davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03
WESTMINSTER, MD. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY g. 1877
Palestine Exploration.

People seem to have scarcely realized
the fact that Capt. Warren and his men
have actually found King Solomon's wall,
still standing as his builders left, mostly
buried, it is true, under thousands Of tons
Of ruin and rubbish, but there still, tower
ing above its foundation on the living rock
lao feet in some places, above l7O feet
in Others Who is there that has really
taken in this astonishing fact? No man
| think. The grand barrier by which the
wise and mighty king separated the sight
Of the temple which he was about to build
for the dwelling place Of God, still exists?
It has been examined and measured by
Capt. Warren, whose indomitable energy
and courage enable him to overcome all
the obstacles aud dangers involved in mi
ming operations which have no parallel in
the history Of the world. And there the
wall stands, preserved for us by the ruins
heaped around it-ruins of the Holy house
itself, and of the city Of Jerusalem. This
wall is not merely founded on the rock; it
is sunk into the rock, into which sockets
have been cut to receive the lower course
Of stones, and make them immoyable foun-
dations for 50 mighty structure. Along
the second course-that above the foun-
dations-the stones are found to be marked
with PhOenician mason's marks (such as
exist to this day in the ruins of Tyre and
Sidon, and thus enable us to identify this
as the work of King Hiram's builders.
The splendor of the stones astonished
Captain Warren He speaks of their vast
size, and of the most beautiful masonry
"The stones are fitted together in the most
marvellous manner the joints being hardly
disceruable." So closely fitted that pen
knife cannot be inserted between them.
Let the reader try to imagine this wall, of
which all but the upper course still remain,
standing up 1870 feet from the bottom,
"one unbroken face of masonry, such as,
whether we take the aggregate mass Of it,
or the size Zone 3Sft. Gin. long, another
weighing 100 tons) and fine dressing of
the individual stones, cannot be paraleled
elsewhere in the world, not even in Egypt"
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03
Why Tides Occur Later Each Day.

As the moon revOlyes around the earth
from west to east, she advances eastwardy
in her orbit about thirteen degrees every
twenty-four hours. Hence, when any part
of the earth, in its revolution, comes under
a part of the heavens where the moon was
the evening before, the moon is not there,
but has gone eastward thirteen degrees,
and therefore the earth must turn on its
axis as much longer as is necessary to
bring that part again under the moon,
which requires generally, not always, about
fifty minutes.
The same thing occurs the next even
ing, and the evening after, aud thus the
moon rises most of the year about fifty
minutes later each day. Now, rs the
tides are produced mainly by the moon, it
will at once be seen from this eastward
movement and this later rising each day,
why they must occur about fifty minutes
later each succeeding day. While the
lunar tide is thus daily tagging, the solar
tide occurs at the same time. Hence
these two tides always begin to separate
after new moon, being further apart each
day, until they again coincide at full moon
when there is higher tide than usual g.,
called spring tide. Then again they sep.
arate, until new moon occurs, when they
once more unite, producing another spring
tide.
1t must not be supposed that the whole
body of the ocean, to its profoundest
depths, is equally moved by the tides
The tides are mainly superficial, and ex.
cept where the water is Of moderate depth
the lowest parts are only slightly disturb
ed; but to what depth the tidal current
extends can never, perhaps, be satisfacto-
rily determined. The gulf stream is about
three thousand feet deep, having for its
bottom bed of colder water of various
depths but as the stream is the result of
other causes than those that produce the
tides, it is not safe to estimate the depth
of the tidal currents by its own.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

We left the Park by another trail that
led US among deep, gloomy cavities formed
BY the river in the misty past, long ere it
had contracted to its present limits. These
were frequented by thousands of cliff swal-
lows and some sparrow hawks that chat.
tered and screamed necessarily, and from
an occasional bunch of struggling shrub
berry came the pleasant notes Of the song.
sparrow These broke the monotonous ST.
lence of the forbidding precipiccs, and
gave life to the otherwise dreary scenes.
Having reached the upper plateau once
more, We gallOped two miles farther, and
halted to listen to the rough, hoarse and
muffied roar Of the Shoshone Falls that
were laundering far beneath us in the
canon.
Half mile beyond We had fine view
of their outlines. Looking down from our
elevated terrace, We could see around them
all the elements Of beautiful landscape
gosc aud meadow, plain aud dell, an un-
dulating park, rich in robes Of many-hucd
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03
Some Curious Calculations.

If one cent was set out at compound in-
terest in the year at four per cent the
first Of January, 1866, it would amount to
l quintill.on pol ASS quadrillions 1872
trilliOns Of dollars. If we were to take
this sum as capital, and would use its
yearly interest -four per cent. then the
income tax We would have to pay at the
rate Of one per cent would be 4S0 quad
rillions 5S3, ,320 trillioRs of dollars. If we
paid the tax collector this sum in sRUcr,
he would need 1904 ,345, 900 900, ,000,-
100000 wagons for its transportation.
Provided the whole earths surface, both
land and water, were peopled as closely as
possible, we should have but the two-mil-
lionth part of the drivers required, and
the line of wagons would have the length
of 8 trillions 472,000 billions of miles.
The speed Of light is $4,000 miles per
second, and it would take 743600 years to
reach the collector beginning at the furthest
wagon, if he, to have better control over
the wagons on both sides, stationed him
self in the centre of the line. Again, a
robbery could be committed on the hind
most wagon which would not be discovered
till the 24,7S0th generation of tax-collec-
tors. If, on the contrary, instead of using
the interest of the capital (the bulk of
which, by and by, would be equal in gold
to forty-four globes, this capital were dis
tributed among the people of the earth,
each one of its ,000, 600 900 of inhabitants
would receive about l 200 trillions of dol
lars to live on, and could every second use
$4,000, 900 for 3S,O96,OOO years without
reaching the bottom of his purse. San
Francisco Real Estate Adrance.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03
Habits Of Herons.

An interesting article on the habits Of
the herons of South America, by W. II.
Hudson, appears in the Proceedings Of
the geological Society of London. Some
one has affirmed that a mysterious light
emanates from the heron's bosom when it
fishes in the dark. He thinks that this
may have some foundation. He has salts
fed himself that the Ar2ea cocoi possesses
as keen a vision by day as any birds ex-
ccpt the rnptorial kinds. The streams on
the level pampas are so muddy that fish
two inches below the surface is invisible to
the human eye; yet in these thick waters
the herons fish by night and by day "If
the eye is adapted to see so well in the day,
how can it see so well at night, and under
such unfavorable circumstances, without
some such extraneous aid to vision as the
attributed luminosity"
A wonderful case Of protective mimicry
in the case of the yariegated heron is
narrated by Mr.. Hudson. When dis
turbed, it perches erect on a reed, the head
and neck erect, with no perceptible curve
or inequality in front view, but the whole
bird is the exact counterpart of straight
tapering rush; "the loose plumago arranged
to fill inequalities, the wings pressed into
the hollow sides, made it impossible to see
where the body ended and the neck began,
or to distinguish head from neck or back
from head. This was, of course, a front
view, and the entire under-surface of the
bird was thus displayed, all of a uniform
dull yellow like that of faded rush.
On forcing the head down till il touched
the back, ii flew back to its former position
like steel spring, though the experiment
was frequently repeated. Its eyes ap.
peared "all the time rigid and dunwinking
like those Of a creature in ft." When
he stepped around to see It's striped back
and broad dark.eolored sides, il would
always present its front to view. ali.
motions on the perch as he turned slowly
or quickly around, still keeping the edge
Of the blade-like body before me, CORES
ponded so exactly with my own that | al
most doubted that had moved at all.
rk;cEon.~., ,nol,,,.,,,. :. n -. "A 4 L.. -. /.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03
Our Qoliu.
zuyder Zee.

Holland has been famous for centuries
for her costly, but successful reclamations
OF lowlaDds from the sea. A new scheme
for reclamation, which has just passed the
Dutch Parliament, and involves the ex-
penditure Of eighty millions of dollars, is
for the drainage Of about 478, 900 acres of
the Zuyder Ace. The Dutch are at no
loss of money by these costly operations,
because the Government sells the reclaim
ed land, which is eagerly sought for.
Heretofore ii has been sold at the actual
cost Of, drainage, but in this case the Gov
ernmont expects to make a profit, for the
land will command higher price and will
be sold at an advance. The estimated cost
of the drainage is 800 per acre, but the
Government expects to sell the land for
Sl7O to $3.50 an acre. The profitable
character Of these drainage operations is
shown by two recent instances, although
the Government has not reaped the profit,
it being secured by the buyers of the land.
An area of IA ,820 acres near Rotterdam
was drained between 1928 and 1910. The
enclosed surface was all covered with
fourteen to sixteen feet of water, which
was pumped dry by windmill power in
twelve years, The entire cost was s110,
at which price the land was sold Imme-
diately afterward drainage was undertaken
at HARLEM Lake, covering surface of
45, ,230 acres, which were pumped dry in
twelve years, the sixteen feet depth Of
water being removed at a cost of S95 per
acre, the pumps being worked by steam
power. The lands were sold at this price.
In both these reclaimed districts, the lands
now sell for 1850 to s400 an acre, the
profits enuring to the purchasers The
proposed reclamation of the Zuyder Zee
is much more extensive enterprise, but
the Government will be we'll paid for its
twelve years of pumping by the doubling
Of its money. Most Of the east coast Of
England was thus reclaimed from the sea
and the lands have for many years pro-
duced valuable crops. In this business,
however, the Dutch have always takeu the
lead, the greater part of their prosperous
territory having, in fact, been reclaimed
from the sea.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

A VALUABLE REcIPE.-The Journal
Of Chemistry publishes recipe for the
destruction of insects, which, if it be one
half as eficaeious as it is claimed to be,
will prove invaluable Hot alum is re-
cent suggestion as an insecticide. II will
destroy red and black ants, cockroaches,
chinch bugs, and all the crawling pests
which infest our houses Take two pounds
of alum, and dissolve it in three or four
quarts of boiling water; let it stand on the
fire till the alum disappears; then apply it
with brush, while nearly boiling hot, to
every joint and crevice in your closets,
bedsteads, pantry shelves, and the like.
Brush crevices in the floor of the skirting
or mopboards, if you suspect they harbor
vermin.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03
Aneodote Of Pope.

Most ofour readers have doubtless heard
of the sharp rejoi1der once made to Alex
ander Pope, whereby a pointed hit was
made at his diminutive and ill-shapen
figure, but many may never have heard
the particulars of the occasion. They are
as follows
Pope was one evening at Burton's Cof-
fee-house, where himself, and Swift, and
Arbuthnot, with several other scholars,
were poring over manuscript copy of the
Greek Aristophanes. At length they came
across sentence which they could not
comprehend, and as, in their perplexity,
they talked rather loudly, they attracted
the attention ofa young officer who CHANGED
to be in another part of the room, and who
approached, and begged leave to look at
the passage.
30, by all means" said Pope, sarcasti-
cally, "Let the young gentleman look at
it. We shall have light directly"
The young officer took up the manu-
script volume, and after little study and
consideration his countenance frightened.
at is but slight omission on the part
of the scribe" he said. at only wants a
note of interrogation at this point to make
the whole ineligible"
Pope saw in an instant that the officer
was right; but the thought of being out
done in Greek translation by mere youth,
and redcoat at that, piqued him, and with
a sharp, bitter twang he cried out
"And pray, young sir, what is note Of
interrogation ?"
"a note of interrogation, answered the
officer, surveying the wizened, hunched-
backed poet, from head to foot with con-
temptuous look, ''is Title crooked thing
that asks questions"
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

SLANDER.-Pay no attention to SLAM
derers or gossip-mongers. Keep straight
on in your course and let their backbitings
die the death of neglect. What is the us
of lying awake of nights, brooding over
the remarks of some false friend, that
run through your brain like forked light
ning2 What's the use of getting into
a worry and fret over gossip that has been
set afoat to your disadvantage, by some
meddlesome busybody, who has more time
than characterP These things can't pos
sibly injure you, unless, indeed, you take
notice Of them, and in combating them
give them character and standing. If
what is said about you is true, set yourself
right at once if il is false, let it 20 for
what it will fetch. If bee stings you,
would you 60 to the hive and destroy il /?
Would not thousand comoslupon You |?
1t is wisdom to say little respecting tho
injuries you have received. We are gen
orally losers in the end if we stop to refute
all the backbitings and gossippings we may
hear by the way.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

A Coon BARoMETER-Take a COM
mon glass pickle bottle, wide mouthed;
fill it within three inches of the top with
water, then take a common Florence oil
flask, removing the straw covering and
cleansing the flask thoroughly, plunge the
neck of the flask as far as it will 90 into
the bottle, and the barometer is complete.
In fine weather the water will rise in the
neck of the flask even higher than the
mouth of the pickle bottle, and in wet,
windy weather, it will fall to within an
inch of the flask. Before heavy gale Of
wind, the water has been seen to leave
the flask altogether at least eight hours
before the gale came to its height.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

ANOTHER USE FOR PETRoLEUM.-Con
sui Stevens, in his report on the trade of
Nicolaieff during the past year, states that
that part Of South Russia continued free
from cattle plague. But his attention was
drawn in the summer to several cases Of
sudden badness Of oxen aud COWS, and
the loss Of tails and names among horses.
He recollected that former servant of
his, prcmaturely bald, had got the habit,
when trimming the lamps, of wiping his
petroleum besmeared hands on the scanty
locks which remained to him, and the re-
suit was much finer head of black, glossy
hair than he ever had before. At the
consuls suggestion the owner of several
black cattle and horses affected as above
mentioned tried the remedy, aud found
that it effected quick and radical cure.
The consul observes that the petroleum
should be of the most refined American
qualities, and be rubbed in vigorously and
quickly with the palm of the hand at in
tervals of three days, six or seven times
in all.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

Swiss WAToHEs--The decline in the
importation of Swiss watches is one of the
most striking incidents in the industrial
revolution which has followed the panic of
1873. In 1872 we received $4,000
watches from Switzerland; the number i'm
ported has since decreased annually, until
last year, according to the telegraphic re-
port, it fell to 76,400. This result is
traceable mainly to our rapid progress u
matchmaking, which gives our factories
command Of the home market, and enables
them to sell from 10000 to 80, 600 watches
yearly in Europe and Australia.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

FUsEL OIL.-Dr. G. o. Drewry, writ
ing of the diItillation of spirits, saws =
"Fusel oil, the most poisonous principle
contained in spirits, always exists in new
spirit, whether distilled from raw grain.
potato, or any other kind Of starch or
from matted barley, as in whisky. The
public would not drink such poison at
any price, if they were once awakened to
sense of its terrible nature. Age re-
moves the fusel oil, provided the spirit be
kept in wood hence the Improvement in
quality and flavor of whiskey seven years
old, and | have no hesitation in saying
that whiskey less than FIVE years old ought
never to be consumed. French brandy,
which is pure grape spirit, contains no
fusel oil, even when new"
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

1t is said that Earl Dudley, of England,
who is sixty years old, has offered to wager
$4,000 to s25 that the son of Napoleon
Ill will be officially proclaimed Emperor
of France during the Earle's lifetime, and
that the odds were at once accepted by the
Prince of Wales and three other persons.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

CINNAMoN.-The principal cinnamon
gardens are in the vicinity of Colombo,
Ceylon. The seeds are planted in pre-.
pared soil at certain distances, and as four
or five are placed in a spot the plants
usually grow in clusters like the hazel
bush. They attain the height of FIVE or
six feet in six or seven years, and
healthy bush will afford two or three shoots
fit for peeling, and every second year
afterwards from four to seven shoots 10
good soil. The cinnamon season commen.
ces in May and lasts until late in October.
The bark is divided into longitudinal
incisions, of which two are made in the
smaller shoots, several in the larger, and
is then removed in strips by means of
suitable instrument. The pieces are
next collected in bundles and allowed
to remain in this state for short
time so as to undergo a degree of
fermentation, which facilitates the sep
aration of the epidermis or sharp skin.
This with the green matter beneath it is
removed by placing the strip of bark upon
a convex piece of wood, and scrap
ing its external surface with a curved
knife. The bark now dries and contracts
assuming the shape of quill. When
sufficiently dry the cylinders are collected
into bundles weighing about thirty pounds,
and bound together by split bamboo,
packed in chests of about 12O pounds
each. 1t is assorted in the island into
three qualities distinguished by the desig-
nation of first, second and third. Very
little, however, reaches the United States
except by special import, and then it
comes from Great Britain.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

A MARRIAGE THAT is A MARRIAGE.-
A marriage recently took place in Centre
county, Pa, by which lady married her
nephew and became mother to her neice
and stepmother and aunt to her daughter
in-law; one uncle to her children becomes
their grandfather, another brother-in-law;
their cousin becomes half-sister, and their
nephew aud neice now become brother and
sister-in-law, aud her brother-in-law now
becomes her father-in-law.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

A gentleman, says Thackeray, is a rarer
thing than some of us think for. Which
Of us can point out in his circle-men
whose aims are generous; whose truth is
constant and elevated; who can look the
world honestly in the face, with an equal
manly sympathy for the great and small
We all know hundred whose coats are
well made, and score who have excellent
manners, but of gentlemen, how many ?
Let us take a scrap Of paper and each
make his list.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

An Illinois sensationalist preached on
"the funeral of Judas Iscariot." Hand
bills were placed round town on Saturday.
A jovial brother appended to one of the
handbills: Relatives and friends Of the
deceased are cordially invited to be pres
ent" The house was full.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

The expectation of railroad iron from
England to the United States has dwin-
died to almost nothing. We are told that
during 1876 only 349 tons were sent to
this country. Three years ago the annual
expectation from England was III, 1855
tons to the United States.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

A bill will be shortly introduced in the
Virginia Senate doing away with the send
ingof persons convicted of the lower grades
Of crime to the penitentiary, and instead
to make them work on the roads in the
county in which the offence is committed.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

The simple flowers and streams are so
cial and benevolent, and be who holdcth
converse in their language pure, roaming
among them at the cool Of day, shall fnd,
like him who Eden's garden dressed, bis
Maker there to teach bis listening heart
Mrs. Sigoumey.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

England talks Of establishing schools Of
stenography and telegraphy as well as or
dinary penmanship, the last named art to
be slowly and carefully acquired for pur-
poses of copying and to answer the needs
Of ofcommercial correspondence.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03

81 swauny," is New England oath
which is in general use among the rural
population, and SAKE Holm, IN Scribner,
for February, tries to make asseondensed
classic" out Of this wretched yulgarism.
Rather poor raw material for Helassi6
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03
Select poetrg.
The CARELESS WORD.

tpt word, a careless word,
H H|ailedown 1t seemed as light
il IA|I1i q moment in the air,
Is.eH Inward winged It's flight.
||HfI Mp caught up the word,
flIf nfeathed It with hearty sneer;
4sl1afed weight as on It sped,
{1sIlareless word, in It's career.
IIHA ,hInor caught the flying word,
fnf busy gossip gave 1t weight,
Uni|I nj little word became
A ffhlcle ofangry hate.
3nd isen that word was winged with fire,
III nision was thing ofpaln.
Nof sqhn II fell like lava drops
Upon a wildly tortured brain.
and ihcn another page life
With burning scaldiug tears was blurred;
a Iead of care was heavier made,
III tdded weight, that careless word.
That Earelcss word. oh how It scorchod
A uniting, bleeding, quiyering heart!
tfW1s Ike hungry FIRE. that searched
xAtongh every tender vital part.
How wildly throbbed that aching hear,3
Deep agony its fountains stirred;
Iiealmcd, but bitter ashes mark
The pathway OF that careluss word.