davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-07-13

The immediate future is full of promise
On every hand mems energies, so long par
aIyzed, are rcviying. Want and distress have
sensiby stimulated the enterprise and skill OF
our people. Economy in all branches of gov
eminent, state and federal, is the rule, and no
longer the exception. \ greater number OF
men are willing TO work for "A living than at
any time since the war, and farmers and skill
iul and industrious mechanics in all parts OF
the country are earning a living. Few men
are making rapid fortunes, and speculation
has undoubtedly received blow; but faith
full punctual, honest and skillful labor is al
ready getting the moderate reward with which
it was satisfied before 1860 1t is Il curiou,
sign OF the times that IN many of our cite,
house-building has recommended. but the
houses are mostly small and inexpensive. Fl
nally, there Is little doubt that if the people
who now cry out about the severe pressure Of
the times and demand new initiation could bC
examined, it would be found that they consist
almost entirely of two claSSeS-trampS and
Spectators who bought at the top OF an inila
ted market and are suffering the results OF
their incautiouS ventures. But no legislation
can help these two classes
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-07-13

We can not, II we would deny that there Is
a lack Of ChcCrfulncSS which is one of the
needs of the present times. Gloomy views
dismal torebodings, and the frequent prophe
Cies Of coming disasters are not the best in.
ccntvCs to stimulate the energy which is now
required to be successful in any department OF
trade. When one business man croaks to an
other of the diSCouraging outlook of CONNER
Clal affairs the refrain is taken up and sound
ed along the channels of trade until the nerv
OTIS and timld become frightened. and arc
loftcn, through fear alone. led to make failure.
iand assignments for the benefit of their credi
tors.
There are just grounds f0rmcrchants, bank
ers and commercial men generally to take 4
more hopeful view of the present condition OF
business and speak to each other in a more
encouraging tone. We are fast nearing a spe
Gle basis, Congress will soon adjourn, the
present Tariff Bill will not pass, so there will
be no disturbing of values, the currency cues
ton will receive no further legislation, the
crops promise the most abundant harvest the
country has ever known and the prices of all
kinds of merchandise, commodities and real
estate have been adjusted to near the gold
standard of values. In the dry goods trade
the weak and unsound concerns have been
irclded out, giving the honest, legitimate deal
ers less unfair competition, and this rule ap
Plies with equal truth to all branches of bust
ness. Thousands have gone from the popu
louS cities Of the seaboard, where they could
find no employment, to the western prairies
and in the new and virgin soil are creating
homes and adding to the true productive
wealth of the Nation. 1t is computed that
thirty million more acres of land have been
sown, planted and titled this season than a
year ago. THIS addition to the agricultural
ranks is going on daily, and the lands along
and contiguous to the railway lines in Nebras
ka and Kansas are beng rapidly absorbed by
Ienterprising settlers, who have come to create
anew the agencies of independence for them
selves and families
Above the failures, bankruptcies. losses and
IdiscouragementS that now appear upon the
surface of trade, there is slowly, steadily and
surely dawning brighter day for all indus
tries Of the land Il safer and more prosperou,
period for the interchange of legitimate bust
ness, and with all this improvement there is
also growing higher moral standard in tho
administration of commercial affairs
What we need, then, more than anything
else, l. nerve and energy to take the place OF
tImldlty and fear Let Checriulness relieve
the mental strain that now pervadcS mercantile
circles, ard business men cultivate the habit
Of prophesying prosperity instead of disaster
1t can do no harm, but will do much good
Nor Yori Ec0aolaiSt
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-07-13
BURNING OUT THE SNAKES.
Hundreds Of Kissing Reptiles Scorched Out Of
an lee House

| On Sunday evening McDadc's ice houst
was burned and hundreds of snakes wigglec
ana craWlcu out and ran for the bay, creating
II continuous splash as one after another OF The
| reptiles went hcadlong into tue water The
snakes seemed to come from every nook anC
corner of the building, and writhin~ in agony
from the intense heat, instinCtivcly made tol
the bay direct, and, manned and burned a,
many OF them were, they plunged in promls
cuously, throwing great volumes of water high
into the air
| The Waterman at one of the other ice house:
says that when he first saw the flames they en-
vclOped nearly the entire building. 1t had
been accidentally set on fire by tramps, several
of whom were subsequently found lying near
the ruins fast asleep. One of these very graph,
ically describes the rush Of snakes from the
burning building. Out of the doorway, through
the root, through dense volumes of smoke, they
came bv scores, large snakes and small, Of al
most every species known to this latitude, their
eyes extended and their forked tongues darling
defiance at the blaze they actually raced
through the air to a place OF safety. They
Kissed with madness, and pounded the earth
with their tails in fury and seemed to screech
in agony. The number OF them seemed TO be
endless, until the whole structure was SO tar
consumed that no more could escape.
'rItui IuliltSllthtS, DlON SHiNt' bioNStSlhS,
garter snakes and water snakes were huddled
and hustled together rs they came forth APP
parently born Of the flames. Wild with rage
and tossing venom into the fire, which seemed
only to increase ITS volume, they cooled on the
ground with archcd necks ready to strike the
foe that approached them. Some of them even
seemed to stand on the edge Of the ice house as
If bidding defiance to the devouring elements,
and to lick up the flames with their tongues,
before giving up what had been their homes.
Some of the snakes took refuge in Il large pile
of lumber near the ice house.
The house was built with three boards, by
which vacant space was made in the siding,
creating an air chamber, and 1t is supposed
that the snakes had taken possession of this
for home. The tramps who cndeavored to
stay in the ice house on Sunday night proba-
bly, discovered some of the snakes and attempt
ed to smoke them out, but the effort resulted
in the destruction Of the buiding.-QuiHcy
uLjg
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-07-13
Georgia's Fish story.

- tFrum the Quitman Free PrtSsl
j. Il. Watkins of Quitman, Ga, tells il. and
there is certainly no doubt of its truth. liz
says: while fishing with set lines for catfish
IN the Coosa river a small thrcc-pound cat wa,
caught This cat was put on one of the line,
whole tor bait. Visiting the hooks next day
it was discovered that something tremendou,
had been caught 1t proved to be a cat which
weighed tortytwo pounds. Upon examination
it was found that the first fish of three pound,
had been swallowed 10y an eleven pound cat
and been caught and in turn the two had been
swallowed by the fortytwo FOUNDER. The
three weighed fifty-siN pounds"
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-07-13
!" "|17"77l-I-l1-77- l-1777-7--1
Natural Diffusion of Gold,

Mr. Henry G. Hanks, in IL paper read bv
him before the California State Geological So.
ciety, on the DivislbiIity OF Gold" has re
Gently added, Us the result of his personal oh.
IscryauOns, many valuable facts in addition to
what was already known on the subject, all
tending TO give further evidence as to the ON.
niprcscncc of the precious metal in the earth 5
crust
OF all the interesting examinations that have
thus far been made to obtain information on
this subject the most curious, perhaps, were
those that followed the Investigations of Mr.
ECkicldt, the principal assayer of the United
States mint at Philadelphia, II few years ago
Underneath the paved city of Philadelphia
there lies II deposit Of clay whose area, by a
probable estimate, would measure over three
miles square, enabling us to figure out the
convenient sum of ten square miles. The
average depth is believed to be not less than
fifteen feet. The inquiry was started whether
gold was ditlused in this earthly bed From a
central locality, which might afford u fair as
say for the whole, the cellar OF the new market
in Market street. near Eleventh street, some of
the clay was dug out at a depth of fourteen
feet, where it could not have been IN artificial
deposit. The weight of 1870 granmcs was dried
and duly treated, and yielded one eighth of Il
milligramme of gold-a very decided quantity
on fine assay balance
II was afterwards aScertained that the clay
in its natural state loses about fifteen per cent
of moisture IN drying So that, us il lies in
the ground, the clay contains one part gold in
,22iOOO. This experiment was repeated upon
clay taken from brickyard in the suburbs OF
the city, with the same result In order To cal
culale with some accuracy this body of wealth,
blocks of clay were cut out, and a cubic foot
lis II lies in the ground found 10 weigh 120
pounds, nearly, making the specific gravity
l.92 The assay gave sGven-tcnths of grain
OF gold To the cubic foot Assuming the data
already given, it was aSccrtained that there
were 4, lSO millions of cubic feet of clay under
The streets and houses, in winch securely lay
l2G millions of dollars; and if, rs was pretty
certain, the corporate limits of the city afforded
eight times this bulk of clay, more gold lay
therein than had as yet been brought from
California and Australia.
From these figures il is apparent that. every
time cart load ofclay is hauled out of "A cellar.
enough gold goes with it to pay for the cart
ing; and, according 10 Mr. Eckieldts Calcula
ton, II The bricks which front the houses of
the city could have brought to their surface
in the form of gold leaf. the amount of gold
which they contain, there would appear a gllt
terlng star OF two square inches on every brick
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-07-13

LUNAR NoNsENsE-lf we accepted literal.
| ly every lunar prejudice, the moon would rule
many things besides the weather Madmcn
and lunatics would be subject to her power
! There are veterinary surgeons who say that
| the sight of certain horses becomes dim or
clear according to the phases of the moon.
WOOdmen insist that if trees are fellcd with a
waning moon, the wood will speedily decay
Housewives declare that if you kill your pig,
as you ought, with Il crescent moon, the bacon
will swell nicely in the boiling; it, on the con.
trary, when she is in the wane, it will Shrivel
shrink, and be hard and good for nothing. Fl.
nally, all sailors in mass, except the most
highly educated officers, attribute every change
of weather to the moon. Why? Nobody
knows. Suchlike prcjudceS must be accepted
aud their truth taken for granted, without dis
cussion. There is no want OF instances. 1t is
exactly because prcjudices are beyond the
reach of discussion that it is so difficult To
bring them to reason. Natural philosophers
have perfectly explained the phenomena at
tributed to La Lune Rouse, the Red Moon,
which are really caused by the state Of the at
mOsphcre. Gardeners, nevertheless persist in
making the Red Moon the lunatOn between
the pasChal and the Pcntecosa MOons) rc.
spOnsibc for the morning trostS which FIRE
qucntly occur at that season. Butthe lncicnts
never entertained the idea that the moons
phases were the cause of changes in the wealth.
cr: it was Jupiter's privilege to assemble the
clouds and to dart the thundcrbOs The lucky
and unucFy days of the lunar month belong
to astrOlogy and not to mcteorologv. BOuvarl,
Arago, and many others have proved, by long
series of observations that the moon does not
affect the weather Labor in vain. The ma.
jority of sailors interpret the moons age each
according to his own private rule of belief
The only cllectua retutation would be to strike
at the root of the evil in early youth, and make
school children repeatedly recitc and copy
truthful sentences, such as At is ridiculous to
believe in sorcerers, witches, wcre.wOlveS, and
Red Moons at is not true that the new
moon changes the weather, that the full moon
eats up the clouds, that thunderbots are made
of stone" and other items of the vulgar creed
Accurate knowledge of facts might thus be
promoted bp a catcChism OF things not to be
believed.-L0HdOH SOcietH
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-07-13

Dangling from the grating on the front win
dow of a saloon on Minor street was to be seen
yesterday, sign with this request: Gentle
men will please not fool with the rat Inside
the grating an animal good deal larger Than
a fullgrown hedgehog was lying fast asleep
lis hair was brown and sleek, with Il sprink
ing of white along the side "What dyoa
think of i'm ?" asked the saloon-kcepcr
THAT isn't the rat"
That's him."
"Whcrc did he come from"
From South America. The fact is he
doesn't belong to me I'm keeping him tol
another party"
| Then the salOOn-kccpcr went on 10 say that
the right, title and interest to the rat was vested
in slOw-gOing, gOOd.natured DutChman, who
brought HIM from South America and was
dwelling with him in obscurty, from which
he was rescued about a week ago by saloon
keeper, who said that he thought he might
as well take him and advertise him rs have
him stay with his owner where nObOdy'd ever
see him?'
"What does he wcigh?"
Fifteen pound"
as he SAVAGE
The rat now opened his jaws to cape, dis
closing four long tangs, two in each jaw, Is
though he understood the question and took it
upon himself to answer in ms own way.
The proprietor said that the rat slept great
deal in daytime and at night was generally II
ritablc and savage.
"lIow would he come out from tussle with
a dog?' asked a bystandcr,
well, he got away with only three dogs
daring the last week." said the proprietor, un.
conccrnedly, rs though it was hardly worth
mentioning.
Hurt them badly" qucried the bystander
"Only tore the side out of one of them, Il
terrier; tore the nose nearly off bulldog,
and would have killed the third, another ter
rier, if we hadn't taken Inn off,
The rat is about fourteen inches high and
eighteen inches long. 1t is said that there is
only one other such specimen in the country
in Central Park, New York. He eats peanuts
bread and crackers. Peanuts being his favor
lite diet, he devours large dlshiul of them
daily. In South America these rats run wild
in the PhilddeLphi0 Tjmes
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-07-13

Physicians Of Berlin have sent forth an ur-
gent warning against the Use of the popular
baby-carriagc in which the little ones sit fac
Ing the nurse and are pushed backward. The
natural desire of the eye is To draw nearer 10
what 1t sees. and the practice of reversing this
normal order of things and causing surround
ing objects 10 rocede Is liable To affect injuri-
ously the Development of both sight and brain
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-07-13
CARVING THE TURKEY.
An ancient Turkey weak and gray,
AIn faucibus mOrtisn helpless lay,

An ancient Turkey weak and gray
An faucibus morris" helpless lay,
By the banks of the dark Bosporus
And gazed with feeble, fading eyes
st the ftful light in the Western skies
That cleaned like cleaning phosphorus
A Bull and Bear sat close by his side
And watched his life blood's ebblng tide,
With faces sad ana pathetic
The Bull administered lotion loans
To brace his nerves and strengthen his bones,
The Bear gave him Tartar emetc.
He had been in his time Il game old cock,
And stood 'gainst his foes like granite rock,
As true as the truest Roman.
And now, though his life was ebbng fast,
lie raised himself and he died at last
With his face to his cruel foemen
Our brother has gone, do declare"
Said brother Bull to brother Bear;
81 almost feel like crying.
Our friend was so valiant, good and meek,
With only one failing, so to speak,
He was rather too long in dying.
.And now, brother Bear, we'll cut him in two
And divide his flesh like Christians true,
One half for me, one half for you,
Carving him neatly and prettily,
Joint by joint, and piece by piece,
Leaving the tail for sister Greece,
And the Pope's nose for brother Italy"
50 they ran the knife in up to the heft,
They carved him right and carved him left,
And carved him down the middle
But they could not find a single piece
OF meat or fesh or fat or grease
Sufficient to grease the griddlc.
II was n Turkey only in name,
With no true inwardness, only frame,
Like fifth of July rocket;
II was thin as wafer thin as a ghost,
Thin as diet of water and toast,
Thin as Il speech Of u Congressman when
He talks about honor and honest men,
With both hands in his Unclc's pocket
MORAL.
For Mss CoIuDlbiaS Bmm
When you see a sister lying low,
Like Canada, Cuba, or Mexico
And hardly able to hobbc
Don't wait for the tedious hem and haw
Of that slow old coach the National law,
But swOOp like an eagle, on her pouncc,
tiobble her down and gobble at once,
While there's something left to gobblc.
&. II. AVERY, in v. Y. Sun.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-07-13

College professor Ito Junior who has been
taking advantage of his observation-disclosures j
Young man, | find on looking over the re-
cords that this makes the fifth time in two
years that you have been granted leave of alb
sence to attend 10 your Grandmother funeral" "
-Hdrper's Bazar.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-07-13

Another Mammoth Cave has been discover.
ed in Kentucky, which las been explored six
teen miles one way and twenty three another
Great rivers were found. and broad track
over which wagons could he driven for four.
teen miles. Several mummifcd corpses were
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-07
LONG BRANCH NOTES.

LONG BRANCH, n. j., Aug. 5.-The weather
IA very warm The wind continues In the South. About
last evening the barouche o. the Hon b. H. Brewster
Of Philadelphia, was run into by a pony phaeton on
ocean-avc., while he driving with his wife and
child The backsprings axleree and wheels OF the ba-
roucho were Oh by the collision. The phaeton was
driven by Mr. Foster, who had a lady with him. The
shafts were broken. After the accident, Mr.. Fosters
pony ran of and spranR upon the piazza Of the Ocean
Hotel dispensing the people IN all directions. The
animal then into Man-st, where be was captured
few minutes later In attempting to pass the wrecked
carriages, q hack carelessly driven struck basket
phaeton in which were two young ladies. Fortunately,
in the whole chapter OF accidents. no one was hurt.
large tent has been erected the lawn OF the West
End Hotel for the ladies' fair 20 be held tomorrow and
next day for the benefit OF the Sea Side Chapel.
Tie walters Of the Weft End Hotel are 70 give "hop'
at Washington Hall tomorrow evening.
Among recent arrivals are the following:
Az the Mansion HOuse-Mrs. Edward Pepper and fam.
ily, NJ. l.. Kelly and Miss A. Kelly ST. IOusi Eckfori
Moore Edward NJ. Yard. Trenton; the Rev. Daniel j.
Matthew Griffin. Justice T. A. Ledwith. Gew-lork
United States HOTEL. W. Bfenge, Major Il.
u. schley, Maryland Ex-Governor Joel Parker Free
hold. n. j. A. schoOnmaker, ir.' aud family, Kingston
AT the West End Hote-M J. o'Brien, Georgia Sur
reOu-Grucral j. X. Barnes and family Washington T.
Alexander Jonn q. Heckschcr and family, i. NJ. West
feldt Charles L. Tappn, Miss Annie Fargo, william G..
Fargo. Alexander J.. IRWIN Judge William L. GURUS
AZ the HowIand-G v L. Sanders, Miss Sanders, Miss
GrnOt, Albany 81 3. Sharp, Miss L. sharp, william
Allen aud wife, G. dep FIELD and wife, New York
At the Ocean Hoiel-Chaplaiu Forsytbe West Point (;
the Rev ~ Kelley, Brooklyn W. d. CarrOw and family,
Mr.. de COrdOya, keW-1Ork.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-07
DEsER1INo T1iI0B F0a SH0EMAEER.

MRS. KARLIcH ELoPEs WITH Mr.. GARLIC.
Bohemian tailor rushed INTO the Police
Ve1ifal Office early last evening, and, trembling
VIA excitement. informed superintendent Waing
,a1 shoemaker had away with his wife.
aH uame Solomon Karlich. aud he resided at No.
~ canalst He had been married for two years.
several weeks ago Herman Garlic OF No 272 Seventh
e was Introduced 70 bin BY his wife at their house,
"a ifiend o. their bOarder girl who was learning
tade few days ago the girl informed Karlich that
= aad better watch his WIFE, or Mr. Garlic would get
~ better Of him, Karlieh only laughed at this, how
ana supposed that the girl wanted 20 blind him as
a'r own relations with Garlic.
~ Aariich, on coming home 10 dinner, yesterday
1on found the door locked. and HANDED the key BY
etlghbor. who informed him that his vile had gone
49, ne country karieh sat down 20 deliberate. He
f-s NAT Mrs Karlich had gone with Mr..
,eeN e the NOrWalk boat with the In
N.en y accompanying him 10 tho country.
- Ahiieii reached the boat iust his wife going
soyut, Gafllc WAS not 20 be seen, and the husband
fi Dliaee1 on board until the boat stopped at Thr-
e,.aiitNL There among the crowd on the pier Garlic
~; 1isoeFefco both by Mrs. Karich and her husband
50siner beck0ned bin on board and 90 be
deelt.el the husband tapped him the shOnl-
~ sle asked HIN where he was going With
49, Nife The shoemaker did not doian III
~, esReled 20 90 on shore. AZ the boat moved away
AaiAcn, leaning on Carries shoulder, waved him
P4etFtnth-aye ~ ~
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-07
NOTES FROM NEWPORT.

NEWPORT. K. l., Aug. ga large number
of tickets have been sold tho opera and musical fes
tyal 70 be given here Thursday and Saturday even
ngs Of the present week Miss Cary great fayorte
In Newport
The sohoOneryaoht Tarointa, Of the New-fork Yacht
Club, has arrived here.
Ills reported that the marriage OF Miss Bennett and
Mr. Bell viii take place in September. Mr. Bell is here
Late arrivals include the following:
Ocean HOuse-Chares A. Patch, Bostoni r. y
Field. @. Clahin, II. 3. Freeman, IT., Henry q.
West u A.. John Benton, W. II. Pope, 81. Louis z.
b. HillhOuse, Hew-Hayen; Charles ID. Mclean, Brock
n well, W. q. Bennan, Mrs. slocum, Miss Rhoades'
Providence. 80
Hotel Aqudneck Baekman. Miss Bsekman,
Aurora Ind: H. :. Scatcherd London, Ontario; Mrs
L. Jones, Newport, XIV. T. j. Conaty. Worcester W. H.
Phillips, Providence; Lewis h. NOyes, Boston
[T0T Summer LeislHe Letters ser SIcOnd Pqqtl
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-07
BLACKMAILING OF CLAIMANTS.

TO tAs Edstor or The Trt0Une-
SIR: / see a notice in your Washington
correspondence the backmaling OF claimant as
though 10 a new thing Why, sir IL is notorious
fact that IL almost impossible 70 get claim through
and paid without having to pay commission. and II
you make complaint the department they very In
dignant and demand proofs, and If you dare give
the proof all employees in the department. and all de
partments connected herewith Mt once make common
cause 70 delay and defeat any and every claim In which
you Gre known suspected to have an interest as
sert this OF my own knowledge. having 20 nv sorrow
proved t. Having claims IN the Second AUDITORS and
Paymaster-G Offices, was approached Dy clerks
10 their departments who offered for consideration 70
get my claims through This declined W pay
and my claims remained IN siatu quo. On my COM
pianngto the heads Of the departments they very ndig
nantly demanded my proofs, which very f0ohsniy
gave and which proved the culprit to be the chief
clerk in that department. OF course on went bis head
but from that forward the whole Treasury Depart
ment was down me- and could get no satisfacti0n
and was obliged 10 either abandon my claims or hand
them over 10 other persons to be looked aftor Inc
whole department is rotten. hope It vii be looked
into and the backmaers routed ONE WHO KNOWS.
AeC-Iork, July 20, 1873.