davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14
The Match Monopoly.

The most complete monopoly now ex-
lStln8 i'll the United States, according to
common report, is the manufacture OF
friction matches. Some time during
lust winter, it appears New England
corporation OF large means bought every
| factory then in operation, and it is not
known that there is in the country sin
gle establishment now engaged in this
business except those controlled by that
concern. The law taxing the manufac-
ture Of matches was ingeniously con-
structed to convey the impression that
purpose existed to make the burden as
light as possible upon match-mallers Of
limited means, and thus prevent them
from being crowded out of the bus
, mess In it's practical application, how
ever, the law was operated most effectu-
ally to the advantage Of the wcalthier
men i'll the trade. 1t permits the pur-
chase OF tax stamps on credit of sixty
days, the buyer giving bonds to secure
the amount. The ostensible purpose Of
this privilege was to give the poorer
manufacturers an opportunity to realize
the tax by sales before the time at which
payment to the Government had to be
made. But the owners of extensive con-
Germs found important advantage in the
| arrangement. Tho Government credit
gave them liberty to use their capital in
extending their business and pushing
their product on the marl1et--a process
which is essential in the prosecution of
any successful enterprise in these days.
Another and more Objectionable feature
of the law has operated directly and
strongly against manufacturers whose
means were small. Persons purchasing
not more than $500 worth of stamps at O
time are entitled to discount of 5 per
cent, while upon larger quantities dis
count OF 10 per cent. is allowed This
discrimination, for which there appears
to be no other reason than q desire to
lesson the Labor of internal revenue Off
2crs employed IN selling stamps, would
II itself suffice to give the large con-
Germs control of the market. With these
advantages, 1t is understood, the large
manufacturers have had another of some
importance III the ownership of pat
ents employed in making and boxing
matches.
And so it has come about that n single
association of capitalists now controls
tho match market, and establishes the
price which the public must pay for the
privilege of lighting lamps and kindling
fires. The Thought OF such monopoly
IS annoying to the people, even if the tax
it contents itself with for the present is
not particularly burdcnsome. Popular
repuGnancc to 1t is exhibited in an urgent
demand for the total repeal of the match
tax, the general belief appearing to be
that, if this obstruction was removed,
persons of moderate means might be en-
conraSed to re-engage in the manufac-
ture, and thus secure the benefits Of
competition in restraining the rapacity Of
the monoplists. .-Chicago Times.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14
A Soldiers Dream.

Just before the battle of Cedar Creek
q camp sentinel who was off duty tenn
porarily and trying to put In little
sleep, dreamed that he went out on a
scout. A mile to the right of the camp
he came upon log barn, and as it began
to rain Just then, he sought shelter or
was about to, when he heard voices and
discovered that the place was already
occupied. After little investigation he
discovered scouts had taken mp their
quarters for the night III the place, and
he therefore moved away. The sentinel
awoke with such vivid remembrance of
the details that he asked permission to
20 over and confer with one Of the scouts.
When the log barn was described to this
man lie located it at once, having passed
it dozen times. The dreamer described
the highway exactly as 1t was, giving
every hill and turn, and the scout put
such faith in the remainder of the dream
that he took four soldiers, one of whom
was the dreamer, and set out for the
place. Three Confederate scouts were
asleep III the straw, and were taken with
out shot being fred
Three days before the affair at Reeley's
Ford corporal in the Sixth Michigan
Cavalry dreamed that brother of his,
would have his horse killed in action,
and would almost Immediately mount q
dark bay horse with white nose. Within
five minutes both horse and rider would
be killed by q shell. This dream was
related to more than score of comrades
fully two days before the fight. EARLY
in the fight the sergeant's horse was
| struck square in the forhead by bullet
and dropped dead in his tracks. It was
scarcely three minutes before white
nosed horse, carrying blood-stained
saddle galloped up to the sergeant and
halted. He remembered the dream and
refused to mount the animal, and soor
after picked up a black horse. The
white-nosed animal WAS mounted by E,
second corporal in another regiment
and the horse and rider were torn to frag
ments by shell, in full sight of fou
companies of the Sixth.-Ne,O Yor
Commercial Advertiser.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14
Responsibilities Of Hcredity.

Son and heir (suddenly dissatisfied
with his stature, his personal appearance.
and the quality Of his intellcct) )-"Aw--
What on earth evah could have induced
YOU two people to mawwy ?"
Sir Robert and Lady Mawiah-'Thc
old, old stohwy, my dear boy! We fell
in love with one anothah-aw-aw-
Son and well-youro
both such owf'ly good old deaws, that [
forgive yon. But you weally should
have had bettah taste, you know, and
each have fallen in love with diGewent
kind of person altogethah, and given Il
fellow chance? You see, it is all OWN
to your joint interfeawence in my nffaaws
that I'm under five foot one, and can't
say bob to goose, and-a--justly pass
for being the gweatest guy in the whole
country-aw just look at me, confound
it" lThey look at him and then at each
other-and haven't q word to say
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14
Scale Of Titles.

A writer i'll M0mbCrS' JOWn01, who
has travelled in tho Western States, has
discovered the scale by which titles are
given:
A speaker at an American "Conven-
tlon, being addressed as "Colonel," de-
clared he was not even captain.
''Don't you live in Missouri" he
asked.
He owned that he did, and in n house
with two chjmneys.
"Then ] was right" exclaimed the
man. "Over thcre, if q man has three
chimneys on his house, he's q general;
If two, he's a colonel; if only one, he's q
a major, and if he lives in dug-out and
has no chimney, he's a captain, any
how"
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14
Not Married.

The street-car was crowded, and the
driver was just about to start, when Gill
hooly remarked to friend, Clones is
not married yet, is he ?" "Of course
not" "I thought he was not married
yet, for I saw him carrying home a
broom yesterday" A red-faced woman
snapped her eyes at Gilhooly, and
pushed cadaverous, timid-looking man
ahead of her 40 she got out of the car.
IL all seconds were as averse to dueIs
as their principals, very little blood
would be shed in that way.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14
NEWS GLEANiNGS,

Firemen who have served five wears
? in Charlotte, N. O., are exempt from
jury duty.
A farmer i'll Thomas county, Ga, is
going to plant 800 acres in corn. More
corn in the cotton region is desirable.
The bonded debt of Selma, Ala, is
said to be about 100000, or about
twenty five per cent. of the assessed
\ value of real estate.
1t is estimated that the amount of
damages done in Georgia during the re-
cent treshets will amount, in round
numbers, to more than 81, 100000.
IL is predicted that Mississippi will be
visited this year by the thirteen and sew
enteen year locusts-an event which is
believed to occur only every 221 years.
For the purpose of protecting sheep
in Buncombe county, N. c., Commits
sioners are allowed, by law recently en-
acted, to pay $40 for the killing of a
wolf.
The Legislature of North Carolina has
passed an act to prohibit the sale Of
ardent spirits to minors. Right of action
isgiven to the parent or guardian or
employer of such minor.
The New Orleans Times says that
there are $50 Texas veterans of the Mex
ican war, who served from 1885 to 1887,
living. They will each receive from
Texas / 1,2S0 acres of land, under the new
law.
According to San Antonia (Tex.)
correspondent Of the New Orleans Dem
Ocrat, San AntOnia contains about 7, 900
Americans, 5000 Germans and 5000
Mexicans, with liberal sprinkling of
Spania1ds, French, Italians, Hungarians,
Irish and Poles, aggregating altogether
about 81, 900 population.
A mass-meeting has been held at Dor
chester, Liberty county, Ga, TO consider
the question of introducing steam navi-
CATION on the Ogeechee, Sunbury, Rice
boro and South Newport rivers. There
would be freight to and from Savannah,
and fruit and vegetables could be raised
for the Northern markets.
Only $4,000 is wanting, the Richmond
Dispatch says, to secure to the Univer-
sity of Virginia the gift of the finest tel
escape in the world, an observatory, and
all ample endowment Of the chair Of as
tronomy, the whole valued at $120, ,0OO
The amount must be secured by April
LIST in order to comply with the condi-
tions of Mr.. McCormick's gift.
Steamers can now transport freight in
upbroken bulk from ST. Antilony's Falls
TO the Gulf of Mexico, distance of
2,16l miles, and from Pittsburg to Fort
Benton, Montana, 333 miles Lighter
craft can ascend the Allegheny, an ex-
tension of the Ohio river, to Olean, New
York, 355 miles above Pittsburgh, and
the Missouri to Great Falls, near where
that river leaves the Rocky Mountains.
The Wheeling (W. Va.) Intelligcncer
says that the counties in which the dog
law recently passed by the Legislature
is now in force, by which tax of fifty
cents and one dollar is imposed respect
lively upon male and female dogs, are as
follows: Barbour, Berkeley, Brooke,
Grant, Greenbrier, Hancock, Harrison,
Jackson, Jefferson, Lewis, Marion, Mar
shall, Morgan, Ohio, Peasants, Ritchie
Roane, Randolph, Summers, Taylor
Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Writ and Wood
In the other counties the law is left op
tional, to be submitted to the people or
the petition of 100 voters.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14
lie pulled his cap over his ears

lie pulled his cap over his ears.
He had his knee on the stick and the
saw in hand, when little three-cent dog
down on the next corner run out at
passing goat. The goat rushed into n
yard and girl was heard screaming.
The saw fell to the ground, the saw-buck
was upset, and the boy went tearing
down to the corner like q cheap whirl-
wind, and when darkness began to settle
down over the face of tho earth he rc-
turned to carry the saw and buck into
the woodshed for the night.
Free Press
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14
Might Take the Group.

raj months ago Mrs. La Bubble
nd since that time La Bubble has
aging attentions to old Miss Whee-
ich old maid of Cleveland.
10 wish that you would bring your
irl to see me the next time you
requested Miss Wheezer, the
aight, when La Bubble was taking
We.
will be rejoiced, but she is such q
omp that I am afraid you will be
e the visit"
/, no." answered Miss Wheezer,
sudden unbending of frame char
Stic of heavc, q can never grow
If a visit which involves your own
lce."
nank you. Good night" and after
ing one moment more to squeeze q
SD hand, La Bubble left, and, as
bung novelists say, strobe down the
st evening La Bubble and his little
called. Miss Wheezer pressed the
to her-well, say bosom-and COW
Ehe little upturned face with kisses.
Using herself, the child ran to her
r, and, leaving him, went on q mis-
heous excursion around the room.
low did you like Endymion, Miss
Ezer?"
oh, splendid and do you know the
S should endear itself to all women,
at it places our sex so high in politi-
lfuence."
I've had eggs and chicken for break
when my ma died." exclaimed the
girl.
3eaconsfield well knew the influence
oman," said La Bubble, sending q
oachful glance at his daughter. "]
(, been a close student"
My pa took my mas clothes to 6
e where there is three great big gold
5, bigger than [ could lift, and"
But do you think" remarked Miss
aezer, "that in vivid portrayal Endy
n is quito equal to Vivian Gray?"
There is the same outcropping ol
ost insatiate ambition, but"
One day." began the child, cone
AS T was saying, the same ambitious
;ropplnG-
One day my"
Ambition that ever swclls ill"
One day my pa como home
. Hush, Lena" said La Ruhble Will
.rly countcrfeited tenderness. "Hush
|, are not we'll. I don't know what
matter with that child"
{ Group, probably" suggested Mis-
leeZer.
That ambition" continued La Rub
(which boils in the cauldron of hu
n nature"
One day my pa came home SO sicl
my ma showed him over on the bee
pulled off his boots and my pa strucl
ny ma and hit his hand on the bed
t and said the awfulest-"
Come, dear. you are not we'll to
ht. / should not have brought you.
It was no doubt injudicious to bring
out into the night air." observed
ss Whcczcr.
IA Bubble walked so fast going hom
t the child could not keep up witt
1. Next morning he received not
ich read very much as follows
Dear Sir-You needn't call any more
m not in very good health, and IN
nds think that if / expose myself
5ht take the Group" - Ccrcidn
o/JD1.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14

THERE are great many men born in
the world who imagine that they were
born with genius, and lie down on the
sofa and wait for an inspiration until
some other fellow, who thought himself
a Ounce, rises by hard labor to compe-
tency, buys the sofa. and leads the wait.
ng genius out by the ear. This is not q
Joke; it is facb
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14

A CITIZEN of Richmond, Virglnia, being
asked in London how his town mad -four
ished since the fall of the Southern Con
federacy, replied: ooh, exceedingly
we'll; we live on red herrings and glorious
recollections!'
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14

A MAN in Pennsylvania town has
twenty-nine children. Strangers pass
ing the house on washing days ole at
loss to determine whether it is T. school
or @ laundry. .r
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14

If elastic gum is warmed, then ex-
pandcd and wound in spiral upon
glass tube or wire, and cooled for q short
time in n cooling mixture, it shows no
tendency to contract; but when it is sub
mitted to hot water it returns quickly to
it's original length. The phenomenon
can also be made to appear without the
use of the cooling mixture. If one holds
heated gum second in an expanded
condition it shows no disposition to le-
turn TO its original length, but if one i'm
merses it in hot water it contracts to one
fourth or onc-tifth of its original length.
Maxwell has found that similar phenom-
ena are produced III gutta pcrcha.
For the purpose Of determining the
capacity of n horse to undergo the priva-
tons incident to II state of siege, n series
of experiments have been made in Paris
The results show: That II horse may
hold out for twenty-five days without any
solid nourishment, provided it is supplied
with sufficient good drinking water; that
horse can subsist on barley five days
without water; and, thirdly, that if a
horse is we'll fed for ten days, but insult
fciently supplied with water throughout
this period, twill not outlive the eleventh
day. A horse which had received no
solid nourishment for twelve days was
nevertheless in a condition to draw load
of six hundred pounds on the twelfth day
of it's fast.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14

A New York boarder asked diminu-
tion of his rent because of the dampness
of his house. 1t was naturally refused,
and the boorder gave notice that he
would leave. He got even with his land
lord by planting q beautiful mushroom
in his bed chamber, and whenever any
one came to see the apartment he would
call to the servant girl: Bridget, see
here, what is this mushroom doing in
this room? It seems to me that I told
you to take it away" to which Bridget
answers: "1 did as you told me, sir, but
another must have grown there since"
JUDGE CALDWELL, of North Carolina,
at one time was obliged to call upon an
old darkey to open his court 1t was
evidently the first time he had acted in
the capacity of bailiff. He began: 90,
yes! o, yes! o, yes! De hono'ble, de
Cot is now on de bench" Then, after
hesitating q moment, as if not knowing
what to say, he seemed to hit it, and
ended by exclaiming, can may de Lawd
have mercy on his soul |" Caldwell re-
torted Immediately, "Thats right, my
man; that's right; if there ever was &
Court that needed the mercy of God, it,
this one. "-Haroer's Magazine.
SOME men are so improvident that
thOnSon6 6ollor DStos Ivnrn eolli1e, Gov
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14

The whisper of a beautiful woman can
DO heard further than the loudest call of
3uty.,7-BglEGc. .....rr- "
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14

WHOEVER is suspicious incites treason,
- VOLtuire.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14

A GENTLEMAN who is fond of horses
attended church where there was q
somewhat prolonged service before they
came to the sermon. elbow were yoiT1
pleased with the services ?" asked a
friend. 80, very much, though it did
sIrlke me that there was good deal of
scoring before they cot off"
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14

The public debt of the United States
is $68 per head; of Spain, $154; of
France, 1886; of England, Silt; of Hol-
land, $l14; of Canada, $28; of Mexico
$50; of Switzerland, So.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14

SOME men are so improvident that if
thousand dollar notes were selling for a
cent piece, they couldn't lift mort
gage on two-cent postage stamp.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-14
Expense Of Fuel,

One of the discomforts of O winter In
Continental Europe is the lack of such
fires for heating as we think essential in
American houses. If one has long
purse, and does not mind the expense,
they can be had there as here, but were
one in Paris or Rome to indulge in such
roaring fires as we keep constantly going
in furnaces and CRATES, it would be re-
garded even by the wealthy as an ex-
travagance surprising that of the Roman
Emperors. TO be sure, the houses are
so built as not to be as susceptible Of
changes of temperature as those i'll which
the majority of our people live. The
walls and partitions are thicker, the
windows and doors closer fitted, and they
retain the heat longer. Then the stoves
in use there for heating are constructed
80 that comparatively small part of the
heat is wasted. But even with all these
precautions an American, accustomed to
| generous and blazing coal and wood
| fires, finds the apartments warmed suf-
| ficiont for the comfort Of the native, cold
| and uncomfortable, and shivers as he re-
calls the fires blazing on his native
| hearth.
He learns with surprise in Paris that
the wood with which his dinner is cooked
or his shins warmed is sold by the pound,
and Is weighed out to the purchaser as
| carefully as butter, sugar, or coffee. a
handful OF twigs, such as lii America
| would be allowed to rot, costs five cents,
| ana better wood at proportionate prices.
30 fires on the continent arc luxury,
and Ill many houses, except for cooking,
no fires are seen the year round.
But If fires are expensive and fue!
scarce and high in Continental Europe
what shall we say of Japan, where char
coal, split wood, brush and dried grass
are used for cooking and heating booths
and is hardly ever used outside the cities
for purely heating purposes. The char
coal is made in wooded regions, and car
riCd to the settlements in straw sacks or
the backs of men and horses. 1t cost
from twenty-five to fifty cents the l0(
pounds. Cut wood is sold in small bun
dies of six sticks, each stick being abou
eighteen inches in length by two inches
in diameter. and is sold at about one
cent bundle. A good comfortable fire
such as our people must have to KEEP
them warm, would cost several dollars
day.
But our extravaganza in fuel dimin
! ishes with the years and the increasing
cost of fuel. We will travel good ways
and have then to seek communities re
mote from railroads, to find such woo(
fires as kept the log cabins and thil
frame houses of tine pioneers warm. Th
great fire places, with their wide front
and immense chimneys, their grea
nndirons, bnck-logs, clogs, and sec
tons of seasoned split wood four or tiv
feet long, piled high, arc hardly know
save in remote settlements. But w
make almost as cXtravagant use of Goa
as our fathers did of wood, and vii
probably continue to do so till tho cos
of it compels a study of economy in til
methods of heating houses, and servant
are instructed how to manage fires SO a
to secure the most heat with the leaa
amount of fuel. Cincinnati Conanac'
ciuI.
, 1881-09-18
AN EXCITING MELoDRAMA.


But the Hero Had to Rescue Titnase1i
After the Most Dreadful Sulfcrinse.
=. Cincinnati Enquirer.
The fifth act was lively The stage showed
the interior of, barn. There were two
apartments on the lower floor, and hay loft
above. The hero came into one room, drank
out of bottle, and had delirium tremens.
The actor suffered tlreadfully. lie saw hide
Gus beasts, ne wrestled with himself in the
straw, he described n cemetery of open
graves, lie told about his supposed dead
daughter, and altogether he made it as u1l-
pleasant as possible for himself and the atl-
dience.
s*Alercifui .heayens!'' he cried. when the
paroxys1n was over, and he fell asleep.
Then the wife dashed into the other room,
with the daughter. She expressed emotion
by das1ling to and fro. flinging her arms
wildly about, and rattling i'll the circCnl-
scribed space like pen III pod. At lengtt,
she took the little girl up a ladder tu the loft
to get warm i'll the hay, and was down again
ill' 2 jitfy. AS all. acrobatic performance it
lad merit.
ss1Ierciful heavens! p she cried, and darted
out into the storm to search for her husband.
Then came a prayer BIZ the little girl.
There was the child praying above. nncon-
and physical torture. lie wished to die.
''N[erciful heavens!'' lie cried.
His eyes fell Oil a halter. lie would hang
himself. lie tied the rope round 4 beam
overhead, climbed on manager, ana ABUSED
moose. The Mortified child imploretl him
to stop. but he thought her voice was imag-
mary, and did not heed it. lie leaped from
the n,anger, the moose. seemed to tighten
round his neck, he made wry faces intlica-
tive Of stransu1ation, and stitled exc1amations
by women in the auditorium denoted that
they were thrilled.
/ The child made an outcry and racket, and
at length found an ax, which had been left
in the loft to chop hay. She ought to have
used it to cut the rope. and thus rescue her
father. She hacked away vigorously, but
without severing strand. The hang
ing hero made fresh grlmaces, drew
up. his legs, ;straiEI,tened, them out,
quiyered, and did all lie could think Of to
fill out the time. But still the AK didn't cnt.
heard excited words from the author. as he
suffered in the prompter's corner. Event
ualy the actor reached up and deliberately
united himself; and roar of laughter by the
audience drowned the voices OF the ci1arac-
tiers rs they crowded into the stable to close
the play.
, 1881-09-18
GUILTY III.

1nseribsd to the Rer. II. 1t. Thomas.
GniItyI Of what2 OF voice of power.
OF words that soothc in trying hour,
Of whispering hope Ia the mourlcr's car,
OF visiting the sick, Of tender tear
For The woes of others, of a great. broad love,
Touching and Christ-like, the world to proye7
Guilty! All! say, can they prove untrue
The words you have spoken. both old and new;
The souls rou have led By voice divine,
From the sortlfd earth to q heavenly shrine i:
OF the words Of hope to tho mourncr given,
Raising the crushed heart up to Heaven?
Aye! guilty OF loving and being beloved,
Both in and out of the Church approved,
For thy pure life, such good hast thou done.
Following ever both Father and Son.
Strong ln thy faith. the right to pursue.
Oh! brother, would all were as guilty as you.
STELLA BREWER