davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11
Bedding for Cattle.

There is no farm work, considering the out
lay, that pays so large dividends as the procur-
ing of sort of bedding for the cattle, for it
not only keeps them clean-a great point in
itself-but also promotes their growth and
thriftiness, and the additional accumulation for
the manure pile will more than pay for the Ia
bor There is usually large amount of litter
that goes to waste, that, if thus utilized, would
he of great service. Straw, oats, cut corn butts,
etc., are valuable, and fine sand is not ohiec-
tiOnable for in itself it is of the most ceanly
of beds, and as it is n large absorber of liquids,
and is of real benefit to clay land, there is no
solid reason why few loads of il may not he
iudiciously used. A farmer of our acquaintance
late in the fall takes his trucks, puts in long
stakes, and makes a four foot deep box and
gathers forest leaves. One man gathers them
with rake and basket These leaves stored
away in an unused stable, and what can he
crowded into bushel basket makes a fine bed
for stable of cows for a couple of nights, and
are fine absorhents. There is no farmer hut that
can provide bedding of some kind, and alsO
have dry, wholesome stables for his cattle, and,
if he consuts his interests, and once fully tests
the value of plenty of bedding, he will always
in the future practice bedding his cattle and
stock
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11
A LIVELY TRAIN LOAD.

Last week, train load of insane persons were
removed from the Oshkosh Asylum To the Mad-
son Asylum. As the train was standing on the
side track, at Watertown Junction, il created
considerable curiosity. People who have ever
passed Watertown Junction, have noticed the
tine old gentleman who comes into the car with
a large, square basket, peddling popcorn. He is
one of the most innocent, coniiding men in the
world. He is honest, and believes that every
body else is honest. He came mp to the depot
with his basket, and seeing the train, he asked
Pierce, the landlord there, what train il was.
Pierce, who is a most diabolical person, told the
old gentleman that it was load of members of
the Legislature and female lobbyists, going to
Madison. With that beautiful confidence which
the popcorn man has in all persons, he believed
the story, and he went in the TO sell popcorn.
Stopping at the first seat, where a middle e-aged
lady was sitting alone, the popcorn man passed
out his basket and said, ''fresh popcorn" Tne
lady took her foot down of the stove, looked at
the man moment, with eyes glaring wild, and
said: 'It is-no, it cannot be-and yet it Is he,
long lost Duke of Oshkosh, and she grabbed the
old man by the necktie with one hand, and
pulled him down into the seat, and began TO
NOW away corn into her mouth. The popcorn
man blushed, looked at the rest of the passen-
gers, to see If they were looking, and said, he
replaced the necktie knot from under his left
ear and pushed his collar down, "Madame, you
are mistaken. i have never been Duke in
| Oshkosh. j live here at the Junction. The
woman looked at him as though she doubted
his statement, but let him go. He proceeded to
the next seat, when n serious-lOoking man rose
up and bowed; the popcorn man also bowed,
and smiled as though he might have met him
before. Taking paper of popcorn and putting
| il i'll his coat tail pocket the serious man said,
Il was honestly elected President of the United
States, in lS16, but was counted ont by the
Nilest conspiracy that ever concOcted on the
earth. and believe you are one of the conspira-
| tors, and he spit on his hands, and looked the
popcorn man in the eye. The popcorn man said
he never took any active part in politics, and
| had nothing to do with the Hayes business al
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11
Sowing Forest-Tree Seed

We hope to give an article on this subject, be-
fore the season is at hand, for sowing. just now,
tho point of greatest Importance is, to preserve
the seeds, that they may germnate when
sOwn. If many seeds, the chestnut for example,
are left exposed to the air, they become so dry
that they cannot be restored-killed, in fact.
All the seeds yOu name are best preserved in
damp sand. and any others about which you are
in doubt, should he treated in the same manner.
While the sand should he clamp" it must not
he ret. Sand as it is freshly dug from the bank,
is usually in the proper condition. Enough
should he used 10 keep the seeds well separated,
so that they may not be in masses together, but
equally distributed. An equal bulk is usually
enough, but no harm can come from using more.
The mixed sand and seeds must be kept i'll a
cold place In warm one, the seeds would
soon germinate and he lost. Most seeds will not
he injured by freezing, and some benefited.
They should he looked at occasionally, TO see
that the sand does not get entirely dry; if quite
dry, enough water should be added To make it
as moist as at first. Toward spring, some kinds
may begin to germinate, and must be sown at
once; early sowing is hest for all. Keep the
seeds during winter from rats and mice.--fnei-
cdn 51ricHlfHrdlisf
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11
for the farnlrr.
Material for Roads.

1t Is the practice of many highway surveyors
IN have the bitches by the sides of roads cleaned
uut In the fall Of the year, and the earth that
has washed into them thrown On top of the road
bed They think it IS advantageous TO have the
top Of the road raised as high as possible, and
ti,ry know that il is necessary 10 have the
bitches cleared ont 40 that the water may nave
a chance TO run. They have an idea that they
can accomplish two desirable things at the :ame
fine. if in taking the washings from the bitches
they throw them the top nf the road. In
peint of fact, they doing very great injury to
ihe road An examination of the composition
of the material renewed from the bitches VIII
show that il is entirely unSuited for forming
good .road-bed. II consists largely Of forest
leaves and grass, blown by the wind, and of
taJiiure and soft soil washed down by the rain.
II holds water like sponge. When wet, II has
about the SAME CONSISTENCY as barn-y yard manure
A sight rain converts 1t into mud; continuous
drought causes il TO be reduced 10 fine dust by
passiilg wagons. In the winter il freezes and
IN the spring it thaws out, leaving the road IN
the condition Of mire.
The rain ordinarily washes from roads the
droppings of horses and CATTLE and the soft earth
that should not have been placed them. In
this respect, il improves roads more than 1t IN
lures them The material washed OFF should not
be put back. II is a good manure, and il VIII
nav TO haul and spread il fields that near
the bitches where it accumulates. Ii is an ex-
eellent manure for sandy soils, and can be easily
handled when il is neither very wet nor very
dry If farmers will not move il for manure, it
should be thrown away from the road, and not
upon it, road should be composed of materials
that will not readily wash away; that will not
absorb much water, and which will become iOl
erably compact by the tread of animals and the
pressure made by the wheels of vehicles The
material that is cheapest and most available in
the majority of locations is clean gravel. The
substance that often passes by the name Of grav-
el but which is a mixture of small stones,
sticky clay, and mud, is entirely unsuitable for
covering roads. The best gravel is obtained
from the banks of running streams, or from the
beds of streams that now dry. 1t meets
every requirement.
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11
Colic and Hot Blankets.

We are inclined TO put faith in the recipe be-
low, clipped from the Michigan Farmer, because
il was our good fortune once to relieve friend
who was in great agony with an attack OF
nephritic cole, by timely application of blank
cts wrung out from hot water, and as hot as he
could bear them. The philosophy of the cure,
we believe is in the fact that the treatment pro
duces relaxation of the system. We take this
opportunity to state belief that the many
deaths of horses occasi0ned by collie are wrong
fully laid to the account of the bots, the larva OF
the gadhy.
Probably more horses are lost by collie than all
other diseases combined and one chief trouble
in treating the disease is that many of the So
called remedies are either absurd, or the mgre-
dients are not ayailable-sure enough. A few
weeks since had a horse taken violently with
tlatulent cole, and started for ''horse-doctor
a mile distant. On my way, / recollected hav-
ing read in the Michigan Farmer, ! think it was
of applying blankets wrung ont of hot water
and wished had tried it before starting. My
wife, il seems, had read the same article, and
after had gone, went 70 work in good woman
earnest, and applied the hot blankets, and When
returned, in about half an hour, she came Il
the door laughing, saying: 'YOur horse is al
right now :" and sure enough, he was walking
around the yard, entirely relieved. Z.
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11
areen.House and window Plants.

The greenhouse should be in perfect readi-
ness; benches sash. heating apparatus, and
everything, that there may be no delay in bring
ing in the plants when the time comes
Supplies should he on hand and in sufficient
quantity; soil, labels, moss, and all other arti-
cles should be within reach.
Seeds of ANNALS like candy-tuft, mignonette,
ETC., may be sown, the flowers always in
demand, in winter.
Window plants should I've taken to an open
room, without fire, and by degrees accustomed
to the air and temperature of the living room.
Hanging g-baskets should he made up of new
plants. well watered, and kept in the shade for
few days. DO not place them in the confined
air of the house until it is cool outside and then
give them fresh air often as possible.
Pot hyacinths, tulips, and other bnlbs for win
ter blooming. Success depends upon having
them well rooted before the growth of leaves
and stem begins. Pot in sandy, rich soil, and
set the pots in a cool, dark cellar, watering
when needed; when the pots well-filled,
bring to the light and heat, and they will come
on ranilly.
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11
Our Strap Book.
sEpULcHREs OF TIE SEA

SStrt be your rest, oh. Donald. my love.
A. you lie in your sepulrhrr in the sea
Rest is yours, but the dark green gloom,
The un~earchable silence Of yo;Ir tomb,
Shutteth the wurld away from me.
Would that my voice could pierre the deep
To rouse you out Of your dreamiess sleep;
Would that nj eyes could measure the space
Between Us and gaze On your dear, pale face;
Would that my arms could reach down thru
The tossing waves. To encirrle You.
Donald, Donald, come back TO me,
Frum the drifting aepulehrrs Of the sea-
Ocean, fear you BGt Donald loved
Your fury, and well lie knows to-day,
How il seemed for the waves to roll and roar
Above him forever and evermore,
Always rolling. for aye and ave.
Under the billows he lieth. dead,
And the -ea-weed pillows his dear bright head.
Oh what numbers of nameless graves
Lie unvisit.d meath the waves!
Meath the waves. with the e.as<le-s flow
OF their vast green arches to and fro.
Donald. Donald come back To me-
FrUm the drifting sspulchres Of the sea-
picture you to my heart. q, love,
You have only TO liz th-re little while;
Your lips are parted as II to speak.
And yaur long brown lashes sweep your cheek,
And yon wear the calmest, hapPirst smile.
Yes. not long must you rest YOUR head
On the sand, for the sea gives up its dead.
Then know that my love viii rise,
And smile ON me from his clear blue eyes
Donald, / cannot wait! That day
For my longing heart is too far away.
Donald. Donald come back 10 me,
From the drifting sepulehres Of the sea.
Sepulchres of the sea- Sweetheart,
To think that one Of them now is yours!
To think that never more shall see
Each others face, and We cannot be
United now, while the world erdures-
Would might lie in the grave with you,
And let the waters roll over me, too.
i would rather the shifting sand
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11
Keeping Fruit.

All experiments prove that fruit which is to be
kept beyond the natural period of ripening must
be gathered before fully ripe; it also proves that
all sudden changes in temperature and moisture
are productive of decay, and should therefore be
avoided. Experience also proves that dry,
cool place, where the temperature is even, is
best calculated TO retard decay aud improve the
keeping qualities. Peaches can be kept several
weeks beyond the usual time, if carefully gath
cred when hard, and each peach at once wrapped
in thin paper-such is used in keeping or
anges-and then packed in stone jars and stored
in a cool, dry place, where the temperature does
not rise above sixty degrees; the nearer the tenn
perature can be kept TO forty degrees, the bet
ter, is the opinion of many. Plums are more
difficult TO keep, but the treatment will
preserve them two, and possibly three weeks.
Grapes are very easily kept in shallow drawers,
spread upon paper, and covered with the same
material. Some varieties, in this way, can be
kept in good condition till midwinter, and some
times till toward spring. Summer pears, gath
cred few days before fully ripe, and wrapped
in thin paper, and kept in cool place, away
from changes of light and air, may be kept in
good condition several weeks. Summer apples
can he kept in the same way. Choice fruit,
that is to be kept beyond the usual time of ri
pening, should be put in packages, not more
than foot in depth, and stored where there is
little change Of light and temperature as pos
sil
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11

The man who works up the ''straw" business
on the railroad trains has been very scarce this
year. Indeed, only one instance of canvassing n
Michigan railroad train has been reported thus
far during the campaign. On the train going TO
Saginaw three or four days ago, man who had
enough whiskey in him to make himself enthu-
siastic asked permission of the conductor to make
a canvass of the train, and was told to 20 ahead
at his own peril. Armed with paper and pencil,
he began at the last seat in the rear coach. This
was occupied by a man who rose slOwl ly up, shed
his coat, and quietly remarked:
'.Mister man, I'm going To make yOur heels
break your neck in just sixteen seconds"
The only reason he didn't was because the can
vasser hurried TO the other end of the car. He
began operations here by punching an old man
who was fast asleep. As soon as the sleeper got
his eyes open and saw the pencil, he called out:
''Over three months ago | swOre to do it or
lose my vote, and here goesr
He made n sudden rush at the canvasser, threw
him over the seat, hit him below the belt, and
might have crippled him for life had he net been
taken off. A quarter of an hour later the con-
dnctor found the canvasser on the platform, with
his skinned and his enthusiasm all gone.
"How did the vote standi' inquired the Off
eial.
al was elected over all other candidates by
two majority" was the prompt reply, as the man
wet bit of paper and stuck it on his nose
Detroit Free Press.
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11
One of President Lincoln's Stories.

Apropos of the political situation is the follow
ing, of President Lincolns stories, which has
been out of print for years. In one of his speech
es he said:
81 once knew a n good, sound churchman,
whom we will call Brown, who was on a COM
mittee to erect bridge a very rapid and
dangerous stream. Architect after architect
failed, and at last Brown said he had a friend
named Jones who had built several bridges, and
could build this"
''Let's have him in, said the Committee, and
in came Jones.
''Can you build this bridge, sirir queried they.
''Yes," came the answer. 81 could build a
bridge to the internal regions, if necessary"
The sober committee were Mortified, and, when
Jones retired, Brown Thought it but fair that he
should defend his friend. 81 know Jones 81
WE'LL said he, land he is so honest n man, and
so good architect, that if he states soberly
and positively that he can hsiid bridge "a
Hades, why, l believe him. But | have my
doubts about the abutments ON the internal
side"
''Just so," added Lincoln, edo believe those
politicians who say they can harmonize the
Northern and Southern wings of the Democracy.
1 can't help having my doubts about the abut-
mcnts on the Southern side"
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11
Declivitv of Rivers.

very slight declivity suffiees to give the run
ming motion to water. Three inches per mile,
in a smooth, straight channel, gives a velocity
of about three miles hour. The Ganges,
which gathers the waters of the Himalaya
Mountains, the loftest in the world, is at ], 500
miles from its mouth, only about 900 feet above
the level of the sea, about twice the height of
st. Paul's, in London, or the height of Arthur's
Seat, in Edinburgh-and to fall these so feet in
its long course, the water requires more than q
month. The great river Magdalena, IL outh
America, running for 1880 miles betw. 1.-TWO
ridges of the Andes, falls only 500 feet in AL that
distance; above the commencement of the 600
miles lit is seen descending in rapids and .ata-
racts from the mountains" The gigantic Rode
la Plata has gentle decent to the ocean,
that, in Paraguay, 500 miles from its mouth,
large ships are seen which have sailed against
the current all the way by force of the wind
alone-that is to say, which, on the beautifully
inclined plane of the stream, have been gradu-
ally lifted by the soft wind, and even against
the current, greater than that of our loftiest
spires-ArHeffs Pkrsic.
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11
THE DREAM OF ENGLISH


Candidate English had gone to rest,
Shattered and locked his irUn- barred door.
His window-shutters. IN east and west,
Were closed and bolted and grated Ger.
Then, who doth stand by the bedside there
Light there is none. aud yet he sees
Thrre-comered hat. ansl the powdered hair
And ancient bTlcks-s On shoes aud knees
Sees the swoe,l that the soldier
Philip Esston. his grandsire brave;
Lrt.Ae Easton. with Washington,
Come To look at him from the grave
He has shut the sound Of the shouts away,
That tell him he never shall rule the land;
But awful. exulting. wan. and gray,
The old Continental takes his stand
Cold in his grave this many day,
He left but an honest name 10 bear,
And the price Of his blood that stolen away
By the greedy guilt of this miser heir.
But God gives heed to the widows tear,
To the young child prayer, the poor man s,usIr
And the title of ruler no man shall wear,
Whose greed of gold makes his heart a stna.-
Shut ont the sound of the Unior cheers,
And the voice of joy from your guarded noOm:.
Rises this wrung from the buried years.
And this loyal ghost exnlts from the tinb.-
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11
A MOTHERS PLEA.
ny LASTA WILSON SMITH.

,.---,. -
lou salu' ia,t hisn.; "r'ir i,eupn
"a, !Ou t%AiNSI % ~nn nstooi R oH-
"a, YOU "ouIn Note ter pen'Nreua'
Mhsh II lame eioe tsoh aIy.
"nl 'ne >.alier ,1 otase anu .r"'
no iougnt Ior .ons oi Soun'r9'
An uniio'h Vi oiue
Fennaps YOU nAse ~ so,ten'
,,, nat y eNeI iresh 70 nl',
~ , ~, III ,',.'.i' ii''
ror our laiia anu Ilpe.S,
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11

W. A. CROFFUT has written 4 poem set to mu-
sic entitled, ''Charlie, the Bees are Swarming."
The music is said to be very natural. You can
hear the distant hum of the bees, increasing
louder and louder. II begins the little violin
then the bass viol strikes in, when the bees get
fairly TO work; then several falsetto notes show
where the hired man got stung; come a
dozen discordant sounds representing the drum
ming on old tin pans to make the bees alight I;
then softer notes, the hive is brought ont and
placed under the tree, followed by sudden shrieks
from the penny whistle to the big French horn,
as the baby, the hired girl, the dog the farmers
wife and the farmer start for the camphor bot
tie and the woodshed, and the profanity of the
hired man is brought out very naturally by
dropping a chair ON the head of the big Dutch
man at the end of the orchestra.-OH City Der
rick
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11

THE SAME OLD SToRY.-An Oxford graduate
was showing his sister over his rooms in college,
when some one knocked at the door. Supposing
that it was one of his friends and not wishing
to be chafied he hid her behind the curtains,
and admitted elderly gentleman, who apollo
gized profusely for his intrusion, and excused
himself by saying that il was many years since
he had been at Oxford, and he could not leave
without paying visit to his dear old college,
and the rooms which he had occupied as a stu
dent.
''Ah!' cried the old gentleman, looking around,
'the same old sofa! yes, and the same old carpet
everything the same"
Presently he stepped towards the curtains and
remarked: "Ah! and the same old curtains
Looking around he beheld the young lady, and,
turning around, he said: "Ah, you young dog!
and the same old game
''But," hastily replied the undergraduate,
"that young lady is my sister"
To which the reply came, "Yes, l know, Gsd
the same old stOryr'
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11

GATHER THE LEAvEs.-Forest leaves are ex-
cellent to supply the stable yards, and where
straw is scarce, also the cow-stables and hog
pens. They can be most conveniently gathered
Just after falling. when there is some weight in
them, or after the first snow, and before the
wintry blasts have scattered them. They then
lay eompactly, and being moist or heavy, can he
handled with greater facility. cart, with a
few standards stuck in the sides, will ho,d a
considerable quantity: and the hest thing to
gather them or load them with, is n wooden
mandrake; wooden four-tined straw-fork is
also very handy when the leaves are moist.
Leaves absorb large quantities of liquid manure,
and are an excellent fertilizer in the spring.
They can be gathered too when other labor about
the farm Is slack
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11
THE TIN-BUcKET AAN.

sing the song Of the workingman;
Sing il with me, all We who can
As he goes to his work, 50 jelly and Trim.
With his little tin.bucket fi0ssd Ia the bTini--
The little tin bucket tke nire tin bucket.
Is always fuu.
Its jolly tin-bueke;. It's a heavy tin.bunksr-
With Republican rule.
The tin-bucket nlaa is nobody fbol:
Money can't buy him. nor Barnums mule;
He gets steady work, he gets good pay,
And he has cash laid by for a rainy day.
Its a jolN tin bucket, it heavy tin-bucket,.
Always full
Its : loly' tin. bucket. it, heavy tin. n.buckct-
With Republican rule.
Sec that cottage cozy-lOok in at the door;
The babies playing ON the well-swept hoor:
THERE'S sunlight there music. in every rpom
For the tin-bucket man, for IL Is his home.
o. the little tin-bueket, the nice tin n-buckef,
Its always full.
It's jolly tin.bucket, its heavy tin-bueket,
With Republican rule.
Then sliutupabout change, we've heard il enoug
You cant fonl the woI kman with any such stuff
His home is too bright, 80 happy his wiz
He'll vote for goo-l wages the rest of his life,
With his little tin-bncket, his nice tin. bucket,
Always full.
It's n Jolly tin-bucket, it's heavy tin-buckrt,
With Republican rule
The Weekly Kansas chief., 1880-11-11
Washing Paint After Fly-time.

No great amount of labor is requisite for clean
ing the traces of flies from paint OF wood work.
No soap is necessary. wet the door OF window
frame all over with a cloth that Will not drip.
Then go back to the place where began, and
wash the whole over quickly and easily, and
then Use a clean dry cloth. / should not think
of mentioning this, but the other day l saw a
hired girl of considerable experience rubbing
hard and long upon door, and signing because
fly specks were so hard to wash of, simply be-
causs she did not think to put the work to soak.
Not long before, saw n man undertake to clean
and greatly iniure painted piece of furniture
covered with the marks of last years fly time, by
rubbing coat of soap all over it, and then wash
ing off soap, paint and dirt all together. Cold
water alone would have cleaned it better. Soap
always Injuries paint more or less. A little ap-
piled under the door knobs and Immediately wash
ed away is something admissible. Whiting on a
flannel cloth is recommended as still better. Soap
suds yellows white paint and yarnsh. Clear
water, either cold rather warm, is all that
varnish granting needs--ImericdR 4grica'tHr'st.