davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02
Our 9randfathcrs' Grog Bills.

Curious are the grog-bills of our
grandfathers, and not pleasant to con.
template when one thinks of inherited
and congenital sppetites. At Centre
bennington, VT, lives Mr.. Gorge W,
Kobinson, . curious collector of
historical relics. Among other treasures
he has pretty ledger Of the old Cata.
mount Tavern of Revolutionary fame.
and from this welearu that Gen. Ethan
Allen, who has not usually been thought
man destitute of natural oouraee, did
not disdain the Dutch courage either.
Tor his score, mainly for stimulants
kept by the Catamount, running from
January, 1856, to little past Jan
nary, 1856, footed np 60
Is. 9d., though we must deduct
from the lot Of the whole Ell 18s.
charged for pastaring a horse-an
amount therefore, which docs not
properly belong to the alcoholic de.
bits. The gallant Generals credit, We
regret to say, is only f5 q. 3d., from
which it appears that his drink account
does not differ from many kept in thet q
modern days. The curious book also
throws light upon the values of those
times; We discover that IL mug of
grog' was sold for Is. 3D., ana one
gallon OF rum for five shillings-Pro-
vincial or Continental currency, we
suppose. As Gen. Allen lived to a
tolerably good old age, we may infer
that the strong watere of those happy
days contained none of that strychnine
which is said now to be fearful char
acterlStlc OF the purest Bourbon.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02
Curious Gnns.

The Baltimore American, speaking
of collection of guns in store in tha:.
city, says Two of these are UNIQUE
affairs, brought home recently by one
of our worthy citizens, Mr.. +. II.
Oliver, who spend twelve years travel-
ing in all parts OF Europe, Asia and
Africa. They are Of great length, and
OF the most antique construction. One
OF them has q barrel five feet long,
made of the finest steel, curiouslv
carved, and inlaid with gold and plati-
M. Tho inlaying is elaborately aud
beautifully done. The stock Of this
gun is of ebony, inlaid with silver.
pearl and ivory. The flint lock, of an
tlque pattern, with springs and works
outside the plate, is finely inlaid with
platina. The barrel and stock are
bound together by six solid, elaborate
~ wrought silver bands, and all the
mountings are of silver or gold. To
the stock is affixed butt-plate of
ivory, very handsomely inlaid. On its
side is an elegantly written Arabic in' o
sc1lption' that nobody has yet been
able to decipher. The gun was made
in Morocco, where there are twenty
five gun'makers, who, with the crudest
implements, turn out guns that have
great reputation in all Northern Africa.
Such a gun as this ono brought home
hy Mr.. Oliver Us a curiosity for less
$1,000. The other of the two guns that
he brought home was made in Algiers,
has a similar immensely lorg barrel, a
flint lock inla;d with platina, and ivory
and steel butt-plate, stock inlnid with
silver and coral. This gun is not 80
fine as the other, but is very curious.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02
AIRY Scheifer and t.afayctte's Daughter;

AIRY Scneuer anu LaI0ycttc'S 8 IDauglter.
At La Grange found various men,
bers of the Lafayette family, including
married daughter, and grand.
daughter seventeen or eighteen years
old, Natalie de Lafayette. next to whom
at table her grandfather, much to my
satisfaction, did ME the honor to assign
me a seat. She conversed with q knowl-
edge of general subjects and with a
freedom rarely to be met with among
unmarried French girls, who are went
to reply in monosyllables if . casual
acquaintance touches on any
topic beyond the commonplaces
of the hour. She was strikiugly
handsome. too; and when I was first
introduced to her, her beauty seemed
to me strangely familiar After puz-
zlipg over this for some time, it occur
red to me that this young lady's fea.
lures recalled the female faces in some
of AIRY Scheffer's best paintings, es.
pecially, If I remember Alright, his
"Mignon aspirant au Ciel." When
mentioned this casually to IN English
gentleman, then writer at La Grange,
he smiled. "Have you remarked it
also2" asked.
Il, and almost every one who is &C.
quainted with Mademoiselle de Lafay-
cite. Common iumor has it that
Scheffer is hopelessIy in love with her !;
at all events, his ideal faces of female
loveliness, almost all partake, more or
less, of her style Of beauty. ."-Atlaatic
MOnthLy for October.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02
The Chamnion Snake story.

From the Greenbrier {va.) Independent.
In Fayette County, near the line of
the chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, there
is famous rattlesnake den which has
always been source of terror and fear
to those who have looked over its
precincts, as we'll as to those who have
even heard of the fearful revelations
regarding the size and number of veno-
nous reptiles which invest the poison
stricken cavern. In number their name
Is legion, and in age, size, and downright
radicalism, there are no figures or
names to represent them. A short
time since two daring young men re-
solved to make an experiment., by way
of forming some insight as regarded
their numbers, and, clothing them
selves from head to foot in suits of
thick buckskin (sucl as our friend
Donal]y uses to make his best Rloves)
with large sharp knives in hand, they
sailed forth into the polson-invested
region.
They entered, cutting and slashing,
the snakes rattling, kissing, and strik-
ing at their adversaries; and. when
these enterprising youths landed on
the other side, their clothes were a
sight to see AS snake would strike.
his fangs would be deeply and firmly
imbedded in the buckskin, and oil
would go his head by a well directed
blow by the hand and knife. By max.
ing lair count, it was found that 24O
snake heads we're attached to the
clothes of one of the party, and 100
heads firmly fastened to the other.
More would have been secured, but it
was not good day for snakes. But
any one who does not believe the fore
going true story, will be convinced OF
It's entire correctness by inquiring at
This Office for the name of our inform.
ant.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02
CANNIBAL SAUSAGE NEAT.
What Bcfcl q Claimant to the Throu
OF china.

OF China.
History tells u.s." say the Pail
Mall Gazette, "that one day duripa
the reign of the Chinese Emperor Woo
q gent!emanly young man, dressed in
Imperial yellow and seated in a sedan
chair covered with the same material.
presented himself at the gate of the
capital, and, in reply to the questions
OF the officer on guard announced him.
self to be the eldest son of the late
Emperor, whose death had been pub
licly proclaimed and bewailed
some years before. The news
of the illustrious stranger spread
like wildtire through the city,
and the mandarins hastened TO
seek an audience that they might offer
their allegiance to their rightful sover-
eign. One of their number, however,
more astute than the rest, took with
him pair of handouts and detach.
ment of police, and on entering the
pse'ldo. Imperial presence walked
straight up to the gentlemanly young
man, and, instead of joining in the
general kotow, fastened the manacles
on his wrists and handed him over to
his followers. His next proceeding
was to introduce him to the torture
chamber in his Yamun, and there, We
are told, the sight of the va
rious instruments hanging from
tho wall produced visible effect on
the claimant, who, after some slight
hesitation, acknowledged that, far
from having any right to the Imperial
yellow, he was the son of poor pa.
rents, and that he had been induced to
personate the heir-apparent by reason
of the strong likeness which he bore te
him. This confession was duly re-
ported to the Emperor Woo, who, afte,
careful consideration, ordered the ad
venturous young man to be cut i.tc
ten thousand pieces.'
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02
Three Paragraphs OF Gold.

A good advertisement in a widely
circulated newspaper is the best of all
possible statesmen. It is salesman
who never sleeps, aud is never weary;
who goes after business early and late
who accosts the merchant in his shop,
the scholar in his study, the lawyer in
his Office, the lady at her tea table;
who can be in a thousand places at
once, and speak to million people
every day, saying to each one the best
thing in the best manner
A good advertisement in a newspaper
pays no fare on railroads; costs nOth-
ing for hotel bills; gives away no boxes
Of cigars to customers, or merino
dresses to customers wives; drinks no
whisky under the head Of travelling
expenses; but goes ut once and all
the time about its business free of ex.
pense.
A good advertisement insures busi-
ness connection of tho most permanent
and independent basis, and is in GER
tain sense guarantee to the customer
of fair and moderate prices. Expert.
cnce has shown that the dealer whose
wares have obtained u public celebrity
is not only enabled to sell, but is forced
to sell at reasonable rates, and to fur
nish good article.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02
Forests I'm GERMANY.

Few people have any clear idea of
the extent of forest land in Germany.
and most imagine that of the Black
Forest little is left except a tradition
ahd conventional blister of woodland,
80 named. On the contrary, in Han
over alene there are 900, 900 acres of
wood under state management: while
nearly fourth part of the area of P1us-
sia is in forest, although half of that is
in private hands. As ls we'll known,
the fsrest administration in particular
districts has long been famous, espe-
cial!y in Yhuringia and the Hartz
mountains. la North Germany gen.
orally the responsibilities are allotted
in districts among q carefully organized
body of officers, presided over by for
est.director. The appointments are
fairly remuperated and they are SO
eagerly sought after that candidates
will remain on probation for years at
their own cost, or with moderate and
precarious pay. in the hope of securing
a place in tho corps at last. In Austria
things are on somewhat different
footing. The Austrian forests are
magniticent-so magnificent, indeed,
that the forest management has been
neglected,
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02
HodKeh0Gs.
BY ROBERT DALE OWEN.

One of the most interesting facts o
the natural history of the hedgehog il
that announced in 1881 by Mr.. LEM,
and which is now confirmed by Prof.
Buckland that is, that the most vio-
lent poisons have no effect upon it, .
fact which renders it of peculiar value
in the forests, where it appears to de-
stroy great number of noxious rep
tiles. Nh. Lenz says he had once in
his house a female hedgehog, which he
kept in a large box, and which soon
became very familiar. He often put
into the box some adders, which she
attacked with great avidity, seizing
them py the body, the head, or the
tail, and did not appear alarmed
or embarrassed when they ooiled
themselves around her body. Nei-
ther herself nor the young she
was sucking seemed to suffer from the
bites of the venomous reptiles. Palles
also assures us that the hedgehog can
cut about hundred cantharides with
out experiencing any of the effects
winch that insect taken inwardly pro-
duoes on men, dogs, or cats. A Ger
man physician, who had made the
hedgehog peculiar object of study,
gave it strong dose of prussic acid, of
arsenic, of opium, and of corrosive
subllmats, none Of which did it any
harm. The hedgehog, in its natural
state, only feeds on pears, apples, and
other fruit, when it can get nothing il
likes better. Its ordinary food consists
of worms, slugs, snails, and adders.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02
Fearful Balloon Accident.

Prof. John H. Boley made an ascent
from the Fair grounds at Wapello,
Iowa, at $50 p. NJ, Thursday, in his
hot-air balloon. Just US the balloon
left the ground it took fire near the
mouth. He had not secured his footing
on the horizontal bar on which he
stands, but went up hanging by his
hands, and did not apparently sec the
fire until he was too high to let 20 for
safety, but hung on until he had
reached an altitude Of twelve or fifteen
hundred feet on her canvas. He held
till the hoop at the mouth from which
ho was suspended, burned away, and
he fell, reaching the earth q quarter of
IL mile from the point of starting. His
body was frightfully mangled, the fall
driving his legs INTO the hard ground
up to the knees, and life was extinct.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02
StudieS and Sl)OrfS.

The London Times says: 'Sports
may be made in many ways valuable
training. They may teach a boy mod.
Grafton and self-command and self
denial, as we'll as courage and love of
active exertion. And yet, with the
strongest sympathy for ail this, we
must repeat the opinion that things
have been allowed to go too far. The
course followed has been so easy that
it has, not uhnaturally, been followed
little to excess. There need be no
opposition made between studies and
sports. The two can go on very well
together they will even aid one an.
other, if both are properly pursued.
But this Will involve the surrender of
much that is now sought for. We
must give up the aim after a profess
sional standard of merit we must
even esteem it a degrading thing
to reach it. Boys must be taught
that the principal use of games
is as relaxation in the interest
of after-study; that both study
and sport are of value only for the
effect they have on the mind and char
acter, and for the degree in which they
fit man for after life, and that in all
this study is of an importance quite
infinitely greater than sport. The rem
edy against the present state Ct things
can only be gradual. Asounder public
opinion will soon show itself in altered
tone among both boys and masters.
Boys as body will never love books :;
but they will always honor those dis
tinctions which they see are honored
by their parents and by the world.
Sports may be trusted to flourish with.
out much encouragement but studies
need all the fostering caro- which can
be employed, and even then illness and
stupidity will often be too strong for
all the efforts of the schoolmaster. It
is not much to ask that he at least
should be faithful to his high trust,
and that, in any controversy Of studies
and sports, he should stand out rs the
uncompromising holder of studies"
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02
Facts Come tO Light Concerning Cold.
D!OOtled Murder.

During March, 1872, two wagons, one
occupied by a man named An gust
Schuman, and the other by Heury Lor-
enzen and his wife and son, and u man
named Hillz, started out from Daven-
port, Iowa, bound for Avoca, 200 miles
west. The Lorenzens returned to
Davenport several weeks afterward, but
Schuman was never again seen alive.
1t nows appears, by confession made
by Hills Freez, who is iu the county
jail for horse stealing, that Schuman
was murdered by young Lorenzen for
his money. The murder was committed
about March 10, in Jasper county. The
dead body was carried IN wagon for a
day, and thrust through hole in the
ice into the Skunk river. The murder
was very cold d-blooded one, Schuman
having been beaten on the head with a
club. and then having his head blown
off with shotgun. Both the Loren.
zeus, Mrs. Lorenzen, and Freez are in
jail Mt Davenport.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02

NEARLY so years ago wretched little
waif of humanity was found in cellar
in Manchester. In appearance it was
q female of about seven years of age,
deaf, dumb, blind, filthy, and covered
with vermin and eruptions. The child
fell into the hands of kind-Aearted
teacher, who, after an inconceivsble
amount of trouble, succeeded in Great
ing consciousness, and eventually
teaching Mary Bradley-for 50 was the
waif named-to read, write, and after
ward become teacher of others. How
I'LL this was accomplished, and by
whom, is we'll told in little shilling
book, just published by Mr.. Tweedie,
London.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02
Pay Ul,.

The Arkansas Statesman, of Jackson
port, in plain prose and threatening
verse, thus urges delinquents to pay
up: eve have several hundred dol.
lars due us for subscriptions, and we
want it. We are out of meat, money,
and other things. We are out at the
elbow. We are ont of patience, and
contemplate running our faco
for about two hundred postal cards,
with which to remind those who owe
us. Pay mp.
4" avoid proceedings unpleasant,
We wish you would pay what is due
II YOU do, you'll Oblige us at present,
you don't, then we'll oblige you.
Persistently yours"
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02
Founding ASyluulS,

The two largest asylums for found
liDgs in the world are those of st.
Petersburg and Moscow. They were
established by the Empress Catharine
IL, the first at Moscow in 1852, the
second at st. Petersburg ten years
after. They are Government institu-
tions, and are the wealthiest proprie.
taries in Russia, having been enriched
by the endowments of successive Czars
for century. The one in Moscow is
an immense establishment. There are
always about 600 children in the house
and about 5000 in the surrounding
villages and envirens of the city. One
village near by is inhabited by the
nurses and their families, who arc en-
tirely devoted to the care of the found
ings. All. children are received
in the institution, whether found
lings or not, on condition that they
shall belong to the State. They are
called the children of the Emperor.
From 1762 to the present date over
500, 900 children have been received.
Those who display superior ability
have opportunity for cultivating it.
Many receive university educations,
and many become physicians. The
greater part of them are enrolled in
the army or navy. The girls who can
receive 6nished educations become
musicians, actresses, teachers, gov
ernesses, or pursue any calling suited
to their capacities. Without reference
to age or sex all are permitted to re-
turn to the asylum in case they fall in
to distress or sickness in after life.
The mortality Is about 60 per cent.
The annual expenses are 81. Co., 900.
The branch asylum in St. Petersburg
eclipses the parent institution. Alex.
ander l. conferred on it the monopoly
of selling playing cards and of the rev
enues of the Lombard Bank of st.
Petersburg. These revenues amount
annually to $4,5OO, 600; it's expenses
are about $3, ,8O0,O00 Its buildings
and grounds cover an area of % acres,
forming little district of its own on
the banks of the Fontanka canal, in
the best part of st. Petersburg. Be-
tween 700 and 800 nurses are employed
in the house, about COO teachers, staff
of physicians, besides cooks, house,
keepers, and other servants. About
1900 children are received annually {;
some Of them are sent 1000 miles,
from Siberia and Bessarabia, to the
institution. The educational expenses
of the children amount to 81, 600, 600
annually. The mortality is 60 per
cent. The means of education here are
the same as iu Moscow, or better, and
likewise the provision for employment
in after blc or reception in case of
distress.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02
THE NEW FIFTY CENT STAMPS.
Tho Rum0r Of the Circulation OF 4
Counterfeit C0ntradicted.

Mr.: George B. McCartee, Superin-
tendent of the Bureau of Printing and
Engraving, at Washington, authorizes
q contradiction of the statement that
the new fifty cent stamp has been coun
terteited: In the published account
setting forth that such q counterfeit
has been issued, 1t was stated that the
bogus notes could be detected from the
genuine by the absence of the lower
portion Of the letter "p" in the sigma
ture "F. E. Spinner" and which
should appear like small half-cirele.
just above the border line, in the upper
right hand corner of the note. Mr..
McCartee explains that some of the
genuine notes lack this little mark for
the following reasons:
Upon examining the new fifty cent
note small capital letter will be OBJ
served Immediately under the words
" Fifty cents" and Just above the
signature, F. E. Spencer" these let
ters, which are known as the check
plate letters, run from A to N. When
the notes are printed fourteen are laid
down on one plate, in two rows of seven
each lin other. words fourteen impress
sions are taken at one time), the top
notes in each row being lettered re-
spectively A and H. In cutting or
separating the notes, all excepting
those bearing check letters A and 81
will have the bottom of the "p" al
luded to cut from the signature on the
preceding note, and showing just above
the border line in the upper right hand
corner. Notes A and d, being at the
top, no such mark appears on them,
and hence one note out of every seven
will appear without this mark.
In all the Dexter head notes the To-
calized line of blue fibre appears very
distinctly at the left hand end of the
back of the note, where it has been
massed in small space, purposely left
clear by the engraver in order to show
it to greater advantage. It does not
seem that any amount of wear will be
sufficient to prevent this fibre from be-
ing easily and quickly discerned, and
hence should any counterfeits appear
they eau be readily detected from the
absence of this mass of fibre. In re.
gard to the green ink, on the back of
the notes, appearing q little darker in
some than in others, this is accounted
for in the fact that in making a transfer
OF the plates one may be rolled up a
little heavier than another, and hence
takes up little more ink, but as soon
as this is detected the plates are laid
aside and new ones prepared.
Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-10-02
VOLUME vi.
A Summer Memory.

WO stOOu upon mOuntan.tOp,-
We two alonc,-just you and L.
White mist.clouds driftcd meath our feet,
Above our heads blue arched tho sky.
G, If such hucs could only l0Stl
Why must they spoed away so FAST
Purple against tn horixon's rim
Still higher peaks showed clear outline:
4 moment, and the rising sun
Had crowned their heads with light divine
A light Of varied tlnts so rare
1t seemed like rainbows resting there.
The brightness shining in tho East
Grew too intense for human gaze;
We turned to rest our dazzled eyes
With searching each tho others face
And, If lips met as well as eyes,
Well neither felt nor spoke surprise.
A light breeze stirred the aspen leaves, :,
And brought Us fragrance from the pines;
Bnt no birds sang amid the trees,
Or cleft the air in arrowy lines;
Too far above their nests were we,-
The nests they weave 10 skiliiully.
High and higher scared the sun,
The shrouding mists their white sails furled,
Aid, foatizg up the mountain side, =
DISCLOSED again the lower world.
The dew-gemmed fold al glistening lay,
Greeting the newly risen day.
" Hand locked in hand" old Milton said,
Adam aud Eve in Eden walked.
wonder if their Paradise
Was fairer than tho scene that marked
On wistful hearts that shining day.
The fairest one OF all that May.
And still the sunshine round US poured;
The river flashed it back again;
It dwolt within your eyes, my friend,-
Those dear, kind eyes that tongue nor pen
Could ne'cr paint with fitting words,
Who e'er translates the songs Of birds.
Better than song of birds to me
Tho language OF your eyes to minoi
1t woke within my heart song
Whose thrilling melody divine
Still stlrS my heart-striOgs' vibrant chords,
And songs are sweetest without words.
The weary miles stretch far between
Your voice and mine, dear love, tonight;
Yet, musing DER that blissful time.
As died the sunsets golden light,
seem to hear low. faint tOnc,
That mingled sweetly with my own.
The murmur thrillet ! me az Of old;'
knew your heart and mine kept timo
Aud in thrObbiDg pulse found
And wrote for you this simple rhyme
Tho old, old story, but so sweet
We ind all telling incompletci
The mountain-tops in all our lives
Are hours Of sorrow or delight,
With heaven-crOwned heads they stand apart
Aud, il we reach their sacred height,
Through Hopes bright glass or Sorrow,
tears,
We gaze o'er past and coming years.