davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-02
Oil.Wclls.

Oil wells, although not on such an
abundant scale as those in the United
States, are not such novel features of
nature, after all. Strabo refers to one
in Northern Asia in these words " 1t
is said that in digging near the river
Ochus, spring of oil was discovered. 1t
is probable that, rs certain nitrous,
aStringent and sui phWonS fluids pcrme-
ate the earth, greasy fluids may also be
found but the rarity OF their occurrence
makes their existence almost doubtful"
Coming down to later times, in Matt
lands HiSto,y Of EdiaGWYb, we are told
that, about a mile to the eastward of the
Pentland Hills, there is n small village
called ST. Cathcrinc's where there is a
spring called the Oily Well, from an
mctuous substance whcrewith it is coy
cred. MARYLAND wrote more than Il cen
tmy ago, but the well of which hc speaks
still exists, and is running still, the same
unctuous matter covering its surface as
Of old. Another oil-well is that Of st.
Margaret's, at Restairig, near Edinburgh.
Early in the morning before the waters
had been disturbed, a dark, rich seam OF
petroleum is to be found. There is a
romance in the commonest things. Why
not, therefore, in "ile p a curious ac-
count is given by modern traveller of n
certain oil-well on the Continent, which
may not be altogether unintoresting.
Near the village of Egcrn, in the Baya-
rian Tyro', on the west side of the lake
called Tcgensec, and and little remoy-
ed from it, there issues source Of oil
sacred to St. Quirintus, and held to be
his blood A little chapel, always locked,
incloses it. On entering, it is q filthy
pool seventeen feet deep, in a basin OF
masonry The bulk of the liquid is
water, covered with a thick, dirty scum
Of oil, blotched with large, lazy bubbles
of nasty brown color, slowly bursting,
and formed by a gas which rises with
the oil. The smell is rcsinous and pitchy.
The color of the oil varies peculiarly: III
the pool, or in an opaque vessel, it is
brownish seen through n glass, it re,
sembles the green on the belly OF Il hare
which has been shot for some days but
when being poured ont of Il vessel, the
stream resembles the brilliant ruby Of
claret. Religious fervor has thus formeG
a poctical connection between this quail
ty Of changing color and the liyid green
of q martyrs corpse--thcruby repres2nt
ing the living blood Of the saint risen
again, more perennial oven than the
blood Of St. Januarius. The spring cmits
forty-fve quarts a year, costing five shil.
linSs a quart--o pcrQuisito Of the Care,
1t bl02es like oil when thrown on thc
| fire. "--Opce u Heeh.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-02

WOODEN RAILROADS. The Canadians
are building and have nearly or quite
completed Il wooden railroad between
Sorel and ArthabNska. The track is of
the same gauge as that in general use on
the Michigan railroads the rails are OF
rock maple, and trains of cars drawn by
ordinary locomotives have been run over
them at the rate of twenty miles an
hour. The road will cost but $4,000 Il
mile, including right of way, constmc-
ton, rolling stock, station houses, shops,
and bridges-one bridge over wide
river being excepted and the stock
holders pay in bonds instead Of cash.
The directors expect to run on the wooden
rails until they make money enough to
iron them, when, if the sanguine eXpec,
tations are fulfilled, they will have a
regular metal-railed road which will not
have cost them cent. After this it is to
be presumed that there will be no more
said about the want of enterprise among
our Provincial neighbors.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-02
Artificial Rain.

IN England, where ancestral pride in
land is aided by fixed and pincoly in
comes, experimental agriculture is car
ried on as an enlightened and con9enial
employment Of capital and occupation
Of leisure. Draining has been pushed
to such perfection there as to demon
strate that it may be oyerdone and now
surface irrigation is receiving the otten-
ton Of landholdcrs. At Stoke Park the
system OF IRRIGATION with pure water has
been tried with marked success. The
surface experimental on is tract OF
twenty acres, in grass, aud the water
has been applied in artificial showers,
in the night, every night during The
season OF 1871, except when natural
rains made artificial rains unnecessary
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-02
The Letter.,

Who're is another sweet as my sweet,
Fine Of the fine, and shy Of the shy?
Fine little hands, fine little feet
Dewy blue eye.
Shall | write to her? shall I go?
Ask her to marry me by and by?
Somebody said that she'd say no;
Somebody knows that she'll say ayl
Ay or no, If asked to her face?
Ay or no, from shy OF the shy?
Go, little letter, apace, apace.
Fly!
Fly to the light in the valley below
Tell my wish to her dewy blue eye;
Somebody said that she'd say no
Somebody knows that she'll say ay!
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-02

4 traveller at Kinsai Was entertained
by the Yiceroy, the Amir Kustai, and
this was one OF the amusamnnts:
"That same night a iuGpler appeared,
who was one Of the Great Kann's slaves,
and the Amir said to him. Come and
show us some Of your wonders y Upon
this he took Il wooden ball with seven
holes in ii, through which long tho9gs
were passed, and laying hold of one of
these, slung into the air. 1t went so
high that we lost sight Of it altogether.
CIT was the hottest season OF the year,
and We were outside in the middle OF
the palace court There now remained
only short end of Il thong i'll the con-
jurers hand, and he desired one OF the
boys who assisted him to lay hold Of ii
and mount. He did so, climbing by
the thong, and We lost sight Of him.
The coniurcr then called to him three
times, but, getting no answer, he snatch
ed mp a knife, rs il in great rage, laid
hold OF the thong. and disappeared in
his turn By-and-Dy he threw down
one of the boys hands, then foot, then
the other hand and the other foot, then
the trunk, and, last of all, the head
Lastly, he came down himself, putting
and blowing, and with his clothes ali
bloody, kissed the ground befole the
Amir, and said something to him in
Chinese. The Amir gave some order in
reply, and our friend then took the lads
limbs, laid them together in their places.
and gave kick, when presto there
was The boy, who got up and stood be:
fore us All this astonished me beyond
mAasllrpn
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-02
NOVEL CURE FOR DRUHKENNEss.-An

NOVEL CURE FOR DRUNKENNEss.-An
invetelate drunkard once asked Quaker
whether he knew OF Il method whereby
he could cure himself of his dominant
vice. "Fliend," answered Broadbrim,
sit is as easy as keeping thine hand
OPEN" "How can that be?' said the
drunkard "eyery man can keep his
hand open, but as to abstaining from
liquor, that's quite Il different thing"
81 will tell thee, friend" quoth the
Quaker. "When thee has gotten glass
of gin in thine hand, and before thee
dost raise the tempting liquor to thy
lips, open thine hand-aad keep Il open.
Thee breakfast the glass, but thee break
est not the laws OF sobriety."
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-02
C0.ODoratiyc Housekeeping.

One Of the latest schemes for social
Improvements is proposed in the shape
Of a plan for "co-opcratiye hotels and
homes" The New York bachelor is,
unless in really atiluent circumstances, a
pitiable being. Three modes of life
present themselves in his choice-hotel,
boarding-house, or lodging with living
at restaurant. The first is beyond the
means Of all but the wealthy, The
second is, to those who value privacy
and refined society, open to objections
too obvious to require detail. The third,
which in other countries is most agree
able mode of life, is in many respects
wretcled. A clearinghouse keepers
manner generally indicates that it is an
immense stretch of favor on her part to
take in dodgers at all, and the attention
bestowed begins and ends with his room
being &" fixed up" when he leaves it in
the morning. Nor DO the victims suf-
ferinGs end here On leaving his room
he has to seek a restaurant for breakfast,
and has either to go where the sight OF
tie food placed before him is calculated
rather to destroy than to promote appe-
tite. or to pay at a rate more eXorbitant
than the history of prices records.
The cure for these really serious draw
backs to the aGrceableness of life IN New
York is to be found in SEQ operative
hotels or homes, OF, in plain language,
clubs. There are at this moment one OF
two successful institutions Of the kind of
very superior class in operation here,
whose members are provided with the
best of food, prepared by frst-rate cooks,
at moderate price-while the members
can, if they desire it, obtain excellent
rooms and attendance at equally reason
able rates.
The establishment of dozen such III
situations would do more than anything
else to check the shameful eXtortion Of
some hotels, and to induce lodging and
clearinghouse keepers to bestow a little
attention upon their prey. \ hundred
members with as entrance fee of fifty
dollars, and annual subscription thirty
dollars, would, with proper economy,
suffice for start, ard the money would
soon be saved by the diminution of
charges, Only cleanliness comfort, and
Good cooking should ut first be aimed
at pier-glasses and gliding might come
when they grew rich.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-02

BUSINESS. In the little town of Web
ster, Mass there arc eight women en-.
gagged III business for themselves, having
on hand stocks of various kinds Of goods
for sale, managing their trade, hiring
their stores, clerks, etc., as they see fit
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-02

A HEALTHY BEvERAGE.-A writer Ill
the London S'a0dUd makes the Ameu-
cans out to be perfect Borgias. lie de
scribes ga most successful mode of
drueging in use over the American con-
tinent, which produces loss of strength
and torper, and which, in the case of
death resulting, dehes the most acute
medical analysis" He was himself once
victim of this dru.ging. He drank
one mouthful OF so-called brandy, and
in ten minutes afterward he became gid
DIV. lost the use OF his limbs, and then
consciousness, and did not recover for
seven hours sufficiently to enable him
to work. He subsequently got acquaint-
ed with man who had been employed
ut New York vault to enact the part of
drugger, and this respectable and no
doubt reliable individual explained the
dragging process Part of bottle of
any hquid is .decantcd and the space
filed up by tobacco smoke, expelled
from clay pipe, well impregnated
with nicotine. The bottle is then well
shaken and filled up again with the por.
ton before taken out. 1t is then left
to stand for a week or so but if left
standing before use for a fortnight
death will be theresult Of drinking.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-02

Il Lawrance, Mass, manufacturers
have agreed to pay their hands hereafter
by the hour instead of by the day, leay-
ing it at the option Of the latter whether
they will work less than eight or more
than ten hours per diem.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-02

against utI, luc spring Caught, ANU SHut
her in with death and sutlocation; while
they went shouting to the Others that sis
ter Mary was Sin there shut up" and they
could not let her out.
No, they could not let her out. Mr.
Lester and his friend had gone Of with the
key to show it to some one who had doubt.
ed its date---so it appeared from one Of the
/ boys who now came in: he had heard
them talking on the stairs as they went
! out
ale said Jarvis knows nothing about
it; he has never seen it," said the boy
sobbing, II heard him. | know he saiC
jarvis
"That will be Colonel Jarvis, in Charlie
street, ma'am," said Davis. Maybe,
we sent there
There were voices outside, and Barke
looked in with white face of horror
"lt's master coming in" she said, in
sort Of whisper
We all stood back. Who would tel
him2 Who was to say, "Youl girl is be
hind that immoyable door ?"
But the boy, frightened enough at hi
father at other times, went up to him
trying to speak quietly-"The key, sil
Quick, for Gods sake !"
"key What-what's all this Goo
God! sir"-seizing a servant by the collar
and flinging him to one side, like a cat
edo you know what you're doing, med
ding with that cabinet 4? Why, it's wort
thousands! God bless me what does a
this mean Z" He was purple with anger
"Don't stand staring. Sarah Heriot," b
Numbered, "you are not fool; be goo
enough to explain this-this s."
Iwentup to him sick with horror. 9Th
key is wanted" ] managed to say. "TheI
is some one inside-dying."
! "Some one -dying--in there7 Who
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-04-11

The PENNSYLVANIA CENTRAL
The Pennsylvania Central Company
now controls four thousand miles of
railway line, has built a line Of Euro
pean steamers from Philadelphia, and
but for some intermeddlIng they
would have crossed Kentucky and
established connection with Knox
vile and Chattanooga before this
time.
In another year it is believed that
the Pennsylvania Central will control
the Union Pacific, and add 1000 miles
more to their jurisdiction. 1t is sus-
pected that it will also get control of
the Southern Pacific. Twenty years
ago the company started with 300
miles from Philadelphia to Pitts
burgh.
They are now negotiating for the
Camden and Amboy, the greatest
road into New York city. The Ona-
ted States Economist thinks that in q
few years this single company will
have capital of 81, 900, 600, 900. The
| man or the city that would be great
| in his or its day and generation bet
ter hitch on to the Pennsylvania
Central.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-04-11
To Prevent Smut in Wheat.

have been in Knox county thir-
ty-three years when first cons
menced farming | labored under
many disadvantages, as | had never
farmed any before.
The first wheat / sowed was smut
ty. The old farmers told me / must
mix strong ashes with it | did so,
but when | threshed it found one
third of the wheat smutty.
The next spring went to see an
old farmer from the East, 10 get
counsel. He told me | must put
four quarts of fresh air Stacked lime
to the bushel of seed Dissolve it in
water and wash my wheat in it. So
| took large wash tub and filed it
with water, then put In the lime,
then half bushel of wheat, stirred
it we'll took an old milk pan and
made seive of it, and skinned of
all the foul seed. l then took an
other tub and put it close beside the
other with two sticks on it, put big
basket on the sticks and dipped out
the wheat into the basket, then put
in some more wheat into the same
water, stirring and Swimming as be-
fore until all was lined, emptying
each batch on to the barn floor.
| have followed this plan for thir-
ty one years, and have had excellent
wheat every year, free from smut and
oats.
If the seed is not smutty, one
quart of lime to the bushel is sufil-
cient.
If the weather be unfavorable for
sowing, when ready, shovel over the
wheat each day, and it will not hurt
even if it sprouts.
CHARLES w. GILBERT.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-04-11

p9-In London every eight min
utes, night and day, somebody dies;
every five minutes a child is born.
This great city contains as many
people as the whole of Scotland,
twice as many as Denmark, three
times as many as Greece, and four
hundred times as many as George
town, d. G. In its vast population
of nearly 100000 it has 100000
habitual gin-drinkers, 100000 aban-
doned women, 10000 professional
gamblers, $4,000 criminals known
to the police as thieves and receiv-
ers of stolen goods, 100000 habitual
frequenters of public houses, and
so, 900 street Arabs.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-04-11

H@~Some of the Democrats in con-
gress reject the idea that the Ku-KIux
Investigation is to have any thing of
o partisan character, and yet refuse
to accept the proposition to publish
the results of the investigation from
time to time as it proceeds. A few
claim that the villains who do these
deeds of darkness are negroes and Re-
pubicans, and yet, strangely enough,
decline TO have the facts put before
the country. This inconsistency has
meaning not difficult to divine.
They know in their OWL hearts that
the 5000 victims of Ku>Klux outrages
at the South have been Republicans /;
they know that every man admitted
to the secret organization is mem
Der Of the Democratic party, and
will vote for any ticket it dominates;
and that, indeed, the Ku-Klux Khan
is simply o Southern Democratic
political organization, which does not
hesitate to intimidate and murder
with as little conscience as Northern
organizations "repeat," falsely regis
ter, and "stuff' ballot boxes. The
House, in adopting the Senate resolu.
ton of inquiry, threw out the clause
which authorized the publication Of
reports at any time, and the Senate
yesterday attempted to restore it
but failed. The appointment Of the
committee we have held to be foolish
because it is tardy action in an emer
gency which requires decision; but
the proposition that the results ofths
investigation shall be kept secret rob-
it of even the very little practica
value the scheme originally had
| Nep York Tribune.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-04-11
The Country Needs the Republican
Party.

The New York Independent says
The nation and the human race new
err needed the Republican party more
than they do now. We have only
just come TO understand that the wal
between slavery and barbarism, on
the one hand, and liberty and ciyili'
cation on the other, is not yet fought
out. Beaten in the open field, the
rebellion yet lives in the lawlessness
of Southern scoundrelism. Beaten
by ballots and beaten by bullets, ii
shows, like other venomous creatures,
wonderful tenacity Of life. Liberty
is not yet established at the South.
Freedom Of speech, freedom of the
press, freedom of political action are
yet hardly known there. 1.-THE Demo-
cratic party were to come into power
tomorrow, the whole work of recon-
struction would be undone the fran
chise would be taken from the ne
groes, and under some form or other
slavery or its equivalent would be
restored.
Let US remember one thing. The
lost cause is not an abandoned cause.
When the rebellion fights us again,
it will be with the arms, the forts,
the ships, and the prestige of the gov
eminent itself. When we vote at the
next Presidential election, we vote
face to face and ballot to ballot with
the rebellion. The battle Of next
year will be more decisive than tie
taking of New Orleans and Vicksburg
and Richmond, together. Ifunder a
Republican administration the whole
South is full of lAwlessness, what
would be the state of things with
Fernando Wood and Sunset Cox ia
the Cabinet? If mayors of cities are
shot, banished, and abducted while
Grant is President, what will be done
when Hoffman reigns? If they do
these things in green tree, what will
they do in the dry?
The lesson of the hour is plain.
Every patriotic consideration de-
mands that Republicans should stand
by the party Of liberty and human
rights. No dissatisfaction with the
President, or with any other leader,
can Justify lukewarmnessi in the cause.
And we warn the administration
that it cannot afford to divide the
party by pushing any object, how
ever desirable.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-04-11
Facts about the Honey Bee.


Inere are three classes OF bees In q
hive, the Worker, Queen, and Drone.
Queens are raised by peculiar food
and treatment from eggs that would
otherwise produce workers.
The worker is an undeveloped fe-
male. Workers in the absence of
the queen sometimes lay eggs. Thee.
invariably produce drones.
The queen lives from two to five
years. The worker from two to
three months in the working season,
and from six to eight during the
season of rest.
The queen is perfected in fifteen or
sixteen days from the egg, the work.
er in twenty to twenty-one, and the
drono in twenty-four.
The queen usually commences
laying from seven to twelve days af-
ter laying from two to three thous-
and eggs in day.
The impregnation Of the queen al
ways takes place outside the hive,
on the wing, and generally the fourth
or fifth day after leaving the CELL
Excepting rare cases, one impregna-
ton answers for life. The drone she
has mated with dies Immediately.
The eggs of an unimpregnated
queen produce nothing but drones
and il is generally conceded that i'm
pregnation does not effect the drone
progeny; consequently, the male
progeny of pure Italian queen is
pure without regard to the drone shO
has mated with.
The queen and worker arr provi-
ded with stiugs; but while the latter
will use it upon any provocation, the
former will only use it on her own
rank. The drones have no stings.
the queen, as rule, is all that is
tolerated in hive /; but previous to
throwing off "after swarms," two or
more queens are permitted in the
same hive for short time {; but the
extra ones are soon disposed of. In
case OF taperseding queen, the old
one is preserved until the new one is
fitted to take her place. Queens
have deadly hatred for each other,
and will destroy, if permitted, all
queen Larvae or cells in the hive, and
will fight each other until there is
but one living one left.
Bees gather three kinds Of pro-
ducts, Propolis, from the gum of
trees and shrubs, for fastening the
joints and cracks of their hives, Pol
len, or bee-bread, from flowers, for
feeding their young and themselves;
and Honey, which constitutes the
main food of the hive. Water is also
carried into the hive during the
breeding season for mixing with the
food for their young; salt is also
made use of for the same purpose.
Wax, like fat, is an animal pro-
duct, and is secreted by the bees in
thin scales from the underside of tho
body. While doing this, they con-
sumo large quantities of honey--from
fifteen to twenty pounds for every
pound of wax secreted.
A frightened bee, or one filed with
honey, is not disposed to sting.
A good swarm contains about
twenty thousand bees.
A strong or medium hive, with a
good laying queen, is never seriously
troubled with the moth worm but
hive without queen or means of
raising one is sure to be taken by
them.
Bees recognize each other by their
scent.
The first one or two weeks of the
y Dung bees life is spent inside the
hive, as nurse or wax worker.
The range of a bees flight for food
is generally within two or three
miles much greater range is of but
National Lire Stock Journal.
Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-04-11
STER. WISCONSIN, TUESDAY, APRIL ii, 1871.

bellion by the throat aud strangled
it. 1t found four millions of human
beings in bondage and emancipated
them. 1t lifted forty millions of
people to the plane of political equal
ity and secured it by Constitution
al Covenant. 1t stretched a high
way from ocean to ocean, and now
sends our flag on the track of the
Sun as it revisits the birthplace of
our race. But In an evil hour it
tried to transfer Mr.. Sumner from
the Committee On Foreign Relations
to that of Privileges and Elections,
and persisted in. the attempt"
L am very respectfully yours,
TIMOTHY o. HOWE.