davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
American citizen., 1875-03-20
Spontaneous Combustion of Coal.

II has remained for the court of in
quiry which has recently closed a long
session at Hong Kong, China, on the
cause of the loss of the Pacific Mail steam
ship Japan by fire, to discover and an
nounce 10 the world the danger which
attends ocean travel by reason of the
possibility of the spontaneous combus-
tiun of coal slowed away in the bunkers
of every steamship, The cause of the
burning OF the Japan was closely en-
shrouded in mystery, but the court OF
Investigation, after deducing all possible
testimony from the crew without reach
ing satisfactory conclusions, learned at
last from the engineer on duty just pre-
vipus % The disaster that one of the coal
bunkers had not been inspected for at
least twenty-four hours, and in this
bunker the fire first broke forth. This
testimony was considered conclusive,
and The opinion arrived ut was that spon-
taneous combustion of coal in this par
ticulaT bunker was the cause of the fire
which consumed the Japan and resulted
in the attendant great loss of life and
property.
In closing its session the court recon-
mcuded that in future the striCtcst rules
be adopted by steamship companies and
enforced by the officers of vessels in the
matter of coal bunker inspection, and de
cidcd that four hours was II sufficient
time for coal stored away in vessel at
SEA to engCndcr a heat sufficient to create
combustion, the conditions being favor
able.
With such decision, coming from an
apparently honest body of Investigators
and substantIatrd as it is by the proba-
bilitics in the case of the Japan disaster,
not only steamboat men but users of coal
generally should see to it with continued
diligence that the combustious nature of
the article is not permitted to involve in
contlagration It's surroundings.-Cbi CbicGg0
J0UTndl.
American citizen., 1875-03-20
Om Boys ard girls.
BOBBY SHAFIO.

WITH his jaunty sailOr-hat
Perched on tresSes yellow,
Ruddy cheeks and rosy lips:
Happy little fellow!
In his suit of navy y-blue
(Fond mamma the tailor,
Now he's ready for voyage,
Jolly little sailor!
Just four years old, his eyes bright blue,
He owns the stanchest craft-oh!
And sails her in his mothers tub
My true love, Bobby Shaftol
Striding up and down the room,
How the wee man swaggers!
Knitting down his dainty brows,
Big eyes looking daggers,
Anxious that the sails should be
With a fair wind filling,
Shouts his orders with an air
Altogether killing.
Just four years old, his eyes bright blue,
He owns .he stanchest craft-oh.
And sails her in his mothers tub
My true love, Bobby Shafto.
But when daylight fees away,
And the shadows cover
All the great, wide, pleasant world,
Where's my sailor-l lover?
Cuddled in his trundle-bed,
Dreaming past fun over
Mother smiles and kisses him,
Her weary little rover.
Just four years old, his eyes bright blue,
He owns the stanchest craft-oh.
And sails her in his mothers tub
My true love, Bobby Shafto!
Della d. Hero,s, IN Nursery
American citizen., 1875-03-20
Asfted sMisreHa,w.
LOVE AND I.

WEnever spoke a 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 L can't tell why,
His love is mine, and mine is his:
We're ours-my Love and 1.
Here let me sit and live in thought
Those blissful hours again,
And ere hoard them in my heart
Their sap and sweetness drain.
The bluebells hung their fair young heads
Beneath the bluer sky,
We talked of trivial, common things,
We talked-my Love and l.
And once-how well know the spot
We stopped beside the brook,
And saw the gurgling waters e
Their sunlit way they took. .
My eyes met his, the soul of love =
In that brief glance did lie,
My eyelids drooped-we watched the stream
Flow past-my Love and 1.
And now, I've nothing more to say,
My heart won't let me tell
The silent talk our spirits had,
The charm that DER us fell
L am not sure, but still think,
Although can't tell why,
His love is mine, and mine is his:
We're ours-my Love and l. o..
srxs szz =
American citizen., 1875-03-20

The fashion of making French suits is
similar to that in vogue at present. The
basque and apron will prevail, yet the
round overskirt and the polonaise will
not be wholly abandoned. The close
cuirass, smoothly fitted and plainly
trimmed, remains the popular basque,
yet some new basques have elaborate
trimmings in the way of horizontal folds
put ON in vest shape in front, and gradu-
very high, and fully trimmed; shoulder
seams are very short; sleeves are close
coat shape, and are often of different
material from that of the basque; con-
cave cuffs ana clusters of folds or else
shirred bands trim the wrists; belt of
some kind is added to most basques.
New aprons are longer and more cling
ing than those worn at present. They
extend within an inch or two of the bot
tom of the front breadth of the dress
skirt and in some cases are without
seams, being made of but one breadth of
double-width goods, yet even these mar
row aprons are drawn back to meet on
the tournure, where Il tastefully-draped
sash gives the slight drapery now con-
sidered necessary for the back. There
are also aprons that are square on one
side and rounded on the other, while
another style is pointed low on one side
in the Grecian fashion.
Lower skirts are not altered in shape
and the first importations show com
mendable simplicity in their trimmings.
A bias gathered Hounce, headed and
edged with narrow side pleating sewed
on as a ruffie-that is, with rough
seam on the under side-is the trimming
of some of the handsomest skirts. The
side pleating only is used on the apron
and basque. The novelty in the favorite
shirring is to shirr the flounce in Iengih-
wise rows, making pulls downward in
stead of around the skirt.
A French costume of gray canel's-hair
over chestnut brown silk will be stylish
in the first spring days for street, travel
ing, etc. The brown silk skirt has ten
inch bias gathered flounce edged Hnd
headed with knife pleat;ng two incGe-
and half deep. The long slender apron
of gray camel's hair consists of but one
wide width; it is edged with brown silk
pleating and drawn up on the tournure,
where sash of brown silk doubled is
knotted and draped capriciously, instead
of being set stiffiy in a bow or loops. The
simple basque of gray wool is piped with
brown silk, and has silk sleeves; it is en-
tirely without pleatings or pockets, has a
high standing collar and medium-sized
buttons of brown polished wood:
Another spring suit has basque and
apron of delicate gray shaded plaid wool,
with sleeves and lower skirt of plain gray
wool. The fashion is the same as that
just described, and the sash, bows, and
pipings are of violet gros grain. To be
worn with this is an English walking hat
of gray chip, with scarf and feathers of
Bdzar.
American citizen., 1875-03-20
Lace.

y WRITER says: "Old lace is classcd in
the Imagination with fine jewels and
other personal adornmcnts, such rs
school girls all long for, and all intend
to become possessed of when they make
that rich and happy marriage which, un-
fortunately for most of them, never does
come about in this world, Yet, though
there is a good deal of old lace 10 cNis-
tence, it is amazing how little has been
known of it until lately. The young
matron can name every stone in pa
American citizen., 1875-03-20
Spring Suits.

made up partly of silk and partly of
wool goods of light quality, either plain,
plaid. or striped. The silk forms the
lower skirt and sleeves; the basque and
overskirt or apron are of wool. The two
fabrics in "a suit are usually of kindred
shades of one color, though quiet con
trasts, such as gray with brown or violet,
will be much worn.
American citizen., 1875-03-20

Judge Ito intelligent iuryman)
" Would you convict man on cIrcum-
stantial cvidence?" 81 dunno wot dat
is, Jcdgc." =" Well, what do you think it
is?' Well, 'cordin' to my Judgment,
sarcumstanshil is bout dis: III one man
shoots anudder an kills him, he orter he
hung for it, Ell he don't Kill him, he
orter go to de plenipotentiary."
American citizen., 1875-03-20

The Mont Cents tunnel cost about
1878 a yard and at the same rate the
proposed tunnel under the English Chan
mel would cost about $50 ,O36 600
American citizen., 1875-03-20
Sing More.

CULTIVATE singing in the family. Be-
gin when the child is not yet three years
old. The songs and hymns your child
hood sang, bring them all back to your
memory and teach them to your little
ones; mix them altogether, to meet the
similar moods, as in after life they come
over US SO yseriously sometimes. Many
a time and oft, in the very whirl of
business; in the sunshine and gayety of
Fifth Avenue and amid the splendor of
the drive in Central Park, some little
thing wakes up the memories of early
youth-the old mill the cool spring;
the shady tree by the school house-and
the next instant we almost see again the
ruddy checks, he smiling faces, and the
merry eyes If schoolmates, some gray
headed now, most" lie moldering in the
grave" And anon, "the song my mother
sang" springs unbiddcn to the lips and
soothes and sweetens all these memo
ricS.
At other times, amid the crushing mis-
haps of business, Il mere ditty of the
olden lime pops up its little head, breaks
in upon the ugly train of thought, throws
the mind into another channel; light
breaks in from behind the cloud in the
sky and Il new courage is given TO us.
The honest man goes singing TO his work;
and when the days labor is done, bis
tools laid aside, and he Is on his way
home " here wife and child and tidy ta-
Bile and CHEEKY fircside await him, he can
not help but whistle or sing.
The burglar never sings. Moody ST
lence, not the merry song, weighs down
the dishonest tradesman, the perfidious
clerk, The unfaithful servant, the pcrjured
partncr-Hdips J0u7Hdl
The new EHcyciopedia Britannica has
these appalling assertions: "lf the
natural resources of America were fully
developed 1t would afford sustenance to
5000 ,O00,000 inhabitants number near
ly five times as great as the entire mass
of human beings now existing on the
globe And, what is even more surpris-
ing, it is not more improbable that this
prodigiouS population will be in exist
ence within three, or at most four, cen
turics.
The average amount of ash in dried
Virginia tobacco, as determined by
Mcssrs. Irby and Cabell, from six speci-
mems, is II "a per cent, that of European
tobacco being 1852 per cent, that of
Connecticut and Massachusetts tobacco
IL 56 PEI cent, and that of Kentucky to-
bacco 1888 per cent.
ONE of the most perfect of mechani-
cal motions is that which lifts a lump of
sugar from a grocer's barrel.
American citizen., 1875-03-20

The San Francisco AHa tells of one
single vine that produced the enormous
weight of $4,000 pounds of fruit in one
season.
The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-07-08
To Increase the Dairy Income.

The average productive capacity of the
COWS OF Vermont does not probably eX-
cccd one hundred and fifty pounds OF but
ter per annum, or its equivalent IN cheese
1t is practicable by improved management
to raise that product one hundred pounds
per COW, and for those most tavorably sit
uated. and most Intelligent, one hundred
and fifty pounds. One-halt OF this advance
may be made by a iudclous culling out Of
the stock we now have. 1t is practicable
to adopt system of farming by which we
can cheaply supply our COWS with an
abundance of succulent TODD in times of
drought and even throughout the year. 1t
IS practicable to improve their present by
genie condition, and ayaid losses which
now occur in consequence Of disease. To
adopt improvements which will render
our COWS more comfortable, and remove
those irritating influences which now tend
to check Il large flow of milk, and enable
as to preserve the milk more free from
tants and flth. 70 provide more pure
water on many farms, and make it more
convenient of access, both in winter and
summer, TO adopt Il system Of manufact-
ture which, while it requires much less Ia
Dor than the common practice. Will greatly
increase the amount and quality OF the
product. TO improve the color, texture,
and external appearance of our butter,
and put it up in 4 more attractive and ac-
ceptahle manner. 70 reduce the quality
to an almost absolute uniformity without
regard to the seasons 1o build up rep
utatlon among consumers for which we
Shall receive an ample reward in dollars
and cents, in addition to the qualification
which its possession affords 70 increase
the consumption and demand Tor our
products, both al home and abroad Ii is
practicable for us 10 elevate the calling
from one of tiresomr, filthy, prottless
drudgcry to a pleasant, heaIthln and
profitable occupation. f. ID. Douglass,
" bitiuw VI
The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-07-08

Inn | NWRIIrEN NIpE OI tI,l N. NiI
We always think OF great mcu H 'N.
act of performing deeds which .r,.
them lcuOWn. or else in stately r.p.~p
grand silent and majestic. Nnd yt tlt-
is hardly fair, because thr mo-t -rlr.Y
and magnificent of human beings brr
bother themselves with the little tduIe-uj
life which engage the attention ofu, -ml
er people No doubt Moses Suarlrd .uI
rot angry when he had Il severe cuu III.
his head. and if Il Ily bit his lrs Whil. b.
was in the Desert, why should We ouppu~.
he did not Jump and use violent lauguI-r
and rub the sore place And Caesar .-Ht
it toerablv certain he used to bccumr tUr-
ious when he went up stairs 10 grt h-
Slipper. in the dark and found that t.I
phurnia had showed them under the hvI
so that he had to sweep around them WIlJ-
ly with q broom handle And when So.
ONION cracked his crazy bone j, il uur-l-
,onablc to suppose that he ran around tht
room, and felt as il he wanted IL cn
Imagine George Washington sitting w
the edge OF the bed and putting ON a clean
shirt, and growing at Martha because the
buttons We're Oft; or st. Augustine with
an apron around his neck, having his hair
cut; or Joan of Are, holding her front hlIr
in her mouth, as women do while she hN-
ed her back hair; Napoleon jumping our
of bed III frenzy to chase Il mosquito
around the room with pillow or Martin
Luther in q night shirt trying TO pat the
baby to sleep at , O'Clock in the morning
or Alexander the Great with the hiccough
or Thomas Jefferson suddenly getting over
a fence to avoid dog; or the Duke ul
Wellington with the mumpe; or Daniel
Webster abusing his wife because She
hadn't tucked the covers at the foot OF the
bed or Benjamin Franklin pairing hi
corns with razor; or Jonathan Edwards
at the dinner table, wanting to snecze lust
as he got his mouth rull OF hot beef. MI
Noah standing at his window at night
throwing bricks at Il cat
The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-07-08
After the Storm.

After the storm, calm;
After the bruse, IL balm:
For the i'll brings good in the Lords own tim
And the sigh becomes the psalm.
After the drought the dew
After the cloud, the blue;
For the sky will smile in the SUMS good time,
And the earth grow glad and new.
Bloom is the heir Of blight.
Dawn is the child of night,
And the rolling changes of the busy world
Bids the wrong yield back the right.
Under the fount Of i'll.
Many Il cup doth fill,
And the patient lip, though it drnketL oft,
Finds only the bitter still.
Truth scemeth oft to sleep.
blessings so slow to reap,
Till the hour, of waiting are weary to hear.
And the courage is hard to heep
Nevertheless, know
ont of the dark must grow
sooner OF later. whatever is fair.
Since the heavens have Willel il 50.
The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-07-08
necdotes Of Henry Clay.

Mr. Clay's knowledge of human nature
was thorough and profound; and he was
able to put IT to use at any moment, As
The following anecdotes will show:
On a certain occasion he met IN old
hunter, who had once been his supporter,
but who altcrward went against him on
account OF his vote on a certain bin in
Congress-
Have you u good rifle, my friend p he
asked of the hunter.
~ eS"
Does it ever flash in the pan p
lit never did 50 more than once" the
hunter answered, proud of his weapon.
"Well, what did yen do with it? You
didn't throw it away, did YOU ?" continued
Mr. Clay.
"No; picked the flint, tried ii again,
and brought down game
"lIave | ever flashed in the pan except
on the Compensation bill ?'
"No; can't say You have"
"Wcll, will You throw me away ?"
$40; I'll pick the flint and try YOU
again" 50 the hunter grasped Mr. Clay's
hand and gave him his vote
At another time Clay was visiting a
back-woods county in Kentucky, where
the man who could fire the best shot stood
highest in esteem, and the man who
couldn't fire at all was looked upon with
contempt. He was canvassng for votes
when he was approached by some old
hunters, one Of whom told him that he
would be elected to Congress. but that he
must first show how good a shot he was
Clay declared that he never shot with
any rifle except his own, which was at
! home
mo matter Here's 'Old Bess, '" an
swered the hunter, giving him u gun,
''and she never fails in the hands of :,
marksman She's put bullet through
many a squirrel al a hundred yards and
! has let daylight through a red-skin al
/ twice that distance If YOU can shoot
with any gun, you can shoot with old
| Bess'
A target was SET up. and Mr. Clay aimee
"Old Bessn ut it. He fired faint -heartedly
but the shot struck the bull's-eye in the
center.
"A chance shot y chance y cried hi:
opponents.
"Never mind" he answered. ~ oil
beat that and then will"
No one could beat it, and Mr.. Clay hat
too much sense to try again.
The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-07-08
Grating.

An inquirer asks "how near must the
affinity he between gratis and stocks. in
order tnat we may succeed ~ There does
not appear to be a distinct rule except
that lLcy must he nearly related Usually
the operation viii succeed between species
Of the same genus, bat this does not al
ways hold true, for the cultivated cherry
will not take Ou the common wild cherry.
The pear succeeds much better on the
ounce, although they are Of different
genera. than on the apple. belonging to
the same The texture Of the wood seems
to have more influence than mere affinity
in this case Ii is rare. however, for the
operation to succeed between trees OF diff
ierent genera, although sometimes sue
cessiul between those nearly allied OF the
same natural order
We often see eXtraNamant statements by
winch the ignorant are imposed upon
Some years ago a story went the rounds OF
the newspapers that ii the peach were
grated on the willow, the iruit would
have no stones a similarity in the shane
oil the leaves led some to believe thot
grating would succeed, though the two
trees are far separated in affinity The
statement was true that there would be nc
stones, for there would be neither peach
es, stems or leaves. Some years ago W,
saw "prolessioal' CRATER inserting sci
ons of the chestnut A similarity i'll the
name, and Il lanced resemblance of thu
nuts had suggested the attempt. The
owner called to US, ."Mr T., can we graf
the common chestnut into the horse chest
nut?" "Certainly," we replied. "Wil
they be pretty sure to grow?" "Not a
all-they will never grow-belonging, a.
they do, to widely separated natural or
ders." The dead gratis remaining, showed
the result Country Gentleman.
The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-07-08

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The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-07-08

About the biggest story of the season
comes from Boonville, Mo A school boy
bathing in swift stream near that place
recently, got beyond his depth and appar-
emily sank for the last time The swift
current however, drilted him a few rods
down the stream, where. in his final stIug-
Gle on the bottom, he caught in his hands
a large fishing line set by negro ior cat
fish. The owner of the line Immediately
pulled it in, and with it the lad. who after
protracted efforts was resusctatcd.
The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-07-08

She lived in New Orleans, and the tomb
stone says she was seventeen. She had a
can OF coal oil in her hands, and she heard
ner little sister crying out in the yard. She
lnnocently set the can on the stove and
started for the door, but the can and its
contents got there before her, and then
the little sister had something to cry for,
indeed.
The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-07-08

The President of a French Court the
other dav called the attention of one of
the LAWYERS to the fact that his mustache
was breach of forensic decorum Il did
not know before" replied the barrister,
"that the sword of Justice was razor"
The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-07-08
Tansy for Bots in Horses.

a Washington Review and Examiner
correspondent of the department OF ag-
riculture says: Ii appears from remarks
OF different writers that none know of any
certain remedy know of 4 remedy, that
is safe and certain, discovered in the fol
lowing way: About thirty years ag" .
friend lost by bots Il very iic horse. He
took from the stomach OF the dead horse
about q gill OF bots and brought them to
my office to experiment upon. He made
preparations of every remedy he heard OF,
and put some OF them into each Most
had no effect, Il few affected them slightly,
but sage tea more than anything else ;
that killed in fifteen hours lie concluded
he could kill them by putting into nitric
acid but it had no more effect upon them
than water; the third day they We're as
lively as when put in A bunch of tansy
was growing, by my office. He took Il
handful of that, bruised it, added Il little
water, squeezed out the Juice, and put
some in; they We're dead in one minute.
Since then | have had it given to every
horse have seen affected with bots, and
have never known it to fail giving en-
tire relief Ny friend had another horse
affected with bots, several years latter
He gave HIM the tanSy in the morning and
a dose OF salts in the evening the next
morning he took up from the eXcretlons
three hlli.pints of bots
The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-07-08

A gentleman, meeting a Wallstreet
friend, said: I've just mortgaged my
house, and have several thousand dollars
to spare. Can't you tell me something
neat and safe to 90 into ?" "Yes," re-
piled the broker, IL can put you up to a
sure thing; buy that mortgage on your
house -