davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16
The EYcrgln0es Of Florida.

The Everglades are Just q submerged
prairie, and they exhibit Che manner in
which the great Western prairies were
formed. Drain the Everglades, lit could
be done and the present islands would
be hills. Submerge prairie, and its
hills would become islands. No tree is
found ON the Everglades, because they
are constantly covered with water; no
trees are found on the prairics, because
they We're long covered with water.
Time will come when this vast plain will
be clear of water, and then we shall have
large surface, like the prairics, clear
of trees, and fitted for cultivation by
man. In these little Evcrglade islands
the palm Hourishcs, and also the orange
and every other tree Of Florida. The
caster-oil plant grows up to be large
tree of several years life, The arrow
root and sweet.potato patches merely re-
quire that stirring of the ground neces-
sary in removing the full-grown roots to
cause the younger ones to grow and keep
on growing. 1t is really not necessary
to plant more than once. 1t is n lazy
mans paradise. No wonder the Indians
were unwilling to move to the West it
was not the graves of their fathers they
were unwilling to leave, it was their
potato and pumpkin patches. Their
pumpkin is small, round and sweet they
cut 1t open, put in n raccoon or opossum,
cover it with ashes and bake it in the
fire. The hunters think it q superb
dish. Another plan is to take fish Just
off the hook, and without sealing or
cleaning, wrap it up in green leaves and
bake it in the same way. Hunters use
wet newspaper 1t is done when if you
tear a piece of the wrapping, the skin
and scales come off with it. You tear
off skin and wrapping from one side, and
cat the flesh, turn it over and eat the
other, and throw bones and inside away
Indians in small numbers are still
found near the Everglades. They do
not like the whites, are not socable, but
there is talisman that will move them
out of stoicism into cordially, there is
Il sesame that will open an Indians
heart and mouth, and that is whisky.
They are the only savages who have
never invented an intoxicating liquor of
their own. Their only idea of civiliza-
ton is to get drunk. Ride into their
own country, put up with q Chief, give
him whisky and promise him more, and
he and his are at your service so long as
your whisky lasts.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16
How Hot Iron May be Handled.

Mons. /. Fontelle, President de la
Socicte DIES Sciences Physiques ct Chi
miques de Paris, &C., has left the follow
ing on record "About the year 1909
one Lionetto, a Spaniard, astonishcd not
only the ignori Mt, but chemists and
other men of science, in France, Ger
many, Italy and England, by the impuni-
ty with which he handled red-hot iron
and molten lead, drank boiling oil, and
performed other feats equally mira
culous. While he was at Naples he
attracted the notice Of Professor Semen
tenn, who narrowly watched all operations
and underworld to discover his secret
He observed in the first place, that when
Lionetto applied piece OF red-hot iron
to his hair dense fumes Immediately
rose from it, and the same occurred
when he touched his foot with the iron.
He also saw him place rod of iron,
nearly red-hot, between his teeth with
out burning himself, drink the third Of
tablespoonful of boiling oil, and tax
ing up molten lead with his fingers place
it on his tongue without apparent incon-
venience. Sementem's efforts after per-
forming several experiments upon him
self, were finally crowned with success.
He found that by friction with sulphuric
acid, diluted with water, the skin might
be made insensible to the action of the
heat of red-hot IRON; a solution of alum,
evaporated until it became spongy, APP
peared to be still more eifectual. After
having rubbed the parts which were
thus rendered, in some degree, incon-
bustible with hard soap, he discovered
on the application of hot iron that their
ineensibility was increased. He then de-
termined on again rubbing the parts
with soap, and after this found that the
hot iron not only occasioned no pain,
but that it actually did not burn the
hair. Being thus far satisfied, the Pro-
fessor applied hard soap to his tongue
until it became insensible to the heat of
the iron and after having placed an
ointment composed of soap mixed with
solution of alum upon it, boiling oil
did not burn it. While the oil remained
on the tongue a slight Kissing was heard,
similar to that of hot iron thrust into
water; the oil soon cooled, and was then
swallowed without danger. Several
scientific men have since successfully re-
peated the experiments of Professor
Sementem
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16
Scene in a California Gambling House.

"A moment if you please" quietly
remarked an almost beardless desperate,
covering his pile with firm hand, and
fixing dangerous eyes on the burly deal
er of monte whom he addresses: "you
can stop there"
"Well, sir.
"Well, excuse me, but think you
drew two cards"
81 believe not. I'll take your pile if
you please :" the kerwaio takes it.
Two-cardsr
Your money!"
And in each case the words were ac-
companied by quick and quiet move
ment. which discloses Il revolver. With
the appearance of these two new disput-
ants, polished, curt, of brief but sharp
and downright speech-there is quick but
fussless stir among the spectators around
the table. In moment clear space
is formed, in the midst of a still circle of
flashing eyes, compressed lips and clench-
ed hands. You may count twenty de
liberated y ere you hear breath or see
the slightest movement.
"Well, sir ?"
"Well |"
"Your money "
" Your cards "
Up steps q bystander--some cool,
steady veteran, expert in the game and
versed in the law of difficulties-a man
of awful nerve, whose tympanum, accus-
toned to the crack, no pistol shot alarms.
Gentlemen" says he, "try arbitra-
ton first"
Another quick change of ENDURING
and responsive glances between the dis
putants.
Not word, but the eyes of each
plainly say "agreed." Both throw them
selves brck in their chairs and withdraw
their hands from the table, with the air
of men inviting examination, and res.
olute to abide the result. The veteran
calls up two brothers of the Green Cloth
competent to act as umpire !; and three
minutes, franght with mortal danger,
are passed in deliberately counting the
cards as they lie on the cloth, and nam
ing them slowly-hke the tolling of a
bell, or the measured pronunciation of n
death sentence. Except that there has
been no noise but the simultaneous click
ing Of two pistol locks. The dealer and
his young cis-a-ris are seemingly uncon-
cerned for the event "You are wrong,
my friend" says Veteran.
Ono card was drawn here. Mistakes
will happen to the most careful gentle
men,"
From that decision there is no appeal.
His finger on the trigger after that
would have cost the young fellow mis-
life. SO pistols go back to their resting
places, hands are shaken across the table,
drinks for the company at the expense
of the "bucker AS he who plays
against the bank is called-and the game
proceeds with better understanding.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16
A Chinese Battle.

In Singapore, says o late paper of
that place, a great number of Cinnamon
suddenly filled the streets There must
have been q thousand of them, rushing
along from the direction of North Bridge
road, in regular ranks, four to six deep,
armed with spears and swords. They
were in regular Chinese fighting trim,
naked to the waist; their tails were
lightly coiled round their heads, and
their spears at their hips, ready for the
charge and some wore one, some two
swords, stuck in their waist-cloths.
they rushed steadily on, at the double
quick. There were several conspicuous
leaders running alongside the main
body, armed with only sword in one
hand, and handkerchief or piece of
cloth in the other, with which they gave
signals for advance or retreat, etc, and
orders as to the direction of their onsets.
All was conducted in dead silence, no.
thing heard save the heavy stamp of
feet. All on sudden another formidable
body of men, similarly armed and equip,
ed, and led, appeared rushing on from
the opposite direction, when the two
parties Immediately came into collision,
charging and alternately giving way,
and then charging again repeatedly.
Several were seen to fall, but they were
Immediately carried off by their com
rades. Several men could be seen at
the upper windows of the houses in
North Bridge road, at the end of the
street, passing signals as to the police,
etc. The combatants must have been
in hot conflict for nearly three quarters
of an hour, when signals were given
from the above-named windows; where
upon the whole of the combatants sud
denly disappeared as if by magic. Most
of them vanished into the neighboring
shops, and the whole field of operations
became as quiet as possible. After a
brief period police peon was seen
pceping round a corner, as if to see if
the coast was clear or how the land lay !;
and after the lapse say of quarter of
an hour, number of unarmed poems
made their appearance, shouting "Where
where's the row ?" but as usual, they
Ntlc wv ldIc lOI tlc lulI. manly Oh lnc
fighting men, who had evidently just
laid aside their weapons, and altered
their trim, with a Mathews-like CELEBRITY,
might be seen taking signs at the police,
and inquiring what was the matter,
The whole engagement was conducted
in dead silence, which would have be-
come charge of British Crenadiers with
set silence qtl,'euSe as the enemy, in
Wellington's days, used to term it, The
combatants were, according to all ac-
counts, lew Chew men, but divided into
two rival clans, the Say Tans and Say
Eyoo-the latter word signifying sheep
or lambs. The clashing and knocking
of spears was something to be remem-
ed, but otherwise the fighting proceeded
III silence.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16
The Late Gen, Anderson,

General Robert Anderson died at
Nice, France. He had gone from Venoy
to Nice about three weeks ago, hoping to
receive benefit from the change. His
family We're with him. His remains will
be brought by the United States vessel
Guerrero to this country for interment
General Robert Anderson has occupied
a prominent position in the history of
America, and the news of his death will
be received throughout the country with
unfeigned regret. He was born in Ken
lucky in 1906, graduated at West Point
in 1925, and on the first of July in that
year received his first commission as
brevet second lieutenant of Second Artil-
lery. During the Black Hawk war he
was inspector-general of the Illinois
volunteers. In lS35-37 Robert Ander-
son was assistant instructor and inspec-
tor of the West Point Military Academy,
and during the Indian war in Florida he
was aidede camp to General Scott. For
his successful conduct in the Florida war
he received, in August, 1888, the rank of
brevet captain. He accompanied General
Scott through the Mexican war until the
fall of the City of Mexico, particularly
distinguishing himself at the battle of
Ell Moline del Rey. His gallant and
meritorious conduct on this occasion was
rewarded by his promotion on the Sth of
September, 1S47, to the rank of brevet
major. When Fort Sumter was built
Major Anderson was appointed COM
mander of it and of all the works round
Charleston and for his defence of this
port was Immediately promoted to the
rank of brigadier-general, and ordered
to the Department of Kentucky. Here
his health failing him he was obliged to
retire from active service. He grew
gradually more and more feeble until,
being advised to leave his home and
try the effect of change of air and scene,
he went to France, whele, as the above
despatch informs us, he fingered until he
died,
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16

A SINGULAR ACCIDENT. "A curious and
somewhat startling accident occurred in
Brooklyn,N. Y. An ordinary range boiler
burst and the hot water very badly scald-
ed a lady and several children who were
in the kitchen. On examination the
boiler was found to be very thin.
Plumbers have been in the habit of re-
presenting that this class of boilers, or,
more properly speaking, hot water reser-
voirs might collapse from a defective
supply of water, but could not explode
"a theory under which thousands of
families have rested in confding security.
The present instance is fatal to this
notion of the constitution of range boil
ers, and it is to be hoped that 1t will be
carefully investigated. Nothing would
add more to the discomfort of the average
American household than a lurking
suspicion concerning the safety of its
kitchen, especially if the suspicion should
gain access to the minds of the already
unreliable cook and laundress.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16
History of the Cent.

The old red cent is rapidly passing
away out of the United States currency,
and it will not be long beforeit will only
be known in memory and numismatic
collections. Its history is matter of
sufficient interest for preservation. The
cent was first proposed by Robert Morris.
the great financier of the revolution, and
was named by Jefferson two years af-
ter. 1t began to make its appearance
from the mint in 1892. 1t bore the head of
Washington on one side and thirteen
links on the other. The French revo-
luton soon created rage for French
ideas, which put on the cent, instead of
the head of Washington, the head of the
Goddess of Liberty-a French Liberty,
with flowing locks. The chain on the
reverse was replaced by the olive wreath
of peace. But the French Liberty was
short-lived, and so was her portrait on
the cent. The next head or figure sue
ceeding this-the staid classic dame with
a fillet around her hair came into fashion
about thirty or forty years ago, and her
finely chiseled Greclan features have
been but slightly altered in the lapse of
time,
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16
Baby.

One Summer morning Baby came,
To lay upon my breast;
kissed her little face aud said
"Wo have an angel guest"
That Summertime was glad and gay
With baby laugh and gloe
The dearest thing in all the world
My darling was to me.
But when the frost winds touched the flowers
Like them she dropped away,
And died within my folding arms
One sad, sad Autumn day.
We made her little narrow grave
Close by the gardcn-wall-
1t seemed that some time she would wake
And for her mother call.
planted rose and briony
Beside her grave in Spring,
And robins nestled there, and learned
Their little ones t. sing.
1t is a sacred spot to me-
That grave 10 green and low
All ! Heaven cannot be far away
From'Baby's grave, know.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16

Here is good one on the "tater
bugs" Three men were comparing
notes. One says, There is two bugs
to every stock" A second one says,
"They have cut down my early crop,
and are sitting on the fence waiting for
the late crop to come up" "Pshaw,"
said the third, "you don't know any
thing about it. I passed seed store
the other day, and the bugs we're in there
looking over the books to see who had
purchased seed potatoes"
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16
NATIONAL, DEBTs. debts of all the

NATIONAL DEBTS. The debts of all the
states and kingdoms of Europe, as nearly
as can be learned, at the present time,
including the recent increase in France,
amount in all to f2, 800, 900, 900, ornearly
S12 500, 100000, The debt of the United
States on the LIST Of September, 1871, less
cash in the Treasury, was 80, ia, 900, GOO;
making total of Sl4, IA, 100000.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16
Trouble Mt Twenty.

Does this seem strange to you, my own best
friend,
That |, who yesterday gave back like emo
Too surely lapsipg to the struggle's end,
To-day can draw down rapture from the sun,
And drink the blazing blue above my head,
And fix my sight upon the thick-ridged hills,
Till their supremacy STRENGTHENING beauty
fills
My heart and strikes spring into my tread2
My youth has risen up in me like a sea,
To swell above the fainting want of him
Whose face and life and love are far from me
And on this sea short swift while / swim
left his picture un-brough forth to-day,
The better to bar out the blank of life
Without him-yielding youth an evener
strife
With sorrow and casual victory by the way
Has come to youth. This thing but feobly
comes,
This strength to cast aside the knawing
pain
For swift and sudden burning chorus huns,
And whems the short resistance ofmv brain
And off l rush, and set the trembling key
Within the lock, and snatch the picture out,
And drink the light the features shed about,
And hug the banished pain again to me.
You see me now with rapid feet, and eyes
That take the suns broad laugh and laugh it
back;
But all too soon tho weakness will arise
Weak wish to strike anew the toilsome track
The dance will fly myfeet, the light will fall
Out of my eyes, and shall fetch in haste
His face once more, and hold the pain en-
braced
The precious pain. the worst, best thing of all,
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16
Cape Cod Mackerel Fishing.

a Cape Cod correspondent of the Bos-
ton Waterman and Reflector writes of
Mackerel fishing as follows -
The lines, of which each man manag-
es two, are all thrown from the starboard
side of the vessel, this being, perhaps,
because the fishermen of Galilee once
met with remarkable success when they
"cast the net on the right side of the
ship" In regard to the time of fishing,
we are at the mercy of the capricious
mackerel themselves. Sometimes they
come promptly "alongside and remain
there for several hours, while again we
hear many times in day the prepara-
tory "heave to-" but not followed by
the more quickly spoken " fish, no "
and the exciting drumming in the emp
ty barrels of the newly-takcn fish. But
when they bite rapidly, the sport is live
ly enough, and each man has to look
well to his lines. We three greenics 4"
stood side by side, and sometimes when
the lively mackerel on our hooks would
dart about like weaver's shuttle, it
would result in all six of our lines being
drawn in by one of the party in state
of enhancement very trying to ones pa
tience. This the old salt very appro-
priately denominates "quilting" Once
| drew in fish and was about to strike
him off into my barrel when I found
that both my neighbors lines were
wound securely around the tail of the
fish, which caused a strong tendency
towards the next barrel. Between us
both the poor mackerel had a hard time
of it, for it was not until we cut off his
tail that my friends lines would give up
their hold upon him. Such vexations
the experienced fisherman avoids.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16

DESERVED IT. A sentence of six months
imprisonment was imposed on an English
collier named Brady, who, having some
grudge against his wife, locked the doors
of the house so that she could not escape,
and then deliberately melted large bull
dog to worry the unfortunate woman.
The details of her frantic struggle with
the brute, which were given in evidence
before magistrate, were unspeakably
horrible. She was savagely bitten in
many places by the dog, her husband
doing his best to shut odt all means of
escape. At last, torn and bleeding, she
escaped from the house, and Bradley
was given into custody. There is evil
IDENTITY room at the Lancashire collieries
for an earnest advocate of women's rights
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16

The belief entertained by some geolo-
gists of The present day that the age of
our globe reaches scores and even hun
dreds of millions of years is very ingen-
iously confuted by a recent writer in one
of the foreign scientific journals, a prin-
cipal objection to the belief in question
being that the sun could not have lasted
such length of time without being
burnt out. 1t is found, for instance
that the heat which falls on square
foot of the earth's surface exposed to the
vertical rays of the sun is equivalent to
S3.4 foot-pounds per second-or, about
seven thousand horse power per second
is rodiated from every square foot of the
suns surface. If the sun consisted of
coal it would be burned up in five thou
sand years. But pound weight falling
to the sun from an infinite distance would
produce six thousand times the heat gen.
Grated by pound of coal. If-as is
scarcely probable-the sun be supposed
to have been originally nebulous mass
filling the whole solar system and an in
definite space beyond it, the total amount
of heat produced by the gravitation of
the particles into condensed globe
would suffice to maintain the suns heat
for over twenty millions of years, even
supposing them to be very hot, the heat
generated would suffice for more than
three times that period. Such a heat
could be generated by the collision of two
great globes like the sun.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16

The COMET. -Encke's great comet,
which makes tour to the region of the
sun once in about three years and at
quarter, is now on its way thither, and
will reach the perihilion some time in
January. 1t win very soon come within
the ken of the astronomers, but persons
who have only their eyes to see with will
not have the pleasure of beholding the
cratic visitor. 1t rounds the sun at
a distance of thirty-two million miles
and then darts off into space, and before
it turns to come back reaches point of
three hundred and thirty-seven million
miles from that luminary This comet
is an object of especial interest to schol-
ars, owing to the fact that the period of its
revolution is gradually diminishing.
This is supposed to prove that the re-
gions of space are filed with material
either capable Of retarding the motion
of solid bodies, the ultimate effect of
which will be to destroy the centrifugal
force of the planets and allow them grad
ually and imperceptibly to glide into the
sun. 1t will take a long time for the
earth to reach that destination, but
Encke's comet periodically reminds us
that such is its final doom.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16

The cost of the war in Cuba during
the past year has been S62, 100000, and
the Colonial deficit for the year amounts
to $11, 100000 The Spanish Govern.
ment asks for credit of $40, 900, 900 for
military purposes.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16

LITIGATION case Illustrating litiga-
ton has just been concluded in Massa-
chusetts court. Four years ago two
ladies were riding with about a dozen
others in four-horse coach, on pic
mic excursion in Ashfeld, when a de-
fective bridge gave way and precipitated
the team, with the passengers, some
twelve feet into the stream below. Both
ladies were injured. The defect in the
bridge and the liability of the town
seemed undoubted. One of the ladies'
offered to settle for $1,000, but the
selectmen refused, The matter went in
to court, and now after four years of
litigation the town is mulcted in the
sum of SIG, 135, and must besides pay a
large bill of costs for their own wit
neSSeS.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16

There is much suffering in the San
Joaquin Valley, where the crops have
wholly failed for two seasons. One
thousand persons are needing food. The
citizens of San Francisco are raising
funds for their relief.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-11-16

WEALTH. The following figures show
the wealth of some New York people,
Cornelius Vanderbilt, $25, 100000 Alex
ander I. Stewart, 800, 100000; William
B. Aston, S16,000,000; William M.
Tweed, $4,000, 900; George Law,
70, 600, 900; Daniel Drew, SO, 100000.