davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Richland beacon., 1880-02-21
The Splend0r Of the Mid.Winter Sky.
New York Su

The winter evening sky is now I
nearly its greatest brilliancy. Of the
fifteen first magnitude stars visible in
this latitude twelve can be seen be-
tween and 10 O'Clock p. m. The oulv
ones not visible within tho.e hours are
Arcturus, Antares, and Spica. This
array of the chief leaders Of the firma.
ment furnishes fine opportunity for a
study that receives little attention, and
which yet possesses peculiar interest for
those who delight in the picturesque a..
pect of the starry heavens. To learn n
recognize the leading stars individual
peculiarities by which they can be dis
tlnguished from one another, very much
as one distinguishes faces in Q crowd, is
PERHAPS. hardly scientific pursuit, vet
1t is Dy no mean an idle intellectual
amusement. No better time than the
present could be chosen for this study
OF what might be called the physioe.
nomy OF the stars. Nobody, for in.
stance, could mistake Vega, the bright
star that can be seen in the northwest
early in the evening, for any other in
the sky. Its peculiar color and bril-.
liancy have been admired by astron.
omers for ages. Over in the east. a
little later. Betelguese and Rigel, the
chief twinklers in. Orion, may be seen,
with Aldebaran in the Bull shining
high above them. Rigel looks ver1
much like Vega, yet q careful eve de-
tects difference of color. Betelguese
and Aldebaran are at once classed to-
gether as red stars, yet there is tho most
beautiful contrast of hue between them.
Aldebaran is of pale rosy color, and
Betelguese, which varies remarkably in
brightness, is of a reddish orange
Nearly overhead, at about 10 O'Clock.
is Capella, which seems to vie in bright.
ness with Rigel, yet the two can never
be confOunded; for while Rigel blazes
and scintillates, like diamond shaken
in the sunlight, Capeila shines with a
steady, unchanging luster that makes it
one of the most beautiful of all the
stars. Sirius, which rises shortly after |
Rigel, is distinguished BY his superior
size, and by the ceaseless flashing of |
prismatic colors, surrounding him with
q sort of halo we'll becoming the chief |
Of all the stars.
Whoever has once learned to know
these stars, as he knows the faces of his |
friends, may wander to every corner of |
the world without losing the feeling
that he il vet ct home.
Richland beacon., 1880-02-21
Farmers on the Amazons.

from Smiths "Brazl and the Amazons."i
Down the Santarem street come four
brown horses, dragging an immense
American wagon; q tall, cOatless indi-
vidual sits astride one of the leaders,
and guides the cavalcade with much
flourish and noise. He draws up in
front OF st. CaetanO's store and salutes
the merchant; then alights and marches
straight up to US, remarking, swell!
who are yOu?" OF course, we get &C.
quainted at once, and Mr.. Platt is a man
worth knowing, too. He is one of some
fifty Americans who are established in
the forest near by. Platt is himself
Tennesseean the others are from Mis-
sissippi, Alabama, and so on. Farmer
Platt presses us to "come out for q few
days" and We 60. The wagon, he in
forms US, was sent from his old home in
Tennessee, and, in spite of a law which
declares agricultural implements free of
duty, the duties amounted to as much as
the original cost. Presently We stop
with jerk; one of the wheels is CAUGHT
in big LLAMA. The farmers wife well
comes us cordially, the children are shy,
for they do not often see strangers.
All the Americans are cultivating
sugar cane; the juice is distilled into
rum. which is sold at Santarem. Prob
ably coffee or cacao might pay better,
but our colOnists came without money
and can not wait for slow-growing crops.
Platt saved little money and bought
this ground of an Indian woman, and
had to carry provisions six miles on his
back. Platt had to grind his corn at
wooden mill until he could get an iron
one, at double the original cost. And
so with all tools and agricultural Im-
plements. "The children have no
schooling" complains Mrs. Platt; "they
can't even 60 to a Brazilian master, for
We are too far from town." Sometimes
they visit with the other Americans,
but the plantations are far apart and
the roads are rough, and it is not often
they can make holiday, unless it is
Sunday.
Richland beacon., 1880-02-21
Mr.. Julius JackasS.
Lon ioa Telegroh.l

A paragraph which has recently ap-
! peared in the German official paper. in.
forms the subjects of His Majesty, the
King of Prussia, that the Royal Pro-
vincial Government at Dusseldorf has
graciously authorized one Julius Jack
ass, resident in Lohdorf, District of
Solingen, as well as his wife and chill
dren, to change the family name he has
hitherto borne, into that of Courage.
Such surname as ,Jackass can not but
be a chronic aflictiOn to the unfortu-
nate persons condemned by the accident
of birth to answer to it, and Mr. Cur
age, formerly Jackass, may be conrrat-
ulated upon the result of his appeal to
the merciful consideration of the CON
stituted authorities, who have relieved
him from all but into!erable patronymic.
In Germany, however, such an intliction
is less grievOus to its victims than else
where, because quaint names are 50
abundant in every class of society that
the edge of public apprehension il
blunted As far as their comical or re-
prOachful significance is concerned.
Nobody smiles when introduced to Mr..
BloOdsausage, Mrs. Grayhorsepenny, or
Master Sugartart. Nobody is sorry for
the representative of one of the Oldest
noble families in North Germany,
doomed by destiny to bear the omi.
nous nomenclature. Gatekeeper of
He'll" When the betrothal OF First
Lieutenant SOurherring TO Miss Two
year-Oldwild-bOar. was published some
time ago in the National Zqt,ng and
other leading Berlin journals. that ap-
parently fantastic and patonyn,ic an
nouncement excited no popular wonder
ment to speak of. Mr.. Jackass, how
ever, evidently found his front name"
to be more than he could bear with anv
degree of comfort, or even resignation:
and it is creditable to the good taste of
the royal officials at Dusseldorf that thev
should, as it were, have paid tribute t.
the vigor OF the resolve inspiring him
TO rid himself forever of a patronvmic
that remOreiessly "set him down as All
ass" by bestowing upon him the highly
honorable and appropriate surname Of
Courage"
Richland beacon., 1880-02-21
Attempted Suicide Of q Modern Juliet.

Bellefontaine, Ohio, some time since,
furnished a case of q genuine love-lorn
maiden-s schoolgirl of Is years,
who fell desperately in love with youth
of about the same age. They quarreled
over a matter, but did not kiss and
make up after the customary manner of
lovers. When they met the next morn
ing the boy declined to meet the friendly
advances of the young lady halfway,
but sullenly refused to speak to her at
all. A short time after she wrote him
a note, saying that unless he forgave her
she would kill herself. The youth, it
appears, had retired from the Romeo
business entirely, and replied by simply
telling her to gOOn with her killing and
he would pay the funeral expenses,
whereupon she commenced by swallow.
ing the contents of her ink bottle, which
made her very sick. She then tried
red ink with no better result. The next
move was to procure rope and repair
to an outbuilding for the purpose or
hanging herself, but some schoolmates
discovered her and thwarted her de-
signs. She then went home and tried to
cut her throat with q pOcketknife, and
actually succeeded in cutting quite q
cash in her neck. The youth has not
relented. The names of both parties
are suppressed owing to their promi.
hence.
Richland beacon., 1880-02-21

BIsMARCK's plan to increase the
strength of the German standing army
is aimed primarily at France. The west
ern frontier Of Germany is to be greatly
strengthened in view of the steady in
crease of the French army during the
last few years. France, out of a popu-
lation of 81 ,OOO, 900, has 7O4, 900 men in
the active army, $4,000 in the reserve,
$4,000 in the territorial army and 625.-
600 in the territorial reserve, in all about
100000 men, The German Govern
ment has now 4Ol 900 men in the active
army, 500, 900 in the reserve, so, 600 in
the landwehr and l,030, 900 in the land
sturm, or 2,5l 900 in all who have mil
itary training and there are 3.345, 900
men who have received no military
training. France has ,33O, 900 men who
have received no training. The Ger
mans excel in cavalry and the French
in artillery. Bismarck, in increasing the
active army of Germany, also, of course,
has his eye on Russia, whose old policy
of Russianizing the German population
of the Cars Baltic provinces, has been
revived. The repressive measures at
Revel, Riga and elsewhere, have revived
German national feeling, which may not
in vain appeal to Germany, where Bis
marck is bent upon carrying outhis pan
Germanic theories and cor soldating all
the Teutonic peoples of Europe.
Richland beacon., 1880-02-21
FACTS AND FANCIES FOR THE FAIR

TRAINS are very plain this season.
THERE are three Japanese lady stu
dents at Vassar.
Two sizes of buttons are used for
most costumes.
BRIGHT tints take the lead in nearly
all of the mixed goods.
HOUSE polonaises are made quit.
boufiant, and are really long basques.
LADYBUGs of red enamel are the last
charming substitute for buttons.
OF fifty members elected on the Lon.
don School Board, nine are women.
NECKTIEs of q narrow band of fur
fastened with q bright satin bow are
pretty.
YOU'VE women should set good ex.
amples, for tho young men are always
following them.
THERE'S many a slip 'twixt the cup
and the lip, and not few between the
first kiss and the ring.
A PHILADELPHIA woman owns the
largest cOlOred diamond ever brought TO
America.
IT was wittily raid Of a beautiful
French literary lady, that she had but
one fault-a husband.
IT woman had the ballot what would
she do with it? 1t isn't long enough for
a belt or big enough for hustle.
QUEEN VICTOKIA's gift to Mrs. Nellie
Grant Sartoris was a miniature of her
royal self set in precious stones.
A WETzEL country girl says one hug
Is worth dozen love letters. They can
not be introduced as evidence in q
breach of promise suit, either.
ACCORDING to some of the English
fashion plates, we are threatened with
revival of the WATERFALL" style of ar.
ranging the hair.
1T is said that the fashion of turning
down one corner of visiting card was
originated by Gen. Schenck in a fit of
Observation-Disclosures.
GIVE girl long eyelashes and small
hands and she will put up with No. 6
feet and marry all around curly-headed
girl wearing ones and half.
The daughters of General Sherman
refuse 10 dance "the German. Float
ing Item. Are they equally conscientious
about walking Spanish?
WHAT did the young lady mean when
she said to her lover, "You may be too
late for the train, but you can take a
bus?'
BEFORE marriage girl frequently
calls her intended cher treasure" but
when he becomes her husband, she looks
upon him as her treasurer"
You may meet with twenty men in
the day who stutter, but you never
heard of the woman who had an impedi-
ment in her speech.
A POET out West, describing Heaven,
says" It's a world of bliss fenced in
with girls" Where is the man that
won't repent now? i. =.
A CONSCIENCE void of offence is an
inestmable blessing, because it gives
a pleasure which no rancoring of malice
can destroy; it is proof against malig.
nifty itself, and smiles upon its most san
culinary efforts.
Richland beacon., 1880-02-21
The Future Center Of Commerce and
Culture.

As Mr.. Gladstone has thought that
the commercial center of the world may
shift from London to New York. so NJ.
Littre, the famous French lexicog.
rapher, thinks that the center Of cui.
ture will move from the Seine to the
banks of the Hudson. This gentleman
is of opinion that the ruling language of
the future will be Anglo-Saxon, and its
chief seat of learning will be in the
United states. As regards population,
that race comes first; its numbers in a
generation or two will probably reach
4OO, 900, 900 of the human race. After
then comes the Chinese, equal in mum.
Der, but, as . static people, unworthy to
rank with Western races as q factor in
the worlds development. After the
Anglo-naxon, as governing races, NJ.
Littre puts the Russian, and then the
Spanish, to whom he comedies in the fu.
ture tho greatest part of the South
American continent. The capacity for
expansion of the United States and
Russia may possibly menace the indie
pendence of old European states; but.
in this respect, II. Littre argues that
the security of human life individually
which has followed in the wake of civil.
ixation, will also Be accorded to the
States, and that Russia and America.
unlike the ancient Babylon and Egypt.
will develop without injury to the M.
tions upon whose frontiers they may
touch.
Richland beacon., 1880-02-21
Prejudice as q Barrier.

Oleomargarlne, to use vulgar phrase,
sticks in a great many peoples crops.
The popular notion of Oleomargarine is
that the substance is necessarily COM
pounded of dead horses and favored
with carbolic acid. But then the pop-
ular notion of any chemical discovery is
very apt to be itself q compound of
ignorance and stupidity. Oleomargarine
need not be one whit more unwhoiesome
or unpalatable than dairy-made butter.
The chemical elements are the same in
each case, and the only difference to the
eye OF science is in the methods of prep
aration. But We need not remind the
intelligent reader how suspicious the
populace is of every improvement in the
preparation Of food which involves
mystery. Some years ago benefcent
plan was put on foot to supply xerated
bread by the use of carbonic acid gas
generated from marble dust. The bread
thus made was purer, cleaner, and
altogether more wholesome than that
made in the ordinary way by the use of
yeast. But no amount of capital or
argument could overcome the popular
against it when it was known
that marble dust was used.
Richland beacon., 1880-02-21
SOUTHERN NEWS.

There is not house for rent ia Co
lumbus, Ga.
The Academy of Music, recently de-
stroyed by fire at Greenville, :. c.. is to
be rebuilt Immediately.
There are twice as many visitors from
the North at Jacksonville, Fla, as there
were at this time last year.
Only three cities in South Carolina
have daily newspapers-ColumDia,
Charleston and Greenville.
In Augusta, Ga, the lamps on all the
street corners are to be Ornamented with
the names of the streets.
During the next thirty days thirteen
iron furnaces will be put in operation in
the vicinity of Rome, Ga.
Confederate $50 bills, smeared with
green ink, have been lately passed on
greenies in McLepnan county, Texas.
The owners of the cotton factory at
Hawkinsville, Ga. will soon have four
Clement attachmentsin operation.
A firm at Sherman, Texas, shipped on
one day $4,000 fur peltries, the largest
shipment ever made from that State.
The Pearl-river oil mills at jackson,
Miss, consume 200 sacks of cotton seed
daily and produce fifteen barrels in oil.
Thomas Fulton, of Green county, Ga,
has a plantation of 1900 acres, and has
only one hand on it, all the rest having
left since Christmas.
Atlanta has fewer policemen now than
she had ten years ago. A new force will
be elected in April, at which time there
will be 500 applicants for forty places.
The Air Line Railroad Company is
having a row of shade trees planted out
on either side of the track at the stations
along the line from Atlanta Ga, to
Charlotte, N. G.
One hundred and twenty-five ACRES of
strawberries have been planted in Flor
ida this season for the Northern markets.
The yield ranges from 1000 to 5000
quarts per acre.
The fair at Macon, Ga, for the benefit
Of the Macon Volunteers, was decided
success, the net receipts being nearly
$1,000.
Little Rock Democrat: The cotton
brought to Little Rock this season, es-
timated at $4,000 bales, and the average
price of $50 per bale, realized the snug
little sum of $23, $50, 900. How is that
for the new Chicago?
Arkansas has 1887 miles of navigable
water courses regularly traversed by
steamboats,. She has eight railroads,
having eight hundred miles OF road COM
pleted and in operation.
Wilmington IN. CO. Star: A prominent
colored man has been to the trouble of
the sentiments of the colored
voters of this city as to their choice for
the Presidency. The list, so far as
preference was expressed, stands as fol-
lows: Blaine, 723; Grant, 22l; Sher-
man, II.
Little Rock Democrat: Cotton facto- |
ries are an immense success IN Arkansas |
Richland beacon., 1880-02-21

TIE teacher of . class in natural his
tory gave out this question: (Which
is the meekest of all domestic animals p
A young miss, who had passed the
previous summer at Long Branch,
promptly answered: "The meefest domes-
tic animal is the mosquito, because il
you hit it on one cheek and don't kill
it, it comes back again and gives you
chance y hit il ep thS other"
Richland beacon., 1880-02-21
Diving Words.


1t is probably natural that at the last
the scenes which have made the str0nest
impressions in life should be recalled by
memory. The old mountaineer, when
he comes to die, with his last whisper
says his snowshoes are lost; with the
stage driver he is on a down grade and
can not reach the brake" the miner can
not get to the air pipe, the sailor says
"eight bells have sounded" and the
CANDLES plays his last trump. A little
girl died here q few years ago, and as
her mother held her wrist and noted the
fainting and Pickering pulse a smile
came to the wan face and the child
whispered: "There is no more desert
here, mamma, but all the world is full
of beautiful flowers" A moment later
the smile became trans6xed. In an
Eastern city, not long ago. q Sister Of
Charity was dying, and at last from q
stupor she opened her eyes and said ::
" 1t is strange; every kind word that I
have spoken in life, every tear that
have shed, has become . living flower
around me, and they bring to my senses
an incense inefable."
Richland beacon., 1880-02-21

No language can express the power
and beauty and heroism and majesty of
q motner's love. 1t shrinks not where
men cover, and grows stronger where
man fain,s, and over the wastes of
worldly fortune, sends the radiance of its
uenchless fidelity like star in heaven.
Richland beacon., 1880-02-21

EMERSON says a man ought to carry
a pencil and note down the thoughts of
the moment. Yes, and one short pencil,
devoted exclusively to that use, would
last some men We know about two thou
sand years, and then have the original
POINT Bur!iagt0n Lt2Wkeye,
The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-04-02
GENERAL PRESS REVIEW.



The Tillen-Kelly gem puzzle Is now on
the boards for solution and II Is expected
HAT IL will DO solved, but how or when il
what no fellow can evar hnd out until II il
done. Each had hla board before him,
moved and oounler.moyed his committeeman
blocks 10 please himself and finally dispersed
them with orders 10 rtsnond when whislIed
for. II WIS agreed by both sides that the do,
cisIye game must DO played NJ An early day,
10 get the solution worked out for tho Gin
cin6nL convention, but both feared 10 name
tho day or locality for the battle, and the
gamo will 20 on vigorously In both camps
until each Is ready 70 plug his number fifteen
In lust where II will complete the symetry of
the yexatlous figures, Both have learned
that two Democratic gem games arc quite
too many for one doubtful State that Is likely
10 hold tho Presidency In IN decision,
and each means 10 consolidate tho games on
favorable conditions for himself or make
the other appear rs responsible for tho fail
ure, Both would like TO solve the puzzle by
iammlng his number fifteen In TO complete
the lines on his adyemary's board, but both
aro ayerse 10 that solution by the opposing
player The result will DO cali for two
Democratic State conventions TO meet ut the
same time and place, and then the gem game
will begin In earnest, Tilden wants TiIden
for President, and Kelly wants any other one
of tho some four million Democrats for tho
place. There Is, therefore, but one obstreper-
GUS number among all the numbers OF both
boards, but that one Is more obstreperous
than all the others put together, and that's
what's the matter in New York. In the
meantime the game will go on, Tilden and
Kelly will display their gem puzzles 10 adj
mring factions, and when both get 10 under
stand that all men must bo spared by tho
world some time, and that most ofthcm could
DO spared any time without disturbing the
planets or confusing h Imam affairs, tho Dem
ocrats of New York may have some peace,
and the Democrats of tho nation may think
II possible for thom TO elect II President in
1850
The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-04-02
The Pnnnnln Trnde.

~. Wv U.,uunS a,HIyS' N. i,,o,o,.
w 0onyn so,rosponJu"' ~ n,s ,n n,su
w iotvor WINCH appu"rs :" e"osnV. uoIn an,
Hpnsnes SONY pore'IS ,h nnS; "uo"; w
tuv 49, , Ia,ps =" ~ snS h Va
o"n"n ;5 W. sno ,Sin u,Hi "" Hn"o o"u Wv
p''nu,u u"uo, mhVI WIN, w., Nv HUnO,, yS"'is,
ms R'oWn UP WIN '"o oiy y, Num to'N ~ ~
sna' ueilclou' irul, ~ 70 9nay m"u'', .n'
ass 'gw yea.? tiav a vo"s' isia, n''or W .ha
Jus oooh SNen W s'c r eu'.' ' AZ, u W,
p"'"" Oh ,e 'S' ;nn % ,roaI nro ',u woe o ot
The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-04-02
The DirectOry's Evidence.
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.

The occurrence of the deeennial census
year is made the occasion, in the new edition
of Gould's st. Louis Directory, for com
parison between the st. Louis Of to-day and
the ST. Louis of ten years ago, and the COM
parison is greatly to the credit of St Louis
and of Mr. Gould. We are all prepared ia
believe that, as Il matter of course. Every
great city increases with n natural growth and
at a rapid rate, but it is notuntil two eras are
brought face to face and contrasted that we
can realize how vast is the space that has
been covered in so short o time. In the life
time of city ten years is n very short period,
yet the St. Louis Of to-day is SO far removed
from the st. Louis of ten years ago that II
hardly seems the same city. When one tries
TO think of ST. Louis without bridge, with
out union depot, without parks, without
any grain trade to speak of, without any cot
ton business at all, one is for moment at Il
loss to remember what the prehistoric mu-
hcipaity Of ten years ago was like. The heSi-
tation, however, is only momenta y; one
glance ut the familiar material of the streets
recalls the recollectiOns of former days, and
the erewhile elated St. Lousan, convinced
but now depressed, is forced to say; This is
indeed my own, my native land.
1t could be wished that the compiler oil
the directory had brought the light of his
accumulated learning t, enlighten us on the
question of population, but this he evades
with the diplomatic dexterity of Beacons-
field dealing with the distress in Ireland.
For this purpose the population of city is
the population shown in the pages of the
directory, and he contents himself with the
statement that the directory canvass of 1850
shows 10000 names against only $1,000 IN
1870 While this statement furnishes us with
the basis of an estimate, such an estimate
can be only approximate, owing to the excep-
tional situation of st. Louis. In the Boston
directory, for example, there arc tens of
thousands of names of people who do bu'i-
ness in Boston, but who reside out OF the
city; to lesser extent the same is true of
Cincinnati and Chicago, while st, Louis has
no such thing as a suburban population. Ac-
cordingly ratio of directory names to popu-
lation which would give the correct result
for Boston would be unjust in st. Lous, but
it is impossible to say what allowance would
have to be made for the difference of situa-
ton. However, it is a matter of but n
few months before the census-hkers Will be
around, and then we shall know the true pop
utation of st. Louis--perhaps.