davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10
Changing Clothing.

Health, and sometimes life itself, is
often lost by laying aside winter cloth
ing too early. Laying lannels aside
in the spring is most pernicious
practice. We can better do without
woolens next the skin in midwinter
than in midsummer. We do not get
overheated in winter-we do in sum-
mer; and the most frequent excite
ing cause of coughs, colds and con-
sumption is rapid falling of the tenn
perature of the body. All are famil-
lar with the fact that sudden check
ing of perspiration is always danger
GUS; very little exercise causes us to
perspire in summer, and very slight
draft of air checks the perspiration;
hence, eminent French physicians
have stated, after long series of OBJ
servations, that colds taken in sum
mer excite the most incurable forms
Of consumption.
White wooden flannel is most
efficient guard against these sudden
changes, because it keeps the heat of
the body in, while IL repels the ex-
cessive heat from without; il conveys
the water Of perspiration to its out
side, while the surface next the skin
is drier. We all know that silk, cot
ton and linen next the skin get sat-
urated with water, and if for an in
slant the slightest draft of air gets
between the skin and the material,
there is o charnel-likc chill when that
material touches the skin.
The rule should be to wear white
wooden flannel next the skin the year
round-thick in winter, a little thin
ner in April, gauze material on the
first day of July; on the first day of
December put on the thickest, extend
ing to ankles and wrists.
These rules are especially necessary
to all old people, to all invalids and
young children; day laborers and
outdoor workers would be incalcu-
lably benefited by the same obscrv-
ances. 1ffHi
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10
A Tree that Keeps a Standing Army

Among the varied means Of defense
developed by plants in their ceaseless
struggle for existence, there is per-
haps none more wonderful or effective
than that Of a species of acacia which
abounds on tho dry savannahs Of Gen.
tral America. 1t is called the bulls
horn thorn, from the strong curved
thorns like bulls horns, set in pairs all
over the trunk and branches. These
no doubt help to protect the tree from
the attacks Of browsing animals but
it has more dangerous enemies in the
leaf cutting ants and other insects
Against these the troe maintains nu-
merous standing army, for which it
provides snug houses stored with food,
nectar to drink, and abundance Of lus-
cious fruit for dessert. .
When first developed, the thorns
are soft and filled with sweetish
pulp, much relished by species of
small springing ants, never found ex-
cept on these trees. Making hole
near the point of one Of each pair of
thorns, these ants eat out tho interior,
then burrow through the thin partition
at the base into the other thorn, and
treat IL in the same manner. The
hollow shells thus formed make ad-
mirable dwellings,, none Of which are
left untenanted, as any one may dis
cover by disturbing the plant, when
the little warriors swarm out in force
and attack the aggressor with jaw and
sting.
The leaves of the plant are two
winged and at the base cf each pair
Of leaflets, on the mid rib, is gland
which, when the leaf is young, secretes
a honey.like liquid, Of which the ants
are very fond. This ensures their con-
slant presence on the young leaves,
and their most jealous service in driv-
ing off other insects.
A still more wonderful provision of
solid food is made for similar pur-
pose. At the end of each of the small
divisions of the compound leahet, there
grows small fruit-like body, which,
under the microscope, looks like a
golden pear. When the leaf first un-
folds, the little pears are not quite
ripe, and the ants are continually en-
ployed going from one to another to
see how they come on. As the fruit
like bodies-whch appear to have no
other use than as ant food--do not all
ripen at once, the ants are kept about
the young leaves for considerable
time. When an ant finds one suf-
fciently advanced, it bites the point
of attachment, then, bending down
the prize, breaks it off and bears it
away in triumph to the nest.
These ants, a species ofpseudomyrmd
are found, as already noticed, only on
these trees; and that the trees really
keep them as a body guard seems evil
dent from the fact that, when planted
in localities where their little protec-
tors do not exist, they are speedily
defoliated by leaf cutters, which lot
them severely alone on the savannahs,
while their honey glands and golden
pears offer no attractions TO the ants
Of the forest.
Apparently both acacias and pseudo
myrmaS have been mutually modified
in the course Of time, until they arc
now quite dependent on each other
for support and protection.
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10
Birthplace Of Columbus.

Tradition makes Cogoletto, small
town q few miles from Genoa, the
birthplace of Columbus, and there is
an inscription which marks the house
of his rcputed birth 1t may be true,
and it may bo false--for, in this land
of tradition and superstition, it is as
easy to fabricato q tradition as an in
scription, and credulity is ready to be-
lieve tha: it is as old as Adam. Tho
house of his father was in the suburos
OF Genoa, as is shown by the deed
lie, himself, says he was born IN
Genoa, an expression which may well
mean the territory, and not the city,
of Genoa. There is, therefore, some
color for the tradition, and il is not
worth while to dig deeper to find
doubts. He was Ligurian, and
nothing could bo more likely to sharp
en- his curiosity, and suggest q life of
adventure, than. to look out from these
rocky highlands upon the Meditcra-
mean, washing tho field at its base,
and covered with the little, but daring
and enterprising corsairs ofthe Levant,
the Grooian Archipelago, and the
African coast.
How time sets things right Brought
home in chains, robbed in his lifetime
of his honors and his profits, and the
name of another given to his discover
les, time has written his name "with
iron and lead in tho rock forever"
His jealous and triumphant enemies,
as well as his royal patrons and enter
prising followers in the path of discov-
cry, are remembered but when we
call them up from the land of shad-
dows, there is always in the midst Of
them, and before them, the great
Gcnocso with glory about him, in
the light of which they shine with. a
pale ray. So it will be forever.
lie went on, when every other would
have given up in despair. Hc gave a
New World to the kingdoms of CASTLE
and Aragon. But CASTLE and Aragon,
and all the progeny of their descendant
commonwcalths, arc dwindling and
fading away, and race, never akin
to tho old Ligurian-"the world-seek-
ing Genoese"--is, from year to year,
devoting the New World to the great
commonwealth of freedom and mutu-
ality.
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10

A correspondent Of the Lewiston
journal relates an Androscoggin lc-
gend, which has probably been mel
lowed by time, though the narrator
says he could give the names if he
chose, as he know the parties well in
bis boyhood. 1t appears that on q
clear, cold, quiet morning, some fifty
years ago, family were seated around
the table taking their breakfast when
q rap was heard at the door, and, as
the custom then was, the outsider was
biddon to "come in" when man past
middle life entered, and, after the
usual salution, seated himself in u
chair He was neighbor living some
half milo distant lie was asked TO
sit up and eat some breakfast, but ho
answered, m don't suppose | ought TO
stop, for our house is on fire, and they
sent me to tell you"
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10
The President and the Washington Ring.

The comments Of the press on the
Presidents actions, standing up for
tho Washington ring of robbers, are
as severe as they are deserved. In dis
cussing the matter tho N. Y. Tribune
remarks: n e
In the case of Mr.. Secretary Rich
ardson the press Of the country, and
the whole people, with tho exception
perhaps Of Mr.. Butler, Mr.. Sanborn,
and Mr.. Sawyer, have clamored for
his removal on tho ground of incom-
potency. This was another case Of
barking at The heels of mon with ex-
traordnary shoc-latchcts. The Pres
idcnt gave out with distinction that
so long as this cIamor continued Mr..
Richardson should not bc removed.
He did not propose TO remove a man
from Office simply because the press
and the people thought him unfit. The
complaints of Mr.. Richardson have
not beon limited 10 tho opposition
press, nor confined TO any one party.
The demand for his removal has been
general and loud But the Great
Silent Man put his foot down and said
Mr. Richardson should stay. He
would not remove him or ask his res
ignation. No man should be made a
victim of public clamor with his con-
sent. A great many people failed to
soc anything very cbivalrous in the
sort of friendship that retains man
in an Office he is unfit for and in which
he only succeeds in making fool of
himself, and it is not too much to say
that the people generally arc of the
opinion that tho principle is very
dangerous and bad one.
The President, however, is not un-
equal to the emergency. Since there
is so general a desire that he should
comply with demands for tho removal
of unpopular officers he seizes the first
occasion to strike an average on that
subject. He retains Richardson when
an indignant people and large MAORI
is of his own partisans ask his removal,
but ho removes Mr.. Cluss, the Engineer
of the Department of Public Works Of
tho District OF Columbia, upon the
first suggestion OF the members of the
Board whom the testimony of Mr..
Cluss inculpates. This was case in
which he did not wait for second
call or for popular clamor. Mr.. Cluss
had given testimony before an invcs-
tigating committee that was very dam
aging to certain mon in the District
Government. Thercupon these men
pass set of resolutions denouncing
him as a periurer and ask for his re-
mova. The President had said in the
case of Attorney General Williams,
when his nomination for ChiefJ ustice
was pending, and unpleasant things
were charged concerning him that he
would not withdraw the nomination
so long as these charges were madc.
He was blamed for that. In this case
ho does not propose to wait to bc
blamed. He removes Mr.. Cluss on
the instant.
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10
Womanly Dignity.


Nature, which has given weapons
of assault or means of defense 10 al
most all living creatures, has made
men audacious, and has endowed
woman with dignity. And dignity
has the best of it. In fact, womanly
dignity may be accepted as one among
many explanations Of that legendary
power which turned the bravest man to
ne,andmade the might ofthe strong
est like waterin their bones. What can
any one do against itY As well try 10
penetrate the armadillo's coat Of mail
by q needle, or make a hole in n
pachydcrm by a popgun, as fire q
woman TO passion or melt her to pity
when shc has once intrenched herself
in tho stronghold of her dignity. No
argument can shake her, no reasoning
convince her; despair dies away TO
quorulousness, and the pleadings Of
love itself fall dull and blunted from
her stately sclf-possession like so many
toy shafts hurled against a polished
and imponetrable surface.
Indeed, how can you rage in anger,
or abuse yourself in entreaty, TO a
creature who is icily polite, loftily
unmoved, not TO be goaded into the
smallest demonstration which would
put her in tho wrong and give you
vantage.point against her, and whose
calm eyes look at you with kind of
superior scorn which, whilo it mad.
dons you, offers no point Of attack |?
What can you doY Simply nothing.
The means OF defense which nature
has given are unassailable, and Dig
nified woman is mistress of tho sit
uation by tho very power ofnogation,
if by mono other. But there arc va
rious kinds of dignity, and if some
arc moro exasperating than others,
some are very lovely and among the
greatest charms of womanhood. There
is in particular that soft dignity which
belongs to women who arc affection
ate by nature and timid by tempora.
mont, but who have u reserve Of self
respect that defends thom against
themselves as we'll as against others.
Tho fact is, useful as womanly dig
nifty is as womanly possession, il
can be carried TO excess, and from q
virtue become a vice. So long as il is
an honest dofense-work against the
rough assaults of superior strength,
IL Is both good and fair; but, when
IL assumes to be more than this, it be.
comes an cxageration, and, as such
ridiculous. There is no law by which
women can bo exempt from share
in tho troubles and sorrows of human
life; and even their dignity cannot
always protect them from things that
override all but nature. Still IL is Q
valuable possession, and women had
better have too much Of IL than toe
little; for, although too much rcnders
them absurd, too little makes thcm
contemplate, and between tho two
thcro Is no doubt as TO which is worst
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10
How They Drop Shot.

A reporter of tho Baltimore Ameri-
can thus describes one of the many
processes of making shot in one of the
shot towers of that city: Ono of the
"secrets" Of the manufacture is the
mixing of the lead with. certain
proportion Of combination Of mineral
substances called "temper." The "tem-
per" is fused with the lead, and gives
tho molten metal that consistency
which makes it drop. II il wero not
for the "temper" the lead would be
moulded by the seive, and would form
little pencils instead of round shot.
When Abb" shot, for instance, are to
be made, the lead is poured into pan
perforated with holes corresponding
to that size. The little pellets como
pouring down 10 continuous shower,
and fall into tank filed with water
on the ground floor. In their descent
of Two hundred feet they become per-
feet spheres, firm and dense, and they
are tolerably cool when they strike
the water, although the swift concus-
sions make tho tank foam and bubble
as if tho water was boiling turiously.
The shot must fall in water, for if they
would strike any firm substance, they
would be fattened and knocked out
Of shape. To get the little pellets dry
after they have been in the "well," is
tho most difficult and troublesome
process of the whole manufacture.
An elevator with small buckets (very
much like those used in flour mills)
carries tho shot up as fast as they
reach the bottom of tho "well," and
deposits them in q box GO feet above
the first floor. The water drips from
the buckets as they 60 up, and not
muchis pourcdinto tho receiver above,
although II is intended to bo o sort of
dripping machine. From this rccciv-
or the shot runs down spout into
drying pan, which resembles gigan-
tic shoe, made Of sheet iron. The pan
rests at an anglo which permits tho
wet shot to roll slowly down TO the
chamber below, and the pellets become
perfectly dry as they pass over the
warm sheet-iron.
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10
VOL. 4S--WHOLE NO. 1874.
THE SHORTEST WAY HOME

4" n IHE 6HUHItSI WNV HUME. /"
.l.. --- ~
"The shortest way by half mile
come so very often by IT.
Is up the road, across the stilc,
The days were not without A charm
When talking soft and looking silly,
NV love and walked arm-in arm,
And lanes were lone and fields were Silly.
We found so many things TO say st g
That always, in the shiny weather,
We took the-well the Shorter way,
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10

A Chinaman entered n store in He
lena, Montana, the other day, and
walking up to the counter, deposited
q grasshopper thereon, saying, as ho
gazed upon the clerk with confding
look "Io too much hoppco oil hop.
peo-stop him. You sabbce p The
obliging clerk at once commenced
measuring off musquito bar, to the in
tense delight of the heather. The
grasshoppers had been destroying his
garden and wanting to purchase somo
musquito bar, but not knowing tho
name OF the article, hc brought the
destroyer with him, and tho clerk
understood in n moment the article
needed
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10


How TO INSERT SCREWS IN PLASTER
WALIs.--It is often desirable TO in
scrt screws in plastcrcd walls, without
attaching them TO any woodwork, but
when wo turn them in, the plaster
gives way and our effort is vain. And
yet q screw may be inserted in plaster
so as to hold light pictures, etc, very
firmly. The best plan is to enlarge
the hole to about twice tho diameter
Of the screw mosten the edges of tho
hole thoroughly with water, and fill
It with plaster Of Paris, such as is used
for fastening the tops Of lamps, ETC.,
and bed tho screw In the soft plaster
When the plaster has set, tho screw
will bc held very strongly.
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10
The Occurrence and Use of Nickel,

Nickel was discovered by Cronstedt
in 1851, In color il is between a yel-
lowish white and steel gray IL has
q bright luster, which it retains even
in moist air; it is as hard as iron, is
perfectly malleablo and ductile, fuses
at a temperature but little lower than
wrought iron, is magnetic, and has q
specific gravity of SS. 1t does not
occur native, and is on the whole quite
rare, being generally found combined
with arsenic The following statistics
of the production of nickefare from the
Berg and Huttenmdnnischen Zeitung for
1871 and 1872:
The production Of the Prussian
nickel works was, in 1869, about 434
tons, worth over 1920, 600; in 1870,
463 tons, worth 100000. This guam
tity was produced in eight establish
ments, employing CSC workmen. Tho
total production Of nickel ores of Prus-
sia in 1870 was only 62 cwt., worth
1885, Saxony produced, in 1870, 67
tons of nickel worth 500, III. Austria
produced but very little in 1870,
her nickel, cobalt and antimony only
amounting to l12 tons, worth s3,2S9.
Hungary is q larger producer of nickel,
yielding, in 1869, 440 tons of cobalt
and nickel products. Norway in the
same year produced GO tons nickel
ores and 6,00O pounds nickel, and
Sweden, in 1868 yielded 120 tons of
orc and $4,000 pounds Of nickel
Great Britain shows as good as none.
In 1870, 1000 pounds were obtained,
worth s135. Belgium produced 81
tons, worth $4,000. The largest
nickel mine in the world is the La
Motto mine in Pennsylvania, where
copper and lead ores are also found.
A deposit feet thick extends for a
long distance. The pig iron from tho
lead furnaces there are rich in nickel.
The Chinese have long employed
nickel with copper and zince to mako
an alloy called packfong In Europe
nickel has only been used for about
fifty years, an alloy known as argen-
tan or German silver being made OF
copper, zinc and nickel. The princ-
pal centers of the German silver (Neu-
silber) were manufactured ut Berlin,
Athena, Iserlohn, Hanover; outside of
Germany, Paris, Vienna and Birming-
ham are the principal places for its
production. In Vienna it is known
as packing, China silver, or alpaca sill
YER. The French call an alloy Of cop
per, zinc and nickel, packfong or cuivrc
blanc, also maillcchort, after an En-
glshman named Maillet, who patented
it in 1927.
Nickel is also used alone for axles
and other parts of machinery for chi
rurgical instruments, in Matchmaking,
&c. 1t Also serves for covering other
metals, or nickel plating
Another use for nickel, which is at
traeting much attention now, is FOL
coins, the new German coinage law
prescribing its use in certain small
coins, in which it follows the example
not only Of the United States, but also
OF Belgium and Switzerland. This
has caused an immons increase in the
price of nickel abroad, and greatly
disturbed the market price Of German
silver
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10


RIoHEs.- Tho man with good, firm
health is rich. So is the man with a
clear conscience. So is tho parent of
good, happy children. So is the clor-
gyman whose coat little children of
the parish pluck, as he passes thcm at
their play. So is tho wife who has
the whole heart Of good husband
So is the maiden whose horizon Is not
bounded by tho "coming man." but
who has a purpose in life whether sho
ever met him or not. So is the young
man, who, laying his hand on his heart
can say, 81 have treated every woman
1 ever saw as l should wish my sister
treated by othor men," So is the
little child who goes TO sleep with a
kiss on its lips, and for whose waking
kind blessing waits.
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10


A Washington policeman recently
andeavorcd to take his accustomed 70.
'oso by leaning against lamp post,
but smell Of signed wood quickly
led to the discovery that the lamp post
was nearly red hot. On further invcs.
iigation ho found that hole had
been drilled through one side to the
interior, and looking through this he
saw a blaze of FIRE rushing up through
the hollow part OF tho post with q
buzzing sound. Attached to the lamp
post was lettcr box, which was also
quite hot. 1t appears that the under.
ground joint at tho foot Of the post
had sprung a leak, from tho carcloss-
ness OF the labororp Ia digging on the
street improvement and that tho gas
escaping through tho post had become
ignited. Terry
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10
The Philosophy Of Rain.


TO understand tho philosophy Of
this beautiful and often sublime pho.
nomenon, so often witnessed and so
very essential to the existence of
plants and animals, q few facts derived
from observation and long train of
experiments, must be remembered -
|. We're the atmosphere hero, every
where and at all times, of n uniform
temperature, we should never have
rain hail or snow. The water alb
sorted by it in evaporation, from tho
sea and the carth's surface, would de-
scend in an imperceptiblc vapor, or
cease to be absorbed by the air whom
it vas once fully saturated.
:. The absorbing power of the at
msphere, and consequently its ca.
pacity to retain humidity, is proper
tionateIy greater in warm than in cold
air. The air near tho surface Of the
o,rth is warmer than it is in tho rc-
gons OF clouds. Tho higher wo as
ond from the earth the colder do We
ind the atmosphere. Hence the per-
pctual snow on very high mountains
ID the hottest climate.
Now, when from continued ovapo-
rition the air is highly saturated with
vlpor, though it bo invisible and the
sky cloudless, if its temperature is
Suddenly reduced by cold currents Jc-
scending from above, or rushing from
a higher to lower latitude, by tho
motion Of q saturated air TO lower
latitude, its capacity TO retain moist
up is diminished, clouds are formed
aid rain is the result. 1t condenscs
il cools, and like a aspongc filled with
water and compressed, pours out the
water which its diminished capacity
cAnnot hold.
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10

The st. Louis Globe speculatcs
concerning the obituary of the future.
We append one or Two specimens
Charles Pupkcr; 3albs; crematod
July 0, 1872.
For wife Of above SEQ third pickle
bottle on next shelf.
Little Tommy. Burnt up, Scptcm-
ber 16, 1862.
Jano Matilda Perkins. October B,
1868. Put up by tho Alden Corpse
Cremation Company. Mono genuine
without signature
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10


There Is a bush story Of negro who,
for bottle of rum, agreed TO strip to
tho whist and lie on his face, to bo bitten
for a quarter of nm hour by mosquitoes,
at the Joggins Of New Brunswick. lie
endured bis posts manfully, and had
nearly won his prize, when ono Of tho
lumbermen who stood BY lsid g hin
a pieco OF live chaFceel vheo 4
gro wriggled ead ~
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10

When Is match ffivolouss When
I makos light Of things. f'
Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10

GAuTlON.-All persons are hereby caution
" ed not to purchase or in any way NEEDLE with
two bay mares, now In possession George Hill, as
MADEIRA, March 1, '7l-sm II, w1RING.