davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17
The Uses and Functions of the Leaf.

The Office and utility of leaves are
becoming better understood by cultiva-
tors than formerly yet we find good
many still adhere to the old belief that
the suns rays shining directly on form
ing fruit are what perfect it, independ-
emily of other influences. On this sub.
ject theory and practice have been in
variably found in perfect accordance
with each other. The principles of
physiology teach us that the sap of
tree, when it passes in at the roots, re-
mains nearly unchanged in it's upward
progress through stem and branches
until it reaches the leaves, where, being
spread out in those thin organs to light
and air, it undergoes complete change
and thus becomes suited to the forma-
ton of new wood and new fruit. strip
a rapidly growing tree of its leaves at
midsummer, and from that moment the
supply of new wood ceases, and it will
grow no more till newleaves are formed;
and if it has young fruit the growth
and maturity of the latter will cease in
the same way. A few years since yell
low gage plum tree lost all it's foliage
from leaf blight when the pluns were
not fully grown and while yet destitute
of flavor. The fruit remained station
airy and unaltered until in few weeks
q second crop of leaves came out. They
then ewelled to full size, assumed their
crimson dots and received their honeyed
sweetness of flavor. The object of
pruning should be, therefore, to allow
the leaves to grow full size without be-
ing injured from providing. We find
the following corroborative fact stated
in late number OF the New England
Farmer: 1--WE once knew of an intel
ligent lady who stripped her grape
vines of q portion of their leaves in
order to let in the sun and ripen the
fruit; but to her surprise where the
leaves remained as nature had disposed
them the grapes were the earliest and
every way the best. This led her to
investigate the matter, when she was de-
lighted to learn that the leaves were not
only the protectors but the caterers of
the fruit, constantly celebrating and
supplying it with the pabulum it re-
quired to bring it to perfection. The
(L0nd0n) G0rden.
The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17
Bill Of Particulars.

Hospitality, hospitality, what charges
been welcomed back to his final shores,
while committee of the New York
common council are standing aehast in
the presence of a bill of Sc, 286. 81 for
the entertainment of him and his suite
for a week at the Windsor hotel. The
committee found short time relief by
calling for a bill of particulars, but
now that it is before them with the in
formation sought they are not one whit
happier. The items are interesting
Not only the king and the people of
in his party have double
room and bath at about $12, but his
own and Governors Domipi's and Ka-
pena's Wallets are similarly provided.
The committees parlor is charged for
at the rate of $15 per day. The kings
private parlor, his reception parlor, his
dining parlor. another private parlor
and an octagon parlor are entered up at
figures varying from $15 to $50 day.
The kings private table cost 800 per
day. Meals for aldermen and their
guests are charged to the amount of
1854. For wines and liquors 81, 582. 10
is charged, for cigars, 1878. IS, and such
minor items as the following appear
Washing $133. baggage $40, boxing and
packing $43.7 rs, cash paid for carriages
$234.75, express $37, stationery and
postage $3.50. messenger boys and
kilograms $72. 40, medicine for Gove--c-
Kapena 81, Sc.
The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17
The Rage for Speculation in Paris.

A Paris letter to the New York Times
thus notes the revival of an extraordi-
nary mania for speculation
Everybody is rushsng to the Bourse,
and wonderful stories of millions gained
in few days's time are told in every
circle. One day the editor of an even
ing journal wins ], 400, 600 francs in
Spanish rentes; the next his assistant
editor gains ], OO0, 600 in Spanish Mo-
bilier. This stock has gone up from
400 and something to 1, 400, and at the
rate of 30 or 100 francs a day. There
is every reason to believe that it will
reach 1900. Stocks of all kinds are
rising, and every man, woman and
child who has few hundred francs to
spare, rushes off to the Bourse and
buys on a margin. This wonderful
movement has been caused by M. Phil
lippart, a Belgian, who has had the
honor Of having a law presented in the
chamber especially for him. Since his
arrival money has been plenty, and
Pactolus seems to have been turned
into the cutters of Paris. ALI that he
touches turns to gold. If M. Phillip
part says that a ceatain stock, anguish
ing at 80, shall go up to 1000, it goes
up with the greatest rapidity, and when
Phillippart invests everybody is crazy
to get the same kind OF stock.
The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17
q so CANTON, II,

of Indifferent docility in which his fu-
ture sovereign pursued his round. and
at last wrote begging l'Empereur Nicho-
las to indicate a preference which would
help to turn the balance and decide the
important question. Before the an
swer was received fate conducted the
wanderers to the theatre, where the
first person upon whom the young
grand dues eyes alighted attentively
was the Princess Maria Maximilianne of
Hesse modestly seated in the second
row of her fathers box. who is that
young person ? asked his imperial high
ness and when Prince Orloff replied,
he added decidedly. 'and the future
empress of Russia But her name is
not even on the list cried the poor
Prince Orlof. No matter, we will
make it first replied the head. strong
youth and he proved as good as his
word, the unconscious Princess Marie
was in due form demanded in marriage,
and has ever since been the faithful and
beloved of good and great monarch"
The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17
How a Woman Buys Meat.

When a woman enters butcher-shop
to select piece of meat for dinner, she
has her mind made u;.to take mutton
roast. Therefore, when the butcher
rubs his hands and asks her what she
will have, she promptly replies
"I'll take some OF that NUT"
She stops there. Her eye has caught
sight of ham, and she suddenly de-
cides to take ham,
els that nice ham ?" she inquiries.
''Best ham I ever saw, madame.
How much ?"
"Well, you may give me three p
band was saying he'd like some sausage.
Have you any real nice sausage?"
"Plenty, madame. Now, then, how
much sausage will you have?"
cts pork sausage, is it ?"
Yes, ma'am."
"Well, suppose a pound would be
enough for our small family, but
but"
"Shan I weigh a pound, madame ?"
"I was just wondering if a veal pot
pie wouldn't suit him BETTER" che an
swered. "You have veal, suppose ?"
"Oh, yes, madame. Here's splen-
did bit of veal-as good piece as 1
ever saw"
eyes, that does look like nice veal"
she says, lifting it up.
"And you'll take it p
"Let's see |" she muses.. "Y-no, I
guess not. I guess I'd better take pork
chops"
s'Nice chops-how much?" he asks.
"One of those slices will weigh
pound, I suppose ?"
"About pound, madame"
"And it was young hog ?"
s'Quite young, madame"
"And you'll cut the rind Off"
eyes, madame"
"Well," she says, heaving deep
sigh, 81 guess you may give me some
beefsteak-some that's nice, and be
sure to cut all the bone out -
And she's only been half an hour
coming to the point.
The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17
Mortality Of Races.

The Deutsche Versicherungs-Z eit,ng
of New Orleans, contains the following
interesting notes on the mortality of
the two races there, taken from statis-
tics of DR.. Chile. The mortality Of
the colored population has always been
decidedly in excess of that of the white
populstion, excepting during yellow
fever epidemies, this disease chiefly
affecting the whites. There is no
doubt that the great mortality existed
before the war in Nav A Orleans and
other cities-certalnly IN Charleston,
Washington, Baltimore, and New York.
In comparing the Ave years of
freedom from 1S66-7O with the four
years of slavery from 1S56-6O we find
the aggregate death-rate has remained
about the same. But when comparison
is drawn between the whites and blacks
in these periods it appears that the
mortality of tue blacks has greatly in
creased. Thus, during the four years
1S56-60 Q85S. yellow fever year, be-
ing excluded) the colored death-rate
was about A to the thousand, and the
white SO per thousand; while in the
four years 1S65-7O Excluding the yell
low fever, 1860 the colored death.rate
amounted to 43 and the white to only
SO per thousand. What are the causes
to which we shall ascribe this larger
mortality of the colored race? The
official sanitary records afford scarcely
any data bearing upon this point, and
therefore are of no assistance in de-
terminiDg the question. Some of these
causes doubtless lie in the greater ig-
norance in determining the question.
Some of these causes doubtless lie in
the greater ignorance and improvidence
of this race, and in the faoe that its
from smallpox, cholera,
stillbirths, and diseases
Of children is greater. The future of
this race will depend upon the degree
IF its natural increase by propagation.
The only reports of the health board
which throw any light upon this matter
are those for the years 1872 and 1873,
since these alone give the number OF |
1eaths among children under two years |
If age With the two races separated.
Regarding the population in 1872 3 as |
he same as that IN 1870, we find that |
n the year 1872, in every thousand |
children, 154 white children died under |
wo years of age to 298 colored. and in |
he year 1873 181 white and 335 colored |
Yer Thousand died under that same age.
This proves conclusively that in New |
orleans the mortality among the COL |
red children as compared with the |
Mortality of white children is enor-
nOua
The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17
Partners for the Dance.

A young lady contributor to the Bos
ton Courier writes: "Let me tell YOU
what kind of partners We poor girls are
obliged to take up with now. The
most narrowing of them all, I think on
the whole, is the surprised partner. OF
course 1 can't tell you what his name
Is. One feels rather fattered when he
asks one, for he is supposed to be a
genius-ives by his wits. I should
hardly suppose his income could be
amazingly large. He writes books any
way, and looks like q pen, as tall and
black and just the same size from
shoulders to legs; then bis hair stands
up in point on the top of his head.
He wears glasses and his countenance
is continually agitated by surprise. He
invites one to dance with him, and one
consents; but when he chances to look
down and sees the modest form on his
arm, his surprise is unspeakable. He
is surprised at the music, surprised if
he is greeted by an acquaintance, sur
prised at everybody and everything but
the supper-table, which he approaches
firmly and naturally, and notice that
he meets an oyster like an old friend.
Sometimes he deals out a few gracious
remarks to one with an air of giving
candy to q child, and one swallows the
candy as meekly as possible and smiles
beautiful smile when his state of sur
prise causes him to crush her costly fan
in his hands as if it were so much
paper. Not that one is not in a condi-
ton to take him by the collar, but one
is obliged to be careful about offending
these geniuses-they may put you into
book. As for dancing he doesn't
dance at all, only walks about bewild-
cred and sad, and when he pretends to
waltz holds one in his arms as have
seen children hold big dolls nearly as
large as themselves. He pays no at
tention to the music whatever, but
holds his head aloft a. if he were listen
ing to the music of other spheres. An
other one is the bashful partner. He
is young-handsomely young-and
looks as if a glance might kill him.
One goes on the floor with him with
fearful presentiment in her soul, and
glances over her new robe, SO airy, so
sty lish, go suggestive of Paris, saying.
Eyes, look your last I
She takes every precaution; she tucks
her flowing skirts under one arm at the
dreadful risk of being called uugrace-
full she pins up her train and tries to
keep her feet behind her, but it is all
of no avail his every step leaves a
track of fuin her toes ache from being
crushed by his awkward boots, and,
alas for those delicate founces. He
dances with such righteous vehemence
that the skirts are shaken down, the
flowers drop from her hair, and she
retires painting and breathless, to say
nothing of the state of her disposition.
Still it is better to sacrifice all this
than to be a wall flower, for if one gets
the reputation of being a wall flower
she may as we'll hang her harp on the
willow tree"
The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17
THE GENERAL CHORUS.

We all keep step to the marching chorus,
Rising from millions Of men around.
Millions have marched to the same before ms,
Millions come on, with . sea-like sound.
Life, Death; Life. Death;
Such Is the song Of human breath.
What is this mutitudinous chorus,
Wild, monotonous, low, and loud3
Earth we tread on. heaven that DER us
1 in the midst of the moving crowd?
Life, Death; Life, Death;
r. What II this burden OF human breath?
On with the rest, your footsteps timingi
Mystical music flows in the song,
(Bent with it 7-Born from it p -loftily Ginning.
Tenderly soothing, il bears you along.
Life, Death; Life, Death;
Strange is the chant of human BREATH
-Frasers Magazine.
The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17
my LOVE AND L.

We nevW spoke . word OF love,
We never named its name,
As through the leafy wood, and down
The shadowed path We came:
And yet-and yeti almost think,
Although can't tell why,
His love il mine, and mine is his:
We're ours-my Love and I.
Hare let me sit, and live In thought
Those blissfui hours again,
And ere heard them in INV heart
Their sap and sweetness drain
The bluebells hung their fair young heads
Beneath the biuer sky,
We talked ct trivial, common things,
We talked-my Love and I.
And oDce-how well know the spot
We stopped beside the brook.
And saw the gurgllng waters, -
Thptr sunlit my - took.
Ny eyes - his IL apu1 a. love
In hat uH1ef fisncc aid he,
Nv eyelids droopnd-ve w1tcbed the stream
How past- INV Love and I.
And now, I'VE nc<hing more to say.
My heart wont let me tell
The silent talk our spirits had,
The charm that DER us fell
I am not sure, but still I think,
Although I can't tell why.
His love IL mine, and mine is his
r~were oars my Love md I.
The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17
HumOr and Sarcasm.

It is not everybody who knows where
to joke, or when, or how; and whose
ever is ignorant of these conditions had
better not joke at all. 4 gentleman
never attempts to be humorous at the
expense of people with whom he is but
slightly acquainted. In fact. it is
neither good manners nor wise policy
to joke at any body's expense; that is
to say, to make any body uncomfortable
merely to raise laugh. Old Esop,
who was doubtless the subject of many
a jibe on account of his bumped back,
tells the whole story in his fable of
"The Boys and the Frogs" What wa
fun to the youngsters was death to the
croakers A jest may cut deeper than
curse. Some men are 30 constituted
that they cannot take friendly joke in
the same light coin, and will requite it
with contumely and insult. Never ban
ter one of this class, or he will brood
over your badinage long after you have
forgotten it. and it is not prudent to
incur any ones enmity for the sake of
uttering a smart double entendre or
tart repartee. Ridicule, at best, is a
perilons weapon. Satire, however,
when leveled at social foibles and po-
Iitical evils, is not only legitimate, but
commendable. 1t has shamed down
more abuses than were ever abolished
by force of logic.
The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17

THE six follies OF science are said to
be the following The quadratu,e of
the circle. the establishment of perpet-
nal motion, the philosophers stone,
the transmutation of metals, divina-
tion, or the discovery of secrets by
magic, and, lastly, judicial astrology.
The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17

THE following puzzle is again on it's
rounds 'To five and five and fifty
five the first of letters add, twill make
thing that killed the king and drove
wise man mad" 1t was published first
about twenty years ago, and has never
been correctly answered. But they say
there is an answer
The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17
Among the M0rmOns.

The approaching trial of Lee, the
Mormon prophet, charged with being
engaged in the Mountain Meadow mas
sacre, in Utah, draws near, and cor
respondent says the Mormons are pre-
pairing for some startling Developments.
It is beyond question, he says, that not
only were obnoxious Gentiles put out
of the way in Salt Lake City without
any trial, but even many of "the
brethren were watched when out of
doors and quietly led to place conven-
lent for butchery, and there had there
"throats CUT" for the double purpose
of keeping them from opposing the
kingdom and atoning for their sins of
unbelief. It is said of Isaac @. Haight,
who was the lieutenant colonel of the
militia regiment that committed the
massacre at Mountain Meadows, that
he grew so fanatical and was SO far re-
moved from sny supervisory authority
that he did as he pleased and disposed
of the lives of the obnoxious with all
the freedom of doge of Venice. In
the little town of Cedar, the head
quarters of his militia, he is said to
have kept two of the brethren-Stewart
pose, and to aid at odd times in harass-
Ing duh 6tohAiHE 1IOm TIC phSoAAS lWui-
grant Gentiles.
No fewer than ten men were taken
down into the cellar beneath Haight's
house, and from there they never came
out alive, and the only answer that was
ever made to any inquiry about miss
ing person in those days was the Ia
comic sentence, "He has gone to Cali
fornia." .,..'
To listen to the tales that are now
told by men and women of the early
times of blood one feels carried away
in reflection to dark ages and barbaric
nations, and it is this history that Brig
ham Young has good cause to dread
being brought to Light in the forthcom-
ing investigation of the Mountain
Meadow massacre, and do not see how
he can prevent its exposure.
The investigation, when once begun,
will be like the letting out of water
the dam, once pierced, the breech will
widen and widen until it all is out, and
the revelations of crime will startle the
nation. It's ultimate result will be the
breaking down of fearful superstition
and despotism and the deliverance of a
peoDle who deserve to be- free
The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17
A Mexican Annexation Scheme.

The New York Sunday Mercury has
a Washington dispatch alleging that
the excursion of Senator Cameron and
others to Mexico has for its object the
annexation by purchase by the United
States of the northern States of that
republic. The Mexican authorities are
understood to have already acquiesced
to the transfer, the terms of which are
yet to be settled. The territory pro-
posed to be annexed is all that part of
Mexico lying north of the Rapido river
and the Rio Grande de Santiago, com.
prising the states of Sonora, Chihua-
hua, Coahuela, Nueva Leon, Cinaloa,
Durango and Zacatecas, one half of
Tamaulipas, one-third of Jalisco,
small portion of San Luis Potosi, and
the territory of Lower California, alto
gether about 438, 900 square miles of
territory, and over 1, 500, 600 population
of whom less than 500, 900 are whites,
The boundary line will commence at
the mouth of the Rapido, following
that river to it's source toward the town
of Penos in latitude 25-35, longitude
1910, thence to the source of the river
Santiago, and along that stream to its
mouth. The movement is understood
to have originated with the Mexican
authorities, who desire to see this
sparsely settled country placed under a
power possessing the means of enforcing
order among its population and of in
viting emigration thither.
THIRST AT SEA.-Thirst on land is
bad enough, but thirst at sea, with
water everywhere, yet not a drop to
drink, is ten times worse. OF the agony
when we read, as in the case
which it occasions we may form some
of late shipwreck, of the survivors of
a boats crew greedily drinking the
blood of their dead comrades. No one
knows what his civil fortune may one
day bring him to endure. For the
benefit of the reader, therefore, we
make a note of the following que tion
put by the board of trade examiners to
the candidates for certificates of COM
potency as mates in the Epglish mer-
chant service "What would you do in
order to allay thirst, with nothing but
sea water at hand ?" The answer lie,
Keep the clothes, especially the shirt,
soaked with sea water" Drinking salt
water to allay thirst drives the sufferer
mad; but an external application of it
gives relief. if it does not satisfy the
demands of craving nature. 1t is o
pity that this simple yet truly scientific
remedy is known to but few of those
who tempt the treacherous main.
The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17

A aooD-NATURED but bothersOme old
bore, who loafs about our Office good
deal, explained his projects the other
day and what he proposed doing with
his sons "There's Jim, now, he's
idle an lazy and worthless. I think I'll
send him to West Point an make Off
Ger out of him. Then Ephraim, who's
stupid and good looking, I'll metamor-
phose into preacher. John is pious,
religious, well-meaning youth. anil do
frst-class for an editor But Ned,
Ned's my hope, he's a cute, sharp, in
teiligent chap, ash make O name for
himself; I'm goin' to set him up in a
saloon and cigar shop next week p'-
Warrington Capitol.
The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17
The Delta.

Capt. James B. Eads will proceed at
once to put in operation the jetty sys-
tenn at the mouth of the Mississippi.
He received the following a few days
ago:
UNITED STATES COAST SURVEY OFFICE,
Washington, March 80, 1871. B.
Eads, Dear Sir: Your letter of March
26 is duly received. Immediately upon
receipt of your previous letter. 1 took
the necessary action to have the survey
of the south pass of the Mississippi be.
gun at once, the surveying department
deciding that the words "as soon as
practicable" made the appropriation
available upon the passage of the act
One vessel, with two parties on board
will probably begin the survey this
week. Another vessel sailed from New
York three days ago, with two other
parties, and will probably arrive at the
south pass and be ready for work by
April Is. The survey will be executed
as rapidly as due accuracy will admit.
O. p. HALLERsoN,
Supt. United States Coast Suiyey.