davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14

PERHAPS those curious in such matters
would be glad to hear how the country
house of well-known connoisseur in mat
tiers of taste is furnished Each bedroom
is of different color, but in all other re-
spects alike. The carpets throughout are
black; the panels, wainscots, doors and
furniture are also black, with little gild-
ing introduced. The walls are not
papered, but are covered with the same
cretonne as the curtains and bed furni-
ture. Each bed has an eiderdown quilt,
covered with the same cretonne, and each
window has plain muslin curtains, with
goffered frills as well as cretonne curtains.
Black is coming into great favor now in
decoration of houses; and lace-workers
are beginning to see that furniture lace
never shows to such advantage as on
black velvet, or black satin, relieved by
colored bows, either for writing or tea
tables, mantlepieces, brackets, or the like.
Thick linen-backed satin is more durable
than velvet; for soap and water, carefully
applied, will make II as good as new.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14

LOVE AND MARRIAGE.-The Rev. T..
F. w. Ware, in his lecture on "The
Conduct of Life" speaking of marriage
said: A young man in making his
choice should seek a woman lovable for
all things, and not woman to be fig
ure-head for an establishment. Young
men often make it an excuse for not
marrying that they cannot bear the ex-
pense, and this matter of extravaganza
is responsible for the modern Institution
Of bachelor life, than which there is
nothing more prophetic of death to
many virtues and rugged character. A
man had better make his will and cut
his throat Mt once than marry a giddy.
fashionable fool; but if he wants a wo.
man to stand by him as sharer alike of
his joys and troubles then is the plea
of expense groundless."
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
Lace.Making.

The manufacture of Valenciennes lace
is an extremely difficult kind of work,
requiring very long apprenticeship, and
wholly absorbing to the women engaged
in it; whilst the payment is SO small,
that the industrious population of the
north of France find means to occupy
themselves more advantageously. 1t re-
quiloe many months, sometimes even a
year, to weave a piece of three French
yards; and as the lace-maker cannot af.
ford to wait for her wages during so long
period, it is customary for the en-
ployer to pay when a third is finished,
as well as to find the thread by which
arrangement he is sometimes the loser.
Thus, there are but three lace-makers
left in Valenciennes; one, who makes
the old and real kind, earns about shil-
ling a day, the other two, fabricating the
sort of lace which is initiated in Bel
GUM, receive fifteen-pence for a day of
twelve hours. Arras is a centre for a
large manufacture of common lace, but
the women are in general poor and igno-
rant. Lace is one of the few victories of
over machine work; so far,
nothing but very inferior imitation
having been produced. Real, lace there
fore, is both valuable and rare.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
A Haunted Murderer.

An old upholsterer was barbarously
murdered, some months ago, in his apart
ment in Paris; he was found with his
skull open, the neck severed with razor,
and a mattress over the remains. The
murderer carried off money and railway
scrip. He has just been arrested and has
made full confession. After the crime
he entered restaurant, ordered oysters,
and found clot of his victims blood had
dropped on them he rose and took the
train to Brussels, disposed of the scrip,
but the old man with his cleft skull
haunted him he believed it interposed
in all his doings; was the first to occupy
his chair, his pillow when he washed he
imagined it was in the old mans blood !;
it was only his figure he saw at the thea
tire; he tried to read, but he felt he was
ever perusing an account of the crime !;
every poster he concluded to be reward
for his apprehension in no manner could
he shake Banuuo off
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
Chinese Depravity.

A missionary writes of his inconve-
niencies and suferings in going from place
to place during the recent Tientsin food.
The bad roads afflicted him much, but
the bad traits of native character afflicted
him more.
One Of the saddest results of these
floods is the bringing out so plainly as
they do the awful meanness and deprav-
ity of the people, 1t would be difficult
to believe that any human being could
become 60 callous to the suffering of
others az isNoident here. Let man be
in the veriest extremity of death, and
not hand will be reached out to rescue
him until, after long haggling, sum is
fixed upon as the pay for the service. I
made portion Of my journey by Chi
nese cart, and rode mile after mile
through sea of shallow water inter-
spersed with bitches; and, as though the
dangers Of the road were not sufficiently
great, the wretches who live in the re-
gion dug great pit-holes along where the
track was supposed to be, and then of.
fered their services at high rates as guides.
If we hired them, they guided us around
the holes they had dug; if we didn't,
they let us drive into them, and plum
dered the carts during the confusion
which followed.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
Marvels of the Insect World.

The Spectator, in its notice of M.
P0uchet's work, "The Universe" says
Man generally fatters himself that his
anatomy is about the highest effort OF
Divine skill; yet that of the insect is far
more complicated; no portion of our or
ganism can compare with the proboscis of
the common fly. Man can boast $40
muscles. Lyonet, who spends his whole
life in watching single species of cater
pillar, discovered in It 1000. The COM
mon fly has 5000 eyes, and certain but
terflies $4,000. M. Pouchet treats it as
an established fact that 80 fine are the
sensory organs of ants, that they con-
verse by means of their antenue. Con-
sequently, the strength and activity of
insects far surpass ours in proportion. In
the whole field of natural science there
is nothing more astounding than the
number of times fly can clap its wings
in second. AS a fly passes through
space at the rate Of six feet second, it
must in that point of time vibrate its
wings 500 or 600 times. But in rapid
flight we are required to believe 5000 is
a moderate estimate. The mind is stupe-
fed If it attempts to realize these results.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14

A POPULAR clergyman of Buffalo re.
turned from an extensive journey a few
days since, and just as he alighted from
the cars and was receiving the congratu-
lations of a crowd of delighted parish
toners who had assembled to greet him,
an inebriated individual followed in his
wake, seized him by the hand, and ex-
claimed: "Well, good bye, old pard, I'm
going further, and shall keep up the same
old drunk for awhile yet, but you're
pretty we'll sobered up, and you had bet
ter keep so, / 'spect, as drinkin's rough
when a fellows round home. But you
know how to 60 on gallus spree, and
have a rum time just as good ms any pard
! ever had, and you has my respect. Day
day, old buster" Before the astonished
clergyman could gather his wandering
wits the hail fellow was of, leaving a ter,
rible scandal for the delectation of the
gossips of Buffalo. Maybe IL was q case
Of mistaken identity.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
Cheating In the Kitchen.

A French author who had suffered all
the ills which can be inflicted on the
master of q household by his servants, at
length engaged cook who seemed to
prove herself a treasure. Being accus-
toned to verify his expenses daily, he
soon perceived that his new acquisition
was saving for him at the rate of fifty
per cent. The fowls she supplied, accord
ing to a system of housekeeping in use
abroad, were charged at half the price
demanded by her predecessor, and every
item in her house-boOk was equally mod
crate. She was, beside, an mplished
artistic. Thus supplied with excellent
dinners at the lowest possible price, the
dramatist's satisfaction with his house
hold arrangements was at its height, when
commissioner of police, followed by
several of his subordinates, appeared to
arrest his domestic treasure. She ap-
peared to be one of gang of women en-
ployed by an association of thieves to
gain the confidence of householders by a
combination of economy and culinary
skill, with view to the introduction of
their male confederates into their mas
ter's dwellings by means of keys made
from wax models taken by themselves.
Her disenchanted employer means to look
out for a cook who will rob him abOve-
board.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
A Chance for Inventors.

A common, well built country wagon,
weighing eight hundred pounds, will
carry three thousand on any country
road, and without injury pass over OBJ
structions which cause it to fall one, two
or more inches, the paying weight being
about seventy-nine per cent. of the
whole. The ordinary box car in use
upon our railways at the present time
weighs about ten tons, its maximum
load is generally about eleven tons, while
its average load is about eight tons, the
paying weight being from forty-four to
fifty-two per cent. of the whole. 1t
does not seem reasonable that the weight
of a car constructed to run upon
smooth even track, without fall, should
be 30 disproportioned to the load carried.
There is here chance for inventors to
devise a light form of freight car, strong
enough to carry eleven tons.-Scientifc
american.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14

TIE Car Of Russia will visit England
next month.
Prince ARTHUR of England has joined
the Free Masons.
Or the twelve members of the present
English Cabinet eight are authors.
VICTOR HUGO Is in love with America.
He talks one minute Of every hour about
1t, the other SO Of himself.
The Ashantes war cost England four
and half million dollars in gold, and
number Of valuable lives.
THREE tons of baseball bats have
been shipped by single Vermont manu-.
facturer to the Boston market this winter
Mr.. MAURICE KINGSLEY, son of Canon
Kingsley, was married in Mexico, recent
ly, to Miss Mary Yorke, of New Orleans.
SOME Hartford men rendered Mark
Twain q welcome supper, and the bill,
amounting to $208, was sent to him. He
paid it,
ONLY two clergymen in New York re-
ceive salaries of $12,000-Rev. Dr. Dix
Of Trinity, and Rev. DR.. Potter of Grace
Church.
BEECHER's congregation have definite
ly decided to build a new church. It is
to cost, with the land, $500, 900, and seat
5000 people.
THE English Navy in commission on
the LIST Of March comprised 24O ships,
carrying 1887 guns, and manned by 25,-
ITO officers and men, 6,98l marines and
2,S01 boys.
"WHERE did you learn wisdom ?" in
CURED Diogenes of man esteemed wise
From the blind" was the reply, "who
always try their path with stick before
they venture to tread on it"
SAN FRANCIsco's death-rate is the third
lowest in the world, Zurich being the
healthiest city, Geneva the next in salu-
brity, and San Francisco following, at
the rate of 10 deaths per year in 1000.
ALL the students from Japan, at Mich
igan University, except those being edu-
Gated at their own expense, have been Or
dered to return at once, in consequence of
financial embarrassments of the Govern
mcnt.
FROM Cape Town it is stated that the
diamond fields are under cloud. They
have not only suffered from floods, but
their value is depreciating, and the de-
cline in Paris has caused commercial
embarrassment.
SENATOR SUMMERS pictures at his
house in Washington have been cata-
logued. There are 80 oil paintings, val
ued at 1926, 900, and more than 5000 en-
cravings, photographs, etchings, etc.,
worth about "a much more
The father of Brigham Young was a
Methodist, but an eccentric man. He
his children to be Christians; and
as means of making them such, he prom
!sed to give sheep to the one who would
kneel and make the best prayer. They
all knelt and Brigham got the prize.
The Hoosac tunnel is approaching COM
pletion, the operations of the contractors
now being practically confined to the
western end and section. Between the
east and the central shaft only twenty
men are now employed in clearing out
The loose rock remaining in the bottom.
In this section 1t only remains to con-
'truct the central drain, and to lay the
track. Between the tunnel
portal and the railroad station-a distance
If about two-thirds of a mile-the road
ned is substantially ready to receive the
ballast.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14

MAPS BY TELEGRAPH.-In the journal
ism of the future exact maps and dia-
grams of localities described may ac-
company news-dispatches by telegraph.
A member of the Partisan Academy of
Science has devised method to this eff
feet, in which numerically graduated
semi-circular plate of glass by the
telgrapher is laid over the map to be
transmitted, and a pencil of mica, at
tached to pivoted strip of metal, also
divided into numbers, allowed to move
over the plate. Looking through a fixed
eye-piece, the operator traces out his
map on the glass with the adjustable
mica pencil, and noticing the numbers
successfully touched on the plate and on
the moving metal arm, telegraps them
to his correspondent, who,b means of an
exactly similar apparatus, is thereby en-
abled to trace out an exactly similar
one,
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14

One of the most remarkable escapes
ever made was by M. de Chateaubrun
during the Reign of Terror in Paris. He
was sent to execution with twenty other
prisoners; but after the fifteenth head
had fallen the guillotine got out of order,
and a workman was sent for to repair it.
The six remaining victims were left stand
ing in front of the machine with their
hands tied behind them. A French crowd
is very curious, and the people kept press
ing forward to see the man arranging the
guillotine. By degrees NJ. de Chateau
brun, who was to the rear of his compan-
ions, found himself in the front line of
the spectators, then in the second, and
finally well behind those who had come
to see his head cut of. Before the man
could get the guillotine in working order
night began to fall, and M. de Chateau
brun slipped away. When in the Champs
Elysees he told a man that a wag had
tied his hands and robbed him of his hat,
and this simple individual cut him free.
A few days later M. de Chateaubrun es-
capped from France.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
We All Have Faults.

He who boasts of being perfect is per-
feet in his folly. have been good deal
up and down in the world, and I never
did see either perfect horse or q perfect
man, and never shall until two SUNDAYS
come together. You can not get white
Hour out of coal-sack, nor perfection
out of human nature he who looks for
it had better look for sugar in the sea.
The old saying is, "Lifeless, faultless."
Of dead men We should say nothing but
good, but as for the living, they are all
tarred more or less with the black brush,
and half an eye can see 1t. Every head
has soft place in it, and every heart has
its black drop. Every rose has its prickles,
and every day its night. Even the sun
shows spots, and the. skies are darkened
with clouds. Nobody is 80 wise but he
has folly enough to stock stall at Vanity
Fair. Where could not see the FOOLS
cap, l have nevertheless heard the bells
jingle. As there is no sunshine without
some shadows, 30 all human good is mixed
up with more or less of evil; even poor.
law guardians have their little failings
and parish beadles are not wholly of
heavenly nature. The best wine has its
lees. All mems faults are not written on
their foreheads, and it 3 quite as we'll
they are not, or hats would need wide
brims; yet as sure as eggs are eggs, faults
of some kind nestle in every mans bosom.
There 8 no telling when a mans faults
may show themselves, for hares pop out
of ditch just when you are not looking
for them. A horse that is weak in the
knees may not stumble for mile or two.
but 1t is in him, and the rider had better
hold him up well. The tabby cat is not
tapping milk just now, but leave the dairy
door open, and we will see if she is not as
bad thief as the kitten. There's fire
in the flint, cool as it looks wait till the
steel gets knock at it, and you will see.
Every body can read that riddle, but it
is not every body that will remember to
keep his gunpowder out of the way of
the candle.-John Ploughman.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14

! mean that mother who snarlA not NJ
those who would harm her little ones
were she very tigress to such, could
pardon her-but mean that mother who
snarls at her little ones, snarling at them
till they cover in terror, and are sadly
puzzled to reconcile their God-implanted
mother-love with the mothers snarlinQ
rebuffs.
/ know that in Tenant-house Allev one
may hear more than motherly snarls !;
may hear the slaps and blows of motherly
anger. These snarls and blows we excuse
on the score of the poverty of the moth
ers of Tenanthouse Alley.
AT this present writing, have quite q
different class of snarling mothers in
mind not that class of mothers who are
ike the old woman that lived in a shoe,
ana mad 80 many children she didn't
know what to do" / have in mind that
class OF mothers who are blessed with a
moderate, manageable number of "oliye
branches" whose family quivers can
scarcely be said to be full I have in
mind those who are well-to-do. and vet
snarl who remind one, oddly enough. of
DIR. Watts lines,-
Let dogs delight
To bark and Bite"
and almost raise an inkling of belief in
any mind in the theory of the transmit
grafton of souls, and the query as to
whether these snarling mothers, who are
weil-to-do, are canine or feline in their
antecedents.
l cannot tell you why such mothers
should snarl. God has given them good
husbands, usually extra amiable ones
for will not contemplate the idea of two
snarling parents in one household-good
homes and enough to eat, drink and
wear. Moreover, Notwithstanding, never
theless, they snarl-snarl at everything.
at everybody, but most at those whom
they should snarl at the least-their little
ones, their little ones
Ask them why they do 30, and .they
will tell you their little ones are cross
and unmanageable that they inherit
bad dispositions from their amiable papas:
that their amiable papas, who are in the
house but little more than during meal
and bed hours, render them disobedient
by their kind indulgence 80 much 80
that, though they have the unlimited
control of their little ones for the rest of
the time, they cannot make them behave,
excepting by perpetual snarls and period
ical whippings; snarls that write them
selves all over the snarling mothers faces,
and whippings that make their little ones
little snarlers.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14

ASIDE from other causes of boiler ex-
plosions, the failure of the safety-valve
to perform its proper duty is often one.
Rust rapidly accumulates on the valve,
under the combined influence of air and
moisture, causing the valve not only to
resist the pressure it is loaded at, but also
after being opened to remain open until
the pressure has fallen far below that at
which the valve has been set. Every
engineer who desires to do his whole
duty, will make frequent examinations
of the condition of the safety-vslve, and
be as well assured of its proper working
condition as he is of the gauge cocks,
and yet there may be, and often are,
times when the condition of the safety
valve is neglected, and disaster is the re-
suit. The plating ofsuch valves with nick
ell would be an effectual remedy, and the
users of steam boilers will do well TO
heed the suggestion.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
An American Custom.

This is what the New York Tribune has
to say about the habit of treating and
being treated to intoxicating drinks:
"The American habit of treating il
the origin of much of the misery which
comes from excessive drinking. There
are thousands of boys growing up to-day
who have no inherited thirst for liquor,
to whom the taste and smell of whisky
- offensive, who are destined to become
drunkards merely through their generos-
ity and desire to please. They know of
no other way of making themselves agree
able to their acquaintance, when they
meet, than by asking them to take a
drink, and when the same invitation is
given to them they do not know how to
refuse. Who has not seen these fine,
rosy, rather lOutish boys, at country fairs
or political meetings, marching up to
bars by twos and threes, asking each other,
" What will you take?" and gulping
down dose of poison which brings tears
to their eyes. When one has paid for the
drinks, each of the rest feels the obliga-
ton resting upon him to return the cour-
tesy, and the rural etiquette obliges all
to recognize the right of each to disburse
the price of dram for the company. In
most cases not one of them enjoys it.
They all feel the fiery stuff in their faces
and their eyes, clouding their minds and
rasping their threats. But the one who
has first paid is the slave of his friends,
and the conventionalities of the village
or the crossroads are as strong as those of
the city. "You have drank with all the
rest, and now you must drink with me-"
is contradiction in logic, but it is un-
answerable in rustic practice among drink.
ing youths The signing Of such limi-
ted liability pledge as we have men
tioned would free those well-intentioned
md thoughtless boys from the chains of
his miserable and dangerous custom.
There are very few who would deliber-
ately go up to a counter and ask for a
solitary dram. This is only done when |
he hope of reformation has pretty well |
disappeared"