davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16
A Menagerie Lion at Large.

w. w. Coles circus was in Defiance,
Ohio, recently, and at night, about ten
o'clock, just after they had got the ami
mails loaded on the cars and the train
started, and rs they were passing the
coal shutes one of the ropes from the
shutes caught in one of the cages and
brought down the apron that lets down
the coal, which struck the cage contain
ing two lions, throwing it off the train,
opening tie door of the cage and letting
out the lions. The small one was got
back at once, but the large one ran off
down the track, passing several men at
a distance of about thirty rods to barn,
where he spied II door open. The door
was double, and the bottom was closed,
the top part being open. He bounded
over like a kitten and grasped COW by
the nose. and in two minutes had suck
ed her blood and the cow was dead, the
lion going into the other part of the barn
and lying down. His master came, and
leaving several men outside, went up in
the loft and came down where the lion
was. After talking to the lion some time
he laid down by him and played with
him, and after two hours work succeed.
ed in getting the lion back into the cage,
which was brought to the door. :,
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16
Grapeyines in Pots.

Speaking on the culture of grapevines
in pots as practiced in England and
other European countries, the Rural
NeW Yorker says: SIN this country
grape culture in pots is still in its in
fancy; but as healthy, well-trained
plant is a combination of both the orna-
mental and the useful, anybody who has
the requisite facilities will be we'll repaid
for the extra trouble this culture may
occasion. The plants can be most easily
grown from cuttings or single buds,
which should be set in small pots in
March, and if placed in a greenhouse or
hot-bed and given proper attention,
nearly all will take root. Larger pots
should be given as the growth of the
plants may require. Well grown speci-
mems may bear fruit the second year.
The vines can also be raised from seeds,
and thus, perhaps, give rise to new and
valuable varieties. The present is a
good time to plant seeds of grapes for
cultivation in pots. If planted as soon
as taken from the grapes. many will
germinate in three or four weeks. Sow
the seeds in boxes, and of the young
plants select only the strongest, which
should be transferred to small pots. and
trained to a stake. By pinehing back,
careful training, and repotting into
larger pots and richer soil, when neces-
sary, we may in three years be rewarded
by beautiful plant loaded with fruit
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16
A Girl Thrown into n Well.

Mr.. Jacob Fike, wealthy farmer
lives on what is know as the Barker
farm, ten miles north of Marietta, Ohio.
on the Ohio river. His house is large
brick structure, well calculated to attract
the attention of tramps and idlers. One
afternoon recently Mr.. Fike and his
wife came to Marietta, leaving their
daughter Mary, aged sixteen, at home
alone, her two brothers being at work
in distant field. About three O'Clock
P. NJ. Miss Fikc went to the well for a
bucket OF water. The well is under the
roof of a side porch to the house, and
Just as the young lady stepped out of the
door two tramps accosted her and asked
her for something to eat.
She was alarmed at the rough manner
told them she had no time to wait on
them. She then proceeded to lower the
bucket into the well. One of the men
grasped the lady by the arm and in a
threatening manner said they would
have something to eat or she would suf-
fer for it. Now thoroughly alarmed th
poor girl struggled to get free. but the
rascal said something to his confederate
and each one grasping her by an arm
and her dress. they crowded her through
the box of the well and down through
the opening into the darkness, and then
fled with all haste.
In her extremity the victim grasped
the rope, and there being some twenty
five feet yet on the windlass, this ran
rapidly off and with sudden jerk left
suspended twenty-five feet from the top
and thirty-five feet above the water.
The sudden jerk of the rope, while it al
most tore the girls arms off, probably
saved her life. for by some strange twist
it threw one or two coils OF the rope
around her ankle, and this enabled her
to relieve the terrible strain on her arms
until she could find toothold in the
wall. In this terrible position the brave
girl stood for one hour and fifteen min.
utes, not daring to cry out at first fol
fear her would-be murderers would
know that she was still alive and finish
their fiendish work. .-f ..... ~'
At last she heard the joyful sounds OF
the barking of her favorite dog as he ac-
companied her brothers home from the
field, and she C; lied loudly for help
After some little delay rope was low.
cred with a moose knot, into which Miss
Fike willingly'sank. and she was drawn
to the surface.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

The registered vote of Philadelphia is
193,47l.
Is school examination skull racer
Hampton.
American life-boats are found on
steamships in every part OF the world.
The oyster dealer can always get up
furore in his business. Sonerville
Journal.
Large numbers of Cinnamon are on
their way to the Atlantic cities from
| California.
The last two years have been remark
| able in chemical annals for the discovery
of new metals.
Because soap comes in bars is no rea-
son why it should be a bar to cleanli-
ness. ."-Satesnlr',.
In the whole United States there are
4,4OO banks, with S5O5. 1877 1892 capital
and 81 ,242, ,773 .903 deposits.
Average arrival of emigrants at Castle
Garden, New York, is six hundred per
day at this season ofthe year.
A man never has correct idea of the
worlds opinion of him until he UNDER
takes to borrow ten rs.-Meride's
Recorder.
Monclar, an eminent French agricul-
turist, proposes to feed cattle, sheep and
pigs on provender containing savory
herbs, to give flavor to the flesh.
Feelings come and go like lights
troops following the victory of the
present; but principles, like troops of
the air, are undisturbed and stand fast.
An Elgin Qll.) man is in his third
year of frog farming, and his first crop
is now being marketed. He has an
acre and a quarter devoted to the frog
industry.
P.opagating sponges by cutting the
i've ones into small pieces, attaching
them to Jumps of rock and sinking them
to proper depths in suitable places, is
proposed by Prof. Schmidt. He thinks
in three years they will be marketable
and yield handsome profit.
| Colonel McClurg kicked man out of
an Alabama hotel for a personal affront.
Six months after he saw the same man
kicking another poor fellow out of an
other hotel. "Tush, man." said the
colonel, "hold, but amt you the same
man kicked out of the Nassau House a
little while ago?" keep still, colonel"
was the response. Don't you say one
word; you and l know whom it will do
to kick."-Hotel Gazette.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16
Importance of Cleansing Beds and
Pillows.

Two little children were almost stimuli
taneously attacked with canker rash in
its worst form. There had been no
cases in the vicinity for years, and they
had been kept entirely at home for the
whole winter, so there was no possi-
bility of their having taken the disease
from any outside exposure to contagion.
1t was mysterious Providence, the
clergyman said, when he was called to
perform the burial service. Afterward
it was ascertaincd that the mother had
bought a feather bed OF peddler few
weeks b ,fore and used it ON the trundle-
bed for her little ones to make them a
comfortable nest for the cold weather.
Upon further investigation it was dis
covered that the peddler had bought it
at house some twenty-five miles away,
and that two children had been sick and
died of scarlatina upon the same bed the
year before. The bed had been laid
away in an open chamber till the family
sold out their place 10 move away, and
they sold the bed to a travelling pedder
for q trifling sum, thus distributing
sickness and death through q distant
town, for the disease spread in every
direction and became regular epi-
demic. Had that bed, Immediately
after the death ofthe first children, been
washed thoroughly and soaked in water
with either little carbolic acid or
spirits of ammonia added to it, and then
dried in the sun, it would have been safe
to be used by any ono; but, as it was,
it carried grief and desolation into many
households. Ofcourse, it was not pre-
meditated wrong; it was a case of igno-
rance or carelessuess.
Diphtheria has been conveyed by USE
ing beds in the same manner, and, if in
dividuals would only consider for a
minute how much suffering might be
prevented, they would be more careful.
There is never an effect without a cause,
but perhaps the cause may not be dis
| covered till too late to prevent the evil.
| 1t is very little labor to cleanse pillows
and beds, if done in proper manner,
and common sense will show that it is
advisable to have it done often, even if
no sick person has lain upon them. A
days exposure to the hot sun-turning
over and shaking them up often-is
great benefit, and makes them sweeter as
well as lighter. An occasional washing
| is a sure purifier. Carbolic acid is a
powerful disinfectant, and it sweetens
beds which will accumulate disagree
able odor # not thoroughly cleansed and
aired. Pillows can be washed without
ripping SO that they will be deligl. .tfully
renovated. Use scalding suds in wash
tub to soak them well, and then pass
through rinsing waters till the water is
not colored at all. This is all that is re-
9uired unless they really smell badly.
In that case, either carbolic acid or
spirits of ammonia should be added to
the rinsine water. Let them drain wei
and then hang them where they will z,
air and sunshine.-Ceu'stry Gentleman
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16
Shared.

1 said it in the meadow-path-
1 say it on the mountains -stairs
The best things which mortal hath
Are those which every mortal shares.
The air we 3reathe-the sky-the breeze
The light without us and Within
Life, with its unlocked treasuries-
Gods riches-are for all to win.
The grass is softer to my tread
For rest it yields unnumbered feet;
Sweeter to ME the wid-rose red,
Because she makes the whole world sweet
Into your heavenly loneliness
Ye welcomed me, oh solemn peaks!
And me in every guest you bless
Who reverently your mystery seeks.
And up the radiant peopled way
That opens into worlds unknown,
1t will be liie's delight to say,
"Heaven is not heaven for me alone"
Rich through my brethren's poverty!
Such wealth were hideous! / am blest
Only in what they share with me,
In what share with all the rest.
81. Lucy Larcom, in Good Company.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16
IN RATTLESkAKE GULCH

We had finished the "digging that
day, washed all our dirt, added the last
ounce of shining gold dust to the plumr
little bags that were buried in the corner
of the cabin, and tomorrow we would
leave Red Water Run forever.
The "spurt" had been a good one fol
Tom and me, but we were tired of the
terrible loneliness of the place and the
constant strain upon our ears for feal
of the Utes, and so we had decided to
cross the range, strike the trail, and Join
our old comrades at Poker Camp before
the fall rains began. Two thousand
dollars in glittering dust lay hidden in
buckskin bags in our shanty, the resul;
of seven weeks digging, and for us ii
was fortune.
Supper was over-a dozen of hard
tack, a bit of jerked venison and a pot
of tea-and with our Guilty pipes. short
and black, we sat at the door of the hut
smoking, while the sunlight slowly dis
appeared from the tall peaks of the
Sierras about us, and the gray shadows
crept up the narrow gulch, silent and
chill.
After long pause, Tom took his pipe
from his lips and spoke:
did We see anything uncommon down
the run this AFTERNOON, Dick-any
"No." said /, slowly, mot that re-
collect now. What was it-bearP"
"Wuss nor that"
"Injuns?"
"Wuss nor that"
"Outlaws, thenP"
Correct. 1 figure it was Red Jim's
gang. Ye know they've been workin'
the stage route from Winnemucca to
Silver Cliff, and now | reckon they're on
their way back to the towns to squandeI
their stealings. Sartin it is thet dozen
mounted hosses crossed the run, Just be-
low the old sluice, sundown O. last tnight
fer saw the sign, nigh about noon, an
it war fresh"
"That's bad news" said l, soberly
"Ifthose cut-throats knew that we were
here, nothing would please them bette,
than TO roast us out, shoot us down and
carry off the yellow 1t would be q
hard ending to a two months work"
"Ye're clus to right" returned the
old miner, as he slowly refilled his pipe
"but they must catch us afore they shoot
us, and find the gold afore they steal it
Now don't reckon on either"
"Well, but how do you know" be-
gan, when he stopped me.
at don't know, an thet's jest it. Bet.
ter be sure nor sorry the Bible Lays,
an propose to light out tonight. Twill
be moon-up at eleven. We know the
trail, an eff we're gone an they come,
all right; eff we're gone an they don't
come, we're so much further on ouI
journey by mornin'. What dye sayp"
agreed"
An hour later, with the gold divided
and safely hidden in the buckskin belts
about our bodies, our tools upon ouI
shoulders and our rifles in our hands
Tom Blackburn and looked for the last
time at the dark shadow of our little
cabin, as we mounted the ridge that Lay
TO the westward.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16

The Mexican volcs no of Orizaba
II, 800 feet above thes Ell level, has been
assembled by M. Atualza, resident OF
Puebla. Thirteen persons accompanied
him, one of whom died at the top nom
rarefaction of the air, and another few
days afterward from erysipelas caused
by the reflection of the sun on the snow.
Seven thousand steps had to be cut in
the snow to gain the & summit. 6av ana one 'nd ~
which was a blank owing 10 ram a1u
snow. Baron Muller, in 1859, first made
the ascent, and he has had very few
successors.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16
A Dogs ImpIacable Hatred,

Among some "reminiscences of dogs,
given by writer in Forest and Stream
the following appears: In my early
youth l recall a dog owned by my
grandfather who afforded an instance
of temper resentful and implacable..
Marquis was half hound, half mastitf us
we believed, but we only knew her
mother, and she was fair type of the
well-bred southern hound. He grew
larger, heavier and handsomer than the
average hound is with us, and was so
fierce that he had to be chain|d d du ing
the day. Once cousin and l were
amusing ourselves with our bows and
arrows about the yard, both of us about
six or seven years old. In fun l pro-
posed to have shot at Marquis, who
was chained about twenty yards off;
Cousin John was wiser than l, and
would not shoot; but let fly an arrow,
which only grazed, and surely did not
hurt him. He flew at me, and break
ing loose, would doubtless have handled
me roughly lad not darted up the pi-
azza steps, and thus escaped his rage.
Months elapsed ere saw this dog again,
and then it was at our summer house, a
seaside village twenty miles away from
where l had shet at him. l tried in
vain to overcome his animosity to me
by feeding him twice dav. 1t was
agreed, in fact, that no one else should
feed him while remained. He would
not attempt to molest me till he had
done his breakfast or dinner, and then
only the length of his chain limited his
angry spring at me. He seemed to love
and respect my grandfather, father, sis
ter and cousin, and the butler and
coachman; the other members of the
household, white and black, he toler-
ated but me he hated to the bitter end.
Six years after my childish insult to him
he would gladly have torn me to pieces,
if opportunity had offered. When the
tidings of Marquis death were brought,
believe me, l rejoiced that he had been
gathered to his fathers.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16
A woman in the almshouse at publir

A woman in the almshouse at Dublin,
Ga, who is sixty-five years old, pre-
sents remarkable condition. Her skull
bones for years have been gradually
gaping open both at the longitudinal and
the transverse sutures, leaving the brain
unprotected save by the skin of the head
By placing the finger in the fissure the
throbbing of the brain may be plainly
felt. She keeps handkerchief bound
tightly around her head, complaining
of great pain and dread that it will burst
open when the band is removed for a
short time: In spite. of all this she is
very cheerful and active.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16

The United States, it appears. alone
shows II good harvest in the two sue
cessive years; France and Switzerland
show two successive bad ones, while
England has the melancholy honor of
producing the worst harvest in 1879 of
the proud position of being able to feed
the world.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16
The Little Boot.
Dumpy, stubby and old,

Dumpy, stubby and old,
The funniest little boot
With mended toe and flattened heel,
Ever worn by little foot.
Within the children's room
The widowed mother stands,
Still smiling down with misty eyes
On little boot in her hands.
Carefully laid away,
With mothers yearning care,
Are toys with which the children played
The clothes they used to wear.
With loving, longing heart
Her gnze is backward cast,
As she softly lifts the little boot
From the stiffness of the past.
She sees little boy
Thrust out his chubby foot,
And hears his happy laugh and shout
At sight OF his first boot.
And trudging down the road,
Stubbing grass and leaves and roots,
She sees again the solid form
OF the little man in boots.
A conqueror that day,
He made the soft airs ring;
Amid the shoeless lads at school
The boy in boots was king.
Oh, the stiffness of the room
Where the children used to play!
Oh, the stiffness of the empty house
Since the children went away!
And thus the mother life
"To bear, and love, and lose"
Till all the sweet, sad tale is told
In pair OF little shoes,
In single broken toy,
A flower pressed to keep
All fragrant still the faded life
OF one who fell asleep.
The boy who wore the boot!
While his mothers eyes are dim,
Amid the worlds unequal strife
How lareth it with him
Are the feet of manhood strong
For manhood's sacred race.
His hand outstretched, securely calm,
To clasp its utmost grace?
With love her heart o'erflows,
With love hcr eyes are dim;
She softly wraps the little boot,
And senGs il far to him.
Beside the twilight fire
The eyes of manhood scan
The ancient Eoot-the tar-off boy
Talks through it to the man.
The hard worlds vexing road
The boys loot never pressed;
The boy know not OF manhood's pain,
Nor felt its need of rest.
The man secs all things changed
The earth, the heaven above;
One thing alone remains the same
To him-his mothers love.
The battered little boot
He takes as from her hand,
And seems all sweetest, purest things
Better to understand.
Dumpy, stubby and old,
The funniest little boot,
With mended toe and fiattened heel,
Ever worn by a little foot!
Yet the boot is a band to bind
The man to his innocent past;
To hold its faithful heart OF hearts
To life's first love-and its last
-.Hrs. Mary Clemmcr.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16
Averages Of Crops.

The Borsen Zeitapg gives table of the
harvests of 1878 and 1879 throughout
Europe and America, the average being
represented by the number 100:
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16

The farmers of Minnesota harvested
,h;s year nearly a pushel of wheat for
evsry inhabitant of the United States.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16

A writer in the Galveston Nesos ex-
presses the opinion that q river of
petroleum is flowing through the sub
terranean cavities of Texas. 1t takes
its rise in the carboniferous strata north
of the Colorado river, and may be traced
at various points on its course to the
Gulf of Mexico by oil appearing on the
surface of the springs, streams and lakes,
while at what is known as Oil bay, on
the gulf, the water is so covered with oil
that the waves have no effect.
Miss Minnie F. Austin, for many years
teacher in Chicago and San Francisco
high schools, also principal of Clarke
Institute in San Francisco, from failing
health turned her attention to an out
door life. She now owns fruit farm of
eighty acres in Fresno, CAL, and last
spring set in the ground, by the aid of
one man, over 900 fruit trees. Miss A.
conducts her farm with as much system
as she did her school. She has twenty
eight acres of the best raisin-grapes,
from which the yield will be between
thirty and fifty tons of fruit; about 300
apricot trees, 100 nectarines, 400 figs, 400
prunes, and all ordinary fruit trees. She
has this year nearly two tons of peaches
alone, which she has dried for the
market.
A party in Illinois recently applied to
the Secretary of the Treasury at Wash
ington for the redemption of five coupons
of United States bonds representing sew
eral thousand dollars. The applicant
alleged that for safe keeping he had
placed the coupons in tin Lox and de-
posted them in a stovepipe; that sub
sequently fire was built in the stove
and the coupons destroyed. The ashes,
however, were retained in the box and
were presented with the application for
redemption. The matter was referred
to First Comptroller Porter for his de-
cision. A scientific examination salts
factorily proved that the contents of the
box were the remains of coupons, as al
legged. The decision given in the case
is quite important from the fact that it
holds that the statute authorizing the
redemption Of called bonds, where clear
and unequivocal evidence has been fur
nished that they have been destroyed,
does not apply to coupons which at the
time of the alleged d struction thereof
have been detached from the bonds.
The coupons in question having been
detached from the bonds, cannot there
fore be redeemed
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16
California has other phenomenal rifle

men besides DR.. Carver. Charles
Emach. young man in Sacramento,
considers it a not extraordinary feat to
hit ninety-eight out of 100 small apples
thrown into the air, and John Ruth, of
Oakland, is about to depart for Australia
to give exhibitions of his skill. Among
his feats with the rifle is that of shooting
cigar from the mouth of his assistant,
with the rifle held upside down on top
of his head, and with a mirror to take
sight in as he stands with his back to
the narL
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-16
TIMELY TOPICS.

According to private advices recently
eceived by gentleman in Washington
from one of the officers of the Gotthard
Railway Company, the work upon the
great tunnel through the Alps, which,
when completed, will be upward of eight
miles long, is progressing favorably,
some 10000 men being employed on the
line and distance of less than 1000
yards remaining to be pierced.