davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1881-06-25
SOME SNAKE STORIES.
Harrison Times. /

lA~"AAsSSA AaAAOc.l
On Tuesday last a German
butcher by the name of Hans Wige,
passed through cur town en- route
for Little Rock, where he stated he
had many friends. After travelling
as far as the first crossing of Davis
creek he became fatisued, and, a.
there was no house in sight, rested
himself upon some fat rocks.
which formed quite an inviting
place by the roadside. Exhausted
i'll mind as well as in body he soon
fell asleep, and all was a blank to
him until he aroused with a start
and the realization that he was in
the clutches of some one or some
thing Looking down, such a sight
met his eyes as would have made
the stoutest heart bound with agita-
ton. Clasping both right and lett
legs were two ra.tlesnakes of the
diamond species, coiled from the
feet up and looking him greedily in
the facs from both sides. 1t was
a moment to try the nerve of the
bravest hero known to history, and
we need hardly say Mr.. Wiger
trembled from head to foot, but
knowing his salvation was inaction
rather than action, he dropped back
as if shut and lay still; how long
he remained in this predicament it
is hard to tell, as under such cir
cumstances minutes leughten into
hours and hours into days; but
after dark both snakes, be-
coming wearied, no doubt, slowly
uncoiled themselves. aud, after
crawling under his neck and round
his head several times moved quiet
iy away. 1t is needless to say that
our Teutonic friend made tracks fol
the nearest house. aud fell faint
ing while ,rying to climb the fence
in order to enter. After some lit
tie trouble he was revived, bnt it,.
WAS found that during his lying
still, blood had oozed from his eyes
and mouth; his hair, which be said
before was raven black, had almost
an lron-gray cast.
A Boy WRAPPED rp IN SNAKES.
A colored man named Jasper, liv
ing eight or ten miles from town,
says that on Friday lie and his lit
tie boy, about ten years old, We're
hoeing cotton; that he was some
distance ahead of hi. boy, who was
working near the edge of tie field
by some weeds and bushes. Heard
his boy hnlloa, and looking around
did not see him. He then ran to see
what was the matter. On arriving
at :he spot he found the lad on tue
ground in the coils of three large
black snakes. On his appearance
the snakes prepared to fight him,
and seeing that they would soon
choke his little boy to death, he
.ook his pocket knife aud cut the
,ne that was around the little fell
ows heck into bali a dozen pieces,
oy inserting the knife next to the
ads neck and cutting upwards. He
,hen canght the Others by the head
md cut them in two or three pieces.
He was bitten several times
Ga. Republican.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1881-06-25
AN INCIDENT ON THE CARS.
IFrcm Golden Days.

refreshmentsl" called ont Conductor
Richardson, mt Aliens junction.
Then, as the train came to a dead
halt, he jumped down upon the
station platform, ran along to the
front of the long line of passenger
cars, where the engine was stand
ing. and swinging himself up into
the cab, said to the engineer:
Frank, I want you TO come back
with me to the last passenger car
and see girl that l hardly know
what to ilake Of"
The engineer nodded without
speaking, deliberately wiped his
oily, smoky hands on a bunch of
waste" took look ut his grimy,
dusty face, in the narrow little
mirror that hung beside the steam
guage. pulled off his short frock,
put on coat. changed his little
black, greasy cap for bis soft hat :
taking these dress up" articles
from the tender-box, where IN sn-
gineer always has something stow
ed away for any emergency, and
went back to the coach as request
ed.
He entered the coach and made
his way to the seat where the kind
hearted conductor sat talking to
brisht-looking little girl, about nine
years of age. oddly dressed. and
wearing a woman's shawl aud bon
net.
Several of the passengers were
grouped around the seat, evidently
much interested i'll the child, who
wore sad, prema:urely old coun-
te,Iance, Lat seemed to be neither
unid l.or confused.
Here is the engineer" said The
conductor, kindly, as frank APP
preached.
She held out her hand to him,
with a winsome smile breaking
over her pinched little face, and
said:
my papa was an engineer be
fore he became sick and went to-
live on a farm in Montana. He is
dead. and my mamma is dead. She
died first before Susie and Willie.
Ny papa used to tell me that after
be should be dead there would lie
no one to care for me, and that l
must get Oh the cars and 60 to his
home in Vermont. Aud he said if
the conductors wouldn't let me
ride, because I hadn't any ticket,
| must ask for the engineer, and
tell him / was james Kendrick S
little girl, and that he used to run
Oh the NJ and G. Road"
The pleading blue eyes were now
full of tears; but she did no: cry
after the manner Of children in
general.
Engineer Frank nov quickly
stopped down and kissed her very
tenderly; and ;hen. as lie brushed a
tear from his eye. he said:
"Well, my dear, SO you are little
Bessie Kendrick? It's my opinion
a merciful Providence guided you
on board this train"
Then, turning around to the
group Of passengers, be said:
II knew Jim Kend. ick, the father
Of this little girl, well. He was a
man out of ten thousand. When I
first came to Indiana, and before l
got acclimated, I was sick a great |
part of the time, SO that / could not
work, and I got homesick aud dis
couraged. l couldn't keep my |
boar,l bill pai3 up-not to mention
my doctors bill-and didn't much |
care whether I lived or died.
"One day. when the pay car
came along, and the men were get
ting their monthly wages, there
wasn't cent coming to me, for |
hadn't been free from the ague, nor
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1881-06-25

MY Friends" said the praacher.
"there are no lnzy angels lo,,6rC
around the eoiien streets Of tAs
new Jerusalem"
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1881-06-25
CHARLES HEINTZ,

Receives continual supplies of well Sc
lected DRY GOODS and choice
The National tribune., 1881-09-17
WHAT is NICKEL d?

Since the convenient scent coin which in COM
mon talk is called "a nickel" has come into gen
eral circulation the question above is asked either
mentally or orally hundreds of times every day,
and but few get an intelligent answer. In China
and India, a white copper, called pack tong, has
long been known and has been extensively used
both there and in Europe for cOunterteltlng Sill
yer coin. About the year 100 a peculiar ore was
discovered in the copper mines OF SaXony, which
had the appearance of being very rich, but IN
smelling it yielded no copper, and the miners
called it kupfer-niclel, or false copper. In 1854
Constadt announced the discovery of a new metal
in kupfer-nickel, to which he gave the name OF
nickel II was in combination with arsenic, from
which he could relieve it only in parts The al
lov of nickel and arsenic which he obtained was
white. brittle, and very hard, and had melting
point nearly as high as cast-ron. It was not I'M
I'll 1923 that pure nickel was obtained by analy
sis of German silver which had for a number of
wears been produced at Suhl, in SaXony. Its
composition WAS ascertained TO be copper 10
parts. zinc , and nickel /. If more nickel be
used the ALLOW is as white as silver and suScepti-
bic of a very high polish. but becomes too brittle
and hard to be hammered or rolled, and can be
worked only by casting. Pure nickel is white
metal which furnishes readily in the air. Unlike
silver it is not acted on by the vapor Of sulphur,
and even the strong mineral acids attract it but
slightly Nickel has the hardness of iron, and,
like it. has strong magnetic properties, but can
not be welded and is soldered with difficulty.
Pure nickel has heretofore been used chiefly for
plating, for which purpose its hardness and power
10 resist atmospheric influences admirably adapt
it. Within the last year the French have sue
ceeded in rolling the metal into plates, from
which spoons and other table furniture may be
pressed. Nickel bronze, which consists Of equal
parts of copper and nickel, with little tin. may
he cast into very delicate forms, and is suscepti
BILE of high polish. Mines OF nickel are worked
at Chatham Connecticut. and Lancaster, Penn
sylvania and it is said 10 be found at Mine La
Motto Missouri and at several points in Colorado
and New Mexico, where but little attention is
paid to it, 1t is extensively mined in SaXOny
and in Sweden. but the late discovery of a new
ore Ia silicate of nickel in New Caledonia will
probably suspend the use Of the aTsenical ores,
and vet bring nickel into common use Switzer-
land in the year 1852 made coin of German
silver which is identical in composition with our
nickel coin The United States made nickel
cents in 1856, and eight years later coined the >
cent pieces. Belgium adopted nickel coinage in
1860, and Germany in 1873 England has lately
coined pennies for Jamaica, but at home she and
France adhere to the clumsy copper small change.
The National tribune., 1881-09-17
WHO NAMED THE COLLEGES.

Harvard College was named after John Har-
ward who in 1858. left to the college e779 and a
library Of over 300 books.
Williams College was named after Col. Ephraim
Williams, soldier of the old French war
Dartmouth College was named after Lord
Dartmouth, who subscribed a large amount, and
was president of the first board of trustees.
Brown University received its name from Hon.
Nicholas Brown, who was graduate Of the col
lege, went into business, became very wealthy,
and endowed the college very largely.
Columbia College was called Kings College,
till the close of the war for independence, when
it received the name of Columbia.
Bowdoin was named after Gov. BOwdoin of
Maine.
Yale College was named after Elihu Yale, who
made very liberal donations to the college.
Colby University, formerly Waterville College,
was named after Mr. Colby, Of Boston, who gave
$4,000 to the college in 1866.
Dickinson College received its name from Hon
John Dickinson. He made a very liberal dona-
ton to the college, and president Of the
board Of trustees for number of years.
Cornell University was named after Ezra Cor
nell, its founder
The National tribune., 1881-09-17
in this connections:
Males
RUSSIAN ARMY RATIONS.

The recent improvements in the organization
of the Russian army have extended to the food
as well as to the arms and discipline of its SOL
dierS, and the days rations Of a Russian private
of 1881, rough as it is would have been thought
absolute luxury by his hai-Saryed predecessor
Of the last generation. The tarinaceous ration
in time of war is a little over two pounds of hard
black biscuit per day: in peace it is the same
amount of wheat or barley -four and buckwheat
grHel the latter being much esteemed by the
Russian peasantry. Four days in the week (the
other three being tasts by the rules OF the Greek
Church, each man receives half pound of meat
per day. exclusive of bone, with certain amount
of tea vegetables, spirits, etc Few men, how
ever, are so independent of supplies as the ordi-
nary Russian. The military annals of the Cir
cassian war have preserved the fame of regi-
ment which tasted for three days and fought Il
battle on the fourth A still more conspicuous
instance occurred during Suyoroff's Swiss cam
paign i'll 1899 When the half-staryed Russians
poured into the village of Andermatt. of whose
famous cheese they had heard so many stOries
their first proceeding was to devour the contents
of a large store filled with what they supposed
to be the dainty in question, and then falling
upon the French, they beat them back across the
Reuss. When SuvOroff, after the battle praised
the valOr of his men, one of them modestIv at
tributed it to the good cheese which they had
eaten, and triumphantly displayed the half
gnawed remnant of bar of yellow soap.
The National tribune., 1881-09-17
PRETTY NEAR THE TRUTH,

There was a bit Of iocularity in one Of the
magazines, about half a century ago, which told
of wonderful inventions likely to be published in
the papers Of say the year 1871 The news
writers are supposed to have to speak Of a war
between the Northern and Southern States Of
America in which the former invaded the latter
with an army Of one million four hundred and
ninety thousand men. The reality, eight years
ago approached nearer TO the actual wording of
the extravagant idea than the Joker could have
possibly supposed But he goes on to quote,
from the supposed newspaper of 1897, the follow
ing paragraph: General COngreve's new me-
chancal cannon was fired last week at the siege
of Georgia. 1t discharged, in an hour, eleven
hundred and forty balls, each weighing five hun
dred pounds. The distance of the objects fired
at was eleven miles; and 50 perfect was the en-
gine that the whole OF these balls were lodged in
the space OF twenty square feet" Of course, in
the year 1s21 it was mere reckless fun TO talk Of
such callbres, weight of metal. repetitive or re-
volving action, range, and accuracy but our
Armstrong;, Whitworths, and Pallisers could tell
us how steadily and wonderfully we are advanc-
ing towards results which are al least analogous
ifnot exactly similar. Again: Dr. Clark crossed
the Atlantic in seven days" A fiction. But how
near our Cunard steamers constantly bring il 10
"A reality
The National tribune., 1881-09-17
mFOR YOUR BROTHERS sAKE.u

\ good story is told by the Providence Journal
OF gentleman's mistake while on the way TO
the inauguration at Washington. Between New
York and Philadelphia he took a seat beside Il
portly gentleman, and conversation began
Politics were mentioned, and the Rhode
Islander said he was Republican, and thought
last fall that it would not be well for the country
to have change, but that he had brother who
4 Democrat.
Soon the train stopped at Il station, and the
Rhode Islander stepped to the platform and met
an acquaintance, who, after little space re-
marked:
General Hancock is on this train and as
am acquainted with him, perhaps you would
like an introduction
Of course he would: so they entered the car
and approaching the portly gentleman just left
the Rhode Islander was introduced TO the Gen
eral. With a twinkle OF the eye General Han
cock said:
Il will shake hands with you for your brothers.
sake
The National tribune., 1881-09-17
A SNAKE-ROOSTER STORY.

Some time ago farmers son III the vicinity of
MarltOn, n J.. caught a young watersnake and
conceived the idea OF forming sort OF happy
family by placing the reptile and newly-hatched
chicken in company, with a view to aScertanlng
whether or not they would live contentedly to-
gether. Strange to say, they soon became insep-
erable and attracted the attention fall the neigh
borhood The most curious feature of the case
was to follow however. The snake grew and the
chicken grew and in time the latter laid her eggs
and began to hatch Before many days elapsed
the chicken was observed sitting on three eggs
and the snake near by was curled around one
The sight of snake constantly encircling hens
egg was so rare sight that the result was awaited
with great interest Finally the eggs were
hatched The eggs on which the hen sat pro-
duced regulation chickens, but from the egg over
which the reptile kept watch came an exceed
ngly curious freak of nature. 1t consists of
ROSTERS body and claws with perfect snakes
head. The head is sunken into the neck some
what and is stuck out something after the fash
ion of turtles head. The creature has fOrked
tongue like any snake, and issues forth rumb-
ling sound. This phenomenon is confined in a
coop along with the hen and the snake, and the
hen neglects her regular brood for the snake and
the Snake-rOOster The latter has to be kept
Gagged as it is very savage and has already killed
some eight or ten chickens. People who have
heard Of the creature come from all parts of the
county to look at it, and the young owner has an
idea that it may be a small fortune for him should
a Snowman chance to see it.-Phiiadelphid Times.
The National tribune., 1881-09-17
SENATOR FAIR.

1t is curious circumstance that all four of the
Bonanza people are 1rishmen by birth-three
Roman Catholics, while Fair is so much of a
Protestant as to be called an Orangeman. 1t is
remarkable, by the way, how many Of the mine
owners and mine superintendent are Irishmen.
In more than two-thirCs Of the mines on the Pa
cc Coast the superintendent or his first assistant
halls from the land of O'Connell and ParnelI, and
they are generally faithful if not ultra-pious
Roman Catholics The wholesale houses on the
Pacific Coast are in the hands of the Jews
Americans are the politicians, the lawyers, the
railroad men, and the SPECTATORS Although the
best known milliOnaires are Americans it is
nevertheless true that more than half of the
wealth OF the Pacific Coast is in the hands of Irish
Roman Catholics and Jews The Irish spend
their money freely and do not make good specu-
ators, but they more than make up for it by their
aptitude for practical mining
James G. Fair was born in ClOugher Tyrone
County, Ireland, in December, 1881. He came
to this country in 843, attended school at Geneva
Illinois, where some of his family still live. He
was an original 49er. In that year he was at
work on Long Bar Feather River, California.
He did not find it profitable, so he turned his at
Angels, Calaveras county. He soon ranked high
as good Judge of mines and as an operator. In
1866 he became superintendent Of the Ophir
mine, and in 1857 the Hale and NorcrOss mine
came under his direction. 1t was the latter which
gave Fair his start in the world. Soon after he
made a lucky guess. He surmised that certain
ground might contain great deal OF rich ore.
With the help of Flood he secured the claim,
since grown famous throughout the world as
the Consolidated Virginia and California mines.
Senator Fair owns seventy acres of land in San
Francisco, and is the owner Ofa residence in MenlO
Park, which is said to have cost S1000000 He
is supposed to be worth S25,0OO,000. He has a
wife and four children. Living so much under
ground in an unnatural atmosphere, he has been
trodbled with rheumatism and throat diseases,
and once took trip to Japan for his health.
Fair is not rich either Mactay or Flood. for
his possessions represent actual money taken
from the mines rather than profits made on stock
exchange. Senator Fair is Democrat in politics
but he is on the pleasantest terms with his asso-
ciate, Senator Jones, who is q Republican-THe
HONr
The National tribune., 1881-09-17
is THAT A MOSQUITO7

An so you're a-going out to the East Hingies,
my darlmt Mrs. Marooney," said an old Irish
creme to the young wife of a older about to
embark for Madras I've been in them parts
meeself, and well do | remember the torment
went through nigh and day with the mask
catOes. They have long suckers hanging down
from their heads, and they'll draw the ite-blood
out of ye before We can say pease.' This terri
flying account lived in the memory of the young
woman. The vessel made the Madras roads; the
decks were soon crowded; all hands were de-
lighted at the sight of land Mrs Marooney
among the rest, but her JOY of short dura-
tion for on shore she perceived an elephant
Horror struck at the sight, and in breathless agi
tation she approached the mate, excaiming with
upltted hands, Holy Moses. is that Il musk
cato ~
The National tribune., 1881-09-17
THE COUNTERSIGN,

Halt, who goes there" The sentry stands
AT challenge by the WhiteHOuse gate;
t7,iards f the Dost - What number?-halt!' .
Comes the sad answer" Thirty eight!
From California we have come,
From every sorrowing Southern State;
From Carolina. Jersey, Maine,
To watch him-wc the Thirty-cight.
Pass friends of post! The sentry stands
With arms at port, while those who late
Were deadly foes go 10y the guard,
With streaming eyes-the Thirty-eight.
No discord uow-no North, no South.
Hands clasped, heads bowed, they sit and wait,
That sleepless picket round the walls
The watching States-the Thirty eight,
W. +. !. Horner IN 4r1ny and Nary Journal.
The National tribune., 1881-09-17
ORIGIN OF POPULAR SAYINGS.

Grave Judges, and others learned in the law,
have contributed their quota as in duty bound.
to the common stock of popular sayings. 1t is
Francis Bacon who speaks OF matters that come
home to mems business and BOSOM" who laws
down the axiom that knowledge is power and
who utters that solemn warning to enamored
Benedcts, "He that hath wife and children
hath given hostages to fortune We have the
high authority of the renowned Sir Edward Coke
for declaring that Corporations have no souIs,'
and that a mans house is his castle" The
expression, An accident of an accident" is bor-
rowed from Lord Thurlow "The greatest hap
piness of the greatest NUMBER occurs in Ben
tham but as an acknowledged translation from
the learned jurist Beccaria To Leviathan Hobbies
owe the sage maxim, Words are wise mems
counters but the money of fools" II is John
Selden who suggests that by throwing q straw
into the air you may see the way of the wind :
and to his contemporary OXensten is due the
discovery, with how little wisdom the world is
governed" Macintosh first used the phrase, "A
wise and mastery inactivity" "The schOolmaster
is abroad is from speech by Lord BrOugham
1t does not mean that the teacher is abroad " in
the sense Of being absent, as many seem to inter
pret the phrase, but that he is abroad in the
sense of being everywhere at work In the IA
miliar phrase a delusiOn, mOckery, and Il
snare" there is a certain Biblical ring. which has
sometimes led to its being quoted as from one or
other of the Hebrew prophets: the words are, in
fact, an extract from the judgment Of Lord Den
man at the trial of O'COnnell.-Ch -Chombers& JournoI
The National tribune., 1881-09-17
DISCOVERY OF GALVANISM

Galvanlsm was discovered by accident. Pro
fessor Galvani, of Bologna, in Italy, gave his
name to the operation but his wife is considered
as actually entitled to the credit of the discovery
She beng IN bad health some frogs were ordered
for her. As they lay upon the table, skinned,
she noticed that their limbs became strongly con-
vulsed when near an electric conductor She
called her husbands attention TO the fact: he
instituted series OF experiments and in 17S9
the galvanic battery was invented.
The National tribune., 1881-09-17
THE HUMAN PULSE

Physicians have always attached for all ages
the greatest Importance to the frequency of the
hearts action as indicated by the pulse. The num-
Der of pulsatiOns Of the heart, as stated by DR..
Milne Edwards, averages seventy per minute in a
male and from six to ten more in Il female. The
pulse Of Napoleon, however, was much below the
average. That Of Sir William Congreve is said
to have been about 12S per minute even in health.
But, as a general thing the variations at Guys
compiled by Milne Edwards have been verified
by observation
The following table of the pulse is interesting
in this connection: