davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Delve Into Secrets of
Island of MADAGASCAR

A great deal Of mystery surrounds
the picturesque island of Madagascar.
1t appears to be the lumber room Of
an old continent, but which, or per-
haps better, where is the continent,
asks correspondent: "Some think
that Madagascar has broken away
from its mother continent, Africa
others that it is one of the relics Of
hypothetical continent, Lemuria,'
which existed long ago in the Indian
ocean between Africa and India" This
lis not, as the casual reader might
think, passage from some romance
Of the lost lands of the world. It is
merely an extract from an official
document, circulated by the British
museum to call attention to the fact
that an expedition is now at work in
Madagascar seeking the solution Of
some Of its riddles. 1t is not, then, be-
yond the bounds of possibility that the
scientists may yet send the world
authentic tidings Of lost continent.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Forest conversations"

4, A well-known western Canadian
guide, born and bred in the great wide
open, has given some intelligent oh.
servation of the ways of the four-foot-
1n fnnab1tanrs OF the w0Uus, 80 ne
sincerely believes that the lower ami
mails have a forr Of communicating
with each other that cannot be ex-
planned at present. He believes that
radio will eventually solve the ques.
tion and be the means of interpreting
the animal messages, and he hopes to
prove shortly that animals utilize wave
lengths outside of the range Of the
human ear. The COW moose will leave
her calf or deer her fawn and tell ii
in animal language not to stray and
the little fellow never disobeys It's
parent. Also the youngster can in
some way communicate with its moth.
er in time Of danger without uttering
a sound or leaving the spot.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Caves Valuable, Apart
from Scenic Splendor

The limestone caves at Waimoto
in New Zealand bring tourists from
every part Of the world to see the
extraordinary beauties of the glow
worm cavern with its myriad stars Of
phosphorescent fire. The Mendip
caves Of Somersetshire and the Peak
cavern Of Derbyshire, England, have
thousands Of visitors yearly. and so
has the Mammoth cave of Kentucky.
The Mammoth cave had quantities Of
saltpeter in it which were dug and
carried away for making gunpowder.
But many caves have a value apart
from that of mere scenic splendor.
In the bush country near TIE Kiuti
in Auckland a huge cavern IL which
is wonderful deposit of alabaster,
has been recently discovered. An
other cave called the Carlsbad cav
ern, discovered under the Gaudaloupe
mountains, in New Mexico, has great
beds Of rock salt. This place is said
to rival the. Mammoth cavern for
size. one CD ling half mile
long, four het wide and
more than three hundred feet II
height.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Indian Monkeys Assume
Role of Bold Bandits

Depredations Of monkeys at the hill
station of Matheran, near Bombay,
India, are causing annoyance and
anxiety. Cases have been reported
where various articles and food have
been snatched away from women and
children, and in one instance a we'll
organized raid was carried out on
a meat safe full of fruit. Monkeys
abound all over southern India, but
it Is unusual for them to become so
daring as to play the role Of high
waymen. In many parts Of India
monkeys, as we'll as peacocks, are
encouraged by Hindus to live in the
temple precincts, and often near the
idol, Hanuman, "the monkey god"
One railway station in India is liter
ally in the hands OF monkeys, who
swarm all over the roof; and passen-
gers are regularly warned to close
the windows of the carriages. Fail
ure to observe this warning inevitably
results in the loss of food and small
articles from carriages.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Hard for Foreigners to
Grasp Chinese Etiquette

Social intercourse in China Is SO
complicated that the traveller from
other lands often finds himself bafaed
completely when he tries to follow its
intricacies. Every action, every ges-
ture, every carefully worded phrase
is replete with hidden meaning.
For instance, 1t is wrong to remove
your hat when entering Chinese
home. 1t is an insult equally as bad
as if, in this country, one did not
remove ones headgear. Again, you
should never offer a Chinese your
hand to shake. You must shake
hands with yourself, both on arrival
and departure. If you are offered
anything to drink, it is breach Of
etiquette to touch it before the'moment
you are about to leave. You will
notice that your host will pick cake
or choice biscuit and put 1t on your
plate. In return, you must pick the
daintiest morsel from the dish d.
sweetmeats and place 1t on bis plat
in doing you pay MN the greatesa
compliment.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Found He Had Financed 4
Small "Dea1" in Rabbit

Some Saturdays ago a small boy
asked his father for a quarter to buy
a rabbit. On being satisfied that a
hut was being fixed up in which to
keep the rabbit, and being also a be-
lever In the civilizing influence on
boys of keeping pets, dad gave him a
quarter.
The following Saturday a second
youngster came on the same errand,
and obtained a quarter. 1t happened
to be large family, and not wish
ing to display any favoritism, dad
eventually gave quarter to each of
his children for the purchase of a
rabbit.
One day he went out to see all these
rabbits and was surprised to find only
one! He inquired of his children what
they had all done with their quarters.
Each declared that he or she had
bought rabbit. swell, where are
they then?" he demanded.
"Why, dad" explained one of his
youngsters, lit was the same rabbit !:
we bought it from each other."-Ex-
change.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Hair Almost IndestructibIe

All mammals are supplied with
hair, although the quality varies
greatly. It may be of the softest
down hardly perceptible on the child's
cheek or the tough hristles n9 the
hog or the quilts Of the porcupine.
The hair is the last part of the body to
decay, is believed to grow even after
death, and is known to last a century.
In Chicago bank window display Of
Indian relics, there is exhibited a
woman's scalp taken by some Indian
brave more than 100 years ago. The
hair shows no effects of age. 1t is
not dissimilar in color and in texture
to the shorn tresses of any modern
girls. Even when exposed to the ele-
ments. hair will not deteriorate, and
can be dissolved only by heat under
pressure or in the presence of aka
lies or acids.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Design Long Followed

HThe ratio 1:161s, said to be the
mathematical basis for beauty, has
been used in residential designs for
5000 years. It was applied in build
ing the pyramids, and is considered
the ideal proportion for living rooms,
window openings, glass lights in win
dows and so on. It is used by all de-
signers in determining length in pro-
portion to width.
This number, 1918, is a puzzle. If
you multiply it by itself, the result
is 2.61S. Multiply this by 1918 and
the result is 4.236. Is it coincidence
that this last power Of 1918 is equal
to the sum of the two preceding?
A series Of successive powers Of this
number carries out this same truth,
any one power being equal to the
sum of the two preceding.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Odd House Constructed
at Behest of "Spiritss5

The PalO Alto chamber Of commerce.
says: "The Winchester house, In this
city, was built by Mrs. Winchester
the widow Of the famous firearms
man, who was spiritualist. She
claimed the spirits told her she would
not die as long as the sound of ham
mers was heard in her house, and as
a result she kept building and build
ing and changing and, when the spirits
told her, left off one section half fin
ished and started another II is esti-
mated that at least $1,0O0,000' was
spent on the structure. and parts OF
1t have not been explored. The house
is some three stories high-that Is,
1t looks to be that-but there may be
five in some parts where 1t is built
in miniature sections. There are sew
eral wings, and the architectural style
is largely that in fashion many years
ago-very ornate and ugly. Only the
best of material was used in the wood
parts, and the furnishings, which have
now been removed, were truly mag
nificent. One room, the one in which
she communed with her spirit guide,
was furnished and hung entirely In
black velvet. Others were master
pieces in satin, and there were closets
full of the best linens, silks, ETC., for
the entertainment of her spirit guests.
She lived alone with her niece and a
nurse and never had visitors. In the
house itself there are staircases that
lead to nowhere, ending in a blank
wall. There are others that break of
and end some 6 feet deeper. There
are rooms foot wide, and there is a
tiny balcony with doors about feet
high leading to 1t. There are other
staircases with Pinch risers. Sur.
rounding this curious house Of dingy
color are tall cedar hedges and nom
descript garden"
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Poetic Similarity of
River and Human Life

Without sermonizing too grossly, we
may say that river is like human
life, Prof. William Lyon Phelps writess
in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The
source is often obscure and humble,
then a tiny stream, then growing bigI
ger and more important (the widening,
of influence), then flowing tranquility
prosperous, happy days., now getting.
into sand flats, hardly moving (seri-;
.ous illness), now roaring tempestuous-l
Ily in rapids (times of excitement and
adventure), yet going on, somehow
and somewhere.
Furthermore, they always arrive ul-
timately at the same destination-thei
mysterious, open sea, leaving narrow
circumstances for deeper and great
er existence.
And even those streams that seem
TO perish without fulfilling their des-l
tiny, are in their subsequent influence
like the lives of obscurely good men. {;
Travellers in a desert sometimes,
come to a bit Of green meadow,
where river once has been.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Meat Made Tender by
Juice of Tropical Tree

The toughest beefsteak may be rem
dered as tender and delicious as the
choicest porterhouse If one will carry
with him wherever he dimes bottle OF
papaw tree juice and rub it on his
meat. The papaw is peculiar treeNpf
northern South America and other
tropical regions, where the natives use
its juice in this way to improve their
meat. 1t also has a number of other
peculiarities, says bulletin issued by
the Field Museum of Natural History,
Chicago.
The papaws are definitely divided
into two sexes, with distinct character
istics, whereas in most plants and
trees each individual is equipped to-
reproduce itself alone, possessing both
the male and female organs. Among
the papaws, of which there are some
twenty-seven species, the male and fe-
male flowers are produced on separate
trees, the male flowers occurring in,
long scattered racomes, and the female!
ones in short, small bundles.
Another popularity of the papaw IL,
that the juice Of the plants contains
fbrine, substance which so far as
known exists elsewhere only in ANIMAL
flesh. This, however, cannot be re-
garded as establishing a link between
the animal and vegetable kingdoms in
the chain of evolution, botanists de-
clare.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Marks Birthplace of
Father of Locomotive

AT Wylain, on the north bank of the
River Tyne, under the auspices of the
institutions of Shipbuilders and Me-
chanical Engineers, tablet commem-
crates the birthplace of a man who
achieved the seemingly impossible,
George Stephenson, the father of the
steam locomotive engine. Past the
front of his cottage, within few
yards of the door, heavily laden and
light trains Of coal trucks pass today,
as did the tiny chaldron wagons drawn
by horses along pathways $50 years
ago. The cottage itself is a two-sto-
rled house, typical Of many of those
Quilt years ago by the colliery owners
for their employees. It was divided
into four rooms, in each of which a
different family dwelt. The lower
room at the western side of the cot
tage was the home of the Stephenson
family, and it was in this room, which
served for sleeping, eating and shell
ter, that George, the second son of q
family Of four boys and two girls, was
born on June 8, 1881. "Old Bob"
George Stephenson's father, was a
Scotsman who crossed the border as
a gentleman's servant, and then mar
ried a local lassie, Mabel Carr. the
daughter of dyer. Bob" found work
as fireman Of the pumping engine Of
the Wylam colliery at u shillings ($3)
per week.-Edinburgh Scotsman.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
On Diet to Conquer Air

"Live on air to conquer the air."
was the slogan Of certain school Of
flying originating with the Taoists Of
China and also followed by air-minded
ancients Of early India. This school
believed that levitation could be
brought about If starvation of suffi-
Gent length to tighten the body were
practiced rigidly, says DR.. Berthold
Laufer, curator Of anthology in the
Field Museum of Natural History at
Chicago, in his book, "The Prehistory
Of Aviation" The application of in
ternal remedies to fly was also a
Taoist idea. A "fying elixir" COM
pounded by Tao Hung-king, physician
of the Fifth century, consisted of
mixed gold, cinnebar, azurite and
sulphur.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
=
Relics of Wesley in
House Where He Died

Wesley's house in the City road,
London, adjoining the chapel Of
which he laid the foundation stone
in TIT, has been converted into a
museum Of interesting relics Of the
famous preacher. Here may be seen
ibis bedroom as it was when he died
there on March 2, 1901, intact with
its beautiful Chippendale furniture,
one article Of which, a massive bu.
reau with curious secret drawers, has
been valued at many thousands Of
pounds. apart from its associations.
Adjoining the bedroom are his pray
ing closet and his study, the latter a
spacious apartment, also furnished in
Chippendale. Here are preserved his
preaching gown Of Powered brocade,
his riding shoes and stirrups, and
many other personal belongings, in
Guiding the pen he was writing with
when he lay dying.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
French Town Center of
Worlds Perfume Supply

It is in the belt of sun-soaked fields
stretching from Cannes to Nice,
France, where the true flowers wage
incessant war against the coarse chem
zeal odors of Germany.
The French are the worlds expert
perfumers. The little town of Grasse,
tucked away in the heart of the Mari
time Alps. is the most famous center
Of the industry, where all the per-
fumes Of Europe are born. From JAM
uary to December the rustics work by
a sort Of floral calendar, for flowers
bloom In their millions the whole year
through.
Violets, jonquils, narcissus, golden
mimosa, mignonette, spice-laden car
nations, geranium, orange flower, law
ender, spanish broom, tuberose and
acacia with its blossoms Of orange
caterpillars.
Most of all, from May to July, the
rose holds sway-then jasmine queens
it. Jasmine, the only scent that can
not be obtained by cunning mixture
of other flower odors; jasmine, when
mixed, often produces profound de-
preston and exhaustion.
There are gardens everywhere, with
millions Of flowers for the making Of
scent.
The quantities are indeed stupen-
dous. During Se"- amber, anything up
to a thousand tons Of lavender, aspic
and tuberose blossoms are collected
and distilled. The average weight Of
blossoms gathered in single summer
is about 5000 tons. Several million
flowers are required to make ton, so
that the total number Of flowers may
be anything up to sixty thousand mill
lion!
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Sea Riddle Unan.weredI

If you were plumbing the depths
of the sea in the Antarctic and your
sounding machine came to sudden
stop at about 1000 fathoms and as
suddenly started again anu ran on
another 1000 fathoms or so, what
would be your explanation?
Twice this has happened in recent
Antarctic exploration and the scien-
lists who were present do not know
how to explain it. A very easy an
swer would be that the sounding
weight landed on whale and then,
falling off, resumed its bottomward
journey.
But the trouble with this explana-
ton is that 1000 fathoms is pretty
deep for a surface creature like a
whale. Pressures are enormous down
there.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Biblical Unicorns

In Latin and Greek literature the
unicorn is fabulous beast having the
head and body Of horse the hind legs
Of an antelope, the tail Of lion, and
the beard Of goat. Its chief fea.
ture was a long, sharp and twisted
horn set in the middle of the forehead.
Obviously the word unicorn" as used
in early translations' Of the Bible re-
fers to different animal. It prob
ably refers to the Urus, an extinct
species of buffalo. The revised ver-
sion uses wild OK" In the places where
the King James version employs "uni.
corn"
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Opossum'a Pouch

The opossum is the only American
animal that belongs to the class of
mafsupials or pouched animals. There
are usually two filters a year and
irony five. to fourteen to a litter. Ac-
cordikg to the investigations of DR..
rrnun Or the University Of
sxas' an authority on the subject
y Le young are born undeveloped OF
II embryo form and crawl by their
own efforts into the pouch Of the
mother. There they remain for 65 to
Up days. never leaving the pouch and
depending entirely upon the mother.
Even after they are able to provide
FOR themselves and leave the pouch,
khey may return there or may attach
themselves to the mothers hair or
tail.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Sugar and Hot Water

I read the other day most interest
ing article upon sugar and its value
and how it is being appreciated more
and more as producer of energy.
1t appears that coaches who train ath-
letes in universities are allowing their
trainees more sugar. In coming in
from a tennis match on very hot
day l have been astonished to find
how quickly one can be refreshed by
a cup of hot water in which three
or four Jumps of sugar have been dis
solved. 1t sounds like dreadful COM
bination to anyone not used to it, but
it's effect is felt almost instantly
Helen Wills in the Saturday Evening
Post. Il
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Long Enough

After an hour or more, Pat, the new
clerk in the animal store, was becom-
ing exceedingly irritated at the fas-
tidiousness of his customer.
Dog after dog had been brought
from its kennel and exhibited to the
man, it's points discussed, and the
price fixed, but something was wrong
with each of them.
Finally Pat brought dachshund.
The customer turned away in dis
gust.
"His legs are too Short" he said bit
terly.
"Too short are they?" cried Pat,
now thoroughly reused. "Shure, they
reach the ground, don't they?"
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Not Encouraging

The motorcyclist was on unfamiliar
ground, and directly before him was a
fork in the road, with no signpost to
tell him which way to go.
(which way to Stumpville?" he
asked detected looking man who was
leaning against fence.
The man waved his hand towards
the left.
"Ihanks," said the motorcyclist.
allow far is it?"
"Taint far" was the drawing reply.
"When you get there you'll wish it was
a darn sight extraordinarily Scots
man.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Enemies That Swallow - ~
Catfish "Out of Luck"

The very unpleasant looking cat
fish has an unusual spine which fits
into a peculiar socket joint, says a
naturalist. By slight downward or
forward twist it may be set immov-
ably. A slight turn in the opposite
direction releases the joint. This
fact is known to the catfish, and, 1t
is stated, is readily learned by the
bright American boy. The weapon,
evidently, is effective as means Of
wreaking revenge, If not in repelling
attack. Large birds that swallowed
catfish died of the wounds from the
spine. Fishes that began to feed on
young catfish had the walls Of their
stomachs torn by the spines, and
died. The same fate overlook fishes
that swallowed sticklebacks. In
some parts of America the sickle
back, for this reason, is known as
salmon-killer. 1t Is another version
of Goldsmith's story Of the man and
the dog. The man recovered from
the bite; it was the dog who died.
Forms Of catfish, known as stone-cats
and mad-toms, found in the Southern
states and the Western states, have
special organs Of offense. At the
base Of their breast, sometimes very
Jagged, there is structure believed
to be a poison gland, although its
nature has not been definitely dis
closed. Wounds made by this spine
feel like a wound made by the sting
of a wasp.-Montreal Family Herald.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
The Culprit

"My DEAR" remarked Mr.. Pitt, as he
sat at breakfast one morning, II think
there was burglar in the house last
night"
"Why do you think thatY asked
his loving wife.
"Well," said he, Il left lot Of
money in nv pockats, before I went
to bed last but there's none
'4That's your Fault" she replied
snappily. "Youvshould have got up
and shot the person. If you hadn't
been such coward, you wouldn't have
lost your money"
"Yes, perhaps you're right, my dear ;
but then l didn't want to become a
widower."-London Weekly Telegraph.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Listeners Didn't Quite
Get Shades of Meaning

1t all depends upon how you say it..
There was once clergyman by the
name Of Twitchel. In the pulpit he
maintained a gravity Of manner and
expression, but out of the pulpit was a
regular fellow. Occasionally he would.
Il the emergency required, introduce
something queer in a sermon for the
sake Of arousing the attention of the
congregation.
One Sunday, seeing that his hearers
were becoming sleepy, he paused in his
sermon and said: Brethren, you
haven't any idea of the sufferings Of
our missionaries in the new settle
ments, on account Of the mosquitoes.
The mosquitoes in some Of these
regions are enormous. A great many
pit them would weigh pound, and
they will get on the logs and bark
when the missionaries are going along"
BY this time all ears and eyes were
open and he proceeded to finish his
discourse. The next day one of the
church members called him to account
FOR telling lies in the pulpit.
Rhere never was a mosquito that
weighed pound" he said.
But" replied the minister, II didn't
say one Of them would weigh pound !;
! said great many, and think mil
lion Of them would"
But you said that they barked at
the missionaries
mo, no, brother; 1 said they would
get on the logs and rk."-Bostonl
Herald.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Feather Trapped Thief

Few women have broken the BANK
at Monte Carlo. but of those who have
done so the most amazing was
Baroness Groner-she did so twice
in one evening! AS she left the
tables and started walking toward the
restaurant, two hands shot out from
behind some ferns and clutched her
b, the throat, while her ostrich feather
b ndbag was snatched. Detectives
cyhld find no trace of the thieves.
Later. in the restaurant, she caught
Ught of a single, ostrich feather on
70 leg of mans trousers. He and
5 companion were searched, and the
Ioness' winnings were found in the
Is stocking.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-10-25
Saved Clay Pigeons

A Richmond (Va.) sportsman re-
turned from abroad and told of his
visit to a clay pigeon shoot. Arriving
at the traps he was surprised to see
a great net spread above the ground
at the far end of the field. Around
the net stood ring Of boys. The
mystery was solved with the first few
shots. Nearly all the clay pigeons
that the marksmen missed fell into
the net unbroken. Those that missed
the net were "caught on the wing" by
the boys and brought back to the
traps to be shot over again. The shoot
was in Scotland.-Indianapo News.