davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1878-08-24
PRACTICAL AND SENTIMENTAL SIDES
OF FARM LIFE.

Poets have sung the delights OF the
farmers life in strains 80 enchanting
that one nigh; wonder why all the world
has not forSaken every other pursuit and
betaken itself TO the tilling OF the soil.
But the farmer himself, in the unshaded
hay field, or plodding in the clayey fur
row At the tail of his plOw, with 4 free.
holders right sticking to each boot, or
bending, with aching hack, between the
corn-rows, or breasting the winter storms
in the performance Of imperative duties,
looks Al his life from diheren, point OF
view. To him this life appears As full
OF toll and care and evil chances as tina,
OF any other iollcr And true il is, the
life Of an ordinary farmer is hard, with
too little TO soften ii-ioO much Of work.
too little Of play. But As true is wha,
the poet sang 80 long ago: Thrice
happy are the hushandmen If they could
but See their blessings" for they have
independence, more than any Others
who by the sweat OF the brow earn their
bread, and the pure air OF heaven TO
breathe. and the blessed privilege OF
daily communion with nature.
II i not easy for the farmer 70 see any
beauty in his enemies, the meadows
full OF daiSeS, with which he is forever
fighting, or by which he has been igno-
miniously conquered; the encroaching
ranks of golden-rods along the borders
Of his fields and the bristling bayoneis
OF those Canadian invaders. the ihisiles.
How few farmers, or other people for
that matter, see in the climbing bushes
of the dawning day, or the gorgeous
painting Of its close, or in the perfect
day itself. anything but the fore telling
of fair or foul weather; or notice the
WAYS OF any uniamed bird or beast. ex.
Ccpi that the crows come 10 pull the
corn, the hawks TO catch the chickens.
and the foxes TO steal the lambs and
turkeys However. the farmer generally
does feel thrill OF pleasure when in the
hazy sof,ncSs OF February or March
day, he hears the cav of the frs, carrion.
seeking, hungry crow. The heart of
winter is broke. In April when the
fields begn to show a suspicion Of com.
ing green and give forth an odor OF
spring, and the dingy SNOW hanks along
the fences are daily dwindling. he vel.
comes the carol of the frs; blue bird.
and Is glad 10 hear the robin utter his
restless note from the boughs Of the old
apple tree and the clear voice Of the
new come meadow lark strikes him A.
aoi altogether unmuslcal, and when he
hears the plainiivc cry OF the grass.
plover he is sure spring has come. and
then thinks OF the small birds no more
till the iirs, blasts of returning winter
sweep over the bare trees and frozen
fields. when, all at once. he becomes
aware that the troubadours are gone.
He sees that the brave little chickadee
remains faithful TO his post, and feels
that his chccy note enlivens little the
drcarincsS OF winter. Is does the recdy
piping of the nu, hatch and the voice OF
the dowry. fuller OF life than Of music.
and the discordant note of the blue iay.
who. clad in bit of summer sky, loud.
~ proclaims his presence; hut the sing
ers are gone and hc misses them
S.ygbscy.
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1878-08-24
~ How often do We hear the remarI

b1- How often do We hear the remark.
"Oh, so-and.so rose because he had a
friend who could push him ahead!" As
a rule. however. the disposition to AL
vance another docs not arise from friend
ship. but rather from full confidence
in his ability; men possessing the ele-
menis which raise them in business are
usually too just, too sighted. and
too careful Of their own regulations to
risk the same by recommending Others
out of pure friendship. Indeed, such a
course would he anything but an act Of
friendship, because, as compared to get
ting a good appointment, keeping il is
ten times more difficult.
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1878-08-24

h%-Two friends were recently at
tackled by Indians in Arizona. and cs-
capped on mules, though the arrows Of
the savages whistled by them in iocks.
One mule being faster than the other.
his rider sang out "Joe, why don't You
come along?" Joe, who was urging his
mule with desperate energy, replied, as
an arrow grazed his ear "Do act like
man who is throwing OF race?"
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1878-08-24
POETRY.
A SUMMER DAY.


nv e. y. BROOKS.
Deep down beside the tangled sedge
The meadow lark sings all the day,
A8 buFFts at tunes from out the hedge
The mimic chatter Of the jays
Aud here and there wandering note,
A cFickets ehirp, comes sweet and clear
Whore dreamy mists Of summer float
Al noon upon the grassy mere.
Afar away below the hill
sec the noisy mill-wheel 90,
The smooth broad lake above the mlll,
The cash of foam that roars bsiou;
And ON the even slopes that rise
No gentiy toward the moantain's srow,
The cattle watch With sleepy eyes
The lasy Plow-bcy 81 the Piew.
Ny soui ls sleeping. and iis dreAms--
All. sad and sweet that dreaming thrillsi
Fer there are other wales aud sfrs.fns,
Aud ether hocks on other hills
The hills whercon climbed TO pull
The golden rods aud weeds oi May,
When all the world vas beautiful
Aud all my life q sumner day.
-HaTp,r'. Mayasiss for Asyasf.
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1878-08-24

sw-A Milwaukee chap kissed his girl
forty times right straight along. and
when he stopped the tears came into her
eyes. and she said in sad tone Of voice:
s'Ahi John, fear you have ceased to
love me-" "No i haven't" replied
John, ''bus mist breathe"
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1878-08-24

s9r"what good is they, anyhow 2"
scornfully remarked bootblack, refer
ring to the fair sex. "Did you ever
know 'em to stop and give a felier q johi
Not muchl They amt got no shoes on
&, to blacken. anyways.
The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1878-08-24

bU-Iady Mary wortley Montague
introduced dinoculation for the small pox
from Turkey. Her own son had been
inocula;ed-with perfect success at Adri-
anople in 1913. She was allowed to in
oculate seven capital convicts, who, ON
recovery, were pardoned. The practice
was adopted by the enlightened portion
Of the people. but il spread with fatal
effect among the poor and ignorant,
and these being very superstitious re-
garded the practice rs temptation Of
Gods providence. Dr. Jenner made
the frsh experiment in vaccination in
May. ID 5. by transferring the pus from
the pustule Of milk maid, who caught
the cow-Pox from the COWS, to healthy
child; ard, publishing the result, the
practice spread through the civilized
world. The efficacy Of the cow-pox as
an antidote TO smallpox was a fact IA
miliar TO the common people for a cen
tury before Jenner promulgated It. The
tables Of morality were almost immedi.
ately affected by this discovery. The
average length OF life, which previously
ranged from thirty to thirty-three years,
rose shortly after to nearly forty.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-10-16
Sold his Wife'S CORPSE.

A narrative illustrating the depth of
depravity to which man may descend
was recently related to the Chicago
Times reporter. The story opens in an
interior county of Illinois, where resides
a farmer whose broad acres of fertile
prairie and sleek herds place him and
his family above the knowledge of want.
Five years ago this family circle was
adorned by daughter, fair beyond
comparison with her young associates,
and rarely accomplished for one whose
life had been spent upon farm. 10
this family appeared, about the time IN
Dictated, a young man Of pleasing man
ners and fashionable attire, claiming to
be in good circumstances in Chicago.
His account of himself was not entirely
satisfactory to the farmer, who noticed
with alarm growing fondness in the
chances his daughter cast upon the
smooth spoken stranger. Paternal OPP
position in this case, as in SO many SIM
liar instances, only added fuel to the
flame of kindled love, and the young
couple found means of carrying On
clandestine meetings, until one day the
rash girl agreed to an elopement
When the arrangements were ali
complete the daughter wrote letter to
her parents, telling them she could not
live apart from the man she loved, and
had, much as she was panied to give
them sorrow, determined to cast her
lot with his. This note she left in her
chamber, and departed with the young
man at night. The father was a man
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-10-16
The Silent Stranger.
Boston Courier.

A stranger sat in corner Of the car
hence to New York, in easy attitude,
his feet upon large black trunk The
gentlemanly conductor, going his rounds
at the first station politely informed
the stranger that the trunk must be put
in the baggage car. To which the stran-
ger nothing replied. At the second
station the displeased conductor more
decidedly told the stranger that he must
put that trunk in the baggage car. To
which the stranger nothing replied. At
the third station the vexed conductor,
more imperatively told the stranger
that he must put the trunk in the bag
gage car or it would be put off the train.
To which the stranger nothing replied.
At the fourth station the irate conduct
or had the trunk put off and left. At
the fifth station the Modified conductor,
addressing the stranger begged him to
remember that he but did what his duty
required, and that he had only done so
after repeated warnings, and that it was
solely the strangers fault. To which
the stranger laconically replied: 'Don't
care; faint my trunk"
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-10-16
A YOUNG DON JUAN.
The Typical Young ''Masller" of the
..u.. n Period. s 81 ''

He sat with the friend of his heart ir
a Broadway cafe. a..
Not having been paid for puff, we
do not name the cafe.
A young lady, beautiful as the morn
passes by the open window. He smiles
at Ter She fails to smile back. But
that is a minor detail. ,.-.. ..,.a
what !" cries his friend, ''you don't
mean to say you know her ?"
Il do, my boy" -H"s 't. a'.
sNo-you don't mean to say 50
Know her well? How long?" -.
1T is not one month and three days
since l touched for the first time that
exquisite, soft, white hand" ~
"Wen, you are in luck, old fellow r'
81 ann amp he said with solemn
it,. .gas.r rI aa
''And how was if? Tell me all about
it, ..........,,,..t ,.....
Pause for deliberation. Then he
speaks, slowly, and with effect
1T was in the Madison avenue STAGE
He pauses and adjusts his collar. ''She
pissed me ten-cent piece, and | put
tin the box"
"Is that all?''
."No, my dear boy Would it were"
Pauses once more to pull down his
cuffs. "Must I own it% (Pauses and
shoots his cuffs again. "There was
one night when" Another pause, and
more cuffshooting.) ''There were some
moments passed with her-that I, at
least shall never forget-never, never
Would they could have lasted for all
time p .'
Observation-Disclosures" gasped his
friend, breathless with interest, leaning
eagerl Y across the table. II
81 was coming back" There is a
sombre impressiveness in his voice y
''from Harlem--in a Third avenue car
She was there also" 49,.
''sYou were alone with herW
'Oh, no There were eleven other
.Weil?p G>.W .1e.a& ls9aa
"Wellw gu,Ha5a ol ....s.a..l ~
There was silence for a moment
Then his friend stretched forth his
hand across the table and they shook.
With clasped hands and averted faces
they sat for few seconds, until his
friend spoke: l''.'-<
| ''This must go no further" To-.
"Alas!' he answered despairingly
your are right"
''It must end here" said, with sterr
emphasis, the true and faithful friend.
1T SHALL" There were tears in his
7oice. Heavens, it is hard" he muir
nured. i ~ a-'@ ..#i t.>"-ssa.'. 81.
And there are lots like them"
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-10-16

operators in southern cities amid the
ravages of yellow fever are worthy of
highest praise. It seemed most nee
cessary business to keep open some
medium of communication with the
outside world, even in those places to
which prudence forbade any to 60 ex-
cept on errands Of mercy; yet for several
days, on one Occaaion, Grenada was left
without such communication with the
world by the sickness or death of one
telegraph operator after another. The
fever early attacked the family of the
manager of the Grenada office, Thomas
Marshall, and he alternated between the
ofilce and his stricken home until, hay
ing buried three children, he himself
was smltten down, and died while a
fourth child lay, apparently dying, by
his side. The duties of the office then
fell on the assistant, w. HI. Redding,
He averaged twenty hours of work daily,
until exhausted, he was attacked by the
fever while at MS instrument. Two
days before this, John F. Heaberg. a
volunteer from Winona, Mississippi,
he come to his assistance, but he was
taken sick the day after Redding, and
no one remained in the office. Mar
shall and Redding both died; and when
the condition of things became known,
David Flannery, a veteran superinten-
dent at Richmond, Virginia, volunteered
to open the Grenada office. In other
cities the faithfulness Of telegraphers
has been equally marked. At Mem
phls, when all but four out of a force of
fifteen men had been FRUSTRATED, J. W.
MDonald was attacked while sending
message, and was lifted from his chair
with his hand on the key, and carried
home. At Vicksburg, after many had
succumbed, "Ben" Fortune, of Hick-
man. Kentucky, was taken sick, but
would not leave the instrument for two
days, but continued to work, operating
with marvellous rapidity On the third
day OF his illness he was driven to the
office, but was obliged to turn back, and
died the next day. Instances might be
multiplied showing how heroically the
telegraphic fraternity have stood at
their posts Of duty.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-10-16
The Feather Business.

The business done IN New \ DIRK city
alone in a single year is almost in
credible, especially when one considers
that plumes are only one small unit
among many unnecessary requirements
Of fashion.
The chief business in feathers is with
ostrich plumes, which are used for
every variety of purpose. They come
principally from South Africa, although
the long soft Egyptian feather known
as the Mogador is of finer quality
than the Cape" feather, and brings
higher price. The cape feathers are
pure white, often tipped and streaked
with a gray tint Some varieties are
gray throughout, and of the most deli
cate texture. Those from the wild
Egyptian bird are sometimes as long as
twenty-four inches, and the down on
each particular spine is longer and
thicker than on those from the Cape.
They are of pure white, or of an almost
invisible yellow tint. The price per
pound, which contains from eighty to a
hundred long feathers, run as high as
three hundred dollars for the best quail
tiles. There is often a considerable
quantity of guano and other dirt, which
must be carefully removed by the man
ufacturer. Acids are used in cleaning
feathers, after which process they are
assorted and prepared for the market
The thick quill is scraped with glass on
the under side until about half its SUBJ
stance is removed, which leaves the
feather soft and graceful from stem to
tip. Many are left in their natural
purity, or soft gray coloring, while others
are prepared in various tints to suit all
tastes. The feather manufacturer uses
mineral dyes adapted to the delicate
nature of his plumes. Cloth dyes should
never be applied to valuable plumes, as,
however we'll the feather may appear
at first, it is rotted, its natural gloss and
softness gone forever, and it remains on
ly a sorrowful relic of it's former splen-
dor. A feather once dipped in cloth
dye soon wears out, and can never be
renewed, while it may be cleansed and
dyed every season by professional
worker in feathers, and still retain its
brilliancy and valuable quality for
years.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-10-16
IrOttlng in France.

Paris special to New York Herald:
The Dutch trotting races at the Bots de
BoulOgne to-day were witnessed by a
multitude of people. President Mac
Mahon, ex-president Grant and General
Moves were present to witness the curl
Gus races. All the sporting celebrities
of France were also On the ground. The
races to-day were trotted in harness,
eight horses starting, as on Tuesday last.
The sulkies used were antique and
heavy, resembling sleighs on wheels
more than any other modern vehicle,
and averaging in weight over three hun
dred pounds. Indeed, they were the ex-
act prototypes of those curious vehicles
Of the seventeenth century seen in the
Museum de Cluny, on the Boulevard
Saint-Mlchel. The drivers were great,
burl y fellows, averaging one hundred
and eighty pounds. The races were ar
ranged IN pairs as on the first day, the
winner having to carry off the honors in
six separate heats. The best time made
on the quarter mile course was at the
rate of I'm. 55s., to the mile. The VIM
ner of the first prize "for three-year-
Odds" was the mare Princess. The Sec
ond prize was won by the bay mare
Wilhelmina. Both of the above horses
were from Amsterdam. Great honors
were bestowed upon the winning horses.
Speeches were made, bouquets were
thrown, and the healths of horses and
owners were drunk in champagne.
These Dutch horses seem to be natural
trotters, and owe nothing to the skill of
their drivers, all being handled with
loose reins. The harddraycr3en has
proved a great novelty.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-10-16

were pressing them from every quarter
and who is a member of the army COM
mission, says that, IN an economical
point of view alone, this raid of nine
ty warriors will Co.'S the govern
ment much more than it would have
cost to have maintained full cavalry
regiment in that county. At present
nearly all the available cavalry are To-
Gated on the Rio Grande border. The
movements of small detachments now
for long distances will, in the items Of
transportation and rations, be very
expensive matter for the government.
Senator Plumb speaks hig hly of the
settlers who have been killed, and says
they were men Of worth, courage and
enterprise. He fears that the alarm Oc
casioned by this outbreak will be felt to
the injury OF the border for twelve
months. Senator Plumb says that the
theory is that a white man can take
care of two Indians. He thinks, how
ever, it is nc disgrace to the white
race to say that, If the fighting
is to be done on horseback,
one Indian would take care of two
white men. The Indian has been train
ed to fight in the saddle. Our troops
have not become sufficiently skilled to
shoot from the saddle, and the only
successful Indian fighting is by dis
mounting and taking deliberate aim.
In some reports it has been stated that
the Indians are better armed than our
own troops. The Indian-Ohice author
tiles say that it is impossible for the In
dams to obtain arms at any sutlership
under the control of the Indian Bureau,
but that there is practically DO restric-
ton upon sales of arms by military suit
lers, vino sell the indians all the arms
they want.
THAT REBELLION ENDED.
A Kingston, Jamaica, dispatch dated
October Sth says: The insurrec-
ton in Santa Cruz has been quell-
ed, and the rlngleaders captured.
The cause Of the instruction is said
to be a disagreement between the ne
groes and planters regarding labor CON
tracts
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-10-16

Of stubborn mould, and the "bless u
my children" on which the young fol
had calculated, came not when a paper
containing notice Of their marriage
was sent to him. The old mans sl1s-
plclons had been too well founded. His
daughters husband was of dissolr1te
habits and without means, and his mo-
tive for marrying was the expectation
that the old man would "give down"
literally to keep his daughter from
want. This hope proved futile, as the
father refused to hold any communi-
cation with his hayward child and her
worthless husband. The latter was
soon driven to extrenIities for the
money necessary to keep him in liquor
and cigars, and it was not long before
he more than limited to his wife that it
would be necessary for her to do sew
ing, or what other work could be got,
to help out with the family expenses.
The poor woman did what she could,
meekly enduring the III usage of her
husband, sewing often the greater part
of the night, while he pocketed her
earnings and left her to suffer hunger
and cold.
Two children were born to them in
the poor apartme nts they occupied in
the northwestern part of the CITY.
Each of these but added to the woes in
stead OF increasing the joys of the mo-
Their, and when few weeks ago she be-
came aware that third little one was
IN prospect, her courage completely
failed her, and she determined upon a
most hazardous course. She became
,cl,o
a KIND nelghbOr letter to her mother.
stating her wrongs and the act which
she mad committed, and imploring her
to take care of the two children soon to
be left motherless and already worse
than tatherless. Through some over.
SIGHT this letter was not mailed until
after the death of the victim of a too
confldlng nature. A physician had been
called IN, who, for charity, did what he
could to relieve her suffering, b1lt could
not save her life.
The husband showed some Indication
OF grief, but consoled himself with drink
as best he could. The corpse Law in the
house for a day and night, kindly guard
ed by the neighboring women. Toward
the second night they inquired of the
Wldower what disposition he intended
to make OF the remains, and were told
that evening that an expressman would
come for the corpse for burial, as he
was unable to pay for hearse.
The next day the father of the dead
woman arrived, having learned of her
sad fate, and asked where his daughter
was buried, that he might have her
body removed to the country cemetery,
near her old home. His inquiries
were answered evasively for a time by
the wretched creature whose bad treat
ment had driven his wife to an act
which brought about her death, but be-
ing pressed and threatened with arrest
if he refused to tell, he acknowledged
that he had disposed of the corpse for
of dissection to the physician
who attended her in her last illness, in
consideration of the petty sum of S..
The fathers grief and anger knew no
bound, and it was with difficulty he
could be prevented from wreaking VEN
geance upon the scoundrel before him.
Finally he set about recovering the
corpse, In which he succeeded, and had
it conveyed home and decently buried.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-10-16
The Wife of Henry Clay.

Mr.. George w. lRancki has contribut-
ed to the Lexington Ky. Transcript an
article, in which he says: "What Ash
lind would have been but for Mrs. Clay
the good Lord only knows, for her hus-
band was at the capital of the nation
more than half his time. She attended
to everything, including five sons. who,
according to their old teacher, Amos
Kendall, were not the meekest of the
lambs that gamboled at Ashland. She
managed the farm, with its crops and
1--we stock, her household afaire, a
large family Of children, and not few
negro servants, SO we'll as to assist large
ly in keeping up Mr.. Clay's fortune,
which was constantly subjected to
heavy drains. She often pulled the
finest of her vegetables with her own
hands, and sent them, with butter
milk and fruit, regularly to the
market to be sold. She often, said My
children laugh at me for selling such
things, but they never object to the
money get for them Her Treatment
of her slaves will be judged from mel
custom Of rewarding them at the close
of the week in proportion to their in
dustry and good conduct. Saturday
evening at Ashland, with the 'darkies,
was synonymous with Mrs. Clay's bust
ness-table covered with little piles o
silver money. The wife Of the grea
commomer' cared nothing for genera
and fashionable society, and it was for
tunate, under the circumstances, tina
she did not.