davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Objects of Aversion
Hard TO Understand

Even fruit and flowers have affected
people curiously. The secretary OF
Francis l used to stop his nostrils
with bread If he saw dish of apples
to prevent an otherwise inevitable
bleeding at the nose. A king of Po-
land had an antipathy both to the
smell and sight of this wholesome
fruit, and family Of Aquitaine had
hereditary hatred of 1t: Gretry, the
composer, could not endure the scent
of the rose; neither could Anne OF
Austria. The mere sight Of the rose
was too much for Lady Heneage, bed
chamber woman to Queen Elizabeth I;
indeed, Kenelm Digby records that
her cheek became blistered when some
one laid a white rose upon 1t as she
slept. A violet was a thing Of horror
to the Princess de Lamballe, while
tansy was amobinable to an earl OF
Barrymore, and Scaliger grew pale be-
fore watercress.
The harmless cat has frequently
been an object of aversion. Henry III
of France had so great dislike to
cats that he tainted at sight of one,
and 1t was said of the duke of Sehom-
berg, as 1t was said of another IA
nous soldier of our time, that he
could not sit in the same room with
a cat-John O. London's Weekly.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Pleasure in Hot Dishes

"One. of the delights of summer in
a country boarding house was getting
meals piping hot" said a city woman.
Il had about forgotten how delicious
dish was when it was served smok-
ing hot. For so long ! have had dishes
brought to the table by the maid only
warm or at the best merely hot. Now,
there is wide difference between a
piping hot dish and hot dish, diff
ference which may make a meal q
huge success or an Indifferent affair.
But in these days of gas stoves it
is not simple matter to keep vege-
tables hot, and so one has almost be-
come accustomed to them just past
the warm stage. But when a smoking
meal is dished up right from the coal
stove into waiting covered dish
there is heartiness, a geniality about
the entire meal which makes for good
digestion and sociability. "-Spring-
field Union.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Cold Weather Due to
Dust in ATMOSPHERE?

Seeing that volcanoes fling out
molten lava and burn up everything
near them, it may seem a queer con-
tradiction to suggest that they can
cause cold weather, but the explana-
ton is this-volcanoes throw up vast
masses of fine dust which floats in the
upper atmosphere.
Dust cuts off an amazing amount Of
the suns heat, and it has always been
noticed that after any really big erup-
ton or series Of eruptions there is a
period of cold, dull weather. In
Humphreys book. "Physics of the
Air." table of these is given, begin
ming with the frightful outbreak of
Asama. in Japan, in 1888, and ending
with the eruptions Of Tomboro in 1872
There were three cold years after the
first eruption and four after the Sec
ond
Some experts declare that the great
Ice ages through which our planet has
passed may have been caused by erup-
tons on huge scale which cut off
the life-giving rays of the sun and re-
duced the temperature of the whole
earth.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Old Man in Picture
Rather Out of Place

A landscape artist sold a picture to
a wealthy woman. The latter soon
became tired Of it, because, she de-
clared, it lacked animation. So she
sent for another artist and asked him
to paint man or woman on the road
that ran through the middle of the
painting.
The artist did so, and when he met
the man who had painted the original
work he told him what he had done.
II had the temerity to alter land
scape of yours the other day." he said.
ut was one you sold to Mrs. Jones.
She wanted a figure painted in, so /
added an old man walking down the
roadT
"Road? What road? There's no
road in that picture
"Why, yes, there is" said the other.
"a road runs through the middle of
the canvas
"Why," cried the first artist, indig-
nantly, that's not road! That's a
river!"
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Simple Device Made
Revolution in Music

According to manuscripts, the play
ing of the steel guitar, which has made
Hawaiian music famous throughout
the world. was originated by a Ha-
waiian lad in 1898, who found, that by
placing an article on the fingerboard
of the guitar while playing novel
sound could be produced. The boy
Joseph Kekuku, then student at
Kamehameha school, first got the idea
when he placed a pocket comb on the
fingerboard and brought new twang
from the instrument. This was fol-
lowed by experiments with the blade
of a pocket knife and resulted in the
use of piece Of thick steel for the
purpose. The new music" took the
islands by storm and later spread over
the entire world.
'"rhis invention of the Hawaiian
schoolboy," says survey, lis the most
significant contribution of Hawaii to
music, the introduction of an entirely
new technique for the playing Of
stringed Instruments, at least as far. as
the western world is concerned, al
though the Japanese employ similar
technique with one Of their stringed
instruments and some African. tribes
north and south of the Congo do the
same with the musical bow, using
shell on a knife blade"
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Fete Days Dependent
on Church Sun Dial

In 1743 meridian column was set
up in the old Church of st. Sulpice,
Paris, for determining the date on
which Easter and other church fetes
would fall. The column bears a long
vertical mark extending down its GEN.
ter; this mark Is prolonged on the
floor. Together these two lines de-
termine a vertical plane in space,
which If sufficiently produced would
include the earth's axis and through
which the sun would pass at noontime
as the earth rotated.
In order to make this event visible
a small slit was cut through the roof
of the church In the same meridian
plane. Through 1t the sunlight pene-
trated, slanting downward toward the
line below, and swept across 1t at
noontime. AS Easter approached, the
suns altitude in the heavens increased
until the spot of sunlight finally
crossed the line at the marked point.
Since the other fetes followed Easter
by an arbitrary lapse of time, the old
meridian column, installed by Maurice
de Sully, determined them all.-Scien-
tiic American.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Might Work Injustice
on Deserving Ghosts

This is callous and unbelieving
age. A little correspondence in con-
temporary on Christian ghosts has
produced an assurance that it is per-
fect1y easy to distinguish between
genuine ghost and a mere hallucina-
ton.
All you have to do is to squirt at
the apparition; if the poor ghost is.
really there "the distortion of the line
of sight will cause it to be seen dou-
ble." But If the apparition remains
unaltered after this treatment it is
proof that 1t is really an hallucination
from within and not something which
exists outside the percipient.
This habit of pulling ugly faces at
what may be perfectly good ghosts.
Woodworking and deserving in every
sense Of the words, will be deprecated
by all courteous and right-thinking hui
mans, the Manchester (Eng.) Guar
dian comments. Moreover, the choice
between double ghost and single
one does not exhaust the possibilities
from this harsh test. The apparition
may give an eldritch Shrek and van
ish clean away. And what will that
prove? Simply that the experimenter
has squinted so vilely at the visitor
that he has frightened the poor thing
out of its wits.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
LiUe Food No Longer
GiUen Captive Snakes

In order to satisfy numerous read
ers who protested against feeding the
snakes live pigeons at the zoo, the
Post-Dispatch arranged for visit by
its reporters at feeding time.
The reptiles are no longer given
anything actually alive for food. Actu-
ated by a desire to meet the objections
of humane persons to this method of
feeding, the zoo authorities CORE
sponded with the New York zoo cura-
tor, who said that freshly killed food
could be substituted for living crea-
lures If the substitution were done
with skill and understanding, mean
ing, no doubt, if the serpents could
be fooled into the belief that what was
offered was still alive. This is done
by dangling the stunned or killed
rabbit or bird before the hungry snake.
He has to be hungry, however, some
snakes being able to go without food
for weeks or months.
So we still feed the horrid reptiles,
as so many women delight in calling
them,- although from the records of
geological gardens they are the most
popular denizens Of these places. But
we kill their food for them. We as
sumo the guilt. if there be any, Of
shedding innocent blood. An easy
matter for the lords of creation, who
slaughter everything, including each
other.-St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Wife's Faith in Columbus

If it be true that there is woman
in the background of every notable
achievement, there seems to be justifi-
cation in calling Dona Felipa, the wife
of Christopher Columbus, that influ-
ence in the life of the man who was
later to discover the Western world.
When Columbus talked to her about
his exploration enthusiasts, she was
sympathetic and his ambitions appear
to have found grateful nurture at
their fireside. There is tale of how
Dona Isabella, Columbus mother-in-
law, produced an old box containing
maps and -piously-kept relics of
her husbands. 1t may be that some
thing found in this box prompted in
Columbus the conception, later to be-
come flaming article of faith, of
land beyond the horizon.-New York
Times Magazine.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Post-Facto Postcards

The acme of preparation was at
tanned by woman whom the Boston
Herald tells about. She had gone to a
hospital to undergo an operation. Be-
fore the surgeon arrived she asked for
two postal cards, wrote short mes
sage on each, addressed them both to
her husband and asked the nurse to
mail the one it was best to mail the
next day.
The nurse glanced at the cards and
saw that one of them read as follows:
my dear husband: I have had the
operation and am doing nicely. VIII
be at home in a week or two"
On the other card was written:
MY dear husband: / have had the
operation and am sorry to tell you that
did not survive"
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
FrArch National Gems
Are Well Protected

The ease with which the robbery at
Chantilly was committed, in which the
Grande Cond was taken, may recall
to many tourists that the French
crown jewels, including the great Re-
gent diamond, considered by many the
finest in the world, are exposed In the
Louvre in a similar showcase appar-
emily equally unprotected.
No such simple means as were used
at Chantilly will enable any one to es-
cape with the Jewels in the Louvre,
however. There they lie in glass show
cases during the day, stared at by
hundreds of casual wanderers.
The Regent diamond alone Is said to
he worth $3,0OO,OOO. Near 1t is the
Mazarin diamond and with them the
great dragon-shaped ruby, Cote de
Bretaque, cut for Nine. De Pompadour.
The crowns of Napoleon and Charlie
magne sparkle with fortunes in pre-
cious stones. Down the center Of the
great room, the Galerie d'Apollon, the
most gorgeous in the Louvre, Is a
whole line of similar cases loaded with
precious Jewels from all ages, many
of them presented by the late J. Pier
pont Morgan. Sardonyx and Jasper,
lapis lazuli, pearls, diamonds, emer-
aids, objects of rock crystal and finely
worked gold make glittering array.
What more simple than for deter
mined bandits to force their way in at
night in the best American fashion
and make haul.
But should they try it the bandits
would be mystified. They would find
the room bare except for unwieldy
busts of forgotten emperors ana
vases weighing as much as an ordinary
"burglar-proof" safe.
For at night the wide glass cases
containing the more precious jewels
all that a robber would covet-disap-
pear into cunningly devised vaults
built under the floor. And few are the
bandits who could work the machin-
cry which brings the cases into sight
again for the next days tourist rush.
Guy FIickok in the Brooklyn Eagle.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Character Is Shaped
by Means of Thought

Every day we are becoming more
like our thoughts. If they are mean
and selfish, we cannot prevent our
selves from becoming so. If they are
unclean and evil, our character and
conduct will inevitably be shaped by
them. 1t is true that as man "think-
eth in his heart, so he Is"
AS Charles Kingsley says: "Think
about yourself; about what you want,
what you like, what respect people
ought to pay you, and then to you
nothing will be pure. You will spoil
everything you touch; you will make
sin and misery for yourself out of
everything which God sends you; you
will be as wretched as you choose, on
earth or in heaven either"
And on the other hand, loving
thoughts will produce loving acts, and
a generous, kindly way of regarding
others in our own minds will bring us
to a generous, kindly treatment of
them in daily life-Pentecost Herald.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Manners and Breeding

I make difference between good
manners and good breeding; although,
in order to vary my expression, 1 am
sometimes forced to confound them.
By the first only understand the art
of remembering and applying certain
settled forms of behavior. But good
breeding is of a much larger extent;
for besides an uncommon degree Of
literature sufficient to qualify a gen.
tleman for reading play, or politi-
cal pamphlet, it takes in a great COM
pass Of knowledge; no less than that
of fighting, dancing, gaming, making
the circle of Italy, riding the great
horse, and speaking French, not to
mention some other secondary or sub
altern accomplishments, which are
more easily acquired.-Jonathan
Swift.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Teaching Child Core

\, Actual child care and training Tor
home economics students, under ex-
pert supervision in a home manage
ment house having preschool child,
is provided by the state agricultural
colleges of Iowa, Montana, Oklahoma,
Oregon. Pennsylvania and South Da-
kota: by the state universities OF
AIa;pe. Minnesota. Missouri, Nebraska
und Oklahoma: by Cornell university,
by the, state normal schools at Terre
Haute, Ind, and Buffalo, and by
Drexel institute, Philadelphia. Nursery
schools are maintained at Cornell
university and Purdue university,
Indiana; by the state universities OF
Minnesota, Nebraska and Ohio, and
nv the state colleges of Iowa. Kansas
and Montana.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
So Silly

Darling" he asked, as he drew
her closer. to him, "am 1 the only man
you have ever kissed?"
William" she replied, somewhat
testify, before we go any farther I
should like to ask you a few ques-
tons. You are aware that my father
is millionaire, aren't your"
"Y-yes."
"You understand, no doubt, that
when he dies the whole of his fortune
will be left to me?"
"Y-yes."
"You know that I also own nearly
half million dollars worth Of prop
erty?"
"Y-yes."
'Then, for goodness sake, talk
sense! What difference would it
make If had been kissed by thou
sand men before 1 met your
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
chr;ss's Code "UnworkaBle"

Andrew Gibson a member OF the
town council of Edinburgh, believes, a
modern city could be effectively gov
erned under code of laws based
faithfully upon the teachings of Christ,
and shortly before Christmas intro
duced in the body Of which he is
member a resolution that would estab-
fish the precepts of Jesus as the foun-
dation of all acts of the council.
The council voted down the motion
after experts had declared 1t legally
Incompetent. Gibson quoted the Scrip
lures freely in arguing for his resolu-
ton. After it's introduction he re-
ceived hundreds of messages Of con-
graduation and tenders of support
The Argonaut.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Scotsn,an's Way

Doctor Hsieh (by the way, his name
is pronounced "Tee-yee Shee') learned
our language at Oxford, where his in
structor was Scotchman who in
sisted that the young student stick to
words of one syllable in speaking Eng
lish. He taught Doctor Hsieh that it
was ridiculous to use big words when
a small one would do just as well.
"For instance" explained the Chi
nese visitor, she told me not to use
the word preserve (here a delicious
Scotch burr crept into his speech. and
the audience howled) but to use short
er synonyms, such as keep or can
So for long time found myself go.
ing around innocently saying, Heaven
can u.s. r'-Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01

Mincing lane. London, the center
of the wholesale tea trade, derives its
name from certain tenements there
once owned by the 'minchuns," or
nuns, of st. Helen's. There in the
time of the Plantagenets lived COL
ony of Genoese traders called galley
men, because they brought their wines
and other merchandise to Galley
wharf.
They were a. wealthy and powerful
people and one time issued silver
coinage of their own. These coins.
known as galley half-pence," were
broader than the ordinary English sill
yer half-pennies, but not so thick and
strong. Their use was prohibited by
an act of parliament in the reign Of
Henry w.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Royal Ear Wiggler

Empress Marie Louise, second wife
Of Napoleon I, used to shake her
ears through some nervous effort, be-
lieving the practice would drive away
wrinkles and make her beautiful.
Zone of the greatest pleasures of
the imperial evenings is to watch the
empress turn her ears" wrote Nine.
d'Abrantes, one of her ladies of
honor. '"This faculty is very extraor-
binary and l believe she is the only
person who possesses it."
Marie Louise often shook her ears
to amuse her friends, but Napoleon
disliked the practice and 1t is said
he slapped his imperial spouse sew
eral times for doing it.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Shopping in China

Finding ones way in Chinese cities
has it's difficulties Capt. Robert Dol
lar, well known American steamship
man, once set out to visit wholesale
store in Chefoo. He describes his ex-
perience as follows:
First we went through a grocery
store into courtyard containing beds
of flowers and shrubs; from there we
followed a crooked alley three feet
wide into another courtyard, then
through another three-foot alley into
a small open square. Bordering this
square was the wholesale establish
ment we were in search of. There is,
however, nothing unusual in finding
important stores in such obscure To-
calities in that country.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
! Pupils Taught Poisoning

Both boys and girls are taught the
poison arts in the jungle schools, and
at the conclusion of each school it is
customary to experiment on some
member of the class. At the boys
school the victim usually is some I'M
ruly member of the class. At the
girls school, it is some iconoclastic
maiden who has dared voice criticism
of the tribal marriage customs. In case
a child dies at either school, its
parents are not apprised of the fact
until after the close of the school,
when the fetish doctor breaks a white
bowl in front of their hut.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Rich Soil

Two farmers were arguing about the
fertility of the soil of their respective
states.
"Why. the soil is so rich in my
state" said one, that man with a
peg leg daren't stand still for five
minutes. The wooden leg will grow
roots"
'That's nothing" the other farmer
responded. Back where came from
the land is so rich that all, the peg
legged men carry hatchets so they can
chop off the twigs that keep sprouting
on account of all the nutritious dust
In the ir."-Exchange.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Here is a Bad One

The American goshawk is the fierc-
est, most destructive and most daring
of all the hawks. says Nature Maya
zine. Because its breeding range is
far north and it is fewer in number
than the Cooper, the aggregate dam
age to poultry is less; though grouse
and other game birds suffer greatly,
mammals and insects are also taken.
Because of the coloring. the depreda-
tons of the young birds are often LAID
to the harmless redtail.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Empty Graves Not Hazards

According to new rule Of the golf
club at Tientsin, China, one need not
play his ball from hole recently va
Gated by a corpse. In making regu-
lations for a contest between Tientsin
and Picking Japanese players recently
the committee issued the rule that
"Fresh excavations and surrounding
soil resulting from removal of coftins
will be regarded as ground under re-
pair, and balls lying therein may be
lifted and dropped into line with
where the ball entered and not near
err the hole, without penalty"
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Soft Bed Saves Sleep

If you earn your living mainly by
brain work, you can save at least two
hours of rest every night by sleeping
on a good soft bed. Such is the CON
clusion reached by DR.. Donald A.
Laird of the department of psychology.
Colgate university, following a series
Of experiments with students. BY
measurements of mental reactions in
terms of calories, says Popular Sci
ence Monthly, he found that a soft
bed will build as much mental energy
in six hours as hard bed will build
In ei@ht
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Cossowary's Vengeance

A cassowary in New Guinea, after a
formal magistrates inquiry, was con-
victed of numbering two human be-
ings. The criminal had been tethered
in a native village as a pet, and, no
doubt, had been thoroughly leased.
Breaking away, it nursed its griev-
ances in the bush until full grown.
Then it came back and made war on
the natives. A man named Tauno was
killed in his own garden, and his
mother, who went to look for him, was
also murdered.
Such was the terrorism caused by
the cassowary that people in the viii
lage were ordered not to go out alone.
Early to work means more time to
lnaf
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Caesars Personality

Historians say that julius Caesar
was tall and of commanding presence
His features were angular and prom
inent. He had fair complexion, with
keen. expressive black eyes. In later
years he was bald; at no time of his
life did he wear beard. Though en-
dowed with constitution naturally
by no means robust, he became Injured
to hardship and exhibited astonishing
powers of endurance. In matters of
dress, he was particular to the verge
of effeminacy.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-01
Franklin SatU Day Of
Woman in Business

Although desiring a quiet life in his
older years, Franklin could not retire.
One political Office after another
sought him out. He tried his best to
avert the Revolution, and his exami-
nation before the house of commons
in February, 1866, marks the zenith Of
his intellectual powers.
In September, 1776, Franklin was
appointed envoy to France and sailed
soon afterward. Despite his seventy
years, no other American could have
accomplished the things he did. His
reputation had preceded him to
France. Great ladies sought his COM
pany; shopkeepers hung his portrait
on their walls and the rabble wOr-
SHIPPED him. Under Franklin's influ-
ence, money was loaned the strug-
Cling colonies. He won from France
recognition of the United States and
then >the treaty of alliance. This was
his last and most important work.
Biographers maintain that Franklin
more than any other great American
possessed the woman's viewpoint
Some even maintain that his great sue
cesses were achieved because of this
quality; that the great French treaty
might not have been brought about
were it not for the homage paid the
first civilized American by the great
danes of Paris.
Certain it is that he was the means
of starting the first American woman
in business, and he was first In a
movement that has changed the pres
ent-day life of 100000 Americans.