davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
Wise-Cracking Nut

1.-TWO naval balloonists were drifting
low over land one day." writes Lieut..
Walter Hinton. famous aviator, in an
article in Liberty. Passing a group
of buildings that appeared to be an
almshouse or possibly an institution
for the demented, they sought to de-
termine their exact location by learn
ing its name. One of them leaned
over the edge of the basket and shout
ed to q man op the ground:
"'Hey. theref Where are weT
Throwing back his head until the
aeronauts could see his collar button,
the man replied:
"'Ah, you can't fool me: you're up
there in that balloon, and ! am not
half so crazy as yoq.'"
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
No Record Exists of
World Without Wheat

While the public revels in the mar
vels of Tut-Ankh-Amen's tomb the
Psychologists have dropped back an
other couple of millenniums and are
earnestly discussing the diet of the
predynastic Egyptians. Careful study
of their mummified stomachs reveals
traces of barley husks. but not of
wheat. Therefore. argues Elliot
Smith. that remote people lived in "a
prewheat civilization. Professor Per
cival disagrees. insisting that the
Egyptians would have removed its
husks before eating It, leaving moth.
ing tough enough to resist decay.
Time may bring new data, but for
the present Elliot Smith seems to
have the better of the argument. All
prior guesses as to the. kitchen habits
of 5000 or 5000 years ago are a bit
uncertain. But If the Psychologists
/ have already discovered a prewheat
civilization they have dived deep into
the past. For wheat grains are found
back through the numbered dynasties
of Egypt, in the ruins of the first
neolithic settlement which underlies
the site Of Homer's Troy and in the
prehistoric dwellings of the Swiss
lake. dwellers. Wheat. too. was one
of the five plants solemnly sown each
year by the emperor of China, accord
ing to rites which seem to go back to
$500 B. @.
Where wheat originated no man
knows Efforts have been made to
trace it to its ancestral plant, but
they have never been certainly sue
cessful. As soon as a botanist dis
covers a wild plant closely akin to it
some other scientist suggests that the
wild" plant is a degenerate escaped
from cultivation. The Swiss lake
jewellers had two distinct species, one
of which is quite different from any
thing. found in the ancient Egyptian
tombs. The earliest Persian writings
note wheat as an old-established
plant, but the usual guess is that it.
originated in Mesopotamia. Some day.
doubtless, the sands Of Mesopotamia
will be as carefully raked as those of
Egypt and yield as rich additions to
mans knowledge of his origins; today
1t is safe to attribute the origin of al
most anything to Mesopotamia, be-
cause we know so little about it.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
Animals Never Quite
Lose Fear of Snakes

Monkeys will never face snakes.
Even those born in captivity show the
Widest alarm If one is placed near
hem.
Darwin once made an interesting
experiment with monkeys and snakes.
lie was anxious to discover which was
ne stronger emotion, curiosity or
ear? l recently saw a film in which
ne experiment was reproduced, writes
correspondent of the Montreal
Herald. 1t was taken in the London
90. "A snake was placed in basket
With the lid closed, but not fastened.
This was put in an enclosure in which
here was a number of monkeys.
AT first the basket was not no.
ICED, then one and another Of the
lnquisitive creatures approached it,
and after a lot of hesitation the BRAY
est slowly opened the lid. All peeped
IN, but when the monkeys saw what
the basket contained the lid was in
stantly dropped, and all of them
dashed off to the most distant corner
II their compound. They could not
be induced to approach the basket
lgain.
1t was found that baby chimpan-
zee born in the zoo, and never having
seen a snake before, was thoroughly
scared when one was placed near it,
While an infant orang-outang cried out
great alarm when it saw one for
the first time.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
Gem Worn by Musician
Idea of Old Greeks

When we sit at concert listening
to great violinist, we are often di-
verted by the flash of a large dia-
mond on one of the fingers of his
bow hand. If we like the music and
the artist we dismiss the impression
with the thought that it is merely a
bit of personal vanity on the part Of
the player.
But when we read that the practice
of displaying handsome rings to the
audience was in vogue at musical
contests 2,40O years ago, and learn
that the eminent Greek Tyre players
of the time of Timotheus wore jewels
on the right hand, the hand which
held the plectrum and sounded the
strings, we find that we are confront.
. ing long tradition of professional
practice.
Perhaps this persistent habit may
be traceable to the Greek desire to
discover and reveal beauty every
where, and to harmonic glints Of
color with musical tones, If such a
combination is possible. Granting
that this was the aim of the Greek
artist, we must then be dealing not
merely with the momentary within Of
a vain musician, but with traits Of
Greek character which are also hu.
man, showing themselves in similar
guise wherever similar situations oc-
cur, and persisting, therefore, through
long years in the practices of guild.
Charles Burton Gulick, in "Modern
Traits in Old Greek Life"
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
Famous Mountain Range

The Smoky mountains are a south.
western division Of the Appalachian
mountains, branching from the Blue
ridge in south Virginia and extend
ing southwestward near the Ten.
nessee and North Carolina boundary,
penetrating short distance into north
Georgia. On the west they are sep
arated from the Cumberland plateau
by the great eastern valley of the
Tennessee. and on the east they are
connected with the Blue ridge by an
intricate system of cross ranges form.
ing the rugged remnants Of lofty
plateau eliminating in the Black
mountains. Nearly all the eastern
head streams of the Tennessee rise
on the inclosed plateau and break
through the Unaka range. Otherwise
the latter forms a sharply defined
ridge between Tennessee and North
Carolina.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
From the HEIGHTS

Roger Wolfe Kahn. Otto Kahn's
musical genius Of son, praised. at a
dinner at Pierre's. new novel.
sits already in its eighteenth edi-
tion," said Mr.. Kahn. "The poor devil
who wrote 1t was on his last legs
starving and freezing IN an attic, in
fact. when success came to him. Well,
nothing Surprising about that"
Afr. Kahn smiled and added;
"It's from our attics that We get our
sellers"
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
Thirteen O'clock

In Poe's famous tale. 'The Devil in
the Belfry." sensation is caused In
the quaint Dutch town of Vondervat-
timeitis when the tower clock strikes
thirteen But thirteen O'Clock has be-
come European commonplace. The
state railroads and postal service and
telegraphs of the German reich have
now decided to adopt the twenty-four-
hour clock. already in use In France,
Italy and other countries. In speech,
however, the old system generally
lnaintainsS thirteen o'clock still being
called one ! O'clock and twenty-four
o'clock twflye. The tWenty-four ar
rangement applies largely to print.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
Got Desired Notoriety

"That gent strutting along on the
other side of the street is Anson Inch.
ways. the most extravagant man In
the hull of New Englandl" said the
landlord of the tavern at Oxoboxo.
Actually and truly he lit a cigar with
a bran-new dollar bill They arrested
him; thought he was crazy-but they
found out after a spell that he was
doing 1t just for the notoriety. He got
1t. too. for there amt anything that
will make man famous quicker here
than being spendthrift. kansas
City Star.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
Modern Piano Merely
Copy of Old DuLcimer

Even the handsome pianos In our
modern living and music rooms were
not always as we know them today.
The story of the development of the
piano, like that connected with every.
thing else we use, is story of humble
beginnings and continuous improve
ments.
The history of musical instruments
shows us that the piano is very prob
ably q modern development Of an In
strument known as the dulcimer. This
was originally nothing more than
fiat piece Of wood, on which were fas-
tened two converging strips Of wood,
across which strings were stretched
and tuned to a. natural scale. Sound
was produced by hitting the strings
with two hammers, one in each hand
Of the player.
AS a separate musical instrument
the dulcimer has probably been
changed less than any other. Two
pieces of wood have been added to
produce sound box for the body and
keys with which to tune the strings;
otherwise it is still in practically its
original form.
1t is easily seen how the piano was
developed from the dulcimer. The
only difference in the principle Of the
two is the fact that the piano is
larger, and its strings are struck by
keys instead Of hammers. The mod
ern piano is really nothing more or
less than keyed dulcimer.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06

The "bag of tricks" story is the
fable of the fox and the cat. The
fox was commissioning the cat be-
cause she had only one shift in case
of danger, while he had thousand
tricks to evade it. Being set upon by
a pack of hounds the fox was caught
while puss ran up tree and escaped.
man who boasts of whole bag Of
tricks" has numerous expedients to
draw upon; his last trick. expedient,
or trump card" held in reserve for
only great emergencies is called 1.-THE
bottom of the bag"
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
Childish Frankness

Speaking of embarrassing moments,
Mrs F. S. R. writes that she took her
four-year-old daughter with her when
calling one afternoon and they had
not been in woman's house long
when the little one remarked:
''You may as we'll start getting din.
ner. Mrs. Brown, cause daddy's out
of town an if you ask US we can stay
to dinner just as we'll as not"
NEEDLESS to say" adds Mrs. F. s.
R., 1--WE got the invitation and was
very much embarrassed" -Boston
Transcript
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
Cannot Harden Rubber

rhe bureau of standards says when
rubber is melted it is changed both
chemically and physically. 1t cannot
be hardened Contrary to what seems
to he the quite common impression,
rubber goods are not cast by pour
ing the melted material into molds.
between steam-heated rolls and at the
same time the sulphur and other in
gradients. are mixed up, The warm,
plastic mixture is then nodded and
heated to vulcanize the rubber-that
is, to cause the sulphur to combine
with it.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
Kidd Uniustly Condemned

Information has recently been
brought to light which would indicate
that Capt. William Kidd really was
not as great pirate as he was
painted. 1t is said that letter from
Lord Bellomont has been brought
forth which would have exonerate0
him If it had been admitted to evil
dence at the time of his trial. His en-
emies, however, would not permit it's
use. Also the forged French passes
under which the Moorish vessel which
he captured was sailing have been
found in the archives Of the British.
public record office. He was not all
lowed to submit these in evidence.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
The Crisis

It is q common saying that men
and women hate to pass forty and put
on glasses.
There is a greater trial ahead of
them; to have all their teeth out and
buy a set of the kind that never looks
natural.
False teeth are as easily detected
as wig; but people are rather more
charitable for false teeth-somehow
they expect man to boldly face bald.
ness.-E. W. Howe's Monthly.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
Price of Gray's Elegy

When Thomas Gray's "Elegy" was
first printed, in 1851, copies were sold
for shilling. These first editions
have now become so rare that copy
recently sold in London, for nearly
$1,000 The record price for a first
edition was reached in 1924, when a
purchaser paid more than $1,000. Tha
original manuscript OF the "Elegy,"
together with the lode On a Distant
Prospect Of Eden." Is In the Elton
College library.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
Thread Quickly Prepared

The process of treating fax for the
purpose of making linen is prolonged
one, the same as was made use of A.
900 years ago. The fax is treated to
a bath in running water for several
days and then the stalks are beaten to
remove the undesirable part, leaving
only the lengths Of fiber. A recent an
noupcement is to the effect that a
mechanical treatment has been de-
vised by which the operation u &C.
complished In a few hours.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
Neus

"News" is commonly believed to
be formed from the initial letters of
the four directions, north, east. west,
and south. but it is authoritatively
claimed that the interesting sameness
is merely coincidence. There are
synomous foreign words nova" and
"nouvelles," which employ various
letters to mean the same thing. In
our own language the word was for
merly spelled "newes" 1t is likely
that the German word "das neue" is
the origin, of ours since their phrase,
''Was giebt neues?" means the same
as our, whats the news?"
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
His little All

"When l came to town, 20 years
ago." said prosperous man of ample
waistcoat. "all my earthly possessions
were wrapped up in bapdapna hand
kedchief."
sand now you own 400 acres of
land and that factory on the edge Of
towns"
eyes"
"May l ask what you carried in the
bandanna hankerchief?'
"Six thousand dollars in cash and
bonds"
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
Ancient Jewish Tribunal

Sanhedrin was the name of the su-
preme judicial council Of the Jews
from the time of the Maccabees to
the destruction of Jerusalem by the
Romans under Titus in the year II
A. D. This council consisted of 20
members, including the chief priests,
elders and scribes. and was presided
over by the high priest. Its jurisdic-
ton extended to every Jewish settle
ment. After Judea became a Roman
province the power of infiicting the
death penalty was taken from the
Sanhedrin.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
Won Out on His Point

In checking up on the time cars
were parked at Redlands. Calf. the
police found horse and buggy that
had been there more than the allotted
time. A ticket was placed on the whip
socket ordering the owner to appear
in court. And in a short time F. G.
Chevalier did appear and said, Judge.
that ordinance applies only to motor
vehicles and you can't book me-" The
judge got the ordinance and found
that Chevalier was right.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
Sure Winner

Buddy Cohen was Dragging about
now much his father knew He
knows everything" declared Buddy,
but little Bertha was skeptical and
finally Buddy did remember that he
had asked his father a question OF
two that he couldn't answer.
Still loyal to his argument. however
be finally said: 'well, my father may
not know everything. but we've got
dictionary that knows the rest"
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
OIL Production a Gamble

The average life Of an oil Well is
quite variable. The rate OF develop
ment is very important Rapid drill
ing and rapid production will lessen
the life, while gradual drilling and
gradual production will lengtheA the
life. New methods of recovery and
other things enter into 1T. Oil wells in
the United States now In operation
seem to produce between 10 and %
years, according to location.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06
WHITE-COLLAR JOB
NOT ALWAYS BEST
Comparison of Youth in
City and Country.

The woman's father, her grandpa
ther and her great-grandfather each
In his turn, had cleared a piece Of
land. made farm of it and wrested
from 1t living for himself and his
family. The woman herself had been
born on farm. Now she was visit
Ing branch of the family in the Mid
die West.
The farm work was In the hands of
a seventeen-year-old son, and 1t was
harvest time. The morning after the
woman's arrival she was awakened
by<the sound Of a tractor and har-
vesting machine, and after breakfast
she and her hostess, the boys mother.
went out to the field.
On the seat Of the tractor sat the
boy, driving, and beside him Rex, the
dog. his tongue hanging out, and
every muscle tense with interest and
delight.
ut was big field-acres and acres
OF grain," says the woman. ut had
been no small task for the boy to SOW
and care for it, and it seemed to me a
heavy undertaking for one of his age
to harvest it. The machines made too
much noise to allow us to talk, but
every time he came round to where
his mother and 1 were stacking the
sheaves he smiled, and there was a
look on his face that thrilled me. It
said, I can do It'll
"As he sat there on the seat Of his
tractor, swaying easily to the irregular
motion, flushed with the heat and wet
with sweat, he seemed to me to repre-
sent the very spirit of youth as we
like to think Of it, self-poised, conf
dent and unconquerable; and the
tractor seemed more fitting chariot
than a !. sport. roadster would have
been. $
"Then came back to the East and
to the city and saw the long columns
of little advertisements under the
heading Situations Wanted Good
looking, welldressed youth, quick at
figures. desires position In bank :
Young man, high school and business
college education, desires position as
bookkeeper or stenographer.' And
found so many outstanding, sturdy,
good-lookin& young men running ele-
vators! / can't help wondering what
future they see for themselves. To
be sure, an elevator man Is going up
part of the time, but he always
comes down again; and 1t Is not at
the top that he comes to rest, but at
the bottom.
II find myself frequently recalling
the picture of the boy on the tractor.
He wasn't asking anyone for job or
position He was making his own,
and bossing it himself Somehow he
brings to mind the answer that Dallas
O'Mara, the young artist of Edna Fer
ber's so Big made to the architect
whose mother had smoothed his every
path by her own hard work:
".Some day I'll probably marry a
horny-handed son of toll, and If do
It'll be the hands that will win me.
like 'em with the scars on
them. There's something about man
who has fought for it: I don't know
what it is.the look in his eye, the
feel of his hand. He needn't have been
successful. though he probably would
he. l. we'll, you haven't a mark on
you-not mark. You're all smooth.
like 'em bumpy.' Youths Compan-
iOp
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06

Among the worst forms of cruelty
is that of making hungry children
wait for the second table.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-05-06

Home is a place where a wife can
tell her husband what she thinks of
him.
The Daily Alaska empire., 1927-12-24

hctr4A (Nallts.Agar, 7t A sp kC> SJs Syn sss.xs E1 : II rES@ TA 1 x W A
 ~lN9AA
 hX ., ,RIrA1 E &93fy
The Daily Alaska empire., 1927-12-24

A A
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The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-12-23
CHRISTMAS TREES

The only kind OF trees that inter-
st us at this time of year are Christ
mas trees.
| wonder if you know that a
hristmas tree may be hemlock or
spruce, fir, pine, cedar, or per-
APPS some other evergreen, as an
rbor vitae. But the ones named
re the most popular. Can you tell
he difference?
A spruce Christmas tree has stiff
needles, sharp as pins, that stand
)ut all ways.
A hemlock Christmas tree has nat
needles that lie on the twigs as if
hey were parted. just as hair is
parted. These hemlock needles are
whitish underneath.
The fir Christmas tree has needles
hat are parted very much like the
lemlock, only each separate needle
GEMS to be parted on its under side,
90, Very likely your tree will be
>ne of these three.
The pine is too well known for
much description. 1t has two forms
If leaves--the primary, small and
,cale-like, and the secondary long
ind in clusters of various numbers
There are many species, from few
'eet high to over a hundred.
The cedar is of an old family. 1t
the well-known Cedar of Lebanon.
It is of slow growth, very hard wood,
md much used in manufacturing
cad pencils. All are fragrant. and
rery popular for Christmas trees
Frank Herbert Sweet,
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-12-23

The telephone 1oGs the deciding factor
in this outstanding engineering feat,
the chief engineer states.
In the construction of the new Car
.uinez Bridge, recently opened for
.raffic across the Craquinez Straits be-
tween Crockett and Vallejo, Cal, the
largest bridge of it's type in the world,
the telephone proved to be an indispen-
sable tool and, in fact, if it had not
been for the telephone the bridge
could not possibly have been COM
pleted so soon.
This bridge is 4482 feet in length,
contains two spans 100 feet each, has
center tower of $50 feet, two anchor
arms of 500 feet each, and 1882 feet Of
approach onethe Crockett side. The
only bridges that class with the Car.
quinez Bridge are the Firth of Forth,
Scotland, and the Philadelphia and
Camden. The Quebec Bridge is
neither as large nor as long as the
Carquinez.
To facilitate the construction Of this
gigantic structure the erecting COM
oany had control system of its own
with twelve telephone stations. 1t was
necessary to get into communication
with the erector crews on the north
side, so two pair cable was laid ON
the bottom of the Bay. A ship drag.
ged an anchor through it and it was
replaced with another, but the swift
running current soon wore it out on
the rough rocks.
After the center tower of the bridge
was erected, the engineers strung a
messenger wire overhead and carried
both the telephone and power cables
on it. The chief engineer declares that
the telephone was the deciding factor
in the raising of the two great sus'
pended spans, as they allowed each
crew, each foreman, and the chief en-,
giner in charge to be at all times In
direct communication with each other
and, therefore, every move was known
w all and everything worked in uni
son.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-12-23
Elephants Put Out Fire

How a herd of wild elephants extin-
guished forest fire in Travancore, on
the southwest coast of India, was re-
lated recently by laborers who wit
messed the proceedings, says Pon IT
Mechanics Magazine. A tree hao all
en- across the road and had been set
afire to simplify the task of removing
it. The blaze was slowly spreading to
the woods near by when the leader of
the elephant herd. apparently attract.
ed by the OdOr of the smoke, ap.
peared, trumpteted loudly to its com
panions and seen a band of dusky
f0ur-fOOted tirenien were squirting
streams of wafer ON the blaze from
their hose-like trunks. stream near
the road furnished the supply. The
wondering natives, who had gone to a
house short distance away. watched
the herd put out the fire and then
drag the tree into the middle of the
road.