davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1924-05-18

place took a whole day in the jungle.
The tree was not one in which there
was the sleeping platform, or nest,
which only orangs use, but it was
never far away from such a nest, and
there had to be a convenient fork on
which to bind the trap
1t was Csup, as rule, who found
the right tree. He seemed 10 have
a sort of instinct for it. Once he
had found it. he would place his
notched bamboo pole against the
trunk and go up like a cat Three
or four other men would follow.
Then the trap, hauled up with rattan
ropes, was laced to the fork, the
door facing inward In the end the
trap was as firm as if il had grown
to the tree.
Next it was lined with leaves and
branches and covered with green
stuff and trailing vines. And. finally.
Usup tied fruit inside at the back
and propped the door open. The trap
was not set.
My idea was to make. free-lunch
stations OF the traps until confid ence
was established. l believed that no
orang would be tempted to go in
until he had seen the monkeys try
it and come out safely.
Monkeys never make discovery
in silence, and they never fail to
squabble over one. Their chattering
would attract the attention of the
orangs. Once the orangs were inter
ested they would drive the monkeys
Evening star., 1924-05-18

Newcastle-on-Tyne (where its last
| rivets were just driven) TO South
ampton, England. where it will be
| used in overhauling and repairing the
biggest ships afloat.
Take notice. this gigantic floating
dock is not built for the open At
| lantic, yet it stands perfectly the ten
days trip in stormy North Sea and
English Channel. Imagine its solid
ity and resistance if designed, pre-
portioned and built Gin a way COM
parable to the Leviathan) to rest. like
floating island, in midocean
The best form for such solidity (and
its own purposes) is seen, these days.
in that international sensation, the
mystery of the Paris Beaux Arts the
excitement of the spring salon CART
istes Francais) in its architectural de-
partment. Ordinarily architecture is
rather neglected by the popular pub
lie; but now crowds surround the
big colored plans and engineering
details of =. the floating island
Nisibly. it is midocean relay sta
ton for a transatlantic air line.
1t is an enormous. ponderous archi-
tectural thing of reinforced cement
amid the waste of waters Shaped
like a horseshoe, it's interior waters
preserve a comparatively calm sur
face for the observation-disclosures
Paris, London-New York-to descend
and dock" in mid-A tlantic. at com
bined hotel and clubhouse for the
passengers and gas station, over
houling garage, spare parts magazine,
and vast repair works for the air
craft.
Though apparently horseshoe
(subject to storm torsion) the interior
waters are shallow and the whole
compact and solid. A transversal cut,
among the designs, shows that the
basins depth inside the horseshoe Is
but s to 10 feet, and it's floor vast
huoyancy caisson so feet deep, be-
meath the surface of the ocean.
The floating island is of horseshoe
shape only superficially. In reality.
it is a compact oval of the most re-
sisting proportions, in reinforced ce-
ment of a particular character, called,
in France, electric
At the spring salon the public stand
and whisper around the great archi-
tectural pictures and designs which
show the floating islands every de-
partment and detail There are par
lors, restaurant, clubrooms and
rooms with bath on various floors,
with lifts and Railways; and there are
veritable aircraft workshops with
narrow-gAdge tracks and lifting
cranes from floor to floor.
Here is no dream, the public recog-
nizes.
"Sapristi, it's on an engineering
scale. full of specific requisites" 1T
looks like business IT'S been done
on order, for construction" So, the
public argues. Take it from me-" a
talkative party was saying, some big
tran nsatlantic air line gave the order!'
But no such facts are known.
All that is known is that Henri De.
frasse, son of the illustrious architect
of the Bank of France, handed in
these voluninous plans In competition
Evening star., 1924-05-18

After moments thought | said,
In far countries it is good for the
eyes of men, women and children to
look upon beasts of the Jungle"
He salaamed Il will tell them,
tuan. that in your country beast
gazing is good eye medicine"
They were won by that answer and
twenty of them responded to Mum
shee's call for men to collect material
ana work IT up into traps and nets.
l was so impatient to be off up the
river and after my orang-utans-I
already thought of them as mine
that left the completion and the
settlhg OF the nets to Munshee
The people OF Omars kamnone
were even more kindly and simnre IL
that were possible. than those of
Muhshee's 1t hurt me TO pose before
lHem as magician with my dyna-
mite and fireworks. but again I nIav-
ed the part
ohe young fellow--Usup was his
hame-Seemed to be fascinated h,.
'ie performance. He took NV ordars
+'' d sort OF reverence
II We're a god. His companions
NJ ms spirit. l never had a
more willing corps of workers
explained TO Omar that mv nat
"+edrh was a good-sized male ora,,
anu tiidt hoped to get him bv a
.iap piaced in a tree. With nv usual
diagrams in the sand l made II clear
nf
Shaped like box. with one end a
aoor winch would slide up and down
III grooves. From the middle of each
slde an upright would extend above
the box, to meet d connecting cross-
piece. over this would rest. like n
seesaW, the pole that held the door
up A piece of bamboo, fastened to
the tree end of the pole (the end NOT
attached to the door) would he thrust
down through the top of the cage
and held there by a catch. To this
catch | would tie a bit of fruit.
An orang, grabbing the fruit, would
loosen the catch and release the pole.
and down would drop the door At
the top of the door were strong
catches. which locked it. once il fell
into place. Il saw to it that there
were no weak spots; for | was not
going to risk repeating a trouble
some experience ! had had once in
Singapore.
On that occasion / had sold two
half-grown beasts to a man who put
them into shipping made of
boards He got the permission of
Mr.. Haas, the hotel proprietor, to
leave them temporarily at the hotel.
in a hall used for theatrical per-
formances and fitted up with stage
and canvas scenery.
X X x X
EARLY one morning l was routed
out of bed by the bad news that
both orangs had got loose. Would l
come and catch them? AS / threw on
Evening star., 1924-05-18
A Stairway Bridge.

ONE of the oldest viaducts in the
United States is located in the
suburbs of Pittsburgh. As is well
known, the topography of that city
is extremely hilly, some of the streets
IN the upper portion being more than
a hundred feet above the beds of the
rivers. At the point where the struc-
ture mentioned stands, a portion of
the railroad yards as well as the main
line of the Pennsylvania occupies a
considerable space parallel to the
bank of the river. Below the hailroad
tracks, however, is a thoroughfare
which extends along the docks.
To connect this thoroughfare with
the upper part of the city, the bridge
was planned. 1t is chiefly sustained
on a single pier of stone masonry,
built into the hillside on a level with
the railroad tracks. From the pier
extend horizontal and oblique braces,
as well as three columns of lattice
work, this part of the structure form
ing an irregular triangle Yet it's
only support beneath is the pier of
masonry referred to. A few feet be-
yond the left end of the triangle, the
upper structure of the bridge is up
held by two steel girders, while the
section parallel to the hillside is sup
ported by a form of cantilever in
addition to ordinary posts.
The grade of this stairway viaduct
is so steep that it is supplied with
steps for pedestrians, forming a
gigantic stairway. From an engi-
neering point of view, the bridge in
wolves no new constitutional prin-
ciples.. but is a novel application of
well known methods.
Evening star., 1924-05-18
A Models Speciality.

n n artists model is often required
to assume postures which consti-
tute trying and athletic feats to re-
tain for a sufficient length of time
1t IS the peculiar pride of notad
hhodei OF Italian birth, who has posed
for prophets, kings, lovers and war
rlorS by the score, that he is able to
hold longer than any other man of
ms procession the most typical and
spirited attitude of man boxing. an
attitude of forward inclination and
the lghtest and most alert pose. the
hody so balanced as to respond in
simultaneously to the will in either
aggression or defense Yet he can
maintain this attitude but three min
ntes. Other models usually give up
IN half that time. or persist at the
expense of a faint
Among the many models employed
by the famous French artist Meis-
sonier, there was for some years a
certain Achille Durand, who died not
long ago in Paris. a man of fine ply
sique and great endurance Unfor-
tunately, severe illness so weaken
ed him that he was assured that he
could no longer pursue his occupa-
ton, save at the immediate peril of
his life.
At first he was in despair. But his
noble proportions, natural grace and
instructive comprehension of an ar
lists requirements were unusual, and
continued to secure him so many en-
gagements for restful poses that he
saw hope that he might still earn his
subsistence in his old profession He
did indeed succeed in doing so, but
it was needful that he should neglect
no opportunities. Newcomers to the
artistic colony he Immediately called
upon.
Pardon me, monsieur" he would
say on entering a studio. My name
is Durand-Achille Durand at your
service. If monsieur requires a
model--but I will not deceive mon
sieur; my field is limited. For fig
ures in action-no: for a standing
pose-alas., no! But l can with con-
science recommend myself for figures
in repose, living or dead.
Monsieur MeisSonier has painted
me many Times. Monsieur will find
me exce1IeEs in chair, wearing an
expression either pensive or animal
ed; also reclining gracefully or a,
full length.
In particular, / comprehend more
than any other man in my profession
how to d1fferentiate artistically be-
tween slumber and death. Monsieur
will find me satisfactory as a sleeper
but for wounded man or a dead man
/ am truly admirable.
"I am to be found among the slain
in all Monsieur Meissoniers most
famous battle pieces. 1 assure mon
sieur that as corpse I am unap-
proachable: 1t is my speciatty."
Evening star., 1924-05-18

| felt ashamed when | played this un-
| sportsmanlike trick on the fish, but
| it had the useful effect of making G
natives look at me with an awe al
most like worship.
I mad Munshee announce, as inter
! prefer, that after dark [ would have
something to show the whole kam-
| pong. Tell the women" | said, not
| to let the children go to sleep until
| all have seen and heard" did this not
| only because I wanted to give the lit
| boys and girls pleasure, but because
l had no idea of having them awaken
| ed in terror out of their first sleep,
When the sudden tropical darkness
| fell, Chu brought me out a package,
! his face as solemn as d Chinese god $
In it were the makings of a Fourth af
| July celebration.
AS l arranged the inhabitants OF
the kampong G should say there were
a hundred and fifty of them) in a
| wide circle, ! gave them a lesson in
! gallantry. l had the children squat in
an inner ring: I directed the women
| TO kneel behind them and told the
| men to stand still farther back.
With Chu as my assistant. / made
| little mounds of the stuff which turns,
| when lighted, into colored fires.
placed the mounds in a sort of de-
| sign and trained line of black pow
| der to each from the spot where
| stood l thought it best when all this
was finished, to have some kind OF
ceremony so l waved my arms and
| chanted:
"Old Mother Hubbard,
She went to the cupboard,
To get her poor dog bone
| Next I touched a match to the spot
where the lines of powder met. Rib
bons of white fame ran along the
ground-suddenly the whole place
was red, then red and green.
There was a dead silence. A WON
ans Shrek broke the spell, and then
there was one scream after another.
The children butted through the
crowd and their mothers followed.
They hid behind trees or ran to the
bottom of the ladders that led to
their houses
None of the men ran. 1t would
have taken brave man to run
Dyaks hate towards. They laughed to
show their courage or perhaps to
hide their fear. One wrinkled fell
low, the great-grandfather of the
village, threw back his head and gave
the old Dyak war cry. 1t was very
strange. 1t began low, swelled. then
died down and swelled again.
X x X
4 FTER that l produced the climax
of my performance-Chines fire
crackers plated in string two
yards long. l lighted the end of the
fuse and they popped and burst in
twos and threes. My audience went
wild. The young men began to leap
into the air as if in half-crazy play,
Evening star., 1924-05-18

toned by Diesel motors of some T.
400 horsepower. permitting steerage-
way of five knots. At the same time.
the propellers will suffice to keep the
floating islands nose to the wind.
for aircraft landings
Another thing. For hydroavions'
landing, in distress or otherwise, such
midocean relay stations ought to fur
nish sheet of calm water-safs
landing" basin. This is provided for
by giving the floating island its su-
perficial look of a horseshoe. | have
told about this. And interior basin be
ingreally shallow, it communicates with
the open sea between the horseshoe
ends, so that double moving barraae
prevents waves from entering. But
the basins floor. remember. is that
compact buoyancy caisson of the en-
tire floating island, some so feet be
low the waves. and all in reinforced
cement
Evening star., 1924-05-18

chase. Each had i cane and most of
them had tom-toms. But one fellow
i believe he was the cook-was
swinging great tin dshpan in one
hand and metal spoon in the other.
l took a tom-tom and cane,
opened the door and closed it behind
me. The oranGs, a male and IA fe-
male, each four or five years old,
were making a tour of Investigation.
They were like fish out of water,
! Their element was trees. They were
, at home only where tree touched tree
and water was to be found in the
cups of leaves
There in the hall they slowly
walked around, their heads turning
and their little dark eyes blinking.
When they stood erect, their arms,
enormously long, touched the floor.
With their hands half closed, they
walked on their knuckles, using their
arms very much like a pair of
crutches
When they saw me, they stopped
their awkward walk, huddled to-
gether and stared. struck the tom
tom once. Each threw up an arm, as
if to ward off a blow. "Ouf" they
said, in their gruff voices. "Ouf,"
called the men in. Drive them
into the open cages" / directed. DO
not strike unless absolutely neces-
sary, but make a noise like hell let
loose"
What | should have done was to
set all my assistants as guard be-
fore the stage. The orangs could
not spring from the ground like
monkeys. but with amazing speed
the platform and climbed up. up into
the canvas trees. They clung there,
looking down on us and snarling.
Beat" 1 yelled to the men. More
noiset'
I was enough of a carpenter to
know what the resul twould be. The
orangs swung from one painted limb
to another. Rip went the canvas in
a long tear; crack, and down came
the flimsy framework. The orangs
fell with a bump.
They were hurt no more than if
they had been rubber balls. In a
moment they were swinging from an
other canvas tree. AS it began to
tear and snap they reached out their
long arms and grabbed a fresh one.
They changed their position every
second, until what had been a ro-
mantle, semi-tropical set was rib
bons and rags Above the din of the
tom-tons l heard yelling and
pounding on the outside of the door
You can't come in / yelled back.
1t was Mr.. Haas, the proprietor
Take care of my scenery" he shout
ed. Don't let anything happen to
it,
I'll do my best I bawled.
Evening star., 1924-05-18
BY CHARLES MAYER.

~ dolly enough, three out of
four letters left me one
morning by the Eurasian
postman in Singapore CON
tanned orders for good d-sized orang-
utans. America, Holland and Aus
tralia all wanted orangs.
Now orang- -utans are found in but
two places in the world Borneo and
Sumatra, both islands. and only in
limited portions of these. So my
mornings mail looked to me like the
hand of fate pointing to Dutch
Borneo.
l looked up steamers and called my
Chinese boy" Hsi Chu l. "Chu"
said, you and i shall sail for Pom
tianak in three days. 1 am going to
get some1full- grown orangs."
l had learned to read Hsi Chu Is
placid face. 1t was ddSressed. His
eyes dropped to my right leg, which
! had almost lost five years before
when big orang grabbed my ankle.
Bad luck, tuan," he murmured
laughed and quoted Malay prov
erb. which runs, That which brought
hold gold in it's hand"
Hsi Chu I did not look convinced.
but he salaamed and went about get
ting my things ready for our four
and halliday voyage.
On landing at Pontianak | called at
the Dutch residency, to give an ac-
count of myself and to get official
permission to go inland Then L
went to the hotel, where l had a
little stone room. with my own bath
and my own private veranda. In
batlk paJamas | lay there, stretched
out comfortably in a long chair, and
interviewed natives and gave them
instructions about preparing for my
. trip.
| had long talks with Mahommed
Tye, an animal dealer whom ] knew
well. He made all the ARRANGEMENTS
for me and sent a boat ahead on
the twelve-day journey upstream, to
prepare my old friend Mahommed
Munshee. for my coming. Munshee
was the headman of a kampong Still
higher up the river there was another
old friend. Omar, also a headsman
whose village I was going to make a
base of operations for the orang hunt
proper.
On the evening Of the twelfth day
] could see in the distance the KAN
pong of Mahommed Munshee. got
out my pistol ard fired into the air.
My host, / am sure, was watching for
me, beca use, while the barrel was
still smoking a rude log canoe put
out. The men in it shouted, dug
their pointed paddles into the water
and pushed as if to shove the stream
from under them.
In few moments they were beside
us, and not only Munshee but Omar
stood up in the dug-out log, seized
mold Of the thatched roof over nv
head and sprang in under it, They
caught my hand in turn, pressed if
to their brows and grinned like de-
lighted boys. Their greeting brought
lump into my throat
was pleased to find thai a house
mad been built for me. 1t con-
Evening star., 1924-05-18
A Figure of Romance.

RLAlsE DE MoNTLUC was soldier
- and a marshal of France WHO
| fought through half the sixteenth
century. Like a true Gascon. as he
was. he added to his great physical
/ qualities courage, high spirits and
an uuquenchable gayety, which dis
tinguished him above soldiers q
graver mold. He was the verltabie
ca plain of his soul.
| In the Italian wars BIaise de Mont
luc commanded the defense of Sienna
during a prolonged siege. When the
town was reduced to d few ounces
of bread daily Blaise was overcome
with sickness and had himself car
ried about in a chair, muffled VI IT
furs.
But perceiving that the inhabitants,
| especially the women, were thus
rendered apprehensive of their fate
should he die SO runs the chronicle
of the times, he called for a pair
of crimson velvet breeches, laid over
with gold lace, very finely cut, for
they were made at a time when he
was very much in love. He put on
doublet of the same and shirt of
crimson silk and gold twist, then
buff collar over which he placed his
arms, very finely gilded.
He was at that time wearing gray
and white, in honor of fair lady. So
he put on gray silk hat, with a gray
silver hatband and plume of herops
feathers, set with silver spangics
He also put on short cassock OF
gray velvet, garnished with little
plates of silver at two myers dis
tance from one another and lined
with cloth of silver, all open between
the plates.
Then he rubbed his face with Creek
wine until he brought little color
into his cheeks and drank a small
draught, with a morsel of bread.
He then looked at himself in the
glass, strutted before his officers
though he had not the strength tn
kill chicken, and rode through the
town to the great comfort of all be-
holders.
Evening star., 1924-05-18
Fierce Orang -Utans Bring Disaster to Trusfm Matt


I away. Eventually we put ~ seven
traps within an area of d half-mile
square. We visited them every two
days, and, if the fruit was gone, we
replaced it.
When our fruit began to disappear
regularly it was time to set the
traps Any branches that obstructed
the movement Of the doors were cut
| away, and fresh fruit was hung.
Usup insisted each time on getting
in and trapping himself to be sure
that ali was right. The trap with
which he took the greatest pains was
one which he hung with guavas.
THE next day the door of this par
ticuIar trap was down. Usup
climbed the tree and peered in. He
did not shout to US for he had been
forbidden to. but | could see from
tho movements of his agile body that
he was eIated. No wonder. | dis
covered. when the trap was lowered.
that we had made double haul. A
mother ort.ng was inside. with
haby clinging to the hair on her
breast. | was as elated as Usup.
] knew. as he did not that they would
make a most marketable pair.
On our return to the kampong it
was almost impossible for me to pre-
vent 4 demonstration that would
have terrified the orangs. The early
days of captivity were trying times
for them and anxious ones for me.
l knew the natives would not under
stand consideration for the beasts;
50 hit upon the idea of bad ears for
myself ! put my hands to the sides
Of my head and told Omar 10 say
that the tuan had ear sickness, so
that any noise was to him like the
rolling of thunder The place was
suddenly as quiet as an empty church.
When the orang with her baby was
shut up in the cage she was in a
fury. Her mouth was twisted in
perpetual snari. l sent every one
away and put in charge the old man
who had given the war cry. No one
was allowed to come even to the
fence placed around the shed by my
order. The mother orang was given
boiled water, but no food.
That was a trick / had learned. If
food is pressed at once on captured
| orang nine times out of ten it will
refuse to eat. will continue TO refuse
and will NOPE But if it is allowed
/, to get really hungry and is then
offered food it will eat and cheer up.
In many ways the orang is very
human. In a short time this one took
kindly to the old man. She lost her
bad temper, but she was never happy
as monkey seems to be in captivity.
Later on. ! kept in the cage next
the mother and her young one
small orang captured under strange
and terrible circumstances, which
confirmed me in my opinion that
arang-utans are not solitary animals.
We started from the kampong that
day a party of sixteen. There were
many traps to visit and we separated
into groups. Omar and six other
natives went with me. After inspect
ing two empty traps we came upon
one in which there was a good sized
male Just as we had succeeded in
lowering it to the ground we heard
Evening star., 1924-05-18
A Dukes Toy.

A FAMOUS as well as an odd rail-
way is that at Eaton, owned by
the Duke of Devonshire. 1t was built
in 1896 for the purpose of conveying
coal and other supplies to Eaton Hall
from the station four miles away. It
is now used as passenger line to
transport the dukes guests from one
part of the estate to another.
The gauge of this toy road is only
fifteen. inches. The rolling stock,
comprising only two engines and fifty
wagons" and passenger coaches, is
constructed on a proportionate scale.
The original cost of the road is said
to have been $4,000. and 1t is now
operated, at weekly expense Of $25.
Evening star., 1924-05-18

sisted OF one bamboo ,oom on piles,
With the roof of palm leaves. Luckily
no terrible heather rites were con-
nected with house building in this
part OF Borneo. In any case ii would
not have seemed necessary. to guard
me from demons. since | was reputed
to be q witch doctor.
Five years before ! had dynamited
the river. Stunned fish by the hun
dred had been gathered in and cured
and even a crocodile. shocked by the
explosion, had fioated belly upward on
the stream. Devils could have no
power over the dwelling of such a
white man.
The people begged me to perform
The miracle again. | had come pre-
pared. for this request and once more
there was a fish harvest. / ALWAYS