davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-06-29
SupcrStitiOns of Vampires.

The Pail Null Gazette says "From
a case now before the high tribunal at
Berlin we learn that the superstition of
vampires-corpses who are supposed to
rise from their graves at night and suck
the blood of those with whom they have
held intercourse in life--is still general
among the Poles and Magyars. A Polish
gentleman died at his country seat at
Roslasin in February last, leaving his
family in excellent health. A few weeks
after his death, however, his eldest son
was suddenly and unaccountably taken
i'll, his short sickness ending in death.
Similar cases, though not fatal, occurred
among his near relatives. 1t was at once
agreed that the deceased must be a YAM
pire, and that his visits were the cause
of this repeated illness. To save him
self from the fate of his brother, the
second son determined to apply the sup
posed only remedy, viz. to eXhume the
body, cut off his head, and lay it with
the feet, while another person was to
collect the blood issuing from the wound
to give the remaining relatives "a drink.
He obtained the assistance of laborer,
naturally at heavy price, but was pre-
vented on his first expedition by the
interference of the parish priest. The
next attempt proved more successful,
and the deed was accomplished. 1t had
been observed, however, by some person
in the village, and was thus brought to
the knowledge of the authorities. The
absurd superstition threatens to cost the
desecrator of the churchyard three
months imprisonment. That was the
verdict in the first instance, and though
the Court Appeal has cancelled the SEN
tence, the High Tribunal seems resolv-
ed to confirm it.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-06-29

SET AsIDE,-A divorced woman in
Boston has had the decree set aside,
having shown that it was obtained by
fraud. At the trial, the papers in the case
showed that she had acknowledged the
service of copy of the writ, but it now
turns out hat she was not aware that
there was case pending in which she
was concerned, and that the use Of her
name in accepting service was fraud
ulent, one of the counsel for the plaintiff
having procured an officer to serve a
copy for the writ on woman who per-
sonated her
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-06-29

VERY CURIoUs.-After Susan B. An
thony lectured in Ripon, Wis, she want
ed some recreation and amusement, so
she took walk on Sunday around the
graveyard there. While she was enjoy
ing the literature of a tombstone, she
heard lot of small boys saying, "That's
her." And she thought, "Such is fame. "
CONCENTRATING herself that even the
children of the land knew her, she was
accosted by an urchin, who said, "Say,
amt you the old woman that walks up on
the wire at the circus tent tomorrow ?"
Susan left that vicinity double soon,
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-06-29

CHINESE COMPLICATIONS "A dispatch
from Admiral Rodgers has been receiv'
ed, giving an account of fight between
the Chinese on the Corean peninsula
and the combined American and Euro
pean forces. Admiral Rodgers was
conveying to Corea a number of Coreans
whom he had rescued from shipwreck.
The boats crews from the French,
English, Prussian and American vessels
on this mission were fired upon by the
Chinese. A fight ensued, in which the
Chinese were punished, and admiral
Rodgers intiinates that the conflict
would be renewed.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-06-29

The LOCUST. - The Albany Argus
throws some light on the invasion of the
West by the seventeen year locust, p"
which the West so much breads. 1t APP
pears that the "locust' is no locust at
all, but is the cicada Septemdecim; nor
yet is it harmful, for it cannot devour
vegetation, as it has no jaws for eating,
but merely a haustellum for sucking,
which, however, it seldom or never uses.
It's life lasts only from ten days to three
weeks, and during this time it does moth
ing but fly about, then it deposits its
eggs and dies. The only injury done by
these insects is noticed when they hurt
trees by piercing them in order to de-
post their eggs They appear every
year in some parts of the country, but
not in the same locality, as the eggs are
not Matched until they have lain for
seventeen years.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-06-29
Trimming with LaCeS.

Very fine white muslin dresses, which
ere to be worn only on dressy occasions,
are trimmed with point duchesse lace.
The lace resembles Honiton, and at
three and four inches in width, ranges
III price from seven to nine dollars a
yard. For black silk and black grena-
dine, black dutchesse enjoys an equal
degree of favor. Valenciennes retains
popularity, though such good limitations
are made of this favorite lace, that it is
sometimes difficult for even connoisseur
to tell the genuine French article from
the Italian and German limitations. In
the latter the patterns are often copied,
but in the genuine the thread which
forms the mesh in thinner and finer,
and the flowers are more delicately
wrought. The laundry will make these
differences still more perceptible Black
and white lace are mingled together with
good effect in elegant costumes, which
are designed for evening, for dinner, or
for receptions. The flowing dress
sleeves, which have necessitated hand
some under-sleeves, have made necessary
either the needle-work collar edged with
lace, or lace collar to match them
Lace bows are worn at the throat, and
fine lawn neckties which are lined with
some bright color and tied in front in a
loose sailor knot, are also edged with
lace. Bright colorcd silk ties are trimmed
with Valenciennes, with stylish black
silk ties having the ends formed of alter
nate strips of Valvenciennes insertion
and black silk. The ends which are
square are edged with wide lace.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-06-29

The Boston J0mWdlsays The imports
Of foreign woods at this port are again on
the increase. The bark George T. Kemp
and brig Western Star both arrived here
this week from Cape Good Hope, bring
ing in tie aggregate 1,730 bales. Until
recently these woods have been compare
lively neglected by our manufacturers,
but the continued scarcity Of the home
products has turned their attention to the
foreign article, and large purchases have
lately been made abroad to supply the
deficiency. There is at present no little
excitement among the dealers in this
country in regard to the new clip, as
under the very light stocks, the market
has been stimulated with material rise
in prices, and buyers have gone to the
Western states in large numbers to Sc
cure the first bargains. Some fears are
expected by Eastern people, that too
great eagerness to purchase at high rates
by the parties who have gone out may
lead to heavy importations of woollen
goods, and thus ultimately to break down
the markets, but the prospects of the
trade now are very good, the demand
from manufacturers being quite active at
full prices. Large purchases Of foreign
wool have recently been made in Eng
land for shipment to this country.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-06-29

How PANAMA HATS ARE MADE.-The
process of making Panama hats is as fol-
lows The leaves of the Pandamus, or
Seren pine, from which these hats are
made, are gathered before they unfold,
the ribs and coarser veins are removed,
and the rest, without being separated
from the base of the leaf, is reduced to
shreds. After having been put in the
sun for day, and tied into a knot, the
straw is immersed in boiling water until
it becomes white. 1t is then hung up in
a shady place, and consequently bleached
for two or three days, after which the
straw is ready for use. The plating of
the straw commences. at the crown and
finishes at the brim, and is very trou-
blesome operation. The hats are made
on block placed on the knees, and re-
quire to be constantly pressed with the
breast. The coarser hat may be finished
in two or three days, but the finest may
require as many months.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-06-29

The Tekootis rebels in New Zealand
were defeated by the friendly natives.
Twenty-Five of the rebels we're killed.
The Ureivera rebels have surrendered,
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-06-29

TIE family of Warren Wolf, of Lon
donville, Ohio, were carried down an
embankment 70 feet in height by q fright
ened team, All were seriously hurt
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-05-20
Beefstakc for Ministers.

Eight hundred or a thousand dol
lars for a minister is only a slow way
of killing him, and is tho worst style
of homicide. Why do not the trus-
tees and elders take a mallet or an
axe, and with one blow put him out
ofhis misery2 Congregations some
times mourn over dull preaching
when themselves are tS blame. Give
your minister more beefsteak, and he
will have more fire. Next TO the
divine JUNCTION, the minister needs
blood and he can not make that out
of tough leather. One reason why
the apostle preached SO powerfully
was that they had healthy food. Fish
was cheap along Galilee, and this,
with un6olted bread, gave them
plenty of phosphorus for brain tooC.
These early ministers were never in
vited out 10 late suppers, with chick
Ell salad and dOughnuts. Nobody
ever embroidered slippers for the
big foot of Simon Peter, the fisher
man preacher. Tea parties, with
hot waflles, at ten o'clock at night,
make namby-pamby ministers; but
good hours and substantial diet, that
furnish nitrates for the muscles, and
phosphorates for the brain, and car
Donates for the whole frame, prepare
a man for effective work, When the
water is low, the mill-Whecl goes
slow but a full race, end how fast
the grists are ground. In a man the
arteries are the mill-racc, and the
brain, the wheel; and the practical
work of life is the grist ground.
The reason our soldiers failed in some
of the battles was because their
slomachs had for several days been
innocent of cgcrything but "hard-
tack" See that your minister has a
full havesack, - Rer. r. DeWW
I0[mdge.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-05-20
How to Make Cheap Earth Closets.

An earth closet il Il piece Of turni-
ture provided with a commodc scat
and receptacle, and with an appara-
tus that will scatter a pound or more
of p~ulverized clay over the accumu-
lations every time the commode is
used. The dried and pulverized clay
Immediately abSorbs all the noXious
eflluvia and manurial properties, thus
making a valuable fertilizer for the
soil, where plants of any sort or fruit
trees are cultivated. Such earth
closets are introduced into dwelling
houses in lieu of water-clcsets. They
are an excellent device for the pur-
pose intended, provided some compe-
tent and strong man has the supervi-
sion Of the not very pleasant task of
preparing the absorbents, and rcmov-
ing the accumulations of the recepta-
Gle at proper times. The removal of
the closet accumulations, every few
days, must be attended to by some
person who labOrs for low wages, as
it will not pay to employ the energies
Of an expensive laborcr at such
d~rudgery. When a class Of men like
street scavengers can be employed to
take carc of the earth closets, it will
pay to substitute them for water
closets.
They who have out.houscs placed
over a pit, can raise the structures
about two feet high and let them rest
on posts, or OH a narrow wall OF
bricks; then a box about one foot in
depth can be placed on a stone boat.
and showed, say two feet or more, be-
meath the building. Every day LEI
fine muck or dry earth be added, ant
as soon as a few hundred pound.
have been accumulated, let the whole
be hauled by q team to the garden o
field, and spread over the surface,
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-05-20

We clip the following from the
Home aRd Heath, a monthly maya
zine devoted to health and the home
circle:
Stains from acids can be removed
by spirits Of hartshorn diluted. Re-
peat if necessary.
To Clean SrovEs-Clean stoves
when cold with black lead mix with
strong alum-water.
Widowed linen may be restored
by soaping the spots while wet, COW
ering them with fine chalk scraPed
to a powder, and well rubbed i'll.
Medicine stains may be removed
from silver spoons by rubbing them
with a rag dipped in sulphuric acid,
and washing it of with soap-suds.
For FRUIr.STAINs ON NAPKINS, ia.
BLE-CLoTHs, ETC.-Pour hot water on
the spots; wet with hartshorn or OK
alic acid-a teaspoonful to a tea-cup
of water.
To RENDER SHOES WATER-l'Rocf'
Warm little beeswaX and mutton
suct until it is liquid, and rub some
of it slightly over the edges OF the
sOlcs where the stitches are.
How To GET RID OF ANTS,-Wash
the shelves with salt and water;
sprinkle salt in their paths. To keep
out of safes, set the legs of the safe
in tin cups; keep the cups filled with
water.
To REMOVE IRoN RUsT-Dip the
rusty spots in solution Of tartaric
acid or wet the spots with lemon
Juice and rub on hard, with soap, eX-
pose it to the heat or apply lemon
Juice and-salt, and expose it TO the
sun.
To WASH FLANNEL,-Ncvcr rub
soap upon it. Make suds by dis
solving the soap in warm water
Rinse in warm water; very cold OIL
hot water will shrink flannel. Shake
them out several minutes before
hanging to dry. Blankets are washed
i'm the same way.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-05-20
Mixing Potatoes in the Hill.

1t is no uncommon occurrence to
find a white potato growing in a hill
which ought to produce all red ones,
or a red one In white hill. There has
been much mystery made over it,
and some theories as wise as the fish
theory which Franklin proposed to
tho academy, have been started to
account for the mixing 1t is well
known now that there is no "cross-
ing" "mixing' or "bibridizing" in
the matter. it results from a law of
change which seems inherent nevery
plant, to make slight variations in its
form or properties without the inter-
yention of seed. This is very clear
in the case o fthe sweet potato. These
never produce flowers under culture,
and yet there are Il dozen or N re va
r%icties. None of these can have been
raised from seed, but have been found
in the stocks of other kinds. These
are natural variations of the roots,
with which flowers have had nothing
whatever to do. This case of the
sweet potato ought to remove what
even of mystery there has been about
the hill-miNing of potatoes.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-05-20

A lucky thought struck me, why
don't every farmer havea good plank
walk from his house to his barn The
women will never so TO tie barn
until they can sweep all the way ;
the floor will entice item along until
they will claim rights in the barn
and that will be a step in agriculture.
Construct a walk four or five fec
wide, run q shed roof or some Oth(
roof over it, and sec if it will not pay
as good interest MS the fancy cupola
on your barn or your other railroad
stock. For it will be a railroad as
sure as you have little children, and
they have got little wagons. Chill
dren are more important than they
were when they did not wear store
clothes every day "Now, run, be a
good boy and don't play in the dirt"
Farmers dignity seemst to need a deal
of nursing, and here is the most trav-
cled path on the farm at the mercy
of rain and snow just the point
where Improvement would be felt
every day. There is such a great
flow of printers ink into farming bu-
sincss that | am not quite sure of any
thing; but the plank roads seems to
be a Wcighty idea.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-05-20
"Whiskey has Used Him Up"

There is scarcely a community or
neighborhood from Maine to Oregon
where this saying is not used almost
every day in the year, and altogether
too truly. A subject Of this kind is
to be found in almost every town.
The merchant has failed and whiskey
has done it. The lawyer with brill
liant talent and a large business has
fallen below the range Of respectable
ity and confidence whiskey was the
cause. The politician with bright
prospects before him has played out,
and the account is charged to whiskey.
The Judge of talent, age and respeCta-
bility, is the subject of private and
neighbOrhood talk. His enemies point
with derisien, and his friends hang
their heads in shame, and whiSkey
has done it. That kind. hearted neigh
Dor and Woodworking man has be-
come n pest in society and trouble to
his family. Whiskcy has beat him.
Whiskoy will beat any man living
and that is just what it is made for.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-05-20
Population Statistics.

Mr.. Samuel Ruggies report OH the
Comparative Progress of Population
in Europe and the United States,
which was submitted to the late ses-
sion of Congress by President Grant,
makes some startling disclosures.
The rate of increase in Europe during
the past hundred years has diminish
ed from one per cent. yearly, at which
it stood in the early decades Of that
period, to six-tenths of one per cent,
at which it is rated now. The in
crease of population in the United
States for the present half of the nine
teenth century will hardly assume a
ratio of two and q half per cent, Y
cept in cases of unusual emigration,
and Europe will do well if her ratio
is not still further diminished. The
causes given for the steady decrease
is the diminishing fecundity in mar
riage aud the lax morality of the two
worlds. These statement are some
what startling, for the percentage of
increase continuing to diminish may
soon become an actual decrease, and
in a few centuries there mag be moth
ing more substantial left Of us than
there is CT ancient Greece and Rome,
"Is the Caucasian played out?'
No race of people has ever yet been
obliterated except by means of it:
own crimes and immoralities, and nc
nations have been utterly sweep
away until wealth and grandeur hat
made them effeminate and indolent
Rome, Italy, Spain, and, we may say
France, reached the perfection o
learning, civilization, wealth ant
power, and thence dated their down
fall. The Mabille has done that TO,
France which the representative vice
of the gorgeous empires Of old die
for them, and which our representa-
tive vices may do fer lis.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-05-20
The Pigeon Post.

From the earliest time the pigeon
has been noted iOr lis intense love OF
home, and numerous and astonishing
have been the fcGts of sagacity ard
rapidity related Oft when perform
ing a return voyage. The use o fthls
bird as a news-carricr is also un-
deniably ancient. Tauro5thcncs sent
the news of lis victory at olympia
TO his father at Egina, by means of
a piece ofpurplc tied round pigeons
leg and Narro relates how tho spec
tatOrs in a Roman amphitheatcr
would, on the conclu sion Of a combat
let birds fly out of their laps to tell
far.away friends the name Of the
victorious gladiator. Dccius BrutuS
also used them in his communication
with the Consuls while the Crusad-
urs would perhaps have never taken
Jerusalem had not a pigeon, bearing
a message to the besieged the King of
Persia was coming to that their relief,
fallen into their hands, and so slim
ulated them to even more vigorous
efforts.
In more modern times these birds
were still further utilized, and under
the first Napoleon, were frequently
sent from Paris to Brussels with the
winning numbers of the innumerable
lotteries of those days. Immense
frauds were thus frequently perpe'
trated, and one man, by means of ar
extraordinary swift carrier, told hi,
Belgian confederate what numbers tC
buy up, thus gaining an immense for
tune. Unluckily for him however
he was found out, and spent his lat
ter days, not in enjoying his winnings
but in working in the galleys at
Toulon.
But however strong or large Thu
pigeon of old might be, the despatch
from its inevitable lightness, wa'
necessarily of the curtest and 6riefes
nature. Now, the microscope an(
camera have been brought into play
and the French Government hav.
lately informed us that no less thai
$500 dispatches of twenty word
each, in all 10000 words, can now b
carried by one of these messengers
The reader is doubtlessly familia
with those microscopic photograph
of the Lords Prayer or the Tel
Commandments, which, though ap
pearing to the naked eye as the mel
est atom of dust, are nevertheless
perfectly plain end legible unde
q good lens.
Several means of attaching til
message to the pigeon have beel
tried. Sometimes it was tied roun,
the birds neck, at other times unde
its wing neither of these, however
was found efficacious, as the strin
was apt to break, and the messag
/ was usually wrapped round the lie
! and secured with n piece of sill
/ Now q still better method is uset
The letter is rolled up and fastene
, to the middle feather of the tail,.-thf
which remains perfectly stationar
: when its fellows spread out or clos
: up, according to the actions of the
: owner. The feathers ale also staml
cd with the numbers of the bir'
and the place of departure.
One of the best towns for cerriet
t pigeons is Antwerp, and for man
Q years past annualraces b%etweCnsevel
k ty or eighty birds have been flow
o thence to Paris. Though the speed
these birds is undoubtedly very gree
tits not SO considerable as genreal.
imagined, and il is calculated tha
in a course OF two hundred miles,
locomotive engine would beat Il
best carrier extant.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-05-20
TranSplanting.

We have near us two gardeners,
who advocate the opposite theories
in regard to transplanting. One
maintains that cabbage plants, toma-
toes, and the like should not be
transplantcd, He adopts the old
theory, that twice planting cabbage
plants will cause them to grow
stump-footed. lie does not believe
any advantage comes to the plant by
taking it from its accustomed soil to
a new one, and requiring it to root
anew, at the expense Of some days
growth. And this looks reasonable,
On the other hand, the other gar
dcner believes in frequent removals
from the soil, when the plant is I'M
der glass. His doctrine is that in
taking up the plant, some Of the
roots are broken, and in consequence
many new rootlets are sent out, and
that the earth clings more tenacious
ly in consequence thereof, and the
plants, when finally SET for produc-
ing, take hold of the soil vigorously,
push ahead rapidly, and mature ear
lier, lie is sure that he has FASTENED
tomatoes a week by the process.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-05-20
Facts About Building.

The center of every foundation should
be exact under the center OF all the
weight it is to support; hence, the tOun-
dation walls of Il building should pro-
ject about as much outside the brick
walls or wood stills rs inside; and when
not so-as they seldom arc-they are not
right.
When column sets above column, or
oyer II pier, the center of one should be
over the center of the other, and the die
or body of the pier should be as large Us
the base or column above it.
The building that is not worth a good
foundation and Il good water table, is not
worth aCOrniCe.
The column or post that is not worth
Il base or worth tapering, is not worth a
cap Or capital, however simple.
The door that is not worth being well
made and fitted, well hung and fastened,
is not worth an ornamental easing or Il
projecting portico.
The window that is not worth i good
sill and supporting cOrbles, is not worth
ornamental castings and CorniCC, outside
neither are sash that are not worth bal
ancing with weights worth ornamenting
inside.
A plain. wcll-worked, %half-round, OF
nodded casing only two or three inche.
in width, if made of good, well seasoned
wood, put up true, and with good joints
will look, and be much better at the enc
of the first year and forever after, THAI
the most deliberately designed architrav,
made OF unsCaSOncd wood with its fol
lowing consequences, warped side,
crooked edges, and gapingioints, embcl
lishcd with crack-Splits and hammc
marks, such as city carpenters call coun
try m%ouldings.
Many baSc-boarls abound room
would be much improved by tearing o.
some of tie mouldings along the top an
mailing Them down to stop the crac
along the floor.
No family who has not Il conyenicr
and comfortable kitchen can afford
chilly parlor.--RUM Ner lorke'.
--u