davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-12-03

The report Of the secretary OF war
shows that the army has been well and
economically supp.iea, that our small
force has been actively employed aud
has faithfully performed all the service
REQUIRED Of il. The morale OF the army
has improved, and the number Of deser-
tons has materially decreased during
the year.
The secretary recommends:
l. That a pension be granted to the
widow of the late lieutenant Henry II
Benner, Eighteenth infantry, who lost
his life by yellow fever while in COM
mand OF the steamer j. NJ @ lambegs,
sent with supplies for the relief OF sui
fers in the South from that disease.
.. The establishment Of the annuity
scheme for the benefit Of The heiIs o.
deceased officers, Gs suggested by TIE
paymaster-geneya'.
3. The adoption by Congress o. o plan
for the publication o. the records @! 'h1
War Of The rebellion, now b-iug prepared
Fey that purpose.
/. The increase Of the extra per d!5E
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-12-03

IN ecco- lance with The provisions Of
the act OF February Is 1878, three con-
uissioners we've appointed 70 an inter
nstonal conference on the subject Of
aEoptirc 3 common ratio between gold
aud silver, Tor the purpose Of establish
ise, internationally, tie use OF 0imetsl.
.- money, and securing h1tty q relsti7e
value between those metals.
J1yi.s.ioa. were addressed TO the
Mons Governments which had express
q o willingness - participate In its
r.ll -sti9-s TIE conference held It's
..-5- i1 Fa-s. il August LAST. The
..-rt of tsa commissioners. lsreE -
h-i.s5, VII show its results. N
men ratio between go-d All SILVER
eeei5 pc agreed upon 10y tie conference,
Eae general conclusion was EeaeLs9
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02
GruInbIing.

What a luxury it must be, to some
people, to grumblel Rob them of that
luxury. and life seems barely endurable.
You might as well deprive them of the
noonday sun. You might as well Oblit-
crate from sight the green and velvety
coat of Nature. They must grumble.
Grumbhng is a constitutional necessity
with them. 1t is a part, and an impor-
tant part, of their organization. They
prumble as naturally and as inevitably
as thew eat and drink. Indeed, they
might. perforce, dispense for time with
those interesting table performances; but
total abstinence from grumbling, to
regular grumbler, is just as impossible as
total abstinence from water to fish.
And. goodness knowsl life furnishes
sufficient material for fault-fnding. The
least ouerulous find it difficult. at all
times to be amiable amid the perverse-
ness of events, and the counter-currents
of all little things that should move on
in unity and harmoniously. Amid such
a state of things the morbidly dissatisfied
NAV easily revel in the expression of
their discontentment; and to do them
Justice they seldom lose an opportunity
IN domestic life, the conduct of servants
is theme, alone, of endless complaint.
The greatest plague in life" as servants
are called, occasion, too, the grandest
variety of these little authqFsts Of the
grum6ling propensity. But, after all, it
IS our impression that good employers
make good servants, and Vice Uersd. May
not all grumbling, therefore, arise as
much from the grumbler's evil habits as
from the evil characters of the person or
thing grumbled att 1t would be quite as
well for us to contemplate, now and then,
this view of the question, and reason ac-
cordingly.
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02
The Rest seninr Machine.

The very best sewing machine man
can have is wife. 1t is one that re-
quires but a kind word to set it in mo
ton, rarely gets out of repair, makes but
little noise, Is seldom the cause Of dust,
and, once in motion, will 90 on uninter-
ruptedly for hous, without the slightest
trimming, or the smallest personal sU-
perYisiOn being necessary. 1t will make
shirts, darn stockings, sew on but ons,
mark Observation-Disclosures, cut out pm
azores: and manufacture children's frocks
ont Of any old thing you may give it /;
and this it will do behind your back lust
as well as before your face. In fact. you
NAV leave the house for days, and it will
90 on working Just the same If 1t does
get out of order a little, nom being over
worked. it mends itself by being left
alone for short time, after which 1t re-
turns to its sewing with greater vlgor
than ever. Of course, sewing machines
vary a great deal. Some are much quick
er than others. 1t depends in vast
measure upon the particular pattern you
select. If you are fortunate in picking
out the choicest pattern of wite-one,
for instance, that sings whilst working,
and seems TO be never so happy as when
the husbands linen is in hand-the sew
ing machine may be pronounced perfect
of its kind; SO much so, that there is no
makeshift in the world that can possibly
replace it, either for love or money. In
short. no gentleman's establishment is
complete without one of these sewing
machines in the house.
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02

Every season inaugurates its peculiar
tiles and Oddities in fashions, and 1873
is not behlnd Its predecessors. To look
at the new flowers one would fancy they
had been wilted by an untimely frost.
Such withered roses, sad cOlOred, droop-
ing daisies, hyacinths and pale buff but
tercups are anything but suggestive Of
the brightness of spring, though they
may be of hard times and a depressed
money market.
We can see neither true art or taste in
thus caricaturing nature. Grey daisies
and brown roses are neither true to the
great Artist who gave them their hues,
or beautlfi upon the bonnet of lady.
Yet, because the Havana shades" are
a Ia mode they Will be worn. So also will
be adopted the bold style of trimming,
flaming rosettes, ponderOus bows and jet
beads to simulate nail heads. In dress
goods nothing exceeds the popularity of
the bourette; and grey, brown and black
are the fayorite shades.
The Princess and SylphiAe polonaise
are still the most worn-the trimming
bands and fringes- though knife plaitings
and buttons IN profusion,. as well as
buckles, are much used. Bell-top nara
soils have superseded all other STYLES;
the edges garnished with deep scoilops,
alternating with ribbon Ioops-some-
times with contrasting colors. Fringe is
also employed in ornamentation. The
handles are of Japanese designs of ebony,
mounted with numerous rings of ivory,
A dress of myrtle green bourettes, trim
med with ribbon of Hehter shade. is
among those on exhibition: the bottom
of the Princess polonaise edged with tas-
seled fringe, and the ribbon used in drap-
ing and as bracelet bands at the wrist.
Grey and brown are considered pref
ty combination in the new suits.
Fichues of crepe 6Sss are edged with
lace and fastened with knot of flowers
or large bow of ribbon.
The Gainsborough and the Fra DiaUold
are probably the most popular of round
hats; the corners of the latter being
pointed and turned up on the side. Satin
and watered ribbons are used to trim
together with jet, feathers and flowers,
according to the taste of the wearer,
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02
The Human Brain.

The average weight of the human brain
is between forty and fifty ounces; and it
is, therefore, larger and heavier than
than that OF any animal, with two ex-
cephons-that of a large whale, which
has been found to weigh five bounds;
and that of the elephant, ranging from
eight to ten pounds. The brain Of a full
grown gorilla weighs about fifteen ounces.
As general rule, the more intelligent
animals have larger brains, in proportion
to their weight of body, and in this the
dog shows his superiority tothe COW, and
man to the elephant and whale. This
rule has its exceptions, however. since
in many birds the brain Is larger, in pro-
portion to the body, than in man: and
the body of the little "ouistiti." or mar
moset monkey of South America, is only
twenty times as heavy as its brain. Ina
comparison of the male with the female
brain 1t was found that the average
weight of two hundred and seventy-eight
male European brains was forty-nine
and one-half ounces, while that of one
hundred and nineteen female brains was
forty-four. This order is, however, re-
versed, if the ratio of brain to body be
the standard; for in eighty-one male
brains, the ratio was found to be as l to
$3.50, while in eighty-two female brains
it was as l to S646. Carefully prepared
tables indicate that in both sexes the
brain increases rapidly up to the age of
about seven years, then less rapidly to
fourteen years, and afterward more slow
ly to the twentieth year, near which date
it attains its greatest weight. After the
age OF nifty, the brain seems to lose about
an ounce for each decade. The average
weight of the brain with one thousand
intelligent persons, exceeds that of an
equal number of ignorant ones; but OBJ
servation proves that large brain may
often eoexist with slight degree Of in
telligence, while, on the other hand,
very high degree of intellectual power
and general culture may characterize in
dividuals whose brains are below the
average. Hence it appears that neither
absolute nor relative size of the whole
brain is sufficient test of mental power,
either in animals or human beings.
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02
The Merchants Exchange.

Some years ago, an old merchant, iv-
ing at Frankfort-on-the-M Maine, sent
large consignment of cotton stockings to
business correspondent at Frankfort
on-the Oder, and at the same time, to
another correspondent at the same place,
an equally large consignment of cotton
night-caps, the product of his own man.
ufacture He wrote to each the price at
which they were to sell but the sum
designated was found to be too large, of
which fact they took occasion to inform
him. He Welded a little in his demand,
but still there was no offer for his fabrics.
Again he writes, in reply to other
letters of his correspondents, naming
yet smaller amount; but weeks elapse,
and vet no sales. At length he writes to
each correspondent to make some dispo--
saion of his manufactures: if they can't
get money for them, at least to exchange
them, no matter at what reasonable sac
rifice, for any other goods. Under these
instructions, the stocking factor calls
upon the night-cap agent, both unknown
to each other in connection with their
principal, and names his views. He
wishes to exchange a lot of superior
cotton stockings for some other goods;
he is not particular what kind, as the
transaction is for friend.
The man at first can think of nothing
which he would like to exchange for so
large supply of stockings; but at length
a bright thought strikes him.
@I have" said he, "a consignment of
cotton night-caps from an old correspon-
dent, which 1 shall not object to ex-
change for your stockings"
The bargain was soon closed. The
stocking factor wrote back at once that
he had at length,been enabled to comply
with the instructions of his principal.
He had exchanged his stockings for a
Superior article of night-cap," in an
equal quantity, which he was assured
were likely to be much in demand before
great while.
The next day came letter from the
night-cap agent, announcing his success,
and appended to the letter was a long
bin for commissions AS Yellowplush
would say, 'Fanzy that gents feelinksP p
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02
The Real Hnrn-

In 1898 the Prussian officers of the
garrison of Colberg established an
economical mess, of which certain poor
emigrants were glad to partake. They
observed one day an old major of hus-
sars, who was covered with the scars of
wounds received in the Seven Years
War, and half hidden by enormous
gray moustaches The conversation
turned on duels. A young stout-built
cornet began to prate in an authoritative
tone on the subject.
"And you, major, how many duels
have you fought?'
"None, thank Heaven" answered the
old hussar, in a subdued voice; HI have
fourteen wounds, and Heaven be praised,
there is not one in my back; so that l
may be permitted to say that l feel
myself happy in never having fought
duel"
"But you shall fight one with me-"
exclaimed the cornet, reaching across
to give him a blow.
The major, agitated, grasped the table
to assist himself in rising, when a
unanimous cry was raised:
Don't stir, major"
All the officers present Joined in seiz-
ing the cornet, when they threw him
out at the window, and sat down again
at the table as if nothing had occurred.
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02
Ingenious SHindle.

A young gentleman recently drove up
to the establishment of a well-known
matchmaker, and purchased gold hun.
ter for forty EIGHT pounds Unfortunately
he had left a fifty-pound note on his desk
at home. Would Mr.. So-and-so kindly
send a man with him to his business
house-naming an eminent firm of iron
mongers? The man might keep the
change for himself.
Mr.. So-and-so hummed and hawed,
and found means to communicate with
the cabman, who, however, told him
that he had taken up his fare at the
ironmonger's establishment in question,
and that the gent was going down to
Pytchly. Thereupon the man was sent.
Arriving at the establishment, the young
gentleman ushered the watchmaker's
man into the shop, and told the clerk to
"give him that fifty FOUNDER" So saying,
he jumped into the cab and drove of.
The clerk, who had politely bowed
and gone off to fetch the cash, then
returned with a brown paper parcel,
which he suavely handed to the man.
"What's thisp asked the astonished
messenger. "This isn't fifty pounds"
Excuse me-" was the reply, "it is.
It's the fifty pound dumb-bell the gentle
man bought about an hour ago."
The matchmaker still eherishes that
dumb-bell., sias itIifls
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02

THE HORSES BACK.-The first thing,
says the Michigan Farmer, to notice in
judging of a horse, so far as his back is
concerned, is the length of it. A long
back is a weak one, the world over, and
every instance. By superior excel
.ence of structure in other respects, the
weakness of the back, may in some
measure, be made up, but the horse can
never be the horse he would have been,
had his back been a shorter one. A
horses back, if shorter, has strength, and
is sure evidence that he can carry or
drag a heavy weight great distance and
not tire; neither will two or three sea-
sons of turf experience break him down
if he is a speedy animal, as is the case
with so many long backed horses. The
Farmer observes, in regard to the length
Of stride In a horse '4t is not, in any
way, the result Of the back, but the po-
sition of the posterns, the slope of the
shoulders and the position of the great
bones Of the hind legs. There must be
length somewhere, or else the horse can
not stride far, but it should be put in be-
low and not above. The length should
be between the shoulder point and the
hams of the horse"
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02

DRATH BY DRowNINd.-Ihe death of
the drowned man is not that death which
we ESSAY all our lives by our daily sleep;
Il is NOT that death which simply consists
in sleeping once for all on the pillow
where one has gone to sleep every night
for fifty years. 1t is a death joined to Il
struggle, to despair, to blasphemy. Man
is not prepared for it by the excessive
expire by imperceptlble transitions; tits
not a last thread which has parted
ali his bonds have at once burst asunder
He dies with his health, with his
strength, his hope, his life-without
friends, without a priest, and in those
immense solitudes of ocean, utterihg
cries of agony and despair, wElch Ilt Ine
whistling of the wind and the tenpes.' Sao
the joyful cries Of the new ana tne Sns,sen sem
gull seem to prevent ascending 10 he'''eH'
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02
i .azIing a NohOOImIstress.

A National schoolmistress in the
country was taking down the names and
ages of her scholars at the commence
ment of the term, when, coming in turn
to little white-headed boy, she asked
him.
"Well, my lad, how old are you"
"My name ant Lad, y said, he sharply
iit's john"
"Well,h said the schoolmistress, what
is the rest of your name"
"Why, that's all the name I've got'-
Just john" %,
"Well, what is your fathers nameP'
"Oh. YOU needn't put dads name
down: he isn't comm to school. He's
too big to go to school,"
HWell, how old are your
II amt old at all! I'm young"
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02
HOW LoNafl


BY LOUISE CHANDLER NoULToS.
II on my grave the summer grass were growing
Or needless winter winds across it blowing,
Through joyous June, or desolate December,
How long. sweetheart. how long would you re-
member-
Howlong, dear love how long.
For brightest eyes would open to the summer
And sweetest smiles would greet the sweet new
conner,
And on young lips grow kisses for the taking.
When az the summer buds TO bloom are breaking
How long. dear love, how long:
To the dim land where ssdeyed ghosts walk only.
Where lips are cold, and waiting hearts are lonely,
would not call you from your youths warm
blisses
FiIRup your glass and crown it with new kisses
How long dear love, how long2
Too gay in June you might be 10 regret me,
And living lips might WOO you to forget me:
But ah, sweetheart, think you would remember,
When winds were weary in your Iife's December
SO long, dear love, SO ;Ong!
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02

I'm 1858, when Hanover and other
parts of Northern Germany we're visited
by very malignant kind of smallpox,
the great anatomist, Langenbeck, tried
to discover "the peculiarity of organic
structure which disposes one man to
catch the disease while his neighbor es-
capes." 81 have cut up more human
bodies than the old Man Of the Noun
tain with all his accompliees," he writes
from Gottengen, in his semi-annual re-
port, "and, speaking only of my primary
object, I must confess that / am no wiser
than before. But though the mystery of
smallpox has eluded my search, my
labors have not been in vain; they have
revealed to me something else-the origin
of consumption. am sure now of what
I suspected long ago, VIZ: That pulmOn-
ary diseases have very little to do with
intemperance or with erotic excesses,
and much less with cold weather, but
are nearly exclusive lif we except tuber-
culous tendencies inherited from both
parents say quite exclusively produced
by the breathing of foul air. The lungs
of all persons, minors Included, who had
worked for some years in close work
shops and dusty factories, showed the
germs of the fatal disease, while confirm
ed inebriates who had passed their days
in open air, had preserved their respira-
tory organs intact, whatever inroads their
excesses had made on the rest of their
system. If I should go into practice and
undertake the cure of consumptive, l
should begin by driving him out into the
Deister "a densely wooded mountain
range of HanoYer), and prevent him
from entering a house for year or two.
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02

The LITTLE SLEEPER. Last night at
eleven o'clock, on the rickety steps of
a secondhand store on King William
street, says the Hamilton Spectator, a
little lad lay sleeping. His head was
pillowed on the basket in which he had
peddled oranges all day, and his young
face, not over clean, not over intelligent,
but innocent and COMPOSED, was turned
upwards and changed quickly, as if he
dreamed as the fitful uncertain light of a
clouded moon swept over it like the
wing of an invisible spirit. There were
not many pedestrians on the street, but
what few passers-by there were paid no
attention to the little sleeper, nor
stopped to inquire who he was or whence
ne came. He slept as calmly as if he
were resting on a bed Of down, his
stained hands folded, his lips parted and
warm. The little stars came out from
behind the clouds and looked down
with glistening eyes upon the child, and
the wakeful moon often stole softly be-
hind the heavy vapor and hid her light,
lest some rude hand would disturb the
lad who slept. He lay there unmolested,
and none but the gentle spirit that
watched over the lad heard him whisper
in his dreams "two for five, fo' for ten"
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02

Home can never be transferred,
never repeated in the experience OF an
Individual. The place consecrated on
parental love by the innocence and sports
of childhood, is the only home of the
human heart.
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02

Don't let your children learn good
and bad things indiscriminately. To be
sure, the bad might be eradeated in after
years; but it is easier ts SOW clean seed
than to cleanse dirty wheat
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02
NOT 4 OuACK NosTRUM.


Be careful TO obtain COLLINS VoLrAIo PLASTER,
q combination OF Electric and Voltaic Plates with
a highly Medicated Plaster, a8 seen In the above
cut Sold by all Wholesale and Retail Druggists
throughout the United States and Canadas, and BY
WEEKS & POTTER Proprietora, Boston. Mass.
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02
Symptoms of aDiseasedLiver.

Symptoms of aDiseasedLiver.
DAM In the right side, under the
L edge of the ribs, increases on pres
sure; sometimes the pain is In the left
side; the patient is rarely able to lie
on the left side; sometimes the pain is
felt under the shoulder blade, and it
frequently extends to the top of the
shoulder, and is sometimes mistaken
for rheumatism In the arm. The
stomach is affected with loss of appe-
tite and sickness; the bowels in gen
eral are costive, sometimes alternative
with lax; the head is troubled with
pain, accompanied with dull, heavy
sensation in the back part. There is
generally considerable loss Of mem.
ory, accompanied with a painful SEN
sation of having left undone some
thing which ought to have been done.
A slight, dry cough is sometimes an
attendant. The patient complains of
WEAKNESS and debility; he IS easily
startled, his feet are cold or burning,
and he complains of prickly senSa-
ton Of the skin; his spirits are low;
and although he is satisfied that exer-
else would be beneficial to him, yet
he can scarcely summon up fortitude
enough to try it. In fact, he distrusts
every remedy. Several of the above
symptoms attend the disease, but cases
have occurred where few of them ex-
listed, yet examination of the body,
after death, has shown the LIVER to
have been extensively deranged.
AGUE AND FEVER.
DR.. c. McLANE's LIVER PILLS, IN
CASES OF. AGUE AND FEVER, when
taken with Quinine, are productive of
the most happy results. No better
cathartic can be used, preparatory to,
or after taking Quinine. We would
advise all who are afflicted with this
disease to give them FAIR TRIAL.
For all bilious arrangements, and as
a simple purgative, they are unequaled.
BEWARE OF INVITATIONS.
The genuine are never sugar coated.
Every box has red wax seal on the lid,
with the impression DR.. McLANE's LIVER
PILLS.
The genuine McLANE's LIVER PILLS bear
the signatures of C. MCLANE and FLEMING
Bros on the wrappers.
Insist upon having the genuine DR.. {.
McLANE'S LIVER PILLS, prepared by Flem.
ing Bros, of Pittsburgh, Pa, the market being
full of limitations of the name McLG9le,
spelled differently but same pronunciation.
uaE
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02

We rather think the most reluctant
slave to rice that we ever saw was poor
fellow who had his finger in one.
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02

Sunday is the golden clasp that
binds together the volume of the week" >"
saws writer. 1t is also good time to
pull off your boots and try what bunion
remedies you have accumulated during
the preceding six davs
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-08-02

&HAyAyfs not easily earned in these times
VIT/but it can be made in three month
GDf 4 by any one of either sex, in any part
n the country, who is willing to work steadi
" At the employment that we furnish. Se8
Der week in your own town. You need not
Re away from home oyer night You can give
vour whole time to the WoFk, or only your
SPARE moments. 1t costs nothing to try the
onsiness. Terms and SIS outfit free. Address