davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-05-18

lt is a somewhat singular fact that al
though the United States assumed all the
rights, powers. and dignities Of naticn OF
the Fourth of july, l776, no great seal was
adopted until about FIVE months before the
signing of the preliminary treaty OF peace
with Great Britain in 1882. This is tht
more remarkable when We consider that oul
foreiathers were brought up under the
shadow of the Enlish law, which prescribed
that no grant nor charter was tddum until
it was sealed, and of English custom, which
taught that even the sign manual of the
sovereign must be authenticated by an i'm
preston from the privy seal.
But although congress neglected to pro-
vide seal, 1t was not because it had not
anticipated the need Of one, for this record
appears in its Journal, under date of Thurs
day, July /, l776;
Rsssirsa That DR.. Franklin. Mr.. J. Adams and
Mr.. Jefferson be a committee TO prepare a device
Tor a seal Tor the United States ofAmeTica.
We obtain an insight of the acts Of this
committee in letter from John Adams to
his wife, under date of Philadelphia, August
II. l776.
Mr.. Adams letter fortunately gives the
key to this elaborate blazon, else We might
have been left forever in the dark in regard
to its authorship. In the general achieve
ment We easily recognize the hand of the
gentleman OF French extraction" NJ. du
SImitiere, who perhaps was induced to adopt
the Goddess of Justice, with her sword and
bllance, in lieu of his "Rifer with his rifle
gun, in Difference to Mr.. Adams taste for
allegory. DR.. Franklin's happy if not
original design, illustrative of the preserva-
ton OF the children of Israel from the NAV
of PharOah and the Red sea, with squint
also at the deliverance of the colonies from
George Ill. and the pillows of tyranny,
though sent to the rear, was adopted in
whole, as well as his motto. The pillar Of
fire in the cloud was doubtless taken from
the design OF Mr.. Jefferson, who, perhaps,
had TO be propitiated because his children OF
Israel were discarded in favor of DR.. Frank
Inns. 1t needed but the addition Of his
Hengist and Horsa, and of Mr.. Adam IT.
resolute Hercules between Vice and Virtue,
to make Il good seal such as the world had
never looked upon.
We, who look back through the gloze of
hundred years and are accustomed to re-
gard tins trio OF patriots as men with whom
the degenerate Legislators Of the present
have lIt:le in common, may well express
establishment that their work did not meet
with immediate approval. But history is O
stern mistress, and we cannot efiace the
record. The journAEof congress shows that
the report Of the committee was ordered "to
lie on the table" and We hear no more Of it
for three long and momentous. years.
On Marchs 25, l779, it was ordered that
the report Of the committe on the device of d
farf no |
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-05-18

The Russian telegraphic agency, while de
elaring that Russia will not reply to Derbys
note, publishes statement which may be
considered Russia's informal reply. 1t says
that the powers which seriously desire to re-
establish an understanding and a guarantee
of general peace must seek a new basis
more i n conformity with the circumstances
without further dwelling on mistaken views
of past results, which are the best refuration
of the English despatch. As respects the
treaty of lS7I, appealed to in this despatch,
it may be asked if the porte was not the
first to break the engagement of the proceed
ing treaty of 1856. If the English cabinet
maintains that the porte was not bound by
it, then that treaty would only have served
to guarantee the porte's entire impunity
All the documents of that period prove, on
the contrary, that the Christian powers did
not mean to defend regime oppressive for
the Christians. They simply decided
against the exclusive protection of Russia
They substituted for it the common protec-
tion of Europe. The duties attaching there
to they have often exercised. The agency
cites instances OF Intervention. such
as the Andrassy note, the Berlin
memorandum, etc, and adds Results
have proved that these PlatOnic interven-
tons led to nothing. If the English cabinet
regards the treaty OF 1856 as impOtent, that
Interpretation will hardly be accepted BY
Europe, or even by the English nation, es-
peciaGy not by the Russian government or
nation. In the interest of the treaty, the
common action and pressure of Europe
should have been exerted. Russia has done
everything for this purpose. Her efforts
were fruitless. 1t only remained for Rus
sia to execute alone the duty which the other
cabinets agreeing with her in principle hes-
tated to assusie in practice. The imperial
cabinet is justified in affirming that it is act
ing in conformity with the sentiments and
interests of Europe. The English cabinet
cannot extricate itself from this dilemma,
except by procsiming that England Is the
first Mussulman power in the world, and
that she consequently wishes for the main-
tenance of Turkish dominion over the Chris
tians. even at the cost of their extermina-
ton. We hold the English ration in too
great esteem to believe it would sanction
such n pnlicv -
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-05-18
FOREIGN NOTES.

An English officer who has quite lately
been over the ground has written home that,
50 far as he can see, there is nothing to stop
| the Russians between the Danube and Con-
stantinople. One of the Balkan roads is
well fort fled, the others weakly or not at all.
Prince GOrtschakoff, although now in his
10Th year, directs the destinies of the
Russian Empire with as much vigor as ever.
Since 1856 he has been uninterriptedly
Minister of Foreign Affairs.
A Berlin despatch says Russia is seeking
German machinists in order to make the
Russian navy ready for sea as soon as
possible. Numbers Of American naval
officers, engineers aud machinisrs have been
arriving at Hamburg for some time, on their
way to st. Petersburg.
A letter from Rustchuk to the London
Neies says the Turks are in high spirits, and
think it a mere trifle to vanquish within
few weeks not only the Russians, but the
whole of Europe. They are impressed with
the idea that they are enjoying the special
protection of Allah.
The debates in the British Parliament
over Mr.. GladstOne's resolutions, give little
light as to what the British Ministry will
decide that British interests require Great
Britain to do in the affairs of Turkey. Great
reserve is maintained on this point, both on
the part of the Ministry and of its majority
in the House of ComEons.
The total number of Mohammedsns in all
parts Of the world is now estimated at l70,-
100000. A large number Of these are in
Africa In British India there are about
thirty-fve millions.
Upon Russia S declaration of war, the Sui
tan announced that he should unfurl the
Standard of the Prophet ii the emergency
for it arose The English Minister at Con-
stantinOpe, advised him not to resort to that
step, but 1t is again reported that the Sui
tan has fully determined to proclaim a holy
war The Standard of the Prophet Is kept
carefully guarded in the Sersglio. 1t is the
sacred symbol of their faith and its solemn
enfurling by tine Sultan would proclaim to
the followers Of the Prophet in all parts of
the world that Islam was threatened and
that they were summoned to the rescue.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-05-18

W. L. Du Bois, the asSayer of the | nitcd
States mint at Philadelphia, in letter tc
the Lcdgr of that city, speaking Of spurious
COINS and how they may be detected, says
"Counterfeiters generally content them
selves with the cheap and quiet process Ct
casting from moulds, though sometime they
strike the pieces from dies. The mould Is
made from the genuine coin and yields fac
simile. They use type metal, somewhat
hard and sOnorous by the addition of copper,
and the whole being ;htly silyered over
in battery, and the g. e neatly rubbed out
on the edge. Such pieces may pass while
fresh and new. They are, however, rather
too white and tco thick, or if of the right
thickness, too light. There is something
about the genuine coin that ordinarily puts
it above suspicion, particularly after the
new white surface has given place to the
lninitable and permanent nine-tenths tint.
II may be abused by heating or staining or
by contact with gum-elastic bands. 1t has
been dsfgured with tin ioii for the small
purpose OF provoking Il bet. In rare cases
1t may have flaw at the edge, or shut in,
which destroys the ring. But generally it
speaks well for itself as to color and sound.
1.-The genuineness of half dollar Is
something worth looking after, to any of
US, and especially to stOreSeepers, taking
them often through the day. 1t is. there
fore, worth the trouble to have on the coun-
ter one or two witnesses easy to be had.
''First-A balance, which need be no
more than thin strip of wood eight or ten
inches long neatly poised. Place good
piece on one end and the suspected one on the
other, and have weight of three grains at
hand. If the difference is more than that,
decline taking the piece.
Second A liquid test, composed as fol-
lows Twcnty-four grains of nitrate OF sill
yer in crystals one gramme (say Is grains)
OF nitric acid and one ounce of water. ANY
druggist can put this up, in small bottle
with n pointed glass stopper made for lift
ing drops, taking care to use pure ingred-
tents. Remove little of the surface of the
coin by knife, and then touch the place
with drop from the stopper. If good,
there will be no action; if bad, it blackens
at once.
at should be observed that this is not
the compound We use for examining gold
counterfeits and iewelry And, further,
some persons use nitric acid alone, which
will discolor good coin as well as bad
ono.
AS for the pieces struck from dies, they
are generally sucn poor limitations that the
taker almost deserves to lose by them.
Such piece, dated 1876, is now before me
good color, feeble and faulty devices. right
weight, but quite too thick. 1t would be
caught by the guagc already mentioned. 1t
is a whitish brass, with silver plating. more
substantial than the electro silvering"
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-05-18
VOL. XIX. NEW SERIES. VOL. xxi.

so near indeed that could see, even i'll the
darkness. the surface of the water flecked
with frOthy foam. The course became mor'
irregular and rocky, and the sides of th'
gorge more shelving.
Suddenly the log shot ahead with fearfu
velocity, and struck on n huge boulder thai
projected above the water with n stunning
shock, then shot from its course upward.
lost my hold, seemed carried upward with
| great force, and fsll unconscious on the hare
rocks at the side of the stream; while tn,
log shot over the precipice, down, down
sheer fifty feet
1t was broad daylight when recovered my
senses. opened my eyes, and stared va
cantly about me, at the same time attempt
ing TO rise. My every bone and muscle
seemed bruised and broken; yet succeeded
in gaining straight position. Four feet
below WAS the still roaring river, hasteninG
to the falls beneath
had been landed on a level shelf on the
shore of the stream, and found but little
difficulty, severe as were my injuries, In
scaling the slight elevation. and reaching the
more level Nno beyond. Here | rested for a
few moments, binding my wounds. and as
certaining my whereabouts; then | started in
a northwesterly direction for the post OF
b
-Four hours afterward, ragged, and so lame
that could scarcely walk l entered the en-
campment. The sentinel stared at me mute
ly, assisting me to my quarters. whence.
after death-hke sleep of few hours, re-
paired to headquarters.
General Fernido greeted me warmly, ex-
pressing no little astonishment at my pale
face and swollen hands, He had missed me,
and, fearing that had probably wandered
from the camp and been captured by the in
surgents, had sent out scouts. who had just
returned with no tidings of me.
Astonishment gave way to gratefulness
when | related my strange experience. which,
one year afterward, when left for New York.
the rebellion having been crushed, assumed
a substantial evidence of sincerity in the
shape OF splendid medal and seventy
ounces of gold.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-05-18
The Mexican Outraxes,

One Of the most difficult questions with
which President Grant had to deal was the
protection Of the lives and property Of Amer
lean citizens along the Mexican frontier, on
the Rio Grande. A wholesale system Of
robbery of cattle and horses by organized
Mexican banditti has existed under the pc
culiar condition of affairs on the Mexican
side Of the river; and thieves find ready
market for their plunder by disposing Of it
TO Mexican merchants, who pay cash for the
horses and cattle, and are protected by the
Mexican Government.
The attempts to correct this by authorizing
Texas to organize volunteers failed in the last
Congress. Washington dispatches announce
that President Hayes and the Cabinet, act
ing upon information received from Gen.
Ord, in command of IT, 5. troops there, have
decided that at length the time has come
when the Mexican Government must be
made to understand that il it cannot stop
these depredations the United States Will.
Secretary ETarts has been authorized to COM
municate with the Diaz, or De tdcto, Govern-
ment in Mexico through our representative
in the City of Mexico, and to demand OF 1t
that these outrages Immediately cease, and
to give notice that if the Mexican Govern
ment is powerless to correct this EVIL,
the United States will be obliged to do
it in its own way. In other words, Gen.
Ord will be authorized to follow the aggrss-
sors and recaptdre the property of American
citizens wherever it may be found. The
result of this correspondence remains to be
seen; but the Mexican Government will
doubtless be profuse in promises.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-05-18

SPONTANEOUS COMBUsTGoS.-An important
communication has been made to the Socie-
lie Industrielle, France, showing the result
of some Investigations recently made con-
ccrnlng the spontaneous combustion of oily
refuse, and the relative inflammability of the
different oils at present employed for lubri-
eating purposes.
Experiments were thus made upon frag-
ments of cotton, linen, Jute. and wooden
waste, saturated with OILS of different ma
lures, the materials being placed in box OF
tin, having double bottom in which steam
entered, 50 that the part which received the
refuse could be maintained at temperature
Of one hundred and eighty degrees Fahr, II
Thermometer, inserted IN the oily substance,
enabling the variations of temperature oc-
curing therein TO lie accurately noted.
The results obtained are stated to show,
first, that any vegetable or animal oil inevi-
tably takes fire after few hours under the
above conditions. On employing cotton
waste, the mass burns quickly and in fame
in contact with the air. Wool refuse is
slowly transformed into black carbonace-
ous mass. The addition of mineral oil -
known rs mineral lubricating oil serves to
retard the spontaneous combustion of yege-
table or animal oil, if mixed in small guam
tity; if large amount he added, intamma-
, tlon is entirely prevented. The mineral oil
used in this case WAS a very dense product
Nts90). having great yiscosity and emitting
no inilammahle yapors even in contact with
an isniied body at any point below ,33s de
degrees Fi,hrcnheit-or. in other words, re-
manning safe at temperatures at which mix
tures Of less dense mineral oils, or COLA oil
burn. The addition of forty per cent. OF
mineral ol Is sufficient to prevent spontane-
Gus combustion; while the addition of twenty
per cent. doubles the time necessary to de
trrmIue conditions favorable to the same.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-05-18

How ESeiisH AUTHORS WORK. Mr.. TrO,-
lope asserts that he does all his writing be-
fore breakfast. Mr.. Tom Taylor said at a
literary fund dinner, at which Mr. Motley
WAS present that all his literary work had
been done before official hours in the morn
ing. H. J. Byron says he only writes two
hours a day. but ho takes credit for thinking
a good deal. Mr.. Hepworth Dixon literally
W ties from morning to night. George Eliot
is at her q, sb six or seven hours n day Mrs.
Henry Wood writes every day until dinner
time. How many hours a day do you
write" | asked Fnrjcon to-day. IAN the
time, WAS the reply, and 1t was very nearly
true. The late Lord Lytton sad that in two
hours daily great things in literature might
be done. and somebody has finished that up
aud adopted the idea in imagination. Why
even Scott never, on his working days, wrote
less than four or five hours, and he always
sat down TO his desk primed. There was no
aiiecthtIun of leisure about the authors OF
'Pendennis' and David Cupperileld, and
Ballac would lock himself up for weeks to-
gether and write hour after hour at q stretch,
and would come forth into the world with his
book haggard, careworn, and, exhausted.
Miss BraddOn had been IN the habit of writ
ing from ten 10 sixteen hours n day, and only
a couple of years ago her labor was SO inces-
SAINT that 1t turned her brain, and she had to
lay down her pen for many months in the
middle Of a novel, which was finished by a
friend.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-05-18
The kcy to the Turkish Possessions In Asia
Minor

hinOr
Erzeroum, for the possession of which the
Russian armies are preparing, is the chief
city of the pashalic of the same name, which
is the most important in Asia Minor. Tie
pashalic includes population of 100000
people, distributed in l,5OO villages and
towns The city of Erzeroum has a popula
tion estimated at 10000, beside its garrison.
of these 10000, 10000 are Turks, 5000
Orthodox Armenians and $500 Catholic
Armenians. In lS221 the population was
estimated at 10000 The number of lts iu-
hsbitants is constantly changing, however.
owing to the great number of people who
arrive and depart with the caravans. Pesti-
lence has often made serious inroads upOn
the population, and emigration has taken
many people away. The eity con
tains 22S khans, Is public baths, 20
mosques and merjidS, and churches
of the Armenian, Latin and Greek
Christians The new part of the town is
partly surrounded by an old casteliatcd wall,
bur large part of the place Is not walled
4 deep ditch was excavated around the sub
urbs some years ago to keep OF the Rus
slams, ami there are no permanent defences
of any importance, except the hastily erect
ed works now thrown up and iud.fiereniiy
armed. The winters in Erzeroun are very
severe. owing to Its elevation (6OO0 fect)
above the sea The plain about the ci =,
which is 80 or 10 miles long, formerly con
tanned 100 aourishing villages, but emisra-
tion has depopulated many OF them, whicn
now lie in waste.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-05-18
The Sewing Machine Patents that have Become
common Property.

The following patents, on which the liie
of the sewing achine monopoly Ina rr-ic'',
have now become common Iropertg II Tire
country The yibratory needle and rcripr.
eating shuttle. the foundation OF the d1uh.e
thread machines the vibrato-y ne IDLE aud
the rotating hook, the vital principle oi Il e
single thread machines and the con inuous
feed, in combination with one or both of
these, either with whe,l motion or fore M
ton. The last is the vital principl, cut OF
which alone, exclusive of the other patents.
the monopoly has cleared Si,OOO,Onh. In
the original Howe machine the ie'd Inn-
tiOu was secured bv thin slip of met |
with raised points. worked by ratch, .
and wheel After it had gone so far tn
cloth had to be lifted back, II tedious Opera
tion which made the machine nearly useless.
The difficulty was bridged by Ba.chelder,
who substituted cylinder, maxim a cor
tinuous feed, for the plate. lnder varioI
notifications, one of which was inyelted w
Wilson, in 1850, for yIbratOry feed, tins
Batchelder patent has remained ess ,ntial 10
every sewing machine. whatever is work
or make might he. 1t has been extended
twice, to the enormous profit of the combine
tion that was made by the Singer, Wheeler
~ Wilson, Grover n Baker, and Hove sew
ing machine companies, To pool the profits
in making IT. \ wear ago, the grelt mono
poly pooled ( 900 .OOo to procure third
extension. Lobbyists and lawyers were re-
tanned by the dozen, but the extension was
not secured.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-05-18
NUMBER AZ.
POLITICAL NOTES.

The United States Pension Commissioner
believes the present incumbents at pension
agencies into which others are to be merged
will be retained, providing their records are
good
Four hundred and ffty-fye million dollars
Is the sum of the actual reduction of the ma
tional debt during the administration Of
President Grant. Great Britain only re-
@ dnoed Its debt during the same time S270, !,
600 600.
A Louisiana delegation urged the Pres-
Dent on W ednesday to appoint SenatOr-elect
Spohord to the bench Of the Supreme Court
and thus secure the admission of Governor
Kellogg. 1t is the general belief at Wash
lngton, however, that e1-Secretary Bristow
Will receive the appointment.
In the Illinois Assembly, few days since,
the Speaker called a colored member to the
chair, whereupon the Democratic members
set up howl which would disgrace any
legislative body. showing that negrO-phobia
still afflcts the Bourbons.
The Jeffersonian Democrat (Dem.) of
Louisville. Ky, discloses the following plan
for subduing the Yankee and the tariff;
" We of the South intend to make friends
with the Western States, and in due course
OF time rid both sections and the whole
country of Yankee domination through
the protecting influence of most iiniquit-
Gus tariff system. In ten years we expect
to be rich enough to buy and sell the rich
North
President Hayes in a recent interview said
he entertained no doubt of the, success of his
effort to destroy the color line in politics
and bring the first men in both parties to
the front. He expected the Republicans
would carry North Carolina and Tennessee at
the next election. In South Carolina he
expected that Hampton would pursue such
course that two years hence the Republi-
cans will be glad to nominate and run him
Tor Governor. He also believed the Repub-
licans would carry Louisiana at the next
election, and that the Democratic party in
that State will not be able to hold together.