davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

\ lady writer, who is said to be remarka
NV successful with her house plants in the
winter, thus gives to the public two points
their management: Every gardener and
aorist knows the value of what is called
BOTTOM heat" A warm atmosphcre-espec.
tally if dry One--is often insufficient to
bring about healthy growth and is sometimes
Injurious. What is wanted for many kinds
of plants and flowers is moist heats at the
roots and tibres, where growth early starts,
and whence the stimulus is conveyed to every
other part of the plant. A thrifty growth
below the ground IS sure to be followed by
fruit and flowers above. That Is accomplish
CO by filling the saucers of her flower pots
with hot water. This is of course, absorbed
and carried up to the roots and fibers, giving
the required bottom heat. Unthrltty plants,
in addition 20 this, should be placed on the
nantelpicce, over the kitchen range, and
Kept, of course well watered. This arrange.
nent supplies heat where it is most wanted
at the roots--apd the benefit is marked.
n warm rooms the temperature is at the top,
and the coolest near the floor where the pots
are This reverses the proper order, giving
TIE roots of plant the coolest place. An
other important matter IN house plants is to
rive them the morning sun. Windows where
dowers are kept should, therefore, face the
east. The reasons are not known, perhaps,
out the fact is patent 10 all whose business is
10 develop healthy growth in plants and flow
crs, that an hour OF morning sun IS worth
tArce hours of afternoon sun.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

OILING AxLEs.-Much Is lost Tor want of
attention to wagon axles. They should be
examined at least once week, if in constant
use, and properly oiled. Lard is not suitable,
for it penetrates through the hub and loosens
the spokes We know of rothing better
than castor oil, and rancid article which
can be had at cheap rates at the apothecary's
Is just as good for this purpose as the best.
A small quantity, applied upon tine bearings
of the axle is just as good as to oil the whole
surface If the oiling is neglected there is
much friction, which has to be overcome by
the increased exertion of the team. The
boxes and axles both wear away more rapid.
ly, and there is soon need of a new wheel
and axle. A good wheeljack will greatly
facilitate the oil process. With this nipple
ment one man can oiling the wheels OF lum-
Der wagon as rapidly as two without it,
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

no sufficient reason exists why the rural
.ooryard should not be one OF the most at
active places 10 be found anywhere; but,
ldging from cxternals in the country dis
:icts, the complaint that the farmer lacks APP
I-eclatlon or cultivation OF the aesthetic seems
veil founded. And nowhere is this careless
less and shiftlessness more apparent than in
&c country dooryards.
The wOodpile is near the kitchen door and
: most meager in winter There Is no order
Ieaps of ashes, broken hoes and axe handles,
uware and chips lie around. What disabled
nd faded tools have not been aband oned iu
&c fields occupy various positions under
--ees and In corners. They look as II they
.ad been tumbled where they lie IN a great
hurry, and had not been touched since Some
Ook very old ponderous wheels and hubs
t old OK carts, pieces of harness, leather and
Id iron may be found in the debris. The
enccs surrounding the yard are of no single
..nG prevailing pattern. y few sections are
+ pickets with half the tops OF and fire.
uent omissions for PASSAGE then piece Of
BOARD fence, with no two boards alike, and
-equent sswmill slabs. Then a remnant of
ono formerly elegant fence is set up TO fill
q gap. The gates are in most cases absent or
4 their hinges, and leaning against the
renee. Rank burdccks and thistles grow up
between the spokes of old wheels and the
.eeth of abandoned horse-rakes. Piles of
boards used to patch fences, replace clap
boards and repair the barns lie about in con
;uslon.
Scores Of barnyards similar to this may be
seen in days ride through the country.
speak to the owner about it, and lie will say
re has not time to attend 10 those things; he
5 waiting for q rainy day TO Strengthened
7p,' when he can't work in the fields. Now,
! as no wonder that the farmer has the repu-
alton OF being without taste CT appreciation
II the beautiful and tasteful, and it IS no
Tonder that the farmers sons early leave one
4 the most useful and important pursuits
and crowd the city voCa,iOns IN which they
san hope to earn little more than their board
aud clothes. II Is true that 10 attempt 10
make at critics of the tillers Of the soil in
~. -: - :. Egi aecss=ary. !: : s=-,,-i:
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

HEALTH OF FARMERs.-The Massachus-
etts Board Of Health Is out with its fourth
annual report, in which is to be found an IN
terestiug paper on the longevity OF the lar
mers. II says the evidence collected from
the country physicians throughout the state
for the last twenty eight years. shows Tue av.
erage length of the life of q farmer IN that
Stale is 55l5 years. This Is much longer
than that OF any other class of citizens. The
class most nearly approaching farmers, viz;
outdoor mechanics, live 521s years on an av.
erage. The almost unanimous belief OF
those physicsans and the compiler OF the
paper is, that farmers might live much longer
than they do, by exercising more care In
choosing, cooking and eating their food, In
avoiding over-work and exposure, to change
of weather, and the use of foul drinking
water. Their food consists too much Of
pork, pies and saleratu, bread and cakes.
The cookery is bad and meals are eaten too
quickly for good digestion, when work hur-
ries. More vegetables and fruit should be
eaten, and more rest taken. More cleanli-
ness as regards outhouses, and more care to
avoid leaving cess-pools, sinks, etc, nearer
to well than thirty feet at least.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01
FARM AND GARDEN.
Foot Comforts.

Never go to bed with cold tect. Never 60
10 sleep without being perfectly certain, 10
lie one night with cold feet gives such a
strain to the system rs will be felt seriously
perhaps ending In y fit of sickness.
Cold feet show an unbalanced circulation.
The very best thing to do is to warm them
by exercise, If that be practicable ~ ho,'
try dipping them in hot not cold water, d..
ternately, two or three times anu thcn usins
vigorous friction. II that does not warn
them and keep them warm heat them peioie
the fire, drying them throushly, anu .nu'
correct your habits or improve your heallh'
for ne SIRE that one or the other is wrong,
perhaps both.
With all the rest, if you sleep, on nara
bed. with cotton sheets, in cold room, put
on an extra covering over the feet. IL IS very
convenient to have u foot ComtOrt, just
wide enough to cover the top OF the bed and
about yard deep. This may be made OF
some light material (perhaps the remains OF
a pretty dress), filled with cotton, Ikea com
tortable,' and tackled with some harmonious
color. During the day 1t may be thrown over
the foot.board, and spread on the bed at night.
The advantage Of this is to secure sufficient
light covering for the feet without overbur-
dCning the remainder of the body.
If you use hot brick or an iron put it IN
the bed little beforehand, and then when
retiring remove il, To sleep with the feet in
contact with it has a tendency to make the
feet tender.
But better than both these, and to be used
with or without them, is the foot-blanket.
This may be square yard of domestic Han
mel, or two yards, folded, of Swiss flannel, or
anything else you like that Is warm enough,
only have 1t nice and clean. Fold this
around your feet ankles before you put them
down into the bed If not very cold, this
will often warm them, especially If you have
used friction and if warm it will proven,
their becoming cold by contact with the colo
sheets. 1t keeps the warm air around them
1t does not make the feet tender, and II 10 iai
more convenient than the hot brick or soap
stone. Try it, and if you are troubled with
cold feet you will be likely to keep it by you
hereafter Whatever you use, always lie al
full length To "curl up hinders free cir
CUlation-Heraid of Heolh.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

The Rural Nec Yorker recommends the
following method of preserving cider sweet
al allow the cider, after it comes from the
press, to stand until the pomace settles. When
this point Is reached put il in clear vessel,
and let it come to a boil, skimming off the
scum carefully. 1t Is then put into kegs and
demijohns, and tightly corked and sealed.
BY this process l have excellent cider not
merely for the entire winter but fo- years.
This method would not of course be availa-
bic when large quantities are made, but for
An ordinary family it answers admirably"
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

We had lost several of our choicest fowls, and
been kept awake many nights-making fly
ing visits to and from the poultry yard, but
still the nuisance did not abate. The owls
would sail down, seize their prey, and then
mock at us with their taunting ITO hoo" a
they alighted IN some neighborng tree Ia
devious their feast A friend has since came
to our relief, and told up to hang up some
white sheets about the yard; we did so The
next night the owls came as usual, sklrmlshed
around a little, sounded their clarion call
and departed to parts unknown. and have
not disturbed US slnce-OhiO Farmer.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

A western farmer says that he discovered
many years ago that wood could be made to
last longer than iron in the ground. Time
and weather, he says, seem 10 have no effect
no effect on it. Posts can be prepared for
less than two cents apiece. This is the rec
ipe: Take boiled linseed oil and STIR it in
pulverized charcoal 10 the consistency OF
paint Put coat of this over this timber,
and, he adds, there Is not man that will
live to see il rot
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

LAFAYETTE CAKE.--One heaplng coffee
cup full of flour, and one even cup of sugar,
four eggs, whites and yelks beaten separately,
piece of butter the size OF an egg, two or
three tablespoonful of sweet milk, tive tea
spoonfuls of baking powder, or onehale tea
spoonfus of soda and one teaspoonful of
cream tartar, in absence of the baking pow
der, which must be mixed with the flour,
Bake twenty or thirty minutes, according as
YOU divide this into two or three cakes.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

COMBINING PoULTRY.-If we wish TO con-
fine our hens, so as to and protect the garden
and cror5, we must necessarily take much
more pains than when we allow them 10 run
at large. To conine hens, and have them to
do as well as when allowed to run at large,
we must observe the following rules
Feed regularly, a, lesst twice day; not tso
much, out Just enough to satisfy their appe-
ttes. : Keep pure water before them all the
time. 3. Keep plenty of gravel and sand b.
fore them. 1. Provide for them GOOD. warm
roasting house. and always kept Il free from
dirt and veEmin. 5. Keep at least half of
their park in grass. and pillow the remainder
occasionally, so as 10 allow them plenty of
waIlowiog places.-Cor. Country GcatLen.dn.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

ing how far a little will go IN the way Of
cuItivating good taste, and especially is
identifying a country home A man will
fight harder to defend coy, comfortable,
thrifty looking Homestead than for one of the
forsakcn.l looking ones we so often see. Hence
il is duty, not only as means of comfort
and actual profit in increased property value,
but it is duty as factor of natura. strength,
to beautify the door-yards and renovate the
house. -WnSancAnSetts Pl0nlhm0M.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

The bad tastes of many bitter medicines,
such as ouasSia, Gulninc, aloes, ETC, may be
removed almost instantly ba chewing piece
of licorice root. Castor-oll may be rendered
palatable by adding to halt an ounce of 1t
an equal portion of glycerinc and drop OF
oil of cinnamon, and mixing them thorough
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

The leg of mutton is the most profitable
joint, containing most solid meat, The neck
is an cxtravagant joint, half the weight con-
ssting of bone and fat. The shoulder has
well for kitchen dinner, nicely stuffed it Is
much cheaper than the other jolats
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

VIM. Horne, V. s., says In the Country Gen
tlenan that physic in any torn should not be
administered to horse having the epizootic
influenza. 1t is almost sure death to relax
the bowels Neither should anything be
poured ilto the nostrils of the horse,
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

Avoid handling plants IN frozen condi'
ton as much as possible, as the injury to
them will be heightened should the leaves
become bent or be roughly brushed over. To
restore flowers that have become frozen place
TEEN in cold water until they have thawed
out fIOrnk CnbiNet
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

Judge Cation, of Ottawa, has published an
article in the Prairie Farmer relative to hog
cholera, in which he recommends the feed
Ing of common coal, particularly that kind
in which sulphur and iron abound. He says
that It has been his custom for years to give
coal to hogs, and has never known one well
supplied with coal to be sick or off his feed
a single day. The experiment is well worth
irving.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

RAIsIS CAHg.-Two thirds of a cup of
butter and one and a half of sugar, twoihirds
of cnp Of milk, three OF -four, one of chop
ped raisins, three eggs, q teaspoonful and a
half a. baking powder. Bake IN sheets N
d. ok c-c.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

EMOtA NDUN BOON -. slsrr. "a !
"a oo.esI. -.s-4. N..s-a - s@..-----.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-10-26
Crime in Sicily.

THE report of the Commission of
Inquiry into the State of Sicily con-
tinues to be published in fragments,
and shows the existence of social
condition in some parts of the island
which justities any representations
that have been made to you in past
years. "As to the crimes of blood"
says the report, cit is clear, that a
preventive police has little to do. A
man offended by another meets him
on the road, draws his revolver
aid kills him. He stations himself
behind wall or at the foot of an
orange tree, with a sporting gun, and
when he sees his enemy approaching,
at five PAGES distance plants bullet in
his head or he has dispute with his
enemy in sulphur mine, wine-shop,
or on the road, and, after moment of
quarreling, plunges a dagger into his
heart. What can a preventive police
do in such cases? In Sicily these
crimes are more numerous than in
other parts of the Kingdom. Sicily
approaches nearer to the burning
sands of Nubia than other parts of
Europe. In Sicily there is hot blood,
imperious violence; to carry and use
arms is more than an instinct,--it is a
passion; the islander will settle his af-
fairs himself, and believes that he can
not trust the satisfaction of his ven
geance to the law. His own arm must
hasten it, and sometimes, even worse,
it is the arm of others. A man in a
condition is reproved by
the director of an asylum for remov-
his daughter before the time estab-
lished by the regulations. Enough.
Two assassins are hired to murder him.
A respectable youth in Monreale has a
quarrel with another of the same age,
and they come to blows. The father
Of the one rushes into the street with
a revolver, the father and brother Of
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-10-26
A Remarkable Frog Story.

A REMARKABLE incident occurred
at Brown II Halls sawmill, in Acton,
while pine log was being sawed up
into lumber. The outside slab and
one board had been cut off, and while
the workmen were turning over the
log they We're surprised to see large
toad poke his head out of hole in
which he was imbedded, and where
he had barely escaped being cut up by
the saw. How the stranger got there
was mystery, as he was completely
encased in the wood, with no possible
means of ingress or egress. AS the
log was the fourth or fifth from the
butt of the tree, his position must
have been at least fifty or sixty feet
from the ground, and he had no doubt
grown up with it from infancy, being
probably hundreds of years old. The
animal was quite fiat, and nearly as
large as mans hand. He was per-
fectly blind, but when taken from his
bed he made use of his limbs to crawl
away. The tree was perfectly sound
with the exception of a decayed spot
of about foot in length below the
hollow place in which he was imbedded.
How did he get there, and what did
he live on ?-TOronto Globe.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-10-26
CALLED ASIDE.
81 HAVE somewhat to say unto thee.-

81 HAVE somewhat to say unto thee
Called aside
From the glad working OF thy busy life,
From the worlds ceaseless stir Of care and strife
Into the shade and stiffness by thy Heavenly
Guide
For brief space thou hast been called aside.
Lonely hours
Thou hast spent, weary on a couch of pain,
Watching the golden sunshine and the falling
rain;
Hours whose sad length only to Him was known
Who trod q sadder pathway, dark and lone.
Laid aside
May not the little cup Of suffering sc
A loving of blessing given to thee?
The cross of Christening sent thee from above
By Him who bore the cross, whose name is Love.
Called aside
Hast thou no memories of that - little while'"
No sweet remembrance of thy Fathers smiles
No hidden thoughts that wrapped thee in their
hold
OF Him who did such light and grace unfold'
Called aside
Perhaps into the desert garden dim,
And yet not lone, when thou hast been with Him,
And heard His voice in sweetest accents say,
Child wilt thou not with Me this hour stayi'
Called aside
In hidden paths with Christ thy Lord to tread,
Deeper to drink at the sweet Fountain Head;
Closer in fellowship with Him to roam,
Nearer, perchance, to feel thy heavenly home.
Called aside
o, knowledge deeper grows with Him alone,
In secret OF His deeper love is shown,
And learnt in many an hourof dark distress
Some rare, sweet lesson Of His tenderness,
Called aside
We thank Thee for the stiffness and the shade;
We thank Thee for the hidden paths Thy love hath
made,
And so that we have wept and watched with
Thee,
We thank Thee for our dark Gethsemane.
Called aside
o, restful thought He doeth all things we'll
o, lessed sense, with Christ alone to dwell;
So. in the shadow Of Thy cross to hide,
We thank Thee, Lord, to have been called aside
-TbS Toudon LJisnd
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-10-26
HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

The London MIX Journal says that
a pint of milk heated a little, but not
boiled, taken every four hours, will
check the most violent diarrhea, stom-
ach-ache, incipient cholera and dysen-
terry.
CHARCOAL has been discovered to be
a sure cure for burns. By laying
small piece of cold charcoal upon the
burn the pain subsidies Immediately.
By leaving the charcoal on one hour
the wound is healed, as has been DEM
onstrated on several occasions.
MAKE Domin Nopinee, or parched
corn and milk, take half pint OF yell
low corn, roast it as you would coffee
over slow fire, clean out the coffee
mill, grind once coarse, once fine, eat
with milk and little salt, after it has
stood five or ten minutes to swell, and
you have food fit for the gods. 1t IS
a very social dish for boys and girls.
CELEBRATED FAREWELL PUDDING.
Line dish with puff paste and put
into it variety of preserves, without
much of their strip, also strips OF cit
ron. Then fill up with the following
mixture: One quarter pound melted
butter, one quarter pound of sugar,
yelks of four eggs, whites of three,
well beaten. Mix well and bake IN a
slow oven.
GOOD MINCE PIEs.-SiX pounds beef,
five pounds suet, five pounds sugar,
two ounces allspice, two ounces cloves,
three-fourth of a pound of cinnamon,
half pint molasses, one and fourth
pound seedless raisins, two pounds cur
rants, half a pound cltron chopped fine,
one pound of almonds chopped fine,
two oranges, one lemon skin, and all
chopped fine; two parts chopped ap'
pies to one of meat, cider to taste.
CONWAY PUDDING.-Butter a pud
ding-dish, and lay in tart apples sliced
with white sugar, grated nutmeg, anc
| a lew WlOl6 ClONtS opllllhltu oNCl
them; then layer of stale breat
crumbs, bits of butter, sugar and nut
meg, thus filling the dish with alter
nate layers of apple and bread crumbs
pour over a cup of rich milk, and bak
in moderate oven from one and
half to two hours. This is an econOm
ical and delicious pudding, good eithe
hot or cold, with or without sauce.
JAMES PoTTED BEEF.-Cut quit
lean beef in pieces, as for stew, an
put in a close-covered pail. Put i
}, one layer at a time, then little sal
and pepper and a little sprinkling c
cloves and cinnamon. Then put i
another layer, season as above, and S
Oh till all the meat is in the pail. Pou
over all cupful Of vinegar and waite
for about three pounds of meat. Cove
the pail closely, and set into anothe
partly filled with boiling water, an
let it simmer four hours. Eaten col
or warmed up for a breakfast diSl
J., this is very nice. Cloves give it
dark color, but improve the tlavOr
When warmed up thicken the gravy
little, and place bits of toast aroun
the dish. Union.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-10-26
INDUSTRIAL, STATISTICAL
AND TECHNICAL.

THE ivory of England costs the lives
of $4,000 elephants every year.
THE Pool of Sloan is said to be now
an unattractive sink-hole of dirty
water, surrorr ed by masonry.
A SEA of OIL There was exported,
last year, 2O4, 900, 900 gallons of refined
petroleum, at a value of over $685.
900, 900.
THE census of Brazil has just been
taken. 1t indicates population OF
9,93O,O0O souls, including 1,540,00O
slaves and 243, 900 foreigners.
AN excellent recipe for removing
paint or grease spots from garments
may be had by mixing four teaspoon
fuls of alcohol with tablespoonful of
salt. Shake the whole well together,
and apply with brush or sponge.
NEVER was known such year for
apples in Franklin, Mass. All the
cider-apples you want at ten cents a
bushel, and no market at that; and the
| winter fruit on the Deerlield Valley
Agricultural Society's Grounds, at
Charlemont, was sold, recently ION
the trees), for twelve and half cents
a bushel.
IT is now affirmed that the Bastic
glass, which IS undoubtedly hardened
by tempering, loses its molecular CO.
| hesion under a succession of blows,
and then fractures as readily as ordi-
nary glass. Tempered glass submitted
to hammering presented an appear
ance of fracture similar to that of IA
tigue steel, a molecular disintegration
having taken place. 1t is feared that
this alteration of structure and conse
quent loss Of temper may not only fol
low from shock, but may happen spon
taneously in the lapse of time.
THE interesting fact is mentioned il
the Chemical Gazette that the printing
ink employed in works published dur
ing the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries differs from modern printin!
ink in the important characteristic o
being soluble in ammonia. 1t may b.
said that carbon appears to hav
formed, from the first, the basis o
printing ink, and consequently al
printed matter resists the action o
acids and bleaching agents. But som
of the early specimens of printing ar
so easily affected by alkalies, that tn
characters float off the paper whe
placed in weak solution of ammonia
as has long been followed, in practice
in the accomplishment of chemic;
purposes.