davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27
Tie Steam Plough.

Ploughing by steam is carried on to a
great extent in England. A correspond
ent says The engine used is traction
engine, that is, moves itself like q loco
motive. When ploughing or narrowing
is to be done, steam is started, the en-
CINE rolls out of the barn and proceeds
leisurely to the field, dragging after it a
train of wagons containing the ploughs,
ropes, DC. The working force consists
of three men and three boys. The en-
CINE takes up its station on the road, at
one end of the field. The plough, with
its four shares, is run on to the land, be-
side the engine, and facing away from it
at right angles. The wire rope is carried
to the opposite side of the field aud pass
ed through a block, on a movable
anchor, having disc wheels that cut into
the ground at the headland. The ropo
is connected with the plough and with
the drum under the engine. The engi-
neer mounts his locomotive. The man
at the anchor stands ready to move it as
the plough cuts its wide path through
the soil. The assistants take their places
along the ropes with iron frames, over
which it runs to prevent friction, and
the ploughman mounts his strange ma
chine. This is pair of wheels, having
two huge iron arms, each containing
four ploughs, each set facing the other.
The ploughman (the foreman ofthe gang
waves q white flag to start, The engine
pufs Justify. The ropes tighten and
groan. One arm containing four ploughs
sinks into the ground while the other,
slightly elevated in the air, goes back
ward in front. The dust flies, and with
tremendous force the soil is plou9hed up
and turned completely over to depth of
six inches, and at speed of an acre an
hour. As the plough goes tearing
through the land the boys remove the
"porters " over which the rope runs and
replace them as the plough passes
A wave OF the flag and the engine slows
down. Another signal and it stops with
the plough at the opposite side of the
field. The ploughman changes his seat
the anchor is moved slightly and the en-
CINE starts forward a few feet. The flag
waves, the rope tightens, and the plough
starts on its return journey, making four
new burrows.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27
Homemade Ices.

Given q Five-minute Freezer" and
a shilling's worth of ice, md other mate
rial costs almost nothing. With lemons
at ninepence q dozen, Sicily oranges four
teen for quarter of q dollar, currants
and rasberries reddening in the garden,
and strawberries at every corner, mould
of ice costs less than pudding or a pie,
and involves less heat and trouble in
preparation. A bit of carpet and NAL
let, few minutes pounding and STIR
ring-your freezer is ready-your mix
ture poured in and covered over; you
come md go leaving it to itself, with now
and then twirl of the dasher-half an
hour and it is ready. The ghost OF last
winter has entered your kitchen and
done his spiriting deity.
The varieties OF material are many.
They sound the gamut of the seasons.
There is an ice for every month in the
year, and dozen for those in which ice
is most palatable and welcome.
AS, for instance, all the winter long.
lemon and orange ices can be had, made
simply of the juice of the fruits, cold
water, and sugar. A little sweetmeat,
or the leftover syrupof can of peaches,
may be added to enhance and vary the
flavor, aud the stitily beaten white of an
egg makes the composition lighter and
more delicate. Later, pineapple ice
comes on then strawberry, raspberry,
chery--made precisely in the same
way. Curant juice well-sweetened and
frozen without water forms ruby cone
delightful to look and taste. Frozen
peaches sliced into cream and well sweet
ened, are not to be derided. In fact,
there is no fruit or mingling of fruits
which will not blend tremendously under
the magic influence of the freezer. The
mos unlikely things turn out the most
toothsome. We distinctly remember
once eating mixture OF wonderful
goodness, which proved on investigation
to be compounded OF milk, -four, little
melted butter, very little cream, sugar,
sliced peaches, and the juice of stewed
pears After that, who shall hesitate?
One word more. Pound your ice
very fine, and add plenty OF rock salt,
packing it close with stick or broom
handle. These precautions taken, the
freezing becomes very easy affair."
From " Home and Society,"" IN Scribaer's
Nagasiale for August
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27
A Chinese Deathbed.

The Chinese have many customs pc
culiar to their nation, which strike the
" outside barbarian " as being strange
and unnatural. Their religious tradi-
tons are deep-rooted and SO strongly
fostered by superstition as to give little
encouragement to missionary laborers.
The most striking of these superstitions
are those pertaining to the disposition
OF their dying and dead relatives. Very
often the dead bodies of Chinese men
and women are found in untenanted
buildings in the Chinese quarter Of this
city, and those unacquainted with their
superstitions are prone to set the deser
ton Of dying friends down as acts OF
selfshness. This, however, is not 80, as
the Chinese believe that if persons die
in house that they lived in before
death, their spirits will haunt the places
ever after, and give unpleasant evidence
of their presence to all who remain. In
order to prevent the manifestations of
the restless spirit, as soon as the doctor
gives it as his opinion that the patient
will die, he is taken to another place and
left alone to die. Yesterday case Of
this kind was reported to the Coroner,
A young Chinawomnn who had been
given up by the attending physician,
was carried to an untenanted house in
Ellis Place, off Pacific, above Dupont.
They then dressed her in her best cloth
ing, spread q new mating upon the
floor, and laid her on it. They brought
in preserves, meat, fruit, candies, boiled
rice, ETC., lighted some punks and re-
tired, leaving her alone to await the com
ing OF the common destroyer. During
tho day she died, and was found last
night. Coroner LettermGn removed the
body, and it is now at the morgue await
ing the further action of the relatives,
who will probably leave her to be dis
posed of by the city, as is generally
their pYctice in such cases. Many Chi.
namen--those of the wealthy classes
do not desert their dead friends, and for
the furtherance of this desire there ore
several hospitals fitted up in order that
those about to die may be removed there
until they have paid the debt of nature,
after which they are buried with all the
ceremonies of the disciples of Confu-
cious. -.San F'oncisco paper.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27

A BLOODY FIGHT. "Details OF the re-
cent bloody fight in Eaton Rapids,
Mich, between some OF the town people
and the attaches of a menagerie, show that
it vas caused by the refusal of the door
keeper to admit little girl on q half
price ticket. She came with her father
and mother. The refusal given rise to
some words, and the door-keeper knock
cd the father down. He Immediately
went to a neighboring brick.yard and
collected a crowd of men, who proceed
ed to the canvas, and soon succeeded in
getting into d low with the attaches of
the concern. One of the attacking party
was hit on the head with brick and
instantly killed, and several others were
desperately wounded. Nearly at the
end of the fight one of the menagerie
men made an attack upon an inoffensive
farmer standing by, threw his arm
around the old mans neck, and pro-
ceeded to pound him on the head with
q stone. This rascal was arrested upon
a charge of assault, with intent to kill, ="
and he was the only man taken in charge
by the Police.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27

Dr.. w. L Johnston, well-known
American physician III Paris, has called
the attention of Minister Washburne to
the fact that exaggerated reports of NOR
tality in Paris have been circulated, and
as evidence of fact gives the statement,
which exhibits the number of deaths in
Paris for the recent week, as compared
with those of London for similar one,
and also as compared with the deaths in
Paris for the corresponding week in
1870. The official statement of the
Physician of the Prefecture of the Seine
shows that in Paris, with population
of 1926, 247, according to the census OF
1866, there were, from the 10th to the
10th June, of the present year, total
of ,25O, deaths, of which LOIS We're from
causes not specified. In London, with
a population, according to the census Of
1871, of 1888, $50, from the Goth May to
the I'd June, the total number of deaths
was 1893, of which 1876 were from
causes not specified. The report shows
that there were sixteen cases OF small
pox in Paris and 900 in London. If the
deaths from wounds, included under
the head of other causes, be deducted,
Paris exhibits q better state of health
Turing the same period of last year. 1t
appears by the table that the sanitary
condition of Paris is satisfactory, and
that no epidemic prevails. The number
of deaths during the corresponding
week of 1870 was LIZA. Among the
deaths of the present week there has
been no exceptional number OF acct
dental deaths.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27
A Petroleum EXPLORATION.

Colonel Forney writes TO the Phila-
delphia Press from the oil regions OF
Pennsylvania long account of the pre-.
sent condition of the petroleum field.
He says
There are now forty-seven oil-districts,
In the month of May last these forty
seven districts produced 4O9, 797 bar
rels, equal to 10, 1877 per day, which, at
g., so to $500 per barrel, will give you
some idea of the revenue derived from
this new branch of industry. Many
changes have taken place, but no revo-
luton has been so effective as the substi-
tuition of wrought-iron pipes, some two
and half inches in diameter, for the
original plan of conveying oil in barrels
from the wells to the tanks on the rail
road cars.
These pipes are frequently carried over
distance Of three or four miles. They
are manufactured in Philadelphia. and
are composed of sections, which screw
into each other. They are spread over
the most irregular ground, up and down
hills, and when fastened into the tanks, at
both ends the steam-engine is applied,
and the oil is forced to run down at
very rapid rate until the railroad tank is
full. There are said to be over 1000 feet
of this pipe now laid in the district. I'm
der the former process the cost OF con-
veying the oil was equal to one dollar a
barrel. 1t is now not one-fifth of that
amount--an almost incalculable econ
omy, when we consider that there is no
longer any necessity for spending money
for barrels. Another great advantage
of the new system over the old is the
utilizing of the gas which is found in
large quantities i'll many localities while
boring for oil-wells. Pipes are applied
to this gas, and it proves a tirst-class
substitute for fuel, being employed to
run engines, &c. 1t is estimated that a
single well is capable Of supplying gas
enough to illuminate a city the size Of
Franklin.
The question may be asked why, if
such fortunes were realized when oil
commanded only $l.25 q barrel, it can
not be obtained at the same price now I?
The answer is that the article has appre-
ciated, owing to the increasing demand
for it and Us the trade is in the hands
OF certain united organizations, they
slacken operations the moment the de.
nand moderates, OF store their oil in vast
tanks on their estates, some of which
hold 10000 and even as high us 10000
barrels. You will perceive, therefore,
that while there are many failures, while
many poor fellow vainly bores for the
precious liquid, the average profit is enor-
nous, and that one Or two good pro-
ducing wells is a sure fortune.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27
Manufacture of Knives.

Few people have any idea through
what number Of hands their pocket
knives have passed in the process Of
manufacture. A bar Of steel destined to
furnish number OF blades is heated to
redress. A length is cut off, and the
forger speedily "moulds' this-that is,
shapes it roughly into the form OF pock-
et-knife blade. Another heating is then
required to fit the end for being fashion
ed into the tang, and yet another before
it can undergo the further operation Of
"smithing," the last stage Of which is
the stamping OF the mark Of the thumb
nail to facilitate opening The tang is
then ground and the blade marked
with the name Of the firm. The slight
bulge on the reverse side caused by
this operation is removed by fire or
the glindstone. The blade is then hard
ened by heating it to redness and then
plunging it into water up to the tang.
The tempering process follows newt, the
blush yellow tint being considered as
indicating that the proper degree of heat
at which to immerse the blade once
more in cold water has been attained.
| After this the blades are classified in the
warehouse, nd undergo sundry grinding
operations to fit them for being hated.
Twelve distinct processes have by this
time been gone through, and mauy more
are necessary before the knife is COM
pletely finished, although the number of
hands which it has nov to pass through
depends in a great measure on the
finish to be given to the handle, accord
ing to the quality of the blades with which
it is fitted, and the price which the com
pleted article is intended to realize. -
Engineering and Mining Journal.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27
AN ALLEGED MURDERER HANGED BY

AN ALLEGED MURDERER HANGED BY A
MoB.-A dispatch flom Watseka, Iro-
quois County, ILL.,, says that a mob OF
citizens from that town and the sur
country, to the number OF
nearly LOCO including men, women and
children, proceeded to the jail in that
place, and took therefrom Martin Mera,
charged with the murder of his son,
lad of 10 years. Mera was taken to con-
venient place near at hand, where, after
giving him 90 minutes to pray, n rope
was placed around his neck, thrown
over limb of a tree, and hundreds OF
ready hands hauled him up, and held
him there until he was dead. The leader
of the mob and his abettors claim that
Mera, could only have been convicted
of manslaughter, and for that reason
they were justified in putting the muir
derer beyond the reach Of mercy.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27
The Ship.


AND see bDo Htlrb
She starts -she movos--she seems 10 feel
The thrill OF life along her keel,
And, spurning with her foot the ground,
With one exulting, joyous bound,
She leaps into the oceans arms
And 10 from the assembled crowd
There rose shoIt, prolonged and loud,
That to the ocean seemed to say
"Take her, o bridegroom, old and gray,
Take her to thy protecting arms,
With all her youth and all her charmsr
How beautiful sho is! How fair
She lies within those arms that press
Her form with many a soft caress
or tenderness and watchtul care!
Sail forth into the soa, o shp
Through wind and wave, right onward steer
The moistcned eye, the trembling lip,
Are not the signs OF doubt or fear
Sail forth into the sea OF life,
gentle, loving, trusting wife,
Aud safe from all adversely
Upon the bosom OF that sea
e Thy comings and thy goings be
For gontleness and love and trust
Prevail DER angry wave and gust;
And in the wreck OF noble lives
Something immortal still surviyes'
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27

Nor PRETTY PLAYTHNG.--A boy
near ON eha the other day struck upon a
rattlesnake near his fathers house, and
as he was temporarily in charge of his
little sister, he gave her the reptile to
play with. Presently the snake, tired Of
the child's fondling, began to hiss vic.
iously and rattle. The boy discovering
then It's venomous nature, snatched it
from his sister and attempted 10 fling it
away. TIE snake fastened about his
wrist and threatened to bite. The boy
alarmed his father who was not far off,
and by caution the latter succeeded in
sntleing the reptile 50 that it left the boy.
When killed, the rcttlesnaks was found
to be full grown, over two feet long, and
with six rattles.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27
The DeacOn's Prayer.

In the regular evening meeting
That the church holds, every week,
Ono night listening angel sat
70 hear them pray and speak.
1t puzzled tho soul of the angel
Why some to that gathering came,
But sick and sinful hearts he saw,
With grief and guilt ahame,
They were SILENT but said to the angel,
Sour lives have need OF Him"
While doubt, with dull, vague, throbbing pain,
Stirred through their spirits dim.
You could sec twas the regular meeting,
And the regular seats were filed,
And all knew who would pray and talk,
Though any one might that willed.
From his place i'll front, near the pulpit,
In his long-accustomed way,
When the Book was read, and the hymn was
sung,
The Deacon arose to pray.
First came the long preamble
If Peter had opened so,
He had been, ere the Lord his prayer had
heard,
Full fifty fathom below
Then volume of information
Poured forth, as if to the Lord,
Concerning His ways and attributes,
And the things by Him abhorred.
But not in the list Of the latter
Was mentioned the mockpg breath
or the hypOCrte prayer that is not prayer,
And the make-belieye life in DEATH
Then he prayed for the church and the pastor 4;
And that 'souls might be his hire
Whatever his stipend otherwise
And the Sunday .school; and the choir;
And the swalming hordcs Of India
And the nerishing, vile Chinese;
And the millions who bow to the Pope OF Rome
And the pagan churches OF Greece;
And the OutCast remnants OF Judah,
OF whose guilt he had much to tell
He prayed or he told the Lord he prayed,
For everything out OF Hell.
Now if all Of that burden had really
Been weighing upon his soul,
'Twould have sunk him through to the China
side
And raised q hill over the hole.
Twas the regular evening meeting,
And the regular prayers were made,
But the listening angel told the Lord
Elat only the silent prayed.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27

CRY AND COUNTRY. desire of
country lads for city life is natural
enough. They are captivated by the
stylish dress, soft hands, and easy man
ners of the young men of the city they
meet from time to time, and are natural.
ly attracted by life that would enable
them to enjoy what they consider so de-
sirable. They do not know that the
poor clerk has nothing but his dress and
soft hands, and that between his desire
to equal the style Of those whose incomes
are far in advance Of his, and the limita-
lions OF his small salary, he leads a life
of disquietude and unhappiness that the
country youth never dreamed OF.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27

A FEMALE AERoNAUT. Miss Maggie
Seitz, who went up in balloon from
Columbus, Ohio, had rather an unpleas-
ant experience. Soon after starting, the
ropes connecting the basket with the
balloon caught on the end of broken
limb of tree, 100 feet from the ground.
The inflated part bent over the topmost
branches, the heated air began to escape,
and the threng Of spectators rushed with
up-turncd faces toward the sturdy trees
buse, crying, ooh |! she'll fall, she'll
fall p Meanwhile Miss Seitz stood in
the basket, apparently with firm nerve
and complete presence of mind. Far
down below her, forty feet from the
ground, was a lifeless limb. There was
no limb below it, and to reach this, by
climbing, two or three young men
essayed in vain. The fourth succeeded,
and tied q rope to the first limb, by
which two others followed, taking with
them stronger rope. This they carried
to the top, threw it over a substantial
limb, and then fastened the balloon
basket securely to it. BY this means,
with men on the ground holding the
rope, Miss Seitz was trimphantly lower
ed, amid the loud acclaims of the specta-
tors, who stood in great awe for as much
as an hour to see what fate would betide
her. On reaching the ground she faint
ed.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27

WHAT IT WILL Do.--There is n SHARP
rivalry Just nowin Alabama among differ
emit guano dealers. Que of them, by
way of showing the superiority OF his
guano over any other, says that far
mer recently put a sample Of it into his
pocket, in which there happened to be
q carpet tack, and started home on horse
back. Before reaching his house his
steed broke down, and the farmer was
at loss to discover the cause until he
found that the carpet tack had grown
TO be q long bar of railway iron.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27

The TEXAS CATTLE TRApE,-The
Abilene (Kansas) Chronicle gives tire
following as the most accurate figures
of the Texas cattle trade this season.
There are now near the line of the
Kansas Pacific Railroad 125,000 head;
passed Red River station to be driven on
that line, 100000; for Atchison, Topeka
and Santa Fe Railroad, $4,000; fer
Missouri River, Fort Scott and Gulf
Railroad, 75,C0Q; fol the Union Pacific,
$4,000; to be wintered in Kansas and
Colorado, $4,000; total, $4,000 This
is lower than all previous estimates,
though larger than any previous year.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27

HIS SUCCESS. A story comes from
Delaware of an eccentric philosopher
who has paid the penalty of his criminal
attempt to enlighten mankind. To some
extent he did enlighten that abstraction,
but not as he intended to do He had
some theory or other in regard to the
use of parachutes which he absurdly
connected with pyrotechnics, and so, on
the Fourth OF July, shortly after dusk,
he clandestinely erected i'll his yard u
huge sky-rocket, to the head of which
was attached his parachute, in such o
way that while the rocket was seeking
the moon it would remain closed, but
when its upward motion ceased it would
theoretically open like an umbrella, and
thus watt him safely to the ground. He
attached himself to the lower end of the
stick with the fuse turned away from
him in such way that the fire from the
rocket would not injure him. Then he
blazcd away and went whizzing through
the air, dangling and bobbing as he sped,
with fire fastening itself upon him
somewhat "like the pale martyr in his
shirt of fire." If his parachute ever
opened he did not know it, for presently
those who beheld the wondrous engine
saw it turn sharply in mid-air, and it
fell. The poor fool was found burnt and
mangled not far from his own philosophy
shop.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-27
Touching Devotion OF n Child.

One of the most fearful cases ever
told on paper is this, Of little boy, O
mere child, who travelled 1,4O0 miles,
taking care of the dead body of his
mother all the way.
An expressman, upon reashing his Of
flee one cold morning in January, OBJ
served on the sidewalk long, heavy
box which his practiced eye at once
identified as containing corpse. Upon
the end of the box, shivering with cold,
sat half-clad boy about seven or oi yht
years of age. Addressing him kindly,
he said :
"My lad, don't sit there you will
freeze. Come in and sit by the fire."
Bursting into tears, the little fellow
replied:
"No, can't come. My mother is in
this box, and promised her would
not leave her until we got home"
Deeply affected with the touching de-
votion Of this brave little boy, he finally
succeeded in convincing him of the en-
tire safety of his precious charge, and
taking him to restaurant, gave him a
warm breakfast, and then learned the
particulars of his story.
His father died but u year previously,
in remote village in Minnesota, leaving
his mother in poor health and nearly
destitute. She died but q few days be-
fore the boys sad journey, charging the
little hero with the sad duty of convey
ing her remains to her friends in dis.
tant State, and furnished him with (all
she had) a sum of money barely sutti-
cient to carry them both to their desti-
nation.
The little fellow had actually ridden
night and day in freight car with his
melancholy trust, never for moment
losing sight of it.