davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29
Edison and the Unseen Universe.

Hitherto mans knowledge of the ex-
tent of the universe has been bounded
by the limits of vision. During the day,
when the range of sight is narrowed by the
srn's excessive brightness, we see but q
minute fraction of the little world we in
habit. At night wider reach of vision
is possible, and some thousands of stel-
lar and planetary bodies are added to
the domain OF positive knowledge, thus
enlatging enormously mans idea of the
magnitude of the universe. But the in
crease OF knowledge which darkness re-
veals is almost infnitesimal compared
with the wider view of the universe
opened up by the telescope; and every
addition to the telescopes penetratiye
power brings larger and larger universe
within our ken.
That the most powerful of telescopes
enables us to reach the limit of the uni
verse no one imagines. See as much as
we may, more-perhaps infinitely more
lies beyond. So, at least, all expert
ence leads us to infer; but our positive
knowledge ends with the limit.,of vision.
Must this always be SOP Hitherto
science has given no hint of the posi-
bility Of exploring the vast and mysteri-
] GUS beyond, from which no visible ray of
light has ever been detected, or is ever
likely to be detected, by the most far.
reaching and sensitive of optic aids.
But now there comes q promise of an
extension of positive knowledge to fields
of space so remote that light is tired out
and lost before it can traverse the inter.
vening distance. A new agent or organ
of scientific sense for space exploration
| has been given to the world in the tasi.
meter, by which it is possible not only
to measure the heat of the remotest OF
visible stars, but, Mr.. Edison believes,
to detect by their invisible radiatiops
stars that are unseen and unseeable
Mr.. Edison's plan is to adjust the tasi.
meter to its utm )st degree of sensitive
ness, then to attach it to large tele.
scope, and 30 explore those parts Of the
heavens, which appear blank when ex
amined by telescopes of the highest
penetrative power. If at any point in
| sucl, blank spacs thn tasin,atar inaioatoI
an accession of temperature, and does
this invariabls, the Legitimate inference
| will be that the instrument is in range
with stellar body, either non-luminous
or 30 distant as to be beyond the reach
of vision assisted by the telescope; and
the position of such body can be fixed
and mapped the same as if it were visi
BILE. Seeing that the tasimeter is affected
by wider range of etheric undulations
than the eye can take cognizance of, and
is withal far more acutely sensitive, the
probabilities are that it will open ur
hitherto inaccessible regions of space
and possibly extend the range of oul
real knowledge as far beyond the limit
attained by the telescope as that is be-
yond the narrow reach of unaided vision
Possibly, too, it may bring within human
ken vast multitude of nearer bodies
burnt-out suns or feebly-refecting plan
ets-now unknown because not lumin
ous.-Scientifc american.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29
Superstition About Precious Stones.

The moonstone, was, as its name i'm
plies, venerated from its supposed lunar
attraction. 1t is one of the prettiest,
though most common of precious stones
in Ceylon. Pliny describes it as con-
taihing.an image of the moon, (which,
II the story be true" he observes, "daily
wakes or wanes, according to the state
of that ltmihary." Chalcedony hung
about the neck dispersed sadness, and
if person carried one perforated, with
would overcome all disasters. Crystal
dispelled witchcraft. The chrysoprasus
gladdened the heart: the chrysolyte ex-
PEELED phantoms, and, what was more
serviceable, rid people Of their follies.
The onyx in the Middle Ages was be-
ieved to prevent ugly dreams by night,
and lawsuits by day. The jasper was
a charmer of scorpions and spiders, was
worn as talisman by the Roman
athelete; Burton, in the Anatomy Of
Melancholy, tells us that, "if hung
about the neck, or taken in drink, it
much resisteth sorrow and recreates the
heart" The same qualities were attribu-
ted to the hyacinth and topaz. The crys.
tai has been the most popular OF all
oracular stones; favorite stone was the
bery1, (which" says Aubrey, in his
Miscellanies, sis kind of crystal that
has weak tincture Of red; in this ma
gicians see visions" The custom was
to consecrate, or "charge" them, as the
modern term is, for which purpose set
forms were used, which are described in
Reginald Scott's Discovery of Witchcraft.
The famous crystal of that prince aof
quackery, DR.. Dee, is preserved in the
Ashmolean Museum at Oxford. The
properties Of the rubies were endless;
bruised in water it was a panacea for all
complaints; it had the peculiarly,
whenever worn, of discovering Its
presence by its luster, which would shine
through the thickest clothes. Powered
agate was an infallible remedy for "all
the ills that life is heir to-" Pliny
quotes the Magii, as teaching in Persia
that storms could be averted by burning
agates. The amethyst would prove q
boon to modern tipplers, if, as the an
clients asserted, it prevented intoxication.
The sapphire and the emerald strength.
ened the sight, a property said to have
been also possessed by the turquoise
but it could confer still more wonder.
tul gift on it's wearer: "Whovever, u
says Van Helmont, "wears a turquoise,
so that it, or its gold setting, touches
the skin, may fall from any height, and
the stone attracts to itself the whole
force of the blow, so that it cracks, and
the person is safe. The Romans regard
ed the diamond with superstitious rev
erence, and Pliny tells us that it battles
poison, keeps off insanity, and dispel'
vain fears. Ben Mansur, alluding tt
the electric properties of the diamond
says: "It has affinity for gold, small par
ticles of which fly towards it. 1t is als'
wonderfully sought after by ants, wht
crowd over it as though they woult
swallow it up" A marvellous curative
power was supposed to exist in dia
mond belonging to the Raiah of Matara
in the Island of Borneo, the Malays be-
lieving that draught of water in which
it had been placed would cure every dis
ease.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29
A Girl who Could. Throw Stones.

A Nevada man writes to the Virginia
City Territorial Enterprise as follows :
"The writer once knew a family in
which there were six bouncing girls
without break. Being very poor, the
father had taken the eldest to assist him
in out of door work. To this she SEEM
ed to take naturally, and eventually be-
came an adept in moving, reaping, tree
Telling, and even ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of
the most difficult of things to acquire
command cf. Although fully equal to
the boys of her age in doing the above
work, there was only one thing in which
she showed a decided superiority, and
that was in stone-throwing. The pre-
cision and velocity with which she
could hurl one of those missiles was to
me, who was year or two her junior,
source of never-ending wonder and
admiration. As a proof of her skill,
she brought home three partridges,
(rufaed grouse killed in ono day with
stones. '''-
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29
The Dead. Point In Mind Tension.

1t is q common subject of marvel that
criminals in the presence of immediate
execution are usually self-possessed, and
often exhibit singular composure. The
doomed creature sleeps through the
night before his violent death, and rises
composed to pass through the ordeal.
The exceptions to this rule are few, and
there is no reason to suppose that the
individuals who display greater emotion,
or who are prostrated by the agonizing
prospect of death, feel their position
more acutely than those who preserve
control of their demeanor. 1t is preva-
lent but groundless error to suppose
that the state of mind in which most
capital offenders meet their doom is one
of scare or paralyzing amazement. They
retain every faculty, taste, consideration
and even fancy. They frequently give
tokens of especial thoughtfulness, and
are punctillious in the observance of
rules and the adoption of measures to
minimize their own pain, and the trouble
and sympathetic suffering of those by
whom they are surrounded, or who will
be left buriened with their memories.
Mentally and physically the criminal,
during the last few hours of his life, in
the immediate presence of cruel death,
is self.possessed and tranquil. His
pulse is even less disturbed than those
of the officials who are compelled to take
part in his execution. Why is this
The answer will be obvious on reflection.
The mind has reached what may be
designated "dead- point" in its tension.
The excitement is over, the agony of
anticipation, the trembling doubt be-
tween hope and fear of escape has ex-
hausted the irritability of the mind, and
there is, as it were, pause, an interval
of passive endurance between the end of
the struggle for life and the bitterness
of remorse and agony Of disappointment
which may begin at death. In this in
terval the mind is released from the ten
sion of its effort for representation
and almost rebounds with the sense of
relief that comes with certainty, even
though the assurance be that of impend-
ing death. In the pause there is time
and opportunity for the recognition of
| surrounding circumstances, which have
been, as it were, overlooked in the
yearning for life. The clearness OF
mental vision, the cognizance of detail
| at such moment, are remarkable, not
only on account of the strange circum-
stances under which they occur, but in
degree. Men and women who have for
some time previously exhibited no trace
of delicacy or refinement exhibit charac-
| teristic traits of thoughtfulness. They
are, SO to say, lifted out of themselves
and placed in new conditions calculated
to awaken feelings of courtesy, which
seldom fail TO respond. The mental
state of criminal during the hours pre-.
ceding execution presents features Of
interest to the psychologist, and, rightly
comprehended, it is to be feared they
would throw new light on the supposed
preparation these unfortunate persons
evince for fate which, being inevitable
they at the final moment are able I,
meet with composure in which hypoc
risy or self-deception finds the amples
scope. London Lancet.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29
What He Was After.

a strong, healthy-Iook1ng young man
entered the County Clerks Office and
gazed respectfully around. Harry
Thompson, the Chief Deputy, stepped
up and blandly inquired of the stranger
if he wished any business transacted.
The young man, when spoken to,
started back as though dreading an as
sault, but he soon recovered himself,
and said in a whisper:
"Yes, sir-I called to see-I wanted
to have a little talk-how much is it,
anyhow"
He held soft cloth hat in his hand,
and kept turning and twisting it about
as he spoke; his face had grown terril ly
red, and big drops of perspiration were
standing on his brow.
"What is it you want?" asked the
clerk.
The man looked at him pleadingly,
but struggled in vain for utterance.
His eyes bulged out, his face grew red
der, and the veins in his neck and on his
forehead swelled till they looked like
great knotted cords. He twisted the hat
convulsively and then Strengthened it
out again, and then he pulled the new
lining out of it and dropped it on the
floor. Then he picked it up all dusty
from the floor and wiped his steaming
face, leaving dirty streak after each
wipe. Finally it seemed as though the
poor young man had quite recovered
himself, for he looked cheerfully around
the room, and then turning to Mr..
Thompson, remarked in a pleasant and
confidential tone:
"Well, it is real warm for this Sec
tion, isn't itP"
every warm, indeed" replied Mr.. T.
"It is a good deal hotter than we have
it down in the valley, and somehow I've
always had Just the other notion about
it-that the higher up you got, the
cooler"
eyes," said Mr.. Thompson; "but
about that business of yours.
Another fiery blush that looked as if
it would scorch the collar off his neck,
followed this remark, but the stranger
held up bravely. He leaned on the desk
in an easy, careless sort of way, and
began to toy with mucilage brush.
"The fact Of the matter is, that I
wanted TO-"
Here he paused again, and medita-
lively iammed the mucilage- brush into
the ink-stand.
"What the deuce are you doing with
that brush2" asked the clerk, somewhat
impatiently.
ooh. by George-excuse me. STAN.
mered the man, as he hastily withdrew
the brush, spattering the ink all over
the clerks shirt bosom, and as if it had
been molasses dripping from his fingers,
thrust the brush into his mouth, daub-
ing himself with ink and mucilage, and
| then bolted from the Office.
"That's about the worst case have
ever seen," remarked Mr.. Thompson, as
he wiped big ink spot from the star.
board side Of his Roman nose.
"Orazy as a loon," said Alderman
Orndorh, who had been an interested
spectator of the whole scene. "Yor
ought to send policeman after tina
man."
"No; he's not exactly crazy" reptile,
Thompson. 81 knew from the star
that he wanted marriage license, and
thought I'd have little quiet fun; bu
he's broke the line now and gone O.
with the book Nrgtnta City (Nev.
CAyoniole.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29
R1DGWAY, COUNTY, PA. THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 1873

kill him. 1 thank Him, too, that am
cured of my terrible temper; or, at least,
that it never quite masters me now."
TT has been cruel lesson to bo.h of
u.s." And Mrs. Courtney shuddered.
"But why to you, mother ?" he cried,
vehemently. "Yo1s innocent and good,
should not have suffered fol- my wrong
doing. That does not seem to me right
or just"
"Hush, hush, my boy !" she answer
ed, solemnly.
80 my son my pride in you and my
weak over indulgence deserved chastise-
ment. But all my sorrow is forgotten
now; and God is indeed good to It's
both"
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29
Foreign Bodies In the Nose and Ears

DIR. Mason, in a lecture on the Sur
gerry of the Face, published in the Lam
Get, says that foreign bodies, such as
cherry stones, locust beans, brass rings,
slate pencils, screws, buttons, pieces of
wood, peas,' etc., are not upfrequently
met with in the aural and nasal cavities
of children, and even of adults. Such
substances have been known to remain
in one or other Of these cavities for near
ly lifetime, causing little or no incon-
venience. Thus a case is related of q
lady from whose nostril a foreign body
was dislodged during the act of sneez.
ing. It was found to be button which
had belonged to her little brother when
they were both infants. Another case
is recorded in which a piece of slate
pencil was removed from the lady's ear,
and which had been put there when she
was at school forty years before. And
third instance, in which a cherry stone
hsd been in an ear for sixty years. A
case is recorded of gentleman, aged
forty one, from whose ear piece OF
cedar wood was removed by Swinging.
The patient remembered distinctly the
fact of an introduction when he was o
boy at school, at least thirty years
previous. No attempt had been made
to extract it, and it had not troubled
him until now.' 1t occasionally happens,
however, that good deal of inflamma.
tory action is set up by the foreign body,
as in the case of girl who was undt
the authors care in the hospital, to
which she had been admitted on account
of small stone in her ear. She subse.
quently had paralysis of the facial nerve.
A case is reported of child who moi
only had facial palsy, but died of menin
gifts, caused by the presence of locust
bean in the ear. Living larva have
been found in the meatus of the ear.
DIR. Routh publishes such case. The
patient was gentleman who three
years before was tormented by fly neal
his ear. Commissions followed the pres.
ence of the larvae, but the patient re
covered, although he remained deaf
DIR. Blake of Boston, has seen four such
cases. A case is reported which shows the
curious course taken by pin that ha6
been introduced into the external meatus
1t passed through the middle ear, proba
bly, along the Eustachian tube, and wal
extracted by the patient from her throa
by hooking it with her finger.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29
AFTER MANY YEARS.

"It's always the same thing, cutting
wood, fetching water, and running er.
rands for mothers boarders. It's Here
Toni There Toni Look sharp, boyI'
from morning until night, till I'm fairly
discouraged. Most of them are civil
enough, but that detestable Col. Monk.
ton speaks to me as if I was dog. I'm
as much gentleman born as he. ibonob
mother does take dodgers now. It's hard
for her, brought up as she was in wealth
and luxury; and If it wasn't that she
needs SO much, I'd leave here TO.
morrov."
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29
Items Of Interest.

Parts of speech-The lips.
A.hard thing to sharpen-the waters
edge.
Every base ballist should have strik-
ing face.
What dressmaker may boast OIL
am engaged to sew and sew.
"Cau storied urn or animated bust"
exceed in eloquence the words, mo
Trust. "-Erchdnge.
A man may doubt his ability to climb
q picket fence, but growl from dog
will inspire him with confidence and
alacrity.
When Barnum receives word from one
OF his agents that sea-lion has been
captured, he simply telegraphs back,
"Tanks, gentlemen, tanks" ..t..-
An Iowa farmer, worth $19, 900, start
ed out four years ago to secure legal
revenge on neighbor. The lawyers
have his all now, while he has revenge.
A man bet another ten dollars that he
could tell him how much water to q
quart went over the falls of Niagara in
a year. The bet was taken. How
much ?" was the question. "Two pints
to a usrt," replied the first, as he pock-
eted the wager.
PARTING.
Wide seas wait for our ships,
In the grey dawn we'll sail away,
This wealth of soul and lips
1 leave with hopes that die to-day
Cling, sweet, close to my heart,
Joy will die out with morning light,
When seas bear us apart
Well weep for moments lost tonight.
Look up with your sad eyes
And chide me, love, for every tear
And say "though nighttime flies
Let sorrow sleep till morn Is here.
The poison so freely used by the Ital-
iens in the seventeenth century was
called "aqua tofana," from the name OF
the old woman Tofania, who made and
sold it in small fat walls which she
called mama of st. Nicholas, on one
side of which was an image of the saint.
She carried on this traffic for half CEN
tu1y and eluded the police, but on being
detected confessed that she had been a
party in poisoning 900 people. Numerous
persons were implicated by her of all
ranks, and many of them were publicly
executed. All Italy was thrown into
ferment, and many fed, while persons
of distinction, on conviction, were
stranPled in prison. 1t appeared to
have been used mainly by married wo-
men who were tired of their husbands.
Four or six drops were fatal dose, but
| the effect was not sudden and therefore
not suspected. 1t was as clear as water,
but the chemists have not agreed about
it's &C 81 composition. A proclamation OF
the Pope described it rs aquafortis dis
titled into arsenic, and others considered
it as solution of crystallized arsenic.
The secret of its preparation ~as con-
veyed to Paris, where the Marchioness
de Brinvaliers poisoned her father and
two brothers, and shs, with many others.
were executed, and the preparers of it
were buried at the stake.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29

ga little four year old, bright eyed
girl, who has planted little garden all
for herself, was asked by an older sister
il she didn't expect a good many profits
from it. Sde quickly replied with great
dignity, What are you talking about
prophets for on week days2 Don't you
know they all died long ago, and went to
heaven in chariots OF &reY"
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29

"Well, the deuce I" remarked Mr.. r.
Townsend, Of Newport, KY, when, hav-
ing asked for supper at a Cincinnati
hotel he received no change back out of
a one dollar bill. Then, as if in a
dream, he went to the dining-room and
consumed two cups of coffee, three plates
plain bread, two plates fried mush, one
plate corn beef, one plate chicken, one
platecold ham, two plates loin of veal, two
platessb beef, three plates broiled
ham, four plates fresh fish, three plates
fried eggs, two plates fried potatoes and
one plate of baked potatoes. The clerk
figured it out that, at restaurant prices,
Mr.. r. Townsend was $3.05 ahead.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29

France and Switzerland exhibit more
clocks ahd watches at the Paris Exposi
ton than all the other countries put
together.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29

Rena Willis, coiorei girl, died few
minutes after being baptized in Wilkes
county, Georgia. She was overheated
when she went into the water.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29

The entrails OF cattle are now manu-
factured into cord, rope, round and fiat
betting, and other material where extra
ordinary strength is required.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29
TIMELY TOPICS.

A Western hail insurance company re-
Gently paid $19, 900 for damages to crops
in one Minnesota county.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29

Forty-five millions of pairs OF sewed
shoes and 81, 900, 900 of pairs of pegged
shoes we're made and sold by the manu-.
facturers of the United States in 1877,
and eighty.five per cent. of the work
done on these shoes was done by machine
ry. The uppers are cut out by hand,
simply because of the variableness of
the quality of the leather in the same
skin. The soles are cut out by machine
ry, and the binding, pasting, closing,
crimping, stitching, heeling and polish
ing are all done by machinery, without
the aid OF human hands.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29

An Illinois lawyer, who charged a
widow $25 for making out bill OF sale,
reduced his bill to 90 after the widows
brother had taken off his coat.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29

A discussion of the question, "What
is Inspiration" appears in the Septem
ber-October number of the North Ameri-
can ReUie,D. The writers will be the
Rev. DR.. F. Il. Hedge (Unitarian), the
Rev. DR.. E.A. Washburn (Episcopalian),
the Rev. Chauncey Giles (Swedenbor-
gian), the Rev. DIR. J. p. Newman
(Methodist), Most Rev. DIR. James Glib
bons, Archbishop of Baltimore, (Roman
Cathoic), and John Fiske Independ-
ent)
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29

On one day recently there were sixty
four steamers, fifty ships, seventy six
brigs, 223 barks, and 142 schooners,
lying at the port of New York waiting
for cargoes.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29

The publisher of an esteemed contem-
porary on Mount Washington prints the
names of the young men at the hotels
who work off on hand press the great
est number Of copies of his paper in a
given time; muscular summer boarders
covetous of fame flock to the office, and
thus he saves the cost of steam engine
or mule.-Ne,0 York World.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29

A woman of Steele County, MINI.
had her husband and son killed by light
ming five years ago. She married again,
and her second lord was killed by light
hing last week.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29

A man recently died in his bed at
Peckham, England, from suffocation
produced by eating a hearty supper.
The und;gested food had risen and
choked him to death in his sleep.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-29

u According tn tho best authorities, the
entire population of the earth is now
1, ,439, 145. 800, broadly divided as fol-
lows: Europe, 312, 1893. 4S0; Asia, $751;
000,O 900; Africa, 205. .219, 500; Australia
and Polynesia, 4 All, 300; North and
South America, &c, JIG, 900. The human
race as whole is increasing slowly in
numbers.