davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Russellville Democrat., 1877-03-29
DOG AND BADGER.
A R~~'.ssesses sf Fs~sus E.s'is''


 The London Examiner relates the fol lowing anecdote of tho late James Merry, the English sportsman, iron-mas ter, mil lionaire and member of parliament:
 "A favorite pastime of our hero, in his early days, were the pitting of a dog against a badger. He and his chum m sport, who became his partner in busi- ness. procured celebrated badger that had never been drawn by any dog. some Edinburgh sportsmen, however, sent challenge, and backed their dog against the badger for what in those days was esteemed heavy amount, a sum or five hundred dollars.
 s.The owners of the badger accepted the bet, and the fight was to come off at Linlithgow, halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh, on certain day. To the horror oi our sportsman ana DIS chum the badger died, and died on the day just before the day on which the affair was to come of. To one of them the five hundred dollars was dead loss; !; but to the other-who knew that there was hope even when the signs of life were gone--there was something yet to be done-as we know well enough there always is to them who have heart for any fate. So he took the dead badger, placed him in the we'll known box, pro- ceeded to the trystring- prepared, | if possible, to save if only portion of the money now forfeited. "On arriving at Linlithgow the men oi l the defunct badger had their hearts re. lieyed by learning that the dog men had come but had not brought their dog with them the warrior, however, would not fail to appear the next day. This was accounted an opportune moment by the companion of our merry,nearteo hero to propose compromise. The mer' " one bade his friend keep his own counsel, or wait to hear what the dog party might say. They dined together the all-subduing and melting influence ol the much desired Clyneleish brand pro noting good fellowship and good will. "1'he dog party began to hint at draw. | ing the bet, rather than trying draw the badger. A kick under the table from his friend intimated the anxiety he felt | to close at once with any terms that might be offered. That kick was re. sponded to by another still more vigo- rous. Finally, the packers of the dog l offered fifty dollars to cancel the bed' Kicking was again renewed, but our hero remained firm, like Horatius, who kept the bridge so we'll, steadfast still in mind. It was at length agreed that the dog party should forfeit three hundred and seventy-five dollars. The bank notes were handed over and the momentous question was settled.
 "Tm thinking we've got the better O ye this time, Jamie; GOT dawgs got the maDge.' :.
 "'Tm no sea sure about that replied the other; our badgers dead ?"
The Russellville Democrat., 1877-03-29
Biiou Hcron's Past and Future.

When complimented upon a perfor- nance Matilda IHeronlwould say, ,'alluding to Bijou: "Ah, she is the future greatest actress in the world. Wait till you see her-and that will be when I bring her out" Indeed her affection for her child amounted to passion---she lived in her and for her. A few months ago, in fit of eccentricity, she conceived the idea that some one was trying to separate them. Instantly she moved rom her lodgings and sought apartments in an obscure part of the city, remaining con cealed there for several weeks, while her friends were seeking in vain to discover her whereabouts. Bijou Heron is now fifteen years old !; she is slight, graceful, and good looking, but with aprematurely old and careworn air and manner. This is due, no doubt, largely to the life of constant excitement and anxiety that she has led with her mother. She IS really more womanly than most women twice her age. Her friends and those of her mother are anxious that she shall now retire from the stage for time and seek the training and recreation of other girls of her age, which she has hitherts lacked, either in school or with family. It is not improbable that this will be done, and, if it is, Miss Bijou is, in the opinion of those who are com petent to judge, destined to great sue cess as an actress. The means to enable her to pursue the course suggested are likely to be raised either by benefit performance or by subscriptions from professional friends of Miss Heron, many of whom are indebted to her for past kindnesses,-Ncw York World.
The Russellville Democrat., 1877-03-29
The Household.

FRIED CAKEs.--One cup of sugar, one cupful of milk, one egg, three tablespoon fuls of melted lard, one teaspoonful of soda, flour to roll fry in lard to rich brown.
 GINGER COOKIES - One cupful of sugar, one of molasses, one of shortening, one of water, two teaspoonfuls of soda and two of ginger; mix stiff enough to roll thin, and bake in moderately hot oven to light brown.
 CoDFIsH.-Always buy the very small fish, which is almost boneless After freshening it thoroughly, take equal parts of fish and cold potatoes. Slice the po- tatoes very thin, and pick the fish in small bits have also some hard boiled eggs, and slice them, be careful not to break them. Take an earthen baking dish, place in it layer of potatoes, then fish, then egg. Sprinkle little black pepper over. Repeat until your dish is nearly full. Cover with cream or fresh, rich milk, put small pieces of butter over the top, turn plate oyer it, and stand where it will cook one hour slowly. To be eaten with buttered toast.
 To FRY APPLES AND PORK CHops.- Season them with salt and pepper and n little powdered sage or sweet msr- joram; dip them into beaten egg and then into beaten bread crumbs. Fry about twenty minutes, or until they are done. Put them on hot dish. Peur off part of the gravy to serve with them, if you choose. Then fry apples which you have sliced about two-thirds of an in inch thick, cutting them around the apple 80 that the core is in the center of each piece; When they are brown on one side and partly cooked, turn them with pancake turner, and let them finish cooking. Dish around the chops or on separate dish.
The Russellville Democrat., 1877-03-29
The Manufacturing Interests Of the
 South.

Some few years ago it was quite an easy matter to apportion to each section of this mighty continent it's various sources of wealth: to the New England states belonged the industries; to the west the raising of wheat, and to the south the production of cotton, but as the country has developed, the minds of all shrewd business men have been opened to the necessity of combining manufac turing enterprises with agricultural pur- suits: the west was the first to adopt the necessity of producing goods in pro portion to what was grown within her districts, for she found out she never de- rived any benefit of reciprocation from the importation of the articles she paid so dearly for in the east. Apart from the mere question of grain, it is one of the first principles of political economy to diversity as much as possible the diff ferent channels in which labor is em- ployed, and so of late years it has dawn ed upon the south that so long as she continued to plant cotton and make it her chief source of occupation, she could only attract to her territory the very poorest class of field labor, for from sta tistics it has clearly been shown that the cotton laborer very rarely is able to earn anything over and above his actual ex- penses, and of course the man who has nothing to spend does nothing for the opening up or progress of that section in which he is working.
 The contrast has been very marked be- tween the farming hands of the cotton states and the workmen in the manufac- turing districts; to this end tho south has been obliged to push forward her ut most energies in encouraging everything that tended to promote her future wealth, and so has determined to appro- priate certain share in the rapid growth the United States has made in manufactures, which have doubled with in the last ten years. The financial crisis of 1873 did great deal of good to the south, as while all industries were at a standstill in the north, suffering as they did from the encumbrances of debt, contracted in prosperous times, the few cotton factories that had been erected in the South were all doing most success ful business. In Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Texas mill property to this day is paying large dividends. The only way to keep trade ever on the in- crease, is to create new activity the mo- ment it is discovered that certain other localities are outstrirping the south of her legitimate occupation, the spinning, as well as the growing of cotton. The great drawback to the proper advance ment of manufacturing enterprise is that both state and municipal laws prevent the untrameled execution of local ener- gy, and while, of course, it is very diff cult fer legislators to see that the wealth of their various sections depends upon the selfsupporting capacity of their in- habitants, still it is an essential point to inspire due encouragement to build up every kind of enterprise, instead of pull ing it down by stringent taxes, for the amalgamation of agricultural and man. ufacturing pursuits is the only way for any people to acquire permanent wealth and retain a lasting independence.
The Russellville Democrat., 1877-03-29
The Amazon Trade.

The late commodore Maury shed much light upon the trade capacity of the re- zion of the Amazon in Brazil, which he looked upon as destined to be one ot the most lucrative in commerce. The Phil adelphia Ledger calls attention to the same subject, and says that when once the energy of the American and British merchant is intelligently devoted to opening this vast and productive region, it's trade will rival that of the East h. dies. The chief tributaries of the Anna zon are the Madeira and Negro rivers, the former flowing in from the south and the latter from the north. The confiu- ence of the Negro is in the heart of Brazil, and near it's mouth is the town of Manaos, which has hitherto been a chief stopping place of the lines of steamers or sail vessels from the upper portions of the rivers and transshipped at it's wharves to other steamers trading to Para, on the bayou of that name, about eighty miles from the Atlantic. Para, probably the best known city of Brazil to the foreign merchant, for it equals Rio Janeiro in commercial importance, has been the trading port of this great river valley, whence have come the ships of the world. America. England and Portugal have heretofore conducted the bulk of its commerce, and it has taken & considerable amount of American goods, sent chiefly from New York and Boston, and transhipped at it's wharves on vessels going to the interior. The costliness of this transhipment is hereafter to be saved, if it is possible to do so, for line of American steamers is about to be es- tablished to ply direct between New York and Manaos, entering the main mouth of the Amazon north of Para. This line will probably receive sub sidy from the province of Amazonia, of which Manaos is the chief city, and it is also said to have the sanction of the em- peror. At the same time other Brazil ian trade is not neglected, for the pioneer vessel of a new line between New York and Rio Janeiro will sail from the former city about the beginning of March. Baltimore must look to her interests in these new means of trade with Brazil.-- Baltimore Sun.
The Russellville Democrat., 1877-03-29

eye of the latter. At this diminished speed the yacht can he easily stopped by | heinz spun around and brought head on to tho wind. This is the method most | generally adopted in heavy winds, in- stead of lufing up in the usual way from beam wind. The vessel is an- chored by placing the rudder at right angles to the keel, and lowering the jib.
 In ordinary sailing, a vessel would be at her greatest speed before the wind while in ice-yachting it is just the con trary. Cautiously, when sailing at great speed with the wind abeam, or three-quarters free, the yacht travels go much faster than the wind that the lat ter seems to blow from ahead. In beat ing to the windward, an ice yacht is pointed more closely, and her speed is about the same aa that of the wind. An | ice yacht attains her greatest speed when running in . direction somewhat similar to that in which the wind is blowing, making long legs to the lceward, | or, as ice yachtsmen say, she "beats to | the leeward." The resultant wind strikes her on the bows; and on changing from one leg to another, instead of "jib- ing" she goes into stays, with the wind, as before stated, apparently ahead.
 An ice boat makes good deal of noise, | though it is not noticed much by the sailors. However, when standing on the ice and watching them, the "r0ar" of the skates can beheard over mile away. The Flyaway, with MT. Grinnell and
 the writer on board, participated in tho morning in sciub race with seven other yachts; but no fast time was made, the wind being fickle. The winning yacht made the six miles sailed in some I twenty minutes. About midday, the
 Flyaway was headed for the shore ; and it seemed to the writer as if she were going to run into the stone ensbankments of the railroad but by dexterous turn she was spun half around and stopped.
 l MT. Grinnell and the writer then cm- : parked on board the Whif, the beauti- fully finished yacht which attracted go much attention at the centennial exhi- bition. The wind being somewhat more steady, seme fine spurts were made; and, with n ten mile breeze, the swift craft made successively, one-half milein forty five seconds, enc mile in seventy seconds, and finally one mile in sixty nine sc conds, the latter being at the rate of fifty-two and onc.fifth miles per hour.
 The Whiff in the afternoon won a twelve mile race, to which about six miles should be added for tacking, Tn thirty-three minutes, there being two other contestants, the winner coming in minute ahead. l As results of this days yachting, the
 writer found that his face was burnt somewhat by the wind, that the muscles of the upper part of the body were some
 what sore from the straining in holding on to the yacht, and that, as he dropped
 off to sleep, ice was all around him, and
 he seemed to hear the crunch of the
 skates, and to be spinning around do
 infnit,m Scientific American.
The Russellville Democrat., 1877-03-29
OUR YOUNG FOLKS.
The lsaby nt school.
ny MARY A. TIMPsoN.

ny MARY A. TIMPs0N. The baby has gone 10 school, ah me 1 What will the mother do, With never a call to button, or pin, Or tie little shoe ' How can she keep herself busy day by day, With her little "hindering thing" Another basket to fill with lunch, Another "eood-by" 10 say, And the mother stands at the door to zee Her baby march away;
 And turns with q sigh that is half relief, And half, something akin to grief She thinks of possible future morn When the children one by one, Will go from their home out into the world To battle with life alone, And not even the baby be left 10 cheer The desolate homo of the future year. She picks up the garments here and there, Thrown down in careless haste; And tries to think how it would seem If nothing were displaced If the house was always still as this, How could she bear it's loneliness But mothers have no time to dream Of future griefs, or joys; She's very sure that night will bring Home hungry girls and boys. So casting useless fears away, She labors cheerfully all day.
 -P Ptfr1I Ho,o.
The Russellville Democrat., 1877-03-29
David Dudley Field.

David Dudley Field has not won many laurels in his new position. In the department of law he is power. He is unrivaIled as an adviser, and his practice is simply enormous. He has his pick, and turns away enough to run several law offices. He is understood to be in the ring, and has that practice. Men who fight the ring hurry up to retain much of his wealth by his romantic mar riage. His style as a lawyer is peculiar. He seldom says anything to client. He listens attentively to the story, and usually ends by asking the question, "well, what do you want done ?" He generally takes the desires of the client and carries it out without expressing his own opinion. He has the ability to keep his own counsel in marvellous degree.-- New York Letter.
The Russellville Democrat., 1877-03-29

A NICE young lady in west-side sun day school has class of bright little boy with whom she labors to have everything clearly understood, and to this end fre- quently calls upon the class to define the "hard words" Happening to use the
 wsponsibility," she asked some
 plain what it meant, upon which
 he smallest, wise little chap,
 as follows, greatly to the aston
 of the aforesaid young lady:
 nas two buttons for their s s'penders
 keep their pants up. When one Duet0T comes of, why there's a good deal of responsibility on the other but ton."
The Russellville Democrat., 1877-03-29

an ;lluminstor. and now enters millions of honseholds carrying humanizing and civilixing effects which can nardiy Do estimated. From Colonel Drake, tnc solitary operator of 1859, with his single assistant, the number receiving employ, ment from drilling has increa-ed 70 IVY men, while those who derive support rom pumpipg. refining, and transporting petroleum, together with the mechanics, salesmen. and clerks employed in varlous dependent industries, and among whom may be included mechinists and manu-
 lecturers of barrels, boilers, drilling
 tools, chemicals, glue. lamps, and the
 like. would form larger army than
 won for us American independence.
 Nor is the sudden growth of this m
 dustrv the most remarkable event in its
 career. Colossal fortunes have peer made and dissipated by dealings m 2 staple which has ever been supJecteo N she most violent fluctuations in prices Crude oil has sold as high as $l4 per bar rel at the wofls when demand has ex' cceded the supply, and. when the scales turned confro. ten cents per barrel hal darkcned tbe hopes of producers. Won derful improvements have been made IT all the branches of the industry, anc yankee ingenuity has been taxed to the utmost. It took C0n0nel Drake sS months to drill seventy-one feet m l808-9 but in 1876 MT. Charles s. Clark drilled over l,500 feet in twenty eight days, tn' usual time being six or eight weeks. II l the refining branch great improvement 1 have been affected. Many will remcm | Der the dark color of oil turned out b! refiners in early days. Its offensive odo made even the presence Of lamp an oD | iectionable feature in any room, whii the fumes arising from a burning laml l were almost unbearablc. Crusted wick
 and smoky chimmeys attested the i'm
 perfection of the refiner's art, annoyed the thrifty housewife, and contraste'
 strongly with the pure water-white colo of the premium safety oil, it's freedom from odor and it's superior burning qual ities. Again, the volatility of the liqui'
 made it's confinement difficult, even il
 the most skilfully prepared barrels l Oftentimes a lot of oil would shrinl twenty and sometimes fifty per cent
 while being transported to the retailer l A days exposure on platform-car or
 freight depot, in hot sun or search ing wind, would make sad havoc witl the dealers profits; or it might be care fully placed by the side of hogshead c
 sugar, only to escape from it's barrel an I quietly take up quarters in the hogs l head with it's neighbor. Boston Ira' l ..,s,.S
The Russellville Democrat., 1877-03-29
How Petroleum is Found.

The Pennsylvania petroleum is found in sandstone formation fully 1000 feet below the lowest coal measures, the But Ter county oil-bearing rock lying fully 300 feet below the level eff the sea. The general public entertain the idea that it is the result of the distillation of coal but scientists and practical operators deny any connection between the coal and oil measures. Hitherto science has afforded but little light upon the origin of rock oil, while operators have given more attention to processes for ex. tracting if from the earth than to the in- vestigation of the question as to how it came there. There are but few facts which will support any theory whatever, and these point to product of the de- composition of aquatic plants and ami mals, as coal is the result of enormous deposits of vegetation. Other authorities have asserted that it is the result of dis tiilation in the earth's crust. As yet its origin is utterly undetermined.
 In the winter of 185S-9 Colonel E. l.. Drake, of New Haven, Ct., started an artesian we'll on an island in Oil Greek, small tributary of the Alleghamy river. A neighboring spring had for a long time given out about twenty barrels of petroleum in each year, which had been bottled and sold for medical purposes under the name of Seneca Oil" It was twith view of increasing this yield that
 he artesian we'll was started. In the latter part of August, 1859, the drill reached the oil-bearing rock a. depth of seventy-one feet, and resulted in yield of over 1000 gallons per day. For centuries the Indians of that section had collected the oil from the creek by spreading their blankets upon its sur face, their labors being rewarded by small lots, with which they mixed their war paint or which they burned to illu- mine their feasts and war dances. Dur ing these centuries no effort had been made to secure it in large quantities, and the first one to drill for the product had caused glut in the market by produc- ing twenty-five barrels per day. But subsequent events showed that Colonel Drake builded greater than he knew.
 Its near resemblance to crude coal oil the first product of the productive distillation of coal-led manufacturers to subject petroleum to those same pro- cesses to which crude coal oil was sub. iected in the manufacture of an illumi- nator, and in day demand for the product was created. From a daily yield of 9 barrels 50,000 barrels produc- tion has been reached and passed. From sales of fifty cent vials for corns, chil- plains. and rheumatism, transactions have enlarged to entire cargoes and are daily carried from our shores to every part lof | the globe. From seventy-one .feet-the | depth of the initial effort--the oil driller | of to-day sinks shaft 1,700 feet deep nearly one-third of mile. Indeed some | wells have been drilled to depth of | nearly 5000 feet. Instead of twenty five "pumper the oil operator has sometimes been rewarded by a 5000 bar
The Russellville Democrat., 1877-03-29

(say lS60) and the beginning of the year just passed (l876) it has brought into the United States more than $400, ,OO0,- GOO in gold-almost equal (if the heavy premium in gold during the civil war be considered) to the entire amount of the circulating medium of the nation, in- cluding the treasury notes and national bank circulation. From serving at ieasts and orgies of savages it has arisen to the foremost position in the world as
The Russellville Democrat., 1877-03-29

TIE Asters have given notice to all their tenants-and they are numbered by hundreds--that after the first of May next reduction of ten per cent. will be made upon their rents. This is the third reduction ofa similar amount which they have made since the panic, making in all thirty per cent
The Russellville Democrat., 1877-03-29
FARM AND FIREsIDE.
How re sxsHs . R.s.

A ladv writes the American Farm Journal: As the making of floor ma's and rugs has become so fashionable ot late, I would like to tell my way ot making a rug. In the first place, cut and sew my rags the same as l would TOT rag carpets, each color by itself, then with a large hook I knit the diamond about one-third of q yard long of eacn separate color, beginning with one stitcni,, and making one every time across until the center is reached; then narrow one stitch every time across until but one remains; draw the rag firmly through this and it will need no other fastening; knit two rows of black around the entire outer edge of each diamond, and then sew them together by placing the points together, and with large needle ana strong thread take up the outside stitch upon each diamond every stitch that you sew with the needle, to fill the space pe- tween the outside points of the diamonds; finish the whole by knitting three rows of black around the entire edge of the rug. Of course each individual can use her own taste in disposing of the differ- ent colors through the rug.