davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-07
Is THIS THE IVdY LIFE ON LIND
BEG1N@

This beach is noticeable for sea-weeds
and moses carried on land by the tide
These creations of the deep are of the
most diverse forms and shapes. In the
deep, as under the eye of the sun, nature
exhausts her ingenuity in the produc-
ton of all shapes, forms and colors. One
of these sea weeds is most remarkable
perhaps. 1t consists of interlaced roots
in hollow bundle, four to six inches in
diameter, grasping together as its base
earth, shells and rock at the bottom Of
the sea. From this bundle of roots a
number of round, hollow strings grow,
one-third of an inch in diameter, with
oval wind-bags of the same texture at
intervals, so that they can swim in the
water. These wind-bags have fms like
a fish. and from these fins new roots grow
TO become parents plants in their turn.
The texture of the whole plant Is of
wood fibers and brown gelatinous matter,
like brown india-rubber. As the plant
dries in the sun, thousands OF little in
sects grow out of it and populate the
sand, leaving the dried-up wooden fbers
to show the skeleton of the plant. Here
is a beginning of animal life on earth
right before your eyes, although insects
only. Why do Darwin and Haeckel not
mention this? 1t is worth naturalist's
time to go tc Santa Cruz and subject this
sea-weed to a careful analysis. | will
bring specimens of it to the Cincinnati
university. The plant has various
shapes and grows to different sizes. l
have specimen which looks like a
leather whip, black, elastic, and Interfi-
bered. Editorial Cor. Of the American
Esr0elife
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-07
THE UNEMPLOYED


Three million Of unemployed men in
the United States that is the text
upon which have been threaded more
editorial attempts at pathos lately than
any statement that has been made since
the panic. But is it true2 There are in
the United States about 10000, 600
people, 20,0OOO0O males, of whom not
over 5000, 900 are mature, able-bodied
men. Of these 5000, 600 about 1000 900
are southern negroes, of whom it can
hardly be said that any are really out
employment, since there is work enough
for all who are willing to work. OF the
remaining 100000, at least 5000, 900
are farmers Of whom it cannot be said
that any are out Of employment. This
calculation leaves but about 5000, 900 to
be accounted for, and if they are all "out
of employment" then there Is nobody at
WORK in the Uuited States except the
farmers, But this, of course, is an absurd
cEnclusion. OF these 3, 100000 we know
tat fully / 600, 900 are engaged in active
business in professional work. or else sup
ported from accumulated wealth. And
Of the remaining 100000, at least one
half of 1000 900 is engaged in mechan-
ical trades, in the great business of
transportation, in manual labor, in gov
ernment or state employ, etc, etc. This
would leave but 100000 men really
unemployed in the whole country, Of
whom at least half are southern whites
who won't work, tramps, lazy young
men living on their fathers, etc. We
then arrive at the conclusion that not
over 1000 men in the United States
arc arerealIyunempIoyed.-Pitts5ug Leader
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-07
SOME FACTS ABoUr MERnArDs

The Mermaid is young lady who
lives in the sea. Why she lives in the
sea, in preference to dry land, is not so
clear, unless it saves rent.
A Mermaid is very careful of her cos.
tune, which consists chiefly of her hair
and never goes out without an umbrella
to protect if, in case of rain.
At home, these people have convent
ences and comforts possessed by ordinary
mortals, conspicuous among which are
their excellent water privileges. They
have water up and down stairs, and in
the basement, and a wasl-room in every
corner Of tie house. They are brought
up to go in swimming whenever they
please. Sometimes a resplendent creature
viii sit at the piano and sing, " Mother.
may goOut to swim ?" and then climb
upon thehantelpiece and take a plunge
before the old lady can say, " Yes, my
darling, etc.
] do nos know what they do for a live
ihood, unless they take in washing but
it can notbe denied that they get along
swimmingy.
They aHneVer troubled with the dust,
which is mother advantage of being
Mermaid and they are never obliged to
water the flowers, except in the very
dIiest seasn.
They an very neighborly, and it is
seldom yo will see tho pump-handle
chained dKn to keep. others from using
the water.
The oldsdy Mermaid is careful Of her
children Stealth, and may often be heard
to say
Mary Ann, you and Becky Jane
fetch Gails Hamilton Fish right in the
house this1stant. The fust thing you'll
know youT get your feet wet, and then
you'll be howlin' around with the
croup%
There Is great deal Of unwritten
history connected with the Mermaid,
which ouhg to be supplied. Like other
maids, they sometimes betray unsuspect-
ing young men. One of them fell in
love with Leander, if you remember;
and one day he was taking a swim,
she approached him, and, without an
introductiOn, she insisted upon him
accompanying her home. She was very
beautiful, and Leander did not make a
great kick against going.
According to Mr. Hood, who was a
gentleman whose word could not be
questioned, she bundled him up in her
embrace, and took him along.
1t was a bad move for Leander. He
wasn't used to the climate into which he
was being hurried, and he lasted about
as long as it would take you to
say, "Grannywillyourdogbitenochildno,"
without any punctuation marks or any
thing else to delay you.
There was no coroner on hand to hold
an inquest on the drowned boy but had
there been, clear case could have been
made out against the lOve-sick Mermaid.
/ CoulS hGze Aeen made esat, mark you.
There ino telling what the jury would
have rcurned. 1t is more than likely,
howeve, that the verdict would have
been: 1--WE, the" etc, find that the
deceased came to his death by being
kicked in the stomach by a mule, not
knowing that the same was loaded.
1t wa a peculiarly sad case. Leander
had lefta'young bride on shore who was
waiting his return, with warm kisses on
her ipsand hot biscuits on the stove.
?. S. Hyou do not think OF it before,
please stop the press to say that Mer-
maids DO not chew gum" Crjs" IN
Puck.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-07
SOUTHERN NEUIS.

SHE crop of dried peaches il Georgia
this year is estimated to be worth 81 ,50O,-
600
EVERY once in a while they think of
constructing water works in Knoxville,
Tenn.
POINT CoUPEE PARISH, La, has an
immense product Of honey this year.
There are several hundred barrels of it
for export.
The grass on the mountains has been
on fire up in Bandera, Texas, for the past
week. and much of the range has been
destroyed.
On account of low water in the river,
Richmond, Va, is on short water supply.
Consumers are counseled to be economi-
cal in the use of water.
GEORGIA papers speak of the Atlanta
custom-house as a superfuous concern.
1t will take two years more to finish it,
and the cost viii be $500, 900.
The Giles, Va, Gazette says Grayson
county is troubled with an extraordinary
cattle plague The cattle are literally
covered with North Carolina blue ticks,
and the disease has been ascertained TO
be tick fever. Several have died.
The negro man who called herself
| Annie Williams, and was detected in
Chattanooga when his clothing was
stripped from him at the station-house to
give him bath, turned out not to be 50
very fat after all. He was made up with
pillows. II is supposed he had disguised
himself to escape from the consequences
| Of some crime.
| Is life insurance suit in New York
Mr.. p w Grubbs, a real estate agent in
Richmond, Va, testified that the assessed
value of real estate in Virginia often
/ exceeded the actual value the Ballard
House, for instance, of Franklin street,
in Richmond, which was valued by the
city assessors at $500 and about %
er cent. less by the state assessors, would
not bring, under the most favorable cir
cumstances, more than $50, 600.
AN Intellectual attempt was made to
/ capture Jim Pearson, who Is accused of
/ killing a man in southern Texas about a
year ago by a detective from Texas,
assisted by a posse Of citizens, near
Chattanooga last Monday. Pearson,
although the posse were within ten feet
Of him, made good his escape, and now
the Texas detective will have to retrace
/ his steps without his man.
Mr.. HEDGES, of kaufman county,
Texas, has raised some of the pampas or
upland rice, which viii yield about three
hundred bushels to the acre. 1t can be
served like rice for table use, or it will
make wholesome bread. 1t is considered
! the very best for chickens. 1t is said
that a chicken fed upeu this grain viii
never have cholera. It is destined to be
/ a staple grain in Texas, and will be very
profitable to the producer.
RICHMOND, Va, state The hands for
I the Henry Clay statue ordered by the
/ general assembly to replace the mutilated
ones were received by Major Samuel II.
Roykin to-day from Florence, Italy.
They are made of the purest Italian
marble, and are of exquisite workman
ship. The old man in his dusty clothes
and soiled linen viii look odd with his
white, clean hands-but his hands we're
always clean.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-07
AMERIC4N SUGAR INTERESTS.

Gen. Leduc, the commissioner sf agri
ulture, has for some time been engaged
in the consideration of important mat
ters affecting the sugar interests of the
United States, with particular attention
to the subject of increased growth of
that staple in this country He believes
that there can be a saving of more than
sixty millions of dollars a year to this
country by the production of the sugar
athome that is now imported from abroad.
The commissioner is now in correspond
ence with sugar planters and OF ers in
the south and southwest, and has also
received information from the growers of
sugar beet in support of his intention by
endeavoring to decide upon some manner
for largely increased growth of sugar in
the United States. The general agree
ment of planters and others is that there
can be much heavier productions of sugar
in this country than there is at present,
and all who have communicated with
the commissioner on the subject avow
their earnest anxiety to give him all the
benefits of their experience on this sub
iect, and assist him in his efforts wherever
theycan
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-07

A member of the American Institute
Farmers club, at a recent meeting,
said he desired to speak good word for
the cottonwood, which wonderful tree is
fast commencing itself to western farm
ers, on account Of its exceedingly rapid
growth and the reluctance with which it
dies. He could not understand why this
tree, so easily cultivated and 80 useful,
has not been adopted in the eastern
states. The cuttings can be obtained
from nurserymen west, ct small cost.
The cottonwood not only furnishes good
fuel in short time, but makes shade
tree unsurpassed for cattle.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-07
schootand church.

THE university of South Carolina is
to be reopened early next year on as
high scale, it is promised, as it ever
enjoyed.
THE university of Georgia has Rad-
uated six governors twenty six United
States senators and congressman, forty
nine judges and several hundred legisla-
tors.
Miss Jenny Bancroft, recently grad
uated by Syracuse university has be-
come Dean of the Woman's College con-
nected with Northwestern university
Mr.. George Muller, in a response to a
hearty invitation from several of the
clergymen of this country, will sail from
Liverpool the latter part of this month,
for preaching tour in North America,
commencing at New York.
a great deal has been done in England
during the past seven years in the way
of increasing public school accommoda-
tions. Statistics recently published show
that, while there were in 1870 ac-
commodations for 1,878,854 children.
there are now accommodations for 8.
426,74S.
A young lady in Buffalo has a Sunday
school class of seyenty-five young men.
Thirteen years ago she began with class
of seven wild boys. She gave her class
weekly receptions in her parlors. and
played the piano and led the singing for
them. Now her class of seventy-five
have a band of music whose instruments
cost seven hundred dollars, a boat club
and a literary society which publishes a
small newspaper. She was only eighteen
years old when she started this work.
She says it is all the result of prayer,
but it is more probably the result of
prayer and works both.
All the thirty-six candidates for the
diploma of school-mistress have Just been
rejected at Folk, in France, for inability
to solve the following problem: Two
persons employed in a shop have different
salaries, together amounting to / ,400f.
per annum. The first spends two thirds
of her salary, and the second three
fourths. Their joint savings amount to
1,3l0f. year. What is the salary of
each :?
A party of ten young ladies, with the
Rev. George r. Ferguson, wife and five
children, sailed a few days ago in the
steamship City of Berlin for Liverpool,
on their way to Wellington, Cape Colony,
Sol h Africa. They will com bine the
Ing ifuction of the natives in English
with missionary work, and also act as
teachers to the children OF English colo
nists. A sister of Mr.. Ferguson is prin-
cipal OF the Huegenot seminary at We'll
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-07

The average value of the boots and
shoes produced in 1S45 was 20 cents n
pair. in 1855 so cents, in 1865 S1.80, and
in 1875 S1.5O. 1t is impossible to say
how far this represents also fluctuations
in the quality Of the goods, but 1t ID
probable that the cheapening Of labor
and the introduction of machinery have
together reduced the price in the last
decade. The value of the carpetings was
81 per yard in 1865, and less than 75
cents per yard in 1s75-which shows the
source of the immense supply of dollar
carpetings. The great reduction IN the
number of employees in the clothing busi-
ness shows to what an extent the sewing
machine, the machine-shear and more
careful graduations of ready-made "
having superseded the need of the tailor
and the needle-woman. In this line OF
goods, also, the great public has been
compensated by the increased cheapness
of clothing. The average value of the
cotton cloth manufactured was cents
per yaru III loOoj d Scht' ~ '
nearly 9 cents in 1875, since which prop
ably it has been considerably reduced
Metallic works and paper manufacturing
show a pretty stable relation between
the value of the product and the numDei
of laborers required. Woolen manlliac-
lures, on the other hand, like cot'Os'
show much greater increase IN yaros
than in operatives. The woolen prOosss' ,ass
was valued at 46 cents per yard IN loOg,
and 81 per yard in 1855, and "A cents cents. pss =
yard in 1878. Our entire Produe.S.'- .s-S -.
textiles in M 4sachusetts in .r5 lss1 .se
992 ooe, 900 yaAs, or if we resasd nd Il
earth as spool on which = nearly
would pass around our Plane' sDrbw
twenty.three times, aysrd v'o'
| field ReDubiC0n.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-07
IN ExPENsIVE UNDERr4kING.

At the base of the peninsula which di-
vides Lake Superior into lobes, is a beau
tiul lake with an outlet to the east
The natural waterway stretches beyond
Houghton, with its copper mines on the
hillsides, and almost cuts a channel
through the north shore of that lake,
tge neck of land being only two and a
half miles wide. As early as 1864 a cor
poration was formed for the construction
If a shipcanal across this narrow isthmus.
Work was begun during the next
year, but progress was very slow. A cut
300 feet wide and fifteen feet deep was
to be made across swamp, where far
est of heavy growth had once been up
turned by a great storm, and the surf on
the shore rendered necessary the con-
structiOn of a strong break-water. Work
went on; the capital stock was increased
again and again; immense land grants
were made by the state legislature and
by congress, and the property was mort
gagged and remortgaged; and in 1872,
seven years after the construction of the
work was begun, the canal was still un-
finished, and the mortgages aggregated
S3,30O,0 900 at 10 per cent. interest. Fore
closure, litigation and bankruptcy pro-
ceedings followed, and a sale was finally
ordered at Houghton, the highest bid
being IS, 800. As the liens amounted to
over 1851, 900, .the bondhoIders have
sunk about S3,OO0,OOO in this diA FL. A
new company, with capital OF "A ,OOO,-
600, is now endeavoring to complete the
work
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-07
Scietce nnd I,,d,,str,,

1t is stated that !, 800 cigar makers are
now employed in Key West, Fla.
One company in Tifin, Ohio, turns
out 5000 churns and 10000 washboards
annually.
The tobacco cropin Connecticut valley
promises to yield more! than last year,
although the average IS smaller in Con-
necticut-
The United States silk production is
falling off. In 1860 l2.OO0lpOunds of CO.
coons were raised; in 1870 only 5000.
Glass slippers have been produced by
the coming articles Of Vienna. The
slippers are actually woven OF fine ieX-
ible threads of glass.
Large quantities of vanilla are being
shipped from Sanford, Fla, to Savannah.
It Is mainly used by tobacconists in the
manufacture Of Havana cigars.
silk worms hatched by electricity are
now being reared in Italy. It Is sug-
gesGtd to apply the same method to hens
eggsl and to hasten the termination of
At Cairo, Egypt, there is an exten-
sive printing establishment, containing
sixty presses for books in Arabic and for
a daily gazette in Arabic, italian and
Turkish.
a saw, ffty-four feet long and eight
inches wideS intended for use on big
trees in California, has just been turned
out at the Beaver Falls, Pa, steel works.
According to the chairman of the
Grand frank railway, that road has lost
S4,750,0 600 in two and a quarter years
from competition, and railways in Amer
lea have lost $47, 100000 in the same
time from the same cause.
The United States import annually
$50, 100000 worth of fax hemp and jute.
Improved processes are steadily dimin-
ishing the cost of harvesting, preparing
and manufacturing Jute may be grown
IN the southern states; hemp in Ken
lucky, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana
while fax thrives in states further horth.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-07

THE police jury of Point Coupee
La, has passed levee ordinance. They
divide the parish into six levee districts
corresponding with the police jury wards,
appoint one superintendent for each, he
to have the privilege to appoint two
assistants. All persons liable to road
service are compelled to work on the
levee when required, under penalty of
tYo dollars day, or provide an able
bAdied substitute. Persons are forbidden
Employing directly or indirectly, any
person who has been notified TO work on
the levee until such work has been per-
formed under penalty of twenty dollars.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-07
LABOR IND MaCHINERI.

In our recent review Of the new vol
ume OF the Massachusetts, census on
manufactures. we called attention TO the
remarkable effects disclosed regarding the
influence of machinery in reducing the
number Of hands employed in certain
manu- actures. We only spoke Of the
boot and shoe manufacture, but other in
dustries in which machinery plays large
part afford results equally striking; that
Is, they show an increase in production
entirely disproportionad TO the number
of laborers employed. The following
table will illmstrate this.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-07
THE KELLY MOToR.

Mr.. Kelley says that he has just about
completed his new machine, which is
made of wrought iron and cast steel, cost
sixty thousand dollars, and weighs TWEEN
ty tons. He says that he has obtained a
pressure of eleven thousand pounds to
the inch, and then stopped because the
gauge would not stand more, and that if
the metal would hold he could work his
present engine up to ten thousand horse
power. at is he told reporter, "a
quart machine-that is to say, it uses
only a quart of water. With the con-
denser that have now nearly complete,
] will make that quart of water produce
one thousand horsepower motion of
sufficient duration to run steamship
across the ocean.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-07
INTERESTING TRADE FACTS.

The activity IN the grain trade is an
encouraging feture. Canal boats are
unIoadsd as SOFAS they reach this port,
and the canal tide will be assisted by
the present sthe. The export of fresh
mutton and BEL and also o1live stock,
from the Unita States to Great Britain,
has rapidly awn to immense propor-
tions. This kaown by contrasting the
value OF shlpEnts during the first six
months OF lsa with those of the same
time in 1871 The first amounts to a
little less thu 500. 100000, while the
latter is eqa to nearly $6,OOO,000.
This is an Grease of nearly three.
fold in one M. The number of sheep
thus expors this season was 5000,
While the nzeattle number one-quarter
more. Lastieek 10000 packages of
cheese weres spped to British ports and
also 3, 800 pSdres Of butter in refriger-
auors. uesbipments as these are
"oi'ny oi q as they show how much
'ne oi'i "offepends on us for the re
c7ssarleS OF q. The weight of fresh
peei eAPerteah airing the six months Just
cioSea Is o'ot tons. This has large
sound' put thstatement is supported by
figures carsaIv mt togetber-Ne,o
York Letter.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-09-07

Reign Notes
Fr&ao ha of May to the 30th of
June STra,sf'e daily circulation Of the
LOnds ! 1sagsph was 342,2l5 copies,
the Ia lass sny daily newspaper has
ever
Wsd y laorted to be so embar-
raised cu1i6lv. that unless he re-
ceiveil ostasal help he will not be
! likelvs have ach time in the future
for cd'f.ale eion. The great performances
Londs concss we're ~ disastrous
fnans tsilure
ThPattI-Cas scandal appears to be
settIep far & he courts of France
can Eompha t. The marquis is
legaltsdju uagstlhe injured party, and
the bsinsting ut indiscreet dlra has
the iselai sea st upon what has hith-
erto @tel aet upon the breath Of
evil moi, wh authority can always
IT,. .nsiS.. ssAs.I of hanoE are all
cransssis peers wbo are not below
the TaaE I'd, that being a sine qua
non Of eIigilg for the position. They
receives dak year, and if they marry
the queen s@ents them with $4,000
Each is ON iuty about two months in
the year. 9ee the Prince Consort's
death thew ye had a dreadfully dull
time of it lany of these ladies have
remained url past so.
The eldeslsughter of the king Of the
Bolgians tb Princess Lou4 has LETT
her HUSBAND the prince of SAKE Coburg
Gotha, for as second time. Her mar
riage waa lfs-match. Prince Phillip,
the husbanG has gone to Paris, where
he visits all mblic places in company
with an acuss. To all remOnstrances
he replies ths he behaves no worse than
his fathetinAW, and his wife is silly to
be more diaalt than her royal and
nosT.
Paul Dc Caagnac, the French deputy,
ournalia, blly aud duelist, received
ais first insnction In fencing from
woman. She was the daughter of a
Polish igatiH, by vocation a fencing
Master. >aeame to ask assistance tor
Ter sickhthg, and proved the truth OF
Ter story by hallenging a doubter to a
,out with tb5foils, and easily disarmed
liR. Ulderthe tuition of this woman
'assagu& beanie one Of the most expert
wOrdsmn Of France. He has fought
9 duelS and never received a wound.
In CONAN, Thiers likes to listen to
My one eperan-himself. Sardou is in
his resEct 7ery much like him. He
'ill talk0r l2lf an hour brilliantly, and
e has b lxiety to receive a reply.
he eldgDmas was another converse
.onalist Of he same type. He would
ak Ikea vel written book, but would
ot listeL he younger Dumas, on the
ontrary is .hy and reticent. Victor
Iugo sRak strkingly, much as he
rites a atitheses using surprising
miles, exaggerated epithets, and i'm
ressiye lusrations. He was a favOrite
f LOuEPhlippe, who was himself an
llenicoyeuatiO1alist.