davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26
The Ages Of Animals and Men,
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN

When the world was created, and al
creatures assembled to have their life
time appointed, the ass advanced first
and asked how long he would have t,
live.
"Thirty years." replied Nature
Twill that be agreeable to thee 2"
"Alas!" answered the ass, ssit is ;
long Remember what q wearisome ex
lstence mine will be from morning un
til night | shall have to bear heav,
burdens, dragging corn sacks to the
mil, that others may eat bread, while
L shall have no encouragement, nor be
refreshed with anything but blows and
kicks. Give me but portion of tina,
| time, pray thee"
Nature was moved with compassion
and presented him with but eighteen
years. The ass went away comforted
and the dog came forward.
''How long dost thou require to live9'
asked Nature ''thirty years were toe
many for the ass, but will You be con
tented with them ~
at is thy will that should % re-
piled the dog. "Think how much !
shall have to run about; my feet will
not last as long time; and when
shall have lost my voice for barking,
and my teeth for biting, what else shall
l be tit for but to lie in a conner and
growl
Nature thought he was right, and
gave him twelve years. The ape then
approached.
"Thou wilt, doubtless, willing live
the thirty years." said Nature. s'Thou
wilt not have to labor as the ass and
the dog. Life Will be pleasant to
thee"
80 no !" cried he; $50 it may seem
to others, but it will not be. Should
buildings ever rain down, / should have
no spoon! l shall play merry tricks,
and excite laughter by my grimaces.
and then be rewarded with sour ap-
pie. How often sorrow lies concealed
behind jest. l shall not be able TO
endure for thirty years"
Nature was gracious, and he received
but ten.
At last came man, healthy and strong.
and asked the number of his day.
"Will thirty years content thee Z"
show short time p exclaimed man
"When l shall have built my house and
kindled fire on my own heart--when
the trees shall have planted are about
to bloom and bear fruit-when lite with
me will seem most desirable, shall
de o., Nature, grant me a longer
periodw
"Thou shalt have the eighteen years
of the ass, besides"
'That is not yet enough" replied
man.
"Take, likewise, the twelve years of
the dog"
'1t is not yet sufficient" reiterated
man givs me more"
~ give thee, then, the ten years of
the ape in vain wilt thou crave more"
Man departed unsatisfed.
Thus man lives seventy years. The
first thirty are his human years, and
pass swiftly by. He is then healthy
and happy; he labors cheerfully, and
rejoices in his existence. The eighteen
years of the ass come next, and burden
upon burden is heaped upon him he
carries the corn that is to feed others;
blows and kicks are the wages of his
faithful service. The twelve years of
the dog follow, and he loses his teeth.
and lies in corner and growls. When
these are gone, the apes ten years form
the conclusion, Then man, weak and
silly, becomes the sport of children.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26

THE STRONG ARM.-What America needs
at the present time, to correct the mani
fold abuses under which the nation is so
ptfuly groaning. is strong, controlling
central government, directed by a wise and
sagacious intellect. At present, however
much any one interest may be suffering,
unless it can gather an army of voters at
its back, or is able pecuniarily, to pay for
such expensive commodities as justice and
protection, it has nowhere to go for any
redress of grievances. The strong, the rich
tie numerous may hope for some attention
at the hands Of what we facetiously call
"our government" unless justice to them
should conflict with the interest of those
who are stronger, richer, or more numerous.
The day of protection to the feeble and
the poor seems to have gone sadly by, aud
their claims find no other listeners than
those unsefish thinkers who are bordering
how long this carnival of absnrdiiy and
corruption can be expected to last.
And it cannot last forever, since men
viii think, and are graciously permitted to
speak and to print their thoughts. Such
long surfeits ofwrong and mismanagement,
unless brought to an end under the ca re of
some wise physicians, are sure to bring on,
at last, the sharp, correcting fever of revo-
lution-snd il is certainly advisable to
avoid such fevers if possible, for they are
fraught with deadly danger.
The strong arm should be sought for
now, and it's protection power gladly
welcomed by those who so much need it.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26
Southland.
HOW DIXIE" BECAME THE s'MARsEIL-
LAIsE" OF THE SOUTH DURING THE
WAR.
From the Memphis Post.

In the first place, the song and cho-
rus of "Dixie" was composed and ar
ranged by DansEmmet, a member of a
travelling minstrel party, who, while at
Mobile, in the winter of lS47 8, heard
some negro laborers singing on the
levee while loading steamboat with
cotton. The thought struck Dan. that,
with little change of measure, it
could be made a good song "walk
around" which generally winds up a
negro minstrel concert. Dan. arrang-
ed and produced it. It became sue
cess, and was sung and played all over
the country by all the bands.
In the spring Of 1861, Mrs. John
Wood came to New Orleans to play an
engagement at the Varieties Theater.
During the time, she appeared in Brou-
ghan's burlesque of Pocahontas. At
the first rehearsal of the piece every
thing went well till near the close of
the second act; Tom McDonough (now
agent for the Letfingwell,) the prompt
er, got up Zouave march and drill by
" ladies, led by Sasan Denim. Eve
rytbing run smooth, but the music for
the march could not be fixed upon
Carlo Patti was leader of the orches-
ira and he tried several marches, but
none suited McDonough-one was too
slow, another was too tame, another
not enough spirit. At length Patti
struck up the negro air of ''Dixie."-
THAT will do, Patti-the very thing"
said Tom, and "Dixie" was played, and
the march gone through with, and the
chorus by all the characters. At night
it received double encore, and Poca-
hontas had Il "run," and from that
time out the streets and pariors rang
with "Dixie." The war broke out that
Spring, and the military bands took it
up, and "Dixie" became to the South
what the Marseillaise Hymn was to the
French. And that's how "Dixie" be
came the popular war song of the
South.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26
What Answer?
AREw COMING TO 1MpER1A11su2|

II U NJ TO IMP RAILS
The Round Table" discussing the ques
tion-"Are we drifting into Imperialism p
reasons in this somewhat discouragine
strain:
In plain sooth, the age of sensuality, OF
unchecked corruption, of dense, Grass igno
rance is coming down on US like night. A
free press should have given more notes OF
warning than it has (; but the press dislikes
in free country. to print unpalatable
truth, even when it discerns such truth
and the Journals that profess fearless de-
votioD TO principle F." are VIGOROUSLY the
ones whose articles betray the most labo-
rlous solicitude to catch the applause and
Halter the prejudice of the greatest num-
Der. Meanwhile, at what are called our
great centers," coarse brutes, who ought
to be digging railways or drawing hand
carts, lay down the law for the whole COM
munity, and by dint Of vast wealth, amass-
I'd under circumstances impossible in any
other civilized country, degrade the social
tone, aud spread in every direction an I'M
brldled rage tor the pleasures Of the senses.
intellectual ambition is scoffed ut, and
those who strive to inculcae taste for
better things are either hated or despised
Nothing is thought of but the delights of
the table. Of fine clothes, of snowy dwell
Ings and equipaees--in word, of physical
raptures Of every description. If there is
pretense ut anything else-whuthrr in the
pulpit, in the theater, or in literature-the
pill mast be gilded so as to appear 'sensa-
tionai.'' All this is so widely admitted, so
shamelully notorious, that it's recital is
trite enough; we repeat it merely in e!uci-
dation of the subject uader discussion. 1t
is impossible, when people think all things
of their bodies and nothing of their minds,
that either democratic or any other pure
form ofgovernment can long be maintained
Unless great change comes over the Am
erIcan people, il will not be maintained by
themselves. They-are rushing toward the
precipice at railway speed. and the univer-
sal corruption that good men depiore is
the prelude of a decomposition which is as
certain as fate.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26

T A man living n.ar Natick. Mass.
was so angry, on Saturday evening, be
cause an express train would not drop him
in coming out from Boston, that he took
revenge by putting iron and wooden rails
across both tracks between birmingham
and Natick. The night express east and
the late birmingham train from Boston
met the distinctions, but escaped any seri
Gus results. The locomtives were slightly
injured, but nothing was thrown from the
track. The perpetrator of the mischief was
discovered and caught, and it will be likely
TO 60 more seriously with him than his
villainy did with the trains.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26

A LETTER FROM THE BAsTILE AT
JEFFERsoN.-The Courier-J Journal pub.
fishes the following letter from an in
mate of the bastile at Jefferson, to a
friend;
BUEL's BAsTILE, April IS, 1869.
Dear E,'iend:-I write to-day in hope
that through you our friends and rel
atives in the North may know of the
infamy that is being practiced under
the sacred banner of liberty. / have
now been in the hands of the vampire
Geo. P. Buel, nearly three months. At
one time there were nineteen men in
the den with me, but one of them hav-
ing been seized with bleeding at the
lungs, and two others taken sick, and
some of the officers making strong re-
concentrations that it was impossible
for the place to hold so many, our
number has been reduced to thirteen.
We are locked up at sunset and kept
until reveillle in the morning, and our
suffering for want of air and from stencil
can better be imagined than described.
Last night was seized with vomiting
and am so weak to- day that can
scarcely write. Another prisoner has
bleeding of the nose from the closeness
of the air. Those of us who are not
utterly too weak when we arise in the
morning; ask each other: "Can it be
possible such things can be done and
not punished 2" For my part, love
the Union yet, and cannot believe that
the great soldier who rules our great
republic knows of the doings of this in
suffer of women who built bridges dur
ing the war that Drawer men might
cross over to light. There are thirty
six prisoners in all, and many of them
are opposed to my writing about it, as
they think Buel will treat them worse
but, for myself, there can be no worse
fate than to be smothered to death like
a rat. l only hope that the coward
who has me in his power will give me
the same fate that his minion Bostwick
gave my lamented friend, VIM. Perry.
1t is unnecessary to say to you or the
friends who know me, that am inno-
cent of crime to my fellow-men or the
Government. To them l leave my
record. >. =. =.
The fault of this man was not that
he had committed any crime, or had
done anything wrong, but he had
spoken freely and unreservedly his
sentiments regarding the murder of Mr..
VIM Perry by. the notorious BOstwiek
and his soldiers, and openly denounced
the tyranny that prevailed in Jeffer-
son.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26

70 visit Europe. For a long period Can't
WISE did duty on the coast survey and his
reports are generally regarded as about the
veyed by him that are in our possession
as an author, the best known of lis works
are Los Gringos" QS59,) being a series
OF OF sketches of travel through Mexico, Cal
lorna Peru, Chill and Polynesia; "Tales
i I1a ohe Marines" Q85SJ "Scamparias' .
1921 and Captain Brand, of the schoon-
er oentipede" 1860.) Capt. Wise pos
sessed large circle of frerds aud acduain-
eaaces. to whom he Was endeared by his
many sterling qualities, and who will deep
" regret his death. He married daugh-
ter OF Hon. Levi Woodbury..
THE AURORA BoREALIs.
The New FORK Journal of Commerce.
IN carefully considered article, as if from
some scientific pen, submits the following
tneory torlSInal as far as it knows to ez-
pam the phenomena Of the aurora boreal-
Is, as displayed in the magnificent exhibit
ton OF last Thursday night "The aurora
oorealIs is the silent discharge of accumu,
lated electricity in the atmosphere. furnish
ing the same relief to nature as flashes of
lightning under other conditions. The
phenomena of the northern lights are in all
respects electrical. But the electric nature
OIL thursdays aurora was demonstrated
conclusively by its effect on telegraph
wires. When thunderstorm occurs the
wires become charged with electricity.
which sometimes affects them SO peryerse-
iy that they cnnnot be worked, and at 9TH
er times furnishes an efficient substitute
tor the galvanic battery. Precisely these
effects We're observed on Thursday night.
AT New York, Boston and PHILADELPHIA.
ana some other places. the auroral electric
lty Charged the wires and enabled opera
tors to work them without resource to
batteries. At St. Johns Newfoundland.
the most northern point from which we
nave any report, the aurora seriously in
terrupted the operation of the telegraph
possibly because the current supplied from
the air was too strong for tie work TO be
done. No doubt remains, after the testi
mohy given by many intelligent observers
IN various parts OF the country that the
aurora Is attended by the release of enor-
NOUS quantities of electricity The theory
winch we propose is the only one which
explains why the aurora borealis is seen
only IN the arctic Tor antarctic) and TEN.
perate zones-never. or rarely, in the tor
rid zone-and also why it is visible here
only Tor chiefly in the fall, winter or spring
months-not in the summer. In the 'trop-
ic zone. and in tine warm months, the accu-
mulated electricity in the atmosphere is
discharged under entirely different condi-
tlons, as lightning, with thunder, during
heavy showers of rain"
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26

l
GREAT EEFEcr OF SUPERPHospHArE ON
iURNIps.-I wish to tell you about the
marvellous effect of superphosphate on a
crop of turnips. In June ! turned over a
piece OF old pasture which had not been
plowed for thirty years. In July harrow
ed it thoroughly, and about the middle of
the month marked for rows about twenty
eight inches as under. i scattered super
phosphate in the drills at the rate of about
45O pounds per acre, and planted the seed
with a seed planter, which mixed the man.
ure with the soil so as not to iniure the
seed. due time the seed came up and
grew finely, and when the plants were of
| proper size man with hoe and boy
with fingers thinned them to about fourteen
| inches in the rows, which was all the hope
and finger work they received | went
through them twice with horseshoe. One
row was planted without any phosphate
not upon the outer edge, but as good as
any portion of the field At harvest this
rows turnips were measured, and found TO
be just about one-half bushel, while the
Others of the some length produced an
average of FIVE bushels. And now the
question is were the extra foue and one
half bushels directly the product of the
phosphate or by giving the young a strong
and vigorous start at first were they en-
abled to draw more from the soil, aud thus
impoverish to greater degree the ma
nured portion? This is quite an important
question whether l paid for the extra
turnips when purchased the manure, Or
whether it stimulated the soil to pay for
them afterward. It seems almost ineredi-
BILE that so small an amount OF manure
should produce so many turnips, but am
inclined to the opinion that such is the
fact, and will give you my reason for it.
This was the northwest corner of a forty
acre pasture, and well up in the corner
sheep had lain more or less for FIVE years.
which they wished to get into the lea, and
had made it quite rich. l plowed so far
out into the field that large proportion of
the turnips were grown upon soil no better
than the average of the whole pasture, and
yet the yield of the whole field was so uni
form that I could see no difference between
what / called the richest part of the field
and the other If the means had only
stimulated them to vigorous early start.
giving them longer ibrous root, should
expect them to grow much the largest
upon the most fertile portion of the field.
GEO. w. HuMPHREY.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26

A BOLD RAILROAD MovE.-Cincinnat
April 29.-Both houses Of the Ohio Leg
islature passed bill giving the city of Gin.
cinnati authority to use $4,000 900 for the
purpose of building short line railroad
through Kentucky to connect with the
Southern system railroads at Chattanooga
The work will be undertaken at once and
pushed forward vigorously. Our citizens
are almost unanimously in favor Of the pro
posed enterprise. 1t is to be managed bs
a board OF trustees to be appointed nv the
judges Of the Superior Court, which will
insure first-class men.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26
GRANT Gc1se USDER.-Can lie VIII

GRANT GCING UNDER.-Can lie With.
stand the Pressure.-It is amarvei to con.
siderate men how the administration is to
stem the current of disapprobation that is
flowing in upon it from every quarter. No
other one that has ever been inaugurated
has, in so short time, created such a de-
gree of distrust and condemnation among
it's party friends. Turn which way you
may the voice of condemnation comes up
from the leaders of the party that made
Grant President of the United States.--
They more or less denounce most Of his
appointments as unfit to be made, while
they do not spare the man who has made
them. Their displeasure is expressed in
words neither mild nor polite. That Grant
as Executive, is worse than a failure, they
admit There are those whose wishes he
has regarded in making appointments, who
yet speak in his prais-, but they are few in
number and of little influence. The clamor
of condemnation rises above the faint words
of praise. General Grant has neither the
nerve nor the ability of Andrew johnson,
and hence cannot carry on an administra-
ton without party. He cannot stand up
and meet the force of condemnation which
his own party friends are bringing to bear
against him. He must either become the
AFFECT, plant tool of the Radical leaders,
or else continue to blunder as he has
Numbered from the beginning, and finally
be elected from Office through an impeach-
ment not faseo. One or the other he
has got to submit to. Had he taken a
sensible, conservative, and judcious course
in the beginning, the Democracy of the
country light have defended him in the
proper discharge of his duties, bu: that
party cannot touch his gift enterprise man
agement or his shameful nepotism. He
must stand or fall with his party, and then
pass into that obscurity from which be
will never be recalled, leaving to history
an administrative record remarkable only
for its imbecility and pusiIanimity. as we'll
as an utter want of purpose Detroit
Free Press.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26
The Republican Party.

The New York Herald has been FOR
some years most conspicuous and able
advocate of the Republican party. 1t has
particularly distinguished itself by its devo-
ton to General Grant and his administra-
ton. This fact gives poin and force to the
following, which We select from late num-
Der of our New York cotemporary. 1t
says:
"I'he fact has become patent that the
Republican party is the most corrupt that
ever cursed our land. During the war its
leaders fell upon the National Treasury
and the public credit like so many ravenous
wolves. Their jobs and robberies in the
way 0! army contracts. in the building of
new war vessels that proved shells or
abortions, and in every thing connected
with supplies. including provisions, cloth
ing, forage, hospital stores, and so on to
the end of the catalogue, for the use of the
army and navy, were enough to appeal any
othes people than the American. These
depraved and hungry leaders, with appeti-
ties for the spoils OF Office still lingering in
their Unsuitable maws, have now fastened
upon the Senate of the United States, and,
with an righteousness that spurns all COM
pfohiiSe, feasob anu control, uemabd that
no appointment shall be made without
their having finger in the selection. In
the homely phrase ola Western Senator
they are persstently 'dingdongng' every
member of that body; and, it is notifying
TO acknowledge, they have in that body
friends and confreres as currupt as them
selves, who are ready and are employed to
do their bidding in making Indian treaties,
allowing enormous grants of land tor pri-
vate purposes and engaging in other scan
dalous practices, besides encouraging fraud
ulent appointments to Office"
To this Indictment of one of their organs
oul Republican friends can do nothing but
plead guilty"
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26

E@. Not the least among the many
gratifying incidents connected with Gen.
Early's visit to Lexington, were the meet
iDss between him and his old veterans
officers. privatss and all. To SEE .the boys
as he calls them, some of them gray haired
crowding up to clasp his hand and have
word or SO over the baeties gone to hear
the hearty greetings, and the honest 'God
bless you" was enough to make "a man
forget his woes" and believe there was '.iife
10 the old land vet"
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26
ESTRAY.

TAKEN UP aud estrayed before me.
Il Justice of the Peace for the Spring
Hill Ward, Rapides Parish, by b. II.
Willis, Jr., A LIGHT BAY MARE,
about eight years old, fourteen hands
high, branded thus v, on each shoulder
and left rump, a small star in the fore
head, with colt, about two weeks old.
Also
A FILLY. three years old, brand in
shape of square with the letter A over
ii G top, on the left shoulder. APP
praised by Thomas E. Randolph and
Matthew P. Willis to be worth sixty
five dollars.
The owner will come forward, prove
property, pay charges, or they will be-
sold according to law.
WIN. RANDOLPH, Up.
May 26th, 1869 st.
Printers Fees 50 90.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26

FG- A citizen of Parkersburs, West Vir
ginia, said to be a man of wealth and re-
spectability, was arrested by Marsha
Walsh, in Newport, on Saturday EVENING"
upon a warrant which charges him with en-,
tering the room of a young lady, who is his
cousin, in that city, at a late hour Oh Mon-
day night last, for vile purpose. The
young lady in question has also commenced
a civil action for damages for assault and
battery against him. He gave bail in the
sum OF $500 for his appearance before the
Mayor. 1t is probable the matter will be
compromised.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26

skT Parlor concerts are the rage in
New Orleans, and an amusing scene occur
red few evening since when the auartette
were in the act Of singing ..Good Night, !"
from, by II band near the hall serenadine
some person, Mr.. Wheat had already com.
menced the prelude, and finding it impossi-
Bile for the piece to be heard, chaug-li :, -
an accompaniment to the tine the ~. ~
was playing until j. ceased. oau'
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26
ESTRAY.

TAKEN UP and estrayed before the
i undersigned, Justice of the Peace
for the Parish Of Rapides, by John O.
Q. Stanfield, A GREY MARE, five
years old, thirteen hands high, brand IN
the shape of letter M, on the left
rump. Appraised by T. E. Randolph
and E. R. StaDfeld to be worth twenty
dollars.
The owner will come forward, prove
property, pay charges and take the
mare away, or l shall proceed to sell in
sixty days, according to law.
WIN. RANDOLPH, j. P.
May 26th, 1669-3t.
Printers Fees sc 90.