davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1878-03-09
The Country Press VS.. The Gen
eraI Assembly.
Pleasant Reading for EosIisi.
ssrasa AegisEatoFs-[NOfI Well
Bono, Good and FsaitIa-
full Servants
THE ERA OF REFoRM-IN A HORN !
IFranklin SUM-

THE ERA OF REFoRM-IN A HORN .
Franklin SUM-
Our State Legislature has been in
session for several weeks discussing,
for the greater portion of the time,
comparatively unimportant matters,
and have as yet done but little to full
fill the expectations of the people. At
the end of the session, each legisla-
tor will draw his mileage and per
diem for the whole term. and the peo-
pie will foot the bill without having
received one dollars benefit, unless
the few days yet to be spent al e much
more protitably employed than those
that have past.
ITerrebonne Progress.l
If our Legislature was reduced
somewhat like that of Virginia, or
even two thirds, it would be rid of
that large majority of jackasses, and
the remaining members could easily
amend the constitution. From the
present outlook we much fear that it
will be necessary. to lisk calling a
convention.
[Morehouse Clarion.
That the Legislature is a complete
failure, no one can doubt. 1t has been
in session now for nearly two months
spending the peoples money and, so
far as we know, not a single law has
been promulgated which calculates
any good or relief worth talking
about. This body developed itself,
and beyond that we know of nothing
it has done which will work good to
the State. But this is something.
The people will take cognizance, and
we speak in most positive terms when
we say that they will, if possible,
place upon the heads of those who
have been recreant crown of shame
and reproach. Nor will they be made
perpetual tools of reckless men or ST.
lently submit to trif1es. The past is
vet too fresh in their minds, and while
there is power their rights, demands
and liberties must be granted. The
internal constitution of 1868 must be
wiped from existence, and the many
ignominious laws passed by the War
moth and Kellogg Legislatures should
be abrogated.
[Claiborne Guardian.l
As tile sixty days allotted by law
for the duration of Legislative session
draws nigh to a close, we find more
surely disappearing from view the re-
forms, the beneficial legislation which
in our credulous simplicity we had
expected to result from the last ses-
sion of the fifth general assembly OF
representatives Of the people of loa-
isiana. There are men III the Legis-
lature who are good men, and true
whn wnnld 1nnhaleSS serve the neo-
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1878-03-09

Holly the Chandler took up his pen,
Ruffied his feathers and blasted again
Wiped off his chin and pulled down his vest,
rest;
Such rawlings as these from the member
from Hump,
VIII scatter the 'splintcrs in the Radical
camp.
Bard of Bato,, Ro1tGc.
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1878-03-09

Austria may annex Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Germany favors the
scheme.
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1878-03-09
[Ouaellita Telegraph

The legislative session closes by
limitation on the 9TH. The remainder
of the year will be devoted to expla-
nations and to answers to questions
from iuquiriug friends.
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1878-03-09
Weekly News Summary.
Foreign.

Ship Britannica was abandoned at
Gao
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1878-03-09

Queen Victoria sent congratula.
tory letter to King Humbert.
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1878-03-09

Roumania and Seryia desire Aus
trian protection.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09
The Famine In China.

A clerical gentleman in China writes
as follows concerning the terrible famine
existing in parts of that country: Deaths
are extremely common in almost all the
larger villages where we have any relief,
as well as in all the villages where we
have no relief. Some of the sights we
see are indeed pitiable. In some fami-
lies who live almost exclusively upon
leaves, there is peculiar kind of bloat-
ing, which is induced by eating the
leaves of the locust, which forms large
part of the diet. The bloating seems to
be in the follicular membranes of the
skin, and rapidly advances until in many
cases the face is swollen to an enormous
size and the eyes are obliterated. I saw
little boy who, from msl-nutrition-it
such it can be called-had swollen to an
appalling extent. Such cases as these
generally prove fatal. The vitality OF
Chinese is astonishing. When one
would expect to see them succumb at
once to the influences which combine to
end their sorrowful days, they still seem
to linper on with next to nothing to eat.
Even when they become faint, and the
physical powers become totally exhaust
ed, and they fall a prey to the "famine
fever" (typhus). very large number OF
them recover, where it would not seem
that a single one could survive: Under
the same circumstances I think the
deaths in any Anglo-Saxon community
would be far moro numeroue. 1t ls,
however, impossible to get anything
like statistics in regard to anything
Chinese, 30 that all comparisons OF this
kind are but inferenoes. =.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09
HumOrs OF the Law.

Persons who are unfamiliar with court
proceedings are often surprised and per
ple1ed at the number of objections thai
are made to questions asked Witnesses.
Quite an amusing incioe1.t in this con.
nection once occurred in he Seventh
District court in this State, says the
Los Angeles (Cal.) Herald. A trial fol
murder was progressing. A witness was
testifying that on the morning after the
murder he met the defendant at break
fast, and the latter "called the waiter,
and said" "Hold onl exclaimed the
attorney for the defense, II object to
what he said." Then followed a legal
argument of about all hour and q half on
the objection, which was finally over
ruled, and the court decided that the
witness might state what was said.
"Well, 20 on and state what was said to
the waiter" remarked the district attor-
ney, flushed with his legal victory.
"Well," replied the witness, she said,
Bring me q rare beefsteak and couple
OF soft-boiled eggs.'"
In one of our courts little while ago
an old lady was being examined as wit
ness. To almost every question asked,
the counsel on the opposite side would
Jump up and say. ~ object as irrele.
want. immaterial and incompetent. "
This appeared to annoy the old lady.
who seemed inclined to make personal
matter of it. Finally the interrogatory
was put, "Did you see those men In
that field on that day9" "Maybe what
I saw wouldn't be evidence" was her an
swer, "because I saw them through
glasses. am old and wear spectacles. "
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09
Winning Success by a Jest.

A pretty ample list might be made
men who have owed their success in life
to some well-timed jest. Prince Men
schikofl earned his position at the Court
of the Czsr Nicholas entirely by his
caustic wit: and Marshal Junot, while
still young subaltern, attracted the at
tention of the Commander-in- Chief by
coolly observing as m Austrian shell
scattered earth over the dispatch which
he was writing at the latter's dictation,
ssIt's very kind of them to sand our
letters for u.s. The traditions of the
English Navy have preserved another
instance of the kind we'll worth quoting.
When the Duke of Clarence. afterward
William w., went down to Portsmouth
to inspect the British seventy y-fours, the
guide allotted to him was battered old
lieutenant with one eye, who, lacking
stfriend at Court" had served for years
without promotion. As the veteran re :
moved his hat to salute his royal visitor,
the latter remarked his badness and
said jestingly, 81 see my friend, you
have not spared your hair in your coun-
try's SERVICE" "Why, your Royal
Highness, answered the old "salt, $50
many young fellows have stepped over
nv hea? that it's wonder I've got any
hair left" The Duke laughed loudly
at this professional joke, but he made a
note of the old mans name at the same
time, and fewdays after the latter was
agreeably surprised to receive his ap-
! pointment rs captain.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09
What lie was Doing.

! It was on a ball ground. He was Il
young man, and had O memorandum
book in his hand. He was working
away with pencil, and presently man
leaned over and said: What's the
score ?"
"I don't know ~ was the reply.
, Then there was few moments OF
silence, during which time the young
man figured away until another man mp
preached and asked:
"What innings is this3"
".Don't know" was the sullen re-
"Oh, you don't9" said the querist,
sarcastically, "well, you needn't be put
| ting on airs over it as if I were asking
you the secrets of Free Masonry
He had no more than recovered from
the shock than another man walked over
to him and inquired:
"Was that last two, or three base
hit9"
This made the young man mad, and he
replied not.
The inquirer passed, and he enjoyed
five minutes peace when ragged little
gamin stepped up to him and yelled
"Say, mister, how many runs ahead are
the Jersey's?"
Then man asked him which paper
he represented, and, while he was sim:
mering with rage, another fellow walked
up to him to make some inquiry, but, be-
| fore he could open his mouth to do 80,
the man with the memorandum book cut
him short by jumping up and scream.
ing: 81 don't know the score; don't
know what inning it is; I don't know a
curve pitcher from a history of Para
quay; I am not connected with any
paper; now don't ask me any more ques-
tions. It's pity if man can't sit down
to compose a few verses for lady's
autograph album without being bored to
death about game of ball |"
Then he resumed his seat, red in the
face, and was allowed to continue his
verses in ace.-HackenSack Repudh-
can.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09
One of
J. & G. JoHNsoSs
First Glass
Umbrellas
After Six Weeks Wear.

.......' ....'..' '.'' =
The man kept moving most of the
morning, but never went far from
Johnstons' establishment, greatly to the
ANNOYANCE of the firm. Care was taken
to prevent crowd collecting and OBJ
structing the sidewalk. Later in the
afternoon the man grew tired of walk
ing and took a position in Johnston's 8
doorway. While there several custom
ers entering the establishment were
"jostled by him and he was arrested.
He was arraigned before Justice Bixby
in the Jefferson Market police court at
once. Mr.. Seymore also appeared, and
on being asked for an explanation of
his conduct, said: II feel have been
swindled, but T have no desire to COM
NIT, or cause to be committed, any
breach of the peace. Before employ
ing this man to appear on the street
with the placards I visited ex.Recorder
Smiths Office to get his opinion as to
how far T could 60. Mr.. Smith is alb
sent in Canada, but gentleman in his
Office advised me that I could not be
molested unless breach of the peace
was committed. Captain Williams, on
being consulted by me, gave the same
opinion. Now I offer to pay for the
services of two officers to be detailed to
prevent crowd from collecting"
Justice Bixby-I don't see that I can
interfere in such case unless a breach
OF the peace is committed.
Mr.. Seymore-Have not a privilege
to display the placard9
Justice Bi1by-I can't give any one a
privilege.
The prisoner was then discharged.
He walked out of the court with head
erect, and with q triumphant air. On
the street he placed the placards on his
shoulders again, and when last seen
was heading for Broadway and Twenty
second street.-NeU York World.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09
Historic POSt0fnces.

Two United States postofices have
been established at placas OF historic
note in Virginia. While there are
twenty. three Mount Vernons in the
United States that are postofhces, the
one from which the name sprung has
been without postal facilities. The sub.
iect was brought to the attention OF Post
MASTER General Key few weeks ago,
and it being understood that the lady
regents desired q postofice there as
convenience as well as for the business
of the Mount Vernon Association, and of
the neighborhood, arrangements were
made for an Office, which was ordered
established. tbs thought that the post
Office will derive some especial revenue
from visitors who will desire to send
letter home direct from Mount Vernon.
Another postoffice on the same route
is also established at Gunston, Fairfax
county, former seat of George Mason,
the author of the Bill Of Rights of Vir-
ginia. Gunston is now owned by a
company, and O cooperative farm is
established there. It was here that
james NJ. Mason died, several years
ago, we'll known at one period as United
States Senator from Virginia, and after
ward as Confederate Minister to Eng
land.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09
The Cat as q Substitute for the Carrier
Pigeon.

It seems that the Belgians have formed
a society for the mental and moral I'M
movement of cats. Their first effort
has been to train the cat to do the work
of the carrier pigeons. The most astute
and accomplished scientific person
would have his ideas of locality totally
confused by being tied up in a meal-bag
and carried twenty miles from home and,
let out in a strange neighborhood, in
the middle of the night. This expert
ment has, however, been repeatedly
tried upon cate of average abilities, and
the inyariable result has been that the
departed animal has reappeared at his
native kitchen door, the next morning,
and calmly ignored the whole affair.
This wonderful skill in travelling through
unfamiliar regions, without guide book
or compass, has suggested the possibil-
ity of cats being used as special
messengers. Recently, thirty seven
cats residing in the city of Liege, were
taken in bags long distance into the
country. The animals were liberated
at two o'clock in the afternoon. At 6:4o
the same afternoon one of them reached
his home. His feline companions arri
we'd at Liege somewhat later; but it is
understood that within twenty four
hours every one had reached his home.
It is proposed to establish, at an early
day, q regular system of cat communities
tion between Liege and the neighboring
village.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09
Real Brown Bread.

A writer in Nature discusses the COM
parative Dutritive qualities of white
bread, brown bread, and whole-meal
bread. he says: We shall find it i'm
possible to make, by means of .leaven or
yeast, light spongy loaf from whole
wheat finely ground, the so-called cere-
alin of tho bran inducing chemical
changes which result in moist, clam
my. dense product. Even whole wheat
merely crushed into meal, and not
ground, partakes of the same defect.
Fine flour, on the other hand, yields a
bread which is light enough before
mastication, but which, when masticat-
ed, possesses a marked tendency to be-
come compacted into dense Jumps which
may never be penetrated by the gastric
and intestinal juices, and which are a
frequent cause of constipation. Whole
meal bread cannot be charged with this
defect indeed it acts incidentally as a
laxative, and by reason of its mechanical
texture is hurried rather too quickly
along the digestive tract, 80 that the
full virtue of such of it's nutrients as are
really soluble becomes in part lost. Yet
there is no doubt that for many per-
sons, especially those who have passed
middle age and are engaged in sedentary
occupations, whole-wheaten meal in the
form of bread, biscuits, scones, etc.,
forms an invaluable diet. If we could
reckon all the heterogeneous matter in
whole-meal bread as equally effective
with that contained in white bread, we
should possess in the former far more
perfectly adjusted food for the ratio of
flesh formers to heat-givers is about one
to seven and a half in white bread, while
it approaches one to four in some sam
pies, at least, OF whole-meal bread. Add
to this the higher proportion of phos.
pilates in the latter, and its chemical
superiority over white bread becomes
still more marked it's flavor, too, is far
richer. Ordinarily brown bread is o
poor preparation at the best. BY add
ing dish of rather rough bran to flour
we do not obtain a satisfactory or rich
product analysis demonstrates this fact
clearly.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09
One Question was Enough.

While travelling IN q Hudson river
county, Lorenzo Dow stopped at coun'
try tavern kept by a man named Bush.
The next morning the celebrated Eras-
tus Root, who lived near, called for his
morning dram and was introduced to
the celebrated preacher. He said to Dow;
"Well, sir, am glad to see you, and ]
want you to tell me about the future
world you speak of. Describe its ap.
pearance, and the face of the country in
general" Mr.. Dow, knowing their
disbelief in revealed religion, said
"Heaven is beautiful place, beyond
our capacity to conceive, and there is
not Root or Bush in it." They asked
no further questions.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09
Mr.. SeymOre's Umbrella. .

Some time ago Mr.. @. M. Seymore,
of Chicago, while in this city went to
J. L G. Johnston's dry goods store,
at Twenty-second street and Broadway,
and purchased silk umbrella, which
was represented to him as being of the
first quality and for which he paid five
dollars. The umbrella proved to be an
inferior one, and after six weeks the
silk split in several places. Mr.. Sey-
more returned to this city Tuesday and
on the following day went to Johnstons'
store to see what conld be done about
it. He was informed that the firm
could do nothing, that they did not
know to what use the umbrella had
been put and that they did not know
him. Mr.. Seymore explained that he
was stranger in the city and named
the First National Bank as his refer
ence. Messrs. Johnston would do
nothing, and in answer to threat that
he would spend fifty or one hundred
dollars in exposing them told Mr.. Sey-
more to "go ahead"
Yesterday morning tall and power
fully.built colored man appeared on
Broadway, near ""Johnstons' store, car
rying Mr. Seymore's dilapidated UNI
brella. From his shoulders hung two
placards, on which were painted the
following words:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09

warded. She soon returned, and I had
the Joy of putting Harringford's check
into her hands. We felt some anxiety
lest it shouldn't prove good for the very
large sum of money it called for but it
did and it proved also to be the turning
point in our fortunes.
In my delight at the happy termina-
tion of my adventure, I forgave every
body who had wronged me. I forgave
the wall.eyed landlord. I even forgave
Eastmore.
I have visited Niagara Falls more
than once since. But I never again felt
any desire to drink out of the cataract
j. F. 7Tow6ridge, in Youths Conapan-
inn
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09
The Light Of Autumn DAYS.

What summer songs are sweet and fair,
And who shall sing them blythe and gay,
With cadence ae1ile-so't as sir
And CHEEKY as the summer day.
What poet comes with sandal shoon,
And clear brown eye of dreamy gaze
Brown as the wave whose forest gloom
Has drank the light OF autumn days
rhe igb. of autumn days!
Deep, deep within, his quiet heart
He holds the sunshine of the year,
The music Of the meadow lark
And bells that echo faint and clear;
The hare-bell. may be, on the slope,
The bubble that tho wave has broke,
Or the soft, sorpore tones that fall
In memory Of birthday chime
Faded in that far lapse Of time
That comes and goes for all
And thus within his eyes the haze
Deepens Of autumn days!
The sky is blue, the sky is fair,
And writ with fleecs clouds in air.
And bsughs are waving fresh and free,
And birds with wings whose flashing light
Makes the worn spirit yearn for flight
Are passing On to srme bright zone
We picture in the heart alone;
And nat re chiyues in IL, aortopo
Its nv 1rmurc ds sntLen. bright and clear =
Yet he apart
D dnks in with subtle sense and heart
II 20 rapture Of the year;
i.nd with his far-ofr gaze
Turns it to autumn days!
He garners up the perfect time,
He stores at will Of pain or mirth,
For him nor season comes nor cline
He stands alula OF all the earth:
To him the forest tells its tale,
The brooklet pours it's plaintive wall,
The wild pine rock, the wild winds moan
To him the torrent speaks alone,
The tempest from its mountain throne,
The tumult Of the angry sea.
The murmur Of the rowing bee,
The pale anemone that blows
In sunshine DER its native SHOWS,
The blue-bell or the meadow-pink,
Or osier by the streamlet's brink,
All tell their tales in murmurs free
The secrets Of the land or sea
And in his patient eyes,
Awaiting sorrow and surprise
Gather like falling leaves or sunset rsys
A dreamy wiStfU gloom
: A light too far too sooa
The light Of autumn days!
William e. Briggs.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09

Caserta, a little Neapolitan town, is q
peaceful spot. Here are the events of
single day. In the morning one mar.
ketman killed another: then a man killed
woman, through Jealousy: next a
printer shot his afianced bride, her
mother, her aunt and himself; then the
natives went to bed.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09

In the Russian exhibit of the Paris
Exposition are some remarkable casts OF
living human figures. How it is done
is not known, but the figures are re.
markably perfect, even the minutest
details of the texture of the skin. nails,
etc., being reproduced with wonderful
fidelity. The "goose lesh," wherewith
the skin is covered, is amusingly notice
able, showing that the preparation made
for these casts, the composition whereof
is a secret, must be applied cold. Then
all the little iudentations in the soles OF
the feet and the palms of the hands, and
the curves of the nails and their rimning
OF skin and flesh are reproduced with
even startling accuracy.
In the Laccadavies a spe,ies Of rats
suddenly appeared, which, living in the
crowns of the palm-trees, nibbled of the
young nuts and threatened to ruin the
colony. The Indian government being
appealed to for aid sent over stock OF
cats, bat as the cats could get fish to
eat below, they declined to climb ninety
feet up the trees to get rats. Tree
snakes were then tried, but the villagers
we're prejudiced against reptiles and
killed them. Then the government sent
out consignment Of mongooses, but
the mongooses declined to climb trees az
ter rats while they could get chickens on
the ground. With cats and mongooses
on the ground refusing to ascend to the
rats, the officials decided that all that
was required was to make the rats de-
scend to the cats and mOngooses, so
they sent the islanders over some owls.
But they had overlooked the popular
prejudice against these birds. and in
committee assembled the people decided
that even rats up in the trees were better
than these "devil. Birds" They accept
ed the birds in all apparent gratitude,
but as soon as the coast was clear, the
owls, cats and mongooses were all con-
veyed in procession to boat and sol.
emnly deported to on uninhabited reef.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09

Fifty thousand eucalyptus trees are to
be planted about the city OF Mexico.
These trees grow very rapidly, and in a
few years will make material modiaca-
tion in the rainfall about the Mexican
capital. .... b.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09

At the great international German
shooting match which recently took
place at Dusseldorf, a woman won three
prizes.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-09
TIMELY TOPICS.

DR.. Schliemann has found 904 marble
objects at Olympia, 3,734 bronzes, 9O4
terra cottas, 429 inscriptions and l,27O
coins. .-...z