davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-04-22
EARLY GUNPowDKR MANUFACTURES.

The, Walthdm Abbey Mills are prob
ably the old est in great Britain. They
must have been established about the
middle of the sixteenth century, for
all the powder used in England was
imported from the continent. But in
1861 we hear OF John Thomw orth, of
Waltham, buying, as agent of Queen
Elizabeth. saltpeter, sulphur, and
slaves for making barrels. In the fol-
lowing century the parish register
shows entries of deaths resulting from
explosions at the mills. and Fuller,
who was Rector of Waltham, alludes
in one of his works to the dangers of
the manufacture, remarking that the
mills were blown up five times during
the seven years of his residence in the
parish. The only wonder is that the
explosions were not more frequent in
the old factories, where the elaborate
precautions now adopted were utter
ly unknown. Powder was allowed
to accumulate in heaps on the floor,
spirits of wine was used instead of
water to moisten the ingredients, un-
der the impression that it made better
and stronger powder, and the drying
process was effected by heating the
powder on metal plates, over a fire,
without any means Of regulating the
temperature. Finally, all work rooms
were close together, and often under
single roof, SO that if the powder in
one room exploded, that in the rest
would follow, like a boys train of
crackers.-Popular Science Monthly.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-04-22
A GEM OF ORATORY.

In the death of Col. Landon c.
Haynes, the South loses one of her
brightest minds and most brilliant or
ators. As specimen Of his oratorv
we give helow a speech made by him
at a social party given to the. distin-
guished members Of the bar, the bench
and the Legislature during the session
of the Supreme Court at Jackson.
Miss, four years ago this winter
During the evening Gen. N. B. For
rest rose and said:
"Gentlemen, I propose the health O!
the gentleman from East Tennessee, a
country sometimes called the God
forsaken.'
Mr.. Haynes responded:
"Mr. Chairman and gentlemen-1
plead guilty to the soft impeachment
1 was born on the Wautaga, which in
the Indian vernacular means 'beauti-
full river and beautiful river it is.
have stood upon its banks in my child
hood, and looked down through its
CLASSY waters, and have seen a heaven
below, and then looked up and beheld
q heayen above rejecting like two
mirrors, each in the other, its moons
and planets and trembling stars
Away from its banks of rock and
cliff, hemlock aand laurel, and pine
and cedar, stretches a vale back to the
distant mountains, as beautiful and
exquisite as any in Italy or Switzer-
land. There stands the Great Unicorn,
the Great Roam, the Great Black and
the Great Smoky Mountains, among
the loftiest in the United States of
North America, on whose SUBMITS
the clouds gather Of their own accord,
even in the brightest day. There
have seen the great spirit of the storm,
after noontide, go and take his eve.
ming pap in his pavilion of darkness
and of clouds. l have then seen him
aroused at midnight, as a giant re-
freshed by slumber, and cover the
heavens with gloom and darkness ;
have seen him awake the tempest, let
loose the red lightnings that run along
the mountain tops for a thousand
miles, swifter than an eagles fight in
heaven. Then have seen them stand
up like angels of light in the clouds,
to the music of the grand organ OF ma
ture, whose keys seem to have been
touched by the fingers of the Divinity
in the hall of eternity, that responded
in notes of thunder that resounded
through the universe. Then l have
seen the darkness drift away far be-
yond the horizon, and the morn get up
from her saffron bed like queen, put
on her robes of light, come forth from
her palace in the sun, and stand tip
toe on the misty mountain top, and
white night fed from before her glo-
rious face to his bed-chaHber. at. the
pole. She lighted the green vale and
beautiful river where l was born and
played in childhood, with smile OF
sunshine.
90! beautifunl land Of mountains,
with thy suupainted cliffs, how can l
ever ferget thee!" - Wa,Yensburg,
Mo. Democrat.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-04-22
THOUGHTS OF A LITTLE BOY.

wonder what makes papa tell such
nice stories to his visitors about hid
ing his masters rattan when he went
to school, and about his running away
from the school mistress, when she
was going to whip him, and then shut
me up all day in a dark room, because
l tried just once to be as smart as he
has been.
Wonder what made papa say that
wicked word when Betsey upset the
ink over his paper, and slapped my
ears when 1 said the same thing when
my kite-string broke.
Wonder why mamma told Bridget,
the other day, when Tommy Days
mother called, to say she was not at
home, and then puts me to bed with
out my supper every time tell lie.
Oh dear, there are lots of things L
want to know. How l wish l were q
man.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-04-22
A NIGHT RIDE THROUGH HOOSAC
TUNNEL ON AN ENGINE

A writer in the Adams Transcript
describes Hoosac Tunnel as seen by
the headlight of a locomotive: "The
headlight shows dark hole ahead of
us and with "here we go" we plunge
under the facade, now covered with
woodwork for the winter, and are in
the tunnel. For twenty-five hundred
feet we ride under the massive arch
work, which near the portal is cover
ed with ice and glistens in the glare
of the headlight like an arch of crys-
tai. The concentrated light is thrown
far in advance of US and brilliantly il
Eliminates the archway, which seems
so large around US and SO small in the
distance. If you can imagine fun
mel, such as is used in pouring liquids
from one barrel into another, large
enough TO admit of your standing in
the largest end and can imagine your
self in that position looking in, you
will have a good idea of the prespec-
tive of the tunnel as shown by the
headlight of an engine. A black spot
seems just ahead of us but it may be a
mile away, and the engine puffs on af-
ter it, ever striving for it but never
reaching it. Before leaving the brick
archway we get used to the peculiar
sensation of trying in vain to plunge
from the glare into that darkness be-
yond, and are ready for new sensa-
ton, which comes when we reach the
naked walls of the tunnel. The tenn
perature here is like summer, The
smoke hangs lazily around the rough
edged rocks, the water trickles down
the sides or at times falls in deluging
streams from above, while traces from
the drills, the iron rails and the i'm
plements scattered by the wayside re-
mind us that even in this strange,
weird place, fifteen hundred feet un-
der the snow covered mountain sur
face, men have worked, and sung and
died, very much as they might have
done up above in the sunlight. Some
how we do not feel like talking, but as
the engine rattles on over the uneven
track and we pass the scenes of terri
BILE disaster Gus we are willing to let
the clatter of the engine drown the
conversation, for we know upon what
it would naturally turn. We pass the
central shaft catching the glimpse of a
slight rope ladder running up toward
the sky through black opening in the
top of the tunnel, and we begin to feel
the cold air Of the wintry night again
as we near the East End. We see a
bright light ahead of US which seems
very near and very much like all ap-
preaching engine, We wonder why
our engineer looks at it so coolly, but
it is our mistake again; we cannot
reckon distance in this queer place.
Our engineer sounds the whistle at
the right time, we see the advancing
light shifting its position and rattle
past two boys, one of whom is hear
lug huge torch to light them on their
walk through the tunnel,'
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-04-22

IT is time to stop talking about the
softening influence of women. A Mas
sachusetts man who has four wives
has just been sent to the penitentiary
for stealing horses.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-04-22
THE OLD MAN WITH THE SAWS.

On Congress street ear, the other
evening, was very quiet lot of pass
engers, and among them a man about
sixty-five years old, having four or
five handsaws under his arm, appar-
emily saw-filer. Opposite the old
man sat a woman with young babe
in her arms, and presently a broad
grin covered the old fellows face, and
he nodded to the child and said:
81 never loved any thing as 1 love
children! can hardly keep from Bit
| ing his little earn
He waited a moment and then ask
ed:
"How old is that beautiful child,
madam ?"
'Eight MONTHS" she replied.
"Only eight months? Why, I've
seen children twenty-five years old
who didn't know as much as that child
does! I had child drowned in q bar
rel once, and you don't know, madam,
how it feored me!'
He looked around the car for mo.
ment and then said, reading from the
card:
"Change to the amount of 50 will
be furnished by the driver. Well,
that's liberal enough. He hasn't Offer
ed me any yet, but I suppose old GUS
toners will be served first"
The driver counted noses, saw that
he was fare short, and he jingled the
bell.
care we near some station ?" asked
the old man, standing up and looking
out.
He sat down after while, looked
around and, his eyes falling upon the
baby, he asked the mother:
"Couldn't you let me hold him lit
tie while? See him look at me! I'll
bet $40 he thinks I'm his father!"
She refused to trust the infant off
her knee and the old mans face grew
sad, and he sighed as he said:
"Just think of it-tLat innocent
child has got to be buried in the
ground and be eaten up by worms.
like the rest of u.s."
He wiped his nose on one of the
saw-handles, held his hat i'll his hand,
and his eye catching sign Oh gro
Gerry, he exclaimed:
'Sweet milk for sale herel That
makes me think, madam-do you
bring that child up On the bottle ?"
Here face grew very red, and she
made no reply. The old fellow look
ed his saws over, one by one, laid
them down, and walking to the front
end of the car he picked up basket
containing meat and asked:
"Does any one own this meat ?"
A woman made motion to signify
that it was her property, and he un-
covered the basket and called out:
'.Pork eheps and a small piece of
veal. People who want to eat veal
can gnaw away, but L don't want anyl
What are pork chops pound, mad
amp"
She did not answer, and the old
man picked up his saws. and asked:
'Does any one here know the name
of the man who inyented saws?"
No one answered and he pulled op-
en- the door and continued:
"Yes, do love children. 1 was a
child once myself, but didn't have
any fun
AS he stood on the platform he went
on:
''Tt will be just like me to fall down
when l step off, but of course 1 can't
stay on this car forever. Well, good
bye, every body, and pleasant dreams
to you."
He stepped off the car, slipped and
fell fiat in the ditch, while his saws
flew in every direction. AS the car
passed on he was heard saying:
"They ought to have machine to
lift people off the ecars."-Detroit Free
Press.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-04-22

THE GREAT FARMER OF THE WORLD
A Sacramento paper publishes the
following respecting the farming op-
erations of man whom it denomi-
mates the largest farmer in the world,
which, considering that DR.. Glenn
runs his farm of $4,000 acres himself,
personally experimenting it all, the
appellation is cerrect:
The great farmer of the world, DR..
Hugh ]. Glenn, of Jacinta, Colusa
county, Cal, has raised and harvested
the past season, on his own farm, 6OO,-
OOO bushels of wheat. This would
load Is 1000 ton ships, or 800 canal
boats. All this wheat he has now in
his own warehouses, ready for ship
ment when the water in the Sacramen-
to river rises sufficiently. The Doctor
pays 100000 freight to put his wheat
in San Francisco. He is wonder to
the agricultural world and to himself.
He runs ninety gang plows and
W hole county's population in the har-
vest field, with dozen threshers. His
farming is not confined to wheat alone.
He markets 100000 worth of stock
each year. DR.. Glenn is practical
farmer and manages all his immense
business himself. He can mend q
trace and make key to an OK bow
with a jacknife, just as easy as draw
ing his check for 100000, which he
can do every day in the week. DIR.
Glenn has only experienced one sur
prise during the year, and that was
when friend informed him that a
panic had entered the land. Glenn is
big hearted man was born in Au-
gusta county, Va, and does credit to
the Old Dominion. Send the medal
to Glenn
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-04-22
BEOF GOOD CHEER.

A man who acquires the habit of
giving way to depression is on the
road to ruin. When trouble comes
upon him, instead of rousing his en-
ergies to combat it, he weakens, and
his faculties grow dull, and his judg-
ment becomes obscured, and he sinks
i'll the slough Of despair. And if any
body pulls him out by main force and
places him safe on solid ground, he
stands there detected and discouraged,
and is pretty sure to waste the means
of help which have been given him.
How different it is with the man who
takes CHEEKY view of life even at its
worst, and faces every ill with un-
yielding pluck! He may be swept
away by an overw Ginning tide of
misfortune, but he bravely struggles
for the shore, and is ever ready to
make the most of the help that may
be given him. A cheerful, hopeful,
courageous disposition is all invalua-
BILE trait of character and should be
assiluously cultivated,
--~se--
THE Cinnamon, who walk over
bridges built two thousand years ago,
who cultivated the cotton plant GEN.
turies before this country was heard
of, and who fed silk-worms before
King Solomon built his throne, have
fifty thousand square miles around
Shanghai, which are called the Gar
den Of China, and which have been
titled by countless generations. This
area is as large as New York and
Pennsy lvania combined; is all mead
ow land, raised but few feet above
the river - lakes, rivers, canals-a
complete network of water communi-
cation; the land under the highest
tilth; three crops a year harvested
population SO dense that, wherever
you look, you see men and women in
blue pants and blouse SO numerous
that you fancy some fair Or muster
coming off, and all hands have turned
out for holiday.
IT is time to stop talking about the
softening influence of women. A Mas.
sachusetts man who has four wives
has just been sent to the penitentiary
| for stealing horses.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-04-22
TRADES OF THE PAST.

Half century ago bellows making
was thriving trade. Every house
had pair of bellows, and in every
| we'll furnished mansion there was a
pair hung by the side of every fire
place.
But as stoves and CRATES took the
place of open fireplaces, and as coal
was substituted for wood, the demand
for bellows diminished, and the busi-
ness. as separate trade, died out.
The same is true of flint cutting
Fllnts were once necessary, not only
for tinder-boxes-and a tinder-box
was as necessary for every house as a
gridiron or skillet. Every one who
looks back to childhood of forty
odd years ago must remember the
cold winter morning when the per-
sistent crack of the flint against the
steel sent up from the kitchen an odor
of igniting tinder and sulphur which
pervaded the house. We have no more
idea of what became of the flint pro-
ducers than the old man of sorrowful
memories, who, three or four times a
week, called at our store with brim-
stone matches, for sale at penny the
half dozen punches. Both have COM
pletely vanished from the country.
Then, again, are gone the pinmakers
who, though have been in their graves
this quarter of a century, still figure
in lectures and essays to illustrate the
advantages of division of labor. In
stead of pin taking dozen or more
men to cut, grind, point, head, polish,
and what not, as it used to do, pins
are now made by neat little machines
at the rate of three hundred minute,
of which machine single child tends
to half dozen.
Nail making at the forge is another
lost industry. Time was, and that in
this nineteenth century, when every
nail was made on an anvil. Now,
from one hundred to one thousand
nails per minute are made by machines
The mailer who works as the forge has
but small chance of competing with
such antagonists, and he would have
no chance at all were it not that his
nails are tenfold tougher than the
former.
The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-02-04

NOTARY PUBLIC, BIoonsville, Ohio, viii
IN give special attention 20 the purchase
and sale OF real estate, conyeyanctnE, &C.
OnIce az bis residence. in BloomYille.
The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-02-04
A Proposal In a Car.

a Pennsylvania paper says that the
passengers on one of the trains fro N
Buffalo to Brocton, last week, were
treated to Il love scene of unusual
character. Occupying one of the
seats was fair young maiden from
Cory and gray-headed, benevolent
looking gentleman from Chicago.
She was handsome, and not above
! twenty-five. He was on the shady
side of sixty, with flowing white hair
and beard, and pleasant expression
on his countenancs. He had been in
her company from Rochester, and a
few hours passed in her society had
again awakened the dream of love in
his old heart. 1t was evidently a
case Of love at first sight on his part.
With her twas not. But he told his
tale. His wife was long since dead ;
his children had grown up, were mar
ried and had passed from his home.
| He was alone in the world. He had
wealth at his command, but he long
ed for some companion to share it
with him. This was spoken in low
tone, but sufficiently loud to be heard
by those in the seats near him. At
| last the important moment came.
The old gentleman said "Wil you
share my fortune with me; will you
be my wife ?'' Then spoke the noble
oil maiden, "I cannot. Your riches
are nothing to me. III loved you l
would accept /; but L do not, and must
therefore refuse your offer" But the
old man still pleaded. He asked to
be allowed to accompany her to Cor
ry and see her parents. She declined.
His pleadings were continued until
the train arrived at Brocton, when
she again refused to accompany him
to CORY. His train arrived and they
must part. He threw his arms
around her neck and then kissed
her with fervency, unmindful OF
the gazing crowd. Then upon the
platform of the car he took off his hat,
and with his white hair and beard
streaming in the breeze and tears run
ming down his cheeks, the aged lover
blessed the fair maiden, and swOre to
see her again.
The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-02-04
those Yankee Guessers.

The excitement over the Boston
teakettle controversy has terminated.
Two prizes had been offered by the
proprietor of the kettle, a tea mer-
chant, for the nearest estimates of its
capacity, and the citizens have been
guessing" ever since. Twelve
hundred guesses were made and re-
corded. Then the kettle was publicly
measured, in the presence of 8, 900 OF
6, 900 persons, Mr.. VIM. F. Reed, the
official sealer of weights and measures
for the city, filling the kettle with
water by using five-gallOn measure,
under the supervision of Hon. Henry
Baldwin, Judge of the Municipal
Court in the Brighton district. The
thing, therefore, had sort of official
endorsement. The progress of filling
was scored upon q blackboard by Mr..
Reeds son. The work proceeded thus
IS rapidly as possible until the kettle
was nearly full, when smaller meas
ures were successively substituted.
The excitement grew intense as the
end approached, and in an hours
time the great problem was settled by
the record that the tea-kettle con-
tanned just 227 gallons, quarts, /
pint and gills. The prizes were a
chest of tea for the nearest guess and
% pounds of coffee for the next best,
The nearest guess was 227 gallons, 9
quarts and 1 pint, wine measure, OF
within three gills of the exact quantity.
This guess was made by eight differ
ent persons, and the chest of tea was
divided among them. The second
nearest guess was 227 gallons, quarts
and l pint, or within gills of the cor
rect figure. This quantity was guessed
by seven persons. and among them
the coffee was divided.
The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-02-04
How to FurnIsh a House.

The New York Times draws a pic
ture of the time when our houses
shall be furnished as they should be /:
"Heayy rugs will partly cover the
polished floors. Paper of some neu-
tral tint, free from glaring figures,
will stretch from the richly-eOlOred
dado at the bottom to the gay border
at the top. the pieture-rOd will not
0e the eternal gilt that wearies US
now. 1t will be painted some decid-
ed cOlCr that will harmonize with the
prevailing shade of the whole room.
Before the windows and before the
doors, which open outward, curtains
heavy in texture and subdued in tone,
edged with strong lace, will hang
from wooden rings which move freely
on a slender wooden rod fastened to
to the sheathing. Rings and rod will
be of the hue of the picture-rOd above.
The single curtain before each OPEN
ing will be IoOped TO one side. Low
bookcases, not over three feet high,
of dark wood, relieved by few chis-
eled designs picked out in color, will
line the wall. No glass doors will
disfigure them. One general pattern
varied in each piece, will stamp the
furniture. Last and greatest an open
wood fire, either in a fireplace or in
one of the Franklin stoves, which
still lurk in the garrets of old coun-
try houses, will cast its CHEEKY light
overIeverythiDg. The close stove the
register, the CRATE and the radiator
will be tabooed. The blaze of wood
burning across brazen andirous is
something so beautiful that no artist
has ever succeeded in painting it
The first of all hints on household
tastes should be Have an open
wood fire in the room in which yOT
mean to live"
The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-02-04

A laughable story is told by The Cam
Melton Cal Enquirer Some months
since g store-bOat sunk near the little
town OF Reno, in this county, which
had on board among other things sew
erai kegs Of powder. One keg was
carried up to Mr. Galey's and kicked
ground for several days, but at last
the inquis!tiyeness Of Mr.. G.. over
came his accustomed prudence, and
he determined to experiment upon
that keg. The powder had caked and
become, to all appearance, q solid
mass, but was in fact streaked all
through with little veins of dry pow
der, which the water had effected
very little. Mr.. G. applied torch to
the mouth OF the keg, and, after con-
siderable scraping aud poking, the
fire took hold q few seconds before
Mr.. G.. let 90. The keg made a puff
like an infant Vesuvius, and bounded
up the hill like o frightened coon
endwise- 1t puffed and smoked 8
few moments, when it made another
spring into the air, turned over sever
al times, and made straight for Mr.
G., who by this time became some
what frightened and began to yell for
water. This reused the entire fami-
ly, and while Mr.. G.. and his eldest
son were vainly endea7oring to cap
ture the keg, and Kept busy avoiding
it in its peregrinations, the other
members were busy heaving buck
etful after bucketful in the direc-
ton OF the lively kicking keg.
One bound, more lofty and vigorous
than any of the preceding ones, ear
ried the animated keg to the top of
the house, where it sized and buzzed
behind the chimney, until finally il
rolled off and landed Just in front OF Mr..
G., who sprang aside from the smOk-
ing thing and yelled for more water.
It came. Bueketful after bucketful
was thrown upon the man and keg
as they rolled over and over the
ground, filling the air with smoke and
SCOT and cuss words, until the fire in
the keg and the curiosity in Mr.. G..
were both totally extinguished.