davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-06-26

We have received package Of on article resem-
bling cotton that was sent up from the kennebec
valley camp ground to Mr.. Sawtee Of Hallowell.
Mr.. Sawtelle informs u.s. it blew from the tree one
day last week, in large quantities, and was gath
cred up by visitors. It's possible we may super
sedc cotton aud prevent going south for that arti-
Gle.
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-06-26

A delegate to the recent democratic convention
in this city, having partaken enthusiastically OF
those go days rations' mentioned by Col. Rob-
crts, accdently got left at Halowell and passed
several hours. time in sleeping off his sogginess on
,ha s.at;,n xvhaeiharrnw
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-06-26
SOUTH CAROLINA.

Very respectfully,
WENDELL PHILLIPS
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-12-02
UnbOIted Wheat.

NEAR the close Of the last century, when
England and France were waging war
with each other, the British Parliament
passed a law, to take effect for two years,
that the army at home should be supplied
with bread made from unbOlted wheat
meal, solely for the purpose of making
the wheat go as far as possible. At frs
the soldiers were exceedingly displeased
with this kind of bread and refused to eat
it, but after two or three weeks they pre-
ferred it to fine flour bread. The result
OF the experiment was the health of the
soldiers improved so much and so mani
testify in the course of a few months that
the officers and physicians Of the army
publicly declared that the soldiers were
never before so healthy and robust, and
Ghat diseases of many kinds had almost
entirely disappeared from the, army. For
a while the use of this bread was almost
universal in public institutions and in
private families, and it was pronounced by
civic physicians by far the most healthy
bread hat could be eaten. The testimony
0fsea Captains and Whalemen is equally in
favor of wheaton bread. "The coarser
the ship bread is the healthier is my
crew." said a very intelligent sea Captain
Of thirty-seven years experience. The in
habitants of Westphalia, who are a hearty
and robust people, capable Of enduring
the greatest fatigues, are aliving testimony
to the s~alutary effects of this sort of bread
and it is remarkable that they are very
seldom attacked by acute fevers and those
other diseases which arise from bad hui
mors. In fact the laboring class through
out Europe, Asia and Africa use bread
made out of the whole grain; happily for
them they cannot afford to buy fine flour.
The more Intelligent class OF people IN
our large cities have bread made OF UNI
bolted wheat on their tables every day,
and depend upon it; but in country places
the idea prevails that it is cheap and
coarse, and that to feed a guest on Ora
ham bread would be inhospitable. Moth
ing can be farther from the truth. Our
first-class hotels have regularly on their
bills Of fare "cracked-wheat,"" hominy,"
Z" oatmeal mush;" and some advanced
teachers of hygiene are beginning to
hope that the reign of fine -four is pass
ing away. Of oatmeal as a diet n OF
our writers says: "Americans are grad
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-12-02
The BOot-Biack's Story.

WHEN a dozen newsboys and boot
blacks had collected on the Custom
House stairs yesterday, and when each
one had grown tired of Jaw breakers and
popcorn balls, Little English'' re
marked:
"Sposen jim Cocoanut tells us a story
~"'Sposen," remarked all the others.
well, gentlemen remarked jim,
after a few digs at his head, 81 will tell
you a true story about a girl. Her name
was Marier, and she had yaller hair, blue
eyes, small feet, and she was worth a mill
ion dollars"
"In stamps? asked Cross-Eyed Dick.
"In clean cash, right in the savings
bank" answered jim. 1.-The girl was
an orphan, with no n to boss her
around, and if she wanted to be out till
'leven o'clock at night she could. There
were piles of fellows after her to marry
her, but she stuck up her nose at the hull
caboodle."
"What fur?" anxiously inquired Fire
cracker Tom.
"What fur? Why, she knew they loved
her money instead of herself. She wanted
some one to love her earnestly and like
gosh. Well, Il day when she was 60
ing down to the p~ostoff1ce to see if there
was airy mail, a runaway horse came
along. Marier tainted away and sat down
in the road, and she'd have been broke all
to pieces if it hadn't been for a boot
black bout my size. He pulled her into
a shooting gallery, brought her to, and
then hired ID hull omnibus and took her
home"
"And they fell in love and were finally
married" replied Suspender Johnson.
mo, my fellow-countrymen," sadly re-
piled Jim-"she gin him ten centsu'
"And is that all?" exclaimed three or
four voices.
"Ail she gin him, and that turned out
to be counterfeit"
There was a long period of silence, and
then Cocoanut Jim continued:
(Which is a lesson to us never to marry
a girl worth a million dollars"
land we never shall!'' they solemnly
replied.-DetrOst Free Press.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-12-02
How a Woman Fared Playing Burglar.

BORNE upon the wind of local gossip
there comes a story OF a midnight advent
ure which III the whole range of domestic
literature will hardly find a parallel,
while the recollection of its incidents, al
though still a painful theme to the chief
actor therein, will be a source Of merri-
ment to many.
In an uptown clearinghouse there re-
sided last week a young married couple
named Smith-in the story. There were
likewise several young gentlemen and
three families, each of the latter Boosting
the possession of two daughters, and all
of these daughters, it may be noted, were
lively, talkative girls.
They were also much given to visiting
with each other, and discussing the vari-
Gus situations of the day with vigor and
enthusiasm. @ .s..
Indeed, they frequently pursued their
discussions far into the witching hours of
the night, and the sound of their silverv
voices often rose upon the air long after
the other inmates of the house had been
bShCN away III DCNA " ll1C I1plG. OQ6 Oh
the rooms in which these young ladies
met adjoined the apartment occupied by
| Mr.. and Mrs. Smith, and it occurred that
Mrs. Smith was often kept awake and
much annoyed by the vociferous perform
ances of the youthful females alluded to.
Smith didn't mind it much, because he
courted the drowsy god with such effect
that, as a general thing, he~sdropped away
to sleep as 0 o as he struck the bed, and
nothing short of a grand explosion could
induce him to rise up before the hours of
gentle dawn. Mrs. S. was not much of a
sleeper, and she discovered that whenever
the girls in the next room got started
sweet slumber was out of the question.
1t made her mighty mad, and she
mentally pitched INTO those girls in the
most savage style.
She even wished they were dead, and
wondered how people could beso ill-bred.
But still the annoyance vexed her soul
and kept her awake. a.--..
Until she vowed she would get even by
soaring these girls out of d years growth.
Her game was to fix herself up in a
coat and breeches the very next time the
girls opened fire, and at midnight to dart
suddenly upon them with a yell that
would brighten them into fits.
The opportunity o 0 occurred.
The next night the girls were at it
again, and they Chartered and chartered
until the midnight hour.
Mrs. Smith was awake. and she had her
suit of clothes handy, while her lord
slumbered, unconscious of the dodge
which his wife was about to pursue.
For she had thought best not to let him
into the plan for fear he might veto it.
As the clock struck twelve she skipped
out of bed and into the breeches. She
also skipped into the hall, and making a
sudden rush for the next room, quickly
jerked open the door and cried " Halloor'
That the girls were frightened admits of
no doubt.
They screamed as only girls scream, and
cried aloud for help, meanwhile shouting
that they would all be murdered.
At this Mrs. Smith thought she'd had
enough fun, and rushed wildly forth.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-12-02
doubt net as durable as stone, the salt

doubt net as durable as stone the salt
to which we must attribute their durabil-.
ity thus far, must some time lose its eff
feet. But will it not pay well to set cheap
outbuildings on blocks treated as above
described, especially where stones are
scarce and consequently high? Were I
to build an expensive one, unless the
posts were of red cedar, and nearly all red,
too, | would bore holes in each post half
an inch in diameter, nearly through
them, at the place that is called between
wind and water when set, and fill them
with salt, moisten it and plug them up,
also apply some ashes around them.
| might 60 on and enumerate several in
stances which have come to my knowledge
of the preservative effect of salt and ashes
On wood. Some may ask, if ashes are
such a preseTvative of wood why do leach
tubs fall to pieces? / will answer by say
ing, do we not know those articles condu-
Give to health become injurious when
taken in too great quantities? Physicians
tell us they prescribe alkalies often with
decided benefit, but an overdose would be
highly injurious; thus, too much III
ITCHY of ashes destroys the texture of
wood, and a moderate quantity preserves
It'll. f." IN ". Y. Tribune.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-12-02
Salt and Ashes for Preserving Wood.

KNOW Of several instances where salt
and ashes have acted as preservatives of
wood in and above ground. In 1915 cir.
cumstances required that I should build
a house as soon as practicable, and l set
about it with a will. Stones for building
purposes were obtained from a river bot
tom when the water was low, but when |
wanted them the water was high. To
prevent delay | cut down white oaks from
fourteen to sixteen inches in diameter;
sawed them into blocks thirty inches long,
with 1I-inch auger-bored holes, six
inches deep, in the enter of one end,
and six inches from the other end cross
wise nearly through the block; filled the
holes with salt, added a little water, and
plugged them up; set them in the ground,
which was a gravelly loan, a foot deep,
and built my house upon them, intending
to enlarge it when convenient. For i'm
mediate protection I inclosed the door
yard and garden with a temporary fence,
and having a quantity of green pine joist,
four by four inches, sawed them into post
lengths, and set them; while doing which
l had occasion to call on a neighbOr, and
found him setting the third set Of posts
around his door-yard. In a back corner
he had erected a permanent leach-tub
soon after his first inclosing the yard. He
called my attention to the condition of
those posts contiguous to said ash-tub,
which were Of the first setting, fourteen
years previous. On examining as far as
the ashes had reached when thrown from
the tub the posts were as sound as when
first set, except from a half to an inch
deep at the top of the ground was a ring
OF loose, fbrOus texture This circum-
stance induced me to test the virtue of
ashes on my green pine posts on one side
of my inclosure. After well firming the
bottom, which is important, l left out six
inches OF dirt at the top, which vas filled
with ashes. Shortly after this l sold the
property AID moved away. Five years
after setting the fence I had an oppor-
tunity of seeing it. Three sides were
proppcd up and leaning to all points of
the compass the fourth side, which was
ashed, stood quite in line without props.
In 1867, twenty-five years after building
the house, I had another opportunity to
visit the place; and, anxious to know tie
result of my sailed UNDERMINING, | went
into the cellar with the occupant of the
house, and, with a Ratchet, hacked into
the blocks. We found them perfectly
sound and almost as hard as lignrm-vita.
a short time since | wrote to the gentle
man who made the examination with me
requesting HIM to let me know their pres
ent condition; his reply, dated Feb. 1
1875, said: "By your request l have ex-
amined the blocks you referred to and
find them as sound as when we examined |
them some years ago." Having stood
thirty years, and still sound, l would ask
when we may expect them to decay? MOI
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-12-02
But the screams of he GIRLS had

But the screams of the girls had
aroused numerous young gentlemen. And
in response to the cries Of distressed hui
mainly they waltzed into the hall in lively
style. They were valiant men, too, and
they no sooner caught sight Of a man run
ming through the hall than they knew he
was a burglar, and they fell upon him
fiercely. .f4 lst" eE r
They beat him and kicked him, and
were preparing to pitch him downstairs,
when Smith, who had at last been awak-
ened, appeared upon the scene.
He took in the situation at a glance,
aLd he too proceeded to hammer the
burglar.
Moreover, he suggested the ACCESSIBILITY
of killing the wretch. You see, neither
he nor the rest of the fellows knew that
the burglar was Mrs. Smith,. for the hall
was but dimly lighted Besides, Mrs.
Smith never uttered a word, ashamed no
doubt to silent suffering.
But when she saw the partner of her
| soul pounding her, her spirit rose within
| her, and she simply sang out: Don't,
don't, I'm Mrs. Smith,"
That settled it.
A thunderbolt lodging in the midst of
that party would not have created half the
CONSERVATION. rfs..-
The young men who had bruised the
redoubtable Mrs. s.. sloped. 1t may be
also remarked that they stood not upon
the order of their sloping, but sloped at
once. And Smith, how was it with him ?
To say that he was petrifed would be
putting the matter very mildly. He was
crushed, absolutely crushed.
But whether it was through a remorse-
stricken conscience, or a fearful contem-
plation of what would be his fate when
Mrs. Smith got hold Of him, will never be
known.
Suffice it to say that he carried the lac
Grated form of his unfortunate spouse to
her downy couch. And that although ten
days have elapsed since the occurrence of
the incidents here narrated she has not
left that downy couch yet.
The doctor says she may be out next
week.
Meanwhile she solemnly declares that
all the girls in the country may talk in
the next room until they get black and
blue before she will make a fool of her
self again. -NeD Orleans Times.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-12-02
Whitewash for Kitchen Walls.

THE first consideration in a cooking
room is cleanliness. Tried by this test
papered walls are an abomination in such
a place. You cannot darken this o
through part Of the day in summer as
you do others, and consequently fly-specks
will be numerous. These walls absorb
the kitchen odors and steam, and the
smoke rests lovingly upon them. If
creeping things get into a house they are
sure to ~Insinuate themselves into the pa
per on the walls. Hard-fnished walls are
really more cleanlY, for they can be
washed; but, unless the finishing is better
done than in the kitchens we have seen
they Dol look dirty, and this is the next
worse thing to being so; for such finish
ing soon becomes discolored and
"splotchy." There is nothing that will
compare with the old-fashiOned white
wash; not color-wash, but whitewash,
pure and simple. The color-wash may
give the walls a prettier tint, but it must
be put on by a practiced hand, whereas
whitewash can be applied by anyone,
whenever q dirty spot makes its appear
ance. 1t is true that Impractical hands
do not apply the brush as evenly as could
be wished, but a few streaks more or less
don't matter when we can all see that the
streaks are white and clean.-ScrG6ner for
| December.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-12-02

him to utter a loud cry and take to his
heels down the mountain side, with his
hair like the tail of an angry or scared
cat. Mr.. Stone then went to get the stick.
He had another stick in his hand, which
he plunged into the crusted snow to pre-
vent slipping. Before he reached the
first stick he, too, got into the wind and
received a shock which knocked the stick
out Of his hand. He then returned to his
original place. The storm of snow, wind,
and electricity was raging more furiously
than ever, but there was no thunder, only
a distant rumbling. -.
1.-The next sensation was an almost IN
endurable prickling, as if their entire
bodies had been covered with singing in
sects, or as if a fine needle had been
applied to every pore, while sparks were
flying from one man to the other and
from one object to another continually,
with still more vigorous buzzing and
swapping sounds. Uttering a strong ex-
clamation of terror, the bold mountain
eer sprang from the summit and descend
ed the side Of the mountain about fifty
feet; and Mr.. Stone followed him. There
they stopped for a few moments, the con-
fused noises and prickhng sensation still
continuing. Then a broad sheet of light
ming, with an intensely bright spark or
stream in the center, surrounded, or rather
enveloped, them. Instantly the buzzing
and prickling ceased, and they were per-
fectly at ease. The electricity with which
they were a moment before so heavily
charged was Withdrawn. Still, there was
not the slightest deto nation.
Mr.. Stone then told his companion
that all was rlght-that they, themselves,
together with the mountain top and every
thing else, being charged to the utmost,
all was positive; but now equilibrium was
restored. So they returned to the summit
to observe still more closely the strange
phenomena. The storm-cloud was still
climbing the mountain-side; still pouring
over the summit and descending the
opposite side, as a torrent Of water acts
upon an o~bStructing rock. In a few mo-
ments, however, the buzzing sound re-
commenced. If a hand was elevated
sparks dashed out as before. The summit
is narrow, but what there is Of it is nearly
level, and the descent from it sudden and
abrupt, although on one side not very
steep. On the north and northeast there
is a tremendous precipice. Mr.. Stone
observed that the most powerful current
Of electricity was just at the leeWard edge
OF the summit, where the dog received
the shock and where the stick was knocked
out Of his own hand.
Other broad but silent flashes of com
| bined sheet and chain lightning occurred
at intervals, which, as before, discharged
their own persons and their surroundings
of electricity and allowed their hair to lie
down as usual"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-12-02
C~ariOHs Freaks Of Lightning On a Col,
orado Mountain Peak.

Mr.. JOSIAH COPLEY writes to the Pitts
.3urgh Ga2ette as follows:
is" | have given some attention among
the Rocky Mountains to the extraordinary
.foTce and tension of electricity on some
Of the highest SUBMITS and the strange
phenomena which are displayed every
time storm-clouds gather upon them. My
facts have been gathered from men of high
character for intelligence and veracity +;
and as there is a substantial agreement in
their statements their testimony may be
sGakcn as strict verify.
/" In the summer of 1868 Wilbur i.
Stone, now a citizen of Pueblo, accom-
panied by a tall and athletic mOuntaineer,
assembled to the summit of Mount Lincoln
Cor the purpose of ascertaining its altitude
aarometrically. The day was clear and
pIeasantand the wind moderate. After ac-
comprising their object Mr.. Stone noticed
a heavy cloud approaching rapidly from
tElie northwest, sweeping furiously through
n congeries OF rugged and Jagged peaks,
soaring louder and louder as it approached
,tAe loftier summit upon which they stood.
When the cloud reached the side Of the
mountain, driven by a fierce wind, it rose
uEapidly toward the summit. While gaz-
ing at it Mr.. Stone stretched his arm
toward it, when instantly his fingers be-
gan to give out a sound like the buzzing
of a large bug or beetle. Very soon this
buzzing and swapping sound seemed TO
be all around them, and more particularly
III their hair. The other man, whose
bushy locks were so long that they hung
down TO his shoulders, s%upposine that a
bag had really got into his hat, took it
Oft, when, behold! his hair rose and stood
on end, giving him an appearance at once
Iudicrous and hideous. Nh. Stone, whose
taair was shorter and lighter, then took off
his hat and found his hair affected in the
same way. He then extended his hand
toward his companion, when a chain of
electric sparks flew out of the ends of his
fingers, although covered with q thick
glove, until an equilibrium was estab-
Iished. Meanwhile the buzzing kept up
all around.
"a bank of drifted snow lay upon the
northeast side of the summit. Two dogs
which were with them got upon the
snow and engaged in frolicsome gambols,
as If in a high state OF enjoyment; but
,tkev were partially sheltered from the
wind which then swept like a hurricane
across the summit. Mr.. Stone threw a
sick a little way above them, which one
coz the dogs ran to pick up; but just as
Vac reached it the wind struck him, and
,agith it an electric shock, which caused
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-12-02
Rearing Ducks on Dry Land.

A WRITER in the Poultry World asks
the following question: Has 1t ever oc-
CURED to readers that ducks can be raised
ad~vantageously upon premises where there
IS neither pond nor stream for their amuse-
ment?"
The prevailing opinion on this subject
is that, in order to raise ducks of any sort
with satisfactory success, a running stream
or a pond of water is indispensably requi-
site. Many years ago We were accustomed
to rear goodly numbers of excellent ducks
without the advantage of pond or stream
OF water; yet the probability is that the
ducks thus produced would have been
larger if they could have had access to
water. As a substitute for a pond a long
trough was kept full of water, into which
the ducks could plunge at any time. AT
one end there was a board, with cleats
nailed on the upper edge, to aid them in
getting out of the water. In addition 10
our own experience, we have the assurance
of a breeder in Massachusetts,, who has
tried the experiment for three successive
years, that this notion is altogether erro-
neous. Our dcmesticated ducks, like the
wild ones, prefer a brook or lakelet to pass
their leisure in, and a swampy piece of
| ground through which a river branch
sluggishly flows affords a good deal of an
imal food for this race, which helps to
keep through the summer. But the party
spoken of above has no open water on his
farm, and he has raised several scores of
common ducks in the past three seasons,
among his flocks of b%arn-yard fowls,
which have turned out as profitable, so
far as he can calculate, as the chickens he
has marketed in the fall and winter.
These web-foOted birds have been fed
with the other poultry, and all the duck
lings are Matched and reared by hens. He
makes no distinction in feeding as to va
riety or kinds of food. All his poultry
are " in common" and all have the same
chance at the grain, the grass and the
scraps from the house; but he has never
provided his ducks with any water except
what the fowls have at hand for drink, and
he says he knows no difference in their
thrift, from the shell upward to killing.
If the common mongrel duck will thus do
we'll without water to wash or swim in,
why may not the Pekin, the Aylesbury,
the ROuen duck be bred to similar advan-
tage? This kind of poultry is fully as
profitable as are hens, and, if it can be
raised without pond or stream on the
premises, why is not this experiment
worth the trial by others ~. 7. Herald.