davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-01-08
HOnlesickness.


Perhaps there is no sensation SO dis.
heartening or SO demoralizing to the
mental and physical system as home
should be in a foreign land in order to
experience the sensation. In fact, one
may feel at home in the Arabian desert,
or among the ruins of Baalbec. 1t is
the uncongeniality of the surroundings
which predisposes US to the malady
rather than removal from familiar
scenes and faces. The disease has no
respect for persons; it more often seizes
the idle than the busy. The king on
the throne suffers, perhaps, from its
qualms when he remembers the haley
on days before the cares of state be-
leagured him; the poor-house tenant
may feel sickening yearning for the
home she has never known, which has
never existed for her; the little child
droops away from his mother; the with
cred crone has moments of unutterahle
pain when she recalls the hearth-stone
where the embers have been ashes for
half century; the old are homesick for
their youth, the days of their strength
and their prime, when the " world was
all before them where to choose" when
success was not SO assured, or failure
not so certain-the days when children
hung about their knees, and daily anxi-
cites environed them; homesick, per-
haps, for the very worries which they
have outgrown, for the little trials which
belonged to the hours of their activity,
for the hopes that time has dispelled,
for the caresses of dear dead hands.
+" the sound Of voice that is still"
To-day seems alien and sunless to the
homesick heart which lives in the yes
terdays. But if age issometimes smitten,
neither is youth exempt. The young
sicken for what the future may bring
for the fame that is so long in coming;
for the recognition, the happiness, the
romance. it promises. That longing.
baffied feeling which haunts US when
some good that has been promised or
paid IS squandered or withheld is .
form of the disease familiar to most OF
us, which comes to us upon some
strain of music which the incense OF
"the meanest flower that blows may
revive. Who has not been touched by
it in re-visiting scenes that were once
part of our everyday look-out--the old
homestead that has passed to strangers,
the orchard where we learned the
sweetness of stolen fruit, the church
where we repeated our little prayers,
the school-house where we made ac-
quaintance with fractions and the fer
uie, or the garden gate where we
parted with our first lover? 1t may be
that the masculine mind is less suscepti-
bic than the feminine to this sentiment
of Inconsistencies Man is oftener mas
ter of the situation. II his conditions
displease him, he has the power to re-
arrange them--to give the kaleidoscope
of life another turn; if the madding
crowd offends him, he can pack his
vaIise, and go on a ranch, where 1.-the
sound of the church-going bell the val
leys and rocks never heard;'' and il
country lite grows distasteful, he may
seek his fortune abroad and medicine
inconsistencies with the infinite variety
of the universe. -Harpers Bazaar.
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-01-08

Here is story they are telling just
now in London of troop-ship: In the
ladies' cabin were four washbasins, one
of which was much larger than the
others. There were three ladies in the
cabin whose husbands were about equal
in rank. The women always think they
have right to presume on the rank of
their husbands when taking choice of
berths, etc., and there was great dis
cussion rs to who was entitled to the
big basin. 1t was referred to the pay
master of the ship. After first asking
them if they would abide by his verdict,
to which they readily agreed, he said
he thought it was only fair that the old
est lady should have the biggest basin.
That basin was never used during the
voyage.
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-01-08

1T has been estimated that the total
cost Of torchlight paraphernalia used in
the late campaign, reached sS,V0,0o0.
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-01-08

Why is the North Pole like an IL
licit whisky manufactorya Because it's
q secret-still.
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-01-08

he stuck to his contract like mamie
always does, you know. Well, just as
the city hall bell struck eleven"
80, oh! Singlemann-keep straight
now. Why, man, the city hall was not
built then"
"That's SOL am telling straight
story for all that slip. Some bell struck
eleven. l had my face pressed close
against the pane, but where she could
not see me, and as the hour was tolled
she shut up the heavy ledger with q
bang that made me start, and l heard
her say, Only an hour to Christmas
and she smiled. John, she looked di-
vinely-like an angel, only angels don't
keep books, excepting the Recording
Angel But just then Denmark began
begging off again. She came out, and
as before walked rapidly away.
NOW 1 whispered to Denmark,
remember your promise
HE crossed the street without o
word, and followed the girl. Denmark
acted his part like man, or a william,
rather. He crossed back again, and
coming up to her, said:
&C. Madam, allow me to see you
home,' and offered his arm.
MY heart beat wildly, but l pre-
pared for rush on Denmark.
She didn't scream-she hurriedly
looked up and down the road and saw
apparently she was alone with this man.
! could see by the light of the lamp that
her face was deadly pale, but in calm
voice lthe sweetest voiceI ever heard)
she said:
oumay walk beside me If you will
Denmark would rather have taken
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-01-08


themselves and said that the Queen
had great objection to being stared at
while she was at luncheon and would
be glad if they would leave. The young
lady's gentle remonstrance, however,
had no effect upon these amiable per-
sons, who murmuringly declined to de-
part. So stronger measures were tried,
and under dire threats from an attend
ant the Disappointed journalists with
drew.
Jonathan H. Greene, once the most
notorious and successful gambler in
America. and afterwards known as an
exposer of gamblers tricks, is now
aged and poverty stricken in Philadel-
phia. From 1881 to 1912 he won mon
ey right and left, not only from anna
teurs, but heavily from professional
players. On one occasion he took $780,
600 from q party of card sharpers in
three days. He was wonderfully skillful
in handling cards and invented several
of the swindling devices still used by
faro dealers. At length he renowned
his evil ways, restored great deal Of
money to men whom he had robbed
and spent the rest of his fortune in the
advocacy of laws against gambling.
The statutes on the subject In Pennsyl-
vania, Maryland and Ohio were largely
passed through his exertions. In lee
lures and books he described the means
BY which he had won, but this after
while failed to yield him living. His
family is now supported bv charity
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-01-01
A Great Poultry Raiser.

w. c. Baker, of Cresshill, N. j., is the
largest artificial poultry raiser in the world,
and after spending $4,000 in experiments
and getting established now has gross in
come of $4,000 year and will raise 25O,-
600 young chickens during 1881. He is
enlarging his accommodations to keep g.
500 laying hens of the best varieties, but
still has to buy eggs. Both hens and
chicks are housed and fed in luxurious,
systematic style, the Matching being done
in two incubating chambers, capable of
holding 5000 eggs each, in tiers of shallow
drawers, where they are warmed by gas
made on the place, and turned daily by
women in attendance. The young chick
is taken to brooding house, several hours
after it is hatched, where it is kept until
it is three weeks old and creeps under the
hen mother zine, filled with hot water and
lined on the under side with blanketing.
After three weeks the lusty young fowl is
put among the laying hens, or in the cram
ming house, where each fowl is confined
in small box and stuffed for two or three
weeks till ready for market. Mr.. Baker
can now fatten $4,000 year.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-01-01
Providing for Daughters.

The way of happiness and comfort for
single middle-aged women would be made
much easier if a different method was pur-
sued by parents toward their daughters
while they are still young. Nothing, of
course, can recompense woman for the
loss in her life of the love of husband and
children; but there is no reason why, ad-
ded to this bitterness, she should always
have the humiliation of dependence. Halt
the terrors of a single life to woman lie
in the fact that she will never have home
of her own, but must remain a dependent
on fathers and brothers; the one too many
in the household; the beneficiary on suf-
ferance in the family, though she actually
work twice as much as the actual members
A father naturally sets his boy on his own
feet at coming of age; but as naturally he
keeps his daughter dependent on himself.
1t is pleasure, perhaps, to him to give
her her gowns and pin-money at Thirty as
when she was three. He does not reflect
that she has the longing, equally natural
to every man and woman, to take her own
place in the world; to be rooted plant,
not a parasite. The difficulty is easily
solved. If the father is wealthy, let him
settle absolutely upon his daughter when
she is Of a marrying age the amount he
would have given her as dover, instead Of
doing out the interest as constant gifts
if he is poor man, let him give her some
trade or occupation by which she can earn
her own money. This course would OBJ
viate the mercenary necessity of marriage
which rises night and day before the pen
niless, dependent woman.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-01-01

Foes FOR WINTER UsE-It is a fool
ish plan to be seeking the best method for
putting down eggs for winter use. This
used to be one of the first tests of thrifty
housekeeping. But it is better and just
as easy to have hens lay all the year round.
IF hens have warm house and enough to
eat, and of the right kind, they will lay in
winter as we'll as summer Farmers al
ways expect to feed some grain to the
fowls, then if they would save all the waste
meat and scraps that accumulate from the
table and feed it to the hens in winter,
they would be repaid in fresh eggs. 1t is
also good plan to hatch out some early
and some late chickens, as in that way the
late ones would be laying when the older
ones want rest.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-01-01
Wax Industry In China.

Talking of bees makes one think of
wax. The white wax industry of Szech-
uen, China, however, does not depend on
bees. 1t is peculiar and growing indus
try. Baron Richthofen estimates the val
ue of the annual crop, on an average, at
about S3,250,000. In 1879 upward of
S405, 900 worth Of this curious cntomolog
ical secretion was exported from the one
port of Hankow alone. White wax is the
mere exudation of an insect in a state of
disease, aggravated probably by the opera
tion of an uncongenial climate, and favored
by the presence of tree for which the
creature has an affinity. In the Keen
chang district an evergreen, known as the
Ligustrum, thrives in abundance, and on
its twigs, in the spring of the year, count
less flies swarm like brown film. The
branches soon become covered with a
white, soapy incrustation that increases in
volume until the commencement of the
fall Of the year, when the sprays are cut
off and immersed in water which is kept
boiling. The viscid substance rises to the
surface, and is skinned off, melted, and
allo"eu W eooi III u'cP P"uo' AV wac az
cidcntally discovered that, by transporting
the insects from their native district to the
more vigorous one of Heating Flu, in the
north OF the province, their capability of
discharging wax was largely augmented
property which was promptly and exten
sively availed of by the Szechuen traders.
The period between evening and morning
is chosen for conveyance, because many
hours of sunlight would prccipitate the
Matching. This should take place only
after the females have been attached to
the trees. Arrived at their destination,
six or more of the mothers-which are
enormously prolifc-are tied, wrapped in
a palm leaf, to a member of the ligustrum.
A few days later the young flies are
swarming on the twigs, where they fulfill
their mission by the month of August.
Then they perish in the cauldrons, where
the results of their brief existence are col
lected. 1t is said that this peculiar indus
try requires the exercise of great care,
forethought and experience.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-01-01

THE GARDEN OF THE GoDs.-Near to
Manitou, writes correspondent from Col
orado, is the "Garden of the Gods, where
the rocks have been left from natural
causes in such curious, beautiful and pic
turesque shapes as to excite our wonder
and admiration. At places immense boul-
ders rest upon slight foundations so nicely
poised that it would seem as if the slight
est application of force wauld dislodge
them. At other places the elements have
worn the yielding rock into curious colos-
sal figures that are oftentimes full of sug-
gestion. Again, we come upon rocks that
rise from the valley like spires and towers,
and then, tall thin slabs of rock of MAN.
moth size seen to stand on edges, looking
like little else than the crumbling of some
immense structure. The highest of these
are about 800 feet. The two highest of
these were probably one at some former
period, but now a narrow passage-wa has
been worn between them to the level of
the plain. Glen Eyre, the beautiful place
of residence of General Palmer, is slightly
disconnected from the "Garden of the
Gods" but is really continuation of the
same remarkable rock formation. Many
of the rocks are of reddish brown and yell
low colors, which give them more pic
turesque effect. Some ridges are of a
whitish-gray color, suggesting gypsum,
which is found in considerable quantities
in this section.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-01-01
Diptheria and Scarlet Fever.

The prevalence of the two diseases above
named, in any community, naturally causes
alarm and anxiety among parents, and the
question is frequently asked, what is sure
preventative against these dreaded diseases?
A reliable correspondent of the Philadel-
phia Ledger writes as follows on the sub
ject:
GA year or two ago our housemaid, af-
ter days illness-fever, throat obstruc-
ton, etc.-went to bed about noon thor
oughly sick. Our doctor in the afternoon
decided that she was suffering with dip
liberia. Toward evening my youngest
child, about three years old, who had been
ailing somewhat all day, manifested the
same symptoms, and also became quite
sick, On reaching home at night [ at
once placed in tumbler enough black OK
ide OF manganese to cover the bottom to
the depth of half an inch, and added suffi :
cient common muriatic acid to form thin
paste. Stirring this mixture with glass
rod every few minutes, and holding the
tumbler at arms length to avoid direct in
halation of the fumes given off, walked
slow! y through n every part of the house,
leaving the windows open at top and bot
tom to provide the free circulation of air,
and not forgetting the cellar.
Next day the housemaid attended to her
usual work and the child showed no signs
of i'll health. l spoke of the circumsta nee
to my brother, and, some time after, his
child, who had been playing with neigh
boris child not fully recovered from scarlet
fever, became sick, and showed the early
symptoms of that disease. NV brother
adopted the measures l had employed,
with the same results, the child being
quite well the next day Since then other
persons to whom 1 suggested this simple
preventative have tried it and found it eff
fective. l have used it whenever any
member of the family has manifested any
of the symptoms which usher in any one
OF the many diseases, and my children, in
their eighth and sixth years, have not as
yet suffered from any ordinary diseases of
of childhood"
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-01-01
Select Roetrg,
NEW YEARS EVE.

Faded the fragrant buds OF Spring
That blossom into Summers crown,
And Autumns gorgeous robing
OF crimson, gold, and brown.
From the Old Years nerveless hand
Drops this last day, dark and brief,
As from bough by rough winds fannd
Falls withered leaf.
The year has grown old and gray
Meath the frosts of cold December,
And his pale lips, moving, say:
Remember, oh ! Remember
Each lesson 1 have taught,
Each hour gave to you,
Life deeper meaning caught,
Remember, in the Newr'
The dear Old Year is dying.
The year that stole our blisses,
Then wooed us from our signing
BY tenderest words and kisses.
He brought US friendships true,
And love beyond our telling,
And then branch of yew,
He laid before our dwelling.
List the bells! The Old Years dead!
And on his passing bier
For hopes and joys forever fed
Falls oft the woe-born tear.
But tears give place to smiles,
And the cypress wreath to roses,
For the light that breaks on nights dehle
The glad New Year discloses.
The New Year that to us may bring
All things joyous, pure, and sweet,
Haste we, then, to cast our ring
At his light-winged feet.
There are promises false and true.
And hopes which fond hearts cherish,
With flowers that white hands strew-
Fairest things that perish.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-01-01
Giant Powder.

Chemistry itself is at loss to estimate the
power of nitro glycerine, and yet this new
agent of death is twenty per cent stronger.
That our readers may be enabled to form
faint conception of the danger of such a
preparation, we will give brief descrip-
tion of the process by which nitro g lycer-
inc, giant and Hercules powder are sup
posed to be manufactured, and of the ex-
treme caution necessary in their manufac-
ture. In the manufacture of nitro-glycer-
inc, two tubes, each about quarter of an
inch in diameter, and six inches in length,
lead into a single tube of double their
capacity but of the same length. Nitric
acid is introduced into one and sulphuric
acid into other of these small tubes. The
large tube contains glycerine. The two
acids are then forced quite gradually into
the glycerine, and the chemical combina-
tion thus forms an explosive of incalcula-
BILE power. So powerful and dangerous is
this article that not an ounce of it is al
lowed in the manufactory, while this little
tube, six inches long and half an inch in
diameter, is being filled, and this tube is
kept constantly swathed in ice during the
process. To make giant powder, this nj
tro- glyeerine is allowed to drip upon clay
(similar to meershaum) imported from
Germany. This clay is the only perfect
absorbent of nitro glycerine known. As
Hercules powder is darker it is believed
that that explosive is manufactured by the
same process, charcoal, an imperfect alb
sorbent, being used instead of said quality
of clay. If, in the manufacture of nitro
glycerine, a strong tube is kept swathed in
ice, and quantity of the liquid only six
inches in length and half an inch in diam
ter is allowed in the building at the same
time, no wonder that Gen. Won Bokkelen,
with his preparation twenty per cent. more
powerful, remarked that he would have it
handled Thermometer in hand
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-01-01
Select qoetrg.
THE NEW YEAR.

over the threshold, gallant newcomer
Steppeth with tread that is royal to see;
White as the winter-time, rosy as summer,
Hone in his eyes, and his laugh ringeth free.
tn, in his hands there are gifts overfowing,
Promises. prophecies come in his train;
O,er him the dawn i'll his beauty is glowing.
Fleet from his presence the shadows OF pam.
How shall we welcome him? Shall we remem-
Der
one who as royalty came to our door
Twelve months ago, when the winds of Decem-
Der
Moaned in the tree tops, and raved on the
shore?
He. too. had largess of bounty to offer;
Iewas as smiling, as gracious of mien;
Only the beautiful sought he to proffer,
only such looks as were calm and serene
Now he has fled and our hopes that have per
Lovely ideals which never were found;
Dreams that we followed, and plans that we
cherished,
lie like the autumn leaves. dead on the ground.
So wilt thou cheat us with sign and with tokeh'
So wilt thou WOO us to follow thee on,
Till thy last sigh, through lutte that is broken
Till thy last vision is faded and gone.
-Iav, wcarc thankless indeed if we borrow
ONLY the weary libretto of pain;
Find in the retrospect nothing but sorrow,
Count up our year in the tones that complain.
surely we re stronger through faith and endea-
yOr
Surely are richer in courage and love;
surely are nearer the Infinite ever,
Nearer the dear ones who wait us above.
Welcome them New Year, with stainless pages
Though we may blot them ere long with our
tears;
50 it has been through the long passing ages,
Worn with the footprints of closc-crowding
years.
Welcome sweet year! may thy full-handed
hours
Find us. like servants who wait for their Lord,
Using with earnest devotion our powers,
Looking for Him and obeying His word.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-01-01

A CURIOUS FAcT.-Bands of music are
forbidden to play on most Of the large
bridges of the world A constant success
sion Of sound waves, especially such as
come from the playing of band, will ex-
cite the wires to vibrate. At first the vi
brations are very slight, but they will in
crease as the sound waves continue to
come. The principal reason why bands
are not allowed to play when crossing GER
tain bridges, the suspension bridge at MIA
CARA for instance, is that if followed by
professions of any kind they will keep
step with the music, and this regular step
would cause the wires to vibrate. At sus-
pension bridges military companies are not
allowed to march across in regular step
but break ranks. The regular trotting
gait of large dog across suspension
bridge is more dangerous to the bridge
than heavily loaded wagon drawn by a
team of large horses.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-01-01
Steam For Cooking.

Mr.. Prall, thus explained to class in
New York his system of heat for cooking
purposes. He said "our system of cooking
is not by the use of steam, but by super
heated water. Everything you see upon
the table here was cooked in our range
Some of the companies have been
compelled to abandon the plan, as it has
been found impracticable. Our plan in a
few words is this: We send out from our
stations through pipes about three or four
inches in diameter, constant. stream of
water heated to the temperature of four
hundred and thirty-ive degrees. This
hot water is conducted by smaller pipes
into the house. Here it branches, and one
pipe leads to a converter, where the hot
wateris onvertedinto steam and distributed
to the radiators and heaters in the building,
making about five hundred times its vol
ume in steam. Another pipe leads directly
to the range. At the side of the range is
valve with an aperture the size of needle,
through which the hot water passes iuto
pipe having an inside diameter Of about
quarter of an inch. This pipe is coiled
"AouuU Cho toPJ ooCto" anu CWO olOeS VI
the oven. A casting of iron is placed both
inside and outside of this coil fpipe. Upon
the top of the oven are stationary pots, aud
meats and vegetables can be cooked either
in these or in ordinary pots. At the back
of the oven coil of pipe is arranged for
boiling. All that is necessary when the
oven is needed is to turn the valve, and in
five minutes the oven will be ready. With
wood or coal fire the greater part of the
heat passes up the chimney, but with this
system We keep all the heat about the oven,
and the water, after doing its work there,
passes with no diminution in heat to "A
boiler or tank, and thence to all parts of
the house where it may be needed for
washing purposes. When the range is
not needed the valve can be shut, and the
water passes directly to the tank through
another pipe.