davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05

Her children take her family name-not
her husbands. Her husband cannot will
the property. The wife, and the unmar-
ried woman also, does pretty much as she
pleases. The husband does not make a
bargain to carry party up the river in a
boat without asking his wife what the price
is to be, and so of all the furs they SELL
she decides the price they shall ask.
A curious and ingenious arrangement
for hallibut hook was exhibited. Also
specimens of native boats. They cut
down big tree, burn out and hew the
middle, ill it with water, put in red-hot
stones to boil the water, cover it over, let
the wood become steamed, then spring it
out, into the requisite fariug boat shape,
by inserting stiff cross.wedges.
The resources of the country include a
great amount Of fnrs, besides those Of the
seals, which pay SO each to the Govern
ment, and the company is permitted to
take 100000 year. The timber is val
sable-spruce, FIR. and beautiful yellow
cedar bright aud lasting. The fisheries
are abundant, aud superior to those of
Newfoundland, etc, for which We pay
such sum in money and life. The abun
dance and size of the salmon is amazing;
and cod and halitut abound. A little FISH
like the sardine, but more delicate, is
thrown ashore by the ton.
Bears and deer are plenty, the finest
veuison in the world is there, and the
cheapest Berries are in variety-even
wild strawberries, sud two or three yarie-
ties Of huckleberries Birds of all kinds,
even to the eagle aud the swan.
Gold mines have been opened, aud are
doing we'll Iron seems to be there in /
great amount IL defects the needle 29'. /
Coal is found All that is needed to start
Alaska on the road to prosperity and pop
ulaliou is the establishment Of laws. This
Congress should see to.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05
Diamond Cutting

The art o { diamond cutting is usually
supposed to have been invented by Louis
Van Berquem, of Bruges, in 1456, but
closer inquiry shows that he only intro
duced important Improvements into a
method already in use. 1t is said that
there were diamond polishers at Nurem-
berg in 1873, and the same trade was ex-
ercised early in the following century at
Paris, where a eross-wa called "La Cour-
arie, once inhabited by the workmen, still
exists among the diminishing relics of the
past, Nor is it to be supposed that this
art was entirely unknown to more ancient
nations. la India, from the earliest times,
a mode of releasing the crystal from its
native husk was employed, which, proba-
bly,, differed less in principle than in ap-
plication from that now used in London
and Amsterdam. The gem eugravers of
not only worked extensively with
The diamond point, but in some rare cases
engraved the "indomitable" stone itself.
In the Duke of Bedford's collection, for
instance, is diamond engraved with the
head of Posidouius, and one bearing por-
rait of Roman Emperor was to be seen
1t the Paris Exhibition of 1878. After
he barbarian invasion, the art became the |
ecret ofa very few, without it would seem,
'ver declining to extinction; for the dia-
nond clasp which fastened the imperial
mantle of Charlemagne at the coronation
lad the natural faces of the crystals rude
y polished, and cut diamonds have ocea-
ionally been found on medieval church
rnaments.-Fraser's Magazine. |
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05
A Winter in Russia.

st. Petersburg is situated on parable
62, which is about equal to the latitude
of Labrador. In December the sun rise;
at about nine o'clock in the morning and
sets about quarter past two o'clock in the
afternoon. About the first of September
slight hoar frost is noticed each morning
and in less than month foot of snow is
upon the ground. This will be the case
whether there have been any snow storms
or not, for this light hoar frost falls at all
times and in the clearest days its CLINT may
be seen in the sunlight About the mid
die of October wheels disappear from the
streets aud are seen no more until summer.
One popularity of the Russian winter
noticed by the lecturer was that, while it
is necessary for person in going into the
open air to put on the heaviest outer cloth
ing and to encase the feet in warm wraps,
the weight of the house dress is not ehaHg-
ed on account of the season. It~is the
inYariable custom amoDg the Russians for
one in entering a church or house to i'm
mediately take off the outer garments at
the vestibule and resume them on going out.
The winter amusements are very inter-
esting and, except those enjoyed by the
upper classes simple and plain. The prin-
cipal ones are slcighing, sliding aud skating.
These are common to all the people, and
are INDUCED 10 generally. In driving, the
Emperor goes at full speed aud thus sets
the example to the grand dukes, who, in
tura, are copied by those OF lesser rank, so
that every one hurries along at the liyliest
rate possible. The foot passengers rights
are not respected at all, and when BY
chance the unlueky wayfarer is run over
he is at once taken to the nearest station
house and obliged to state how he hap
Pened to be ir the road.
The Russian sleigh is drawn by three
horses who travel abreast, the middle an.
imal trotting while his companions run.
In order to accomplish this the head of the
trotting horse is checked up as high as
possible, while from the bits in the run
ners' mouths long lines reach back to the
traces, pulling the head down and forcing
the animal to run Tie ice hills are also
a feature OF the ST. Petersburg winter
The platforms, each sixty feet high, and
distant from each other 800 feet, are
erected, aud between these inclined planes
extend. These are covered with great
blocks Of ice from the river Neya, and
down these improvised hills the Russian
boys aud girls, and even adults glide at
headlOug speed.
Skating also comes in for its share Of
patronage, and each winter the skating
club erects upon the Neva an ice palace.
The snow is swept from about two acres
Of ice, and around this solid wall, twenty |
or thirty feet high, is built Of blocks four
feet square The interior is divided into /
dancing rooms, waiting rooms and restau-
rants. When this palace is illuminated |
with red, green, blue aud yellow lights the /
sight is most magnificent At the open
ing Of this ice palace notable gathering
Of the Emperor, the Crown
Prince and dignitaries, is present.-Er-
Cor. Je,relTs Lecture.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05

make other arrangements. While | live
| intend to hold the reins and drive when
please. When l am gone l hope you
will do the same. Don't tempt little Jim
mie as have tempted you. Itwas wrong,
all wrong Human nature is very weak,
and the old must 90 to the wall if the
young so will it, The Lord forgive US all.
But shake hands and be friends, J i'm.
I'll give you some more cows. Eliza shall
have the dairy, but not in my dear old
room. The back lot shall be drained, but
the pine trees must stand
Jim gave him his hand, or, rather the
old man took it and pressed it warmly.
Jim seemed like one dazed The farm
not his The deed burned Could it be
possible
Before he was fully aware of the situa-
tion Eliza came in, the father told her of
the destruction Of the deed and his reasons
fer doing it. Already she knew that
something was amiss, so the blow was not
so crushing ia its effects upon her, aud
she walked up TO Mr.. Lamson, kissed him
on the cheek and said :-"Of course, dear
father, you viii do as YOU please 10 the
matter, and left the room to prepare
breakfast Then jim repeated her words
parrot-like, and went TO the barn to chew
the cud Of remorse.
Mr. Lamson lived five years longer,
then died with an apopletie shock, as his
daughter-in-law had predicted But he
never had occasion to regret that he burn
ed the deed. His heart had softened
more aud more to bis children, he only
holding the reins, allowing them TO man
age the affairs Of the farm aud dairy as
they pleased; but when he pleased he could
be the master.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05
The Bonanla Farms of the West.

The two great facts shown by observa-
iions Of the Bonanza Farms Of the West
are, that those who have gons into wheat
growing upon large scale, making use Of
the most improved machinery and cheap
labor, are making colossal fortunes at seven
ty cents per bushel for wheat, limited on
y BY the number of acres cultivated aud
the skin with which the work is doDe. aud
that wheat may be grown at large profit
for less than forty cents per bushel: bu,
that, on the other hand, the small farmers,
depending mainly co their own labor, with
limited capital and less machinery. arc nos
making a comfortable subsistence, but arc
running behiudhaad, aud must 70 under,
and that a further reduction 10 the mar.
kes price for food prOdsets must hasten
their eDd
The development, Of the large farm in
. serest has the direct snd inspedia,s effect
Of imPoverishing the sections IN which the
farms exist, aud SHINING the lands with
out any ean.Pcusating benefits Not one
dollar Of the gross amou1so or net proat re
eeivsd from the products Of the soil IS re
turned and placed upon the land which it
Is taken, except in the construction Of the
iewess buildings necessary To shelter aud
..r.f.-.s ,k. J., ly,..r. 4, ~. - -. .,ss
and for the care Of thc work stock aud the
tools on the whole $500 cultivated acres
Of the Graudin farm there was no: one
family hndiHg permanent home By virtue
Of title ia the soil where there should have
been at lcas, one to every ffly acres Of
plow land, or loo families This would
give loo houses IN place Of the 1--WE there
4, present, aud l06 barns in place of,hree,
With other buildings in ike proportion;
aud a population Of at leas, 500, where
there is not now one fixed inhabitaut. with
all the accessories Of household comforts
aud home Improvements that DO not now
exis, 10 the smallest degree
The large development Of the tenant
system Of farming is an evil of the great
est magnitude The effects Of the system
have been too apparent in Europe TO re
quire any discussion 10 these pages But
with us it has features worse than any I
ever known 10 Europe The tenants in
England hold leases and occupations that 4
practically run for life, and often are kept /
in families for generations, which give en-
coufagement for great improvements, aud /
the farms are practically hOmesteads. But
with Us the leases are uniformly for short
terms, with no encouragement for improve
ments, and the farms are never homes.
In Engloud the rent has rarely reached,
aud never exceeded, one-quarter the gross
product; but in the United States it is
commonly one-half Under the English
tenant system the land is thoroughly cult
waited and improved; with US il is impov-
erished. There is not one redeeming fea-
ture in the whole system in America, and
it is in every way worse than in Europe.
January AtlaHtic.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05

Any hard steel will cut glass with great
facility when freel ywet with camphor dis
solved in turpentine. A drill bow may
be used, or even the hand alone. A hole
may be easily enlarged by round file.
The ragged edges of glass vessels may also
be easily smoothed thus with fat file.
Flat window glass can be readily sawed
with watch spring saw by acid of this So
luton. In short, the most brittle glass
can be wrought almost as easily as brass
by the use of cutting tools kept constantly
moist with camphorized oil of turpentiue.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05

A Coon PLACE TO BE INSURED.
Burdette, in lecture at Hartford, said:
"This is Hartford-you can get insured
here in any way and for anything you wish
mutual, endowment, tontine, accident,
Intentional, nomadic, differential, proto-
plastic, Baptist, Old School Presbyterian,
Congregational, Bob Ingersoil, Renais-
sance, Gothic, Byzantine, greenback,
composite, Corinthian, Scotch, ,cheviot, gos-
samer, seamless, new Wheeler & Wilson,
barbed wire, liver pad and hard finish. 1t
is the central and distributing point for
the entire insurance business of America.
No insurance company is genuine unless
Hartford" is blown upon the bottle.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05

A SILENT WoMAY.-Madam Rigner,
the wife ofa law officer at Versailles, drop
ping some remarks which were out of
place though not important, her husband
reprimaaded her before company saying;
Silence, madam, you are fool"
Tho lady Immediately subsidized She
lived twenty or thirty years afterwards, and
never uttered a single word to anybody
not even to her children. A pretended
theft was committed in her presence, in
the hope of taking her by surprise, but
with no effect, nothing could induce her to
speak. When her consent was requisite
to marriage of any of her children she
bowed her head and signed the contract,
and even when she died she merely sigh
ed "adieu"
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05
gelert AOetrg,
OUR EARLY FRIENDS.


Our early friends, how dear they seem
When childhood's sunny dream is past,
And memory brings us back CLEAN
Oftimes that were too good to last;
OF sunny days that passed us by,
Ere we had learned the bitter truth
That twenty years would bring full supply
of cares not dreamed OF in our youth.
We may have friends in later days,
Towhom the heart deyoutly clings;
We may have hopes, we may have ways.
Butnotlike those that memory brings;
For now we've learned that we must meet
A portion in our common lot
Ofgroundless hopes or base deceit,
But then, oh joy, we knew it not.
our early friends. All where are they
some Of them have been blindly led
IN search Of gain far, far away,
And some are numbered with the dead;
some have grown up around our door,
And on them, mayhap, much depends.
But they are early friends no more,
In memory live our early friends
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05

A Chicago paper tells of man who was
complaining that he had invested a rather
large sum of money in Wall streota and lost
it all. A sympathizing friend asked him
whether he had been bull or bear.
He replied, Neither; was iackass."
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05

Men are capable of taking a peculiar
kind of revenge against the women who are
weak enough to believe them perfect. A
few mouths before marriage they sue for
the lady's haud, after that she is compelled
to sew for them.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05

A BAD HABIT.-The young man who
shirks his duties as often as possible never
succeeds in life. You may set it down at
once that sooner or later he viii be drone
in the great hive Of human industry, liv-
ing without any purpose in life and seorn-
ed by all who have willing hands, and fol-
low up whatever they can fud to dc.
Young man, if you want to gain the conf
denee and esteem Of your employer, never
shirk from duty. If ovcrtasked lay in
your complaints aud you will always get
hearing, If you begin life a shirk, you
may set it down as a fixed fact that the
habit will follow you through life, and in
stead of a success you viii be an utter fail
ure. And there are enough failures in the
world already.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05
What is Nickel?

Since the convenient Ave ecu; coin.
which in common talk IS called a nickel,
has come into general circulation, the
Question above Is asked, either mentally
or orally. hundreds Of times every day,
aud but few get au Intelligent answer.
Ia China aud India, a white copper, called
pack.tone. has long been known and has
beea extensively used both there aud in
Europe for eoun,erieiliss silver coin.
About the year i700 a peculiar ore was
discovered in the copper mines Of Sax0oy
which had the appearance Of being very
rich, but in smelling, it yielded no copper,
aud the miners called il kupfer.aickel, or
false copper In 1854, ConsSadt anaOunc-
ed the discovery Of new metal in kupfer
nickel, 10 which he gave the name Of
nickel Il was 10 combination Hith arsen-
ie from which he could relieve It ouly in
part. The alloy of nickel aud arsenic
which he obtained va. white. brittle, very
hard aud had melting point nearly as
high as cast-irou. Il vas rot until 1873
that pure nickel was. obtained by analysis
Of German silver which had Ter number
Of years been produced at Subl in Ssxoay.
Its composition was asccrtained 10 be cop.
per ten parts, Einc 1--WE, aud nickel four.
If more nickel be used the alloy is as white
as silver aud susceptible Of very high
polish, but becomes TOO brittle aud hard
10 be hammered or rolled, aud can be
worked only by casting. Pure nickel is a
white metal aud viii tarujsh readily ia the
air. Unlike silver, il is not acted 90 by
the yapor Of sulphur, aud even the strong
mineral acids attract il but slightly
Nickel has the hardness Of iron, and Ike
il, has stroug magnetic properties, but can
net Be welded sud Is so.dcred with difh
Guilty Pure nickel has heretofore been
used chiefly for plating, for which purpose
its hardness aud power to resist a,mos
pheric influences admirably adapt it.
Within the las, year, the Frcnsh have sue.
ceeded in rolling the metal in,o plates from
which spoons and other table furniture may
be pressed. Nickel bronze, which consists
Of equal parts Of copper aud nickel, with
a iiItlc tin, may be east into very delicate
forms, aud is susceptible of high polish
Mines Of nickel are worked at Chatham,
Conn, aud Lancaster, Pa, and ii Is said
to be found at Mine lie Motto, Mo, aud
at several points 10 Colorado, and New
Mexico, where but little attention is paid
10 it. Il is extensively mined in Saxouy
and in Sweden, bat the late discovery Of
a new ore ia silieate Of niekel) in New
Caledonia will probably superscde all the
other ones. The inexhaustible supply Of
this ore, the ease with which it can be T
smelicd and the richness Of the ore will /
probably suspend the use Of the arsenic
pres, aud yet bring nickel into common
use. Switzerland, in the year 1852, made .
! coin Of German silver, which is identical .
q composition With our nickel coin. The
United States made nickel cents in 1886,
md eight years later coined the FIVE cent
,ieces. Belgium adopted nickel coinage
n 1850 and Germany in 1873 England
las lately coined nickel pennies for ia
naica, but at home she and France adhere
0 the clumsy copper small change
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05

You can't make your child love you by
scolding and fretting all the time any more
than you can catch a bird by fingiDg your
hat at it.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05

A gentleman went to a certain house.
and meeting German friend at the gate
inquired, is Mr.. --in?" eyes" was
the reply, When about to pull the bell
the Teuton called him back and said, "He
is in, but he is det."
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05

Happiness is bird that owns no cage
but the pure bosom.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-02-05

Signal service-handkerchief Irritation.
National Republican., 1881-08-31
Mortgages In virginia.

10 tlle EdltOr OF THE REPUBLICAN:
The Alexandria Gazette recently stated
that capitalists were deferred from investing in
Virginia by the dread of the ropudlation idea and
that former Republican mayor of Alexandria,
now a real estate agent in Washington says 1t Is
impossible for him to induce men TO lend their
money OH Virginia security for the same reason
My opinion is that both statements are unwar-
ranted. This real estate agent knows that at no
time since the war has any person been able to
borrow money on Virginia mortgages, and, further,
that the Eastern insurance companies, who loan
largely on Washington realty, decline TO cross the
Potomac because Of the peculiar laws OF
Virginia, which prevent foreclosures of
mortgages. These laws were enacted prior
to the war, and neither Funder nor Read
juster is responsible for them. We know Vir-
gnia gentleman in Washington who refuses to
loan ON mortgages in his native State, because Of
inability to collect either principal or Interest on
them, and his position isprecisely that Of the in
surance companies. Given the same laws upon
realty in Virginia which control in the District of
Columbia, and the editorof the Gazette would have
no difficulty whatever In securing loan upon his
realty, If he owns any. But with laws framed to
bar the creditor from conversion In case Of dolin
quency, as at present, he will never under Bour-
bonsm or any other political party, be able to Gu
jole capitalist to come Into this State rs lender
Of moneys on realty. The Readjusters could no:
make matters worse IL they would. and we are
sure the Funders would not help them If they
could. II is possible that new party might give
us wise and desirable legislation this point; the
old never will. S.
ALEXANDRIA COUNTY, VIRGINIA
National Republican., 1881-08-31
FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL.
stock and Bond Quotntons-BnItI
aud New York Produce Markets.

The following observations on the trans
actions in the financial market yesterday, together
with opening, highest, lowest, and closing quota
tons, are furnished by the banking. house Of H. d.
Cooke jr., & Co.. 1929 street, Washington, d. c.:
NEW YORK STOCK MARKET
NEW YoRK, Aug 30 $40 p. m.--The market
opened strongand so continued on moderate trans
actions till about y. M, when an improvement
Of y to per cent. had tnken place. The market
then became weak as compared with the morning,
and prices declined in some cases below the open
ing figures The cause Of the strength early in
the day wns the belief that the President would
get well and that the Secretary would buy or call
a sufficient amount of bonds to insure an easy
money market The decline Of the afternoon was
due to sales to realize and was assisted by money
being In demand at per cent There Is more
confident feeling in the market of late caused, In
part, by the expected action of the Secretary re-
ferred to and the fact that the crops in England
have been damaged to so great an extent by the
late storms. These are both important in their
influence on our market, especially the former.
Money has been in good demand at per cent.
Government bonds have been strong at a fractional
advance.
NEW YORK srocK QUOTATIONS.
National Republican., 1881-08-31
The Latc Hurricane or Charleston.


On the oath or 25th we were informed
BY the Signal Office that there was hurri cane In
the neighborhood of st. Thomas, and we were
warned to look out for 1t along the coast. 1t had
not yet made its sign within our line. Yet, to see
how beautiful nature works consult the weather
map for Friday, the Goth. The advanced lines had
Just begun to appear Off the lower coast of Florida
Saturday morning the 27th the storm centre
"low,' was off the coast of South Carolina. The
papers Of the following days described the storm
and its effects. Danger signals had been ordered
along the coast Two three days before the storm
appeared. Notwithstanding this, we see no papers
as yet giving the Weather Bureau any credit
for their warning; but because the "great Cana
dian weather prophet" said that on the 25th and
2Gth there would be heavy storms on the lakes,
st, Lawrence, and New York the storm which
struck our southern coast on the 2sth Is claimed
rs another Of Venuor's " hits" o. And the public,
who know nothing more Of the Just claims In this
case than they obtain from some person more zeal
Gus than discerning, verify believe that Vennor
predicted this storm. Mr. Vennor said August
would be moist; probably because there is almost
universal drought he has "hit" that too, just as
he "hit" the storms IN Virginia on the 10th in.
stant which did not occur. IKE.