davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-01-05

Canada buys more American organs
than any other country, and England and
Scotland take nearly all our oil cake.
The little French prince imperial is
booked for marriage with the daughter of the
ex.Queen Isabella of Spain, and sister of
King Alfonso.
Fine American carriage horses bring
good prices in London. A Kentucky horse
worth 1925 can be transported to Liverpool
for 500 and then sold for 1900.
In a communication to the London
Times, Sir Samuel Baker suggests a plan for
divertiHg portion of the river Nile into
Nuban deserts. Its rich sediment would be
deposited on the sands, Transforming them
into lands suitable for cotton culture, which
he claims would render England independent
of America.
Mr.. Bright's intended speech upon the
Indian famines is exciting a great deal Of
attention in advance among English econo>
mistS. He is q strong advocate otirrcgatiOn,
and it is expected that he will suggest an
expenditure Of E}O,tOO,0OO on such works ;
but experienced officials urge that the money
would be more judiciouSly expended IN
building railroads, which would be available
for a speedy transportation of provisions,
while the canals would be a source Of much
disease and mortality.
1t is probable that the celebrated
Krupp gun, with which the whole OF the
German artillery is at present armed, will be
superseded before very long by another
weapon. Experiments have been lately
made in the foundry ct Spandau with bronze
steel, prepared by the Ucnatius method, and
these have been so successful that the IN
sneetor.general of the German artillery has
definitely decided to adopt it as q material
for the manufacture OF ordinance; and, in
the first instance, has ordered several siege
guns to be made Of the new compound, The
Construction of these guns is looked upon as
the first step toward the complete substitn'
ton of bronze steel for steel ordinance in the
German army.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-01-05
Richard Grant Whites Apology for
Slang.

In slang, humor or implied fun or
satire of some sort is more or less an ele'
ment. For example, when a gentleman
who is inclined to talk somewhat tedi-
ously upon subject which he has at
heart, and on which his hearers are not
much inclined to listen, is told to " hire
a hall, he is generally able to see some
satire, and the others some fun, In the
recommendation. Slang has, in many
cases. a pith and pungency which makes
it moi only pardOnable but tOlerable. 1t
often expresses feeling, if not a thought,
of the passing day, which could not be
so forcibly expressed, for the day, in any
other phraseology. 1t is generally evan,
escent; but sometimes it endures and
becomes a recognized vocabulary of a
language. For example, the word mob
was originally slang; it is supposed to
be a contraction first syllable OF
NOBLE uul1us, scornful phrase for the
lowest order of common people. Tandem,
also, was originally slang word; 1t Is
Latin for at length, but as applied to
driving horses at length instead OF
abreast, it is just such Latin as nnnqIem
nni,ous for "never mind" Another
slang word, "swell," meaning grand,
fine pretentious, is now perceptibly
nassinr into the recognized vocabulary OF
mod usage. 1t is a very convenient
and and expressive word, and is now used by
the best speakers of English, without
hesitation. 1t can hardly fail to appear
n n the dictionary" of the next genera
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-01-05

One of the noted "Moffett registers"
by which it is proposed to tax drinks in
Tennessee. was on exhibition yesterday
at the Office Of the comptroller and
secretary OF state, in the capitol. There
are no doubts OF its being a genuine
" Motfttt," IS il was brought from over
the Blue Ridge by a gentleman yester-
dav. As this instrument would be q
common article in Tennessee politics, if
the bill Is passed, a few words Of descrip-
ton may not be entirely cut OF place.
The register is inclosed in an iron box
about ten inches in length by four in
depth and width. On the front is an
elongated dial upon which are marked
faces, each of which is marked off into
numbered spaces from to TO- The first
face has underneath it the word 10, the
next 100, the third 600, the fourth
10000, the fifth 100000 and the sixth
100000. At the reverse of the register
isa small crank, which is to be turned
around every time a drink is taken. This
causes the hand on the first face to turn
to the figured, the second revolution
changes it to l, ,, and so on until the
eleventh revolution places the figure
hand back at 0, and the figure Of the
second face to /. Each succeeding reVolu"
tiOn revolves the tigure-hand OF the first
face, and ten revolutions of the second
make one revolution of the third, and so
on, the eleventh revolution OF each
fgure.hand causing the fgure-hand on
the previous one to assume its original
revolution.
The register is thus capable of marking
| 100000 drinks. The inside arrange
ment of the register is very simple and
is easily explained. The crank commune
Gates with a series of six cOgs, one in
front of each OF the faces, and their
action is similar to the force exerted in
Turbine water wheel. When the crank
is turned around once, it can slip but one
cog, and must await another revolution
10 proceed. This is done in order to pre-
vent continuous revolution from going
on. Every time the wheel is turned,
cong sounds loud enough to be heard a
considerable distance.
Yesterday, everyone who came in the
ofices at the capitol sounded the gong
several times, and late in the afternoon
the register showed that 6, 100 times had
. drink been, or should have been taken.
10 far as can be learned from members OF
The general assembly, there is no strong
probability of the registry bill being
passed-at least not in its present shape
Nashville american.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-01-05
CaOutchOuc.Maklng on the Amazon.

Narrow paths lead from the hut
through the thick underbrush TO the
solitary trunks of the india-rubber trees
and, as soon as the dry season allows, the
woodnan goes into the seringal with
Ratchet in order to cut small holes in the
bark, or rather in the wood of the caOut.
chouc tree, from which 3 milky white
sap begins to flow through an earthenware
spout fastened to the wound Below is
piece of bamboo which is cut into the
shape Of a bucket. In this way be goes
from tree to tree until, upon his return,
in order to carry the material more con-
veniently, he begins TO empty the bamboo
buckets into a large calabash. The con
tents OF this are poured into one of those
great turtle shells which on the Amazon
are used for every kind OF purpose. He
at once sets to work on the smoking pro-
cess, since, if left TO stand long, the
gummy particles separate, and the quality
of the india-rubber is hurt. This consists
in suhjecting the sap, when spread ont
thin, to the smoke rom the nuts of the
Urucury or Uauasss pslm, which,
strange to say, is the only thing that
will turn it solid at once. An earthen-
ware "bowl without bottom" whose
neck has been drawn together like that
Of a bottle, forms kind of chimney when
placed over a heap of dry red hot nuts
80 that the white smoke escapes from the
top in thick clouds. The workman pours
a small quantity of the white rich milk,
like liquid over kind of light wooden
shovel which he turns wish quickness, in
order to separate the sap as much as pos
sible Then he passes it quickly through
the dense smoke above the little chimney,
turns it about several times, and at orce
perceiyes the milk take on 4 grayish-
yellow color aud turn solid. In this way
he lays on skin after skin until the india
rubber on each size is two or three CEN
timeters thick, and he considers the
planch1 done. 1t is then cut upon one
side, peeled off the shovel, and hung up
to dry, since much water has got in be-
tween,the layers, which should dry out
if possible. The color OF the plancha,
which is at first a bright silver gray,
becomes more and more yellow, and at
last turns into the brown of caoutchouc
as it is known in commerce. A good
workman eau finish in this way five or
six pounds an hour. The thicker, the
more even, aud tine freer from bubbles
the whole mass is, so much the better is
its quality and higher the price.-Scrtb
ner Jor December.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-01-05

them, like men" at the same instan.
two other men tlourishcd their caps and
shouted, "HurTah for Texasw The
next instant there was a fash and re-
tort, and the three young men fell to
the prairie grass
WITH A DULL THUD DEAD.
Others were not so easily dispatched,
and the screams and cries Of the men
after each volIey were heard by Dir.
ShacEleioFd in the tent Of Col. Guerrier,
several hundred yards distant. Those
who were not entirely dispatched by the
carbines were dragged off and butchered
with knives in the most shocking manner.
Many attempted to escape, but only
twenty-seven succeeded. One of these
WAS William l., Hunter, of the New
Orleans Grays, who was secreted by a
Me8ican woman in Cfoliad, and his life
saved, Judge Hunter ever after resided
in Goliad, until some years ago one of
the best citizens Of Texas, and took
pleasure in often recounting the terrible
scene Of the slaughter of Fannin and his
men. Col. Fannin was
THE LAST TO SUFFER.
He was tied in a chair with his face to
his eXecutioners, and before the fatal
shot took off his watch, handed it to the
officer in command with therequest that
it be sent to lis wife, then barred bis
breast and asked the exectioners to shoot
him in the heart not in the head. At
the old Mission church $50 Texans suf,
fcred death in the bloody massacre on
Palm Sunday, March 27, 1886, and the
blood of Texans, which the ruins of
"OId Goliad " helps to cement and es.
tabIish the deep hatred every old Texan
feels for the character of Gen. Santa
Anna, whore perfdy only equaled the
cruelty and capacity for butchery that
marked his career whenever he had the
mower
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-01-05
JOIN AT ONCE.



A story is going the rounds saws the
London Naval and Military Gazette,
which, if not strictly zero, is at any rate
ben traratO, and too good to be lost. A
young sub-lieutenant left his regiment
short time ago on sick leave, and put up
at the best hotel, not a hundred miles
from POonah, where be was Immediately
smitten by the attractions of lovely
maiden who was staying there. He pro-
posed, was accepted, and the happy day
was fixed. The colonel, however, disap-
proved of sub-lieutenants getting mar
ried, and particularly of the sub in
question. As he happened to be friend
OF the young mans father, he thought to
prevent the union Of the fond couple by
sending peremptory telegram couched
In the following words " Join at once"
The son of Mara was in despair. He
presented himself before his intended
with the fatal missiye in his hand, and
anything but a look CT pleasure in his
cOuntenance; but the lady was equal to
the occasion. With blush of maidenIy
simplicity and virgin innocence she cast
her eyes on the ground and remarked:
" Dear me. I'm glad your colonel
approves of the match, but what hurry
he is in don't tAink | can get ready
30 soon, but I'll do my best, because, of
course, love, the commands of your
colSnel must be obeyed" The young
warrior was puzzled. "Don't you see,
my darling" he said, that this con-
founded telegram puts stopper on our
plans You don't seem to understand it.
He says peremptorily, Join at once
The lady's bushes redoubled, but with
look of arch simplicity she raised her
lovely eyes to her fance and replied " 1t
is you, my darling, who don't seem to
understand it. Your colonel says,
plainly, Join at once, by which he of
course means get married Immediately.
What else can he possibly mean ~ A
look Of intelligence replaced the air OF
bewilderment on the young heros classic
features, and, bestowing a regular feu de
j0ie of chaste salutes on her rosy lips, he
accepted the explanation, and was en-
abled to answer the colone's telegram
IN fortyeight hours afterward in these
words: Your orders are obeyeI. We
were joined at once"
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-01-05
One Way of Carving a Turkey.

There is nothing a young unmarried
man likes better than to go to dinner on
Christmas day at the house of married
friend and to be asked to carve the tur>
key. lie never carved a turkey in his
lie, and with an old maid on one side of
him, watching him closely, and on the
other side fair girl for whom he has
tenderness, he feels embarrassed when he
begins. First, he pushes the knife down
to one of the thigh joints. He can't find
that Joint, and plunges the knife around
in search of it until he makes mincemeat
out Of the whole quarter of the fowl.
Then he sharpens his knife and tackles it
again. At last, while making a terrific
dig, he hits the joint suddenly, and the
leg flies into the maiden lady's lap, while
her dress front is covered with shower
of stufing. Then he goes for the ether
leg, and when the young lady tells him
he looks warm, the weather seems to
him suddenly to become 400 degrees
warmer. This leg he finally pulls loose
with his fingers. He lays it on the edge
OF the plate, and while he is hacking at
the wing he gradually pushes the leg
over on the tablecloth, and when he
picks it up it slips from his hand into
the gravy dish and splashes the gravy
around for six square yards. Just as he
has made up his mind that the turkey
has no JOINTS to his wings, the host asks
him if he thinks the war with Turkey
will soon be over. The girl next to him
laughs, and he says he will explain his
views upon the subject after dinner
Then he mops his brow with his hand
kerchief, and presses the turkey so hard
with the fork that it slides off the dish
and upsets goblet of water on the girl
next to him. Nearly frantic, he gouges
away again at the wings, gets them off in
a mutilated condition, and digs into the
breast. Before he can cut any off, the
host asks him why he doesn't help out
the turkey. Bewildered, he puts both
legs on plats and hands them to the
maiden lady, and then helps the young
girl to a plate of stufting, and while TAX
ing her plate in return, knocks over the
gravy dish. Then he sits down with the
calmness of despair, and fans himself with
a napkin, while the servant girl clears
up and takes the turkey to the other
end of the table. He doesn't discuss the
eastern question that day. He goes
right home after dinner, and spends the
night trying to decide whether to COM
NIT suicide or take lessons in carving
Nev York Mercury.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-01-05

1T is well for the women of the house
hold to remember that the pleasant
evenings at home are strong antidotes to
the practice Of looking for enjoyment
abroad, and seeking for pleasure in by
and forbidden places, for relaxation and
recreation will be INDUCED in somehow
by most men, and happy are they who
find in the home circle the diversion
they need. A lively game, an interesting
book read aloud, or in musical families,
new song to be practiced, will make an
evening pass pleasantly.
A little forethought during the dav,
little pulling of wires that need not
appear, will make the whole thing ap-
pear easy; and different ways and means
may be prepared for making the evening
pass pleasantly and a time to be looked
forward to with pleasant anticipatiOns.
We visited once large family where
it WAS the duty Of each sister, in turn, to
provide the evenings occupation, and
there was a pleasant rivalry between
them as to whose evening should be the
most enjoyable. The brothers entered
fully into the simple home entertain.
ments, and were as 10th to be obliged to
spend an evening away from home as
their sisters and parents were to have
them absent. Every one spoke of this
family as an uncommonly united one, for
each and every member showed such a
strong attachment for the home to which
each one contributed SO much pleasure.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-01-05

The postal clerks on the East Teunes.
see, Virginia and Georgia railroad, and
CaptainJ. W. Ault, of the Knoxville and
Ohio road, have all donned the new reg
ulation uniforms required by the depart.
meut, and they now present a n0bby
appearance The suit OF coat, pants and
vest, is made OF a nice article Of navy
blue goods, sack coat, trimmed with the
regular department brass button. 1t
cost twanty.eight dollars in ordinarily
fire goods. They also have "regula
tion" army hat (Which they are allowed
to substitute instead of the cap), and a
heavy blue flannel oyershirt or Jacket,
and white duck overslls with Iapette
extending up over the breast. These
last they are required to wear at all times
when on duty. TIE whole outfit cost
them thirty-two dollars.-KnoruiHe
Chronicle.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-01-05

Some of the handsomest imported bon.
nets are composed entirely of large dam.
ask roses.
Some mutls have monograms and crests
worked upon them, and others bouquets
OF flowers. Mufs are now perfumed like
Satchels.
Grecian passementerie made of simple
mohair, in small squares, is used all over
theoutergarments and arranged in Greek
designs.
Furs willbesparingl used on garments
this season, Most garments will have
deep fur cuffs collar and pockets with.
out fur borders.
The small, embroidered kerchiefs Of
crepe de chene are the choice to protect
the throat, instead of scarfs, and silk
handkerchiefs seen so long,
The Ulster is not the ungainly belted
garment that first came under the name
but more Of polonaise, with plain skirt
and no trimming, relieved only with but.
tons OF black pearl.
japanese fans, wide spread, are fastened
above the chamber doors or windows. TO
give touch of brilliant color to the
room. Those costing from three to ten
cents each are quite good enough. They
are secured with brass headed tacks.
In trimmings for rich wraps the nov
city is the border of ostrich down, not as
formerly glued on the cloth, but woven
int it by a new process kept secret by
the Partisan manufacturers, and which
renders the feather band very lasting.
Painted jewelry on silk is also another
of the seasons fancies, the earrings and
pendants being exquisitely decorated
with flower designs done by hand.
Dragon, moss, olive, lizard, myrtle,
seafoam, nile, salad, bottle, bronze and
hunters green are the various shades of
this one color, now the favorite fashion.
The pea green and sea green, known to
the last generation, are never mentioned.
Real Roman beads are much used for
evening wear, and colored Roman beads
as well, Mother-Of-pearl and natural
pearl combined with Roman pearl beads,
form effective earrings and pins, and
are quite in demand. The natural pearl
is cut into canoes.
To lessen the heat and pressure of the
clothes as commonly worn, ladies' are
making but one piece of the merino
garment worn next to the skin. as
women dealers in underwear inform their
Thisis easily done by cutting
the belt and a few inches of the top OF
the drawers and sewing them directly to
the lower edge of the belt, the hem being
opened for the purpose, a practice too
and healthy not to be fol-
lowed at once, and indispensable to
secure the proper fit of the princesse
rnsa
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-01-05
PERSONALITIES.

l Flgnaux, the French billiard
issued a challenge to all billiard
including the Paris professors,
give 800 points in 1000.
Plsh illustrated newspaper Is
WIN prosecution for publishing
u ihe Princess Mercedes, the
"'e KING, her picture not being
thompson, of this country,
S,GnlShed the people of Edin.
eVing y, her horse shoed with gold
SSi,VVo. She is now on her way
ner gold'mounted steed.
of Sweden, the government,
sVn, ~ OF Gothenberg, and Mr..
= "a n hSuISslan), I will conjointly defray
Ei,i M IGe Swedish Arctic expedi.
Will start next July.
noted monk, Alcoin, occupied
,a Ivy Iwo years in transcribing a
~ sacred e scriptures for the Emperor
III tnls interesting relic is now
''n museum, and is valued at
M nliles Y, is a man ofthirty.eight,
Ii,hlGSh i inches in height, muscularly
a3D nsntly inclined to corpulence,
"'e typical of New England.
sN, uer marks made on Admiral
al eas lace in the famous monitor
SSiiapeake Sia bay are nearly oblit-
us sight is completely restored.
lllh IS the oldest senator now
:, is slxty'eight. Mr.. Dorsey is
~ v ne entered the senate when
ESrS EEsarS old, and has served five
,rSl ,r4Smnnds, who is forty.nine, is
VINO looks oldest.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-01-05

Here comes the Oil City Derrick with
the following improvement (?) on Shaks-
peare's Seven Ages: "All the worlds
a stage, and all the men and women
merely players, some of them confound
edly bad players, too; they have their
exits and their entrances, but large
proportion would rather have whisky as
4 steady thing. And one man in his
time plays many parts-right field, CEN
ter field, short stop, etc, At first
the infant mewling and puking in its
nurses arms, and yelling fire; and then
the school-boy, with his dinner bucket
and whining morning face, creeping like
snail unwillingly to school, with
sheepskin under his jacket; and then tie
lover, sighing like Il furnace, with a woe.
Gul ballad iearfully and wonderfully
made to his mistress eyebrow, anl b :
coat tail pocket big with confectionery;
then, a soldier, full of strange oaths and
bugs, jealous in honor, sudden ant quick
in quarrel, seeking the bubble reputa
ton even at the cannon's mouth, at $l9
a month and found and then the alder
man with bay window on his stomach,
full of wise sewerage and other things to
eat, who charges two dollars for marry
ing a man and kisses the bride without
leave or license. The sixth age shifts
into the lean and slippered pantaloons,
with or without Iuffles, as the case may
be; last scene of all that ends this strange,
eyentiul history is second childishness
and mere oblivion, sans teeth, sans eyes,
sens taste, sans everything except q
wondrous faculty for lying about the hot
summers and cold winters OF his younger
DAYS"
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-01-05
Cheaper Bagglng for Baling Cotton.

The present tariff taxes the cotton
planter e.quarters of a cent on every
yard of iute bagging be uses, and this is
accomplished by a duty of six dollars
per ton on jute butts, the raw material
cut OF which jute bagging is made. BY
ab9lishing this duty on JUICE butts, the
planter not only gains by cheapening the
cost of bagging to the extent mentioned,
hut secures a better article by rendering
it less profitable to manufacture the
common grass or straw (aax tow bag
ging, about the use of which there is 20
much complaint from dealers and spin
ners. 1t is, therefore, to the evident
advantage of the whole cotton-Erowlng
section that any legislation on the subject
of import duties should provide for the
admission of iute butts free OF duty,
ard we trust that our representatives. at
the national capital will se' the import
ance of this matter, aud use al their
ipaence to free the cotton states from
this tax. Friends of this measure have
no time to lose; all interested should
agitate the subject at once, az a con-
gressional committee is now ct work ~
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-01-05

Let me tell you that our sex we're not
meant to be wOoers The custom preva.
lent among a certain class of youngladie
Of asking, directly or indirectly, the at.
tention Of young gentlemen, is not an
admirable custom. My SON" said n
lady to me not long since, ais much
pTfej4ldiced against a young girl, whom
admire, because she is constantly sending
him notes inviting him to be her escort
here and there and planning to have him
with her.' A modest and dignifed
reserve, which is neither prudely nor
aiiectation, should distinguish your man.
ner to gentlemen, Too great familiarity
and too evident pleasure in the society
OF young men are errors into which no
delicate and pure-minded girl should
fall.