davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-11

thousand times before being stricken down. Then again they might have sat in it but once to meet death. But, had they been taller or shorter in stature than either Dr.. 'Selden or myself, they would have been ab- solutely safe. The doctor and were of the same height to the fraction of an inch, which accounts for the fact that both of us were struck by the steel fang.
 'It was the uncertainty of when the ser pent would strike and the certainty that eventually it would deal death blow that appealed to the Italians revengeful nature. Day by day he lived, gloating over the knowledge that the time would come when he should hear that his fiendish machine had done its work. The thought that death was ever hanging over Dr. Selden's head, that the physician knew it, could not avert it and knew not whence it would come was incense to Marlitti's soul. Each day he rose excepting before night fell to hear that the serpent's fang had accomplished its mission. He knew that it would, and that, in all probability, the world would never know what messenger had waited the soul of his enemy into eternity. But he, Mar litti knew he would know And he did knowl
 q am aware, Your Honor and gentle men of the jury, that this story of abso-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-11

shall produce in due course, was found by us in the back of the chair behind the mechanism that propelled the death blade.
 "Hating Count Baronni with deadly in tensity because of political feud and not daring to openly murder him." Marlitti says, "he constructed the internal con- trivance and caused it to be placed in the home of the man he sought to destroy. Previously he had ascertained precisely the proper place in which to locate the opal eye that released the spring governing the blade so that the chance of any one else seated in the chair being likely to receive injuries was reduced to minimum. This was accomplished by measurements secured by servant of the count. These were based somewhat on the Bertilion plan and were fully as accurate in so far as his pur- pose was concerned.
 "After the chair had accomplished it's first deadly mission, Marlitti, with the aid of the same servant, who, of course, was a member of the Crimson Circle, removed it to his home. Later, when he conceived undying hatred for Dr. Selden, he recon structed the piece of furniture to fit new need.
 Probably not one person in ten thou sand could have been injured by tho chair, and probably they would have occupied ten
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-11
&%~%M&%

pottery designs he put out, but as yet they have not
 Such was Brophy, man of unimpeach- able integrity, outside of the antique trade. When he heard the music he did not take fright. He was charmed with it. and be- gan series of philosophical deductions to discover the probable cause. He was great ly puzzled to observe that the 'ghost or chestra" did not seem to be permanently located, as it played on the point at in- tervals between wild and devious cavort- ings out over the water.
 Once, when Brophy was telling his story at the Riverview store, there were among his listeners several natives, who fished and farmed as a sideline. All of them declared they had heard the music or occasions, but had felt "angerish" sensations along their several spines and escaped from the mesic zone at the greatest practical speed. Also, in the audience were MT. Frapps. aienial at the hotel, and Prof. Phneas Perkins a youthful educator from Philadelphia. Each attended the speaker in detail, but while Frapps, being a social cipher, ventured no comment, the professor went into the sub- ject with vigor, his hunting instinct aroused, and extracted all the information obtainable. Could MT. Brophy describe the music, it's resemblance to any we'll Known tunes or instruments? He could not. MT. Brophy sadly admitted that he had tried vainly to reproduce some of it on his flageolet, but failed signal.y.
 An hour later as Lige Henderson one of the truck farmer fishermen who had ad- mitted an acquaintance with the music of Shell Point, started homeward, he was overtaken and hailed by Mr. Frapps. With out any roundabout work, MT. Frapps came to the point. He did not see why they could not form a partnership for the pur- pose of making money out of the ghostly orchestra. He proposed what might be termed "spook syndicate"
 "Of course," added MT. Frapps, ''there's nothing to it, but can arrange that"
 'I dunno about that" returned Hender- son. Maybe they hain't nothin' to hit en then again they mout be somethin' to hit. But t trouble d be a-gittin' they alls down thar ct tn right time. I never hearn that mewsic but twicet, en then hit were at a certain time O tn moon. Them-there hants -ef they is hants-don't work at it regular like that oomern up yere in tn hotel, wi'ch is allers a-beatin' of tn pi-annar"
 "Well, that is just what I'm talking about" said Frapps. "Come along and I'll show you something"
 He led the way up the back stair of the hotel to his bare little room over the kitchen, and reaching under the bed, dragged out a battered valse. From it he took a small piece of machinery, consisting principally of cylinder and black tin funnel.
 "See that?"
 "Yeah-suh," answered the native.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-11

That's one of them phonygrafts. Ole man Bates had one of them-there down at Pee ru las summer But I don't see the pint yit''
 ''Well," continued Frapps as he low cred window shade and his voice, "this thing is going to furnish the ghost music and you are going to take boat load of the yaps down there at six bits-maybe a dollar head Then we cut the profits, as it were, and I get half for turning this thing loose in the brush on the Point. See?"
 But Henderson didn't "see." 'Iook- a-yere," he protested. "Thet-there thing cain't make no noise like thet hant mewsic."
 Whats the difference" retorted Frapps, "as long as they never heard the real thing? It'll do for them, and all you got to do is take them down there in your boat. I'll do the rest"
 And thus was concocted the. incorpora- tion of the Spook Music Co.,, Ltd. Frapps couldn't wait and insisted upon immediate action. Henderson seemed little dubious about the project and gazed thoughtfully at the sky, the river and the hotel, as he stated that he'd -"ruther stave this here off a few days" But Frapps was obdurate. Now was the accepted time, he said, while the hotel guests were interested in the phenomena" as the professor called 1t. The professor could talk of nothing else, and had made it easy for Henderson. who posed as an expert on finding the 'tant mewsic," to approach him with a proposi- ton. It was but the next evening when Henderson appeared before Professor Per- kins and announced that he thought ''ths- a-yere mout be fav-able time to go down to tn Pint" "An' thet hain't no lie, neither" he added under his breath Some thing about the weather and position of the moon reminded him chillily of the night he last heard the "spook music" To say that Mr. Henderson did not desire to hear an encore of that musical program would be putting it mildly. But as he had passed the Point probably two thousand times in his life and heard the music but once, he decided to take chance, especially as the professor had sgnified a willingness to make it dollar each for the crowd. Hen derson ascertained that eleven other guests would accompany the professor in his large fish boat, and he could think of no easier way of earning six dollars, his share of the spells.
 Therefore, just the shades of night dropped over the jungles, Mir. Frapps might have been seen, but was not, with bundle under his arm, and passing down the outer river road on Henderson's flea bitten pony.
 Professor Perkins did ajor portion of the talking as the hotel party sailed down the river. He felt his importance as sponsor, and while dwelling upon the ''phe- nomena' to be encountered, frequently rose in his seat as though on the lecture platform, until mildly requested to trim boat' by MT. Henderson, at the tiller.
 It was 10 o'clock when the box party rounded point and saw, across a half
 (Continued on Page Fourteen.)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-11

steel weapon would dart forth through the carved mouth, piercing the brain of the chair's occupant. About three-quarters of an inch from the point the blade had been broken off. That accounted for the fact that sustained nothing more than deep scalp wound.
 'I now fully comprehend the agency that caused Dr. Selden's death. After his daughter left the room at the conclusion of their differences of opinion regarding her purposed trip to Cincinnati, the doctor had sunk back into his chair, striking the ser- pent's eye with sufficient force to liberate the blade and send it on it's deadly mission. Through the same agency I received blow that enumerated the one which cost me my mental balance, restoring me to my right mind.
 "The entry in Dr. Selden's diary states that the chair was presented to him by Giovanni Marlitti, his father-in-law. The chair also is the one in which Count Baronni, an Italian nobleman, was found dead under circumstances almost as mys- terious as those in the case of Dr. Selden.
 ''Evef if these facts did not fix the re sponsibility for the crime upon Marlitti, . confession in his own handwriting cannot fail to do 50. This confession. which was translated by MT. vignolos and which
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-11

tel were comparatively new, but the river and bay were quite old and had historic interest which probably has been lost, tram pied out of sight in the mad rush of com mercialism, as the professor would so aptly put it. In years past, certain pirates, when pursued by the warships of then new nation, were wont to run their ships up this river, which bore a striking resem- blance to pretzel or an angleworm reg istering agony, when viewed upon the map. It was an excellent hiding place. These corsairs had left relics of occupation, also a large collection of superstitions among the naturally superstitious natives, few of whom were descendants of said pirates and as a northern visitor expressed the thought, "infested' that locality.
 Among the tangibles left by these pirates was large iron bell suspended upon a wooden bar between two palmetto trees at the mouth of the Alafia. Above the bell was framework on which sail had been stretched in such manner that the breeZes would ring the bell. It is the belief of those who inspected this bell (and as matter of course broke it up into pocket-szed relics) that it was intended to mislead pursuing ships and slave them onto the "bulkhead' sand bar while the willy pirate, knowing the lay, would steer mile to the south and enter the river by another channel.
 But although relic hunters had destroyed the bell prior to the time of this narrative, they had not destroyed the legends. The most popular of these was that of the "Ghost Orchestral" music of supernatu- ral origin which held forth at times on Shell Point, a promontory on the north bank of the river and near the mouth. Many natives had heard and been fright ened into temporary sobriety by the weird sounds while fishing on the river near the Point, but the matter was not given ser- ous thought by the "Winterers" at the Riverview hotel. Not until Joe Brophy, that he had distinctly heard and made ob- servations of the "spook music" while his vessel lay off the point one night await ing the tide which would let her over the bulkhead.
 Now this Brophy was a man of parts and education and a philosopher. With lis little forge and a can of water so gauged as to drop at regular intervals, he could make flint arrowheads much better than any to be found in the woods or ex- cavations. Perfect specimens made thus in the solitude of his own little workshop added considerably to his income without interfering with his intermittent duties on the tugboat. Likewise he made an excel lent grade of mound builder pottery in the same forge, and some of our best museums contain Brophyized arrowheads and pot tery. It is strange that the professional curators who bought this stuff did not Humble" when his sense of humor led him to work his initials into some of the crazy shall produce in due course, was found by
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-11
%x Mx Real M;zQ


 A Alfalfa packet headed due east. 4 A SHow clearly I remember it all," said the gray-haired professor. .sThirty- four years-but l recognize that we are entering the north channel. This little yes sel must sit but lightly in the water, as there is bar, called the bulkhead' on this side"
 Mot no more," volunteered the leather skinned native occupying the adjacent deck chair. "Bulkhead done drudged out twenty years ago. Bout thuteen foot at low tide now"
 The professor said that he might have expected some improvement during the many years since last he saw the Alafia.
 But, my dear," he continued, addressing the young woman at his side, 'the bulk head had nothing to do with scenery. In a moment, now, I will show you the won- derful shell mound, the work of prehis- toric people who lived principally upon oysters, and threw the shells in the common back yard. It lies just beyond that bend, on the north bank. It is the mystery mound of which you have heard me speak. Mys- terious in Origin-mysterious in age, it is the home of phenomena that have baffled science. Even failed, although of course my opportunities of study were limited. M-m-er- We'll, upon my soul! was positive that mound was about here, where that little boat is moored"'
 Shell mound done drudged out long ago. again the lank Cracker volunteered information. "Shell mound done lightered out an spread on autymobeel roads,"
 ''The curse of modernism groaned the professor. After years of waiting for means and time, 1 travel a thousand miles to resume the study of mystery have al- ways believed would yield it's secret to cold science. Gone-destroyed by commercial ism, like the beautiful forests of this land"
 "Never mind, dear," soothed his wife. s'Look over here at this houseboat. Isn't that striking shade of blue?"
 Turn back, back to the place where the pages are yellow and slightly mildewed where the scent of gasoline is faint and does not smother out the fragrance of tropic flowers.
 Albert Algernon Frapps was not in favor of dishwashing as a means of livelihood, but the natives of Florida had not taken kindly to Dr. Carbungle's Chilblain Cure," although it had been demonstrated as soother of mosquito bites, taken externally. For denizens of a warm climate they had shown a remarkable coolness toward ''Fram's Condensed Atlas" Therefore MT. Frapps, small, spare person from the ru- ral districts of Massachusetts, was, in the prevailing vernacular, "up against it," it, in his case, being represented by job, at $2.5O per week and board, as dishwasher at the Winter hotel. The hotel in question was located in village called Riverview, which, in turn. was located on the banks of . small river called the Alfalfa. The Alfalfa and the bay into which it empties a few miles away still occupy their old locations, but ax, shovel and dredge have mussed up the old time scenery.
 At the time MT. Frapps came to River view, the village and the flimsy wooden ho- steel weapon would dart forth through the
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-03-21
100000 TO Be
N j. S. IN 50 YEARS
Where Win Our Present Big Cities
Sc Half a Century Hence, Is
Interesting Question
BY EDWARD THIERRY
NAE Serice Staff Writer


NEW YORK, March 20. - What
rlI the map of the United States
roE like so years or more from now?
Where will be the big cities be?
.Our growth and distribution of
,aruIariJn depend on five things"
.9.ve DR.. Williford l. King. eco
- Of National Bureau of Eco
Research, 'These are the five
- immigration, excess of
tr.bs over deaths, water power, coal
,r1 movement in agricultural ma
#meIy.
Dr. King, student of statistics,
.-am.es the population of CONT
.arta United States in 1928 at no.
ml001 lit was O5,710,62O. in
g2U and perdicts 120,0O0,O06 in
n50 il present immigration laws
rp no. changed.
aTrasent Statistical trends point to
rr,5a5.v 100, 100000 in 1870" he
ays Dir. Raymond Pearl, of Johns
Hook.ns University, recently pre-
f,red 170,O00,000 by that time.
Tbonl 50 year or more hence, we
riJl stand still, DR. King thinks.
These are his conclusions:
immigration will be negligible Is
20 wears hence if curtailment
avs continue. 1t is is shut off there
~fr he no excess of births over
1aath and, without either, there will
~ mo- population increase after an
ror gcneration.
If all immigration restrictions
rar. removed, including those af-
cling Japanese and Chinese, the
lTn.tol States may be easily half
s@aic within the lifetime Of per
sons now living.
aBig cities of the future will be
her water power and coal deposits
Arrrlvmg electric power to indus
AS the coal fields of the East be-
rana more difficult to mine and APP,
regch exhaustion, a great industrial
Ac-y-a "Pittsburg of the North
vest may spring up in North Da-
to-a. where is loacted Americas
rea-es. coal deposit. 1t is low quail
Inv coal, but the fields are untoueh-
H. Nearby are the great iron ore
HfIis Half way between is Fargo;
scge.scs cannot be specific.
New York should retain its SUI
rroma.v, unless the St. Lawrence
Waterway should be developed. Then
8e..es Of the Great Lakes-aota6ly
Z aeago, Grain capital--should make
D mon5ous Strides. ,saaa. -,
j "Agri3ultdTal~ imaehihery will play
3 big part. Unless there IS great
Enforcement more and more people
- live on the farm. The rural
Tafio in 1920 was only 1916 per cent
as against 54.2 per cent in l L.,es.
8-rtansive production Of foodstu1.Is
Nsbon1d come chiefly in the Mlsslss-
Ainpi valley. The center of poPuiia'
8 u now in Owen county, ma :
he in the eastern part OF
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-03-21
- 70 $15.OO TafLeta
standard Dry Goods 60

Forsyth St. Next Bank Of Commerce
/ MERICUs, CO o R e a
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-03-21

LOANS made on improved farm lands
at cheapest rates for term of 5, z or
10 years with. prepayment. option
given. Money secured promptly. We
have now outstanding over $1,100,-
10000 on farms in Sumter County
alone, with plenty more to lend.
MIDDLETON MCDONALD
Correspondent Atlanta Trust Com.
pany in Sumter. Lee, Terrell, Schley,
ster Counties. 81 Planters Bank
Macon, Stewart, Randolph and Web
Bldg. Americas, Ga. Phone 80 OF
oil.
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-03-21

southern Illinois"
DR.. King does not look for popula.
ton expansion on the Pacific Coast
at the expense of the East.
Great ports will develop there,
statisticians say. Some predict su-
premacy for Oakland, Cal. A fore
cast made by Dr. Walter Laidlaw, Of
the New York City Census Commit
tee. calls Bellingham, Washington,
the coming port of the Pacific Coast.
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-03-21

When you buy new cake or pie
tins, or any sort of tinware, before
using it rub the surface well with
lard and heat the utensil thoroughly
in the oven. This will prevent rust.
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-03-21
THE STANDARD
BARGAINS For Wednesday and
Thursday Only
Sold To Any One in Reasonable
Quantities

5000 Yards Primrose STANDARD
Dress Bingham; full width and 1asv
l.olors, great variety Of pretty
I.hecks. plaids and stripes suitable Tor
|smina al hummer Dresses; 25c at
] OTIS OF pi5ces Wednesday and IhulS-
Ilay Yard .--.-.-----.-----------------l5 t .i
600 Yards pretty Spring Volles'
/ n inches wide over fifty designs TO
| Belize. from sold by many stores at
boo few stores sell them for ioe-
] Here Wednesday and IhuISoa ,
goo Yards guaranteed Black TaF
] eta sinks; also Black Satin rlch
eavy quality, full yard wide; ,, fegu-
| arIv 500, Wednesday and Thurs
pay only at, Yard ---.--,-.-,---,,--@ :. 90 .
2,00o Yards Father George ana
linoxa'I fine Sea Island Sheetlng; lile
moo.b finish, full yard wide, whole
] ale price about 15c; here WedneS-
Egy and Thursday at, Yard IL i ,,1;,.
Zone hundred Pepperel and Adam
kbeets full size, bleached snow
White. full size; full seamless Wed
.iesday and Thursday o"l 90
Each --.-...---.---------.------------ S, -
900 Yards Egyptian Long Cloth III
oft finish, free from dressing fun
|gidtb. at almost one-haf OF Jo0ay .
|egular prices; per bolt Of >, 10 10
sards ..--..----.,.---.,.... Sl''o
One bjg lot Of Ladies Slippers
lies from 3 to 5; plenty of SHOES
h the lot that formerly soId Iol e.
Fake your pick at Pair --.---- -
z9 Crex Squares
Fl SEAS ,,ou
Beautiful designs; all coIors; wen
pad; squares sold by some SVot 80 AZ ~
hara Of each .-...s-.-..-------$3. 40
EE,hoi.e Of so New $1,000 To
Of Canton Crepe, Tricosn nam
Printed silks in combination with
anton Creme or Tafeta Paisley col
- r@vntian nrints, brilliant color
These dresses are being shown
some Of our city stores at aIl''o ~
IHice our price; these We're sem soid
b by our New York buyer to pc solt
SlL75 to $16.75, which is "'''''7'
| aIf price.
6l2,5J to $500 Taffeta
rocks at 1878 wa
pen and long 10 zine line models in sizes for o.;
bis whole assortment that IS not d
ood value at $3.50 and many nan a oef
food $500 values. You can Le,.o
,"oi'e Oh '"' 1918
Ptandard Dry Goods Co.
Forsyth St. Next Bank Of Commerce
kMERGcus, GEORGE a
Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-03-21
Fresh Pork Sausage
Veal. Pork and Choice Cuts of
Beef, Stew Beef, Steaks And
ROasts

A4@SA9 AN~HN
Roasts
Do you know we handle as
good Lard as can be found in
Americus, viz, Pure Country
Lard, Cudahy's Puritan Lard,
Snowdrift VegetoIe, Swift
level, Crisco and Cottolene.
These are choice goods and
none better.
Our Jellies, Preserves and
Welch's Cherrilade, Grapelade
and Grandee Cherries are fine.
Remember these when ordering
from
Bragg's Market
Phone 191
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-06-19
|HATSALESMAN
TELLS THE
TRUTH
By EDMUND J. KIEsFIlEIR.

~ !. r
<<vYoU'RE . show. sir. That
het makes you look like
a prize Jackass. VIII you
have It done. up or viii you
create . laugh right now7"
Step q little closer to the
mirror. you're . scream. could
die laughing. That hat makes
you look ten years younger and
foolisher."
Il hardly know whether I
should charge you or not. pay
five dollars to see Frank Tinney
and never miss 1t. I never
thought . black derby could
make q man look 90 funny"
Wait TIL you get out! feel
like trailing you to see the fun.
hope the schools are letting out
lust now. Do you see what I
seer" ~
"A nice jaunty hat like that
Just fits your sour expression.
The effect il. distinctly burlesques
Wait till I call the others"
Gan You beat It for FOUR
teen doIlarS7 That hat would do
credit to the Middle Ages. You
could never sell . woman such
q relic. Shed set fire to your
shop"
Wear It Q little more on the
side 50 the people win know
what Q damphool you are. There
now you've got it!', '
Here's q hat you WIN never
outwear. You win lose your
nerve the first day and send It
to the Near East Relief"
''It isn't the fault Of the hats,
ifs your mug. You'd look funny
In q crown. Better wear the old
hat again. It won't attract ats
tention.
Whew-!'--Judge.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-06-19
Tilted Joy.

why do you iaush7" the old
man asked
AS his peals Of mirth came
thick and fast.
Tive lost my GIRL" I sAid with
glee
She ran away and lifted me-
But why do you laugh7' he said
once more,
a thing like that would make
me sore"
said. Tin thinking Of the sap
Who now IL parking on her
lap.
From tiresome cares am re-
leased,
While We must slave until de-
ceased;
III i've IN ease. while that poor
Must settle for her food and
drink"
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-06-19

II don't see where we can put
up this lecturer for the night"
Don't worry-he always brings
his own bunk. Tiger.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-06-19
Home


Guide Tin Yellowstonel-Now,
ladies, this phenomenon occurs
every three minutes. Maybe you'd
like to look down into the geyser
before the next eruption.
Mr.. Smithers calling to wife,
Not you! It's just like you to be
late.-Wisconsin Octopus.