davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia star., 1879-09-27
Pumpkins for Cows.

This very cheap and valuable food for
stock is perhaps not estimated highly
enough by dairymrn. Prof +. r. Storer,
of the Busy Institution, made a thorough
dLalJ ais of pumpkins and squashes in 1877.
The average of his analyses of the whole
s-l .Ik-9 1s about ten to twelve per cent Of
dry substance. It has large percentage 8ff
water, but not more than the turnip or fod-
der corn and is comparatively rich in album
inoids. This vegetable is an important
auxiliary in producing milk, but some dairy
men have got prejudice against it from
the effect of the seeds when given in too
large quantity The seeds have diure-
tic effect, operating on the kidneys, and
this has sometimes lessened the flow of
milk; but if a small portion of the seeds
are removed the danger is wholly avoided.
And probably the cases of injury have been
occasioned from feeding more than a due
portion of the seeds. Thirty pounds of
pumpkins fed to each COW per day will in
crease the yield and improve the quality of
the milk, but more than this should not be
given. They are very cheap food, since it
requires very little labor to raise them From
two to three tons may be grown, with a
good yield of corn per acre, requiring little
more than placing the seeds at distance of
twenty feet apart, in alternate rows of corn
after the corn is up. The cultivation of the
corn will be sufficient attention to the pump
kin crop, and this will often be worth as
much as ten to fifteen bushels of corn per
acre. This crop is appropriate to the whole
country and will repay the attention given
to it. Pumpkins are good fattening food
for cattle, sheep and hogs. They are
good food for pigs, serving to counteract
the heating effect of corn. They are easily
kept from freezing and may be fed in cold
weather. They are cheaply gathered and
stored costing much less than any root, &C
cording to value.
The Virginia star., 1879-09-27
Jameson, the Irish Nimrod.

Mr.. Jameson, the young Irish Baron, who
Tor the past several years has iourneyed
from the Green Sod to engage in hunting
and fishing sports in Montana, was unusu-
ally successful this season, his wagons re-
turning to Helena, recently loaded with the
antlers of elk, mOoses, deer, mountain sheep
and antelope, and the pelts of grizzly and
black bear, mountain lion, lynx, wildcat.
other splendid trophies of the chase. These
valuable possessions, carefully preserved and
packed have gone forward to the old coun
try, while Mr.. Jameson, disbanding his
party of four, and accompanied by his body
servant, starts soon on a Journey around
the world, sailing from San Francisco for
China some time in September. In this con-
nection an adventure, in which Mr.. Jameson
and a bear were the sole participants, is
worth relating One night last month,
while biyouacked on Cascade creek east of
the Muscleshell, well defined tracks were
left about the camp, indicating that while
the party peacefully slept, the premises had
been invaded by huge grizzly. The fol-
! lowing morning, while breakfast was pre-
pairing, the young Irishman, armed with
his trusty rifle, started down the creek,
trailing the beast half mile to APPOINT lead
ing into thicket or under-brush skirting
to a considerable extent the stream on both
sides. Making a slight detour, James push
ed his way cautiously into the thicket, the
slight noise of his carefully picked footsteps
being mutfied by the rollicking waters leap
ing and tumbling over successive falls,
Hating suddenly and parting the bushes
the intrepid hunter espied his game, leisure
ly at rest, scarcely thirty yards away. He
concluded the bear was his. and with steady
aim at vital parts sent two bullets in rapid
succession into the broadly presented side
of the beast. There was a fierce growl,.
and the wounded animal, parting the brush
and saplings like grain stalks, pushed vigor-
ously toward his assailant Unable to get
| another unobstructed shot, and understand
ing his peril, Jameson with great presence
of mind, quickly retreated toward the
creek, the bear pursuing and close at his
heels. There was no time to halt or turn
aside, and reaching the bank the hustled
sportsman, holding aloft his rifle, leaped for
the water, landing in pool to the depths
of his armpits. A moment later and the
enraged brute, bursting through the willows
and saplings, confronted him on the margin
of the brook. Jameson, prepared for his
enemy, with prOmptness and precision put
two more shots INTO the great beast, and in
the very act of taking to the water after his
prey, tumbled to the ground dead. Jane
son, scrambling out of his unprecedented
bath, returned to camp, intercepting on the
way two of his comrades summoned by the
report of his rife and fastening to his aid.
After breakfast team was hitched up, and
strapped to poles the huge carcass of bruin
was hauled up to camp and skinned. The
heft of this monster was placed at 1000
pounds, and the pelt, exhibited to num-
Der of men esteemed to be good judges in
such matters, more than sustained the esti-
mated weight of the beast
The Virginia star., 1879-09-27
A Romantic Story.

The romantic vicissitudes of the early
life Of the Countess Solange de Kramer
have once more become the talk Of the
Paris salons. and they are, indeed, SO
extraordinary that, used as materials
for novel, they would spoil the book
by the lack of verisimilitude. One
night in 1891 little girl about one year
old was deposited in the drawer of the
foundling hospital at Brest. She was
dressed with much finery, and note
attached to her skirts, told that her
name was Solange, and that she would
be reclaimed by her father. The claim
was never made, however, and in due
time the child was transferred to the
orphan asylum, to be educated there.
A. she grew up she developed most
extraordinary beauty, but her intellect
appeared to be very weak, and she suf
fered from frequent nervous fits. When
she was twelve years old she was sent
out into the streets to sell flowers, and
her beauty and modesty attracted many
peoples good will, but she grew weak
er and weaker, and at last she died.
According to French custom she was
buried in an open caskct, and, as it wa
winter and the ground was frozen, she
was laid in the grave and only covered
with thin layer of sand. During the
sand away, crept out from the grave.
Not exactly understanding what had
taken place, she was not so very much
frightened, but crossing the gldcis be-
tween the cemetery and the fortifica-
tlons, she was suddenly stopped by the
outcry" "Qui vire," and, as she did not an
swer, the sentinel fired, and she fell to
the ground. Brought into the guard
house, her wound was found to be very
slight, and she soon recovered; but her
singular history and also her great beau
ty had made so deep an impression on a
young lieutenant of the garrison (Kra-
mer) that he determined TO be her pro-
tector, and sent her to one of the most
fashionable educational establishments
in Paris. During the next few years
Kramer was much tossed about by the
war, but when in '1S he returned to
Paris, he found Solange full grown
woman, rot only beautiful, but accom-
plished and spirited, with no more
trace of intellectual weakness or ner-
vous fits. He married her, and for sew
eral years the couple lived happily in
Paris. Meanwhile investigations were
mode concerning the girl left, in 1901,
in the foundling hospital at Brest, and
as these Investigations were made by
the Swedish ambassador, and in
somewhat official manner, they attrac-
ted some attention. Captain Kramer
heard about the affair, and sent note
TO the ambassador, and, month later
en-, the ambassador, came in state to
bring Nine. Cramer formal acknOw-
edgement from her father, the former
General Bernadotte, the present King
Charles XIV, of Sweden. Captain
Kramer and his wife went Immediately
to Stockholm; they were ennobled,
ETC., and their son has just now been
appointed attache to the Swedish Lcga-
ton in Paris.
The Virginia star., 1879-09-27
The Brakeman's Story.

eyes, sir" So id the brakeman, as he
stood BY the stove warming his numbed
hands, after coming in from brlkeing.
"People think as they sit here in their
warm seats and only hear us call out the
different stations, that we have nice
soft, easy time. But we know better
Imagine yourself out on flat car all
night with the snow dashing into your
face, your hands on cold iron brake,
and think if that's easy; or up on top of
freight car, running along, the wind
cutting like knife, dark as pitch, and
watching tor fear you may rush sud
denly under bridge and be swept off,
and perhaps left to die in the snow. Is
thateasy? Does that look like soft
job? To be sure when we are trans
ferred to passenger cars, the work is
nice enough, but the dangers we have
to go through (for generally we have
to 60 on freight cars first) entitle us
for something better on passenger car,
and we amt sorry when we get orders
10 take the head end of such regular
train.
"There are very few brakemen who
can't tell some r-to-be-forgotten
incident connected with their life on
the rail. To explain, let me tell you
story of my own experience.
81 remember one night, it was fear
fully cold, right in the middle of win
ter, and showing hard, was brakeman
in the middle Of a freight train. 1t
was running along on slow time; that
night, and we were two or three miles
from the station. | was standing by
the brake of fiat car trying TO get
warm by stamping, wishing we were
at the depot so that l could so back to
the caboose out OF the bitter cold when
suddenly felt the train humping and
jumping as if a wheel had broken, and
! knew something was wrong. The
whistle blew for brakes, and in mighty
short time we had the train stopped.
With the rest of the men went back
to see what was the matter, thinking
that might get chance at the stove for
was nearly frozen, Going back
about three hundred feet, we found
that one Of the rails had got loose and
was out OF place, but, as we had been
going slow, we had run over the spot
safely. Our conductor looked up, and
seeing me, said, hurriedly-
slim get back and signal the passen-
ger train. She will be along in short
time, now; and take this he said,
handing me red light lantern; wen
go on. You can come along with the
ether train
"With that all hands got on board,
and soon there was nothing but myself
and the lantern left. A cold gust
The Virginia star., 1879-09-27
-9><Dor-------------
At a Holy Well in Ireland.

For several miles our road was
bounded by bog on one side and rocks
on the other. There was no evidence Of
human habitation, yet here and there
we met peasant-sOme crippled, all
plunged in profound misery. l in
quired the errand of these poor crea-
lures, and was informed that it was St.
Somebody's Day, and they were going
to her well near by to be healed. Its
there beyond" said a trembling old
woman, pointing her skinny finger to
a clump OF trees and stone wall few
hundred yards distant. | alighted and
walked down the valley to small in
closure which surrounded a well and a
withered tree. Near by was a rude
stone altar, upon which were numer-
Gus offerings of toys, bits of broken
ware, and shreds of many-colored rags
tied to sticks, and kneeling beside it
was group of cripples; some moved
slowly round the circle on their knees,
muttering prayers, some were telling
their beads, others partoOk of the water
while priest stood by the tree reading
This, then, was one of the holy wells
so numerous in Ireland; to which visits
are still frequently made, in some eases
as works of penance, either voluntary
or enjoined, but generally fer obtain
ing health, under the auspices of the
saint, by drinking the waters. of the
well. OF course the day of the patron
saint OF each well is the one chosen for
these visits; and some years ago, and
even now in many parts of the coun-
try crowds were attracted, not only for
religious motives, but for love of gossip
and meeting with distant friends.
These wells have kept their reputat on
tor centuries, the fame of some being
coeyal with Christianity, while that of
others probably probably preceded if,
the early Christian teachers having
merely changed the object of worship,
leaving the altars of idolatry undis-
turbed.
The Virginia star., 1879-09-27
The Power of Kindness.

''There is one chapter in my life's his.
tory that have always kept locked in my
heart, " said John Haviland, as he faced the
little group in the parlOr; ''but tonight
| feel as if IL was my duty to open it for your
inspection and do it for the love of woman
for the love of woman who made me
what | am worthy to be, the husband of a
good woman"
"Why, John !" said Mrs. Haviland, soft
ly apprOaching-b still had held tight to
her bosom-''you frighten me-"
'Iet's have the story" said tho rest of
the group, certain that something good
might be anticipated; and John commenc-
ed, at first a little timid, but gaining conf
dence as he proceeded.
"When | first came to New ork, at the
age of twelve years, to seek my fortune, l
call myself precious chap without dan
ger Of being accused of an unusual degree
of self-appreciation. | was quick to learn
everything, the bad as we'll as the good.
My employer used profane language. I
picked up the oaths that he dropped with a
naturalness that surprised even myself
The boys in the office all chewed tobacco.
This was little the hardest job | ever at
tempted, but after two weeks of nausea and
indescribable stomach wrenchlngs, | came
off victorious, and could get away with my
paper day with the best of EN-"
''True, every word of itl' said the
speaker.
Zone afternoon l was sent with note
from my employer to house in the upper
part of the city. l hadn't anything to read,
but | had plenty of tobacco, and with that
| proposed to entertain myself, during the
two or three hours l must spend in the pas
sage. For some distance l did not notice
who were beside me, but by-and-by lady
said, very softly and pleasantly: 'GWould
you please, little boy, be more careful? /
am going to party this AFTERNOON, and
should hate to have my dress spoiled
81 looked INTO her face 1t was the
sweetest ever saw. Pale, earnest and low
ing, to my boyish heart it was the face of
an angel.
"What did you say?" interrupted Mrs.
Haviland, her bright eyes filling with tears
as she saw how the memory of this beauti-
full woman affected her husband
"Sayl There was very little l could
say. think all l did for some time was to
look.
81 managed to dispose of the tobacco,
however, and wiped my mouth very care |
fully, all of which felt certain she saw |
and mentally commented upon.
Have you mother, little boy7" she |
next asked me in the same low tone.
" NO, ma am, | answered, and felt nv |
throat filling up, and l knew l must swal- |
low mighty hard to keep from sobbing.
I" You have father, then, l suppose 2"
she kept On.
No, ma'am, no father
Brothers and sisters'
Neither, ma'am.'
Then the little boy is all alone in the
world2'
"'All alone, ma'am.'
How long has his mother been dead?'
and the dear woman looked away from my
face, and waited till could speak.
Two years, | answered
''And you loved her 2 came next.
Dearly, was all | could saw.
g" She was silent for moment, and
The Virginia star., 1879-09-27
Skulls of Murderars.

One of the most curious collections in
the great Anthropological Museum in the
Paris exhibition of last year was a collec-
tion of thirty six skulls of murderers who
have been guillotined in France This col
lection has been carefully studied by DR..
Bournier, who has published the result of
his studies in the last number of Broca' 8
Revue d'Anthiopologie. The most strik-
ing result of his observations is the very
large cubic capacity of these crania. In
fact, the average volume Of the thrty-six
skulls, measured with shot by Broca's
method, is as DAuch as 1, SAT, 81 cubic CEN
timeters. Eliminating, however, one of
the skulls, which is of unusual size (2,676
cubic centimeters) and is obviously abnOr-
NAL, the average is reduced to 1881 cubic
centimeters. But even this figure is con-
siderably higher than the average of any
ordinary series of modern crania. In order
to find skulls of equal capacity it is neces-
sary to go back to prehistoric times; thus
the capacity of Solutre skullsis ,515, and
that of the type from the cave of l. 'Homme
Mort is l, 900. 5 cubic centimeters The de-
velopment of the murderer's skull is not in
the frontal but in the parieto-occipital
region, and it appears to indicate low in
tellectual standard, with a strong tendency
to powerful action. Most of the cerebral
characteristics presented by the skulls of
these criminals are comparable with those
of prehistoric races. A murderer may be
regarded as an anachrOnism. andhis charac-
ter may be explained on the principal of
atavism, or reversion to an early type. If
a prehistoric savage could be introduced into
modern society he would probably become
a notorious criminal on the other hand, if
one of the brutal murderers of modern times
had lived n prehistoric ages he might have
been ch # of his tribe, highly respected.
The Virginia star., 1879-09-27
Phenomena of Rafn.

One of the most curious things about
rain is the inequality of its distribution.
The reader is of course aware that rain
may be measured in inches in almost any
vessel set out to catch it. If pail, for
example, be put out into an open space on
the ground, it will catch as much rain as
would otherw ise have sunk into the ground
On the space occupied by the pail. If we
visit the pail after every shower, we may,
by means of a two-foot rule, tell what
depth Of rain has fallen. This the princi-
pie of the rain gauge. In practice better
means are of course adopted, 80 as to pre-
vent evaporation and to measure the depth.
Now it is of great consequence wheve we
place our rain gauge. 1t might be SUD-
posed of no Importance whether it were on
the top of the house or in the garden close
by. And yet, strange to say, a guage in
the garden near Westminster Abbey
caught twenty-three inches of rain in the
cour-e of year, while one on the roof of
house caught only eighteen inches, and
one on the top of the Abbey, only twelve
inches. The fact is, rain forms at very
low elevation, much lower than is general
ly supposed; or, if not actually formed at
a very low elevation, it increases the size
of the drops which come from higher levels.
Thus while Mr.. Glashler was descending
in balloon, he passed through dry, and
then through a wet fog, where the drops of
rain were exceedingly fine, covering his
notebook like pins points. These increas-
cd in size on approaching he earth, but
more rapidly when very near the earth.
The Virginia star., 1879-09-27
then she said SO sweetly-oh, l shall never

forget it
"tAnd what do you think your deaI
mother would say-how do you think
| she would feel-to know that her lit
tie boy was guilty of such disgusting habit
as this q pointing to the tell-tale quid which
had vainly tried to hide beneath the seat
g 4 must leave now," she continued
but here is my card, and, if you come tc
me most any evening l shall be glad to see
you, and perhaps we may be of some SCI.
vice to each other
"'She gave me her little gloved hand,
and to my dying day | shall never for
ct the sensation of that moment.
could not bear to part with her; without
her l thought could do nothing-with heI
| could grow to mans estate-a man in the
truest sense of the word. From that mo-
ment tobacco never passed my lips.
GAS soon as l could summon courage ]
called upon the lady. Well do l remem-
Der how my heart beat as | waited in the
elegant parlor for her to come down, and
how awkward | felt as followed my guide
to her private sitting room. She got at ev-
cry point of my life, and before l bade her
goodbye it was arranged that | should
spend two evenings of each week at her
house, and study on the occasion just what
she thought best.
''No lover ever looked forward TO the
meeting of the mistress of his heart any
more ardently than l did to these meetings
with my friend.
Il grew careful of my persona, appear
ance, careful of my conversation, and
strove in every way to be worthy of the no
BILE friendship. Two years passed in this
delightful manner-two years that made
me. My friend not only attended to my
studies, striving also all the while to sow
the right kind of spiritual Seed but she pro-
cured for Inc business situation with a
friend OF hers, where remain to this day.
Nobody but God knows what l owe this
woman. Durll. the last three months of
those two years noticed that she grew con-
stantlypale and thin; she never. was betrayed
into speaking of herself. Sometimes, when
L would ask her whether she felt worse
than usual, she would reply:
ooh, no! am only little tired-that
is ALL"
cone evening she kept me by her sofa
much longer than was her custom, while
she arranged lessons, and laid out work, it
seemed to Inc, for months.
"'Why so much tonight 2" inquired,
conscious that my heart ached, and vaguely
suspecting the cause.
" because dear, she answered, 4 do not
want you to come for the next week, and |
am anxious that you should have sufficient
work to anticipate as we'll as to keep you
busy. | think l can trust you to be good
boy, John
''I think you can, ma'am, 1 answered
almost sobbing.
eff should see your mother, my dear
boy, before long, what shall l say to her
for you'
''Then I knew all, and my grief had no
bounds. It's no use to go now. She died
two days after"
The Virginia star., 1879-09-27
Horses in Mexico.

Horses are bred IN great numbers at the
various haciendas In the provinces, some of
the largest estates having eighty or hun
dred thousand cattle and fifteen or twenty
thousand mules and horses. The pasturage
is green all the year round, and the animals
receive no other food They multiply as
the birds do, and with as little profit to their
owners. Generally speaking, they run
wild until wanted, when they are caught
with lasSo, hoodwinked and Immediately
mounted For the first fifteen or twenty
minutes they exert their whole strength to
throw their rider, but finding their efforts
unavailing, patiently submit, and generally
give but little trouble afterward. Owing
to their immense numbers, horses are sold
very cheap, the average price for an un-
broken herd being eight or ten dollars a
head, with but little demand at that. It
sometimes occurs that the government pur-
chases few hundred for the army, bur,
generally speaking, there are very few oc-
casions when they can be sold Mexican
horses, as rule, are not handsome. and
are seldom more than fourteen hands high;
still, they have nothing of the peculiar
build of the pony about them. Fed en-
tlrely upon grass, they yet endure more
fatigue and are capable of maintaining q
rapid gate for longer time than the grain
fed horses of other lands. in the towns
and cities they receive the scantiest of care
and the meay yerest allowance of food. Tied
up the whole day in the sitting courtyards,
they stand patiently awaiting their evening
meal. Frequently they are turned loose
together, when it requires the use of a lasso
to catch them. So familiar with this in
strument do they become that the moment
the animal feels the rope about its neck it
stands stock still. when without it it would
not suffer itself to be saddled or bridled.