davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-12-02
VOL. x. mo, II.
FACTS FOR THE CURIOUS.

IT is reported that 800, 900 holes were
bored in the execution of st. Gothard
tunnel, $50, 900 pounds of dynamite con-
sumed, and 1850, 600 drills worn out.
AS SIR WILLIAM THOMPSON has shown,
the sun, if it were composed of solid
coal and produced its light by combus-
ton, would burn out in less than 6,OOO
years.
cKs.-Two hundred and fifty differ
ent kinds OF tacks are manufactured
from brass, copper, zinc, iron and steel.
The material from which tacks are made
is first cut into long strips as wide as
the required length of the tack. It is
then put into a machine which cuts il
into tacks or nails, as the case may be.
as quickly and as easily as boy would
MUNICH stick of candy.
The Cunard line has lost two vessels
in thirty-seven years, but has never lost
q life nor letter. The Colombia, ono
of their first vessels, went ashore be-
tween Halifax and Boston. The passen-
gers and cargo were landed in safety,
but the vessel could not be got off. The
Tripoi went ashore near Tuskar.
off the coast of Ireland, about six years
ago. The passengers and cargo were
landed safely, but the vessel was broken
up.
"TRA1N catching" says the Hour.
"is the cause of more ill health than
is generally supposed. Those who 'bolt'
their breakfasts, III order to be in time
for the morning train, know that such a
course leads to dyspepsia, with its at
tendant ills, and the violent exertion
which is made by those who just 'save
their distance produces an excitement
of the heart and blood vessels which. if
frequently repeated, is likely to end in
serious organic disease"
MLECTRICrrY is used in Paris to con-
troll vicious horses. A conducting wire
runs from an electromagnetic in the seat
of the wagon through the reins to tho
horses bits. BY turning the crank of
the magnet current of electricity is in
duced and sent to the animals mouth.
No violent shock is given 10 benumb or
greatly alarm the horse, but the slight
prickling sensation peculiar to electrical
influence surprises and subdues him.
An electric whip, TO prevent rearing or
turning suddenly is aLother ingenious
invention.
FROM inquiries conducted by Prof.
Hermann Cohn, Of Breslau, since 1865,
it appears that Observation-Disclosures is rare
ly or never born with those subject to
it, and is almost always the result of
strains sustained by the eye during study
in early youth. Myopia, as it is called,
is seldom found among pupils of village
schools, and its frequency increases fp
proportion to the demand made upon
the eye in higher schools andin colleges.
A better construction of school desks,
an improved Typography of textbooks,
and sufficient lighting of class-rooms,
are the remedies proposed to abate this
,maladY.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-12-02
Household PeriIs.

Under this head the Boston Journal of
Chemistry names several dangerous sub
stances which find their way into house
holds. There are two or three volatile
liquids used in families which are par
tlcularly dangerous, and must be en-
ployed, if at all, with special care. Ben
zine, ether and strong ammonia consti-
tute this class Of agents. The two first
named liquids are employed in cleans
ing gloves and other wearing apparel, and
In removing Oil stains from carpets, cur
tains, &c. The liquids are highly vola-
tile, and flash into vapof as soon as the
cork of the vial containing them is re-
moved. Their vapors are very combust-
ible and will infame at long distances
from ignited candles or gas flames, and
consequently they should never be used
in the evening, when the house is lighted.
Explosions of very dangerous nature
will occur if the vapor of these liquids is
permitted to escape into the room in con-
siderable quantity. In view of the great
hazard of handling these liquids cautious
housekeepers will not allow them to be
brought into their dwellings,, and this
course is commendab]e. AS regards am
monia, or water of ammonia, it is very
powerful agent, especially the stronget
kinds sold by druggists. An accidenr
in its use has recently come under our
notice in which young lady lost her life
from taking few drops through mis-
take. Breathing the gas under certain
circumstances causes serious harm to
the lungs and membranes of the mouth
and nose. 1t is On agent much used at
the present time for cleansing purposes,
and it is unobjectionable if proper care
is used in its employment The Walls
holding it should be kept apart from
others containing medicines, &C., and
rubber shoppers to the Walls should be
used. Oxalio acid is considerably en-
ployed in families for cleaning brass and
copper utensils. This substance is highly
poisonous, and must be kept and used
with great caution. In crystalline struc-
ture it closely resembles sulphate of
magnesia or Epson salts, and, there
fore, frequent mistakes are made and
lives lost. Every agent which goes into
families among inexperienced persons
should be kept in safe place, labeled
properly and used with care.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-12-02

A cave in East Tennessee is two miles
in length and has openings at both ends.
The owner of the ground around each
entrance charge for admission, and acted
as guide for visitors. Their rivalry led
to serious fights in the cave, for each
held the other to be trespasser. Then
one of the contestants hit upon a novel
and effective means of running the
others business. He sunk shaft so as to
admit large stream into the cave about
the center, and as there was as incline in
favorable direction, the water poured
out at the enemy's portal, while his own
was unobstructed. The matter is to be
made the subject of lawsuit.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-12-02
g First Efforts"

I long for some patent method for con-
vincing every man, woman and child,
who is poor, unhappy, or wants pin.
money, that they cannot rush into litera-
ture pell-mell, and make money at will.
Above all, I should like O legal penalty
imposed upon every one who sends q
"frst effort" to me. It is an equal
"effort" and by no means my "frst"
for me to read their poetry, and for them
to write it. I am fast becoming O
misanthrope from the amount of trash,
garnished with neither sense, grammar,
rhyme, nor metre, that my fellow crea-
lures perpetrate with view of fame and
fortune. Will anyone ever convince this
crowd of imbeciles that to write even
decently demands previous cultivation,
information, and common sense; or that
real genius is like any other diamond,
and needs careful cultivating and polish
ing? Isuppose not!--AtIGnttc magazine.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-12-02

when a gray shadow glided out of the
other shadows and stood Of his sido

when a gray shadow glided out of the
other shadows, and stood at his side.
"Johnl" she whispered.
dolly! it's never you?"
Yes, john" said the girl, gently bu,
steadily. 'I'm going back home with
you" "1'''
God bless you, Dolly" said the young
man, fervently.
"For good and all, John, if you'll take
me-, said Dolly, slowly. HI've had
quite enough of city life; and ri help
you with the green houses, and I'll try
and be good little housekeeper at home.
Shall 1, John?"
John put his arm around her and buo.
ged her up to his side.
Darling p said he, huskily. "it's
most too good news to be true; but, if
my word is worth anything, you shall
never regret your decision of this day. /"
So the pretty flower girl vanished out
OF the bower of smilax and rosebuds.
The Sedgewick mansion wasn't decorated
at all, and Mr.. Frixham had lost his new
customer. And the turquoise ring came
back to Mr.. Fritzalan in blank en-
velope.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-12-02
CarOlina's Sweet Sixteen.

A curious petition was that addressed
in 1888 to the Governor of South Caro-
lima by sixteen maidens of Charleston. It
ran thus
'"The humble petition of oil the maids
whose names are underwritten. Where
as, we, the humble petitioners, are at
present in very melancholy disposition
of mind, considering how all the bache-
lors are blindly captivated by widows, and
our own youthful charms are thereby
neglected; in consequence of this, our
request is that Your Excellency will for
the future order that no widow presume
to marry any young man till the maids
are provided for; or else to pay each of
them o fine for satisfaction for invading
our liberties and likewise fine to be lev
led on all such bachelors as shall be mar
ried to widows. The great disadvantage
it is to us maids is that the widows, by
their forward carriage, do snap up the
young men, and have the vanity to think
their merit beyond ours, which is @ great
imposition on us, who ought to have the
preference. This is humbly recon-
mended to Your Excellency's considera-
ton, and hope you will permit no further
insults. And we poor maids in duty
bound will ever pray"
The forlorn sixteen would have very
much approved the edict Of the Portu-
guese King, which forbade widows more
than fifty years old from remarrying, on
the ground that experience taught that
widows of that age commonly welded
young men of no property, who dissi-
pated the fortunes such marriages
brought them, to the prejudice Of chill
dren and other relatives.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-12-02
Saturn's Rings

We had view of Saturn few evenings
since through the fine telescope in Mr..
Seagrave's private observatory, that will
long be remembered for its exceeding
beauty. The night is rarely favorable
for star-gazing, the definition perfect and
the atmosphere serene. The picture is
one of sllrpassing loveliness, the most
suberb telescope scene in the heavens.
The orb is resplendent in coloring, blush
at the poles, pale yellow elsewhere,
crossed by two creamy central belts, and
fecked with spots that suggest light
scudding clouds. There is no appear
ance of fiattened disc, but the rounded
outlines of sphere, seeming abont the
size of the full moon, stand out in bold
relief against the azure blackness Of the
sky. Around this softly glowing center
extend the wondrous rings, opening wide
their encircling arms and cradling the
planet in their protecting embrace. Every
detail of the complex ring system is
sharply defined and wildly painted on
inner rings, tho dusky ring, the space
even the division in the outer ring are
plainly visible, while six Of the eight
moons dot the dark sky with points of
golden glow. The six moons we see
one of them is larger than Mercury
circle around their primary within nm
extreme span of four million miles. The
beautiful rings ]ie within the path of the
nearest moon and span space of about
one hundred and seventy-six thousand
miles. The narrow dark space between the
inner and outer rings, is seventeen hun"
dred miles broad, and the dusky or third
ring extends nine thousand miles within
the inner or second ring.-ET0Vtdence
JO,tT1GL
A SINGULAR phenomenon has been
commented on by the French scientific
papers. At Bonneville and other places
O slight shower Of yellow rain fell. M.
de Candolle, to whom were handed sheets
of paper stained by the rain, has pro-
nounced the coloring matter to be Of an
organic nature, consisting of vegetable
debris, among which could be observed
the spores Of cryptogams. The shower
seelEie to have taken place simultaneously
over o large extent, but the composition
81 the coloring matter was not eyery-
where the same that collected at Duille
being essentially Of q mineral character.
Contenfed with TGis Lot.
ASunday-school teacher said TO Little
Johnny .|
"You must never envy those little
children who are rich and wear fine
Clothes"
ct don't, not the FIRST dog-goned bit"
"Why don't you envy them, johnny"
" Because they have to wear cleaE
clothes, and they can't wade about in
the mud, and they have to say please to
everybody, whoopeer' Galveston NewS.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-12-02
Ultimately

Agentleman who has bill against Gill
hooly has been bothering that distin-
guished Galvestonian for weeks for set
tlement. The other day he called on him
and said: "Now, Mr.. Gilhooly, I want
you to tell me when you will pay that
bill"
Didn't I tell you I was going to pay
it ultimately2"
eyes, but want you to set some day,
so can make my calculations.
"Tll pay it ultimately"
Cant you be more definite? When
will you pay it ultimately"
"Well, will pay it very ultimately.
Now, hope you are satisfied. Galve8-
ton NelOS.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-12-02
THE MUSICAL ROY,
BY JAMES T. FIELDG


It is a ruthless, toothless wigh.
Who dwells beside wall,
And spends his time in singing songs
As loud as he can bawl,
And casting stones at passengers
Who may neglect TO call.
Tho knave deals out inflated corn
And other fluffy things,
Gum-balls, and miscellaneous pie
And doughnuts shaped like rings;
The peanut branch he also plies,
AS all day long he sings.
. urchin rude, of manners crude,
OF unangelic voice,
Fray tell me true, young ruffian, do,
II thus you live from choice,
Or II In your unhallowed way
You really don't rejoice.
Your wares are insalubrious,
Your carols are the same,
Your bold career is fraught with fear,
Your traffic one Of shame
A dark, mysterious, dreadful trade,
a deed without name.
Boy, cease your harmful, dreary notes,
And fling your goods away;
Go get you to New Zealand, or
Some cove in Baffin's Bay;
Expenses out (but no return)
Myself will gladly pay.
The rogue looks up with knowing leer,
And bids me not repine,
Then aims n missile at my head,
With phrase that's not divine,
and croaks a still more dismal song
The words. alasl are nli,aAI
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-12-02
Pats Speech.

Pat-"Och, Bridget, did ye niyer
hear Nv my great spache afore the Hi
bernian Society?" Bridget-"No, Pat,
how shouldI? for sure was not on the
ground" Pat-"WeIl, Bridget, ye see
I was called upon by the Hibernian So
ciety for spacKe; and, be jabbers, I
rose with the enthusiastic cheers of thou
sands, with me heart overfowing with
gratitude, and me eyes filled with tears,
and divil word did spake."
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-12-02
SOUTHERN NEWS.

Four counties in Georgia, two of which
are in Alex. III. Stephens district, did
not cast vote for Garfield.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-12-02

THE reason why the poets always
speak of October as "sober" is because
sober is the only word they can find to
rhyme with October.
National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-04-08

is to snatch the State of Illinois from Cen
eral GRANT rs it was tie purpose of an
other branch Of the same machine to
dcspoil Secretary sHERMAN Of the State of
Ohio.
In this way the Republican party is be-
ing invaded and afflicted by personal ma
chimes, which will iniure its future unity
and harmony far more than it will cloud
the prospects of General GRANT. This
BLAINE machine, It is to be regretted, is too
much under the influence and control of
indiscreet men, who seem to fancy that the
success of their leader requires Of them a
service which is Indifferent abusive, indis-
Greet and offensive, aud which ultimately
will work more mischief TO the Republican
party than it can possibly do good to the
personal cause it espouscs. Already the
efforts put forth in Illinois to iniure Cen
eral GRANT have caused feeling of re-
action, which is constantly making him
friends and strength in his own State, and
which will bring certain defeat to his as
sailants. In this way the people will no
dou bit smash that machine.
National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-04-08
PERSONAL.

Hon. ERAsrUs WELLS, ofst. Louis, is at Wizards.
DIR. ]. L. CADELL Of Virginia, is at the Riggs
House.
MAJOR NJ. A. RENO, U. S. A., is quartered at tho
ST. James.
DIR. j. T. PORTER, U, S. A., has rooms at tho Eb-
bitt House.
COLONEL BENTON, U. s. A., and wife are at the
Ebbitt House.
SIR EVAN MACKENZIE, ofNew York. Is booked at
tine Riggs House.
REV. W. H. GARRATT, of London. Eng, has
apartments at the ST. James.
PROFESSOR j. LAWRENCE SMITH. of Kentucky, Is
among the guests at the Ebbit House.
Hos. HUGH McCULLocI, of New York, xSecrc-
tary of the United States Treasury, is stopping al
the Ebbitt House.
DIR. j. w. GRAHAM, of Denver, Col: william Bar.
Der, esq, Boston, Mass, and Albert Davies, New
York, are at the National.
MAJOR +. p. HILL, of the fremont House, and his
charming bride who have been spending the
honeymoon in Florida, are expected homo to-day.
joins J. NORTON and family of Marshall, Texas;
George NJ. SteaIns, Topeka, Kansas; ii. lngraham,
New York, and L. Wells, Georgia, were among
the arrivals at the st. James yesterday.
Miss ANNIE Cook, OF Indiana; Waner J. Render
dine, Philadelphia; William Morris and wife
Salem, ~ j.; Leo Wheat, wife and mmily, Virginia;
Rev. Z. A. L. Egan, Chicago; IL. 4. Caswell, Troy.
y. " a. d. Andrews, North Carolina, and Allen
Walter, Pennsylvania, registered ut tho Metropoll-
tan Yesterday.
National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-04-08

themselves to endure tho full glare Of tho
electric light thrown from the Chicago Com
vcntion in Grants nomination on the hrst bal-
lot Cedar Rapids Tones.
All the Presidential aspirants solomnly aver
that they have nothing TO do with tho attacks
upon each other Some mysterious scoundrel
IS evidently engaged in the work of tearing
the cnnddatoral bosoms with anguish, just to
be mean.
The Topeka Commonwealth heard one Of tho
ton Blaine delegates say tho question as to
who will be President will be virtually settled
before the Chicago Convention meets. You
need not DO at all surprised ii the whole Kan
sas delegation votes for Grant.
At the recent town election in Old Concord,
Mass, only twenty votes were cast for the
school COMMITTEES, aud all of these by women
The result was that three men and one woman
were elected; the men for period oil threo
years and tho woman for only one.
Ex-Governor Garcelon, of Maine, on Tues
day returned TO the State Treasurer S025,
with the statement that 1t was tho uncxpond.
ed balance of money placed in his hands for
public PURPOSES" the public purposes having
been the carrying out of the plot to steal the
government Of the State.
Did anybody ever know tho Cincinnati
Commercial to be just suited with any ticket
ever nominated by any party for any purpose ?
the schools of Cincinnati. This week IL will
be something else, and the Lord only knows
what Granny Hastead will do the week after.
-Grand Turerse Herald.
Representative j. D. Cox, of Ohio, is
quoted as saying "BlaiDe's nomination would
open our campaign in scandal, and put our
party on the defensive from the beginning. II
is not clear that under such cloud he would
command the German vote any more certainly
than would Grant, and he will surely lose
much Of the Independent aud liberal vote so
much needed to assure victory. "-Phiiddel'
phia Bulletin.
Tilden can stand on the Democratic plat.
form of Nebraska without shudder. They
have not heard of cipher dispatches, back
taxes, Oregon or Maine. If we judge from
the pleasant reference to the sage of Gramercy
by name he can record tho vote of Nebraska
| for Tildou solid, without scratch. Tho ac-
tion Of the convention sustaining the two
thirds rule is significant of tho desire of Mr.
| Tildon that 1t should remain in forco at Gin
cinnati.-C Chicago Inter Ocean.
Commenting upon Grants response to the
| welcome address in New Orleans, the Pitts
burg Telegraph says: ole has done nothing il
| the South that looks like ecctioneering, but he
has surprised some persons by the fianknoss Of
| his speech on the one towering vice of section
alism. The South maintains that this vice Ii
| fOstered for partisan reasons, and that tho
| North will give her no credit for anything she
does. Grants tour through the South will no
move that impression by showing her that q
| representative man of the North desires moth
ing more earnestly than restoration o
ancient confidence and good will"
National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-04-08
THE TuIRp-TERM FALLACY.

In such contingency-"tho general and
spontaneous desire of the American people,
General GRANT could not do otherwise than
respond. Against such an appeal tue third
torn" objection would not have the weight Of
feather. Whatever tho American people
generally and spontaneously desire they
Should have, even though that desire should
include a third or q fourth-teIm candidate
for the Presidency But the desire should be
really general aud spontaneous" and not
limited and forced--ADany Erening JouRdl'
Did it ever occur to our contemporary that
the politicians have been for more than five
years manufacturing prejudice against II
third term for the purpose of defeating the
desire to which it refers and which would
have been general and spontaneous" but
for these organized manufactures of public
sentiment, which have literally forced it out
of its legitimate sources and channels under
n forestalling process? OF course that por-
ton of the American people known as DEM
ocrats have no general and spontaneous
desire" for even the first term Of II Repub-
lican Administration. Should that fact
be taken into the account any less i'll
considering the question of n general
and spontaneous desire, " than that a mere
handful Of designing men have worked
up prejudice to prevent it? There never
has been since the American Republic was
established time when the general aud
Spontaneous desire" of the people has led
in one direction. There have been divis-
ions into parties in American politics dur
ing the greater part of n century, and
hence at no time has this mythical sponta-
niety of public sentiment of which the
Journal now speaks been known TO our po-
litical contests.
In this connection we desire to ask oul
contemporary if a manufactured public seuti.
ment against q third term should have the
weight of feather in controlling that
question? Then, again, it occurs to us
that if the idea Of electing President fol
third term is really wrong in principle
or dangerous in practice, general and
spontaneous desire that clings to it should
not be gratiied If there is nothing in the
third-term cry that violates principle OIL
endangers the public welfare, then it should
not weigh feather in the controversy. II
is not now, neither has it ever BEEN more
than manufactured prejudice.
National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-04-08

If HESTER CLYMER marry the st. Louis
widow, he should move West, and perhaps
the Democrats would run him for Vice
President some time, as it is represented
the lady is very wealthy.
National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-04-08


The Philadelphia Press sits down on Sena-
tor EDOIUNDs and his Presidential boom in
this wise "NIr. EDMUNDs is conspicuously
" in his right place in the Senate Admit
il, and then we are prone to ask, is not
Senator BLAINE equally and conspicuously
in his right place in the Senate? And isn't
Secretary SHERMAN conspicuOusly in his
right place while he is managing the finances
of the country with consummate ability =?
These three statesmen then being "conspicu-
ously in the right place" now, why disturb
them and endanger the interests of the
country by trying an experiment? Here
is General GRANT out of all employ
ment, except to see the world and share
the honors rendered him by its people,
who has abundant time, who has abilities
that have been tested and never found
wanting who has added to the page of
American history eight years of adminstra-
ton of our public affairs that are without
parallel in point of wisdom, purity and
bonefcence, and who has no duties or
engagements that he must surrender in
accepting third term" where he also will
be ''conspicuously in his right place"
National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-04-08

WE should be in perplexing strait for
comparison in these days Of oleomargarine,
had not SHAKFsPEARE, providentially as
it were, written of HAMLET's oflense.
National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-04-08

EX-SENATOR OSBORN says: Florida Re-
"publicans are for GRANT. They would
mot mourn if BLAINE were nominated,
"but GRANT is their first choice"