davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
, 1876-01-15
A Free-and-Easy Life.

Notwithstanding the perfect simplicity
of the Digger Indians life, he is an invet-
crate gambler; his principal game is very
simple, consisting of holding both hands
behind him, in one of which is a stick.
while another bets he can tell in which
hand he holds it. 1t is stated that dig
gers" scorn cheating, and after the bets
are made never change the stick from one
hand to the other Their money consists
of little round shells with a hole in the
center, which one of their number is Sc
lected to manufacture. No counterfeit
ing is ever attempted. Each shell repre-
sents about half a cent of American money,
and is taken by their tribe as greedily as
gold. Their social habits are, to say the
least, peculiar. The wigwams are built
throughout of redwood bark, and are
round in shape, which can be better ex-
planned by saying that they are in the
shape of bowl upside down with a
smaller one placed also upside down on
top. There are no windows, and aside
from the aperture for entrance, which is
about two feet square, and a small open
ing at the top to allow the smoke to es-
cape, there is no opening in this conical-
shaped inclosure. To enter one of these
huts it becomes necessary to get down
and crawl in. Once inside a strange
sight meets the eye. The majority of
both sexes go perfectly naked, and being
scrupulously particular, each one does his
or her own cooking. They sleep in hol-
low places in the ground, with feet to the
center. Their cooking apparatus, which
consists of good sized rocks, followed
out, is in convenient reach, and the dig
ger need not rise to prepare his breakfast |
The food consists of bread made from
acorns, which are first buried, then roast
ed, then pulverized, and lastly mixed with
water and baked. This bread is said to |
be very nourishing.
, 1876-01-15
The Moons Influence.

The notion that the moon influences
our atmosphere is fully disposed of:
The notion that the moon exerts an in
huence on weather Is so deeply rooted
that notwithstanding all the attacks
which have been made against II since
meteorology has been seriously studied,
1t continues to retain its hold upon u.s.
And yet there never was popular super
stition more utterly without basis than
this one. If the moon did really possess
any power over weather, that power
could only be exercised in one of three
ways-by reflection of the suns rays, by
attraction, or by emanation. No other
form of action is conceivable. Now, as
the brightest light of a full moon is
never equal in intensity or quantity to
that which is reflected towards us by a
white cloud on a summer day, it can
scarcely be pretended that weather is
affected BY such a cause. That the moon
does exert attraction on us is manifest
we see its working in the tides; but,
though 1t can move water, it is most un-
likely that it can do the same to air, for
the specific gravity Of the atmosphere is
50 small that there is nothing to be at
tracted. Laplace calculated, indeed, that
the joint attraction of the sun and moon
together could not stir the atmosphere at
quicker rate than five miles day. As
for lunar emanations, not a sign of them
has ever been discovered. The idea Of
an influence produced by the phases Of
the moon is therefore based on no recog-
nizable cause whatever. Furthermore,
It is now distinctly shown that no varia-
tons at all really occur in weather at the
moment of the changes of quarter, any
more than at other ordinary times. Since
the establishment Of meteorological sta.
tions all over the earth, it has beer
proved by millions of observations thai
there is no simultaneousness whatever
between the supposed cause and the sup
posed effect. The whole story is a fancy
and q superstition, which has been handed
down to US uncontrolled, and which We
have accepted as true because our fore
fathers believed 1t. The moon exercises
no more influence on weather than her
rings do. on the government of Switzer
land.
, 1876-01-15
Disrespect at Home.

One of the dangers of the home-life IS
this habit of dlsrespect- which is
bred by familiarity. People who are all
beauty and sunshine for crowd of
strangers, for whom they have not the
faintest affection, are all ugliness and
gloom for their own, by whose love they
live. The pleasant little prettiness CT
dress and personal adornment, which
mark the desire to please, are put on only
for the admiration of those whose ad-
miration goes for nothing while the
house companions are treated only TO the
ragged gowns and thread-bare coats. the
touzzled hair and stubby beard, which, If
marking the ease and comfort of the
sans tde0n of home, mark also the iudiffer-
ence and disrespect which do so much
damage to the sweetness and delicacv of
daily life. And what is true of the dress
is trCer still of the manners and tempers
OF home, In both of which we find too
often that want of respect which seems
to run side by side with affection and the
custom of familiarity. 1t is d reg1etable
habit under any of its conditions. but
never more so than when it invades the
home and endangers still more that
which is already too much endangered by
other things. Parents and up-bringers
do not pay enough attention to this in
the young. They allow habits of disre-
spect to be formed-rude, rough, insolent,
impatient-and salve over the sore with
the stereotyped excuse: "They mean
nothing by it," which, if we look at it
Alright is worse than no excuse at all; for
if they really do mean nothing by it,
and their disrespect is not what it seems
tn be, the result of strong anger, uncon-
trollable temper, but is merely habit,
then it ought to be conquered without
loss of time, being merely manner that
hurts all parties alike (LOndon) Queen.
, 1876-01-15

"CUTTING DIDo."-This is a phrase
older than people imagine. Do you call to
mind the story of Dido, princess of Tyrel
Her husband, Acerbas, priest of Hercules,
was murdered for his wealth by King
Pygmalion, brother to Dido. The wild
owed princess succeeded so well in hiding
her sorrow that she was enabled to escape
from Tyre, bearing with her the wealth
Of her husband, and accompanied by a
number of disaffected mobiles.
After a variety of adventures, they
landed upon the coast of Africa, where
Dido bargained with the natives for as
much land as she could inclose in bulls
hide. Selecting large, tough hide, she
caused 1t to be cut into the smallest pos
sible threads, with which she enclosed a
a large tract of country, on which the
city of Carthage began to rise.
The natives were bound BY the letter OF
their bargain, and allowed the cunning
queen to have her way; and after that
when any one had played off SHARP
trick, they said he had "cut a Dido
That was almost three thousand years
ago, and'the saying has come down to oul
day.
, 1876-01-15
a minute the great mass was locked in.

a minute the great mass was locked in.
Quick 1t is already trembling, and
about TO move. Only swift and agile
feet can save them.
The climb along the ridge, and over
the hummocks. They are safe ashore at
the very instant when the dull roar and
swash sets in again, and the great, grind
ing mass is on the move.
The master had fully intended to pun
ish Dick Corson. But he couldn't The
events of the morning had punished him.
His disgrace was so complete that whip
ping would almost have been a mercy.
But the teacher did write upon the black
board, "Bulies are not generally brave" !"
And. Dick Corson left school, Youths
Companion.
, 1876-01-15

SUBTERRANEAN FIsHes. - In boring
artesian wells in the Desert of Sahara,
very small fishes, resembling the white
bait not unfrequently occur, which in
habit the waters of the subterranean bed
of the desert. They are identical with a
species from the waters of Biskra. The
male differs from the female in being
transversely barred, so that some authors
have regarded it as distinct species.
The eyes are well-formed, although these
fishes live apart of the time in obscurity.
1t seems that as far back as 1849 the
governor of the Gases of Thebes and
Gable, in Egypt, stated that an artesian
well, about 105 feet deep, which he had
cleaned out furnished for his table fishes
which probably came from the Nile, as
the sand which he had brought up from
this artesian we'll was identical with that
of this river.
, 1876-01-15
i. Stewards City.

York correspondent of the
al writes Stewart is build
City on a system that will
rs Fears 70 complete 1t. He has
dra, egal instrument that requires
an & fture Of 100000 q year
wheths he >iiyes or dies. He wont sell
any propertyrs-, he place. Ho leases
the houses at a low-lent and gives all
tenants pass over bis road for six
months. He owns the fnilroad from New
York to his place, and has just COM
pleted arrangements for IlgdtdinE train,
running from Hunters Point to Garden
City twice day In twenty minutes. he
has built twenty miles Of elegant roadway.
His hotel is handsome brick edifce,
open the year round at bis expense. The
stables are blocks away, and are con-
nected with the Office by underground
telegraph. Stewart is changing his DWELL
| ings from wood to brick, and has erected
brick-yard on his own place to furnish
the supply. The millionaire owner of
Garden City can manage everything but
religion. He would put up costly
church if the people were agreed. Stew
art is a churchman, and he would be
glad to see an elegant Episcopal church
and rectory, with the appointments all
complete He can keep out dissenters
for the present, because he will sell no
land; but the moment there Is chance
little chapels will arise and the various
sects be represented.
, 1876-01-15
The Capture of Hyenas.

The following mode of tying hyenas in
their dens, as practiced in Afgauistan, is
given-by Arthur Connolly in his OUerldnd
Journal, in the words of an Afghan chief,
the Shirkaree Syud Daoud: "When you
have tracked the beast to his den you
take a rope with two slip-knots upon it
in your right hand, and with your left
holding felt cloak before you, you go
boldly but quietly in. The animal does
not know the nature of the danger, and
therefore retires to the back of his den,
but you may always tell where his head
is by the glare Of his eyes. You keep
moving on gradually towards him on
your knees, and when you are within dis
tance, throw the cloak over his head,
close with him. and take care be does not
free himself The beast is so frightened
that he covers back, and though he may
bite the felt, he cannot turn his neck
round to hurt you, so you quietly feel for
his fore legs, slip the knots over them,
and then, with one strong pull, draw
them tight up to the back of his neck,
and tie them there. The beast is now
your own, and you can do what you like
Win nim' we BeneTally take tnose we
catch home to the krail, and hunt them
on the plain with brides in their mouths,
that our dogs may be taught not to fear
the brutes when they meet them Wild"
Hyenas are also taken alive by the
Arabs by very similar method, except
that a wooden gag is used instead of a.
felt cloak. The similarity in the mode
of capture in two such distant countries
as Algeria and Afghanistan, and by two
races so different, is remarkable. From
the fact that the Afghans consider that
the fea. requires great presence of mind,
and an instance being given of man
having died of a bite received in a clumsy
attempt; we may infer that the Afghan
hyena is more powerful or more ferocious
than his African conpener.
, 1876-01-15

A FLYING MAN.-An English aeronaut
lately tested machine Of his own patent,
called the parakite. II Is SO feet high
and 30 feet wide. As soon as the sail
was fixed over the frame work, and the
front or windward point Of the parakite
raised, so as TO allow the wind to touch
the machine on its under surface, 1t was
instantly converted into concave form,
and showed symptoms Of rising. The
wind was blowing at the rate Of not.more
than two miles an hour, but with this
slight breeze the aeronaut was carried
into the sir. The idea is to put it to prac-
tical utility for war purposes, engineer
ing, and signaling, where it is necessary
70 attain lofty elevations. The machine
covers an area of 700 superficial feet, and
its entire weight is 100 pounds. The in
ventor asserts that it can be used sue
cessfully in any wind ranging between
four and forty miles an hour, and an alti-
tude of from 900 TO 1000 feet can be at
tained.
, 1876-01-15
Going to Church in 1900.

In the biography of the late Rev. DR..
Goodell, veteran missionary and oriental
scholar, he gives this picture Of the way
they went to church in Templeton, Mass,
hispative place, at the beginning of the
centk,y: "The old Pufitanical horse
seemed to know as well as the most
pious Of US that it was holy time, and he
stood at the door saddled and bridled,
with his head reyerently bowed down, as
IL in solemn meditation, upon the duty
he was expected to perform. Ny father,
with one Of the children in his arms, rode
before; nay mother sat behind on pill
lion, and carried bne Of the children IN
her arms, and still another child rode
behind, clinging a. closely to her as she
did to her husband recollect onf one
occasion, In ascendiH = st1ep, sapdHhill,
the girth Of the saddle gavs way, >and
there was an avalanche Of the whole load
father and mother and three children
with saddle and pillion, plump into 9
sand bank The old rheumatic horse
never seemed amazed at anything thai
might happen, but this time be simply
opened bis large eyes wider than usual
and, wheeling half round, looked to see
if be could help US any way
, 1876-01-15

A CURIOUS contrivance has been adopt
ed by the Money Order Department Of
the New York Postofice. 1t consists of
belt carried by electricity, which runs
from the clerks desks to the cashiers
desk. When clerk at one of the wick
cts issues a check upon the cashier at the
other end of the room, he deposits stimuli
taneously upon the travelling belt a dupli-
cate that reaches the cashier before the
man with the original check presents it,
and thus all delays and mistakes are
avoided.
, 1876-01-15

IT isrelated that New Hampshire
minister recently portrayed the history of
Jonah after the following style: 81 seem
to see Jonah passing along the road to
Nineyeh; l seem to see him enter the
ticket-ofice, buy his ticket and pay for
it, seem to see him walk upon the ves-
sci; | seem to sec them lift their anchor,
and the stately ship moves grandly out
upon the broad Atlantic"
, 1876-01-15

SOME of the Milwaukee whisky ring
have gotten themselves out of the frying
pan into the fire. They have destroyed
many Of the records which contained evil
dences of their guilt, and have now been
indicted for 50 doing, the act being mis-
demeanor under the United States stat
utes.
, 1876-01-15

FRoM single tree planted in tub
and kept in his hot-house, c. s. Hol-
brook, of HolbrOok, Mass, sold, in eigh-
teen years, no less than $4,000 worth of
peaches-some of them at $50 per dozen,
many from S24 to S2S per dozen, and all
at an average of S1s per dozen. They
were sold mostly in the months of Feb
ruary and March.
, 1876-01-15

"But what do you want to fg1kforl
What harm have / done yOu"
You are coward and a teH-tale.
Get ready now, for you have got 10 stand
your ground
Finlay quietly laid down his books and
the slate Corson had been obliged to buy
in place of the old one, and stood pre-
red to defend himself, with his back
the bank. This gave him little ad-
mi, re of ground.
"Why don't you come doSl here, you
coward, and fight on levell" cried Dick.
at you don't like my way, what do
you fight forl" retorted Finlay 81 am
~eable fellow You are bully. You
led this lonesome place to attack
-',want to fight, and won't
fight like a rooster, or
prize-fghter. If l had
would not hesitate to
myself. shall not fight
ut as would bad
here. If you walk
If You attack me
man, NI-shalI knock you
acre is strength enough under
my rou, about, and think there IS"
This Vas more than Dick Corson had
bargaineS, for. He saw that Finlay ut
terly rejected his code, aud took all the
advantages Of his defensive position.
And Finlay had never seemed to him
quite so strong as at this moment.
The fellow was not exactly coward
after ALL He was as cool as could be,
and it gradually dawned on Dick that if
he struck at FinIay once, he might give
the boys under the drift heap the pleasure
of seeing his own defeat.
For the present, therefore, he contented
himself with taunts, which did not seem
TO disturb his big, good-natured antago-
mist. Finlay sat down on log near by,
while Corson continued to exhaust his
breath, conscious all the time that the
boys under the drift-pile must begin to
loose patience soon.
Suddenly Henry Finlay arose and
started forward saying, "Get out of the
way, Dick, the ice is movingw
"You lie y said Dick ats no such |
thing9 You just want to get away, and |
/ won't let you.p
II tell you-it is moving,s and there's
your brother Tom halfsv- over! He'll |
be drowuedr'
"You don't cor : game over
mefn cried Ce courage re- |
vlyed at Whr first symp- |
toms Of retr on the part
Of Finlay.
lnhr ice, nearly
q M to move
brother, on
IL
, 1876-01-15

NNEN"Y
ing at the ice now began to \
against the shore, with crashp =.
thunderous sound. A large fiat-boat
nearly hundred feet long, was torn from
its moorings and crushed by the slow,
but irresistible motion Of the ice, which
ground the timbers to splinters.
Powerful as was this slow, smooth
avalanche Office, it was broken in turn BY
an immense rift that stretched nearly from
shore to shore, passing within twenty feet
Of Tom Corson.
The poor lad was now thoroughly
frightened; and ran in terror towards the
shore, where stood all the boys and the
master, each suggesting different plan
for saving him, for the ice on which he
stood was beginning to break up, and he
could not get within a hundred yards of
the shore, great longitudinal issure
having shut him of.
Finlay launched skiff in the opening
made by the first rift. and called to Dick
to get in with him. Dick refused, declaring
that a skiff could not live two minutes
in the ice.
The school-master, however, got in
with Henry, and they pushed of. just
then great triangular piece which had
been loosened BY the second fissure,
caught against the shore, and being forced
down by the mass Of ice above, assumed
rotary motion, and soon made kindling-
wood Of the skiff.
The master and Finlay were glad to
get back to the shore with their lives.
| Both had held to their oars, and Finlay
seized the one carried by the school-mas-
ter, and, with the two in his hands, leap
ing upon this rotating cake Of ice, ran to
its outer edge, where it was grinding
hoarsely against the yet unbroken mass
upon which Tom stood. He sprung
clean over the dangerous point of con
tact, and reached the terrified Tom.
"Take this oar," he said, "and follow
J me-
The cake of ice next the shore had by
this time drifted away from the mass OF
which they stood. Finlay easily cleared
the gap, but Tom fell in, and Finla,
pulled him out by the oar, TO which Ton
held with death-grIp.
The triangle was fast going to piece.
and at the next leap Finlay hadY
scramble out Of the water first, and
pull Tom out.
But new there was no longer ~
munication with the shore md "
ton Of the two boys seemed "a
question. They dI||Iod a|ong
cake Of ice, which ever grew
wearing away OF its edges The b
the school-master ran down to they
helpless to do anything for the lads
, 1876-01-15

SOMEBODY who has heard of PROPOSE
ton to have separate street cars for
women, says that he sees no necessity
for it, as he never had any objection
to riding in the same car with woman.
, 1876-01-15

ITO lie about a man never hurts him,
but to tell the truth about him some
times does. s."-JoSh Billings.
, 1876-01-15

THE APoPLEoT1o 6TRoKE.--A middle
aged physician once said 10 the writer,
g AS was walking down the street after
dinner, felt shock in the back Of my
neck, as if some one had struck me;
have not felt well since. ! fear / shall
die, Just as all my ancestors have, Of
paralysis. What shall / doin The
answer was; Diminish the tension on
the blood vessels, and there need be no
fear of tearing them in weak place.
Now this expresses in plain terms the
exact cause Of hpoplexy in the majority
Of instances; and it Is one, too, which
every one has Il in bis power to prevent.
"a blood TesseI,| I|'. brain, from causes
which will pre...||| be mentioned, has
Nost some Of 1'..'|c strength; foods
" 1nco. but little Is worked
~; the tension op every
'eIn iaat maximvn ratei
cuifou 1oV Is te ariI3
~11|nt, throf A dan
hnnlhefA 4e vessel
stic strength gives
o1t, . clot Is
pressure on the
,aleto unconscious
o1Ioctic stroke. Il
1t there are two lead
On which the produc-
ke depends: q lesseped
4 the 1.sse|, and AZ Increased
NIT
, 1876-01-15

: yearly mortality 0f the globe is
600 persons. That is at the rate
goo per day, 4, 800 per hour, so per
Among 10000 persons, one ar
he age Of 100; one in 500 attains
of 30 one 20 100 to the age Of 20.
persons, p5 marry.-BostOa Plot.
, 1876-01-15

A. the
a that Fin
.er hand, he did not
"a them. BE did not
way; be interfered now
Of smaller boys; but
If with declaring that
d him he would not |
lmsslf by fighting, but |
4t appeal to the claw" of |
protection. If that was
be would take the case be-
host unheard of course, and
pointed the boys Of seeing
igth between the new boy
,0rson. Some Of the boys
4 on the day Of Finlay's ad-
"lamnr Dick Corson,
vof the school. Now
pointed Of a trial.
10 proportion as
dice in Finlay.
lid have a fight
.oss the Ohio River
a the school. During
%he came over in a skiff,
1een unusually cold weather
was frozen 50 that large
q could cross on the ice.
onhad for three weeks walked
iis natural bridge. He now
the boys that they should
elves on the next morning
agreat pile Of drift-wood-
he fieer. He would then
val near the drift-pile as
10y, who had 10 walk two
.ng the shore to reach the school.
y would not know there were any
, he would not be able to prose-
TOR assault. and Corson could
STORY to the master.
She school-boys had qualms
ng in this conspiracy, but
rborne by the Others, who
ch a coward ought to be
Of oouroa there uara
, 1876-01-15

'u may get througR the world, but twill be
- very -
, 1876-01-15
oplo win talk.

ople Will talk.
do is to do as you
ave one, will then be
ct with all sorts of
them-lt amt any
,lc win talk.
ward2
ING FOLKS.
.EsToN.
I was brave or
( idrum to which
: Latin Grammar
be "backed
1t ID
, 1876-01-15

snape;
ur tailor's
res naught
The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-03-02

"A gentleman in Williamsburg, Va,
has promulgated novel plan for extin-
gushing the public debt, which now
amounts to $2,244,426, ,9S1.25. He en-
closed 25 cents to the Secretary of the
Treasury, and proposes to pay off the fig
ures one by one. He appeals to his fel-
low citizens to fight it out on his line,
and signs himself "a rebel of 1864, pa
triot of 1876"
-"Pa," said little fve-year.old seeker
after knowledge, "what do folks mean by
dam?" "They refer to bank that is
formed to prevent water from flowing,
my son." After long silence: "Then,
pa, when our coachman, James, tipped
the carriage over yesterday, was you
afraid he was going to cry when you said,
Damn your eyes, James 7
A gentleman saw his little daugh-
ter dipping her dolls dress into tin cup
and inquired, "What are you doing, my
dress red" "With what?" with
beer" "What put that foolish notion in.
to your head, child? You can't color red
with beer" "Yes can, pa, because ma
said it was beer that made your nose so
red" That man had business that re-
quired him down town Immediately.