davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-10
A Mysterious Noise.

A correspondent recently heard a sue
cession of strange, cracking noises out
of doors at night, and had great diff
Guilty in finding the cause. The sound
came from some fallen walnut tree
leaves, and he naturally expected to
find that some species of insect caused
the leaves to rustic.
cat the next spot where 1 examined,
I closely watched the modus operandi,
and saw the dry, brown leaves gradu-
ally curling open, moving like little au-
tomato one opening would touch an
other, and that in turn rolled open, with
the peculiar rustling sound that had at
first attracted my attention. But there
was no worm there. What then was the
power that carried on this general move
ment g? Upon meditating little, the
truth flashed upon me it was simply
that the day had been remarkably warm
for an April day, and the heat of the
sun had warped the leaves, curling them
up like voluta but as the sun set, the
northeast wind had blown the clouds
and moisture from the Atlantic, and,
coming in contact with the dry leaves,
had caused them to uncurl. Thinking
that some motion would accelerate their
movement, stamped upon the ground,
and Immediately the whole garden
seemed alive with motion. The occur
renee seems of>small account, but it IL
lustrates in perfectly natural way the
force and effects of variations in tenn
perature."
Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-10
A GhOstly Visitation.

The Davenport Uowa) Gazette vouches
for the absolute truth of the following:
A citizen of North Davenport had an
only daughter who was betrothed to a
young man of fair promise, a clerk in
Dubuque. Arrangements had been
made for an immediate union when the
bride-elect diel. The young man re-
turned to Dubuque. Nervous fever set
in, and an hallucination seized him that
his lost one was present in the room,
draped in the same garb which had en-
veloped her clay. He minutely des-
cribed her and her position even when
his friends would sit or stand where he
declared her to be, he saw her glide
away and take another place. This went
on for weeks, and the patient was gradu-
ally sinking when friendly ruse was
tried.
Coming to Davenport, his mother
found that the funeral garments were
purchased at the store of @. & NJ, and
made by Mrs. B. She procured the
material, had it made up in fac-simile,
and returning, young lady as near IN
height and appearance as could be
found, was dressed to resemble his
deceased love, and during one OF his
fevered and brief slumbers was intro
duced into the room, taking her seat In
a shaded corner.
Hisawakening was anxiously watched.
He woke, and turning his eyes in the
direction of the pious fraud, stared with
fixed eyeballs for few seconds, then,
raising himself almost upright in his
bed, flung his arms aloft, and shrieking
in an unearthly voice: "My God, there
are tho of them" fell back and expired.
Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-10
Seeing "Robinson Crusoe.

Apropos-that's French, but I don't t
think the spelling is right-Paris is a
nice place. You can have a good time
in Paris. We did. One day, Sun-no,
Tuesday, we went out to Robinson
You don't pronounce it that way; I'll
tell you how when get home. Robin
son is called Robinson because De Foe
wrote Robinson Crusoe" there. They
say De Foe wrote R. G. sitting in large
tree. He was great ass if he did. We
sat in the same large tree, but it does
not follow that we wrote Robinson Cru
soc or were great asses. We had our
dinner in the top of the large tree, not
sitting along limb and dangling our
legs, but in sort of bird-cage reached
by steps from terra firma. Our bird
cage was the favorite. and had to be
secured beforehand. We had jolly
dinner; the dumb waiter was basket
hauled up by a rope. We had lots of
champagne, which accounts for old -
giving the Widow 1000 francs to let
him squeeze her hand, and accounts
for his pouring red wine down his white
vest to make him look as if he had been
in duel.
When we found our cage sinking
rapidly towards the ground we left. On
our way down old -, the Widow, and
I stayed back, and as we passed lower
cage pretty French girl sang "Cham-
pagne Charley is my name," &c. Old
. said: I'D it-all right, old fel.
low-American-go to the dip The
young French girl said, 81 thought so. 4"
The Widow sat on the steps, and said,
'He he!" and I said, "Ha ha" for
only then we realized that old - was
drunk!
Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-10
The American Department Of the
Vienna Exposition.

will do one side of the American
department in the exhibition stern JUS
tibe. 1t commences with long picture
placed there by the Pork Packers Asso-
citation of Cincinnati. descriptive of the
processes which millions of American
hogs are subjected to before being con-
verted into pork. There are hogs going
in long procession to be killed, and
going, too, in determined sort of way,
as if they knew it was their business to
be killed. Then came hogs killed, hogs
scalded, hogs scraped, hogs cut up into
shoulders, hams, sides, jowls hogs
salted, hogs smoked. Underneath this
sketch were a number of unpainted
buggy and carriage wheels; next, a
pile of pick handles not far off, little
mound of grindstones after the grind
stones, platoon of clothes-wringers !;
next, solitary iron wheelbarrow COM
muning with patent fre-extinguisher !;
following these crowd of green iron
pumps-sewing- machines in full force.
Such is bit of the American depart
ment.
1t is the fashion here that every one
should have growl at the general slim
ness and slovenliness of our department.
Every one gives our dropping eagle
kick. This is all wrong. We can't
send our greatest wonders and triumphs
to Europe. There is neither room nor
opportunity in the building for showing
off one of our political torch-ight pro-
cessions, or vigilance-committe hang
ing, or a Chicago or Boston fire, or
steamboat blow-up, or a railway smash
up. Were the present chief of the COM
mission man of originality and talent,
he might even now save the national
reputation by bundling all the pumps,
churns, patent clothes-washers, wheel
barrows, and ck-handles out of doors,
and converting one of the United States
rooms into reservation for the Modocs,
and the other into corral for buffalo
and grizzly bears. These, with mus
tang poet or two from Oregon, a live
American daily paper, with a corps of
reporters trained to squeeze themselves
into door-cracks and key-holes, might
retrive the national honor, if shown up
realistically and artistically.-Lippin-
cotfs Magazine.
Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-10
Canoes.

Rome is now the chief seat of the art
of cameo cutting, two of which are pro-
duced II those cut in hard stone and
those cut in shells. The stones most
valuable for this purpose are the oriental
onyx and the sand onyx, provided they
have two different colors in parallel
layers. The value of the stone is greatly
increased for this purpose if it has four
or five different colors in parallel layers,
if the layers are so thin as to assist in
making the device of the cameo. For
example, a specimen of stone, which
has four parallel layers, may be useful
for q cameo of Minerva, where the
ground would be dark gray, the face
light, the bust and helmet black, and
the crest over the helmet brown or gray.
All such canoes are wrought by lapi-
dary's lathe with pointed instruments
of steel, and by means of diamond dust.
Shell canoes are cut from large shells
found on the African and Brazilian
coasts, and generally show two layers,
one white and the other q pale coffee
color or deep red orange. The subject
is cut with small steel chisels out of the
white portion Of the shell. Stones
adapted for cameo cutting are dense,
thick, and consist usually Of three layers
Of different cologed she'll material.
Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-10
Honest IagO.

A Canadian paper repeats the fol-
lowing anecdote with great JUNCTION !:
Five years ago gentleman in the
United States got up railroad
speculation, for which it was thought
necessary that there should be a
Government subvention. The affair
was duly submitted to Congress, and an
engineer of high character, who was
without wit, was appointed on the
part of the Government to report on the
scheme. This scientific man visited
the country, returned, and was one day
sitting in his hotel, with friend lying
on the sofa, when one OF the railway
promoters entered and addressed the
engineer in low whisper. Speak out,
said the engineer. Accordingly, after
ascertaining that the other party pre-
sent was friend, he said in loud voice:
"AIr. Smith, if you will fix that report
to suit us, we will give you $50, 700 Of
the stock" 'Mr. JONES'" was the re-
ply, "when you want to bribe an honest
man-an honest man, mind you-come
right down with your spondulics; darn
your stock =
Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-10
Simplicity in Living.

To live simply to master and control
our expenditure, is sore need in all
classes. The influences which surround
us, the habits which we fall into as q
second nature, all sway us in the same
direction. Every family and every
class seems to have caught hold of the
skirts of the one above it, and be des-
perately holding on. Well, as Mr..
Goldwin Smith says, the best thing that
they can do is to let go-the only thing.
indeed, which will give themselves any
comfort, or make their lives of real use
in their generation. The moment they
will do SO, and begin resolutely to live
without regard to what their neighbor
on the right spends on carriages, or
their neighbor on the left on upholstery
they will find themselves rich for all
good purposes. From that moment it
can no longer be said of us with truth
that we dare not trust our wits to make
our houses pleasant to our friends, and
so we buy ice creams. And this most
needed of all reforms is Just the one
which every soul of us can carry through
for himself or herself. We cannot
sweep our whole streets. No doubt.
But every one of us can sweep our door
step, and if he will do it quietly and
regularly, anon his right-hand neigh
bors follow, and before long the whole
street is swept. And in this way, and
by this means, can almost all these So
cial tangles which we have been glanc-
ing at casually this evening be set right.
Simple living! To it even the great
household question, at once the most
harrassing of social troubles, will in the
end yield, will begin at once to look
not wholly insoluble and hopeless
Speaking of this sore question in the
Nation the other day, one of the witt
est of American essayists took up the
cudgels for Bridget against her numer-
ous accusers. ''My good friend" he
urged "what else have you any right
to look for? The things which Ameri-
can life and manners preach to her are
not patience, sObermindedness, faith
fulness, diligence and honesty, but self
assertion, discomfort, hatred of superb
ority of all kinds, and eagerness of phy-
sical enioyments ;" and the words come
home, l fear, with singular force to us
islanders also in those days. Let us
hope that the picture of the good COM
ing time which he goes on to draw may
prove true for us also. "Whenever the
sound of the new gospel which is to win
the nations back to the ancient and no.
BILE ways is heard in the land, it is fair
to expect that it will not find her ears
wholly closed and that when the alter
Of duty is again set up by her employ.
ers, she will lay on it attractive beef
steaks, potatoes done to a turn, make |
ibations of soup, display remarkable !
fertility in sweets, an extreme fondness
'or washing, and learn to grow old in
)ne family. ."-ThOnaas Huges.
Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-10
Authors Contrasts.

The Saturday Rerie,O points out the
contrasts between the public character
and the private being Of most authors
thus 1.-THE lively novelist is taciturn,
morose kind of person, ever ready to
start topics of grave and depressing
nature. The poet whose songs are full
of that delicious melancholy that makes
them so divinely sad is q rubicund,
rosy-gilled gentleman. brisk, middle
aged, comfortable, particular as to his
wines, and prone to personal gossip and
feeble humor. The lady novelist who
sails very near the wind, and on whom
the critics are severe by principle, is as
quiet as Quakeress in her conversa-
ton, and as demure as q nun in her
bearing. The sour female essayist, who
finds everything wrong and nothing in
its place, has face like the full moon,
and looks a. if she fed on cream and
butter" It is conjectured that the
lady who sat for the last etching was
Miss Frances Power Cobbe.
Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-10
False Gentilify.

A gentleman occupying respectable
position in a mercantile house observed
the worn looks of a lad who had been
lately engaged. Addressing him kindly
he asked if he were ailing. The lad re-
piled that he was merely overfatigued.
As there was nothing in his work at the
office to induce this his interrogation
made further inquiries, which elected
that he only received Sc week that
his board and lodging in Brooklyn alb
sorbed s. of this, leaving 81 for ferries
and all other expenses /; that under
these circumstances he had cast about
for night employ, but after the most
active effort could only succeed in pro-
curing so cents night as super at a
theatre. But this alas, he had now been
compelled to give up. He found that he
could not stand the burning OF the cam
die at both ends. He had been obliged,
on leaving the Office at half-past five, to
rush over to Brooklin for his supper,
then recross to New York and run, with
the thermometer at eighty and ninety
for he couldn't afford the car-to an up
town theatre. He reached it painting
and running down with perspiration,
donned his fantastic attire, and then
remained for hours in q heated atmos-
phere. It is not very remarkable that
he had found this process exhaustive,
but he was, nevertheless, greatly panied
at having to give it up. Moved with
the gentleman who had
questioned him availed himself of his
position to suggest to his
principal that $6 week was an made
quate salary. The principal admitted
this, and by consenting to raise it to
80 made the poor boy happier than a
Vanderbilt or Drew when they pocket
. million. But in extenuation Of such
small remuneration he observed, and
very truly, Remember the crowd of
applicants we had who would have been
thankful to come for fve." Now achief
cause Of this enormous supply Of needy
clerks il their mothefs' rage for gentil-
ity. The fathers don't caro- much about
It. but whether Pope was or was not
Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-10
Poetry.
Waiting for Luck. /.

Hol We who listless and moping
Sit dismally twirling your thumbs,
And gloomily waiting and watching
For something that thus never comes;
You might just as well, foolish mortals.
Expect you'll by lightning be struck;
One will happen as soon as the otheri
Don't staad around waiting for luck
There's ssying-a COED and true one
(Take courage, you poor one who delves
With stout heart SO brsve) that "beaven
Will help those who first help themselves; :"
And you'll find, If you wish for good fortune,
pretty good way Is to tuck
Up your shirt-sleeves and start out aud md it
Don't sit around waiting for luck.
1ou may pine and NOPE on forever
Find fault and deplore your hard fate
But you'd better remember the proverb,
And &C; on ii ere it's too late;
You may pout and grumble forever
Just so long you will md you are stuck
10 the mire Of sloth and abassment-
Don't sit around waiting for luck
There is wealth to be hsd-go and seek 1t,
And with it get honor and fame;
BY the sweat of your brow you can gain them,
And carve for yourself proud name;
But to do this takes tact and ambition,
Persistency, hope-and some pluck.
Are you resdyl-then lose not a moment
Don't sit around waiting for luck.
Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-10
Miscellany.


What American girl would be equal
to the following?
From a single feat, performed by a
young lady of the aristocracy, an English
paper concludes that physical degene-
racy cannot be imputed to the present
generation of our transatlantic cousins.
Lady Blanche Somerset, the daughter
of the sporting Duke of Beaufort, a
young girl not yet eighteen, who was
sojourning with her father in London
on Derby Day, suddenly expressed an
anxious longing to witness the great
national race. Epson was, however,
twenty miles distant the race was to
be run at three o'clock; and Lady
Blanche expressed her wish at half-past
twelve. There were no trains, and the
duke had no carriage at hand SO, at
quarter before one, the young lady,
escorted by her papa, started for EPSON
Downs on horseback, and reached the
scene of the race in an hour and forty
minutes, well in time to witness the
winner bound past the goal. Certainly
no prettier feat of horsemanship could
be performed, and the event speaks well
for the vigor and pluck of England's
daughters. If sporting ladies, daring
to rashness in the chase, and perfect
mistresses of frisky steeds on Rotten
Row, are an indication that the stand
ard of physical soundness is kept up,
it is just conclr sion for, as the paper
referred to says, "our women ride harder
across country than their grandmothers.
1t is trite remark that English women
are the lustiest and healthiest in the
world; the only divergence of opinion
begins when the causes of this are
sought. Some, ,meteorologically inclined
attribute it to the moist yet not MAS
matte climate, which acts as preserva-
tive of the forces impaired by Nature
to the human constitution others, who
may be supposed to have genealogical
turn, and who pronounce Mr.. Galton a
philosopher, refer it to trace, blood,
health, and strength, inherited through
long generations from hardy Norman
and Saxon; yet others say that it fol-
lows flom the fashion and custom of
persistent out-of-door exercise, and the
permanent taste for the vigorous sports
of the field, the river, and the hunting
park. Perhaps it is a combination of
these causes which produce the robust,
rosy-cheeked Englisbwoman, who is SO
wholesome to the eye Of every foreigner
who sets foot on English ground; per-
haps, too, the plain, hearty, wholesome
cooking which obtains there has some
thing to do with it.
Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-10
MIFFLINTOWN JUNIATA COUNTY, SEPTEMBER 1873

perate hope of overtaking him by swim.
ming, when caught sight of small
triangular fin, moving slowly through
the water. 1t was large shark, and,
with shudder, drew back, giving up
my wild undertaking. Watson, salts.
fed with his revenge, had hauled the
sheet aft, and the light breeze filling
the sail, the boat glided rapidly away
in the direction of the distant land.
Bitter and awful were the feelings that
surged through my breast as I watched
that villain receding from my view. My
last hope was gone. I must die alone
and deserted.
Watson, in token of last and final
farewell, stood up in the stern sheets OF
the gig, waving his hat derisively above
his head. At the same time flaw OF
wind struck the frail craft, causing it to
shoot up into the wind with q sudden
jerk. The wretch lost his footing, striv-
ing in vain to recover his balance, and,
in his efforts, the gig careened, pitching
the occupant headlong into the clear
blue waters. A long, dark shadow
passed swiftly along, wild shrek of
mortal agony rang out upon the air, o
tinge of crimson streaked the blue
water, and all was over.
Captain Watson had received the re-
ward he so well merited for the
treachery he had practiced upon me-
With eager eyes watched the course
of the boat, as it slowly drifted before
the wind, and soon found that it would
pass close under the stern. Lowering
myself into the water, watched for q
favorable opportunity, and with few
strong strokes, gained possession of the
coveted prize. At late hour the next
day I hauled the gig up on the beach of
the distant land had seen.
1t proved to be one of the many
islands composing the Maldives, and
the natives treated me with great kind
ness. Through their aid was enabled
to reach Ceylon, and from there en-
barked for home, which closed up the
disastrous voyage.
Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-10

| The Park itself is 9S42 feet above tn,
sea-level, or half as high again as Noun
Washington. The surrounding rim i:
some two thousand feet higher, while
in the distance, north, south, and west
may be seen the snowy SUBMITS, four
teen thousand feet high, of Gray's Peak
Pixies Peak, Mount Lincoln, and
Other Titans without muse or name.
The South Park is sixty miles long
and thirty wide, with surface like a
rolling prairie, and contains hills, groves,
lakes, and streams in beautiful variety.
1t formerly abounded with buffalo and
other game, and was favorite winter
hunting ground of the Indians and the
white trappers, but since thegreat influx
of miners the buffalo have mostly dis
appeared. Such, however, is the excel
lence of the pasture that great herds of
cattle are driven up here to feed during
the summer. Several towns and villages
have sprung up around the mines in
this vicinity. such as Hamilton, Fair
play, and Tarryall, to which a stage
coach runs three times a week from
Denver.
In our old aliases, forty years ago,
we used to see the Rocky Mountains
laid down as a great central chain or
backbone of the continent but they are
rather congeries of groups scattered
over an area of six hundred miles in
width, and thousand miles long |;
among them are hundreds of these
parks, from few acres in extent to the
size of the State of Massachusetts,.
These mountains differ so entirely from
those usually described by travellers,
the Alps, the Scottish Highlands, and
the White Mountains, that one can
scarcely believe that this warm air and
rich vegetation exist ten thousand feet
above the sea. In climate the Colorado
approach more nearly to the
Andes, where the snow-line varies from
fourteen thousand to seventeen thous-
and feet. Here snow begins at twelve
thousand feet, and increases in quantity
to the extreme height of the tallest
peaks, about fourteen thousand two
hundred and fifty feet, though even
these are often bare in August. In
these parks the cattle live without shelter
in winter, and the timber is large and
plentiful at eleven thousand feet eleva-
tion. Glaciers are wanting, but instead
we have the rich vegetation, the wide
range of mountains, the pure, dry, and
balmy atmosphere, and a variety,
depth and sOftness of color which can
hardly be equalled on earth.
cotfs Magazine.
Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-10
A Midsummer Idyl.


Within the shade by willows made,
In sofIest summer weather,
We sat beside the ripping tide
My love and together.
Through clouds Of white, with softened light,
The harvest moonbesms shimmered;
And on the stream silvery beam
With dismOnd luster glimmered.
The summer breeze, from fragrant trees,
Delicious odors brought us;
While sounds from Ger the farther shore
In blended sweetness sought us.
And SO We, too,-as in US grew
The sense of peace so gentle
Attuned our song to Natures throng,
Beneath the evenings mantle.
We talked not much, but the soft touch
OF hands, and eyes oft meeting,
Told more by far than words declare.
As heart to heart have greeting.
Then, midnight come, We loitered hOme,-
Like brother now and sister,
''Ts cheat surprise and prying eyes
Till at the gate kissed her.
-.S1iGneT's Monthly.
Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-09-10

right in saying that "every woman is at
heart rake" he would have spoken
perfect truth had he said that every
woman is at heart an aristocrat, more
especially where her children are con-
cerned.-NcW York World.