davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17

fury use Of divining rods had sprea q
through the countries of Europe
and aroused controversy everywhere
Their champions. among whom were
some OF the most learned men of the
time. explained their operation on The
principle of sympathy" or "attrao-
ton ana repulsion." Adverse ries con
demned their use as a superstitiou~
and vain practice. Another view sue
gested a demoniac influence. In Corr
wall, England. the belief is still con
mon among the miners that the roo
Is guided to the ore deposits by the
pixies, the fairy cuStodians of the mil
eral trea Sures of the earth
The Jesuit Father Gaspard Schotr
in his ''A!agiae universalis naturae g.
arts" Q659) denounced the divininc
rod as an instrument controlled by
the devil. The subject was taken III,
by the church, and for more than
100 years was holly debated by
churChmen. Some approved the roo
and authorized its use on church prop-
erty: others condemned it and threat
ened those who used it with exconl
muniCation. Use was made of the
rod in 1892 to trail criminals, but IL
1701 the Inquisition issued a decree
against further use of diyining rods IL
criminal prosecutions.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17

All right, I say. I show you wha
| do with them sleep on them.
And ! did put them between the bee
remember ii all-yes. 1t is the punci
so strong, so good, put it out of M
head this morning. But, what MAJ
ter? l have them, my sweet, beautifl
diamonds. And you are a good
clever girl-the very cleverest girl"
Yes. SIR" said Beatrice. Than
you, sir. Five hundred pounds, If yo's
please, sir
The Amsterdam merchants jaw
dropped and his eyes bulged. III,
face paled and he turned from on
man TO the other of those around hir
and met with firm looks.
But they were not lost, after all.
he eXpostulated. They were in IL
bed, what L pay for! Come, my deal
/ beautiful young lady, let US say Il,
tie present"
The manager shut the door ana
stood against it. He gave the An.
sterGam man a look and pointed TO =
copy of the reward bill which huns
on the wall. Five minutes later Be
with her. She was still quite cool ana
possessed. but when she read he
usual amount of fiction that evenin2
ii seemed 10 her to fall a little f1at
The actual events of the past a hour
had been really exciting.
tCopyricht 1921
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17

the truth. For in doing up 81 that
morning, after the tall gentleman's
departure, she had found upon his
dressing table a visiting card. It was
covered with penciled figures on its
blank side, but on the other was a
beautifully engraved name and ad.
dress:
Capt. H. A. Mervyn, 221st Lancers,
Army and Navy Club, Pail Mall,
S.W."
THAT was Beatrice's afternoon out.
Her time of liberty began at /
O'Clock. Half an hour later those of
her sister chambernaids who saw her
at all in their quarters were surprised
to see her go forth in her best attire
a neat tailor-made walking costume
of black habit cloth, on which Beatrice
had laid out more of her last years
wages than she would have cared to
admit. This, finished off by q pair of
neat shoes, equally neat gloves and a
picture hat. made Beatrice look very
quietly smart. She carried money in
her purse and a third-class return
ticket to London, and at 1:50 o'clock
she stepped into an express. and at a
few minutes after 3 found herself set
down amid the hustle of the metrop-
oils.
Beatrice knew London very well.
She was. in strict fact. Londoner.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
Modern "Divining Rods" May Become Aids
In Prospecting for Mineral Resources

thing as n rod or machine for finding
money that has been buried for long
time. l have heard that there was
q lot of money buried in this section
of the country. If your department
is putting out such a rod, l would like
TO get one
There is a letter. also from q man
at Buckhannon, w. Va,
II want some information" he says,
about a needle or something that will
locate gold, as l have some trace of
a gold mine and also some hidden
treasure. / have the county located
which ii is in, but am unable to locate
the exact spot. If you can give me
any information along this line or can
tell me where / can get a needle or
machine or instrument which gold
will attract I certainly will appreci-
ate it and viii keep you posted as to
my success"
The Bureau OF Mines informs all
such correspondents that the ex-
travagant claims put forth by people
who sell such contrivanceS have never
been SubStantiated. Special instru-
ments, such as the dip needle, the
maGnetometer and the dial compass,
have been successfully used in pros
pccting for magnetic iron ores in this
and other countries, but such instru-
mentS are not useful in prospecting
for precious metals or ores that have
no magnetic effect. The question of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17

hour this morning, leaving the stuff
there, So
And l say it was that fellow that
gave me the punch yociferated the
Amsterdam merchant. Il turn my
back on him once or twice while he
mix it, and"
Beatrice tapped again. and walking
in, extended her hand and a small
morocco-bound case to the despoiled
one.
Your property, I think. sir" she
said quietly.
The Amsterdam merchant gave a
howl Of delight which would have
done credit to any hyena. He seized
upon the case and tore it open.
MY diamonds" he shouted "Oh. I
am saved, My diamonds is here"
Good heavens" exclaimed the man
ager. staring at his chambermaid.
Where on earth did you find that,
my girl?"
Just where I should think the gen
tleman put it, sir answered Beatrice
Between the TWO mattresses of his
he'd. 1t suddenly struck me that he
might have hidden his case some
where and forgotten where, so / made
u search and found it"
The Amsterdam merchant suddenly
smote his forehead and groaned.
"She is right he said misera bly,
Il forgot II is that so strong punch
l remember now. Before he leave me-
tina, big fellow. he SAYS 10 me, Mind
your precious stones
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17

BILE Is to give as the working princi
pie of such a device some newly dis
covered and vaguely understood phe
nomenou, as. for example. RADIOACTIVE
ity. Not all persons using a forked
tWig or similar device are intentional
deceiverS. but many of the large group
of professional finders Of water. oil
or other minerals who take pay for
their services or for the sale OF their
instruments are deliberately defra I'd
ing the people"
A photography compiled by the Geo
logical Survey lists 81 separate publ
cations on the divining rod issued be-
tween the years 1900 and 1916. The
first published description of the rod
is contained in Georgius Agricola :
DE re metallica," published in 1856.
The Hoover translation from the first
Latin edition of this publication says
in part:
There are many great contentious
between miners concerning the forked
twig, for some say that it is of the
greatest use in discovering veins and
others deny it. Some of those who
manipulate and use the twig first cut
a fork from a hazel bush with knife
for this bush they consider more
eftiCaciouS than any other for reveal
ing veins, especially if a hazel bush
grows above vein.
Others use a different kind of tWig
for each metal hazel twigs
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
BY J. S. FLETCHER

man. Military-looking person.
| thought"
II am robbed" said the Amsterdam
merchant, more drama tically than
ever Fetch me to your police"
I Certainty, sir aSsented the man
ager lte was well aware. thnugh n
/ took care nor 20 say SO, that there wa
| nothing very difficult about entering
any OF his bedrooms.
I'm" he said But YOU didn't put
| Your LILLE case combining the dia
monds n Your pocket"
What for" demanded the Amster
dam man. NO. / leave him unde,
the pillow. as l think. And then my
, case is not there at all No. I see Il
| This man drug me and enter my room
| in the night. Fetch me your police"
UNI repeated the manager. Ger
| tainly, I'll telephone for detective,
| sir But there We're several strangers
In the hotel last night who came by
YOUR boat It may be that you were
| followed from Amsterdam by some one
who knew you had these valuable
! things on you"
mo, it is that man. asserted the
| despoiled, with acerbity. He drug
me with his very nice hot punch. You
see, while we talk, friendly and pleas
ant, / make myself such fool as II
SHOW MN my uldillOlluS.
"Ohw exclaimed the manager. "Ah,
well. that's quite another matter. III
telephone to the police Immediately
No other loss, sir-your purse, pocket
book, for instance"
He neither steal my purse, nor my
pocketbook, nor nothing. / have all
my moneys, rings, watch: 1t Is only
my diamonds he have run of with
the bad one" answered the Amster-
dam merchant. But he shall be
found. Bring me a posse Of police,
detectives. fine clever fellows-we go
to work.
I'll get one who's a smart hand.
anyway" said the manager.
THE smart hand arrived by the time
= the Amsterdam merchant was
dressed, and the proceedings began.
Beatrice heard news of them now and
again during the morning. She her
self was subjected to long examina-
ton by the detective, who she thought
was a singularly dull, tedious, unim-
aginative person, totally unlike the
detectives whom she met so regularly
In fiction. She learned from him that
the tall, good-humored gentleman had
taken a first-class ticket for London
on the 7:20. He would arrive in Lon
don at o'clock or thereabouts.
$50 he'd be safely lost in that
sparsely-populated little village good
two hours before this Dutchy found
out he'd been robbed" grumbled the
detective. And he expects me to
find him In five minutes, I don't
think, However, Dutchys game to
fork out 500 quid to get his sinners
back, so it's worth putting in for"
Five hundred pounds reward
gasped Beatrice.
That's So" assented the detective.
And little enough. He's just told me
and the manager that THERE was
100000 worth of diamonds in that lit
tie Casa case no bigger than my
tobacco pouch. Lor'! Well, my dear,
you don't know anything more?"
II don't know anything more" said
Beatrice.
And herein Beatrice, dutiful girl
though she was, departed sadly from
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
ROOM So
Until Capt Mn Bce Devoid of

O'Clock she Knocked at the door of 81
laden with tea and dry biscuits.
| The tai man was dressed and eYi
IDENTITY ready Tor departure. &
"Goo9 girl he said as she set down
| the tray. Nothing like pupctuality
| See hoW punctual l am. shall catch
| my train in comfort. And there's the
! little renlefnhra zee l spoke or
II" dropped two hall crowns into
Eoatri1e'S palm and laughed as he did
So Beatrice thanked him with her
usual lollleress and Went Off Ten
minutes later she saw him going off
100, carrying his suit case.
The early morning wore on in its
usual fashion. The young lady in SO
departed for good at $50 o'clock; the
foreisn-looking man in 81 kept about
the same time. But No. So had not
shown himself when 10 o'clock came
and Beatrice wished he would get up,
for she wanted to do his room.
1t was not until II o'clock, however,
that she heard anything of SO. Then.
all in a sudden minute, she heard
plenty. First came a ringing of SO =
bell. Then as she went down the cor
ridor with hot water 53s door was
violently thrown open and SO himself.
wildly excited figure in "a wildly
Colored dressing gown, appeared on
the threshold waving both arms.
THE manager" he shouted. Fetch
the manager, The police. Fetch the
police! But stop. That fellow you
saw in my chamber last night-him
that was in there, 54-where is hep"
Gone. sir" replied Beatrice, but in
amazement. He left at o'clock. Is
something the matter, sir?'
The little man groaned.
II am robbed" he said in a deep
voice. Robbed, 1t is him-that man
there, He must have drugged me
with his punch, Oh, am a fool! But
fetch the manager. I am robbed
He folded his arms drama tically
and turned into his room. and Bea-
trice, setting down her hot water can,
fled for the office. She was palpitat
ing. mentally as well as physically,
by the time she reached II, but she
palpitated much more IN the mentally
excited way when, following the man.
ager back to SO, she heard the foreign
gentleman dismal story. For the
first time in her experience she was
face to face with actual crime.
The manager wanted TO know what
Il was all about. The foreign gentle
man endeavored to explain.
1T is like this he said. waving his
hands. Il come over from AmSter-
dam. I am 4 merchant in diamonds.
I bring with me some valuable-very
Embellishments for a client in
London. Well, l am very poorly on
the boat. 1t is bad crossing. I make
friends with that gentleman who
comes in here with me last night
very pleasant, kindly fellow. He says
stay at this hotel and get a good
sleep, go on to London next day. He
says, too, he will make me some good.
old-fashioned punch-he has the real,
proper stuff in his portmanteau. Very
well, 1 come. This girl, she see him
and me in my room here. She gets in
the hot water and the other little
things. He makes the punch-very
good, very nice. We smoke our
cigars-my cigars. We spend pleas
ant hour. Then. goodnight. And l
wake-it is much later than I think.
I get up; 1 ring. And then I feel be-
meath my pillow for the small case In
which I have my diamonds-and. be-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17

AS she passed the managers room in
the hall she saw through its open
doors the managers, the Amsterdam
merchant, the detective and an in
spector of police, all in strenuous de
bate. She saw, too, that the type
written notice had been replaced by
"a printed bill with Five Hundred
Reward" set in very big black type
at the head of it. Copies of this bill
were on every door of the hotel But
Beatrice paid little heed TO them. She
went quietly to her own quarters,
changed her smart attire for her
chambermaid's gown. apron and cap.
and, that done, repaired 10 Room 80,
into which she admitted herself by
her master key. Two minutes later
she went downstairs and tapped at
the door, still half open, of the man
ayers room. Inside the voices were
loud and excited.
And / say that the whole thing
has probably been the work OF gang
Of continental thieves who followed
YOU declared the manager. There
were several people came off that
boat and you say yourself you were
out of your room for a quarter of an
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
Perils of Arctic.

THE successful return OF MacMillan
and Amundsen from their latest
expeditions to the north, recalls tina
many earlier explorers gave their lives
to Arctic adventure and that a lour
line of sturdy ships have surrendered
to the ice. Less than two years ago.
William Nutting and three companion
set out from Norway to follow the Vill
ing trai! to America i'll their ittl"
ship, the Lief Ericsson. They disap-
peared after leaving the coast Of
Greenland. Earlier centuries had
their Artic expeditions. In 1900, Gas
par Cortereal, a Portuguese explorer.
ventured into Hudson Strait in a small
craft and was never heard from again,
says Popular Science Monthly. His
brother and a number of companions
who organized a searching expedition
likewise were lost. Four hundred
years before there was a map of the
Arctic, Sir Hugh Wlloughby sailed
into the north. later to be found dead
with his crew and the ship frozen fast
in the ice. Sir Martin Frobisher'S
search for the Northwest Passage IN
1890 met with partial disaster when
one of his three ships foundered III u
gale.
Bering made many expeditions dur.
ing the middle part of the eighteenth
century, but was finally wrecked on
the island that now bears his name
and died there, legend says, of q
broken heart. After successful vcy-
age into northern seas with Peary, in
1893, and a relief expedition, a year
latter, the Falcon. commanded BY
Cant. Henry Bartlett, a skilled navi.
gator, was lost with all her crew The
first mariner Of the air" to be claimed
by the Arctic was Solomon August
Andree, who, with two compa Mons,
left Spitzbergen in 1897 in a balloon
fitted with sails and trailing ropes.
They hoped TO reach the Pole and re-
turn, but a few Of the buoys dropped
from the basket as a means of tracing
the expedition and a message brought
by a carrier pigeon, were all that
came back of the Inflated venture. In
May, 1916, Sir John Franklin, with 1873
men and the Erebus and the Terror,
set out to find a northwest passage.
Neither the ships nor any Of the men
returned. Thirty relief expeditions,
over IS many years. were sent in seach
of them, although a message found IA
years after the men had sailed. stated
!hat the ships had been crushed ia
Str lea
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17

hold. 1t is gone! I am robbed! 1t IS
that so very pleasant man-he drugs
me and robs me! You will fetch the
police! They must arrest him.!
The marager looked at Beatrice.
Does he mean the tall gentleman
who was in 54?' he asked. Yes?
Well, he's gone, hasn't hep
He went at o'clock this morning,
sir" replied Beatrice.
The Amsterdam man stamped his
slippered feet and raised his eyes to
the ceiling.
Gomez he cried. "Ah. the rene
gade, the evil onei But you know
him. You will help to catch him? Is
is not so?"
The manager rubbed his chin
Those were the days before compul-
sorry registration came In. Chance
corners, staying for one night at a
hotel, could please themselves whether
they registered their names and ad-
dresses or not.
Haven't the least notion who the
gentleman was" he said. Il just
caught a glimpse of him when you
and he came in last night. sir. but I
don't know him. We get hundreds o.
people who just come in for night
or even for a few hours in the night,
in the course of a month. But he
seemed \ highly respectable gentle
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17

III put You into a taxi. I wish /
could go back with you. I'd give a
years pay to meet that little chap
FIVE minutes after you've done with
him.
When Beatrice was safely seated in
the taxicab Capt. Mervyn put his hand
III at the door.
We'll. goodbye. young lady" he
said. You're a smart girl. YOU know
Are you thinking of getting married.
Il am engaged, sir" replied Bea-
trice, demurely.
II hope he's good chap. You de
serve an extra good one" observed
the captain.
Thank YOU" SIR" said Beatrice.
Hes a very estimable young man
a rising tradesman. sir, and likely
TO do well, being thoroughly steady
and painstaking.
The captain raised his hat as he
drew back.
Bless YOU he said, and waved his
hand. "Rye-bye.'
Dinner was just over at the Grand
Harbour Hotel when Beatrice.
somewhat weary but still cool and
self-possessed. re-entered its portals.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17

for veins Of silver: ash twigs for cop
per. pitch pine for lead and especially
tin. and rods made of iron and steel
for gold. All alike grasp the forks
of the twig with their hands. clench-
ing their fists, 1t being necessary that
the clenched fingers should be held
toward the sky in order that the twig
should be raised at that end where
the two branches meet. Then they
wander hither and thither at random
through mountainous regions. 1t is
said that the moment they place their
feet on a vein the twig immedia tely
turns and twists, and so by it's action
discioses the VEIN"
By the end OF the sev e.iteedtn CEN
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17

locating buried treasure Is ono on
which 1t is impossible to give helpful
advice of any kind.
The United States Geological Sur
vey has made an exhaustive study Of
the question Of "divining rods as
a result of which it declares that sit
is difficult to see how, for practical
purposes. the entire matter could be
more thoroughly discredited. Further
tests by the United States Geological
Survey of this so-called "witching" for
water. OIL or other minerals would be
a misuse Of public funds.
"A favorite trick" it continues. "for
anHe9 ling to u1cducated persons and
yat r.le.,isl:, r el.4iC Iisprooi inpo ssh
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-02-05
BlaspEnerny Law
Of 1896 to
Be Tested
Editor viii Be Tried for
Voicing Alleged Dis
belief in God.
Bg United Press

BIZ United Press
BROCKTON, Mass, Feb. 5.--A
229-year-old- Puritan "blue law"
whic hhas not been enforced since
the days when witcraft was in
flower, will form thte basis Of the
trial here Wednesday of Anthony
BimbaS Of Brooklyn, N. Y, editor
of the Communist newspaper, Free
DOM"
Until Bimba was ARRESTED, Massa-
chusetts 1olk didn't know it was a
crime to voice ones disbelief in God.
The Brooklyn editor has addressed
members of five Lithuanian socie-
ties here on Jan. 20. His audience
resented many of his remarks and
reported the matter to the police.
At first it seemed that nothing
could be done about it. But the
Lithuanians, led by Anthony Eduaco.
finally found in the general laws of
the commonwealth, the long for
gotten blasphemy statute. Bimba
was arrested under the statute and
then released under $500 bond to
await trial..
The American Liberties Union and
the industrial Defense Council, have
both promised Bimba their support
and announced they will make his
trial a. test case.
Just what Binba said during his
address in teh alleged violation Of
the 'sblue law" us not generally
known. N
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-02-05

we begin to hear such nonsense as
Sos your old man..
Prof. Walter 8. Pitlrin Of Columbia
University hazards the supplement-
airy analysis that wise cracks are the
national hobby Of the day; that to
those less nimble Of wit, original
wisecraclxs sometimes aren't forth
coming readily and that in such an
exigency, "SU,s your old man. fills
the bill. Hence the public favor it
enjoys. III
But the days of SOS your old
man" are numbered, adds DR.. Viz
etelly. This by the same immutable
law that sooner or later consigns
popular songs to oblivion.
1.-TWO or three years ago." illus
tratea the dictionary expert, I'VE had
an epidemic OF so-called 'fiapper
slang We had 'airedale' for a man
who was ugly and unprepossessing;
mad money for a girls carfare
home; 'dimbox' for any one who
sought to patch up a quarrel; snug
gle pup for frequenter Of petting
parties, and alarm clock for a
chaperon.
"You don't hear this fiapper slang
Sny longer. The fiappers are talk,
ing English again"
And where did SOS your old
man" come from?
From across the footlights, DR..
Vizetelly imagines. It's In vaudeville
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-02-05
BIZ NEA Service

Bu NEA Service
"7 EW YORK, Feb. 5.--Urchin OF
I'M American idiom, the ulti-
III mate Of license in language,
ready-made wise crack fon any and
all occasions-that's SOS Eour old
man."
Everybody's saying 1t; nobody
knows exactly why.
From coast to coast it has
caught on" according TO DR..
Frank H. vizetelly. noted diction-
airy editor. and other New York
etymologists.
Probably it has been translated
by now into the Scandinavian, Ii
berian and Esperanto.
1t echoes in ballroom and Bow
cry. - Pastors use it in the pulpit.
Radio broadcasters nightly send 1t
singing around the earth.
No 'idiotism'' since "Ish ka bib
BILE" has so gripped the tickle pop
uIar fancy.
And "Ish ka bibble." by compari-
son, is as full OF tangible meaning
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-02-05
X RHEUMATISM!
What is it-anvwav?

THAT awful agony of swollen
i joints and infamed' muscles
that miserable pain and torturcus
suffering, we call rheumatism
what is it?.
Here's what it is: It is the result
OF waste products and impurities in
the blood! Impurities that get the
upper hand because the system is
starving for want Of healthy, rich,
red blood!
But you just cleanse your blood
and build up the red-blood-cells
and watch the rheumatism vanish!
Why. S. s. S. will aid Nature put so
many millions Of red-blood-cells in
your system that the impurities
that cause your rheumatism are
driven out-they can't stand pure,
healthy blood.