davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-06-12
Peninsular Virginia.

The soil OF peninsular Virginia is rather
kindly than rich. Certainly it has no.
that richness Of virgin land of which it is
said, Tickle it with hoe, and it laughs
in harvest" but ligh, manuTing pro,
duces quick return and ample crops,
and that considerably earlier than III other
places north of Norfolk. There is still a
remnant Of the old style Of farming 10 be
seer, Of which j, was said that there were
only three crops raised in Virginia-corn,
hogs and niggers, Of which the hogs ate
all the corn, and the niggers devoured all
the hogs One Of these crops. how
ever, is removed from rhe list.
The poor white" is poor-veTy poor.
| The small farmers Of the North cannot
compare with these in absolute destitr
ton of money
Doctor" said one OF them VINO mad
slowly recovered consciousness alter being
terribly injured by an exploding grind
stone" docto-, ! reckon I'm pretty
badly bruck up, hain't | p
Yes, my man; you are hur. Just about
as badly, to stand chance Of recovery,
as any man ! ever saw"
"Thet's so, thet's so. Wa'al, doctor,
do you know thet ez poor ez am, an,
e. much ez J need money, II wouldn't
ev he'd this happen 10 me fer-fer iweuty-
five dollars
Many Of these poo. whites are day Ia
bo.ers on the neighboring farms. but
others work small patch G. potatoes Or
com on their own account, in ground
mostly so filed with stumps and SD given
to over-growing bushes as to be useless
to any bu. themselves. One sometimes
sees them working IN their fields. Pater-
.amilas does the blowing, Filius Minimus
drops the corn and the rest come in reg
ular sequence, Mater leading the hoeing.
The poo, are wofully ignorant, as the
upper classes are, in many instances indo-
lently progressive. though far less than
formerly. In short, the Virginia portion
of the peninsula seems sunk in a Rip Van
Wrinkle sleep that has lasted hundred
instead Of twenty years. and that as yet
shows but small signs OF awakening
The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-06-12
CELERY.

Celery cooked, IS very line dish.
as ruti.men. and as L purifier o. the
blood : viii nc, enumerate the marvel
lous cures ] have made witt celery, for
iea. he medical men should, like the
corn-dealerS, a,tempt to WORRY me Lee!
me ieaIiessiy say thai rheumatism Is pos
sible on sath diei, and ye; our medical
men allowed rheumatism to kill in 1876,
5000 human beIngs-svery case as un-
necessary as dirty face. Worse still, Of
the 3o,4SI registered as dying from hear;
disease, a, leas, Two thirds of these are
due, directly more or less, TO rheumatism
and its ally, govt. VIVA. !rile is small
pox, with its 5,4oS deaths, a longside an
immense SLAYER OF over 10000 human
beings! Ye, rheumatism may be put
aside ioreve, by simply obeying Natures
laws in diet, Look again at this rheum-
atism, and the havoc it plays with our
army. On foreign stations cur soldiers
are incapaci,ed to as high number as
10 per cent, One hundred in the thou
sand by rheumatism A, home the in
valids from this scourge have been as
high as ninety-four in the thousand. AS
stated in the Army Medical Report of
1871, and yet no one takes it TO heart.
If it were smallpox contagious dis
ease-what fuss there would be of vac
Cination and re-vaccina,ion, or OF some
thing as good charm as pills agains! an
earthquake Plainly lie, me say, cold OF
damp never produces rheumatism, but
simply develops it. The acid blood is
the primary cause, and sustaining power
OF evil While the blood Is alkaline,
there can be no rheumatism, and equally
no govt, must return to cooked celery
Gu; the celery into inch pieces; boil in
water until soft. No water mus, be
poured away unless drunk by the invalid.
Then take new milk. slightly thicken
with -four, and favor with nutmeg; warn,
with the celery in the saucepan: serve up
with diamonds Of toasted bread round
dish. and Ga, with potatoes.
The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-06-12
John Chinarnan as a Marine.

1t is stated that the Chinese are mani
testing an inc1 easing ambition 10 acquire
a commercial navy They already not
only navigate ocean steamships, but know
how to build them. There are two ships
in the revenue service Of China which are
commanded entirely by Chinese, and
have no Europeans on board. One OF
them, vessel of about 500 tons, was built
entirely by The Chinese, machinery and
all There are regular ocean steamers
running between Hong Kong and Singa-
PORE which are. commanded by China
men-and this trip is one which requires
as much skill in navigation as that ba-
tween New York and Havana. There
are as many as twelve steamers, Of about
400 tons each, running for short distances
along the coast of China which are owned,
commanded and manned BY Chinese.
The British insurance companies will not
accept these vessels as risks, but they are
we'll navigated, for all that. The China
Merchant Steamship Company is a cor
poration Of wealthy Chinaman, managed
by Mr.. Chan Pat Nam, and running at
least thirty steamers inland and along the
coast. These vessels, however, are Of
fcered by the original English and
American captains. The New York Com
mercial Bulletin argues from these and
other facts that there is no question,
either Of the capabiity OF these Asiatics
building up an ocean steam marine, or
that they will no, be tempted to try their
hands at it just as soon as they can see
money in it" and it adds that the fleet Of
sailing ships which still find profitable
employment in the California grain trade
under the American flag would. from the
nearness OF position, be among 1.-THE first
to realize what Chinese competition
amount Tex.
The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-06-12
Fighting for a Home.

A woodpeoker's home is such a con-
venient place for a nest, that many
other birds are glad to find one unoccu-
pied Sometimes a pair Of wrens will
watch the motion of the woodpeckers
while they are at work until an unfin-
ished hole is left unguarded, when they
will .ake possession OF it. As soon as
the lawful owners return, the thieves are
driven off, but they arc so persistent and
troublesome that, although woodpecker
is larger and stronger than twenty wrens,
the owners sometimes abandon the place
and make new nest. Still, the wrens
are not always allowed to keep the house
they have stolen, for the bluebirds are
equally covetous Of it, and sometimes
fight terce'y with the wrens in their at
tempts to gain possession of it. Occas-
ionally both wrens and bluebirds are
drivelaway by the martins, for these
birds also prize wsodpecker's homes very
highly. The fierce battles between
these various birds over al abandoned
nest are very amusing, and often last
several days; for they are all very obsti
nate birds, and as each one is determined
not to give up, the matter is not very
easily settlsd.-St Nicholas.
The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-06-12
A Blunder and It's Reward.

During his first visit to Paris NJ. Las
sale, distinguished German, presented
himself at the house Of we'll known
lady, TO whom he had sent letters Of in
PRODUCTION in advance. When the ser
want opened the door and received his
card she conducted him to the boudoir
and told him to be seated, saying:
''Madan.e Will come Immediately"
Presently the lady entered. She was
III dishabille and her feet were bare,
covered only with loose slippers. She
bowed TO him carcessly and said "Ah.
there you are good morning
She threw herself on Z; sofa, 4et fail
slipper, and reached out to Lassalle her
very pretty foot.
Lassalle was naturally completely rs,
founded, but he remembered that at his
home in Germany it was the custom
sometimes to kiss lady's hand, and he
supposed it was the Paris mode to kiss
her foot. Therefore he did not hesitate
to imprint kiss upon the fascinating
foot so near him, but h. could not avoid
saying, 81 thank you, madame, for this
new method Of making a lady's acquaint
ance. 1t is much better and certainly
more generous than kissing tie hand
The lady Jumped up, highly indig-
nant. "Who are vou. sit. anc what do
YOU mean o
He gave his name.
You are not, then, g corr. docsorY
' = -
The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-06-12
vulgari5y in Fiction and or the
Stage

Writing on this topic in Solibne: io7
May, Dr. Holland saws:
The average playwright. has e t!xed
opinion that certain definite appeals must
be made 20 the groundlings to produce
a successful play There must be coarse-
ness or profanity. or the halfdisguistd OBJ
scenity that can be put forth in double
entente, or else the grea. multitude will
not be satisfied. As consequence Of
this many ladies do not dare 20 go to the
thea.er, O, to take their children there.
There is no question that these objection
able elements in plays have kept many
more people are pleased with, both in the
tic,ions OF the book and of the stage.
We have had lyrical comedy running
in all the theaters of the country during
the las, season -" Her Majesty's ship
Pinafore which will illustrate a part Of
what we mean. Since we began to OBJ
serve theaters a, all, nothing has had such
a run OF popularity as this. Young and
old, ricn and poor, have been amused by
it, and there is not word in it, from be-
ginning to end, that can wound any SEN
sibility. 1t is piece OF delicious absur-
dity all through, and man can enjoy
two hours OF jollity in Witnessing it, which
will not leave stain upon him anywhere.
1t is simply delightful-pure fon-and
the most popular thing that has appeared
on the stage for the last ten years. We
call attention to i; specially to show that
fun. when j, is pure, is more popular a
thousand times than when j; is not.
Nothing can be more evident 10 any man
Of common sense than tina, any admir-
ture Of unworthy elements in this play Is
true OF any and every play. There is no
apology whatever for making the stage
impure. Even vulgar people do not
seek the sage FOR impuriiv. They seek
i. for pleasure. and they find the purest
plays the most satisfactory, provided only
that the pleasure giving elemen, is in
them. A playwright: who is obliged to
resort TO coarse means 10 win the ap-
plause Of coarse men. convic,s himself
OF a lack OF capacity 70. writing a good
play
The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-06-12

Ats only q spring opening, ma. eX-
claimed that awful boy, as lie exhibited
historn trousers after leap over picket
fence.
Jefferson sand I'VE seldom repent of
having eaten too little" He never went
out to fish all day without taking break
fast before starting.
It is casierfor whale to swim through
church festival ohowder than for an
awkward man to follow woman down
stairs and no, tread on the trail of her
garments.
The late Bishop Ames once said that
he could stand the cry of baby while
be was preaching, but that the thump-
ing OF the mothers heels and the buzz
saw "Hes'ssh" nearly drove him crazy.
Miss Boncoer who has bee,, reading
TO her Sunday school class: so you
sec, children, the good man Aaron swal-
lowed up all the other rodsL Tommy
with heartfelt sigh. "Gorry, don't
! wish slad's old ticker had been there :"
The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-06-12

4 white man may 80 to Leadville,
get broke, and die there for all anybody
cares. Let a negro so to Kansas and
get homesick, and an excursion ticket
will be sent out to him for his return
trip
Loves Labor Lost Investing ones
spare change for candy, gloves and opera
tickets for ones girl, and then seeing her
promise to love, honor and obey some
other fellow.
People who have peen eating fish for
the last dozen years to secure more brain
power may feel somewhat fat TO learn
that it was all bamboose There's no
phosphorus in fish.
Twelve belligerent females of Vim
cennes, Ind, recently met on the field
Of combat to settle an old feud, and
ferociously scratched one another's faces
into picturesque disfgarment Thus it
u that woman rights woman's wrongs
The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-06-12

1t is only The force of habit that makes
q woman, when buying eggs, always ask
for the best.
The Fourth OF July is still so far
away that the impatient boy must Dor
row pistol and shoot off his thumb or
90 without his fun.
The indianapolis physicians indulge in
o black list, and keep the profession in
other cities informed Of the advent into
their midst, of medical dead beats
Some men will spend slt per week to
send an advertising wagon around the
streets for the benefit of corner loafers
and school children, and then curse a
newspaper because advertising doesn't
pay.
The following testimonial Of a certain
patent medicine speaks for itself
"Dear Sir: Two months ago my wife
could scarcely speak. She has taken
two bottles Of your Life Remover, and
now abe can't speak at Ill. Please send
mo two more bottles ! wouldn't be
without it."
The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-06-12
" Love Always Finds q Way "

Not long ago Michae,ese gentleman
saw at the theatre Young and pretty
dopazetta, with whose charms he was at
once smitten The mex. night he man
aged to obtain the box next 10 hers. and
as there is no separation between the
tiers except 4 thin railing o: sufficient
hight for = man % rest his arm upon
when sitting, the proximity to his imam
orata was anything but distant. 1t was
the only chance that he might possibly
ever have, and there was no way TO ar
range for better Aeetine. Nothing
was lett but to take the present oppor-
tunity to make the most OF it. 50 pail
ing OF bis cuff he wrote his proposal on
it, detailing his position, prospects, love
and other such things as might prove
interesting. When written 70 sllit he
quietly placed it a. nearly before her
as could be, and waited until his eyes
could direct hers to this tale of shirt
She read, she smiled, she nodded, and
the delighted swain knew that the bow
drawn at a venture had told the mark.
The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-06-12

There's no bank, not even a snow
hank, that can stand run ali the year
round.
The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-06-12

He came in late the other night, and
was rolling into the bed, when his wife
woke up and said Don't forget your
night-cap, dear "Ne--a; hadzh two
night-caps already
A'bald Cincinnati woman does not
cover the bare top of her head with false
hair, or by combing her own hair over it,
but appears to be proud of the distinc-
ton that it gives her in public assemble
ges, for she always removes her bonnet.
The effect is striking.
Smith, who has always been tough
one" has just died. The physician is
met coming from the house 10y Brown,
who asks, doctor, how is Smith IL
he out Of DANGER" REPRESENTATIONS
is dead, poor fellow, but he is far fron
being ont of danger, ! fear"
The New York herald., 1879-03-02
sioners owe it to themselves and their long
suffering victim, the city, to conform more
nearly to busines '-like figures
Rapid Transit functions and Cross
ings.


In the efficient operation OF rapid transit
even the remote possibility Of danger to the
life of the passenger must. be carefully
guarded against Otherwise the luxury and
benefit of comfortable and quick travel may
be paid for at too high price. In city
like ours there ought to be no difficulty in
avoiding those perils which always attend
functions and crossings of steam railroad
lines. To-day we print an article, with
diagrams, ON the subject Of insuring
"safety on the LIS" one which
our readers will recognize rs being
as important as safety on the seas
to which we have given SO much space. We
main and branch line controlled by one
company, and when the running of trains
can be regulated in the strict sense Of the
term. Such functions may beseen at Fifty
third street and Sixth avenue, Forty-second
street and Third avenue and soon at Thirty
fourth street and Third avenue. We do not
apprehend any danger at these points be-
yond that incidental to the ordinary opera
ton of an 81" road. But if the two COM
panies persist in using the proposed Beaver
and Pearl street junction, and common
track northward to Chatham square, We con-
slider that such an arrangement will be very
dangerous to the public.
The Chatham square crossing, which, as
we show, is one that may be pronounced
impracticable on the conditions SO inju-
diciously laid down by the Rapid Transit
Commissioners, nevertheless can become a
centre of extraordinary danger if the COM
panies endeavor to tinker up plan that
will not do away absolutely with every
thing approaching the character Of cross
ing No consideration of money expended,
time lost traffic suspended, public in
convenience or any other plea should be
listened to that can lead to any other
system than Independent tracks for
the two 'L" roads at Chatham square. The
plan proposed in our columns to-day is o
feasible one in every engineering particu-
lar. But its adoption, or that OF one SIM
liar in principle and object, must depend
on the willingness Of the IL" companies to
concede mutually the interests they claim
in the main and branch downtown termini.
If they cannot do this their plans will be
self-defeating, and selfish disregard Of
public safety will perhaps react as dam
agingly on the IL" companies as an equally
selfish disregard of public decency and
comfort did on the horse. car magnates.
The New York herald., 1879-03-02

tenement houses deepen into gloom
the sombre tints of municipal inca
pacity. The biennial holocaust Of thou
sands of bills unacted upon by an expiring
Congress and the shameless jobbery of
those enacted en- masse at the latest moment
urgently demand heroic remedy.
1t is certain that the twentieth century
will not celebrate with rapture the Fourth
of July or the 22d of February. 1t will
not regard Washington as the greatest of
all soldiers and patriots, Franklin as the
greatest philosopher, Jefferson as the great
est statesman or Hamilton as the greatest
economist 1t will not enthuse over lib
erty, equality or fraternity: over free
schools, free trade, free soil or freedom Of
any kind. The past triumphs of inven-
tion-the railway, the steamer, the tele-
graph, the telephone the photograph and
the electric light-will inspire but u feeble
thrill; whilethe jury system, female suffrage,
the law of gravitation, the nebular and
Darwinian hypothesis, and the correlation
of forces, will not even excite the pulse.
What shall we conclude from this general
decay in the faiths and enthusiasms of our
fathers? Will the twentieth century be
quite destitute Of generous ideals? BY no
means. Enthusiasm is vital quality OF
every prosperous people, and there is no
reason to believe that our children will be
at all deficient either in prosperity or in
high ideals. The present moment Is one OF
transition, when ''the old has passed away
and the new has not yet come ) but even
now the men and women who read the signs
Of the times find abundant cause for hope
and Joy. The new ideals will be
grander, nobler than the old. The
fact that such lavish admiration has
heretofore been wasted upon ideals now
shattered in the dust only proves the pos
sbility of higher enthusiasm for higher
aims. The destruction of the false is but n
necessary step to the substitution Of the
true goals of humanity. What the new
ideals will be it is of course impossible
now to predict in detail, but the broad lines
are already visible. The foundations OF
all human institutions have been rudely
shaken; they must therefore be fully tested
and not left insecure. The new enthusiasm
will be largely in the direction of science,
and especially of that great social science
which will absorb within itself both poll
tics and political economy. The struggle
between individualism and Communism
will find its solution in that generous altru-
istic impulse which will consecrate the
highest efforts OF individual genius and
talent, and find its supreme reward in the
highest welfare of society.
The New York herald., 1879-03-02
a Lenten Test.

There are various religious methods of
observing Lent and each Church and indi-
vidual worshippcr claims to know which is
best and to be able to demonstrate by argu-
ment the accuracy of their views. But tho
world does not take to claims and argu-
ments as kindly as once it did it has a
brutal habit of demanding proof, and the
more important the subject the moro per-
feet the proof is expected to be. Sinners
outside of the churches have sometimes
read of the origin of the Lenten fast, mar
yelled at the mystery of Deity incarnated
and undergoing privation of the flesh out
OF love for humanity, and have then looked
to the churches to see what is the result
The New York herald., 1879-03-02
Death OF shere Ali.

Our telegram from Turkestan, published
yesterday, and which an announced the arrival
at Samarcand of news of the death Of the
Ameer of Cabul, is confirmed from another
source. Yakoob Khan reports the death Of
his father in despatch to the Viceroy of
India, who he presumes may take some in
terest in the fact, rs his father "was on old
friend Of the British government. This
may seem a quaint form in which to an
nounce the demise of prince whom Eng
land had driven from his throne, and whose
friendship found no other recognition than
an invasion against which he sought the
assistance of a Power that he supposed to
be England's enemy; but the son and heir
may have thought the moment not
inopprotune to recall to English
recollection the happier days of his
fathers reign. BY this news the death is
said to have occurred February 21. Our
dispatches from Tashkend, published on the
23d and oath ult., gave the first account of
the Ameers illness, with all the particulars
of his condition as then reported by the
Russian surgeon whose advice had been
called for. An elaborate statement Of the
case, written on the 18th ult., or eight
days before the death, was sent by the
Russian doctor, with the judgment that re-
covery was impossible. Upon the state
ment of the Afghan ambassadors that they
had received later and more hopeful news
all the Russian surgeons at Tashkend held
o conference over their colleagues re-
port, and agreed with his judgment
on the hopelessness of the case, which
judgment is now sustained by tho fatal
fact he had predicted rs inevitable. BY
this death Yakoob Khan acquires legiti-
mate claim to succeed his father, though
there are several claimants who will doubt
less be heard from. But Yakoob's claim is
a clear one, and he is in possession. 1t is
probable that he. warned by the fruitless-
ness of his fathers appeal to Russia, and
hopeless of his capacity to resist the Eng
lish unaided, will make such terms with
them as will leave him in possession of the
throne with British Resident ut his elbow,
while the ambassadors at Tashkend will
find their occupation gone, and may turn
their faces homeward.
The New York herald., 1879-03-02
Conmecticut's Wanderers.

Bassett, the associate of Mrs. Alexander
in the murder Of the straggler known as
"Stuttering jack" was yesterday found
guilty Of murder in the second degree and
sentenced to imprisonment for life. 1t will
be remembered that the woman has already
received a similar sentence. II these per-
sons were guilty of any crime whatever it
was one for which they should have been
hanged. They assailed a victim whom they
intended to kill, as they could not have
sold his body otherwise than dead, and
this intentional murder was planned
beforehand and the victim enticcd
TO the place where he was killed.
If that is not murder in the first degree
it would be difficult to find one. But
Connecticut juries are apparently squcam-
ish about the use of the rope, and if thcy
want 10 indulge themselves in the luxury
of great consideration for human life they
must not wonder if life becomes less safe
in their State. Every miscarriage Of justice
like this is an encouragement to the mur-
dering classes. Mrs. Alcxander's statement
to tho public gives n fine account of the
mental distress Of that person over the i'll
words spoken Of her and Of 'lhe good sho
has done for suffering humanity; more"
she says, than any woman of her age in
the State of Connecticut" which is hard
on tho other women.