davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-02-01
Canadian independence.

In discussing the question of colonial
independence the st. John IN. b. Globe re-
marks that there Is no doubt that If Cana
da made up her mind to discover her rela-
tions with England no Englishman would
do anything to stop her, and many would
be glad to let her go; but, Significantly
adds the Globe, "fhe present leaders in
Canada will not take any steps to make
the Dominion independent so long as they
can persuade England to guarantee her
loans and to create baronets and knights
of themselves and their friends" These
considerations should not have much
weight tin discussing the question whether
or not the Dominion of Canada shall be-
come a free and independent republic,
and, like the United States, take care Of
her own loans and titles of nobility. Il
may be here mentioned that ct the time
of the American Revolution small par
ty wished to retain titles of rank and the
prerogatives of aristocratic and privileged
classes, but the plain republican senti-
ment overwhelmed the adherents of a
mock nobility, and they finally dwindled
into country squires and Georgia majors
-an aristocracy that exists to this day.
When the Dominion of Canada becomes a
republic, as in proper time it surely will,
the almighty dollar" is as likely to be
the ruling element of her people as II Il
asserted to be that of her cousins across
the st. Lawrence at this time, and al
thoughts of blue-blooded nobility viii
be sunk into insignificance when weighed
in the scale against dollars and cents, OF
pounds, shillings and pence.-Er.
Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-02-01
The Wealth of our Presidents.

Washington left an estate valued at
$500, 900.
Jefferson died poor, and had not Con-
gress purchased his library his estate
would have been unable to pay his debts.
Madison saved his money and was CON-
paratively rich. The fortune of bis Wild
ow was increased by the purchase of his
manuscript MAJ papers by Congress for $780,
James Monroe, the sixth President,
died so poor that he was buried at the
expense OF his relatives, In a Cemetery
between Second and Third streets, near
the Bowery, in New York CITY. ~
John Quincy Adams left about $50. 900,
the result Of industry. prudence. and
q small Inheritance. He was methoiical
and economical. -
Andrew Jackson left a valuable estate
known as the Hermitage" about twelve
miles from Nashville, Tenn. 1'
Martin Van Buren died rich. His es-
tate was estimated at nearly $500, 600.
James X. Polk left about $l50, ,000.i t.,..
2 John Tyler was bankrupt when he
became President. He husbandec his
means while in Office, and married rich
wife, and died wealthy in worldly fortune.
Zachary Taylor left about $150,000.
Millard Fillmore is wealthy man.
Franklin Pierce saved $50,000 during
his term of service as President.
James Buchanan died bachelor, and
left an estate valued at 500, 900, at the
least. "a ..1t.a,e "a t,,ifr...
Abraham Lincoln left about $4,000.
johnson Is said to be worth about $50,-
600. li8d 8n si0t iiftl'
President Grant was poor before tho
D. b.. oT IL
Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-02-01

One OF the most saddening and humili-
ating exhibitions which human nat,,re
ever makes Of itself, Is In It's greedy Gre
dulity touching all reports of the inisde-
meanors OF good men. If man stand
nigh as moral force in the community !:
II ne stand as the irebuker and denouncer
OF social and political sin; If he be looked
up to by any considerable number of peo-
pie as an example of virtue If the whole
trend and power of his life be i'm high
and pure direction; If his personality aud
influence render any allegation ae eainst his
character most improbable, then most
readily does such allegation find eager be-
levers. 1t matters not from what source
the slander may come. Multitudes will
be influenced by a report against a good
mans character from one who would not
be believed under oath in any matter in
volving the pecuniary interest of fifty
cents. The slanderer may be notoriously
base-may be panderer to the worst pas
si0ns and the lowest vices-may be a
shameless sinner against social virtue
may be thief, notorious liar, drunk
ard, q libertine, or harlot-all this mat
ters nothing. The engine that throws
the mud is not regarded. The white OBJ
ject at which the foul discharges are aim
ed is only seen and the delight of the by
standers and lO0kers-on Is measured by
the success of the stain sought to be in
flicted. i'N
As between the wording and the man
who processes to be guided and controlled
BY Christian motives, all this is natural
enough. The man bound up in his selfish
and sensual delights, who sees Christian
fall, or hears the report that he has fallen,
Is naturally cOmforted In the belief that,
after all, men are aiike-that no one of
them, however much he may profess, is
better than another. 1t Is quite essential
to his comfort that he cherish and fortify
himself In this conviction. So, when any
great scandal arises in quarters where he
has found himself and his course of life
condemned, he listens with ready ears,
and Is Enthusiastically glad. We say this is
natural, however base and malignant it
may be; but when people reputed good
nay, people protesting to be Christian
shrug their virtuous shoulders and shake
their feeble heads, while a foul scandal
touches vitality the character of one of
their own number, and menaces the ex-
tinguishment of an influence, higher or
humber, by which the world is made bet
ter, we hang our heads with shame, or
raise them with indignation. If such a
thing as this is natural, it proves just one
thing, viz: that these men are hypocrites.
There Is no man, Christian or Pagan, who
can rejoice in the faintest degree over the
reputed fall of any other man from recti-
tude, without being at heart a scamp. All
this readiness to believe evil of others, es-
pecially of those who have been reputed
to be eminently good, is an evidence of
conscious weakness under temptation, or
of conscious proclivity to vice that finds
comfort in eminent cOmpanionship.-
Scsibner's. o .-lciGGi Loo - 7r'+'
Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-02-01
Corn rs Fuel.

A curious state of affairs exists in some
portions of the West. Farmers are not
only burning corn for fuel at the present
time, but laying In supplies to serve for
the winter. 1t Is asserted that corn gives
a better heat for cooking purposes than
any wood excepting hickory, while, for
economy of consumption, 1t Is cheaper.
Hard wood on the spot costs $3.50 per
cord, corn, $500. AS compared with
coal, 1t Is estimated that three tons Of corn
will give heat equal to one ton Of coal,
wilhelm economy Of use, 1t is equal to one
and a half tons OF the latter. -. 8BseGl
That this Is an unpleasant commentary
upon eur facilities for transportation cam
not be denied. The cost Of food here In
the East is notoriously large, and 1t Is
equally true that living expenses have In
but a small degree decreased since the
darkest period Of the war. Yet, such are
the rates of freight or the fewness OF car
rying lines that 1t seems better paying
operation to burn food than to send 1t to
Eastern markets tor sale. iYfsB So
A contemporary aptly suggests that evil
dence Is here afforded of the gradual d.
minution of our forests, a serious fact to
which we have frequently advertcd.
There are strong efforts being made by
the National Buresu Of Agriculture, as
well as 5y Stte societies, to protect the
growing timber, and suggestions from
these sources should he needed and acted
upon. II, as the burning of grain inn
pies, the woodland in the neighborhood
Of corn-producing dist riots in the West
has become so sadly depleted, IL Is time
that protective means were adopted and
effective means inaugurated which will at
least supply the deficit to future inhabit-
ants of the country. Corn may make ex-
cellent fuel for future generations, but 1t
will scarcely answer as material from
which houses or furniture can be con-
structed. Scientific american.
Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-02-01
A GHOST STORY.

He had sat for hours in the snug, brown
coffee-room of the -Four Swans, Norham,
and had ordered nothing, not even bed
room or cup of @, flee. All In vain had
the honest old waiter hustled in and out,
stirring the fire and flicking crumbs from
the table. He had only brought himself
to the conclusion that this strange guest
was "a queer sort" especially for q
Christmas Eve. x.a. .#e
In fact, they of the Four Swans were
not much used to strangers of any sort.
They had quiet, steady-going connection
In Norham itself. Three or four trade
clubs held their meetings there, and the
six or seven bedrooms of the establish
ment were kept in just the state of order
and comfort which suited, the individuali-
ty of the six or seven commercial gen.
tlemen" who, when on Norharn business,
had patronized the -Four Swans for the
last twenty or thirty years. IF ever q
stranger appeared, 1t was generally with
some such introduction as this: "Land-
lord, Mr.. Dash, Of Blank, told me you
would give me good quarters for q day, or
for . week." as the case might be. In
deed, the Four Swans, had, as it were,
hidden itself from all chance cOmers, for
1t was situated in q quiet corner Of a very
quiet street, down which nobody would
think of turning unless he knew some
thing of it beforehand; and altogether,
with its interior of brown panneling, its
wealth of quaint and grotesque orna-
ments. its red-tiled verandah, and its COM
municative confidential old servants, the
-Four Swans was an excellent type of
those honest, homely hotels which are
fast being improyed'' from the face of
the earth, N - :
The gentleman In the coffee-room did
not notice that he had done an odd thing
by coming In without a word, and re-
naming without an order. Perhaps he
had other things to think about. He was
tall, middle-aged man, with a good deal
OF hair upon his face; and, though he
was Enthusiastically we'll dressed. he had
that indefinite air which most men carry
VINO at any period OF their lives have
knocked about" in ships and colonies.
In canvas suits and corduroys, ~
no mad come in about five O'Clock, and
SIX O'Clock struck, and seven. and II was
MI.nin two minutes Of eight, when an old
Norham townsman came in TO look over
tne papers. To the intense satisfaction ~
tne walter, that effectually reused the
suanger. But so slowly-like the awak.
emng iIUm long, enchanted sleep. And
80 IL lau Deen an enchanted sleep haunted
py q dream OF ftve-and-twenty wears a~o.
~ want 70 stay here for the night, wait.
BILE sort of bedroom win snit me Ia "a.
bring me some tea and toast 'sJ anu
The waiter was alert. 'sThere,s !, v,,,o
private room offhere, sir.n he said throu, nos.e
ing open the door. ssT'l, set vonr trev
there; it's more retired like than this n"'
The gentlemen followed as invited r,
was q square closet, with two or three
stuned chairs, a polished round table
ana dull oil-painting over the
mantel. That was all that would strik,
any strange eye. But the gentleman
walked straight to panel beside the fire
place, and peered at it. Under the SLOW
discoioration and many washings Of
Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-02-01
Do Cats Kill Babies {?

The old superstition that cats sometimes
kill infants by sucking their breath has
been lately revived by story in Port
land paper, in which it is stated that a
babe was recently found dead in that city,
with large cat lying upon its breast. A
writer for the New York Tribune shows
that 1t would be almost impossible for a
cat to kill a child by sucking its breath.
Alluding to the Portland case he says:
II do not doubt the death of the child,
or that the animal was present at the time,
but that cat "sucked its breath" or
would or could do so, must be regarded as
a piece of gross superstitious ignorance I;
as such it is hurtful and ought not to
pass unchallenged, Death Is q serious
matter, and therefore this subject must
be treated seriously, otherwise it were
easy to ridicule the assumption made,
which do not now meet for the first
time. ul "ti =" ''i"
! Let me say, then, that cat could have
no possible motive for sucking child's
breath, even II it were possible to do so.
The breath Of any animal after it has en-
tered the lungs is disagreeable and poison
Gus, and we know of no creature with
liking for such air. .,t..-r ..-,,s IL,
Are we to suppose that the cat applied
itS III CiOoCiy W thiOcC VI tiC Ciiuu, niiu GA
hausted the lungs OF the latter by filling
its own? If so, what next? The cat
must breathe or die. If it breathes, the
child will breathe also and live. 1oi ~
But it may be said that the cat places
its mouth In such proximity to that of the
child, as to intercept the pure air and SO
'suck" In that which the child required.
This would involve the death of the cat
first, for 1t is the smaller animal and the
child's mouth must also be In the proper
position to intercept the pure air required
by the cat. That the latter, either from
malignity or affection, would voluntarily
suffer semisuffocation, is of course alb
surd. -.i-,
; In fact, the statement is absurd alto
gether, and it would require the clearest
circumstantial description of the way In
which the act was performed, and that by
disinterested observer, to entitle the as
sertion even to the consideration here
given. - The true explanation of the case
is doubtless very simple. The cat lay
upon the child's mouth, and so smothered
it, or upon its stomach and chest, and by
its weight tired the respiratory muscles
so that they gradually ceased to act, and
the poor little infant to breathe. Let me
say, in conclusion, that such accidents are
frequently facilitated by the senseless way
in which mothers and nurses place their
children, deeply imbedded in soft clothes
and pillows, depriving them, by so doing
of full supply of the fresh, pure air,
which Is their very life."
Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-02-01

1t seems very remarkable that no sue
cessful attempt has been made to dry our
American grapes. With thousands of
tons annually produced-many hundreds
of which In seasons of great abundance
the owners would gladly take two cents n
pound for-there seems to be no way to
dispose of them but the wine-tub and
even then, unless doctored with alcoholic
elements, so repulsive to a large and con-
tinually growing portion Of the communi-
ty, 1t Is almost like throwing the grapes
away. i"'Ai
The chief trouble with the American
grape Is said to be that the skin is so ''wa-
ter-tightn that 1t will rather rot than dry
up; and 1t Is supposed that the thin-skin-
ned European grape Is free from this de-
better reason for his efforts. But those
who have tried the grape as grown In our
hot-houses report that IL is Just as diff
cult to dry those of the American variety.
As we understand It, there Is process pc
culiar to the raisin-making countries
which the grape goes through before it
will dry. This Is chiefly the dipping OF
each bunch in a weak lye. TIE effect Is
to open the pores Of the fruit, or to make
pores, and In this way the surface mois-
ture readily escapes under the proper des-
! sicating treatment. In California. where
the grape Of Europe thrives In the open
air, as Il will not do for us, they have sue
ceeded In making raisins equal to the best
of the Old World. These are selling in
the San Francisco market at twenty-four
| cents per pound, which, after deducting
all the expenses of preparation and manu-
| facture.is Sid to leave eight cents per
pound for the grower Of the grapes. Now,
| If we did not know that In this region,
/ by the ordinary methods Of drying. there
is no moro success with the foreign than
with the native grape. one might say that
it was because they have tue, European
variety that they are successful; but as II
Is, 1t Is evident that the whole secret Is in
the manner Of preparation, and 1t offers
encouragement to those who complain OF
an overstock Of fruit here in the East, TO
try over again what can be, done In the
raisin line.-Fornsys Press
Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-02-01

The glass-blowers in the vicinity Of
Boston are making quite profitable job
out of the great fire In the shape Of curl
Gus relics. Their plan of operation Is to
blow bottles and other vessels Into all sorts
of shapes, resembling the result Of intense
heat, while the inside Is ingeniously filled
with liquids, from cheap whisky to castor
oil. Corks are inserted showing every
degree of burning, from slight scorch
to half consumption, while the contents
have the appearance of having remained
intact. These relics sell readily for from
70 cents upward.
Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-02-01

THE question, Of future punishment is
getting to be quite an interesting one
among Mcthodists, several prominent
ministers Of that denomination being
known and others suspected of holding
views on the subject which, according to
the orthodoxy Of the majority of the
Church, are heretical,
Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-02-01
Miscellaneous Selections.
THE CUCKOO.


Forth wandered, years ago,
When the summer sun was low,
And the forest all agiow
t- With his light
TWAS a dsy of cloudless skies
When the trout declines TO rise,
And in vain the angler sighs
rrf q For bite. llt
And the cuckoo piped away
How loved his simple lay,
Ger the cowslip-fefds of May
-lai As 1t floats b" -
May WAS over, and of course
He was just q little hoarse,
And appeared to me 10 force
Certain notes.
Since mid-April, men averred,
Peoples pulses, inly stirred
BY the music of the bird,
Had upleapt: fIr 81
II was now the close Of June;
Ireflected that he'd soon
Sing entirely out Of tune,
And wept.
Looking up, I marked maid
Float balloon-like o'er the glade,
Casting evernore n staid
Ttt Glance around:
And I thrilled with sweet surprise
When she dropt, all virgin-wise,
First o courtesy, then her eyes
t To the ground. f1t.
Others, eyes have p,raps to you
Seemed ethereally blue, .r.s
But you see you never knew
Kate Adair. q. ....t-- H..
What q mein she hadi Her hat
With what dignity ii sat
On the mystery, or mat, I'D. p,
III or fher. hair
We were neighbors. had dofr'd
Cap and hat to her 30 Oft
That the latter had grown soft
In the brim: ....
had gone out of my way
To bid e'en her sire good day,
Though wasn't may say,
10 Fond Of him - ''
And we d met, in streets and shops,
But by rill or may copse, 7.l,f
Where your speech abruptly stops
aa! And you get 'l'~lll. "
Incoherent ere you know it ,.f,fs
Where, though nothing Of poet,
You tntuitively go it-Du " GIt!
Never yet. ....a--i,rf
So my love had ne'er been told , B
Till the day when forth I strolled
And the jolly cuckoo trolled @
Out his song, .f.....f ,.,..fi
Naught had passed betwixt us two
Save q bashful How dye do f.f,s p
And . blushing How do you ,-...
u! Get along?' iJJH on -'f '''
But that eve-how swift 1t passed =
Words that burned flew from me fast
For the first time and the last
Low and lower drooped her chin, g,s,
AS 1 murnured how Pd skin
Or behead myself to win ~ .sttii
Such wife. ...,...
There we stood. The squirrel leaped
Overhead: the throstle peeped
Through the leaves, all sunshine-steeped,
OF the lime. ....ft.- :
There we stood alone: athird
Would have made the thing absurd:
And she scarcely spoke word
All the tioe. f l-
- ."
We've little Kate, q dear
She's attained her thirteenth year,
And declares she feels q queer
Sort of shock
Not unpleasant though ut all t's
When she hears q cuckoo call: .t.
So I've purchased her small
Cuckoo-clock, s,r.H r-
lf.' january Scribner
Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-02-01

A MAN who snores was described by his
friend the other day as follows: ''Snores? ?
Oh no, guess not-no name for 1t! when
you wake up in the morning, and ffnd
that the house you lodge in has been moved
half mile during the night by the respi-
ratory vehemence of o, fellow-l0dger, you
may get some idea of that fellows per-
formance. His landlady gets her house
moved back by turning his bed around"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-07-09
DI I'D.

-
CoGGiNs, On toe - ipstaut, Of cho'e-a infan-
aged year, mouths aud Is days. IBal, more pa
This lovely Bed, so youoq And fair,
Called hence by early usOn,
just came t. show how sweo. q aOwer
In Paraii- could bloom
The lovely but began 60 bloom,
And hope ssd 10y spssrg 30,
IL blcssOMed but die. BY ITS MOTHER.
DOUGLASS. At Batavia, =. Y, July !, Ms
hhNk DOUGLASS, widow . ne la y. y.
Andrew Eliico {, who exec lted TIE Or ypal srr,ey
Of The city OF Wa-hiss.on.
FOX. In Georgetown, on the sth instant, al. or a
Christian foriHude, Mrs. MARGARET FOX, ag-d
Thy cheerful smile We long to see,
And hear tay welcome voice,
That uten in a truubird hour
Made our sad hear. rei1ior.
Sleep On, dearest meth-r, letpt
Thy children m ,urn thy losS;
Around THY silest grave we weep,
That's covered DER with mo.8
Friends Of the family respectfully iavitei to
attend her funeral, iron her late resdece, on Dun
barton street, between High aud Congress, on
Thursday, July lG.h, at 0 clock .. IN.
MIRICh. On the morhing OF the sh Of July,
HAIRY WENTWORTH, infant son o: William H.
MCCARTHY. On tie sth instant, MICHAEL
hcCAkrHf,s native Of county Kerry, ireland,
Friends Of the family are respestfaHy invited 10
attend his funeral, which will take place at 81
oclocs, from his resissnce, on North Capitol 81.
SJxMAN. On the sth instant, GRACIE, infant
dauc hter o. Jim b and MARY 4. Sleman, aged six
Funeral viii take place from her parents rcsi-
denee, No. gig , street northwest, I'M day moru-
atieed.
THOMAS. July s. at hSlf- part v. m, ANTI,
the ioptod dsug liter Of Joseph 4. Thomas, aged II
Funeral this afternoon, at 5o'cIook, from lI23
,-ih street, near N streei northwest.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-07-09
OFFICE OF SUPERVISING ARCHITECT,
TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 7, 1873.

u IL
TREASURY DEPARTMENT, July 7, 1884,
WROUGHT AND CAST-IRON wORK.
sealed Proposafe Will be received at this Office
until ~ m. Of the 5TH DAY OF AUGUsr, 1873, for
hing, delivering, fitting and putting in place
the drawings, described in tine specifications and
called Tor IN the schedules consisting Of the rolled
beams, channel irons, &c, wrought angle irons,
work In corpices &C., required for the Roof Of the
South wing OF the New State, War aud Navy De-
psrtments Building, Washington, d. @.
Copies OF the drawings, Specifications, and schedule
may De had on application at this Office.
All scafolding required By the contractors to put
the work in place will be furnished by the Govern
menf free OF chargS but will be erected by the
Proposals will be made by the piece lineal foot or
weight for the various items of work. as called for
in the schedule: Tho work will not be sabdiyided
among different bidders, but will be considered in
the aggregate. The whole work past be completed
within four months from date ~ acceptance
Payments Will be made monthly, deducting ten
per centum until the final completion Of the con-
All bids must be accompanied by penal bond, in
the sum o. nfteen thousand dollars OOO) that the
bidder will accept and perform the IL award
ed him the sufcfency of the security to be certified
States Court the District Attorney Of the District
wherein he resides.
The Department the right to reject any or
ali bids, IL IL be deemed for the interest OF the Gov
the printed form, to be obtained in this once, and
does not conform in every respect to the require
ments OF this advertisement, will not be considered
mel her viii any Proposals be received from parties
Of Wrought or Cast Iron Work, and who have not
the necessary facilities for getting out the work.
Proposals will be endorsed Bids for Iron Work
q Roof Of south Wing of New State, War, and
and addressed to A. B. MULLETT.
D6 dat Supervising Architect.