davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23
Michigan'S Giant.
From the st. Louis Republican.

From the st. Louis Republican
Michigan claims to have given birth
to the biggest man that America ever
produced. He appeared years ago in
gang of laborers on the Flat Rock
and Gibraltar Canal; said his name
was Charley Freeman, and that he was
Michigander, II years old. He was a
growing boy, then nearly eight feet
high and we'll proportional. Big body
and little brain. He did horses and
oxens' work in removing logs out Of the
way of the canal diggers. He was the
wonder of all who saw him, and even
the Indians of the region were little
interested. He was afterward engaged
on a steamboat as sort of freight
holster. Everything he took hold of
had to yield to his application of force.
Then some sharpers took hold of him,
for the purpose Of speculation, but he
was too big thing for them to man
age. He only made for them few
occasional drinks by picking up a ff-
teen hundred pound anchor and carry
ing it into saloon under his arm to
pawn it for liquor. The man behind
the bar willingly stood treat to have
him carry the anchor out again. The
sharpers took him to England to see if
they could not get up fight between
some champion pugilist and an I'M
known. They succeeded in getting
one match-which was never fought
and that was all. They represented the
unknown" as large and strong, but
very green; and match of science and
skill against power was made with a
noted pugilist. The parties came on
the ground. AS soon as the pugiiist saw
the unknown he turned away, saying
he had come to fight man, not tow
er. The situation was so exceptional
that the match was considered "off :"
by general consent. A friendly spar
ring as an experiment showed that a
match between him and any living
pugilist was impossible. The giants
face could not be effectually reached.
Blows on his body did him no harm,
and no good for his antagonist. When
his fist came down It was like pile
driver. and anything it met "wentsto
the earth" He was too much Of a
good thing for the sharpers. There was
no money in him, and they deserted
him. He became dissipated, took con-
sumption from exposure, died in Liv-
erpool, and was buried in pauper's
grave. So Michigan, though it boasts
giving Charley Freeman birth, has not
the honor of holding his bones and
Ypsilanti thinks it's pity.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23
Aged One Hundred and Six.

The Syracuse Journal has discovered
another centenarian in Onondaga coun-
ty, and speaks of her as follows: "In
the town of Elbridge, about one mile
west of Memphis, there lives Mary
Young, who was born in May, 1870, and
consequently is now in her 10TH year.
Early in the present century she re-
moved from Amsterdam to the town
of Marcellus, locating near what is now
the village Of Mottville. In 1916 she
removed to the neighborhood in which
she now lives, with her son, T. G.
Young. She has distinct recollection
of the first celebration of the Fourth
of July, and with her mother partici-
pated in it. Her fathers name was
Saxbury; he was killed by the Tories
after the war. We have some linen
thread spun three years ago by this old
lady, on wheel handed down by the
Munroe family, and which is supposed
to be nearly Or quite 200 years old,
Mrs. Young enjoys comfortable health
for one of her great age, and hopes to
live and participate in the Centennial
celebration"
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23
The Cunning CObhler.

Many years ago, the husband of an
old lady living in Buckinghamshire.
died without making his will, for the
want of which necessary precaution
his estate would have passed away
from mis- widow, had she not resorted
to the following expedient to avert the
loss of the property. She concealed
the death of her husband, and prevail
ed on an old cobbler, her neighbor,
who was, in person, somewhat like the
deceased, to go to bed at her house and
personate him, in which character it
was agreed that he should dictate will,
leaving the widow the estate in ques-
ton. An attorney was sent for to draw
up the writings. The widow, who, on
his arrival, appeared in great affliction
at her good mans danger, began to ask
questions of her pretended husband,
calculated to elicit the answer she ex-
pected and desired. The cobbler,
grooming aloud, and looking much like
a person going to give up the ghost as
soon as possible, feebly answered. 81
intend to leave you half Of my estate,
and | think the poor old shoemaker,
who lives opposite, is deserving the
other half, for he has always been a
good neighbor. The widow was thunder
struck at receiving reply so different
from that which she expected, but
dared not negative the cobbler's will,
for fear OF losing the whole of the pro-
perty; while the old rogue in bed-who
was himself the poor old shoemaker
living opposite-laughed in his sleeve,
and divided with her the fruits Of pro-
ject which the widow had intended for
her sole benefit.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23
The Old Song.

Sing on, / love that olden Law
Though mOurnful are the notes and wild,
1t drives the haunting fiend away,
1t thrilled me when a child.
Long buried gold the past reveals;
Charmed by the magic of that strain
My weary heart refreshment feels,
And am young again.
Sing on the land of shadows now
Hath raised it's curtain dark and dim.
Back comes my sire with fllrrowed brow
That smile belongs to him
Each old familiar word invokes
The phantOms Of the pictured past,
And, signing through ancestral oaks.
hear the midnight blast.
Sing on for, borne on music's tide,
My soul floats back to other days,
From dust rise up the true and tried
To greet my yearning gaze.
And she, meek violet, that grew
In rosy boyhood's Eden Lost"
Springs up as if her eyes of blue
Had never known the frost
Sing on sing on entranced l hear
While bloom once more earth's persisted
flowers,
For mother warbled in my ear
That song in other hours.
And when the sad refrain is breathed
Her gentle spirit hovers nigh
Fond arms are round the wanderer wreathed,
Kind voices make reply.
W H. C. Hosmer.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23
MeritleSs MartyrSOm.

For the existing state of things, in
very many cases, farmers wives are
themselves to blame. They put too
much heart in their work, and not
enough brains. They set their affec-
tons upon preserving an immaculate
order, upon doing everything which
they consider indispensable to good
housekeeping, with a consciousness
worthy Of a higher object. They act
the martyr, utterly ignoring the fact
that martyrdom is only sublime when
the object of devotion is worthy of the
suffering endured. If the farmers
wife would use her intelligence more,
and consider that her chief function
in the family is to make home, not
to be a mere housekeeper; to be a
mother, not a drudge to supply her
children's physical necessities; to be a
helpmeet for her husband, not in one
or two particulars merely, but in all,
then would come the beginning of bet
ter things. If she would consider that
upon her depends in so great a degree
the cultivation in those about her of
refined, aesthetic tastes, and the lifting
up of the life into something higher
than the mere execution of LIES
chores, surely she would not exhaust
all her strength upon that which per-
isheth with the using.
I know farmers wives whose hus-
bands are worth from 100000 to 5000,
600 who are frequently without help,
simply because good help is scarce,
and poor help not to be endured by
them; SO they work from four in the
morning until late at night, and expect
their neighbors to commend them
when they declare they have not read
a book or paper for months. There
ore others who keep some help, but do
not take the time gained thereby for
recreation or improvement, but hold
on to the old ways of doing things
which furnish extra work enough to
consume all the time gained; as, for
instance, with a sewing machine idle in
the corner, they sit patiently sewing by
hand little colico patches together,
together, which are too small to put
through the machine, and which it is
perfectly absurd for any woman to ex-
haust her nerves over. Yet women,
overworked women, will commit this
folly, although very slight exercise of
their reasoning powers would suffice to
show them that when comforters can
be tackled SO quickly, and when cotton
and WOODEN blankets and white spreads
can be bought SO cheaply, it is deiber-
ate murder OF time and vital strength to
spend SO many precious honrs over in
significant, ugly patchwork quilts.
Agricultural fairs should be ashamed
of encouraging such work by offering
premiums for it
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23
FARM AND HOME.
Winter Churninx.

! A practical dairyman sends the fol-
lowing about rendering winter churning
easy: Strain the milk into pans and set
them on a pot of boiling water on the
stove. Heat the milk quite hot, but not
so as to scald. Set away the pans, and
In 36 hours thick cream will have
formed. At each Swimming stir the
cream well together, and, when enough
for a churning has accumulated, take
care in cold weather, to have the chill
taken off the cream. Then scald the
churn, put in the cream and churn
gently; and if the butter does not come
in less than ten minutes you may Judge
that your cream is too cold.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23
Household Hints.

The following is suggested by Bott-
ger for dyeing cotton a pure blue.
Heat mixture of Is? grains of Paris
blue, 1877 grains of tartaric acid, IL a
fluid ounce Of ammonia water, and
2 1-2 fluid ounces of water, and filter
after cooling. Add to the deep blue
filtrate solution of caustic soda, until
it is decolorized, and after some time
assumes a light yellow tint. Impreg-
nate the cotton with this solution, and
pass it best after allowing it to dry
through a warm, very dilute solution
of sui phuric acid, and it will immedi-
ately assume a beautiful blue color,
and needs only to be washed in water.
The sulphuric acid may be so diluted
that it has scarcely a perceptible sour
taste.
MANY cooks are troubled to make
good frosting that will adhere to the
cake and not crumble to pieces when
cut. To all such l wish to recommend
the following simple method. It takes
but a few minutes to make the frost
ing, and it is always good. Tt is much
better than to beat the eggs to a froth
For one large cake use pound of pull
verized sugar, rolled or sifted to free it
from Jumps, and the whites of two
eggs. Sometimes the frosting stifens
up so that [ do not quite use all the
sugar. Stir the sugar gradually into
the whites; when nearly stiff enough,
squeeze in the juice Of half a lemon;
when all the sugar is in that is requir-
ed, give it good stirring; put the frost
ing in the center of the loaf of cake,
dip broad-bladed knife in water, and
spread the frosting, dipping the knife in
water often enough to prevent sticking;
when spread, put the cake on the stove
hearth Or under the stove for half an
hour, or thereabouts, till it gets firm. The
lemon juice gives it a pleasant flavor,
while the acid acts upon the frosting,
making it whittier and nicer to eat.
WHEN teaspoonful of any medicine
is prescribed by a physician, it should
be borne in mind that the quantity
meant is equal in volume to As drops
of pure water at 80 degrees Fab. It is
good plan to measure off this amount
in water in small wine glass, and mark
on the latter the exact height of the
flood This will give an accurate and
convenient standard for future use.
Teaspoons vary so much in size that
there is a very wide margin Of differ
ence in their containing capacity. It is
we'll to remember, also, that four tea
spoonfuls equal one tablespoonful or
half fluid ounce. A wineglassful
means four tablespoonfuls, or two fluid
ounces; and teacupful, as directed
by cookery books, indicates four fluid
ounces or one gill.
ALL kinds Of poultry and meat can
be cooked quicker by adding to the
water in which they are boiled little
vinegar or a piece Of lemon. By the
use of little acid there will be con-
siderable saving Of fuel, as we'll as
shortening of time. Its action is ben
efcial on old, tough meats, rendering
them quite tender and easy of diges-
ton. Tainted meats and fowls will lose
their bad taste and odor if cooked in
this way, and if not used too freely NO
taste of it will be acquired.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23

may lack; but we may assist it back to a
normal condition of thrift and health,
by reducing the number Of its growth
points by dis-budding or by heading
in," before growth is fairly started in
the Spring.
So too, when a tree is robbed by other
and greedier roots invading its soil; as
when blue grass sod catches the moist
ure and the food gases which come in
from above ground, and keep them
from the tree roots; Or as when the
greedy proprietor demands from the
orchard a crop of small grain, or as
when lustier, hungrier roots of other
trees, like the willows and poplars, sap
the stock of food from the soil; the
first thing to do is to choke off the rob-
Der, then enrich the soil, and then in
Spring reduce the number of growth
points so that all left can put forth
thrifty leaves and make strong growth.
And again, if severe drouths have
prematuerly checked growth, and then
the rains come and growth is resumed,
it is usually best to interfere and stop
part of the points of extension, by
pinching, as soon as they start.
Or, when the always trying Winter
has come with its cold and dry winds SO
hard that many Or most buds are
weakened, and the fluid of the tree
the sap-has been actually altered from
its normal condition by too great evap-
Grafton, and too great and too equally
sudden changes OF temperature, we
should interfere when growth is about
to begin for the season, and by remov-
ing part of the buds, turn the whole of
the trees energies to fewer points, to
the end that the physiological action
may be more perfect and stronger.
AS the chief end of the plant seems
to be reproduction, and as in every
case, such reproduction is an exhaust
ing process, tending to destroy the life
of the parent, it follows that with per-
ennial plants, like our fruit trees which
bear crop after crop Of seeds, the ex-
haustion of an overcrop may be fatal
or nearly so, unless constant repair
goes on through vigorous growth. The
biennial bearers are generally great
choppers when they do bear, and so in
alternate years, suffer exhaustion
through over-fruitage, and then .recov-
er by growth while barren of fruit. Such
trees need pruning the year they are
loaded with fruit-in spring after
blooming that the fruit is thinned
to such an extent that a good thrifty
growth will take place. In this way
better fruit will be borne every year.
But if the overcrop has been borne, and
the tree is already exhausted, it should
be headed in Or partly disbudded the
next year, that its recovery may be
more thorough.
In all these cases where we interfere
and remove part of the growth points
so that vigor may be added to those re-
naming, the inexperienced hand is apt
to overdo his work. Care must be
used, and good judgment too, and only
experience with trees can teach just
what proportion of growth points are to
be removed. 1t is seldom, however,
that over one-third Of the buds need
removing in these cases, but, the great
er the exhaustion, the severer may be
the disbudding
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23
Remarkable Animals.

Hartford has dog that always rides
home on horse-car from his owners
store, knowing just where to stop. He
also rides down in the morning to the
store, all alone. Hartford has also a
horse, owned by J. K. Wheeler, of 433
Main street, which is so smart that at
night he will unite his halter, using his
teeth for the purpose, and going to the
stable door, will lift first one and then
the other hook out of the staple (the
hooks are near the top and bottom of
the door,, and, pushing open the door
and going out, will have a high old
time, after midnight, all by himself
He will kick up his heels and have a
big run, and then be ready to return to
the stable. Once, when he had gone off
at a rafting gallop down to the drink
ing fountain in front of the State House,
and had a good drink, he was returning
at a tearing rate (Main street is desert
ing at the time he selects for his frol-
ics), his owner ran out in front of him,
and, lifting his hand, shouted, "Whoa p
The horse, in his haste to stop, tumpled
over and turned a somersault.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23

funkies who adorn the portals of duke
ries and bask in the ante-rooms of roy
al palaces. Thus, politics apart, he has
been able to make himself more agree
able to the Queen than his predecessor
did, and her majesty was we'll minded
to DO what lay in her power to add
splendor to the Inauguration of par
lament the election of which has
placed Mr.. Disraeli on the pinnacle of
DOWer.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23
Good and Bad Cows,

The difference between a good cow
and poor one is not generally appre-
ciated. Oftener than otherwise the
price at which COWS are bought and sold
is made to accord with the amount of
milk they will give. But this is not a
sound way of estimating their value.
Beef cattle may be estimated by the
pounds of beef they will make. A
bullock that will make 500 lbs. of beef
may be worth half as much as one that
will make 1000 lbs; but the cow that
produces only 100 lbs. of butter year,
is not worth half as much as one that
will make 200 lbs. in same time AS it
will take the former COW two years to
make as much butter as the latter will
in one, she will cost the owner a years
keeping more than the other cow will
to get the same amount. The butter
from the poor COW costs double what it
does from the good one, and is produced
at ruinous rate to the farmer. Such
a cow will not pay the cost of keeping,
and is only fit for the shambles. She
ought certainly never to occupy place
In the diary.-India'a Farmer.
Few culinary productions are more
appreciated than clean, straight sticks
of horse radish, and / find that these
may, by the adoption of the following
method, he easily produced in ten
months, when they will measure from
to eight inches in circumference.
During February, take small, straight
pieces of the roots, about the size of,
or somewhat smaller than, the little
finger; from these remove all the side
shoots and roots, and form them into
square sets from s to Is inches long.
Prepare a piece Of ground by deeply
digging and we'll manuring it, and plant
the sets in it in rows 8 feet apart, and
from II to Is inches in the rows. The
sets must be planted in a slanting posi-
inches beneath. the surface. The
ground at all times must be kept free
from weeds, and should be we'll watered
in very dry weather. Planting the set
at an angle-in fact, in nearly hori-
zontal position<is, no doubt, the secret
of success, for, being planted so near
the surface, it has the full benefit of
the suns heat, which causes it to make
rapid growth long before that which is
planted according to the old method
i: e., from Is to 20 inches deep, and in a
perpendicular position, reaches the sur
face. [ am certain that want of sue
cess is alone to be attributed to this, and
that the experience of any Of your
readers who may think fit to adopt my
plan will be the same as my own.-T
~. Ellis, IN the Garden.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23

The latest style in female headgear
is the hanging of dinner plate on the
back hair 1t is an amusing sight to
see q lady clad in furs, with hands care
fully protected in a muff, walking the
streets in serene Inconsistencies that
she is bareheaded, but the height of
absurdity is reached when the hat, that
should protect the head, is hung-like
the bobt4il nf kite-far behind
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23

Objects fOf. Pruning.

aIhe following. is an extract from an
extended article by Prof. I'll. Fl. Nc
Afee, of the Iowa Agricultural College,
as published in the Progressive Farmer:
When tree is starved and for that
reason is making but little annual
growth, the first thing to do is to feed il
with the food Ingredient that the sol
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-02-23

In the Ontario legislature recently a
bill giving women the right to vote at
municipal elections and ON nancy by
laws was defeated by small majority.
The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-19
THE CHINESE QUESTION.
St. Louis Globe Democrat.

st. Louis Globe Democrat.
Within week the Supreme Court of
the United States has rendered decis-
ions upon questions affecting the priv
lleges of the chief port on the Atlantic
coast and the chief port on the Pacific,
and in each case the decision of the
Court has been adverse to the local
rights claimed respectively by New
York and San Francisco. TO protect
herself from the natural consequences
of allowing the pirates of the wharf to
prey upon the immigrants, and to meet
the expenses of the helpless immi-
grants; New York, 80 years ago, levied
a capitation tax upon all immigrants.
10 guard against the inevitable conse-
quences of an Eruption of soulless,
constituencies, alien heathens from
China, the City of San Francisco has
been allowed by the state of Califor-
MIA to levy still heavier tax upon
their unwelcome immigrants, torefuse
them the privilege Of landing unless
they can comply with certain require
ments, and to impose other discrimi-
nations, which have been laid on with
a right good will. The law Of New
York and the law of San Francisco
have alike been declared in conflict
with the Constitution; and for all the
local authorities can do to prevent it,
the country must lie open on both sides
to the pauper hordes imported by the
avarice of ship-owners or Chinese COM
panies.
While the two cases are alike in their
general tenor, they are utterly dissimi-
lar in their consequences. The immi-
grants at New York at least belong to
the same great division of the human
family, are readily amenable to our
laws, and readily assimilate with our
natiye-born population. y. But in Cali
fornia the case is different. The Chi
nese are as completely slaves as any
negro on Southern plantation before
the war; they do not admit the bind
ing force of an oath ;; they hold them:
selves absolved from all responsibility
to our Government, and the objections
he against the !, Chinese race, not
against individuals. Yet our relations
with them are controlled only by the
National Government, which has COM
PEELED China to admit us to her ports
and to treat with ms on equal terms,
after having abombarded the City Of
The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-19
A GOOD COUNTERFEIT NICKLE


The smallest and meanest of all
counterfeits is now circulating in great
numbers throughout the country. 1t
is a counterfeit cent piece, and it is
worthless only because the counter
felt, although it is identical in weight
and titeness with the genuine coin, and
worth just as much, is not made at the
government mint. The cent piece is
sham and deceit at best, for it costs
the government, including material,
labor, &C., less than half a cent a piece,
or 10 per cent of it's nominal value.
Some of the counterfeits were recent
ly sent to the superintendent Of the
mint in Philadelphia by the treasurer
for the purpose of making inquiries
and to test their value. The superin-
tendent says the counterfeits have
been assayed and found to contain cop
per and nickle in the legal proportion,
that the coins are of proper weight,
size and finish, and just as valuable as
the good coin. The only way to de-
tect the spurious coin is by the i'm
perfect impression of the legend "In
God we trust.''