davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-28
Education in Alabama.

The commonwealth labors under q
dreadful burden of ignorance the illit-
eracY in some sections is appalling.
With a population of little more than
& million, Alabama has more than three
hundred and eighty thousand persons
who can neither read nor write and Of
these nearly one hundred Thousand are
whites. There are also large classes
who can both read and write, but whose
education goes no farther. Among the
one hundred and seventy-fve thousand
voters in the state, there is a n wspaper
circulation of forty thousand only. The
negro does not seem to care for the pa
pers. a good public school system was
inaugurated in Alabama in 1854, and
three years later nearly ninety thousand
children were attending school in the
state; but the advent of the war annull-
ed the progress already made, and since
reconstruction educational matters have
been somewhat embroiled. The con-
duct of the schools is now in the hands
of what is known as the state board of
education, composed of the state super
intendent and two members from each
congressional district. This board has
full legislative powers, the legislature
being only revisOry of it's acts. The
school fund receives from half a million
to 5000, 900 annually from the state, one
third of it being interest on the fund
bestowed by the general government,
and the remainder being made up of
one-ffth of the commonwealth general
revenue-all the poll tax, the licenses,
and the tax on insurance companies.
This fund is nominally apportioned i'm
partially to the whites and blacks in
each county, and the trustees in each
township are informed what their share
Is. Under this system, the average at
tendance at the various schools opened
throughout the state, was one hundred
and fifty thousand but in 1873 the
schools were all closed (save those in
the large cities, on account Of the in
ability of the state to pay teachers
This cessation has been productive OF
much harm and disorganization. Eff
forts have, however, been made to re.
suscitate the state university at Tusca-
lOOsa, which is not IN furnishing con-
dition. and a normal college, for teach
ers of both sexes, has been started at
Florence, in the northern part of the
state. In western Alabama, colore6
university and normal college has been
established at Marion, and a colored
normal school is opened at Huntsville
The American missionary. society also
maintains q college for colored people
at Ialladepa. -ScTib77er's
The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-28
Literary STYLE.

No man Of power can do himself a
greater wrong than to make an attempt
to acquire the style of another man,
under the impression that that style
will fit his thought. He might as we'll
have his clothes made to his neighbours
measure. There is not one chance in a
thousand of fit, unless it be a fit of
disappointment or disgust. The sensi-
tiveness of language to the impulses
and characteristics of the spirit that
sits behind and utters it, is one of the
marvels of the world. Its fexibility in
shaping itself to every variety of
thought and every form of imagination,
it's power to transmit an atmosphere or
an aroma which no analysis of word or
expression betrays, and the ease with
which it is made either puerile or males
tic, in accordance with the spirit of its
maker, show that style, unborn of the
individual, is an utterly valueless at
tainment.
AS fair illustration of the absolute
impossibility of one man writing in the
style of another, take the two great po-
cts of England now living, and let
Browning and Tennyson undertake to
acquire each the style of the other. It
would absolutely ruin both. All writ
ers who are good for anything have a
style of their own. It can no more be
transmitted or GO attained" than the pow
eFs and qualities in which it had its
birth and a man who is so strongly
impressed, or magnetized, by the style
of another, that he finds himself trying
to work. in his way, has his own weak
ness and lack of individuality demon
strated to him. It follows that most of
the criticisms of style are equally with
out common sense and common Justice
so far, at least, as they are made with
the idea that there is such a thing as a
standard of style. There is abundant
wealth of literary style in the world
which has no characteristic similarity to
Addison's; and the young writer's who
fancy that they must shape their style
upon some approved or popular model,
would do well to abandon the effort at
once. A good style is always the nat
ural offspring of a good literary mind.
It is polished and chastened by self
criticism, and is a growth from the CEN
ter. A style thus formed is the only
legitimate representative of a literary
man. No lack of heart, or brains, OF
culture, or marked and large individu-
atty, can be hidden by adopting an
other mans literary dress and present
ment. If a man has no style of his
own, he has no literary calling what
ever.-DT. IL O. Holland.
The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-28
On What Do Plants Feedg

The French government some years
ago established an experimental farm at
Vincennes, France, under the superin-
tendence of the eminent chemist, NJ.
Geore Vile. Every convenience, such
as green houses, hot-beds, fields, nipple
ments, ETC., necessary to carry out his
experiments, were at his disposal.
Among the many experiments made
by him was that of causing wheat to
grow in pure sand aud in order to de-
stroy any substance that would act as a
fertilizer in the sand or water used IN
the experiment, the sand was burned
and the water distilled. -Four large
flower pots filed with the burned sand
were used IN the experiment. In the
first he put twenty-five grains of good
wheat, and watered them with the dis
titled water the seed grew, looking
yellow and sickly, but came to maturi
ty, and produced one hundred and
eight grains of poor, shriveled wheat.
In the second pot, the ten minerals
that all plants require for food were
mixed with the burned sand, and TWEEN
ty-twO grains of good wheat planted as
in the first case. The result still showed
sickIy plants, but better developed than
the first. and at maturity yielded one
hundred and fOrty-four grains.
In the third pot ammonia* was mixed
with the burned sand instead of the
ten minerals as in the second expert
ment. In this case the plants came up
a beautiful dark green, giving every in
dication that large crop of seed would
be produced. But not so; the result,
although better than the other two pots,
was only q yield of one hundred and
sixty-two grains.
In the fourth experiment the ten min
erals required as food for all plants,
united with ammonia, were mixed with
the land, and twenty-five grains of
wheat planted as before. This expert
ment being a union as it were of the
second and third experiments. The re-
suit of this union was almost magical
the plants sprang up with great vigOr,
strong and healthy, producing from the
twenty-five seeds four hundred and
twenty-three grains of full, good wheat.
As the land in which they were planted,
and the water with which they were wa
tered cont aimed no fertilizing property,
this grand result must have been caused
by the minerals and ammonia alone. Yet
great as this result was, FIVE per cent.
only of,the plants were produced by the
minerals and Leo per cent. by the am
monia; thereby showing that 80. 40 p
cent of the plants were produced by
the air.
ammonia is composed of three atoms of
hydrogen and one of nitrogen, and lis the
nitrogen in the ammonia that stimulates The
plant and enables it TO appropriate the miner
ais in the soil as food.
The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-28
Kansas GrasshOppers.

A Kansas letter says of the great
American rival to the Louisville cock
roach: "They are rightly named hop
pers, for they are hard to fill, and eve
rything is grist that comes to their mill
Sorghum is the only thing that they
don't appear to know the use of, and
they let 1t alone. They will eat tobacco
and iimpson weed, and have seen wal
nut trees as bare of leaves as in the mid
die of winter. The same Is true of all
the apple trees in their path. They
don't eat the apples or walnuts, and it
is an odd sight to see a tree laden with
fruit, and not single green leaf to be
seen OF its boughts. They don't meddle
much with peach leaves, but they eat
the peaches and leave the stones hang
ing on the trees. They ate all the leaves
off the grape vines the first few days
they were here, and now they are cut
ting the stems and letting the grapes
fall to the ground. The man who can
invent a process to exterminate them
from the country will more than double
discount St. Patrick as a benefactor OF
his race
The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-28
COMETS TAILS.
A Novel Theory Regarding the CeIesa
tia1 ROamers' CaudaI Appendages.

Novel Theory Regarding the CeIes-
tiaI ROamers' CaudaI Appenda2es.
Comets are supposed to consist of
thin vapors of gases, held together by
the mutual attraction of their particles. |
Like all bodies so circumstanced, they
necessarily assume the spherical form
and therefore the common notion that
they consist of comparativelvsmal and
bright nucleus, and an immensely long
and illuminated tail, evidently derived
from its appearance in the heavens, can
not for moment be entertained. That
their sperical form, as shown by the re-
fiected light of the sun, would scarcely
be discernible at the distance of our
earth, even Though the comet we're as
dense as the densest cloud of our at
mosphere, would not be surprising; but
If their attenuation, as described by
Sir John Hers chel, be considered, all
wonder ceases.
SirJ. HerseheI says that the most sub
stantial clouds which float in the
highest regions of our atmosphere, and
seem at sunset to be drenched IN light
and to glow throughout their whole
depth as if in actual ignition, without
any shadow or dark side, should be
! looked upon as dense and massive
bodies, compared with the filmy and
all but spiritual texture of a comet.
Owing to this tenuity of matter the rays
of the suns light, as reflected by it,
are absolutely invisible to the inhabit-
! ants of the earth; but other rays, pen
etrating into the center of the comet,
are refracted by this powerful wheel Of
| 10000, 900 of leagues diameter into the
| focus which forms the nucleus of the
! ,aoy,onA ruboro fbaya 10 v0oybo77 O rrrao%oT.
! concentration of light than anywhere
else. not in the body of the sun. Thence
this large body of concentrated light
| streaming in a narrow path through
the remaining half of the comet, IN
| a direction opposite to the sun
forms that splendid appendage called
/ the tail. It seems scarcely necessary to
| point out that this mode of viewing a
| comet accounts for the circumstance of
| the tail being always in opposition to
| the sun, whether In advancing or reced-
| ing. Also for the wonderful celebrity
shown by the tail in turning round the
sun when the comet is in perihelion,
and for the rapidity with which the
comet darts out its tail after the perihe-
| lion passage, also, on the principle of
! the alteration of light, the bend which
! the tails of some comets have toward
/ the region they have lett, also Gne aD-
sence of a solid nucleus, and the non
observation of the stars by the body of
the comet. If the conjecture be cor.
rect, that the nucleus of a comet is near
the cen er. and that the comet extends
in every direction round the nucleus to
as great a distance, at least, as the
length of the tail, then it follows that
at this present moment the sun is feast
| ing on our comet, and that when 1t
energies from his embraces a few days
| hence it will have suffered some dimin-
ution of its size.-LO7ldO7l Iron.
The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-28

The range of disorders which yield to the intiu;
enCe of this medicine, and the numbe. OF deIlneu
diseases which it never falls TO cure are greater
than any other single medicine has nitheI o Desn
even recommended for by any other than me
proErietOrs of some quack nOStrum. Ihese 0ls-
eases are scrofuia and All eruptive diseases and
tumOrs, Theum atism, govt Neuralgia ana splga
complaints, and all infiammatory symptoms, VI
c, rs, all syphiltic diseases, kidney and bladder
diseases, dropsy, the whole train of painful dis
Orde-s which so generally affict 4 nerican women,
and which carry annually thousands OF them 70
premature graves; dyspepsia, that universal cure
OF American manhood; heartburn, pills, consti
patton, nervousness. inability TO sleep and impure
blood.
This is a formidable list of human ailments for
any single medicine to successfully attack al II
is not probable that any article be ore the pub
lie has the power to cure the quarter or them
cepting the we ETINE. It lays the Al the root
of the tree of disease by first eliminating every
impuEity from the blood. promoting the sec7etlons
Op ming the pOres-Jhe great escape valve q the
81 stem-inViEOrati the liver to its full and ma
tur Al action cleansing the stomach and ST ength-
e ing digestion. This much accOmpl shed, the
speedy and the permanent cure # not only the
dSra e. have enumerated, but likewise the
u boIr. train of chronic AMI constitutional dis
orders is certain 10 follow. This Is precisely whei
VRGHTINyE does, and il does II so quickly and 50
easily, that IL is accomplished iact almo5t De
fore the patient /, aware Of il "mseii.
y l. Il ri al DRUGGISTS.
The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-28
AebieEments of London Thieves.

A London correspondent thus writes
of a noted swindle in hat city Boyle
saws these fellows often steal whole
train loads and boat loa6s of coal, and
the detectives can't get a clue to them.
The statement appeared so ridiculous
that 1 thought my companion was
Joking. He was, however, IN earnest,
and he told me the way they did It
- In the first place." said he, "you
know these chaps have a regular organ
lied society for purposes Of mutual as
sistance in carrying ont their plans of
assisting each other when they fall into
the hands of justice. Each man IS as
signed his district, and when ne has
made a haul there ke is transferred to
another. They are all rich, and when
ever a large sum IS needed to carry out
their knavish plans, the money Is not
wanting. For instance a train of coal
comes into the city for sale. One of
the gang disguised as a respectable coal
dealer, approaches the man who
The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-28

country of more attractive appearance.
From the pretty full description given
1T was probably Nova Scotia. They
called it MARYLAND. A brisk north wind
blowing for two DAYS brought them to a
finer country, woody and undulatiDg
and Astounding with natural products.
They were unable to find a port new
ertheless they landed, as there was an
abundance of fish In the river which
flowed into bay. They ventured to
pass the winter there. This country
they called Vineland or Wineland.
They found the nights and days less
unequal thanin Iceland or Norway. On
the shortest day of the year December
2lst), they noticed that the sun rose at
half past seven in the morning and set
at half past four in the evening. Dur
ing their stay, which continued year,
they were approached by some natives
(red mem whom they killed. The nav
| igators, we are told, returned to their
| homes and carried with them the story
of their discoveries. Others, during
the succeeding hundred years, followed
IN the path their cOuntrymen had trod-
! den, but troubles arose, and some Scan
| dinavians who had brought their wives
and children with them had difficulties
| IL ACAC4CAtC " bA1C1E CCuuuCBs 4uS
| Vineland colonists treated the aborig-
ines as enemies, and a continued state
of warfare existed. It is believed by
many who have investigated the matter
that the Vineland of the northern navi-
gators was the coast of New England.
If christianity was established on this
continent eight hundred years ago il
soon died away, for, according to the
writings of Sagas, priest who left Co
penhagen about HOO, for Vineland,
was, on his arrival, put to death by {
man who spoke his own tongue.
There are legends of navigators Wis
iting America during the thirteenth anG
fourteenth centuries, bpt there is moth
ing definitely known from the Scandi
navian writer after the year 1120, wheI
a bishop sailed from Greenland for Vine
land, of whose fate nothing hereafter
was ever heard. There is blank up tt
? the time when Columbus set out on hi
voyage of discovery. 1t may be men
! toned that Ole Bull was last year col
Letting subscriptions at concerts among
! his countrymen to erect a monument tx
! Hef, the first alleged discoverer O
r America, who touched American sol
. 400 or 500 years before the landing D
5 Columbus, and there are Indication
that the Genoese were not only ac
! quainted with the voyages of the Morse
D sailors to America, but that they were
! not without influence on his plan anC
3 its execution.
The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-28
Treating the Wrong Disease.

Many times women call upon their family
physicians, one with dyspepsia, another with
palpltation, another with trouble of the breast,
another with pain here and there, and in this
way they all present alike to themselves and
their easy going and indifferent doctors, sep
arate and distinct diseases, for which he pre-
scribes his pills and pOtions, assuming them
to be such, when, IN reality they are all symp-
toms caused by some uterine disorder; and
while they are thus only able perhaps to pal
late for time, they are ignorant of the cause,
and encourage their practice until large bills
are made, when the suffering patients are no
better in the end, but probably worse for the
delay, treatment and other complications
made, and which proper medicine directed to
the cause would have entirely removed, there
by lnstltutIng health and comfort instead of
prolonged misery.
From Miss LORINDA E. ST. CLAIR, Shade
Athens Co, o Oct. IA, 1872:
DR.. r. V. Pierce, Buffalo, N Your
tavoT1te Prescription is working almost like a
miracle on me. 1 am better already than I
have been for over two years"
From ELLA A. SCHAFER, GAINESVILLE. Ind.
Aug. 3, 1872:
. DR.. Plerce-I received the medicine Won
sent me and began using it Immediately. AS
result of the treatment feel better than 7
have for three years."
From Mrs. JOHN Z. HAarIIuy- OdeU III
March 10, 1872: ''
. DR.. Pierce The Favorite Presentation has
done me good, which I am very thankful for. y
The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-28
Relieving Clicked Cattle.

A correspondent of the London cont
Farmers Advocate says he makes the
suffering animal jump overs pair Of bars,
left up as high as the animal can be
made to jump when compelled by the
liberal use of the whip. He never fails
to relieve a case of choking by this
neaas. Occasionally emakes them jump
over the bars twice but once is usually
sufficient. A western man relieves his
clicked cattle by simply taking up a
hind foot and hitting few smart blows
with a hammer, or stick, or whatever
cones handy.
The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-28
How to Put Children to Bed.

Not with a reproof for any of that
DAVIS sins of omission or commission,
take any other time but bedtime for
that. If you ever heard q little crea-
ture signing or sobbing in its sleep you
oould never do this. Seal their closing
eveIids with a kiss and . blessing. The
time will come, all too soon, when they
will Law their heads upon their pillows
lacking both. Let them then at least
have the sweet memory of happy child
hood, of which no future sorrow or
trouble can rob them. Give them their
rosv youth. Nor need this involve
wild license. The iudieious parent VIII
not mistake the meaning. If you have
ever met the man, or woman, whose
eyes have suddenly filed when a little
child has crept trustingly to its moth
er's brea {, You may have seen one an
whose childhood home dignity and Sc
verify stood where love and pity should
have been. Too much indulgence has
ruined thousands of children too much
love not One.-Fdnng Fern.
The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-28
TROPIC MIDNIGHT.


The rain floats of: the crescent moon
Holds in its cup a round of dusk,
Like palm-buds in the month of June
just breaking through the vernai husk.
Night-blooming agaves fill the shesf,
To catch the light distilled in showers,
Till overlooking cup and leaf
& Its cluster breaks in midnight flowers.
A sensuous stiffness north and south
Aud east and west, and just as sweet
As seeds Of pOmegranate in the mouth,
Or kisses when Young lovers meet,
Breaks in a low, sweet under-tone.
Like brooks that breed in beds of fern,
AS if by curve and pebble-stOne
The moon had spilled her silver urn.
It's airy current fills and ripes
The flower and fruit to wanton use
1t blows the rush's slender pipes,
And rounds the purple fig with juice /;
Like merchants breaking kids of nard,
Or jars of olives, desert born,
Pine-apples lift their prickled shaFd,
And show the seeds Of fragrant corn.
Like Hebrew maids, the citrous hold
Their pitchers to the vapor spring,
And I'll the hollow rinds of gold
With musky midnight's fiavoring.
SO once, think, earth knew her Lord,
In lands like these Of palm and vine,
When midnight gave the sweet accord
That turned the water into wine.
The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-28
Go to Rivergide Water Oure. Hamilton. b

The Rice Divorce Suit for fraud in age,
is causing great excitement in Boston. It should
warn young men not to marry IN haste. Rice is
but %; his bride 81. He swears that she made him
believe she was but his age, by using Magnolia
Balm upon Ler face, neck and hands. Poor youth
He probably found her elbows weren't quite so soft
and pretty. Ought Hagsn to be indicted ? We
know Of many similar cases. This Balm gives a
most wonderful pearly and natural complexion, to
which we don't object. We like pretty women. To
finish the picture, they should use Lyons Kathairon
upon the hair. With peary chin, rosy cheeks. and
soft, luxurious tresses, they become irresistible,
The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-28
Natural Wonders of wyoming.

In the northwestern corner of the
territory Of Wyoming is located one of
the most beautiful lakes on this cont.
nent, If not IN the world. Adjacent to
it are the sources of four majestic rivers,
the Yellowstone, flowing into the Mis-
souri, at a distance of ], 800 miles; the
Missouri itself, which finds its way to
the gulf through the Father of Waters;
the Columbia, which, passing through
the most remarkable canyon in the
world, discharges its waters into the
Gulf Of California. Grouped around
this lake, and In the midst of this wa
ter-shed. Is perhaps the grandest dis
play of cataracts, hot springs, geysers,
mud volcanoes, and natural architec-
tural beauties anywhere to be found on
the face of the globe.
The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-28

HUSBAND and wife who have fought
the world side by side, who have made
common stock with Joy or sorrow, and
grown aged together, are not unfre-
quently found cuTiously alike IN per
sonal appe rance, and IN pitch and tone
of voice. He has gained something
feminine which brings his manhood in
to full relief she has gained something
masculine which acts as a foil to her
WomanhoOd.