davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29
Causes of Boiler Explosions.

The causes of explosions with steam
generators are numerous and dlversl'
fed, but may commonly be traced to
carelessness, either in construction OF
management. OF the former, the most
glaring is that shown in boilers so made
that no provision exists for the uniform
expansion and contraction of the parts
from changes of temperature. This
causes a slow weakening at one place or
another, which is sure to give way at
one time or another when the usual
steam pressure is exceeded. The con-
tinual boiling of water is likely to ex-
pei all the air therefrom, in the event of
which it will remain quiescent up to a
temperature as high as two hundred de
grees Fahrenheit, when it suddenly
flashes into steam. Some writers, Tyn-
dali amongst them, aver the possibility
of disastrous explosions from this cause.
Experiments made on q small scale with
special apparatus seem to show that a
film of oil on the interior of the boiler
may sometimes produce like result.
On the other hand, the grace used in
lubricating engine cylinders frequently
finds its way into the boilers, and few
or no authenticated cases of mischief
from this source are on record. The
idea sometimes advanced that the grease
is discomposed into explosive gases that
produce casualty is nonsense, because
the known volume of such gases even if
produced would be insufficient to pro-
duce such result. Sometimes an acci-
dent, slight itself, brings death and dis
aster long after, as was the case with
the boiler of the steamboat st. John,
seven or eight years ago, in which the
corner of the cold chisel used in level
ling a plate grooved the one below it
and led to the parting of the plate as
soon as high pressure, otherwise per-
fectly safe, was had in the boiler.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29
Dreams of the Yachtman.

Among the many devices in America
for healthy, open air pleasure, none,
we are certain, has reached the same
| degree of excellence and elegance en-
joyed by those fortunate enough to be
able to join in the cruise of crack
yacht club in our waters. Disappoint-
ments may come on a regatta day in the
shape of tempestuous weather or a
calm as accursed as that of the ancient
mariner, but in the anual cruise, ex-
tending fortnight or so, old probabili-
ties. thanks to the fickleness of winds
and clouds, generally gives plenty of
variety to the votaries of business,
transmitted to a pleasure, ever since
great Jasen and his arronauts sailed
over the sun-lit waters of the Euxine in
search of the fleece of gold. So we
think that the yachtsman, after the ro-
bust anxieties of the scrub race from
port to port are over A.; when all is trim
abroad, from furled flying jib to the
mainsail, and his yacht rides quietly
under the shadow of the land, bathea
in the red rays of the after-glow, his
sense of repose should be fair and full
as the bliss of the tabled Hesperides.
He is free to wreathe his fancies with
his cigar smoke, as it curls gently up
ward on the air. He may see himself,
if he pleases, gliding over clear waters,
whose prow-hung spray is liquid opal
and whose sands in the cool depths be-
low CLEAN with Pactolean gold. The
moon wheels her broad round above
the wave and his bark runs with a rip
pie over the pathway paved with the
shimmering silver of chaste Cynthia,
queen of night 1t is very luxurious,
he thinks but he is still wishing, like
Oliver Twist, for more. Then, as he is
only building dream, his best desires
are granted III pleasant form. In
minutes space along the silver pathway
he sees the cleaning, perfect forms
the lustrous eyes so tenderly lit with
sympathy and Joy; the long trailing,
wind-tossed hair of the daughters of
old ocean, as they hold above the sea
great craven gold and silver frosted
vessels, shaped in varied forms and
filed with sparkling wine. He glances
behind him, and there, with the pale
moonlight on their cleaning sails, come
sweeping after rim all the sloops and
schooners of the squadron. Xanthe
rises with grauen cup from the waters
by his vessels prov, Ianthe and Urania
raise their golden gifts to him little
further on. He hears the rush of wa
ters from the prows of the rival craft
anear him. Tripping out on the bows
prit, he bends down to grasp the massy
cups. His fingers clutch them fever
ishly one by one /; all the gifts of the
Oceanides are his. They shine and
glow on the snowy deck with sea-
green light on their FURNISHED facets.
Now he will quaff of the wine, but that
he cannot, for he has been capturing the
club prizes only in a dream, and not
cover the usual course" nor according
to any known rule. Perhaps it is the
only way he has ever won a prize, but
hope to the yatchsman is as necessary
as its furked emblem to his yacht. We
picture it as a pleasant life, this jolly
cruising, with it's wide, breezy reaches
of action and it's plenteOus room for
splendid ease and dainty dreaming, and
so it is.-N Y Herald.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

FAsTIDIoUsNEss.- - There are two
modes of Judging of anything; one by
the test of what has actually been done
in the same before the other by what
we can conceive may be done in that
way. Now this latter method of mere
imaginary excellence can hardly be a
Just criterion, because it may be impos-
sible to reduce to practice what it is per
fectly easy to conceive. Fastidious
men are always judging by this latter
standard; and as the rest of the under
standing cannot fill up in a century
what the imagination can sketch out in
a moment, they are always in state of
perpetual disappointment, and their
conversation one uniform tenor of
blanc. At the same time that 1 say
this, lift up both my hands at that
pernicious facility of temper, in the es-
timation of which everything is charm
ing and delightful. Among the smaller
duties of life, hardly know any one
more important than that of not prais-
ing where praise is not due.-Sydney
Smith.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

proclaiming themselves unhappy III
their relations with us? Why, that is
as much as to say that we do wrong
And how impolitic for them to scream
away the sweetness of that voice which
is their only charm. 1 declare they
look so dowdy with their wings all
dropping, that feel no conjunction at
all in inconveniencing such creatures. y
And he tweaked the second head with
added gusto.
"Cruel, cruel p cried Jacky.
"Wretch and robber," screamed Jen-
ny, and they flew to and fro, and pecked
him with their beaks.
go very well," said the crow, reti-
ring with his dinner, eff you step from
your sphere and attempt to fight your
own battles, you may take the conse-
quences. Look for me tomorrow.
But between that day and the morrow
another thing happened. The parent
birds, growing reckless, abandoned mu-
sic, and took to holding conventions
Far and near were heard the futter of
wings, and the sound of blackbirds'
voices, not practicing tunes, but joining
in eager discussion and lamentation.
"Strange," said the crow, "that
these creatures will make themselves so
unpleasing to us If there's anything
in this world l find offensive to all my
finer feelings, it's blackbird conven-
ton. When blackbirds so far forget
themselves, they must expect that crows
will give them trouble, and he started
to get his third dinner.
But, 10 and behold! the nest was al
ready surrounded by friends and rela-
tions, who swarmed about him, and
with untuneful cries and ungentle beaks
convinced him of his error.
:" I knew what would happen" said
the crow, as hs sailed away disheveled
and dinnerless you have disgusted me
now you have lost your influence for
ever"
Moral: But they saved their other
three children. en.-EIiza Sproat Turner
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29
LOVES CAPRICES.
BY PAUL b. HAYNE.

Come, sweetheart, hear mel Ihave loved thee well
God knoweth through all these years my holies;
thoughts,
Like those pure doves nurtured in antique temples
Have futtered ever round thine image fair,
And found in thee their shrine. No tenderest hope
OF mine, which hath not warmed its radiant wings
Within that heaven, thy presence, and drank
strength
And sunshine from it.
How hast thou responded?
Sometimes thine eyes, like Eden gates unclosed,
Would pour such beams of sacred passion down,
That all my soul was flooded with its joy,
And l, methOught, breathed immortals breathe
deathless light and ether. Then, when most
l dreamed me happy, a strange change would come,
Blowing, knew not whence, an icy cloud
Upbore, aid DER the splendOr of thy brow,
of late so frankly beautiful, there hung
luminous shadows, crossed by CLEANS of scOrn;
Trltes as slight as eider-down have power
To move or sting thee, and swarm of hnmors,
Gendered of morbid fancy, buzz and hiss
About some vacant chambers of thy mind,
By idle thoughts left open, making harsh,
Rude discord, where, if healthful will had sway,
Angels, perchance, might lift celestial voices!
Love! love thou wrong'st thyself, and that sweet
nature,
Sweet at the core, for all such small despites
Wherewith kind heaven endowed thee yet beware
Caprice, though frail its shafts, a poisoned barb
Hath bound on each; their points sharp to
wound
And the wounds rankle! Giants great as love
Have perished merely of an insects venom,
And who through all Gods universe can touch
Loves pulseless heart to warmth and life again
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29
THE WRATH OF THE ELEMENTS,


There have been holy men who hid themselves
Deep in the woody wilderness, and gave
Their lives to thought and prayer, till they out
lived
The generation born with them, nor seemed
Less aged than the hoary trees and rocks
Around them and there have been holy men
Who deemed it were not well to pass life thus.
But let me often to these solitudes
Retire, and in thy presence reassure
My feeble virtue. Here its enemies,
The passions, at thy palmer footsteps shrink
And tremble, and are still. God! when thou
Dost scare the world with tempests, set on fire
The heavens with falling thunderbolts, or hl
With all the waters of the armament
The swift dark whirlwind that uproots the woods
And browns the villages; when at thy call
UprIses the great deep, and throws himself
Upon the continent, and overwhelms
Its cities, who forgets not, at the sight
Of these tremendous tokens of thy power,
His pride, and lays his strifes and follies by?
o from these sterner aspects of thy face
Spare me and mine, nor let us need the wrath
Of the mad unclaimed elements to teach
Who rules them. But its ours TO mediate,
In these calm shades, thy milder majesty,
And to the beautiful order of thy works
Learn to conform the order of our lives.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

M. Bert. as the result Of recent re
searches on the influence Of change in
barometic pressure upon vegetable life,
has discovered that OIL diminishing the
pressure on wheat, barley, and turnips,
the termination is proportionally slow
er. With an increase of pressure 10
two or three atmospheres, the seeds APP
pear TO profit somewhat at very high
pressure, however, the seed is killed il
is also killed when submitted 20 com
preston after development has com
menced
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29
W. II. WILLIAMS ...-.-TowLEF
Williams G. fowler,
Wholesale and Retail
DRUGGISTS.

NEWSPAPERS IN AsIA.--Nothing more
distinctly marks the progress of modern
ideas in Asia than the spread of peri
odical literature in the native languages
of that continent. The Chinese not
only have a large number of newspa-
pers, but also support a monthly maga-
zine, which discusses current subjects
of interest. The Japanese are still bet
ter supplied with periodical literature,
while according to Chambers Journal,
in India, where at the beginning of the
precent century there were not more
than five newspapers, now there are not
less than 315, of which 6S are English,
36 in the dialect which passes as Eng
lish among the natives, and 211 are in
the native languages. One of these
latter, sold at retail for about half a
cent number, is supposed to be the
cheapest newspaper in the world.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29
Dinner Etiquette at the Persian Court.

There are some funny customs OBJ
served at the Persian court When the
celebrated Futteh Ali shah dined he
first seated himself and tasted the dish
es then on a given signal his wives
came in and stood around the room.
At the same time the princes, his sons
and daughters were summoned, and
stood around the table without word.
At signal from the shah they squat
ted. They were obliged to eat from
the dishes before them whether, they
liked them CT not. The shah only
spoke to the senior prince, and every
now and then he would shove handful
of food into the mouth of his favOrite
wife, and as his handfuls were neither
small nor delicate the poor creature
nearly choked. The shah used to gam
BILE, and it was etiquitte for the court to
his royal mightiness, which, as Eccles
would say, was card" When a supe-
rior dimes with an inferior in Persia the
latter brings in the first dish himself.
It must be carried horizontally at arms
lenght, and placed precisely in the
right place. On the shah entering the
throne-room and seating himself, an
official roars out "He has passed"
and all present bow by STOPPING and
1'lacing the hands upon the knees. The
page of state then walks backward from
the shah, and, pacing down the assem-
bly,, gives handfuls of silver coin from q
golden salver. A prayer is then recited
by mulo, and the whole affair winds
up with an ode spoken by the poet laure-
ate. No one wears jewels but the shah,
which accounts for his presenting so
gorgeous an appearance on his late visit
Altogether. it isn't a bad thing to be
shah
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

If there is room for one more in
that balloon of the Graphic's there is a
young man in Danbury who can gil il.
He lives opposite us and plays an accor-
deon. He might object to running the
risk, but he could be stunned by
blow on the head, and got into the bal
loon before he recovered.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

EX-SENATOR FoorE writes in his Con-
federate "reminiscences, published in the
Washington Chronicle: "By what
means Mr.. Davis managed to become
president never exactly knew though
/ have learned through quite a direct
channel, that he received for this Office
in the convention by which he was cho-
sen a majority of one vote only over
Howell Cobb of Georgia. He was only
elected to the place of provisional pres
ident. Had not hostilities been actually
commenced at once, he would certainly
have been beaten in the popular cleo
ton which afterward occurred. 1t was
therefore all-important 10 him that the
war should be begun as soon as posi-
bic, for nothing could be more certain
than that the election OF a new execu-
tive chief in the midst Of war would not
be deemed safe nor prudent. Hence
the precipitate order to fire on Fort
Sumpter, which was dispatched to
Charleston"
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

The following data, which we find
in the San Francisco Chronicle, are in-
teresting as showing the relative value
of land in London, New York, Chicago
and San Francisco. In the most cen
tral business locations, land in London
is worth $135 per square foot, S113 per
square foot in New York, $36 81 per
square foot in Chicago, and S22 per
square foot in San Francisco. The lat
ter estimate is based on o value of
$1,000 per front foot, and a size of
25x137t for the lot. The best residence
property is worth 1000 to 200 per
front foot in New York, $500 to $500
per front foot in Chicago, and $50 TO
$500 per front foot in San Francisco.
The average price here is but $175 per
front foot.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

THE DEPTH OF MD-OCEAN.-In her
voyage from Teneriffe to ST. Thomas the
British exploring ship Challenger
sounded and dredged every other day.
The soundings show that a pretty level
bottom runs off from the African coast,
deepening gradually to depth of 3, 125
fathoms at about one-third of the way
across to the West Indies. If the Alps,
Mont Blanc and all, were submerged at
this spot, there would still be a half
mile of water above them. Five hun
dred miles farther west there is a COM
paratively shallow part, little less
than two miles in depth. The water
then deepens again to three miles,
which continues close over to the West
Indies. At the deepest spots both on
the east and west side of the Atlantic,
the dredge brought up a quantity of
dark red clay, which contained just suf-
ficient animal life to prove that life ex-
lists at all depths. No difficulty was
experienced in obtaining these deep
sea dredgings, and it was merely a
question of patience, each haul occupy
ing twelve hours. In depths over two
miles little has been found, but that
little was totally new.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

The cultivation of olive trees in the
south as a source of revenue seems to
have been unwisely overlooked in that
section, if the experiences of Mr.. James
Postel, who plants these trees on st.
Simon's Island in Georgia, may be taken
as an example. The Savannah Adver-
tiser speaks of an excellent article of
table oil which Mr.. Postel, with rude
process of manufacture, has made from
olives grown by himself He has 25O
trees thirty feet apart, planted in 1926,
all bearing. The trees average five gall
Ions of oil each season with little atten-
ton. In 1870 the oil produced amoun-
ted to l 1,25O gallons, worth So per gall
Ion. This seems to be very remuner-
ative culture.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

M COlas attributes the blue color
of the water of certain lakes, lake Ge-
neva, for instance, to the presence of
minutely-divided gelatinOus silica. The
blue color of the sky is credited to the
same cause, the particles of silica being
very freely divided, and of a gelatinous
nature.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

"A good Christian fell from grace,
last evening, for the first time since his
conversion. The mosquitoes did IL.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29
PESTS of Society,

Time is said to be money, but we
doubt if many believe it; few, at least,
seem to be aware of the value of the ar
ticle, considering the manner it is
thrown away, or the manner in which it
is stolen from friends, neighbors and
acquaintances. Time-stealers are the
very pests of saciety. They abound in
all small towns, and are pretty numer-
Gus in every city. They are not all
idlers. Possibly they pursue profess
sions, and are themselves the objects of
plunder to others; nevertheless, that
does not prevent them from stealing
your time. provided they can lay hold
of it. They are cunning, and wait for
opportunities. They have ends to
sere, they are great advice-seekers, and
what do they care for robbing you of
half an hour, if it suit their necessities
or convenience? Time-stealers are GER
tainly born without a conscience. We
have known them commit a robbery of
aD hour with the most consummate cool
ness. No matter how you are engaged,
how busy you are, or how Onerous and
incessant are your duties, there is their
horrid rap at the door, or their dis
tracing ring at the bell. They wish to
see you for only single moment : it is
an affair of some Importance, to them
no doubt, and they will not detain you
a minute, and so forth all which is, of
course, pretence to get themselves
edged into your privacy, and give you
world of boLheration about nothing.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

AT church fairs, in Indiana, the
gold ring is placed in a bologna sausage,
and the links sold at thirty cents each.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

FROM the returns of the British
board of trade for June, brief summa-
ry of which is given as usual by the
London Times, it appears that the rise
in prices has at last told upon the guam
titles of exported goods to such an ex-
tent that there is a positive loss in
values. The declared value of all ex-
ports from Great Britain in June was
919, 460, ,083, against EGO, ,223, ,621 for
June, 1872, being a general decline of
nearly four per cent. Even this does
not tell the whole story. for the value
of the coal shipped was forty-five per
cent. greater than last year, while the
quantity had declined four per cent
The value of the iron exported was as
great as last year, but the quantity had
diminished twenty-one per cent. The
percentage of decline in other leading
articles was also very heavy; thirty
seven per cent. in copper, forty in lead,
cotton piece goods six per cent. in
in value, linens twelve per cent, wooden
cloths four per cent, worsted stuffs
thirty-six per cent. in quantity and
fifty-three in value, cotton yarn four
teen per cent. in quantity and twenty in
value, earthen ware ten per cent, hard
ware ten per cent, silks eighteen per
cent, painters colors fourteen per cent.
Apparel, beer, glass, machinery and
wool are the only leading articles of the
exports that show an advance. The i'm
portations for the month show less than
two per cent. increase over the same
period in 1872, and almost the whole of
this was due to the larger quantities of
food imported. The t, tai increase in
the value of expectations for the first
six months of 1873 now amounts to but
5 per cent, and as we have explained
heretofore, this value represents very
much smaller quantity of goods. The
London Times notices the extraordinary
"decline in the consigments to the
United States" as "the most notable
feature in this case"
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

ALICE-Do you know, uncle, that that
horrid Mr.. Blinks declares you have
taken to hard drinking? Uncle George
Not true, my dear. MOI Never
drank easier in my life
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

-Messrs. Ross and Murray of Barns
bury, England, are at Albany, N. Y,
buying American trotting horses for the
English market,
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

Louis Creighton of West Point,
Kentucky, tried 20 shoot IA goose and
shot his brother.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

The New York Mail says: For the
reinsurance of those timid souls who
fear the lightning fash and the call
dreaded thunderstorm, some eccentric
lover of figures has calculated the
chances of any person being struck by
lightning. 1t is about one in 100, ,SS3,
or rather less than the chances of draw
ing the capital prize in the Havana
lsttery. According to the same statisti-
clan, one is twice as liable to die of sun
stroke, and six times as likely to COM
NIT suicide. Under these circumstances
it is not worth while to go down the
cellar or bury ones self in a feather
bed when a storm comes up.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

THERE is a great force hidden in a
sweet command.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

"A prodigy of an elocutionist has
been discovered in Danbury. He read
thirteen chapters of Webster's last vol
ume to his father the other evening,
and the old gentleman became so alb
sorbed in the recital, that he fell out OF
a chair and hurt his spine.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29

W. H. WILLIAMS
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29
LAW IERS.

A NJ. HUGHES,
N. ATTORNEY AT LAW
Columbia, TennessAe
VIII attend all courts to be holden for Maury snd
adjoining counties.
Once, Whitthorne Block. feb2GIu