davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-10-04

the watery deep can buy, for penny or
two. a seat on the estrade, where nun
dreds Of spectators feast their eyes upon
those who. more fortunate than them
selves, navigate on the only decent
sheet of water in New CASTLE. For
three or four hours the scene in the
Prado is animated The rich and the
poor congregate there as if the society
of Madrid were the most democratic in
the world. That old gentleman, with
lovely blonde girl on his arm, is the
MarGnis de Medina Sidoni, in whose
veins flows the blood alike of the All
cient grandees of Spain and of the
Moorish kings of Granada. The hand
some Young fellow who passes him is
Sen, Escuviaz, the president of the
Internationalists of Madrid. At that
round table sits Gen1 Daniel Sickles,
the ambassador of the United States.
The tall, bald gentleman, who jokes
with him, and who for the world looks
like grim old Bismarck, is no ether than
Emilio Castelar,, the foremost orator of
Europe, and the noblest patriot of his
own country. And then there is music,
not Spanish music thongh, for, strange
to say, the Spaniarls of orr times have
hardly anv national music worth speak
ing of. The band plays the plaintive
notes of Verdi's Miserere from "Il
Trovatore :" and next follows "The
Watch on the Rhine" Enthusiastic ap-
plause covers the stirring German hymn,
for you must bear in mind that Spain
and Germany are fast friends, even
though the Emperor William has not
vet recognze zed the Spanish republic.
The air is fragrant with floral odors and
with the equally fragrant emanations of
cigars: for one thing is certain, and that
is, that the nicotian weed is nowhere
smoked more fastidiously than in Ma
drid. The Madrilenos will put up with
any thing but bad cigars. You may op-
press them, you may starve them, you
NAV auench their thirst with the most
abominable wine, but never dare to
offer them a cigar that does not come
from La Vuelta Abaio. And, strangely
enough, everybody in the Prado smokes
good cigars, and the restaurants have
but one quality. 1t is near midnight,
and the crowd begins to shin out.
Lovers escort their darkeyed Pepitas
and Juanitas home. The band plays
the "March of the Republic" the stars
pale away, the hum in the Prado ceases,
and Madrid goes to bed.-Apptetons
Lo,rn0I
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-10-04
Ventriloquism Easily Acquired.

A writer in the Chicago Advance SAYS
that "the ventriloquist's art is as easy
to learn as falling off log. He main
tains that there is no difficulty in ac-
quiring the power. In the first place,
he says, speak any word or sentence in
your own natural tone then open the
mouth and fix your jaws fast, as though
trying to hinder any one from opening
them further or shutting them draw
the tongue back in a ball; speak the
same words, and the sound. instead of
being formed in the mouth, will be
formed in the pharynx. Great atten-
ton must be paid to holding the jaws
rigil. The sound will then be found to
initiate voice from the other side of
the door when it is closed, or under a
floor, or through a wall. To initiate a
sound behind a door partly open, the
voice must not be altered from the
original note or pitch, but be made in
another part of the mouth. This is done
by closing the lips tight and drawing
one corner of the mouth downward or
toward the ear Then let the lips open
at the corner only, the other part to re-
main closed. Next, breathe, as it were,
the words out of the orifice formed. Do
not speak the words dintinctly, but ex-
pei the breath in short puffs at each
word, and Jas loud as possible. BY so
doing, you produce the illusion in the
minds of your listeners that they hear
the same voice which they heard when
the door was closed, but more distinctly
and nearer on account of the door being
open. The lips must always he used
when the ventriloquist wishes it to ap-
pear that the sound comes through an
obstacle, but from some one close at
hand /"
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-10-04
The Health of San Francisco.

The annual report of the health Off
Ger of San Francisco contains some IN
teresting statistics For the last year,
ending June 80, 3641 deaths occurred
in that CITY, being q little more than
nineteen deaths in every thousand of
the population. This is remarkably
low rate for city of the size and char
acter of San Francisco, and is much be-
low the average death-rate of American
or European cities, which is about 20 to
the thousand, Havana standing the
highest, with the enormous death-rate
of As; Montreal next, with Sc; and
New York following, with 81. Next to
San Francisco, the healthiest city OF
much pretension on either continent is
Cincinnati, whose annual death-rate is
20 to the thousand. But San Francisco
is net satisfied with even this favorable
exhibit, and explains away a part of
this mortality as not strictly chargeable
to it. First, it shows that the Chinese
increase the death-rate by importing
disease, and by living in close and filthy
quarters. The death-rate among the
Chinese themselves, for the last year,
was 33 in every thousand of population.
This report will create s. new feeling
against the Chinese, and already the de-
mand is made for stricter quarantine
and internal sanitary regulations, to
compel them to be more cleanly and
wholesome in their mode of living.
While the average number of persons
in each house in San Francisco is only
six, thst of the Chinese quarters is
about twelve, or nearly as high as in
New York, and to this, together with
their habits of living, the extraordinary
mortality among the Chinese is attrib-
uted. Second, San Francisco complains,
with apparent justice, that its death
rate from consumption does not, natu-
rally, belong to it. It will surprls=
many that the proportion of deaths
from consumption in that city is almost
as large as in Brooklyn or Philadelphia
and larger than in Cincinnati, for Cali
fornia has been acc Auntei one of the
best resorts for consumptives. This is
easily explained, however, by the state
ment that of the Geaths from consump
ton during the past year, more thar
two-thirds we're of foreigners. The
fact, undoubtedly, is that large mum
Der of invalids linger along with thii
disease in the eastern states until exist
ence is not much longer possible, ano
then 90 to San Francisco to die. Sub
tracing the two elements of the Chi
nese and the consumptive emigrant'
from the account, therefore, San Fran
cisco claims a yearly death-rate below
aovaptoap Tn the Thousand. and thi
would make it, probably, the healthies
city of its size and commercial impor
tance in the world.
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-10-04
The Spinning Of the Silk-worm.

The silk-worms change their skin four
times. After the fourth moultinG comes
a redoubled appetite. which permits
them to attain their full size III few
davs. Then other phenomena appear:
The caterpillar ceases to eat, ana
empties itself entirely: 1t seems m
easy. wanders here and there, and seeks
70 climb. Warned bv these symptoms,
the breeder constructs for IT with
branches cradle or bower, into which
II mounts. It chooses cocven'ent
nlace hangs itself bv the hind feet. and
soon. through the spinner OF whlch l
have spoken, we see come out tifea'
of silk This is at first east ont III any
direction. anI forms collection OF
cords destined 70 fix the cocoon that Is
to he spun. Soon the work becomes
regular and the form Of the cocoon -
outlined. For some hOurs We can 1c"
the worker performing his task across
the transparent gauze with which he
surrounds himself. b. little and little.
this gauze thickens, and grows Opaque
and firm; finally If becomes cocoon
like these place before you. NJ the
end of about ~ hours the work Is done.
Once it has given out its first bit OF SIX,
n worm in good health never stops, AMI
the thread continues without mterr lp-
ton from one end TO the other. l"i
see that the cocoon is in reality a ball
wonnd from the outside inward. The
thread which forms this ball Is ! miles
in length its thickness Is only one
twentv-four hundredth OF an inch. IL
is so light that 2s miles of It weigh only
I5I grains. So that - lbs. Of silk ~
more than 200 miles long. Let me- IN
sist a moment on the prodigious activity
of the silk-worm while weaving lfs
cocoon. To dispose Of it's silk when
spinning. it moves its head in all d'rec-
tiops. and each movement is about one
sixth of an inch. As we know tie length
of the thread. we can calculate how
many movements are made in disposlnP
of the silk in ~ hours. We find IL TINS
wav that silk worm makes nearl ' 3Oo,-
600 motions in "a hours, or 4,lG6 an
hour. or 90 per minute. You see that
our insect yields not III activity TO any
weaver but we must add that II Is
beaten bv the marvellous machines hat
the industry of our dav has produced
PopuLar Science NOnthW.
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-10-04

Says the Courier-Journal: The
Boston Transcript wants to know what
made Lots wife go back upon the old
man. and if she was discontented with
her Lot? At the time We got our big
seold ale,.al for p.lf.c; Sund@y schooi
3, stsSons, it was our opinion she LEFT
nal Is ffa2so. she was m independent
horss to troeated to earn her salt
-. Ars6e borsete
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-10-04
New Zealand Rural Luxury.

Mr.. Bounderby's grim foreboding Of
the time when the British workman
wonld demand to be fed upon turtle
soup, administered with golden spoon,
may be nearer accomplishment than the
Bounderby race and kindred political
economists suspect. A contemporary
at Auckland in New Zealand draws at
tention to the fact that the labOring
classes in that remote, but flOurlshlng,
dependency have been, for some time
past, in the custom of riding to their
daily work III carriages. The practice
is said to prevail i'll the provinces of
Auckland and of Canterbury and we
are told that party of men. employed
in making hay into bales throughout
the Tamaki district, habituallv revel III
the luxury of being conveyed to busl-
ness in trap with cushioned seats.
These hay-balers are said TO earn seven
and sixpence dav, but they are now
demanding ten shillings, "as they can
not keep up a horse and buggy upon
less" Mr.. Bounderby may groan dole
fully at this statement, pointing, as II
seemingly does, at the rapid approach
of the Turtle Soup and Gold Spoon
age; after which, of course, will come
the deluge; yet, after all, is there any
thing very phenomenal in the fact Of
laboring men riding to their work :?
POstoffice letter-carriers have, for many
years past, been conveyed in Omnibuscs
to the verge of the districts where their
deliveries commence and tens OF thou
sands of masons, carpanters and brick
layers avail themselves every morning
of the facilities offered by the "wOrk-
mems trains" on the Metropolitan rail-
way. Even those involuntary workers
whose lot it is to pick the festive oakum,
or ascend the stairs of the iocund tread
mill, ride to their work, and in one
of her majesty own carriages, too.
| 1t is very easy to sneer at the New Tea
land husbandmen for availinC them
I selves of four wheels in lieu of two legs
| for transportation TO the scene of their
| toll but it might be as well TO remem-
| Der that in merry England the seeds OF
rheumatism. sciatica, rupture and pre-
! mature decrepitude, are commonly
| sown in the frame of the agricultural
laborer, through his being compelled tC
walk unconscionablv long distances, and
often in wet clothes, to and from the
farm where he works. Perhaps, how
ever, it is "the trap with cushioned
seats" that will stick most sorely in the
politico-economica throat. A spring
less wagon, with planks across; a jolt
ing chaise-cart, costermonger's "shal
low" such vehicles might be tolerated
as beseeming the laborer's degree, bu
"trap with cushioned seats can onl.
mean proximate revolution and ultimat,
anarchy. Our best hope should be il
the Conservative workingman, who
if he were forced to take ride, would
naturally, knowing his station, care
fully remove the cushions from th'
seats of his traps, and dutifully submit
to be bumped, rather than indulge il
the luxuries providentially provided fol
Mr.. BOnnderby and his betters.-LOn
don Daily Telegraph.
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-10-04

The Anchor line Of steamers is ex-
porting considerable quantities of live
cattle to England, aud arrangeme nts
are making TO increase their facilities
for transportation. Mr.. Bell of Glas-
gov. az extensive dealer in cattle, is
engaged ir ;his enterprise, and, 'horgh
selling better and cheaper meat 'l.n
the English, he claims to make Hearty
s75 from each creature, after paying all
its cost.
nake one of tha .-sI If rs
,ood at lying he can exhibit valuable
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-10-04

Fancy the feelings Of q Penrsylva
MIA mother Who observed that her child
-four months) was breathing with great
difficulty in it's cradle asleep. 1nsPec-
ton was the work of . moment, when
it was discovered that "something like
a cord" was round the child's body un-
der its little night-gown! Something
like a cord, indeed! 1t was a snake
thirty inches long coiled tight around
the frame OF the cherub. In fact, the
wicked old serpent Eas so comfortable
that it was With good deal of difficulty
that he was persuaded to uncoil; and
when he did 80, instead OF stopping like
a fair.minded snake, to have his photo
graph taken, he bolted hastily into a
hole.
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-10-04

Mr.. Alfred Since, in letter printed
in the London Times, raises question
of great importance in regard to the
utilization of sewage the application OF
which to the soil has hitherto been re-
garded as an innocuous way of disposing
of it. During the last spring the cows
on Mr.. Smee's land at Wellington, Eng
land, were, without his knowledge, fed
with sewage grass. Immediately the
butter became so offensive that it had to
be sent away from the table. The use
of sewage grass was thereupon discon-
tinued, and the butter became as good
as before. The experiment has since
been repeated by Mr.. Smee's direction,
with precisely the same results. The
milk obtained from the cows fed on this
grass has a rancid smell when it is
twenty-four hours old, and the butter
made from it becomes bad in day or
two. no matter what care may be taken
in preparing it. If milk is thus affected
by the food of the COW, there seems to
be no reason why the special typhoid
poison which may be lurking IN the
Ssvage should not be communicated to
the grass. And if the product OF sew
age farms is poisonous at second-han
should il not Be equally SO at 6rst-hand,
and what would be the effect OF eating
nnnuHnh,les arowncn lana tins manfred
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-10-04
A Methodist Labor Reformer.

Joseph Arch is by this time on his
way towards Canada and the United
States. In both, his special mission
will derive aid and influence from his
religious character. He goes ont as
president of the National agricultural
iaborer's union and the fact that he is
An accredited preacher of the gospel TO
the poor in connection with the most
useful body of Methodists on the face OF
the earth, has gone out before him.
That body possesses recognized minis
ters and churches in most parts of
British America; and IL the great repub-
lie no sect of Christians is more nume-
rous or more widely influential than are
those bearing the Methodist name. On
both sides of the territorial line, We feel
sure, he will meet with q hearty and
brotherly reception; not only from
those who bear the same name, and had
the same common origin, but also from
all denominations in that grand region.
Ali Americans, and nearly all Cana
dians, will admire and sympathize with
the self-denying man who has left home
and country, family and friends, for
the sake of that dewn-trOd million Of
his fellow patriots, who, with their
wives and families, have been too long
at the mercy of landlords and employers
considering them as serfs, and under
the nominal care of religious teachers
who, living in luxury, have, for the
most part, reproached them Within
gratitude for not being contented to
slave and starve. He goes ont to Judge
by the sight of his own eyes whether
the happy union of liberty with plenty
and social happiness, Of which he has
heard by the hearing Of the ear, really
exists on the other shore of the Atlantic
ocean and he pledges himself before
hani that if he find the picture to be
true he will spend five years upon the
spot, in either bringing the landlords and
the farmers of England to juster sense
of their relative duties, or transplanting
his fellow-labofers to soil which In
vites the outlay of their honest and IN.
dustrious tell for the sole benefit OF
themselves and their families. Bee
hire, London.
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-10-04
Swimming in the Salt Lake.

There are no flSh IN the great oalt
Lake. The only living thing beneath
its waters is a worm about quarter OF
an inch long. This worm shows up
beautifully beneath the lens of micro
scope. When storm arises the worms
are driven ashore by thousands and de-
voured by the black gulls. We found
a pure stream pouring into the lake. IL
was filled with little chubs and sinners.
The fish became frightened and were
driven down the brook into the briny
lake. The instant they touched its wa
ters thev came to the surface belly up
ward, and died without gasp.
The water is remarkable buoyant.
Eggs and potatoes float upon 1t like
corks. Mr.. Rood and myself stripped
and went in swimming. l dove into the
lake from long pier, which had been
built for the use of a small steamboat
that formerly piled upon the waters.
The sensation was novel. The water
was so salty that my eyes and ears began
to smart, but so buoyant that l found
no difficulty in floating even when the
air was exhausted in my lungs. As j
struck out for the beach 1 felt as light
as a feather In spite Of all that J
could do nv heels would fly out Of the
water. found it impossible to stand
upon the bottom. The lightness of the
water and the surging of the waves
forced nv feet from under me. a per
son who could not swim might be easily
drown in five feet of water. His head
would 90 down like lump of lead,
while his feet would fly up like pair OF
ducks. The water is as clear as the Wa
ter of Seneca lake, so clear that the
bottom could be seen at the depth OF
twenty feet. When We reached the
shore and crawled ont upon the sand in
the light of the sun our bodies were
quickly coated with salt. We were COM
pelled to go to the little stream from
which we had driven the chubs and
sinners and WASH off in fr sh water be-
fore we put on our clothes. Our hair
was filled with grains of salt which
could not be washed out. The Nor
mons occasionally visit the lakes IN
droves fer the purpose of bathing.
Many of them say that their health If
improve,i by leaving the salt upon theli
bodies and dressing without wlplne
themselves with napkins.
One of the main causes of Napoleon
Ills popularity among the peasants
was the succession of splendid crops
which followed each other year aftel
year daring his reign. Napoleon III. nm
derstood this matter well, and when
short crop was imminent he took tim'
by the forelock, and had so much grair
imported into France that the price re
mained stationary. During NJ. Theirs
first year, grain rose in price, and tn
laborers' loaf rose four sous In thu
pound. The rich harvest of last yea
alone saved him from total disgrace
Although the pric. remained as he lef
il. there was no complaint, but nov
that an extra sou has been aaded, thsf'
is a. pSSgeral cry of alarm. n n the |
var departmsP mEaae .pen is
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-10-04

RED PEPPER FOR INsECrs.-A CORES
pondent Of the Rural Press says: Il
have discovered by practical test that
Cayenne or red pepper (capsicum) will
DESTROY cabbage lice or cabbage mil
dew. l have some 300 fine cabbages
growing, and to my sorrow some two
weeks since | found them covered with
lice. sprinkled them wherever the
lice could be found with the capslcum,
and am delighted to see my cabbages
entirely cleared, save few that dld
not sprinkle that might contrast them,
and that I can assure you is very evil
dent or speaking, for those ! so LEI. are
covered with the little destroyers. Now
1 am of the opinion that capsicum Will
in the same manner destroy the fungi OF
all plants, vines, fruits, etc, spoken. OF
in the agricultural report Of 1871, from
page 10 TO 1913. l also sprinkled d
bumble-bee with it, and the result was
death in few minutes to the bee. Now
this might be applied TO vipe-' IN the
form of a solution; but for " -. ~a
-rrink';u~ DIV j. prcf' ur ..1y.
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-10-04

Perhaps, if the sluggard had had such
friends. and they had found him work
to do" he would have risen to do it.
There was some reason in the young
fellow who, on being asked why he did
not get mp, replied that he had nothing
to get up for? We are not even sure
that Quin is to be severely censured
in the part he took in the morning dla-
logue with bis valet:
John, what's o'clock 2
"Nine O'Clock, sir.
"Is there any mullet in the market
to-day, John ?"
"No, sir"
"Then call me at nine tomorrow,
John"
Moreover, it does not follow that, be-
cause a man is in bed, his mind is idle,
or that he is careless of the welfare OF
his fellow-creatures who are up and
abroad
"Verodotus wrote most in bed;
and X ehersni. q learned physician "a,
Declares the c,oek-wc>f Of the
Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-09-05

A Murderer Arrested In Wood COuu-
ty.-A family passed through New Rochester,
Wood County, Tuesday Of last week, composed
Of one man, fonr women, and q boy, begging
from house to house, aud claiming to be the
Peek family. few days afterwards two Off
cars from Michigan stopped there, inquiring for
and describing said family, stating that the
man had committed murder at Adrian, Mich.
We have since learned that no was captured
and made fall confession. The story runs as
follows;
The mans light name was Gilbert Smith aged
about twenty years, he had been drinking with
man in saloon, after which they went out
tngeather, on their way home, when near the
railroad, dispute arising between them;
smith attacked his Companion, staLbng him
with a knife, after which he placed the body
ou the track his head the rail the train pass
ing a short tims after, running over and snia sl
ing the head, but still having the marks of the
assassiu's kuife, winch was iound about twenty
yards from where the deed was cOmmmiited the
assassin's name being engraved on the handle
Smith, after committing the terrible dead. star
ted for Toledo, where he re mained three or fauT
days. He then started to Bucyrns, via MoRros-
vile aud Mansfield where he fell in company
with the same four women before mentioned
as passing through New Rochester, when he
started back for Tamarack swamps via FOsto-
ria, Rochester and Perrysburg, aud was with
IN seven miles of his destination when ca ptuIed
- -FOstorta ReUieiO.