davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-07-26
The Child and the Painted Window,

In summer-house belonging to an
old inn on the Rhine, there is large
window, whose panes of colored glass
often attract the attention of any traveller
who enters the little sitting-room.
Children more especially love to gaze
upon the noble river and the surround
ing landscape under the different in
fuences of a green, blue, red or yellow
medium, and clap their tiny hands to see
the vineyards OF beautiful ruins so
changed. A boy once fingered near this
favorite window, and detained by all the
arts in his power the old man that ac-
companied him. Now, it was the fiery
red which pleased the child most-now
the golden tinge made everything appear
like enchanted ground, and sometimes
again the green had more softness where
upon to rest his eyes. His companion,
after rejecting some time, said, as he
gazed on his eager looks and changing
fancies "Thou puttest me in mind of
the life of man, which in its passing
stages resembles nothing more than this
window. At first, during infancy, he
chooses the plain glass, that shows him
natures real brightness, but soon what
charms him at first becomes insipid. He
then seeks in gaudy red, something more
beautiful-relapses again into soft green,
until he settles into the gold, dazzling
yellow, which gives false value to
every object. The last age will be tn
gloomy blue, in which there seems an
everlasting storm coming over the face
of nature. He would fain seek another
color, but some rude hand shuts the
blind, and pushes him away.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-07-26
A Colorado Railroad.

The Colorado Central Narrow Gauge
Railroad runs through Clear Greek
canon. The granite cliffs descend Il
thousand feet to the river, without any
bank. The railway is channeled from
the hillside. The twistings and turnings
of the canon are interminable and innu-
merable. In graceful curves or in bold,
rounded sweep the stream and the rail
road pursue their parallel course-the
railway seldom crossing the river. The
grade is about $50 feet to the mile, and
the dash of the water is a sight to see.
A correspondent of the Boston AdUer-
tiser says: " The trip was SO exciting
that we grasped our seats and hardly
talked. Two of the party rode on the
cowcatcher They report it as the grand
est ride of their lives. The granite cliffs
were as wonderful, and even. more SO,
than the river. OF gray and red granite,
streaked all hues by the action of the
scarcely concealed ores, with their forma-
tions exposed as if cut across by the
knife of giants-seamed, twisted, gnarled
presenting sometimes smooth and at
others the most grotesque faces, they
were constant study. What kept mil
lions of loose stone from dropping upon
the track no one could understand. They
looked like demons with their heads
| downward. ready to pounce upon us"
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-07-26
COurting by Telegraph.

One of the passengers on the Dakota,
says an Oregon paper, was Mr.. Hill
Harmon, and accompanying him a wife.
Mr.. Harmon, shortly after the death of
his first wife, informed his family of his
determination to marry again, and that
at the earliest possible moment. Know
ing of a lady in Maine (whom, however,
be had never SEEM who possessed all the
qualities his heart desired, he at once
opened correspondence with her by
telegraph, which, after several messages,
resulted in an engagement and the NAM
ing of the day for their marriage. Pack
ing his valise, Mr.. Harmon started,
using the telegraph in the dispatch OF
amatory messages all the way. They
were married, and now they are at their
Steilacoom home-he, after an absence
of thirty-three days. In that time he
Travelled $500 miles, met his present
wife for the first time, and married her,
and has been to New York, Boston,
Chicago, ST. Louis, Detroit. Buffalo,
Montreal, Quebec, Toronto and San
Francisco, at each of which places they
made short stays. She is fne-looking,
sensible woman, who will make him q
good wife.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-07-26
TIE FORK.
IT'S Advent into Good Society-Usages Of Gus
Forefathers.

fits Advent into Good Society-Usages Of Our
Forefathers.
We often laugh at the Chinese and
their chopsticks, or small, thin sticks of
wood or ivory with which they cat, anil
fancy they must make very dirty work at
tlieir meals, yet they are cleanly and
civilized compared with the habits of our
ancestors some 800 years ago.. Then
forks were unknown; each man had his
own knife, and at dinner seized the joint
with his hand, and cut off what he wante,,,
the dish was then passed OH to the next,
who did the same. The knife then r1tt
up the portions into small pieces, which
were put into the mouth by the fingers
u the haHd tinoccupied by the knife. In
many parts of Spain, AT pf6sett,driukllng,,
glasses, spoons and forks are raretles;
and in taverns in many COUNTRIES, "r Pc.
ticularly in some towns i'll France, knives
are not placed ON the table, because it is
expected that each person has one of his
uwh-=a ctistum which the French seem
to havs retained from the old Gau1s.
But, as no other persotl will any longer
eat without forks; landlords are obliged
to furnish, these, togethet with plates and
spoon'. None OF the sovereigns of Eng
lane had forks till the reign of Henry
the Eighth; all, high and low, used their
fingers. Hence, in the royal household,
there was dignity called the ever, who,
with set of subordinates, attended at
the meals with basin, water, and towels.
The Office of ewary survived after forks
came partially into fashion. About the
first royal parsonage in England who is
known to have had fork was Queen
Elizabeth; but, although several were
presented to her; it remains doubtful
whether she used them on ordinary occa-
sions.y Forks were employed only by the
higher classes at the middle of the sew
enteenth century. About the period of
the Revolution, 1858, few English noble
men had more than dozen forks of sill
yer, along with few of iron or steel.
At length, for general use, steel forks
became an article of manufacture at
Sheffield; at first they had but two
prongs, and it was only in later times
that the three-pronged kind were made.
AS late as the early part of the eighteenth
century table-forks-and, we may add,
kniyes-were kept on so small a scale by
the country inns in Scotland (and per-
haps in some parts of England) that it
was customary for gentlemen travelling
TO carry with them portable knife aiid
fork in shagreen case. The general in
PRODUCTION of silver forks into Great
Britain is quite recent; it can be dated
no further back than the termination of
the French wa in 1914.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-07-26
Words of Wisdom,

Love those who advise but not those
who praise you.
The excesses of our youth are drafts
upon our old age, payable with interest,
about thirty yearn after date.
1t is better to SOW good heart with
kindness than field with corn, for the
hearts harvest is perpetual.
Vanity is our dearest weakness, in
more senses than one a man will sacri-
flee everything, and starve out all the
other inclinations, to keep alive that
one.
The highest point outward things can
bring us to is the contentment of the
mind, with which no estate can be poor,
without which all estates will be miser-
able.
Most persons are particularly spite
full against those foibles in others which
they themselves have. They remind us
Of monkey scratching and grinning at
tie mimic monkey in the glass.
Accustom yourself to think vigorous
ly. Mental capital, like pecuniary, to
be worth anything, must be well invest
ed-must be rightly adjusted and appli-
ed, and to this end careful, deep and in
tense thought is necessary if great re-
suits are looked for. There is no such
thing as standing still in this world.
Change is the eternal law of nature.
1t is in the minute circumstances of a
mans conduct that we are to inquire foI
his real character. In these he is under
the influence of his~natural disposition,
and acts from himself while in his
more open and important actions he may
be drawn by public opinion, and many
other external motives, from that bias
which his disposition would have taken.
Happiness is the perpetual possession
of beings well deceived, for it is mani.
fest what mighty advantages fiction has
over truth and the reason is at oul
elbow, because Imagination can build
nobler scenes and produce more wonder
full revolutions than fortune or nature
can be at the expense to furnish.
With clear sky, bright sun, and
gentle breeze, you can have friends il
plenty; but let fortune frown and til,
armament be overcast, and then you
friends will prove like the strings of
lutte, of which you will tighten befor
you will find one that will bear tn
stretch and keep the pitch,
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-07-26
The SOlan Goose.

Mr.. Frank Buckland has been expert
menting upon the anatomical construc-
ton of the gannet, and says it possesses
in its body the most perfect aeronautic
machinery that can be conceived. There
is communication between the lungs,
the feathers, aud the hollow bones of
the birds, by means of which it is able
to initiate itself like balloon. The
gannet on which Mr.. Buckland expert
mented measured nine inches across the
chest, but when inflated it measured
fourteen inches. By suddenly press,
ing the inflated body, the dead bird
Immediately gave out the loud call Of
the bird when alive, the sound being
produced by means of the air passing
through the voice box at the bottom OF
the windpipe. The gannet eau in,
simultaneously extrude all this air from
its lungs, bones, and feathers and
this enables it to drop down from g
height upon its prey in the sea with
amazing rapidity. Some years ago one
of these birds was flying over Penzance
in Cornwall, when seeing some pill
chards lying on fir plank, in a place
for curing those fish, it darted itsel
down with SO much violence as to sticl
its bill quite through an inch and {
quarter plank, and kill itself on the
spot. The bones of the birds neck ar,
of amazing strength, and as hard al
an iron rod. The head is joined to til,
atlas by a beautiful ball-and-socke
Joint.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-07-26
Fish i'm an Artesian Well,

An artesian we'll in Ventura county,
CAL, spouts up fish. In meeting of the
San Francisco Academy of Sciences,
specimens of the fish, supposed to be
trout, were presented. The we'll was
bored in 1871, and every year since has
thrown out immense quantities of fresh
ly spawned fish in April and May. The
well is capped, having three two-inch
apertures, from one of which people were
in the habit Of filing barrels with water
for household uses. In that way the fish
were discovered. The cap was removed
and fish were elected in large numbers.
In bucketful one-fourth of the weight
of the contents was fish. The fish are OF
various sizes, the largest about an inch
in length. The nearest stream where fish
are found is twenty-five miles away.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-07-26
Flutes.

Athenaus, in the "Diepnosophists, "
refers to the flute made of the leg bone
OF the kid as an invention of the (Gre-
cian) Thebans, and states that the flute
elephantine Cvory) was first bored among
the Ph9nicians. Flutes among the
classic Greeks were also made of asses
bones, which are said to be remarkably
solid. They are supposed to have full
ness of tone highly suggestive of the in
flated style of their original proprietor.
DIR. Schliemann, in his excavations at
Hissarlik, discovered beautifully-orna-
mented flute of bone. The flutes of the
Araucanians were made of the arm and
leg bones of prisoners offered in sacri-
fee. The Caribs used human bones, but
now use the bones of the jaguar. Their
flute has three holes, and, like the Gui-
ana flute of bamboo, is blown by the
breath directed against the edge of the
oritice. A Guiana flute in the National
Museum at Washington is made of the
thigh bone of a jaguar. The Uaupe In
dians of Brazil use flies and flutes of
reed and of deer's bones. Wallace also
noticed q whistle made of deer's skull.
The Brazilian fageolets are of bone; an
average one has two bones, twelve inches
long and three-eighths inch bore, united
by twine neatly wound and worked. On
the back of the lower part are finger
holes. The whistle is formed of cone
of resinous cement beneath the mouth
orifce, the ridge of cement rising to the
center of the tube. The Kafir whistles
are Of bone or ivory, and are blown into
in the manner of blowing key, while
holding the instrument against the lower
lip. The flute of the Maories is made
from human thigh bone, that of slain
enemy being preferred. Two ancient
Peruvian pipes of bone had five finger
holes each, and one of human bone had
fOur finoer-holes
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-07-26
HIDING FOR LIFE.

In the autumn of the year 1866, bust
ness necessitated my leaving Hong Kong,
where L had for some years resided, and
proceeding to Swatow. one of the ports
upon the east coast of China open for
foreign traffic. arranged my affairs at
that place sooner than expected, and as
no steamer bound for the south was in
the harbor, or expected for some days, 1
Bell, II bark-rigged sailing vessel of about
three hundred tons register.
was we'll acquainted with Eer captain,
but what perhaps chiefly induced me to
take passage in his vessel was the fact of
his daughter being aboard. Lottie Moore
was golden-haired, blue-eyed darling,
upon whose fair head some seventeen
summers had smiled. Upon her mothers
demise, she had quilted her home in Eng
land to accompany her bereaved father
in his wanderings from cline to cline.
The Heather Bell sailed from Swatow
just as day broke. On the evening of the
next day, little before ten o'clock, I
was sitting with Miss Moore in the saloon,
almiring some water-color sketches that
young lady had executed, when the chief
mate entered.
"There's large junk coming right
toward lis, sir. By the number of sweeps
she pulls, reckon she carries a consid-
cradle crew" he said.
knew what he meant, and so did the
skipper, just as well as if he had spoken
all that was passing in his mind; more
over, / appreciated his motive for reti-
cence, for if he had said plainly that he
feared she was a pirate, it would have
alarmed the fair girl, who, thoughtless
ly with me.
Captain Moore ran upon deck; and
when 1 heard him shortly afterward tell
THE mate to call all hands, also proceed
ed to the poop, and found him gazing
intently through a pair of binocular
iglasses at a Chinese craft shat was ad-
vAncing, with furled sails, in the dead
-, being propelled by an array of oars
th.. sHeshed and glittered in the phos-
phorescent water.
"He's an ugly customer, and no mis-
take. We sha'n't have much of a show if
he attacks us, but l will let him see that
we are on the alert. Perhaps we can
manage to Sintimidate him, he said, as
he stopped down and commenced casting
adrift the lashings of small cast-iron
four-pounder that was only useful as a
signal gun.
Directly this unformidable cannon was
loaded with blank cartridge and dis
charged, the junk altered her course,
and passed under our stern a considera-
BILE distance away. Captain Moore,
when he noticed this movement, was in
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-07-26
Items of Interest.

What docy every one thirst after "A
red-herring.
When ought mariners to have fruit at
sea ?--~When they stem the currents.
Modern marriage. says a contempor-
ary, begins with court and ends with
court
The Bashi .Bazouks ride with such
short stirrups they can wipe their noses
on their knees without bending over.
Four hundred and one thousand men
died or were killed in the Crimea during
the war which was named from thai
place.
Over 1000 miles of railroad, at cost
of about $15, 900, 10000, have been COM
pleted in the United States in the year
just elapsed.
The coal fields of the world, it is said,
will be exhausted in about two thousand
wears. Prudent people will lay in their
supply at once.
EARTHQUAKES or volcanic eruptions oc-
cur on an average nearly three times
week. in greater or less intensity, in some
parts OF the globe.
As General Tcherthemoslemsheadoff
was leaving fer the wars, his sweetheart
remarked to him, in tears: " "Though L
no more behold thee, Jet is thy name
SPELL"
How doth the sweet potato bug,
Unruf1ed and serene,
Smile as he nips the tender plant,
And leaves the Paris green?
From the date of the first discovery OF
gold in California down to the close of
the year 1875, the total amount of gold
and silver produced in the United States
was as follows: Gold, 81, ,332, 700, 900; sill
yer, 1861, 100000; total value, $780,
100000.
Nevada sheriffs have exciting expert
ences, as illustrated by Sheriff Sias. He
rode two hundred miles in three days in
a chase after horse thieves, overlook
them as they were encamped, and cap
tured one after fight in which seventeen
pistol shots were fired.
John Shannon, in Coleman, KY, was
separating some cattle from the rest OF
the herd. A rope had been thrown over
powerful bull, and he was fastened to
tree. The rope broke, and the bull
made for Shannon, caught him on his
horns and tossed him in the air. AS he
came down the maddened beast caught
him again and threw him up, this time
| killing him,
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-07-26
The Highway Cow.
BY EUGENE J. HAYES.

BY EUGENE ]. HAYES
The hue of her hide was dusky brown.
Her body was lean and her neck was slim;
One horn turned up and the other down,
she was OF keen vision and long of limb
With Isoman nose and short stump tail,
And her ribs like the hoops pf homemade
pail
Many mark did her Old body bear,
She had been target for all things known
On many scar the dusky hair
Would grow no more where it had once
grown;
Many passionate parting shot
Had left upon her a lasting spot
Many and many weil-aimed stone,
eIariy brickbat of goodly size,
And many cudgel, swiftly thrown,
Had brought the tears to her bovine eyes,
Or had bounded off her bony back
With noise like the sound of rifle crack.
Many day had she passed in pound,
For helping herself to her neighbors corn;
Many cowardly cur and hound
Had been transhxed on her crumplcd horn
Many teapot and old tin pail
Had the farmer boys tied to her time worn tail
Old Deacon Gray was pious man,
Though sometimes tempted to be profane,
When many weary mile he ran
To drive her out of his growing grain;
Sharps were the pranks she used to play
To get her fill and get away.
She knew when the deacon went to town,
She wisely watched him as he went by;
He never passed her without frown
And an evil gleam in each angry eye;
He would crack his whip in an angry way
And drive along in his " one-horse shay"
Even at his homestead she loved to call,
Lifting his bars with her crumpled horn
Nimbly scaling his garden wall,
Helping herself to his standing corn
Eating his cabbages, one by one,
Hurryirg home when her work was done.
oiten ,he deacon homewerd came,
ftunlming hymn, from the house of prayer
His hopeful heart in a tranquil frame,
Ills soul as calm as the evening air,
His head as smooth as a well-worn plow,
To find in his garden that highway COW.
Ills human passions were quick to rise,
Aud stridng forth with savage cry,
With fury blazing from both eyes,
AS lightnings fash in summer sky
Reddcr and redder his face would grow,
And after the creature he would go.
over the garden, round and round,
breaking his pear and apple trees
Trampiug his melons into the ground,
Overturning his hives of bees
Leaving him angry and badly stung,
Wishing the old cows neck was wrung.
The MOSES grew on the garden wall,
The years vert by with their work and play
The boys of the village grew strong and tall,
And the gray-haired farmers passed away,
One by one, as the red leaves fall,
But the highwsy COW outlived them ALL
All earthly creatures must have their day,
And some must have their months and years :
Some in dying will long delay.
There is climax to all careers,
Aud the highway COW at last was slain
In running race with railroad train.
All into pieces at once she went
Just like the savings banks when they fall
Out of the world she was swiftly sent,
Little was left but her old stump tail.
The farmers cornfelds and gardens now
Arc haunted no more by the highway cow
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-07-26
Sweets TO the Sweet.

My Flora is the sweetest girl!
One would half think she fed on howerS'
Did one not know she put away
Much solid food at vulgar hours.
Her lips are red, and pink her cheeks;
Her sweet young figures nicely rounded
Did YOU but see her at her lunch,
BY jove, think you'd be astounded
stay. STAY; It's mean these little things
Thus publicly to be reporting;
There is so much in Flora sweet,
It ought and does take some supporting.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-07-26

Immediate surroundings go far in
forming individual character. Washing
ton Irving thought it was an advantage
to one to live and grow up by the side of
a beautiful river, or near lofty noun
tain, as the frequent sight of them would
awaken thoughts and feelings of beauty
and grandness, and thus make good i'm
pressions on the mind.
Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1877-08-29

EDITORIAL ,CHANGE.-Mark W.
Musgrove has severed his connec-
ton with the Battle Mountain
Messenger. and is succeeded by
Judge E. A. Scott. who starts off
with the following sensible words
to his readers: To run the paper
successfully will require both f.
nancial help and good will. there
fore, we ask one and all who are
interested in the welfare of Battle
Mountain and vicinity. to aid US
with your money and influence.
We propose to run The Messenger
in the interest of our town and
county. irrespective of party poll
tics. friends or enemies. serving all
alike. We shall pay particular atten-
.tion to our mining. and other local
interests, urge extended cultivation
of the soil, and labor to inculcate
educational and religious principles
in our community.
Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1877-08-29


The Chinese section men along
the Central Pacific are on The war
path. All Chez, Sisson. Wallace &
Co 3 agent. who supplies them
with rice and tea from Wadsworth
TO Wells, has informed them that
their wages have been reduced
three dollars per month. They do
not strike like white men, but sho "
their displeasure ia sneaki Ig kind
of manner. They loosen bolts
and break cog-wheels on hand cars
and annoy the foreman as much as
possible. East OF Golconda some
of them smashed wheels and broke
tools and gave vent to their anger
in so many ways that they had to
be discharged. 1t il rumored that
white men are being put on the
the road as section men at Sacra-
mento. and that the change will be
made all along the road gradually
until all the Chinese are let out.
Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1877-08-29

A MINERS INcH.-In answer to a
correspondent who desires to know
what is meant by miners inch of
water, the Gold Hill News replies:
A miners inch is an opening one
inch square through a two inch
plank, with o head of water six
inches above the opening. One
inch will pass 90 pounds Of water
in one minute; two inches will pass
1861 pounds in one minute, and
when the opening measures 100
inches, each inch will pass Ill
pounds per minute.