davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
PESSIMlSM NEVER IN ORDER
Present Time Always Just as Good a
Time as Any, if One viii
but Consider.

Our age is bewailed as an age Of In
troverslon. Must that needs be evilf
We, it seems, are critical; we are en-
barrassed with second thoughts; we
cannot enjoy anything for laundering
to know whereof the pleasure consists:
we are lined with eyes; we see with
our feet; the time is infected with
Hamlet's unhappiness-
Sicklied DER with the pale cast OF
thought
Is it SO BAD then7 Sight is the last
thing to be pitied. Would we be blind7
Do we fear lest we should outsee ma.
ture and God, and drink truth dry3
| look upon the discomfort Of the liter
airy class as mere announcement of
the fact that they find themselves not
In the state of mind of their fathers.
and regret the coming state as untried
as boy breads the water before lIe
sas learned that he can swim. If there
is any period one would desire to be
born in-is it not the age of Revolu-
ton; when the old and the new stand
side by side, and ADMIT of being COM
pared; when the energies of all men
are searched by fear and by hope;
when the historic glories of the OLD
can be compensated by the rich pessi.
bilities of the new era? This time,
like all times, is very good one, if
we know What to do with it.-Ralph
Waldo Emerson.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
EARLY DAYS OF RAILR0ADING
VaIlandicham Writes OF Some Of the
Primitive Methods Of New Means
Of Transportation.

Edward Noble Vallandigham, In his
book, Delaware and the Eastern
Shore" gives an interesting sidelight
on railroading In 1888. In chapter
dealing with transportation between
the Delaware river and the Chesa-
peake bay, he says, according to the
Indianapolis News: Steamboats, soon
replaced the sailing packets, but 1t was
not until 1888, after years Of legisla-
ton in both states, that the New Cas-
tie & Frenchtown railroad, traces OF
which still show in green bits Of en-
bankment, improved the land route. A
primitive locomotive engine, imported
ftom England, was with difficulty tink-
cred into going order to draw tiny
coaches on the rails of strap iron,
pegged to wooden sleepers, which in
turn we're pegged to stones set deep
In the ground. The speed Of ten miles
an hour was held to be perilous. Bas-
kets hoisted on tall poles notified the
line ahead that the train was coming.
From time to time train hands, detect
ing rail with end turned up where a
spike had loosened, got down and Sc
cured the threatening snake head
According to the original charter the
rate for passengers was 8 cents a
mile, tariff later raised to 10 cents
because the cost of building and main
tanning the line had been underestimate
cd Each passenger could carry 100
pounds Of baggage free Of charge"
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
EXPLAINING GRADES IN ARMY
ranciful ard Pretty Tale of the Origin
of insignia Which Denote
Martial Rank.

Fanciful indeed is the tale woven
about the selection and origin Of the
various marks Of army insignia.
The story begins with a two-barred
fence, near group of trees. One of
these is sturdy oak and another a
silver poplar, the tree which grows
to greatest heights In our forests.
Above this tree flies an American
eagle. 1t is night and the stars look
down upon the scene.
The first step, or first rank of COM
nlissioned officer is climbing the first
lie one bar on a first lieutenant's
shoulder. Another step up and the
officer has his foot on the second bar
of the fence-the two bars surmounted
being indicated by the two-bar mark
of the captain. The next stage of the
climb upward is the branches of the
trees, and the rank of major, denoted
by the gold oak leaf on the shoulder.
has been reached.
In order to go higher the candidate
for higher rank must now surmount
the tall silver poplar, and when he has
done so he is entitled to wear the sill
yer leaf of the lieutenant colonel. The
eagle soaring over the treetops indi-
Gates the rank of colonel-the silver
eagle being worn by officers of that
rank. The stars are the highest of all
and were reserved as insignia for gen.
erals.-Detroit News.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
Lizard Lives on His Tail.

Beaded lizards are seldom seen by
day. In the dry places where they
i've they lie hidden until the GOODNESS
Of evening brings them forth. During
the hottest part Of the year they re-
main in a state Of torpor They eat
frogs, worms, centipedes, ants and
other insects, as well as the eggs of
frogs, birds and other lizards. In good
times the extra nourishment Is stored
up as fat In the tail. When food is
scarce this fat can be absorbed and
carried to the hungry cells through
the blood, and thus the ella monster
may go without other food for sew
eral months. In midsummer the fe-
male lays from six to thirteen soft
shelled eggs in hole scraped out Of
the damp sand near a stream, and
then covered. After being incubated
In the sun for about four weeks the
young are Matched. They are four
inches long and brighter colored than
the parents. The mouth is armed with
many fang-like teeth arising from the
inner edge Of the jaws. Four teeth on
each side Of each jaw are grooved
deeply ON the front surface and slight
ly on the rear. A poison sac opens
between the lip and the base Of each
grooved tooth Of the lower jaw.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
JONAH AS MOSLEM PROPHET
Followers Of Mohammed Regard His
Tomb as One Of Their Most
Holy Places.

Close to the mound in Mesopotamia
that once was Nineveh, is another.
known to the Arabs as Nebi- Yunus,
atop of which is the tomb of Jonah.
How the followers of Mohammed came
to adopt this perfectly good Hebrew
as one of their own prophets Is not
clear, but the fact remains that his
tomb has been Moslem shrine for
upward Of a thousand years, observes
e. Alexander Powell In Harpers Mag
azine.
The sarcophagus itself, covered
with priceless Persian shawls, the of
ferings Of pilgrims. stands in the CEN
ter of a square, vaulted chamber. the
floor of which is considerably below
the Level of the ground, thereby CIV
ing the Inferior, which is lined with
porcelain tiles of the lost shade OF
PersiaQ blue, a most refreshing cool
ness after the sun glare outside.
Depending from the dome by sill
yer chain, so that they swing directly
over the resting place of the intrepid
Jewish seafarer, are several swords"
of the swordfish. When I asked the
aged mullah who was In charge Of
the shrine what they were, he ex-
planned, In a tone which betrayed pity
Tor my ignorance, that they were the
teeth of the whale that swallowed
Jonahi
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
OriQin of PoIka-Dot.

Silvered with the dust of decades is
the polka-dot pattern in mems scarfs.
Fashions may appear and disappear.
but the polka-dot is peerless and dis
appearless. AS regularly as sunrise
and the seasons, this design brightens
windows and wearers. 1t is one-and.
invisible with the fine art of dress
alike in America aud England.
To the polka-dot is ascribed an odd
ancestry. Its name, of course. is de-
rived from the polka. an old-fashioned
round dance with three steps to the
measure. This dance, introduced in
Europe by Bohemian, round about
1885, spread to the United States at
the time that Polk was a candidate for
the presidency. The polka-dot was
bracketed with Folks name by politi-
cal admirers, and polka-this and polka
that, from shirts to shoes, became a
bit of furore in merchants windows.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
NOVELIST PROVED HIS CASE
Critics of Dickens Spontaneous Com
bustion" Death Proved Wrong
by Eminent Medical Men.

1t may be recalled that Charles
Dickens, the famous novelist, employs
spontaneous combustion to give force
to one Of the episodes In his fasci-
mating story known as BLEAK House"
One of the dark characters of the
story is old Krook. proprietor Of rag
and bone warehouse. He is a grasping
drunkard, consuming great quantities
Of gin. One day two men, occupying
an upper room in the old warehouse,
smelt burning, and on going below to
investigate, found a smouldering heap
Of something looking like charred oiled
rags. At the inquest the eorOners
jury held that old Krook came to his
end by spontaneous combustion.
Some critics Of Dickens challenged
this as being impossible. The account
ii Krook's death was, therefore, bad
art and blemish on the whole story.
Dickens replied by citing a similar
case that had occurred in Paris,
france, and was confirmed by report
u several eminent medical men who
had thoroughly investigated the mat
ter.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16

BY DOUGLAS MALLOCH

MI AN wants but little here below
Ava Nor wants that little long,
But when he wants for something,
though,
He wants it good and strong;
And every man who ever had
A household and a wife,
One certain thing has wanted bad
And wanted all his life.
Some things we'd like to have we
can't
0 women, give US heed!
There are some things that husbands
want,
That husbands really need.
One little boon we'd like to crave,
Its absence often hurts
Oh, somewhere in the dwelling save
A Place to Keep Our Shirts.
One small. exclusive dresser drawer
For all our very own
We do not ask for any more,
We long for that alone.
Now, when we have to dress In
haste,
No wonder that we curse
We grab a shirt, we get a waist,
Or something even worse.
We do not ask to have a den,
A room our own to be;
We do not ask a refuge when
The ladies stay to tea.
But have one place that's crowded not
with pinkish things and skirts
o let US have one little spot
Where We Can Keep Our Shirts!
60. 1928. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.)
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
Flour Used in Making Watches.

Two barrels of flour are used every
week in making watches at a we'll
known factory, which turns out from
1000 to 5000 watches a week. Since
baker uses about three pounds of
flour to five loaves of bread it follows
that for every watch the maker uses
the equivalent of third of loaf. The
flour is made into dough ard the
dough is used to kanfle screws, rivets
and other small parts.
Each man in thar part of the bust
ness has lump of dough always at
hand, and when he wants to examine a
screw he jabs a piece of dough on il.
Then. turning it over, he has a good
chance to look at it with his watch
makers microscopic eyeglass Many
of the screws are too minute to pick up
easily with the fingers, and many
more, though large enough to be
picked up, would be so covered by the
fingers or the forcers as to be almost
hidden from sight
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
Plants That Select Homes.

One of the chief popular distinc-
lions between vegetable and animal
life is that the animals have power Of
choice and of voluntary motion, while
vegetables and plants grow only me-
chanically. But the microscope seems
TO show that many vegetable forms can
move as easily as can animals. There
is a plant called volvox globator, so
minute that millions Of it could be put
in a drinking glass, which is seen to
whirl like a top across the field Of
the microscope. Some plants found
in ponds, which are still more minute.
move habitually, as with an apparent
purpose. Naturalists who have given
closer study than others to climbing
plants state that these seem to exer-
else the liberty of choice. Their ten
drills, in climbing over pieces of wood
with holes, will try one hole after an
other until they find one that pleases
them. One investigator saw a ten
drill withdraw itself after having
pushed itself in hole for SO hours.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
ScSSESESSSScS:SSH:s:NEH.HCN2NCNCcs2Ny32S.A1Ic
HELEN
LEoNoRE, NELLIE, LENA, ELlNoR

COMEONE once said that woman
~ may be a proverb for any amount
Of evil or misfortune, but as long as
she is a proverb for beauty, her name
will ring through the centuries. In
proof Of this is the ever-popular name
Of Helen. Coming from "Helios." the
Greek sun god who drove his flaming
chariot around the heavenly vault day
Wy day, the name signifies light and
brightness, and conjures up a dazzling
figure Of youth, beauty and cleverness
It is the queen of feminine names, its
fame beginning with the oldest Of
Greek epics. the Had, with Helen Of
Troy whom Tennyson describes as
A daughter Of the gods divinely tall.
And most divinely fair.
Her loneliness with shame and with sur
prise
Froze my swift speech; she turning on
my face
The star-like sorrows of immortal eyes,
Spoke clowly in her place.
I had great beauty; ask thou not my
name;
No one can be more wise than destiny,
I came
brought calamity
One Of the first to bear the name was
the mother of Constantine and restorer
of the shrines at Jerusalem. who was
called ST. Helena. Through careless
pronunciation, Helen became Ellen or
Ellin, the Welsh version. Elayne fol-
lowed, the name becoming famed as
the mother of Sir Galahad, whom Ten
nyson later identified with his Lady Of
Shalott." From this, Ireland adopted
Eileen, or Aileen. Its poetical associa-
tons are continued through Ellen Ir-
win and her piteous death upon Braes
of Kirth, and Ellen Douglas, beloved
heroine of Sir Walter Scott.
Italy took the name of Helen and
Elena. Provence contributed Alienor,
which became Eleonore in France and
Lemore in Spain. 1t was finally
brought to England by good Queen
Eleanor" and was long used as a royal
name by the Plantagenets as Elinor.
Italy contributed one more charming
derivative in Leonora d'Estes, object Of
Tasso's hopeless affection.
Other countries brought the distin-
gushing mark Of their language to
bear upon Helen, resulting In the
Helenka Of Russia Helene, of Sweden !;
Leonore, Of France; Nellie and Lena,
Of England and America.
The jewel assigned to Helen, and one
to be worn by all who bear the name,
if they would have health, good for
tune, and happiness, is the hyacinth, or
yellow jacinth, as it is better known.
In early days jacinth was carried by
every traveller to insure them against
accident or disease-in fact, the stone
is said to warn its wearer against the
approach of danger by paling in color.
It is also believed to be proof against
lightning. To dream Of jacinth is
interpreted to mean success" and
Sunday Is the lucky day Of its wearer.
60 by the Wheeler Syndicate, Inc.)
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
CREDIT GIVEN CASTE SYSTEM
Lono Freedom of india From Plague
Was Indirectly Caused by It's
Prevalence.

Although Europe had suffered from
many visitations Of plague before and
during the Middle ages, It was not
until the Nineteenth century that
plague came TO India, says J. II.
Stephens In Popular Mechanics.
This was due to the prevalence In
India of the ancient caste system of
the Brahmins, which resulted In sep
aration and segregation. The higher
castles lived apart from the lower
castles, and between each Of such
segregations open spaces were left,
which allowed the circulation Of fresh
air, and provided for expansion with
out congestion. Thus, unwittingly, the
caste system adopted one of the most
effective measures for preventing the
spreading Of disease.
Under the British administration,
caste rules were less strictly OBJ
served, and the different castles tend
ed to converge, while congestion in
creased, resulting in the first appear
ance Of plague in the city of Manga
lore, capital of the native state Of
Mysore, South India. 1t broke out
first IN the most congested quarter,
where sunlight and air were excluded
or polluted.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
BIG TREES" WORLD WONDERS
United States Government Is keenly
Alive to the Demand for PreserVa-
ton OF the Redwoods.

Our great parks, the Yosemite, Vel
lowstone, Sequoia and General Grant,
must be kept under military superv-
sion in order to preserve their natural
wonders against injury from trespass-
ers. Of all these miracles of nature.
the "big trees" are the most astonish-
ing. There are two species-the Sc
quota Sempervirens, or ordinary red
wood, and the sequoia gigantea, which
is, strictly speaking, the "big tree" of
California
These stately creatures are so i'm
pressive that it seems quite fitting to
honor them with distinguished titles
Nearly every state in the Union and
many of the distinguished generals of
the Civil war have names among them
The General Grant" and the Gen
eral Sheridan" are individuals Of the
largest size, and, with the Grizzly
Giant" are probably the biggest of
all trees.
Before one of the national exposi-
tions the government ordered Sec
ton of redwood thirty feet long for
exhibition and for this it agreed to
pay $1,000. Before the lumber COM
pany had succeeded in delivering it
on the cars it had cost nearly that
amount, for a mountain wagon road
five miles long had to be built to get
1t out, and a trench was dug as long
and as large as the tree itself to set
it in.
The same company also furnished
another tree for another exhibition,
which was cut in General Grant park
not a hundred yards from the spot
where the General Grant" stands in
all its majesty. In the same grove lies
the Fallen Monarch" through the
burnt-out heart of which a mounted
horseman can ride with ease.
In the Yosemite is the "Wawona," a
tree with a hole burnt in its base,
through which the road runs and big
automobiles are driven without diff
Guilty; and on the Mark Twain
stump of the General Grant park
eighteen full-sized cavalry horses have
easily stood. 1t is twenty-six feet In
Misunderstanding Star.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16

Sir Henry Taylor three generations
ago wrote 1.-The Statesman" 1t re-
mains a classic Of English literature.
This paragraph Is fair example:
The correspondence Of wisdom and
goodness are manifold; and that they
will accompany each other is to be
inferred. not only because mems wis
dom makes them good, but also be-
cause their goodness makes them wise.
Questions Of right and wrong are a
perpetual exercise Of the faculties OF
those who are solicitous as to the right
and the wrong of what they do and
see; and deep interest of the heart
In these questions carries with it 8
deeper cultivation of the understand
ing than can be easily affected by any
other Indictment to intellectual &C.
ttvity.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
AUTHOR DREW ON POSTERITY
Oliver GoIdsmith's Humorous Idea Of
Leaving His Claim to Fame
to Future Generations.

However, whatever right I have to
complain of the public, they can, as
yet, have no just reason to complain
of me. If have written dull essays,
they have hitherto treated them as
duh essays, Thus far we are at least
upon par, and until they think fit to
make me their humble debtor by
praise, l am resolved not to lose
single inch of my self-importance.
Instead, therefore, of attempting to
establish a credit amongst them, 1t
will perhaps be wiser to apply to some
more distant correspondent; and as
my drafts are In some danger Of be-
ing protested at home, it may not be
imprudent, upon this occasion, to
draw my bills upon Posterity.
Mr.. Posterity:
Sir--Nine hundred and ninety-nine
years after sight hereof pay the bear
er, or order, a thousand pounds worth
of praise, free from all deductions
whatsoever, it being commodity
that will then be very serviceable to
him, and place 1t to the account Of.
&c.-Preface TO EssaHR
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
ODD POWER or sTALlcTITEs
Walls Of English Limestone Cavern
Reycrberate to the Beating Of
Explorers Heart.

g. f. d. Long of Caius college, Cam
bridge, and York, has made a thor.
ough exploration of the Stump Cross
range of limestone caverns near Dry
gill, on the high road between Pate
ley Bridge and Grassington. He
carried out his underground journey
during the night, and alone.
One notable feature Of Mr.. Longs
later discovery Is the bell-like notes
of pure musical tone given out by the
vibration Of stalactites on being
gently struck. In one cavern the
colors of the stalactites ranged from
yellow to red, and grayish blue, sug-
costing iron and lead impregnation,
and some were of the purest white.
All were translucent.
Another feature was a series of
grottoes, where the walls reverberated
to the beat Of the explorers heart,
producing the effect of huge stetho-
scope.
The vertical extent Of the caverps
from the entrance to the deepest point
reached was between two hundred and
three hundred feet, and the lineal ep
tent, allowing for the many branch
ings and spirally defending loops. was
probably not far short of q mile.
London Times.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
VenezueIa's Pearls.

The island of Margarita, off the
coast of Venezuela, is one of the most
celebrated centers Of pearl fishery
The Spaniards, in the days Of Column
bus, found the natives Of Margarita
and the neighboring mainland decked
out with pearls, and the pearl-produc-
ing oysters Of that locality have never
since failed in their productiveness.
Metal scoops are dragged over the
oyster beds, and the interest Of the
search eliminates when the shells
thus secured are opened. A black
pearl is a rarity commanding a high
price. Fine white pearls, If of good
ulster, are also very valuable. A
company of Frenchmen enjoys con,
cession from the Venezuelan govern
ment to fish for pearls with diving
apparafus.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16

In her "Glimpses Of Authors Miss
Caroline Tcknor of the same Ticknor
family that has so long been associat.
ed with publishing, tells Of many de-
lightful passages between authors and
the ancient firm Of Messrs. Tcknor &
Fields. A business correspondence
with Mark Twain must have been most
enjoyable for his publisher. One letter
sent to him closed with hope that /:
God be with you, for cannot. Yours,
B. 81. Tieknor." Twain returned the
sheet, at the foot Of which he had In
scribed the words: Dear Tieknor: he
didn't come. It has been 4 great dis
appointment to the whole family.
Hereafter, appoint party we can de-
pend on. Yours. Mark"
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
STILL MYSTERY TO CHEMISTS
Men OF Science Have Not Yet Dis.
covered the Real Nature Of
the X-Ray.

1t was In 1895 that Prof. Conrad
Roentgen, the famous German physi.
cist. announced the discovery of the
fact that If a current of electricity
be passed through a certain kind of
glass bulb, from which the all bad
been exhausted, the resultant eight"
ESQ called In spite Of the fact that II
Is not apparent to the eye), would
penetrate the flesh and other semi.
solid substances and reveal objects
on the other side. For want Of
better name to give to this disturbance
Of the ether, Professor Roentgen
called 1t the X-ray, "x'' being the &C.
cepted symbol for an unknown quaint
ty.
The real nature Of the X-ray Is
still undiscovered. The ray itself is
generated by a battery, the wires of
which are connected with two cleo
trodes, one of which Is concave
disc of aluminium and the other
fat disc of platinum The current
is then discharged through glass
vacuum tube and produces the ether
disturbance which renders flesh or
clothing semi-transparent, while glass,
metals, bones and mineral substances
are generally Opaque to 1t.
Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-03-16
Fall of the Roman Emnlr.

The fall Of the Roman empire WIS
in A D. 476, when the western en-
pire was finally extinguished by the
deposition of Romulus Augustulus as
emperor of the West, and the proclaim
ing OF Odoacer as king Of Italy. The
later Roman or Eastern empire. with
It's capital at Byzantium constants
nople), continued to exist for a thou.
sand years longer. Its history NAV
be divided into four periods: % That
covering the struggle with Persia. end
ing in favor of the empire about $50
A. D.; (2) the struggle with the Sara
Gems, who were practically crushed In
the Eleventh century; (3) the wars
with the Seljuk Turks In the Eleventh
and Twelfth centuries; and (4) those
with the Ottoman Turks in which the
Roman power at last went down In
145S, when Mohammed captured Con.
stantincple, and the last emperor.
Constantine XI, was killed.-Literary
Digest.