davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-11-03
DEATH IN WELLS.

Above the uproar of the fire came the
paralyzing cutlery of the aged, in6rm,
young, and helpless. To save his brood,
a frantic father took them to the well,
and hastily collected debris was hurried
down, and on those the mother and trem-
bling little ones were placed. He stood
guard over his sorely beset treasures
When the calm sun of the morning shone
down on the waste of homes, his body
was found with the head hanging over
the we'll, where four little corpses min
gled their unsightly fragments with that
of a woman. Elsewhere father, mad
dened with the burning breath of the
tempest, and evidently distrustful Of es-
cape, freed his little ones from trouble
by the sharp expedient Of knife. The
group, almost unscarred, were found and
Identified. Not rod beyond, the wife
of this man lay stark, with dead babe
snugly covered at her breast. The ma
MIA for death was frightful. Men have
been found hanging in wells, with the
water-chain fastened about their necks.
The incredibleingenuitv of suicide would,
it seems certain, have in other channels
brought the victims out in safety. A
shallow stream ran through one of the
hamlets; in this, 80 people were found,
with faces pressed rigidly into mud and
water. Even young girls, insane with
scorching torture, rushed to death in any
other form to escape the fire. A youth,
charged with the care OF his employers
wife and children, faithfully endeavor-
ed to conduct them to safety. Selling a
child under each arm, and bidding the
fainting mother follow, he plunged
through the curling waves of fire. Be
fore he went ten steps, the two little ones
hung on his arms, limp aud inert. He
had only time to see that their life had
gone out in the hot flame, when the
mother, wrapped in flame, fell by his
side. He dropped, groveling in the sand,
and now lies in the worst extremity in a
neighboring hospital
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-11-03
A BIRTH.

While 400 souls were rushing out Of
the world, one puny mortal entered it,
and lives now after such baptism of fire
as the world never before witnessed. The
mother of this memorable wait, Mrs. Car
oline England, did work that day
which exceeds in improbability the Wild
est fiction. Riding four or FIVE miles on
horseback, she reached Peshtego in the
closing hours of agony, and with her
own brave hands and heroic resolution
saved the lives of four of her sisters
children; standing FIVE hours in the flood
with her unborn babe, whose first vail
ings were mingled with the muttering
flames. The coustancy surpassed tae
self-contaiDed determination Of the BRAY
est men,
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-11-03
The following was found pinned to a
blanket sent to the Y NJ. C. Association
rooms in Boston

stranger, perhaps that DER thy form
ms blanket gray may keepthee warm.
by picket fires friend 10 me.
Ana may Il prove the same to thee.
II Is a relic Of the war.
And as send it Westward-far.
y. may you find by night or day
A good warm friend in blanket gray"
Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-11-03
WHOLE FAMILIES BURNT.

A family we'll known to the three set
Elements for gentle neighborliness, were
found lifeless fully three quarters of
mile from home, the husband, wife. and
four-year old boy lying on their faces as
they had been stricken down, and no
perceptible scar was on the dead bodies.
Seventeen in one UNDERGRADUATES,
grandmother, sons, and sons Of sons
were found on their own farm, lifeless.
But why attempt the cold work of reca-
pitulation :? What awful satire was it
that made life and death confront each
other in this frightful time?
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-04-05
Spreading Manure Broadcast

IN Reid, Duchess Colinty.-Is there any
loss in the qualify Of the manure which Is
put on the land some months before the crop
which Is To be benefited by il ! haul the
manure in wintez, as much as convenient,
and in April and May, and plow il under in
the latter part Of May. This Is on land in
tended for wheat, which prepare by sum
mer fallOw, plOwing 1t several times. 1t If
suggested that there may be some less Of
manure lying in the ground so long without
being taken up by the crop. There are sew
eral important advantages in this method.
There is no loss by breaking in the pile in
the barn yard, and though filled with straw
and stalks the whole becomes fine, and well
Incorporated with the SOIL which Is complete
" fitted for the seed. 1t is proper to add
that my summer fillow is after corn crop
generally, and my object in this is to clean
the land Of weeds and quack grass. | should
also say thar we get, in this way, good
crop Of wheat, and what is more important,
a large crop of grain and improvement of the
land.
If there is serious loss in the manure,
should reluctantly let it lie at the barn until
such time.)
We have every reason for saying that we
believe your practice to be exactly what il
should be-s I'VE that you should haul out az
much manure in winter and as little in May
a you can make convenient.
There Is no way IN which manure can b,
made 80 useful as by being spread on tht
/ land IN cool or cold weather, and have it
soluble parts wished into the soil by rains
/ This effects intimate admixture of manure
and soil that no other process-no amount o
/ blowing and harrowing-can equal. You
experience and our own, and all that we hav
any knowledge of, prove this completely. /
is Il point on which - science, - which lon
advocated the immediate blowing in of ma
nure, has abandoned its position, come aroun
to the . practical " idea, and found ampl
reason for its conversion.
Except prshaps under hot summer SUI
there is no material loss by evaporation o
the valuable parts Of manure If it is al
lowed to ferment in a heap-or to lie in al
exposed heap at all-every rain will leac
out and wash away much of it's solubl
fertilizlng parts, and so cause serious loss
but when it is spread on the land, it's solubl
parts are carried by rain directly into th
soil and well distributed land it it now tn
generally accepted opinion among all VIII
understand the subject, that there is ne pos
slble way - save manure with so little loe
as to spread it on the surface Of the grOun
in the winter o. early spring and let th
weather have full play upon it.
About the effect Of the summer falIow o
your manure we are not SO clear.-N.
/ Post
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-04-05

FREsH EGGs IN Frosty WEATHER.-E. S.
Hume of Laytons, N. j., says in the New
York Tribune Warren Leland's manage
ment of his White Brahmas is excellent, but
I'll give you my plan. l would say, to be-
gin with, that my variety "a mixture OF
Cochin China) are not supposed to be the
best for laying. They are very large, too,
BONE of the hens weighing eight pounds
but then | fatter myself with my system
almost any kind will lay You would scarce
ly believe me were 20 tell you how many
eggs we get through the coolest weather
Suffice it to say that they will compare favor
ably with the marvellous stories l have seen
in your columns. And now for the secret.
Bones, bones, is the word Give them bones
with meat or without meat. Cut up or break
the bones az soon as the family has done with
them, and instead of throwing them to the
dogs, or in the soap fat keg, give them to
your hens, and with the proceeds of the IN
creased number of eggs you can buy at the
store better article of soap than you make,
and then you have the ashes for your apple
trees and grape vines In addition to bones
(but they are paramount) on cold mornings
We give them hot mashes, with a small
quantity of cayenne pepper stirred through
it. Give all the fresh water they want, also
plenty of dry dirt to wallow in. Keep them
well secured from the cold have window
/ lights on the sunny side, and my word for it
you will be rewarded for your trouble.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-04-05

GooD BUTTER.-A correspondent Of the
Rural Neo Yorker says: " Mr.. Franklin
Hatch Of Cortland, said be made 3 500 pounds
Of butter in 1866; IN 1867 he made about
the same quantity, but did not sell of the
putter made in those two years, until April
1868. He then sold all together for fifty
cents per pound. When Hatch delivered the
butter the purchaser could MT select the
old from the new all was sweet. 1t is not
the fifty cents per pound that | desire to i'm
press the reader with it is that 1866 butter
kept sweet to the time of sale without any
extra trouble than merely to set 1t in the
cellar with the rest of his butter.
Mr.. Hatch had a cream strainer, and
strained all the cream into the churn before
churning. He had good natural grass pas
lures, good airy milk-room, with double
walls to keep the room at proper tempera-
ture; kept nothing in the room but his milk.
By straining the cream nothing was lett IN
the butter to make it stale or rancid.
| believe that il all dairymon would strain
their cream into the churn, keep che temper
ature at from co. to So, churn slow, wash
1t in two waters, salt it by rule tone ounce
I to the pOund) work in the salt even and not
work the butter any more than enough tC
get the salt in even, they would all have gooC
I butter, and not be obliged TO 90 to marke
and see one man sell his product for ten I,
fifteen cents per pound more than another
who does not work it according to the rule
Of good butter makers"
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-04-05

bottom lands, prairie, and all marsh or swamp
lands where they can be plowed so as to XIII
the wild grasses. Towering through winter
and spring does not injure it. Here 1t Will
accept the situation, and display its magnih-
cent products on the scale of FIVE tons OF
finely cured hay to the acre. But mark
deeply stirred, rich, moist land, underdralned
or subsc lied, or both, will only produce tins
burden The chemical action of plaster is
strikingly manifest on this plant. Blossoms
are developed more or less when the plant is
from eight to ten inches in hight, and when
three and half feet it is perfect sea OF
bloom.
Millions of dollars may be added to the
wealth Of this country, especially in the West,
in few years, by sowing one acre this year,
and gradually extending its area. For soil
ing cows, horses, etc, when pastures tall, 1t
is equal or superior to green corn, and at
tended with much less trouble in the gather
ing and feeding. During the past year cut
three crops from the same ground, standing
at the first cutting from two to three feet IN
hight, as thick as it could stan1, small, dell
cate stalks, with numerous branches, and
perfectly glorifed with mass of small peach
blow colored blossoms, filling the air with the
most delightful and exhilarating perfume and
/ swarming with bees every fair day. The root
.
( The haulm is small, tender, and nutritious
/ When well cured, as it should be, IN full
bloom, every spear will be eaten with avldlty
by all kinds Of stock.
There is no plant known that will produce
so much good honey, butter, cheese, beef
mutton, wool, and hay per acre as this plant
not even excepting corn. In using the latte
for sOiIing, you get only the haulm, while II
the AlsIke you get the haulm and larg
yield Of honey and if the ground is prepared
as well by deep filth, manure, and plaster
or other fertilizers, as for corn, you will ge
as much by weight of the hauIm.
1t bears to an enormous degree. thinl
its fattening qualities superior to the famOu
blue-glass of Kentucky; and, as it will -four
ish well on such soils as | have designated
and from the Gulf t. Lake Superior, farmer
can easily divine it's immense advantages t.
their pockets. Besides, the expense of seed
ing down every three or four years
saved. 1t is a great renovatOr and disinte
orator Of hard tenacious soils. Its long tai
roots and numerous fibers reach deep for il
pabulum, they thus loosen soil and endur
: drouth well. Some think there are tw
kinds of clover. | think not. The differ
ence in growth, ETC., in diverse localities /
owing to the character of the soil. | neve
saw any but the large kind on land one
covered W tn beech, maple, oak, bass, lever
; wood, etc; and | never saw any but the sna
} kind on ligat, sandy, and grayelv soil. A
= 80 on pebbly rolls, with calcareous debr
D and good tenacious 50 bsoil, it succeeds wei
1t is no humbug. Farmers, Try 1t, and r
port results"
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-04-05

at the dinner-table, we heard what seemed
to be loud, wild scream of joy. with
one accord, all rushed upstairs to the con-
seryatory and there, sure enough, was
the mate again. This was repeated every
spring she lived. Whenever we heard
that peculiar, wild, joyous commotion, we
knew that her mate had come; and, on
going to see, always found him there
One year they raised three broods OF
birds and it was not an uncommon :.niug
at that time to see two parent birds and
twelve young ones all feeding at the same
table-the youngest ones yet SO small as
to be fed by the old ones.
This little pet was with US seven years
We never doubted her identity but a
clipt feather and defective toe made this
identity unmistakable.
The same great joy was manifested
toward her mate at each annual return IN
the spring but the last one it seemed al
most beyond expression-it even attracted
the attention of the neighbors. l remem-
/ Der one day an uncle of mine called US to
look at them. They would sing to each
other bow their heads, flap their wings, fly
down on the ground, roll over and over ;
10 short, they acted as if they were crazy
with happiness. Two or three days after
this l heard a futtering in the conser-
vatory; and, going in to see what was the
matter | found my pet lying in her feed
basin, in a sPasm. l took her up petted
her and, as the fit passed off, she nestled
down into my hand, and TUNED her head
up to look at me- The bright eyes were
swollen and bloodshot. Soon she had an
other spasm, and another. Then her lit
tie feet flew out, aud soon she lay dead IL
my hand How it all comes back to me
as ] write It seemed as if dear little
pet child had been suddenly snatched from
US; and as to the poor little mate, any
thing more heartbroken | never saw
there was no more dashing about through
the house and out among the trees NJ
more gay songs but instead, he mopeC
about, with now and then low wall tina
seemed more like leeep, lceep than any
thing else In the fall he went away, a
usual and we never saw him again t,
know him.
Bessie's conduct toward me was Otter
very amusing. Traits of character wer
manifested that instinct will not explain
If in the mornings should begin wa erl i!
my plants, or other work, before | had at
: tended to her wants, she would follow m
about, scolding, and darting down at m
= as if she intended to peek my eyes out
D and this would be continued until | woul
] quit all else and attend to her. But ate
: her breakfast she would come out to wher
I was, perch on the nearest tree or bush
+ and give me my pay in one Of her sweet
: est songs.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-04-05
2oftru.
The Farmers Spring Song,
~ C.. II. BARNES.

The red buds are tinting the soft maple trees;
The wood-peepers chirp where withersd vines
cling;
Full laden, to-day, is the breath Of the breeze,
With The blackbird's ballad ofweIcome to Spring;
The oowsIlp Is blending her blossoms of gold,
With the vioIet's blue, in shallow and swaIe,
And peewits are piping gOod-by TO the cold,
From brook-wiilowbranches that swing IN the gale
Come farmer boys now,
Ithharrow and Plow
Tum the brown turf in good cheer.
Old Winter gone
There dew on the lawn
-Ti- time to ne sowing the seed ofthe year, q
The riuz 20 long silent meath deep forest leaves,
Are learning O. warbie their gamut again;
And the puplc-wnged swallows are searching the
caves
To iud a retreat from the chilly spring rain;
Unrobed ofthe snow, earth bareth her breast
Inviting the toll Of the husbandman's hand;
And he that COWS early reap= plenty and rest;
lis certain reward from the generous land
so farmer boys now,
With harrow and pillow
Turn the brown turf in good cheer
Olt " inter IS gone
There's dew on the lawn
It's time % ny sowing the seed Of the year.
While savage December was Iashing his team
Oftempe-t and -now--torm, Ia fury along,
You -toried and sang 900 raicr and beam
shook down tlc light echoes of mirth and ofsong
For your Iarder- were Misunderstanding your bins
Your grauaric- glowing with Autumn's ripe yield
But now the new season OF labor begins,
And April D. calling her pIOwman afeld;
Ho, farmer boys now
With harrow and pillow
Turn the brown turf in good cheert
Old Winter i- gone
There dew the lawn
It's time o. be sowing the seed Of the year
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-04-05

HARD AND SoFP BOILED EGGs-It is under
stood that eggs are more easily digested if
. rare than - well = done but which por-
ton fthe egg resists digestion-the' - white -
which is nearly pure albumen, or the yelk =?
Lately experiments have been made IN this
direction with ample opportunity for demon
strating that healthy gastric juice, which the
stomach secrete- TOR purposes Of digestion
viii not act readily on firmly cJagulated
white Of egg, even il cut in pieces not larger
than ordinary peas, (and that Is az fine as
people usually chew their food while it acts
with facility upon the more brittle yelk. The
reason is that the coagulated albumen is very
compact and tenacious, and would need to be
- ground to powder - to accept the chemical
afhnities Of the gastric juice.
Pour into basin boiling water sufficient
to cover the eggs, put the eggs into the wa
ter and let them remain ten minutes, accord
ing to circumstances and your own taste
keep the water nearly upto boiling tempera-
ture, but don't boil the eggs. Fresh eggs
will cook more quickly than old ones, and OF
course small ones quicker than large ones.
BY this process you will find the yolks well
cooked, while the white is left in a condition
to digest readily Western Rural.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-04-05
gnetrg.
In school Days.

Stin sits the school-house by the road,
A ragged beggar summing;
Around it still the sumachs grow
And blackberry vines are running.
Within, the masters desk is seen,
Deep SCARED by raps Official;
The warping door, the battered seats,
The jack-knife's carved Initial;
The charcoal frescos on its wall;
Its doors worn sill, betraying
The feet that, creeping slow to school,
Went storming out to playing
Long years ago a winter sun
Shone over it at setting
Lit up its western window panes,
And low caves icy fretting.
It touched the tangled golden curls,
Aud brown eyes full OF grieving,
OF one who still her steps delayed
When all the school were leaving.
For near her stood the little boy
Her childish favor singled;
His cap pulled low upon face
Where pride and shame were mingled.
Pushing with restless feet the snow
To night and left, he fingered
As rsstlessly her tiny hands
The bIue-checked apron fingered.
He saw her lift her eyes; he felt
The soft hands light caressing,
And heard the tremble of her voice,
As ifa fault confessing.
Pm sorry that l spelt the word
hate to 60 above you,
Because, the brown eyes lower fell
Because you see, ! love your
sull memory to gray-haired man
That sweet child-face is showing.
Dear girl the grasses on her grave
Have forty years been growing
Helives to learn, in LIES hard school,
How few who pass above him
Lament their triumph and his loss,
Like her, because they love him.
Effffel
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-04-05

RAT-PRooF WALLs.-A correspondent Of
the Rural Nel0 Yorker has written to that
Iurn Al, asking how To secure his buildings
against ITS. Three answers were elected :
/ Number l says that it is nearly or quite i'm
practicable to sink walls deep enough to
/ prevent ra:s from burrowing under them
/ Ii Is much cheaper to cover the entire ground
hJor with concrete, mixed as follows To one
/ barrel OF good fresh ce nent add two barrels
Of cOar-e sand (the coarser the betterl with
water sufficient 10 make mortar for mason 5
Us and work 1t thoroughly then add small
! cUbble s5on' s-from the size Of a mueket-ball
| 70 goose egg-as many you think the
cement will unite when set hard spread
evenly, about four or six inches in thickness
taking care 10 have it in its place before il
sets or hardens- Ii a level surfa e is desired
AXE the above mixture, leaving out the
cobbles, and smooth it like a plastered wall
Ii sable floor Is wanted, fit the planks
closely and lay without nails or spikes There
VIII be room for nest if the concrete i
evenly spread, and whenever necessary the
planks can be rem we'd and everything cleaned
Number says that after the cellar is ready
Tor wallIng up, trench must be made all
round. SIX inches wider than the wall * t.
be, and one -. deep. Fill this with broken
stone, well settled with sedge, and build
the wall on top of il. Number brings
strategy 10 bear. His plan Is to lay course
Ut thin, fat stone at the foundation of the
wall and projecting outward into the bank
fourteen or sixteen inches. The rats ALWAYS I
dig by the side of the wall. an give up in
despair when they reach the tier of stone ,
We will add, tn At to make this device eff Ct
ual, Il seems to US Indispensable that the
edges ot the stone be closely fitted together.
and tle corners arranged 50 that the proiect
log shelf shall be continuous Moreover. il
seems u US that possibly old, galvanized
sheet-iron might IN some cases be used to adj
vantage instead of stone. At all events. we
do not believe that the rats Of the neteenth
centyy will allow more than dozen genera
lions to grow up without learning how to
circumvent this trick, and rat generations
are considerably shorter than those of human
kind.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-04-05

ORCHARD GRAss.-John G. Rider, Lancas-
ter Pa, says in the Rural Nelo YORKER. -
have had it growing on my farm Cor five
years, and have found it valuable for pas
ture grass and for hay. 1t stands the drouth
well with me, and the winter also Its roots
penetrate the soil to a good depth, and grow
in the shape of hens foot. The stems
grow up punching. l know Of no two va
rieties. The seed can be sown IN fall or
spring but the best time is 30 sow it in the
fall. The soil on which [ have it growing is
. clay The seed can be sown with clover in
spring, as the two together make an excellent
grass for hay 0r pasture. 1t has given all
my neighbors who have tried it perfect salts
IL ctien''
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-04-05

MANURE FOR PoTAToEs.-In the Journal Of
The Royal Agricultural Society England. }
DR.. Voelker, the well known agricultural
chemist, records the following conclusions
from careful. experiments in special fertiliza-
ton Of the soil for potatoes
l. The greatest came from the application
to an acre of 400 pounds of mineral super
phOsphates, 200 of potash salts, and 200 of
sulphate of ammonia.
2. Dung did about as well.
3. The absence of sulphate of ammonia was
attended with a marked falling off. and nj
trate of soda cannot replace it.
+. The compound above named beats Peru
Wan guano.
5. Common salt does no good, but harm, to
potatoes.
6. The above mixture gave a crop Of y
4ons, (or 448 bushels) to the acre on light
land, and the same unmanured yielded but
half.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-04-05
The ilSike Clever.

Farmers put more confidence in this new
variety. 1t has now been before the country
for quite a number Of years, and We have vet
70 hear single word of condemnation. On
the contrary, some turner's report in the most
encouraging terms. a Michigan correspond
ent of the HesseTn Rural tells his readers
how best 70 succeed with 1t
Z" Ais Ike clover is not adapted to light
sandy, or sandy and gravely soils, with Pc
rous or leach suFsoils. With good clay sub
soil it succeeds better. But it luxuriates in
rich, thoroughly worked clay-lOam soils, rich