davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-03-18
The Utility Of Weeds.

The questions have frequently been
asked, with no little solicitude, - What
is weed: What were weeds made for?
Where is the line of demaTkation be
tween noXious weeds and useful plants?n
BY certain writer's it has been stated that
=" weed is plant out of place" which
Is Tar from being correct, as will be
shown. In a leading agricultural journal
the editor spoke of growing wheat-plants
as weeds, because they appeared where
other plants were being cultivated \
useful plant cannot properly be denomi-
mated weed wherever it may be grow
ing; nor can weed properly receive the
appellation of a useful plant.
As nothing was formed in vain, so no
plant is entirely useless; although no
portion of it may be employed for any
specific purpose in the arts. Useful
plants may be divided into crop plants,
herbs and flowers, and all other vegeta-
ton may PROF erly be termed weeds.
Any plant that cannot be made to sub
serve some satisfactory purpose as a
crop plant, as an herbiverous plant, or
as Towering plant, is weed. The
cerealia, such as rye, wheat, barley and
oats, are useful plants. All leguminous
plants, wherever they may appear, can
not properly be spoken of as weeds; nor
can the grasses and flowers, even when
growing in all their prinIeval wildness,
be ranked with weeds. The repulsive
ragweed (Gm5rostd dTte missaG0lidl the
tireweed (erecttlites hierueifoJtd), May
weed (uldrtta cot,lIq). Canada thistle (cir-
siam drUeHse), bull thistle (ciTsium Ian
csolatam), and numerous other plants
which are never cultivated nor permitted
to grow for utility or beauty are all
weeds. Many plants that are useful to
the apothecary and pharmaceuIist for
furnishing articles of commerce of
medicinal nature are not weeds, although
their value is not commonly under
in every respect as If they were
weeds. Weeds constitute an important
source of fertility to the soil They
are natures own renovstors of badly
managed and impoverished land. When
a husbandman fails to maintain a reno
,aiing system bv which the productive
ness of his cultivated fields is kept from
deterioration weeds appear to perform,
by the slow process OF vegetable growth
and decay, what the filler of the sol.
should do with the implements of hus-
bandry, with manure and compost, aided
by the powerful agencies of frost, storms
and sunshine This enables US 10 under
stand and TO appreciate the fact that
weeds are more hardy than useful plants,
as they were designed to flourish where
many useful plants could never be
brought to satisfactory maturity, even
by the unremitting care of the cultivator.
Weeds, by their growth and decay, will
subdue and ameliorate a stubborn and
barren soil, and eventually prepare an
excellent seed-bed of fine mold, in
which delicate and tender plants may
vcgetate and come to perfect maturity
Some useful plants as well as weeds pos
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-03-18
How to Clean Table Lamps.

REMOVE The shade carefully before you
soil your hands with the oil Provide a
bottle of warm water Ga little above
blood heaD and in this first wash the
glass chimney, then pour the oil from
the fountain and remove any sediment
from about the brass-work; screw up
the wick and if it is not long enough for
the time it may probably be required to
burn replace with fresh one by means
of the stick. Having washed all the
brass-work, wipe the parts carefully,
screw everything in its former position,
and take care in replacing the wick that
the small notch at the side of the brass
enters the groove which is sunk to re-
ceive it; turn it up and down once or
twice to make sure that it works freely
then prime it chat is, SINCE the top), re-
place the fountain filled with oil), Chin
ney and shade; the lamp is now ready
for use.
Purchase the best oil, as the inferior
qualities emit an offensive smell and pro-
duce so much sediment that the delicate
works of the lamp are quickly clogged
and the current of air impeded, which
causes it to burn dimly.
Occasionally it is necessary to wash
the shade, which should be done in clean,
lukewarm water, with the admixture of
little soda, which removes all the stains
and does not iDjure the appearance of
the ground glass. The glass chlmneys
will sometimes crack with the heat, par
ticularly in frosty weather. This may
be prevented by scoring small notch
in the glass at top and bottom.-Rural
Nelo Yorker
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-03-18
Farm Economy of Time.

1HE farmers economy is such man
agement of time, talent and material as
shall promote his best interests. A Judi
cious employment of time is an eminent
consideration. Labor should be so ar
ranged that the hours of work shall be
completely and profitably occupied, and
this is accomplished only by means of
perfected plan. A few moments ex-
pended at the close of each day in pre-
pairing a scheme of labor for the morrow
is often the saving of hours when num-
Der of men are dependent upon q head,
and 1t is practical advantage to &C
quaint hired men with their work the day
before its accomplishment. There is a
deal of economy in brain work Many
men work at disadvantage all their
lives because they depend entirely upon
muscle, when headwork would accom-
plish full moiety Of their business in
less time.
An improvident waste of time results
from imperfect arrangement of farm
buildings. Houses and barns should be
so calculated that there shall be no loss
of time in passing from one item of work
to another. This amounts to but little
in one day, but assumes a great deal of
Importance in the course of & year. We
that every particle of hay when fed to
stock must be carried half and sometimes
the whole length of the building. Again,
we have noticed barns for horses with
only loft sufficient to supply the neces-
sary amount of hay for a month, when it
must be filled from the large reservoir
barn at distance. An occasional farmer
Will go from quarter TO half a mile every
day, durinG our long winters, to pump
water for his stock, when at the barn he
could get a well sunk with very
limited outlay. Because the saying that
time is money" is an old one makes it
none the less true to-day. Every hour
wasted is equal to definite amount of
money thrown away, no matter at what
season or in what country the waste NAV
occur. There are many farmers who get
no time to read and post themselves upon
their own business, and thus be prepared
to strive upon equal terms with the bet
ter Informed in their calling. The same
men throw away fully half of their time
through mismanagement and unprofit-
able arrangements.
Farmers need to De punctual, not only
with their help, but with stock; there is
no end to the thefts of procraStination.
The key to a shabby lot of cattle lies
more ollen IN lrregularlly or 1eedlng
than in paucity of material furnished.
Selling upon the proper moment for
the sale of produce is often termed luck;
that man is termed a lucky dog" who
has his crops sown in season to receive
the benefit of a timely shower; chance
is said 10 favor him who succeeds in Sc
curing his crop before continued rain
which destroys his neighbours. There
may be something in good fortune, but
1t is our convection that chance favors
the men who are up in the morning, have
their eyes open to opportunities and do
their work IN proper season.-Detr0it
Free Press.
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-03-18
The Effect Of Fogs on Sound.

A RAILWAY employee writes to the
journal Of tie Society Of Arts on this sub
lect. He says: with reference to nv
remarks in my communication, that
trains cannot be heard so distinctly in
foggy as in clear weather. do not think
1t Is generally known although a well
known fact among railway mem that aft
er a slight shower of rain, or on dewy or
frosty morning, trains cannot be heard at
so great distance as they can on dry,
clear day, because at such times the
metals are what is termed greasy, and, as
log makes the metals more greasy than
rain or dew, ] think the above will be
sufficient to prove that / am correct
in what | stated, for there is as much
difference in the noise that train makes
on dry day and what is termed a
greasy enc as there would be in a man
running or sliding over pond covered
with ice-the running would represent
the dry day and the sliding the greasy
one. Now, sir, Independent of the above
causes, do not believe that sounds are
more audible in foggy than in clear
weather, for the following reasons:
About two years ago | was stationed at
the mouth of tunnel TO protect trains
in consequence of large stream
of water having forced itself through
the wall at a distance of about quarter
of mile from the mouth CT the tunnel.
| could distinctly hear the water run
ming. Also, | could hear the men at
work trying to prevent it; but one morn
ing dense fog came over, and ! could
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-03-18
Ingenuity of a Rogue.

a CAPILLARY correspondence was re-
Gently attempted between notorious
Partisan in durance vile and his COM
rades outside. The prisoner was sent a
letter from his fancee, containing a lock
of hair wrapped in the leaf of book.
The jailer did not consider the souvenir
important enough to be delivered, but
after few days came similar inclos-
ure, and yet another This aroused sus-
picion, and the Governor took the matter
in hand. He examined the leaf of the
book; it was only that of common
novel, twenty-six lines on a page Then
he studied the hair, and noticed the
small quantity of the gift. Counting the
hairs, he found them of equal length and
twenty-six in number, the same as the
lines of the page. Struck with the coin
cldence, he laid the hairs along the lines
of the page which they respectively
reached, beginning at the top with the
smallest hair. After some trouble he
found that the end of each hair pointed
to different letter, and that these let
tiers combined formed slang sentence
which informed the prisoner that his
friends were on the watch, and that the
next time lie left the prison to be exam
ined an attempt would be made to rescue
him. The Governor laid his plans ac-
cordingly, the attempt at rescue was
made, but the rescuers fell into their own
tran
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-03-18

chair, and, turning with a smile, gave
her little white Scotch rose, and she
TOOK the flower and pinned it in her
breastknot.
1t was gay breakfast, despite Mr..
Ormesby's absence at another table. As
foi Mr.. Harden, he was so genial, so
brilliant, so full of merry jest and de-
lightful talk, that Fanny kept turning to
him with proud astonishment, while the
other girls looked volumes of eongratu-
lation in every glance they exchanged.
But all pleasant things come to an end.
And presently Fanny Desmond was GO
ing down the lawn alone, because a per
son had addressed Mr.. Harden and de-
tanned him moment, and Helen and
Anna were lingering for their mallets.
Arthur Ormesby FASTENED after her
with his long stride. She turned eagerly
and stopped. "Oh," she said. Il
bought it was Mr. Harden
oh" he said. And yor are disap-
pointed"
TO tell the TRUTH" she said, laugh
ingly, Eyes"
Is it so?" he replied, with strange
culver in his voice. Last night /
thought"
last night, Mr.. Ormesby," said
Fanny, stopping and looking him in the
face with her usual fearlessness-" last
night q may as well be plain with YOU i
was in the thrall of fascination"
Fanny, do you mean Oh, God
bless you" He checked himself at her
look; his heart was beating wildly. This
little girl, TO whom it had been a matter
Of doubt with him whether he should
throw the handkerchief or not, was all
at once the one who held the handker-
chief.
4" ] mean,' she said, -" that then another
moment would perhaps have sealed my
fate, and | should have been Gisloyal to
the faithfulest soul"
IL cannot understand you" he
stammered, growing whittier and whittier.
/ " If you were SO near"
All, Mr.. Ormesby, it was a kind
Heaven that broke that spell, though
with such "a cruel start. IL was kind
Heaven that showed me so early who be-
lieyed in me, who trusted me, who loved
me best-the one who came To me Ike a
divine Providence itself when you hest
tated and forsook me, and who has my
never-dying gratitude"
Gratitude is not love-" he exclaimed.
"Oh, Fannym Selling her hand passion
ately, listen to mel You must! you
shalt That was but moment Allmy
life shall go to atone"
Call it love, then" she interrupted.
Il shall be happier in his little oriel
than in all your stately gardens. l shall
have learned how to make a good man
happier there than | could have made
another in a palace. And an reste-
Please let my hand go, sir 1t is prom
ised to Mr. Harden. "--Hafper's Bazar.
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-03-18
USEFUL AND SUGGESTIVE.

To REMOVE PAINT FROM WINDOW
GIAss.-Take a copper cent, dip it in
saleratus made into paste with water,
and rub it on the stain until it is re-
moved.-CinciRnati Times.
MoID in cellars may be destroyed by
burning sulphur in them while they are
tightly closed The cellar should, of
course, be thoroughly ventilated after
ward before being entered by anyone.
A GOOD cheap paint for floors is made
of five pounds of French ocher, one
quarter of pound of glue, and gallon
of hot water When well dried apply
one or two coats of linseed oil-.Scie5a-
tifc american
TASTE OF PINE.-A pine curbing to a
well or spring which has but small dis
charge where it comes in contact with
the water often causes 1t to taste of the
wood. If boards so used are soaked in
milk of lime, or a solution of potash
and soda, before being put into The well
there will be no trouble.
To RESovATE old feather beds, when
no steam apparatus is convenient, put
them out doors during heavy rain. Let
them dry in the sun, beating them
occasionally with sticks to loosen the
feathers. They should be turned over
several times, and thoroughly dried. \
paste of soft soap and starch will take
stains out of bed ticking. Spread it over
the spots. When dry, scrape off and
wash with damp sponge. 0
TRACING paper, from which drawing
may be removed by washing, is prepared
by first saturatihg writing paper with
benzine and then Immediately coating it
lightly with a varnish composed of boiled
and bleached linseed oil, twenty parts
lead shavings, one part, oxide of zinc,
five parts; Venice turpentine, onehalf
part. Mix, boil for eight hours, and, after
cooling, add white gum copal, five parts,
and gum sandarac, one-half part.
CABBAGE JELLY-This is a very appe-
tizing dish, and by some persons consid-
cred more wholesome than cabbage
plainly boiled. Cut cabbage into quar-
tiers and soak it in strong salt and water
for an hour or more, then boil in the
usual way and squeeze in a colander IN
til perfectly dry; then chop very fine,
season with butter, pepper and salt to
taste. Press the whole very closely into
an earthen bowl, and bake one hour IN a
slow oven. When done turn it out, and
serve with vinegar and pepper.
APPLES IN IMITATION OF GINGER.-To
three pounds of very hard apples take
two pounds of loaf sugar and quarter
of pound of best white ginger Put
these in layers thaving first sliced the
apples in eight pieces and cored them
alternately in wide-mouthed jar. Next
day infuse an ounce of white ginger, well
bruised, in about pint of boiling water;
let it stand till the next day. Then put
IN the apples that have been two days in
the ginger Simmer slowly until the APP
pies look clear. Take great care not to
break the pieces.
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-03-18
GrumblerS.

THE grumblers are divided into class
es. There are those who are so curious
ly constituted that they cannot see others
prosperous and happy without becoming
envious. These, actuated by that in
stinct which shapes things into the form
people would like them to be, try to per-
suade themselves and others that their
prosperity and happiness are not so
great as they appear, and in doing so
apply a certain amount of balm to their
wounded feelings. The pity is that indi-
viduals of this stamp form very large
proportion of the community. Another
class of grumblers is constituted by
those vain people who are ever anxious
to draw attention to themselves and
make it appear that they are cleverer
than everybody else. Such people, per
haps, occasionally pursue their course
with prolific themselves, the next best
thing to doing good work oneself being
to find fault with that done by other
people. A third class of grumblers
is made up OF men and women
whose dispozltions are natural
ly twisted or have become soured by
reason of their having suffered from mis-
fortune or illness. Such unhappy
wretches go about with their faces ex-
pressive of gloom and discomfort. AT
home they are feared by those who are
nearest them: abroad they are disliked
desplsed and laughed at on account of
the many infirmities of temper which
they display. The most accomplished
Partisan ehgf that lives would fail to sat
isfy their changeable and particular pal
ates; the keenest students of their
character and those most DESTROYS of re-
tanning their favor find that it is quite
out of the question to hope that, by any.
snarled at and being, by insinuation
called everything that is stupid, unfeel
ing, bad. This third class
is the class which gets nothing but mis-
cry from the course its members adopt
Their grumbling allays no wounded feel
ings, but exposes them to the stings of a
reproving conscience.-LiberaL ReCieao
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-03-18

neither hear the running of the water
nor the men at work, so l came to the
conclusion that the water had ceased,
and when the man came out of the tun-
mel who had to inform me as TO the state
of the roads l remarked to him that
supposed the water had stopped, but, to
my surprise, he said 1t was running faster
if anything, l called his attention to
the fact that 1could not hear it, and we
could neither of US make out the cause,
but when the fog cleared away we could
hear the noise as distinctly as before, but
it was not until the above occurred three
or four times that we came to the con-
clusion that it was owing to the mouth
of the tunnel being blocked up with fog
that We could not hear the water run
ming. Then again, sir, don't know
whether you have noticed it or not, but
fog is very deceptive, for l have heard
old railway men say that they have heard
a train coming when it had been foggy,
but for the life of them they could not
tell whether it was an up or down
traiuin
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-03-18

sess the power of taking hold of the bar
rem clods of earth, and even solid gran
lite, by exuding a pungent liquid, which
will dissolve even the vitreous coating of
glazed fiower-pots, and the spongioles
will appropriate the minute particles to
the purposes of vegetable growth. In
this waJ the red clever plant operates as
an efficient sub-soiler, pulverizer and top
dresser. The strong roots enter the in
durated sub-soil, dissolve portions of the
stubborn clods which hold the elements
of fertility, employ the fertilizing atoms
in building up its own stem and
branches, and by decaying furnish vast
amount of choice pabulum, which is ad-
mirably adapted to the requirements of
the growing wheat plant. If a stubborn
ard barren sub-soil be turned up to the
surface by a trench pillow and be
neglected weeds will bring the forbidding
ground to an excellent state of fertility
after the lapse of few years.
When the impressive command of the
great Creator went forth that "thorns
also and thistles" should appear in the
cultivated ground. and the fruitful fields
were cursed for Father Adams sake, it
was an amazing blessing in disguise
Weeds are a monitor to prompt the tIller
of the soil to pulveriZe thoroughly and to
keep the surface around growing plants
quite free from every vegetable intruder.
Weeds among growing crops are like
hostile robbers, and although they are
abundant they never exhaust the fertility
of land unless the growth is removed
from the field.
Intelligent tillers of the soil under
stand the great advantage gained by
shading the soil for the purpose of devel-
oping its fertility. If, for example, a
plat of ground be covered for few years
with boards or with pile of timber, so
that all vegetation is destroyed, the fer
tiiity of the ground beneath the timber
will be so much developed that the crop
cultivated during the following year will
be much larger on the shaded plat than
around it. The sticky chickweed ,cerds-
t5um uiSc0suRa), the field chickweed (ceras-
ttum d1vense) and the mouseeared chick
weed (cerGstiua guigat1Ha), which appear
in neglected fields, are among the most
efficient renovators of the vegetable
kingdom, as the roots develop immense
quantities of carbonaceous material in
the soil, and the dense shade of the mat
ted leaves and stems eXerts a doubly fer
tlizing influence on the productiveness
of any soil.-N. Y. Herald.
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-03-18

AMERICAN WOMEN is a melancholy
tact that American women have degen
Grated IN point of health and physique
until they have become literally race
OF lnvalids. How sad it is to look
around US and compare the frail and eff
Terminate looking lady of to- day with the
hale, hearty and buxom ladies of days
gone by: To all such the late discovery
OF DR.. WALKER, of California, which is
known as VINEGAR BITTERs, is price
less boon indeed. For this class of DIS
ease 1t is certain and safe, and any lady.
Old or young, can take it with entire
confidence in the result, and thus avoid
what to thousands is a stumbling block
never overcome, viz a consultation with
a family physician. lis true there NAV
be cases OF years standing that will
necessltate more powerful treatment, but
IN nine cases out of ten this remedy will
reach the disease, and after a little time
effect a cure. The number of ladies
cured by 1T are numbered by thousands,
and are scattered through every State in
the Union. %
The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-03-18
Rapid Copying.

By the following process, devised by
Hansen, it is said, about 100, or even 200,
copies of a manuscript may be taken in
ten minutes. In manipulation it is SINH
lar 10 that of oiled paper saturated with
pigment, except that in this case the
colored paper is placed beneath, with the
colored side uppermost; and upon it. in
stead OF writing paper, a sheet of firm,
thin, very dry oiled paper is laid that
will take up the color without absorbing
it. There may be pile Of five, or even
ten, such layers of alternate colored and
oiled paper, and when it is written upon
with pencil or stylus a copy in reverse
viii be formed on the lower side of each
leaf of oiled paner. From each of these
about twenty impressions can be taken,
by placing writing paper in contact with
each one, and suhjecting the whole to
the pressure of rolling machine, then
removing the impressions, renewing the
writing paper, and subjecting the whole
TO somewhat greater pressure than at
hrst, repeating the operation with in
creased pressure for each impression up
TO the twentieth 1t is only the blue pa
per that viii afford so many impressions,
and II must be thin, and the color must
be much more finely ground than is
usually found in the trade The paper
on which the impressions are taken must
not be rough, nor should il be too
smooth, and the first impressions should
be made with the least possible pressure.
The printing, copying, OF even litho-
graphic press is net well adapted to this
work. If only twenty copies are desired,
an ordinary pen will answer in writing.
-lHiRjag aud Engineering Journal