samuel 7
Coleridge, the poet, and Charles Lamb
This item is said TO have cost S25,OOO.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
FIsHiN'.

I tell yer what like ter Dc
Along bout now. when winters thf0GGA,
An summer comes a-fiutterin'
Aroun' with birds an everythin'
Is Jest ter dig some bait an git
My fshin' pole an go an sit
An fish!
1 loves ter hear tn happy song
TIL crick keeps singin all along
TIL song that somehow seems ter cay
"Oh, amt II fine an gran ter day.
An amt God good!" While all th' time
Y watch tn bobber on your lins
An fish!
It's kinda heaven jes' ter sire tch
Out lazy On tn grass an ketch
A Whit o. vf'let3 now an then
There amt no trick o. tongue or pen
AT ever could express 'em all,
TIL things / feel when l kin sprawl
An fish!
Oh. lots ~ things -'at fellers do
Is fne-but say. 'twixt me and you,
TIL whole caboo die, punched in enc.
Amt got one-half tn sure pop fun
AT l kin get from beatin' 1t
Away from all O. this ter sit
An fish,
John H. Styles. Jr., in the Christian
Herald
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
Modern ca.ablanea.

FIRE guard in the Shenandoah ma
tional forest not so long ago found him.
self in a predicament similar to that
Of Casabianca. although his decision
was not so silly. Discovering that
there were three bears Mt the foot Of
the lookout tower in which he was
stationed without arms Of any kind, he
telephoned for permission to leave at
the first chance to get gun. The
district ranger replied that the for
ests were dry, that fire might start
anywhere at any time. and that he
must stay where he was. bears or no
hears; and the guard stayed. After a
time some one who had "listened In"
came to his rescue.-Youth's Com
panion.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
Worlds Smallest Newspaper.

The smallest newspaper In the
world is now being printed in New
York city. Its pages are only about
dye inches wide and six inches long,
but they contain short news items that
are very easily and quickly read. An.
other odd newspaper published In this
same city Is called The Deaf Mutes'
journal. all Of Its editors and general
stan being members Of a deaf and
dumb school. However, The Deaf
Mutes' Journal ls'a real newspaper in
size and contains four pages Of In.
teresting reading.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
ouake,s Advance Guard.

On the theory that the movement Of
the earth's crust constituting an earth
quake begins on very small scale, to
be followed later by the greater ad-
justments that do the damage, Drills
L. Kennedy of San Bernardino, Cal,
believes that he can give earthquake
warnings by observing the cracks in
layers of cement, put down in certain
California districts. 1t Is asserted
that in this way Mr. Kennedy predict
ed the quake that destroyed part of
Hemet and San Jacinto, Cal, some
thing more than year ago. He is
how planning to construct II ribbon of
cement about foot thick and 1000
feet long for laboratory purposes.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
MOUNTAINS AFFECT BIRD LIFE
Andes Said to Be Responsible for Mum.
ber Of Species Found In
South America.

The richness of South American
bird-life Is due to the presence Of the
Andes more than to any other one
thing. It Is the absence of great
mountain chains In Africa, which ac-
counts for the comparatively small
numbers Of species of birds In thA
continent. From base to summit, four
distinct zones of llfe-troplcal, SUBJ
tropical, temperate and alpine-are
found In the higher Andes, and each
zone has species which are confined
to 1t.
1t is not only the height of the An
des which affects bird life. In places,
for hundreds of miles, this gigantic
range may appear as two or three
chains, each not less than 10000 OF
1000 feet in height, and these cli'
matte walls are as impossible to the
species living In the tropical or sub
tropical valleys they inclose as though
they extended to the zenith. IsOla-
ton is, therefore, added to the fac
tors of climate and sedentariness in
the making of the species. and the
three combined have produced great
er variety of bird life than is found
in any area Of similar extent in the
world. The American museum Of nat
-ural history inaugurated in 1911 bi-
illogical survey of the Andean region
with particular reference to Its bird
life. AS result of the collections
and field studies made, the museum
is now in possession of large cOllec-
tions and data from the more north
ern part of the chain.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
CITY LANDING FOR AIRPLANE
Stage on Housetop Is Plan Devised by
Hartford Man, and 1t Seems
Feasible.

Obviously some means must be pro-
vided whereby flying machines will be
enabled to make start or landing
in thickly populated places. The hui
man bird requires city perches.
A Hartford man, John A. CaulI,lns,
proposes to solve the problem by erect
ing on top of high buildings, or
groups of buildings, landing stages"
of inexpensive construction. light in
weight and so elastic as to meet COM
fortahly the shock of arriving planes
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
Archers Hunt Sharks

Hunting sharks with bow and arrow
Is the latest sport to be introduced
In Ventura county, California.
DIR. +. X. Roberts and Harry Van De
Linder reported exciting experiences
after n day at Point Magu. passed in
hunting sharks in this manner.
In many instances, they said. the
sharks started out to sea with the nr.
rows sticking in their bodies, and II
required speed on the part OF the hunt
eR to overtake them.
These sharks are not man-eaters,
which are not known so far North.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
THIS DOLL REALLY TALKS
Ingenious Toy That Has for Its Prin-
cipie Photograph Concealed
in the Body.

The effort to make talking doil
probably dates back to the time soon
after the first doll was made. Dolls
dug up in the ancient ruins have been
found to have metal strings incorpOr-
ated in their construction and the in-
ference IS that this was an early ef-
fort to make the etfigy emit some
thing like the sound of the huinan
voice. The perfection of this idea has
been recently attained in the invcn-
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
Complete Phonosraph. Contained in
Dolls Body.

don of a doll into the body of which
a complete phonograph has been dis
posed of. The driving mechanism is
contained in the trunk portion of the
doll. while the revolving platform
which carries the record is contained
in the head. The flare of the horn is
hidden in the hair, which does not OBJ
struct the passage of the sound but
yet is sufficient to hide this part OF
the mechanism. This rear opening Of
the hend also permits of the changing
of the records as desired.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
Drives Bull to Harness.

August X. Berg OF Auburn has m
Ayrshire bull nearly two years old
that he drives to harness like horse.
In Sweden, Mr.. Berg used to train
cattle and horses for the government.
He calls the bull Rosenberg and when
he drove him TO Worcester one dny re-
Gently the bull threaded his way peace
fully among the automobiles, hut Mr..
Berg was delayed in getting home he
cause so many photographers wanted
to take sho:.-Boston Globe.
Gilpin observer., 1920-11-04
shar.d Grave With Pet Hen.

Miss Melvina Buker of Auburn. Me-.
who died in January. 1918, at the age
OF ninety, had pet hen buried with
her. in accordance with request made
on her death bed. The hen was her
pet when she was n young girl and
lived to he nineteen years old. Then
Miss Buker had her killed while hei
feathers were good, and mounted by
n taxidermist. md for half n century
the hen had the place OF honor among
the parlor ornaments.