davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-16
An Aleetin: story.

The New York World has long and pict'
uresque description of New York barbOr
from which we clip the following story:
HAS anybody noticed the miniature fort
| at the top of Blackr-ei's Island to the north
OF the Lunatic Asynm.2 1t is the work of
an insane man, who spent halt his lItc upon
it He lost his mind in MEXICO, or somewhere
where high prvates were in demand, aud ust
It~scar,d being a Mr.. Armstrong, Or Mr.. Par
rott or Mr.. Wlitworth, by going crazy,r- .-,-
Gunnery was what allied hiu.-and itrtifi
cation. t- r. r
He was found to be quite hopeless; and,
obedien. to his monomanla, they gave Tim
entrenching tools and told him to tJrtIty the
iSiand.-r -.
He took the geographical .apd geological
bearing of 1t with the accuracy OF West
Pointer; ard concluded that AN attack upon
il would come from the Sound. So he devised
IA sea-coast battery, with bomb proof, ap-
preached by a dyke with sIuices aud gates
and mounting heavy ordnance.
There WAS never a more pate ut worker for
humanity and patriotism tt1,rn bis poor,
aidief head. Nobody else being insane on
the same point, he could get no a sSstance.
All ;he other monomanacs had oil on the
brain, or poetry, or capital puuiShu ent, and
were quite as devoted ana Jealous us he upon
their several claims.
SO the old soldier, with long sigh and
brave heart, took up his single shovel and
commenced to build the whole for himself
He wheeled barrow after barrow OF earth
into the sea, tugginG from morning till night
until last he RAISED a narrow causeway from
the main land to IA rock at tie end OF long
sandbtr. With pebbles, and shells, and
stones from the river, he walled the cause,
Wy until it became permanent a All this was
not a months or vear's work; veAH after ir;.r
passed over his gray hairs, but he kept ON
the great city on the create" island required
protection. aud tie WAS making its,argis. 81
The result II Ill those yrars IL -'hrf,Jre rs.
His battery is sodded green, with paraPet,
BERN, ditch, magazine. ravetmeutS, abattls
aud it mounts mock or Quaker guns unor
carriages Of capital construction. looking up
the Sound toward He'll Gate, like real arbters
ofdo",inrn
The old lunqtic is worn and failing, but be
Is not satisfied. His fort Is done, mi moi his
own duty. 50 he has projected a waters
battery aud sea wall around the entire island,
and means TO bring 10 bear upon it the
knowledge of Nauban and Ioalebel. When
the island IS mpreguable he viii wrap his
mantle about him d die at Ii, battery.
For the truth of all this story, let anybody
passing up the East river look up on the
island tip. and see an old man ditChiug and
budding. and he little fort by him bria,.iug
With pOp--uus! -
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-16
rinn.

Under this Lead, Prof J. Phillips, a geo.
! logist of some eminence, now residing at
Dubuque, Iowa writes the THg;es Of that city
an article, in Which h. maintains the use Of
rain water; to d exclusion OF lime water,
induces and IS IL cause of consumption. II
should be read VITA considerable interest He
saws:
~ fact has BEN developed by Liebig, the
great aEimal che MIST il reference 10 the
origin OF CONSUMPTION, that Is not generally
known. II ana. ziug the blood ofail persons
OF pululonaig complaints, he found lack OF
lime III their b, ud. Aud this led to the
natural conclusion that consumption was not
dIseas., buI nothing more or less than tie
breaking down o the ,stem for the want OF
elements II b,..,! 1t up. A very curious fact
III Relations % In; complaint Is, that consump-
ton in /! . Unlte States IS confined prrnc-
paliy to / , grauIte aud sandstone districts,
wA,re til :r. Is no lme held in solution with
the wAte. and Il nne drawn around these
rock. FL. .ses all he principal cons lmptive
dISlrIc's Il. the States. The same rule APP
plies It. children teething. II the nursing
mother wants TO ave trouble with her chilI-
rcn teet-i =. she Ii a. only to avoid food that
Contains lime ANA drink rain water, and
when the period arrives tor the child to have
teeth, tne whole eucryies oi it, little system
vii! be brought into ac.iOu to elImIEa'c lime
81 hcient to grow ,ee-h, and this effort of
nature produces the irritation known 10
mothers as the ''teeJhing period"
at Is evident that persons who hare com
pounded the huu ireds OF uostrun4s TO cure
cousumpuyn-!ew, ]. any, of these men has
the remotes, idea of lhe causes Of this com
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-16

NEwWAY or ArPLYING HEs.-"Well,
NV good woman, said the doctor, - how Is
your husband to day? Better. no doubt
oh! yeS, SURELY" said ha woman. "He
is a we'll IA ever and cone to the li"ld.'
Il thought So,' continued I;he doctor
.''rhe leecheS have cured HIM Wonderful
effect they have. You got the lecches OF
course? q
oh, yes, and they did i'm a great deal Of
good, thong: hecould not ttke them all"
Take them all. WHY, my good woman,
how=did vou apply them?
"Oh, managed nicely" said the wife,
booking quite contented with herself. s. For
v'riety sake, boiled one half, aud made fry
OF the other The first he got down very well,
but the second made him very sick But
what he took was qite enough" continued
she, seeing some horror in the doctors cojinte-
'nance. "tor he was better the next morning,
aud to-day he is quite WE'LL
:" "Umph,1 said the do.to with a sapient
shake OF the head, they would have been
better applied externall5."
The woman replied that she would dose
the next time: and doubt not that If ever
fate throws IA score of unfortunate leeche>
into her power again, she will make a poul-
tce OF them.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-16
A Romantic story OF Str.,t ford ,
G0nIe:z1c..f.

That such town as Stratturd should at
ford anything IN the way OF rOmaut per
soual histories was hardly to be expected.
but the su,itIncd story is authentic well
as IuteresiIuE. \; th commencement OF the
present century Il Young man made his APP
pearamce in the village, and spenta few weeks
at The tavern which then existed To afford
shelter to stage ccacit travellers. Whence he
came and what his business. none could guess.
DIre ctiy opposite tIe tavern stood the small
cottage and the forge ot a black smith named
Folsom. He had daughter who the
beauty Of the village, aud 1t was her fortune
to capti"ate The heart of the young stranger.
He told his love, said that he va from Scot
land. that he was travelling ttcgy., nut III con
tidence gave her his real name, claiming that
he WAS berr to Iarg fortune. She returned
his love, and they were married \ lew
weeks thereafter the stranger Joll his wife
that he must visit New Orleans; bG dtl 80:
and the .ossIps OF tn town made the Young
wife unh ppy bv their disagreeable hints and
Je.-5. la few months the husband return
ed, but before IA week mad elapsed he rec-iTc1
a large bud get oi letters, and told his W.
shat he must at once return TO England,
and must - alone. He took his departure,
an the gJssip5 had another glorious oPppr-
tunitv to make "A confi!iug woman wrrtcned
To all bat herself it was Il clear case OF de-
serJIon: the wife became Il mother and fJr
,wu years lived on iG silence and in hope
At the end OF that me Il letter WAS received
by the SIratiord beauty from her husband,
directing her to 20 at once to New York with
her child, taking nothing with her bat ;he
clothes she wore. and cmbtr, in Il ship for
her home in England. GA her arrival III
New York she iouad a ship sPlendidly fur
ushei with every convenience and luxury Tor
her comfort. aud Two servautS ready to obey
every wish that sh. might express. The
Snip duly arrived in England, aud the STRAIT
ford gir, became the mistress Of superb
Ii .n>Iyu. and. aS the tr al ii barJnet, was
slutrd by the arIstDcracv as Lady Samuel
Sterling Ga the death Of her husband many
wears AGO. the S,rattori hoy succeeded 10 he
title and wealth. ot his father ami Ia the last
edition Of the Peer &c aud BarDHeiage,
he Is spoken of Is the Issue OF e Miss Fol
som, OF SJratfo.G, North Am rict.' When
the late Professor SilIimar visited England
some wears since. he had the pleasure ot
meeting Lady Sterling at dinner parry, aud
was delighted to answer her many qu .stion-
about her birthplace in Conuecticut.-I,.e
Nation.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-16
sac Raven.

Here's "pOme, not by the author of
Sweet Home, bat some EDITOR, no doubt,
haunted bv Il creditor which irecZei hi, fan
quite. who tra-kc / his steps hv day. aud while
upon his couch he l,Iv. irr IzIri MS tanCi-s ia
the night. The authors name to Us uIkIOWl,
or else we'd "ive 1t. IaiuI oar uwu, but
B swell, mayhap he could tell how he 90,
up ant hpE he fell, If >, it be he wrote 1t.
But no III ,ttcr. here's the tale, IwIii make
the stoutest heart grow plie to note it:
The other night while We lay musipg aui
GU. weary brain confusing Ger the topics oi
the day, suddenly We heard rlttliug ,s ut =
scrrIed host batting. they wrtugicd IN
the frav. What Is that! w cried upstlrting
and mo the darkness dA.;ing slap Fan
against the door. Oh. It's nothing. MGggin,
grunhied, as DER a huge arm char We sum
bid, us a bu4 and nothing more Then
said We. our anger rising. for We thought it
50 surprising tnat bug should otfendy do
vog think a >m al insect, sir. III Is the wnOlc
Rom would infect, sir? No! It's not bag,
my irIeHl. Now becoming sorely iri- -,hteAed
roLLd oar waist our pants We 'iChteucd. and
put on our coat aai hAt,--then into the dark
ness pcerIuI. We saw, with UemJ bling aud
,nucl feIr1ns, the q tringe.es o, Ts2Rts CH!
Win establishment and wonder Vs. gazed
upon the son D. thunder as he sat upon the
floor. when Il resolution taking aud Il RAPID
movement making, 10 we opened wide the
door, NDw clear out, we hv trSely shouted,
is DER head our boot we ilou,ed. take your
presence from our floor. Then with air and
men majestic, this dear creature called d.
nestle, male his exit through the door, Made
his eXl' without grJwl az, neither was his
voice hear howiing. Not word he sad.
Aud with feelings much ellted, to escape a
doom 50 tated, We Went slowly back to bed.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-16
N1sI-Ical Accent.

At u trial in the Court of king's Bench
(June, lS}3) between certain pnbl shiny
tweed eedees, to a alleged piracy OF AN
arrauge,nment Of The old English Gentle
MAJ, /. Cooke was subpeHaced as wit
ness. On cross examination by Sir James
Scrlett, that learned counsel rather AipfInt-
ly said:
''Now. sir ynu say the two melodies are the
same, but different. What 90 Won mean.
sir ?'
Tom promptlyanswercd: II said that the
notes in the Two copies were alike, but with
different accent
Sir James-''What is musical accent %
CJoke-'.My terms are a guinea "a lesson.
sir A loud augh.l
Sir james (rather raj He'd )-"Don't mind
cal accent? Can you see it?"
Cpoke-.No
SIR James-"Can you feel it ~
Cooke-''A musician can" (Creat laugh
Sir James-lNery angrily) )-"Now, pray
sir, don b 'at about the bush: b,t ,.lI h,:
iordshiP and the jury, who are supp,sed to
know nothing about it, the mcani,,u of what
you cal! accent
Cooke-''A ccent in music is n stress laid
on a peculiar note, as on would lay stress
on any gwen word, ior the purpose of being
better uh 'erStood III were 10 say you are
cn ass trestS on ass, but II | W re to say
yoH are I'm, Lass, it res IS on y,u, Sir James"
Reiterated shout, of laughter bv the whole
Court. IN which e Bench joined, followed
thus !eparIee. Slle'.ce being OBJ aimed, Lord
Dcnman, the Judge, i,h much gravity, ac
cosie1 the chopfillrn counsel:
Are vou Satisfied, Sir James ~
Sir James. deep re as he naturally was
| had become scarlet in more than name, and
IN great h9f, said The witness may &C
down"
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-16

FIsHIvG WITH THE Electric LrGur-
The Co,u5ier de B.ettnyr a paper published
at fOrient, gives an Interesting account OF
an experiment made at Belle Isle last seek
to fish at night by means of an electric Il ..ht
The light wls produced by Il powerful elec>
iro magnetic machine constructed by VI.
Blziu, the wel-knnwu engineer The ex-
Iesi.neut. which was conIuctei by ". BAz!a
ON board the AnlalouSe. in the pre>en,e Of
/ 80 persons assembled on the pier. was
completely successful aud the quantity q! fish
taken very large y person who was present
states III u nothing ciu De more exciting than
fishing at sea with the aid OF thIs lig;t. As
soon aS the SIbm triuc lantern was immersed.
shoals OF fish OF every description came to
sp ,rI III the Illu minated circle while the fish
ermen outside ii spread their meIS from their
boats. The iignt Illuminating the deep sea,
the fish arriving in shoals, attracted by the
fictitious sun, the boats at the edge of the
lighted circle, the deep silence. interrupted
oniy by the grating Of tae electro mag netIc
machine, Is dr>crIb d as an imposing sight.
NJ BIzin IS shortly to proceed to b ma, in
Algeria, to establish n coral Fl f,hery by the
assistance of his electric lights He propose,
in the meantime To deS END full 4D1 feet into
the sea aud explore what he calls the depths
of the ocean with 5 submarine instruments
The minister Of marine has given orders Tor
a ship Of war to be placed at his disposal, aud
Admiral Choppart has appointed Il commis.
sion. composed OF e rineers and naval OIL
cers,'to attend VI. Bazins experiments OH
cIaily.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-16

The wine culture of California, promoted
ty the Intelligence and capital Of San Fran
cisco. employs hosts of enterprising farmers
and thousands of acres of land There are
millio of Just that kind of soil upon which
the grape Is found to flourish most abundant
ly-a volcanic ScOria, fit for no other agrcul-
turii use, which will no; Weld five bushels OF
barley to the acre Vines were first INTRO
duced by the Priests, in HIS, since which
year TIE crop has never been known to fail.
The finest of brindieS, port claret, cham
payne. ard sauterne. are produced and ex-
ported annually. and have obtained a perma
nent and extensive market at the east. Three
hundred acre vineyar Is ard not uncommon
Tue Buena Vista Vinecullural Society al,ne
planted 700, 600 vines this wear It. has been
estimated that five millions Of vines have been
planted throughout the Stale In 1856 there
were planted $40. l3l vines in 1888. 4,U4.
5lS. About ZU0,ouU additional vines had
been planted up TO The clos e OF 1862. The
wine produced in California in 1904, was
1000, 00O gallons, and brandy about 200,-
900 gallons
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-16

This bird is a f,vorite ,m.Ie with writer's
As extinct a = ID rip. IS almost a pro e i,
This description cI eur late iamrnled orui-
tho ogic,I iriendis lfom the s.. james N ga-
ziuc:
The iodo was fr.t seen by the Dutch
wlIcl they landed on the I,l. of France. at
lhtt time uuuh.hltcd. ann -IiItey sub Sc
qu.ut to tn, dDabiing Of Cape Horn by the
Pnrtu .ut Sc. Thesa birds were described as
havin- no wings. but IN the place Of then
three or four black feathers. Where toe tail
shouIl be. there grew iust.al, three or four
curling piu nes OF Il greyI.h -o.Or. In their
stomach they were sand u have commonly Il
stone big as fist and hard as the gray
BeEJemerstone. The boats { " OF the Jacob
van Neck called them Wal lgl vogeIS. tSlrieit
birl) because they could not cook them or
make them tender or bacau e lhrv were abb.
to get 80 N ,uy turtle do rs, which had q much
more pleasant flavor 50 rh. It they took "A dis
gust to the<e birds. Ljkew lse, it Is said thai
three or fpar of these bird, were enough to
afDrd whole ships company one full meal
Indeed the sailors ,a!tei down some Of theui
and carried them on "a voyage .-E -
- Many description OF the dodp were given
by natuttlsts after the announcement uC the
seventeen century; an | the British Muse
um contains Il printing SAID to have been
copied from Z. wing irlvidpaI.. Undernearh
the p.inlus Is Il es still 'fuely preserved ;
and III respect 10 this leg haturahats are.
agreed that II cannot belong TO any existing
species. The dJdr must havz heen a curious
bI ii, If Mr. Strcklani's notion of him ne
correct; and Professor Re- Fnhearit, of Copen-
hagen, holds "A similar opinion. The dpio.
these natura iSts a.i"m, WAS vulture-lile
dove. I sort of ~ = giant pigeon, but with
beak and claws like IA vultur-. He had com.
pinious or ne ghbors at least not dissimildr
IN nature. Thus IA bird called The solitaire
inhabited the small island of Il odrigurs
three nundrel miles east of the Miuritiu,
Man has exterminateI the solitaire. a> well
as other ri- nea'ly allied, formerly deni,
zcns Of tue Is!e of Bourbon"
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-16
3 Picture EsrcIIii.
The following 10 paeity picture dream by
s. PierTc:

The io.,o~ins 20 Prei'y picture dream by
s.. PierTo:
in l7jj. WIS al Dresden. alta Play acted
At court. The Electre-- came inOwith one ot
her daughters. who mi .ht be ..bou, FIVE OF SIX
year, oli. An officer Df the Saxon guard
whispered, That child VIII interest you as
much as the plav. As soon sbe wa> seat
ed. sheplacci both hands ON the front Of
the box, fixed her eyes on the stage, and con-
+ TUNED with her month open. a. attention %
the motions 81 the actors. II was truly touch
ing - see their different PASSIONS painted in
her face as nj a class. There appeared in b. =
CoIutenanCe, Succe ~-Ivcly. anXIsty. sgSl cUec.
melancholy n let: At length the iuter. -
crca~iHg ~ every scene. tears liteaL to s1w.
, which soon began 10 run in alj, 5niaac 90 down
her little cheeks: then came agitation. sighs,,
and l9ud sphs at last they wett obliged 10
carry her ont ul the box. hest she should choke
herself with CRYING. Ny next nei.hb9r t,ld
me that every ime TIN vouu" princess came
to a pathetic play. she was obliged to leave
the house before the catastrophe.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-16

The ladies' will take warning from the fate
of blooming prairie damsel who bought
her bloom a the druggists, and decking
her neck, brow and checks with the lily and
the rose" (see directions on the wrapper,) st
out with party to visit the su phur spring
near Peoria. Alas the lass looked at the
wat.r too long, Tor while she gazed nigri-
tadinous hue over spread her loneliness until
Othello might nave claimed her as sister as
she fed. Chemistry explains the thing.
ID MT 90 near sulphur springs with the patent
bloom you buy IN packages.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-16
\ Eemaic Poi.oner In Canada. Sine
Cons..sc> IA Iiic .fluIacr "a six Ie..
M. nr ,l.-N Nv Ya-k wnrlI.

CJ0e-I IaEIlsnge oi the sew York World
HANlLroy, {. ". August So
Last week Il woman named Perkins, VIE
OF a respectable we'll ,ydo itrner. near Braut-
ford. L. c., Guliug herself rpon her death
bed, sent tor Clergyman and confessed that
she mad al different periods OF her life com
united sir D,a.s sie,S, aud all by pYls-u, At
first j, WIS ian. lined that she was del.rious
but subsequent inquiry has afforded ample
cyrrotJrtf.,u ot iAr poor wret-A's -'atemeat.
Sac sail fhlr she hat mania fer destroy
ia. human life, aud 1t was oaiy L. lhe great
ct sel.-resrraiut tina, she could keep herself
from secretly poisoning ail persons with whom
she wa, ou terms OF friendship She had,
however. poi,uisd four children and teo
asn,lJ-, ard what InaSe> the matter sjli more
revolving, p the lac that TWO OF the former
we're L.r o~n children. aud one ci Ihe Iatter
Ler husband. The children we're muraere!
ia England and the adults in C4uala. She
has been married ~ her second husband faE
a number Of years. and niI-ts,e tame pa~ssd
fer q very RESPECTABLE, Industrious woman.
Her appearance. however, was most rcvui-
,iug. and she was. Iu fact. the exact image oi
what We should imagine one ul the weird
sisters in NJ .cbeth" u have been. ; e died
sDou after n@Apag the ;.BJye horrible dis
cltsult.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-16
'S'.lc Peanut lu;turt. /.

For msiiy years past tie grouuu- pea has
been 4 most Impor ant element OF commerce
In the Gaze Fear coUhtry-jht au"u", cx-
porJa'Iou to the Northern State, and Canada
consul .rably exceeding 100000 bushels. i
single planter ia JIe %. oar eastern counties
Obtained q yearly Income Of S5.UJJ. He
rtis,d from Il II to seventy & - bushes 10 the
acre. AMI cultivated h,e acres 10 tne baud
which. at 81 a bu-heI--tBe ordinary price,
though Sl.2J was frequently rcaiiz-I-yie.I-
cd an income OF from SLjU TO 500 t. the
hand No such result uisder the old system
OF labor, cIud be obtained with tine sta ytes
on similar souls. Oar cation pl,trt-rs coul-u-
ted themselves with a crop Welding irD % : =
to SD per acre, and 1t YA- the sumuIag up
on q large surface that gave lIyIaE result.
The cultivation of no crops 30 easy. aud
onIv the simplest implements are reeuirad-
first the plow 70 break tie ground and then
simply the sweep and wedding hoes. The
average crop AS We hare SAID. /, from fifty 10
scy.ntt-hve bushels 70 The acre, beside, which
there Will be left in tn ground euoag,rro
tutten one hundred pounds of pork The
vine. wE-n thc pea = removed. makes an
excellent forage for cattlc-,aid II be cqGa,
to the best Northern hay, From the rut j,
expressed most valuable oil. During the
war jJ,t closed this OH vas uWoer,a.Iy used
IN our machine shops. aud lis lunricatory
properties are pronounced by cOmpeieut
authority 20 be superior - th0sk Of whale ull,
for the reason tIat Ii does nOt gum at alb
Ole olthe qualities OF the oil Is extensively
employed. in the compost O. of medicine
another r.n-ed for bHr.Ing purposes, aud
possesses the virjae OF not SHIokIng while
srrll third makes really excellent salad
C pudImeut. Such, aud s. variq aud impcr
Jant, are the iise TO which this im-Ie pro uci
can b. devoted uses which tha ubiu;yrmrd
who have perhaps regarded X only in the
ligit Of an mtigcstible bulb, would 80 er
suspect to proceed from its .a,i...-,. ,n.--N
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-16

The patent churn man VI i'll be in despair if
a process now said to be much III vogue in
the Normandy dairy districts become gene
rally introduced. The french RccHe d
E.oaomie R1rlie says
"The best way of making butte Is to pour
crea N into linen bag, trhen 10 tie 1t up and
put it into hole dug IN the ground, which is
,tterw ards covered with sarth. There it
must remain twenty five houis; alter which,
on being taken out, the cream Is folnd to
have become quite hard. IL IS theh c!nshed
in amort.lr with a wooden peste, half glass
of water being added to separate the butter !;
an operation which does not last TIVE minutes.
No other svsten of making butter j. now
employed in either Norniandy or the Berry,
for there not only Is say Wing of time and la
Dor, but greater qnan ity of butter is got
out OF the cream, and its quality is excellent.
Such people PIT the fir 1T hag into a second
one, N order to avoid bringing the earth too
closely into contact with the butter.N RI aia
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-16

The Lew;stown J,uu1l reports the f,llow-
ing, aS a rconversat on overheard between
two little boys. ''Ain't Y bu got 10 grand
mother? ~ asked one. mo" said the other
Il tell yer" responded the former, they re
tip-top. Let yer do as yer please; give yer
as much good stuff as ver can eat? and he
more you sarse EN- the be tier they like it"