davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-05
The West Point Cadets,

The following is the telegraphic ac-
count OF the recent graduating exercises
at the Military Academy at West Point:
General Howard introduced DR..
Laws, President of the University of
Missouri, who made the prayer. Gen.
eral Greene. President of the Board of
Visitors. then delivered the address to
the cadets, and the diplomas were pre-.
sented by General Howard. General
Augur followed with an address, in
which he commended the enlisted men
to the considerate attention and study
of young officers.
Secretary of War, Lincoln, congratu-
lated the class upon having passed the
ordeal. He did not suppose it was pos
sible for ono like himself to properly
Judge what labor it cost each Of the
class to entitle him to diploma, but it
was evident each one not only possesses
military education of great value, but
also the pluck and endurance on which
the country can rely. He told them
they were leaving behind them the
plessantest part of their lives, and
would be widely separated, but no
doubt hereafter through life all will be
strongly drawn to those who were their
classmates here. They had entered
upon a career great and responsible,
and for the performance of their duty
they are certain of reasonable reward.
Very soon mary will be engaged in the
dangers and responsibility of bringing
together the two lines of frontier now
advancing from the east and west, and
he trusted that in their hardships they
would so bear themselves as to make
more manifest the benefits they had re-
ceived from this country and renew
the laurels woven by those who had
gone before. The Secretary of War was
loudly spplsuded.
they ought to feel sense of gratitude
to the people of the country for giving
them their education at considerable
cost. He did not believe there was in
the whole world better representatives
OF the people than the corps of cadets.
There are no aristocrats here; all are
put on terms of equality, and when
each one thinks carefully. he will con-
clude that after all he has the right
place in his clas,. Up to this time you
have had fair show. Now you have
harder course to pursue. Acts speak
louder than words. Anybody can talk
you know that. Now, it is q matter Of
deeds. There is no use of you saying.
Il am going to be o great general, /"
and all that sort OF thing. You have
got to do. It is the man that will do that
will win, and though he is last in his
class TO- day he may not be o year or
two hence. If the graduates of to-day
will only do half as we'll as they know,
they will be much better than the av.
erage of mankind, and all the Govern.
ment expects is that they will do all
that the people has paid them to dc.
In conclusion General Sherman said /:
I" BE respaotsd and baloved .hv ,youx "a,
sociates. Don't look down on citizens.
You are employed by them, paid by
them, and they are entitled to fair re.
turn for their money"
General Sherman was loudly cheered
as he sat down. The Chaplain pro.
nounced the benediction, the band
broke forth in farewell strains, and the
graduating exercises for '81 were closed.
Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-05
Railroad Riding.

Dr.. G. NJ. Sawtelle, late of the San
Francisco Saturday Local. who is now
in Maine on a visit to his native hills,
writes in the Somerset (Me Rputer
an account Of his trip overland. The
following is racy paragraph:
In our car was disguised stock
raiser and family, San Francisco mer-
chant and family, an Oregon fruit
grower and family, q physician land
family, lately graduated from an in
sane asylum, and still little off in the
upper levels" young lady going
East to attend school, an inquisi-
tive man-occupation, unknown-lntent
upon fading out each ones history. 1t
Was little scheme of his own for pass
ing away the long hours. He was pill,
but they all took him good naturedly.
dreaded him worse than water, and
whenever he came toward rae my in
terest in The distant Wasatch range and
far-sff Black Hills suddenly increased.
The first chapters of "Endymion ="
were arid and uninteresting. much like
the sage-brush scenery of the country
around. In tho middle of one of these
where the author discusses the Tory
measure of 1885, I fell into deep sleep
on my seat. A sudden JOLT aroused me
and I found by my side the " interro.
CATION point" 1t was all up with me;
before was fairly awake he had me in
bis diamond drill. surrendered uncon-
ditioDally.
ITO what part of the States ore you
goinQ?"
"Nova Scotia" Il would not tell a
lie)
Expect to return ?"
Certainly; all my interests are on
the Pacific Slope"
What is yomr business?"
Mining"
"Gold?"
Silver"
"Rlch?"
"Not in the market"
"Bs. long on the Pacific Coast p
"OuIy thirty Eve years."
"You have doubtless made your for
tune?"
"Yes. have enough to satisfy any
ordinary ambition"
Married, l supsose?"
81 have one wife," We were still
in Utah.)
Children. presume
"Eleven living" Here I made an
other attempt to resume reading.
Have you read Endymion >" said
|. but answering questions was not hi.
weakness.
What's !hat!" said he. as he started
to 60. another one OF Mark Twain's
books? have no patience with that
fellow; he claims to be religious, but
he is hypocrite. People like to be
humbugged though" and he retired,
Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-05
Diaries.

Having for many years kept diary,
and having found it useful in more
ways than one, we are induced to
recommend the practice to those who
have never tried it. Its uses as re-
membrancer is obvious. A good men,
ory is not everybody's property, but a
diary, which is often an efficient SUBJ
stitute, is within the reach of oil, and if
regularly written up each evening or
morning demands but little time or
trouble. The entry in diary is au.
thoritative, where q mere recollection
might be disputed; and we believe it is
admitted as evidence of law, as we
sometimes read of cases IN which an
appeal is made to its pages. When
some years have passed, with the
rchanges that time never fails to bring,
there is a peculiar pleasure in looking
over the leaves of an old diarv, recall
ing scenes and incidents which had
nearly passed from the memory, but
which spring again into being as we
glance over the record. However
slender the outline, it serves to recall
the events. and memory finds then
little difficulty in filling up the sketch.
1t may be, indeed. that there is some,
thing sad in many of these resuscita.
tions; but it is undoubtedly true that
there is pleasure in sadness where the
cause is remote, where the degree
is slight, and where it can be dis
missed from the mind if desired.
But, beside being record of events
useful for reference and interesting to
look back upon. we have often thought
that one benefit of keeping diary is
the influence it exercises over ones
daily doings. If it faithfully records,
As it should, whatever we do, it is some-
times a salutary check upon our actions
to remember that they must be set
down that evening in black and white;
md the sense of waste of time is rarely
stronger than when, pen in hand. we
can recall nothing worthy of record
among the occupations of the day.
There is feeling akin to that OF the
emperor Of old. when he exclaimed, 81
nave lost day." 1t impresses one with
the want of results when the doings OF
many hours will not fill few lines,
while it is q real source of satisfaction
when we note tho successful accom-
plishment of some useful object. or
some worthy project, pushed on nearer
to its end.
Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-05

HARD OF HEARING.-One of our Bos.
ton millionaire railroad kings, says the
Courier, has brother who is quite hard
of hearing, while he himself is known
from here to Burlington in Missouri az
having a very prominent nose. Once
he went to New York and dined at 6
friends house, whore he sat between
two young ladies. The ladies talked te
him very loudly. and rather to his an
noyance, but he said nothing. Finally
one of them fairly yelled little com
monpiace remark at him, and then said
in an ordinary tone to the other,-
did you ever see such nose in al
your life ?"
Pardon me. ladies'" said our mil
lionaire; it is my brother who il
deaf"
Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-05

A New Oh FIELD.-PeopIe IN the
southeastern part of Washington county
Pa, about twenty miles from Pittsburg,
are In fever Of excitement over the
prospect of striking oil, drilling for
whice has commenced on an extensive
scale. The operations are under the
direction of company of Eastern cap-
italists, who have leased $4,000 acres
OF land, all OF which is believed to over
lie an oil basin. Several test wells, put
down last fall. gave satisfactory results.
These wells are supposed to be 1890
feet above the sea level, which distance
will be reached, if necessary, before the
enterprise is abandoned. Good judges,
however, say oil in large quantities
will be found ct less thsn half this
depth. Secretary Blaine owns q large
tract Of land near the supposed oil
territory, which will also be worked II
the wells now being worked should
prove successful. Land is rapidly en-.
HANGING in value, and it is difficult to
buy or lease at anything like Q fair
price. 1t begins to look as il Western
Pennsylvania is on the verge of another
petroleum craze, which may equal OF
exceed that in the Bradford region q
few years ago. Chicago Tribune.
Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-05
Tho Silk Gown.

1t IS mentioned as great eXfrsva-
gance of Heliogsbalus that he had a
garment entirely of silk. Shade OF
royalty. what would your critics think
# us moderns, who believe ourselves
ba1ly off with only one, when not q
cook or scullion in America but has or
means to have q gown Of silk? silk,
which was once sold for its weight in
gold, has become an everyday sort OF
affair with US mot an extravaganza.
but a necessity; and yet in Franklin'e
time the article was not produced in
England, and the Queen graciously
'feigned to wear gown from the manu-
factures of the provinces. Indeed.
England is said to be indebted for the
introduction of this manufacture to a
brace of philosophical monks, the
last people in the world one would nat
urally suspect of catering to the femi-
nine love of dress and fnery. who,
however. took the trouble to carry the
silk worms eggs from China in hol-
low cane. Had they never heard of
Heliogabslus, or did they think the
English nation superior to such frivoli
ties2 Or were they emulous of those
other two monks who, ages before
brought the means of teaching the craft
OF silk-rnaking from the Indies to Con-
stsntinople ? Or aro' .hey tho same
doughty pair, whom slight anschro-
nism has uprooted from the sixth and
set down in the seventeenth century
Indeed, the history of silk is wrapped
in romance and mystery. 1t is Chi
nese empress who invents it twenty
seven hundred years before the Chris
tian era, it is the monks who come out
of their cells, leave their vespers and
visions, in order to introduce the silk
culture to the nations. When Miss
Furbelow puts on her gown of satin
brocade. which once signifisd a stuff
woven entirely of gold and silver with
silk. do tho wraiths of the almond-eyed
empress and the cowled priests pursue
her. seem en- rapport with her? The
monks being the most learned people
of their age. were perhaps also the
thinkers, and foresaw the advantage the
culture wOHld prove to whatever coun-
try it was introduced into, the employ
ment it would give. Workmen COM
pleted the work Of the priests by carry
ing the industry into Italy and France,
which latter country once held a mo.
nopoly OF silk. In fact. the silk gown
is far descended; all tho nations and
civilizations of the world seem to have
labored to bequeath it to womankind
with some new device or luster added.
f is an heirloom which once. it may be,
only queens and nabobs could secure,
but which progress is daily bringing
within reach of maid as we'll as mis-
tress. Its popularity is not owing only
to its expense; it is due chiefly to ar
innate love in the human heart of sof,
and lustrous fabrics. and as much al
anything to its durability. One is al
ways we'll dressed in it, but not too we'll
and even shabby one carries in it;
cracks and shininess an air CT respect
ability and refinement.- Harper
Bazaar.
Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-05
Go Camping to the Big Trees and
Yosemite.

The best and cheapest method of
visiting Yosemite and the Big Trees is
to take your own or hired teams and q
plain camping outfit. Young folks.
middle-sged and old folks male and
female, make up these camping parties,
which number from four to twenty. or
more. Congenisl people. who know
one another and do not mind roughing
it, can spend fortnight or three weeks
in most delightful manner on such q
trip. Masters OF their own time and
conveyance. they are independent in
their movements, enjoy O greater range
of observation than If travelling by rail
or stage, have jolly good time and
return to their homes with renewed
health and vigor.
At very trifling cost the Yosemite
trip can be made in this manner: camp
ing on the way, while in the valley, and
when returning; while the value of the
cool air, the pure water. the physical
recreation and profit coming from the
outdoor, active life, and the intellect
ual enjoyment Of the wonderful forest
and mountain scenery on the Sierra, oi
tuo DiS 1Ieo 1IOtco duu 1occLAhtcs Sah
not be estimated in dollars.
The Big Trees and Yosemite are best
reached from the San Joaquin Valley,
via Coulterville, thence to the Bower
Gave, and Pilot Peak, through the
grand Sierra Forests and the Merced
Big Tree Grove, within 100 feet of the
Cascade Falls and up the Merced River
Canyon. the mighty granite gateway te
Yosemite (sll on the line of the Coulter.
vile and Yosemite wagon road), by and
under the great Cliffs and Domes and
within sight of the wonderful Falls te
the camping grounds on the MERGED
River in the Yosemite Valley.
The residents of our cities and towns
and our farmers living within easy dis
tanoe Of the San Joaquin Valley, should
make this trip and reap the pleasure
and profit that comes from it. When
ever you can make the Yosemite trip
improve that as the proper time ant
season for going there. The spring
summer and fall each have their advan
tages; and, go when you will, You ar
amply paid, and will thank us for giving
you the advice to go camping to tn
Big Trees and Yosemite.
Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-05
American Literature.

American literature has now become
80 far English that 1t has supplied us
with more household words than the
literature of any other country, except
France. Mr.. Lowell's own "Biglow
Papers" have lent us notably
the skeptical criticism of John p. Rob
inson on the culture of Palestine, and
the warning as to the necessity of early
rising when one is attempting to cir
cumvent the Absolute. From writer
much less frivolous than he is common
ly thought to be. Mark Twain, we have
derived not only by-words but oppor-
tunities for that inextinguishable laugh.
ter which seems to refresh and renew
the whole system. If Mark Twain had
written nothing but the account of his
purchase of the celebrated Mexican
plug, and his account of how he once
increased the circulation of an agricul-
tural paper, he would have made his
mark among the humorists who have
used the Eaglish language. Mr.. Bret
Harte has supplied Us with the immor-
tai economical reflections of Bill Nye,
and mas formulated tho doubt which we
all feel in presence of the Mongolian
race, the doubt whether Arysn man is
not play ed out. has not had his innings.
and is on the point of following the
Toltecs into the grave OF vanished peo-
pies. But these are only the first names
that occur. Our fiction owes its most
refined and elaborate pages to Mr..
James and Mr.. Howells, our anthro-
polegy is under heavy debt to Mr..
Bancroft and Mr.. Morgan, our criticism
is sharpened by contact with that OF
half dozen brilliant writers, and per.
haps it is only in postry that we will
venture to think. if we may use an
appropriate expression, I'VE have the
inner tracks," The American Cauca.
slams are certainly not played out, and
we may perhaps expect from them the
poet who is TO succeed onr foremost
| living masters.- London News.
Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-05

DIDN'T USE THE WEEp.-They were
two crafty and cautious old vags. They
met in the alley, looked each other
over, and one Of them queried:
"Say, do you chew?''
He did, but he didn't want to spare
any. He therefore replied:
"Yes, I chew gum"
Sorry" continued the other as he
hauled out fine large plug and held il
up to the light. 81 don't use the weed
myself. and I was going to give this to
you. If find any gum in any Of my
travels through the alleys, I'll bear you
in mind. Tra.la"
Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-05

MINCED vEAL.-Cut cold veal as fine
as possible. but do not chop it; put to it a
very little lemon-peel shred, two CRATES
OF nutmeg. some salt, and four or five
spoonfuis of either little weak broth,
milk or water; simmer these gently
with the meat, but take care not to LET
it boil; add bit of butter rubbed in
-four; put pieces of bread, cut thin and
toasted, cut in three c0rnered shape.
round the dish. Fried crumbs oi
bread lightly strewed over. or served
in little heaps on the meat, are an i'm.
provement to the looks and flavor; q
little shred Of shalot may occasionally
be added.
Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-05

How he LOST HIS HEAR1Na.-
Charles A. Cowles, Q compositor in the
Rochester IN. " Democrat and Chron.
icle office, su ddenly and mysteriously
recovered his hearing while at supper
the other evening. after being deaf thir-
ty'seven years. A far more curious and
mysterious circumstance occurred in q
Office in New York last Saturday. A news.
paper compositor who had possessed the
sense OF hearing for thirty.seven years
suddenly and mysteriously became
deaf when reporter asked him for the
loan OF fifty cents until he could sell
his deg.-[Graphic.
Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-05
The North.

John Muir, the geologist and botan-
ist, who went with the Thomas Corwin
on her Arctic voyage in search of the
Jeanette, and on Government business
in the North, has begun series of let
ters to the s. F. Bulletin. Here are ex-
tracts from the first, written at Ouna-
laska:
The Storm King of the North is
abroad to-day working with a fine,
hearty enthusiasm, rolling a multitude
of white combing waves through the
rocky, Jagged straits between this mar.
velous chain of islands, circling them
about with beaten foam, and heaping q
lavish abundance of snow on their lofty,
cloud-wrapped mountains. The deep
bass of the gale sounding on through
the rugged, ice.sculptured peaks and
gorges is delightful music to our ears,
now that We are safely sheltered in q
land.locked harbor.
On the morning of the 18th we met a
gale from the northeast, against which
the Corwin forced her way with easy
strength. rising and falling on the foam.
streaked waves as lightly as q duck
We first sighted land on the morning oi
the 18th near the southeast extremity
of Ounalaska Island. Two black out
standing masses of jagged lava we're
visible, with the bases of snowy peaks
back of them, while all the highlands
we're buried beneath storm-clouds.
After we had approached within three
or four miles of the shore. ragged
opening in the clouds disclosed q
closely packed cluster of peaks, laden
with snow, looming far into the stormy
sky for a few moments in tolerably
clear relief. then fading again in the
gloom of the clouds and fresh squalls
of binding snow and hail. The fall oi
the snowfakes among the dark, heavine
waves and curling breakers was most
impressive sight.
On reaching the mouth of the strait
between Ounalaska aud Akoutan Is.
lands, proceeding cautiously through
the driving sleet, we found SO rough q
sea raised by fiood-tide setting against
the gale that it was decided to wait bet.
ter weather in sheltered harbor we
discovered in glacier inlet a few miles
to the westward. l never before have
seen the sea in SO hearty an uproar as in
this jagged-edged strait. It was all
tossed into cne white mass of kissing.
roaring foam, blending in wild harmony
with the wind-driven scud and sleet
that thickened tho air. This morning, the
gale having abated somewhat and the
tide being favorable, we weighed anchor,
ind passed through the strait and round
Collector Point into this magnificent
harbor without further difficulty.
Early in the forenoon the clouds
lifted and the sun shone out, revealing
q bost of noble mountains, grandly
sculptured and composed, and robed in
spotless white, some of the highest
adorned with streamers of mealy snow
wavering in the wind-a truly glorious
apectacla
Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-05

WATERING PEAR TREEs.-A cofre-
spondent of the American CuItiVator says
that pear trees need q great deal of
water. He watered some of the pear
trees in his garden with liquid manure
every day last summer aud fsll and it
WAS surprising to see how the fruit in
creased in size and quality. Probably
the increased size and quality may ba
accounted for by the fact thas the hq.
mid used was not merely water. but also
fertilizer,
Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-05

LIMA BEANs.-The Lima bean is less
grown than it should be on account of
its supposed uncertainty. tenderness
and the trouble connected with polling,
Some experiments of ours with this
most delicious of all beans may be of
public interest. We find by trial that
polling is not only unnecessary, but
decidedly disadvantage. When the
tendrils begin to start up nip them off.
Two or three times after this we 20 over
the vines clipping off the climbing ten
drills. The plants become low and
busy and loaded with early maturing
pods.
Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-08-05

A CHIvALRoUs PRAsANr. - Carlyle
speaks Of his peasant father - :" man
OF, perhaps, the very largest natural
endowment of any it has been my lot 20
converse with" He was also. q 10
learn from the following aneodote told
by Mrs. Oliphsnt, . man OF the most
chivalrous delicacy Of feeling. The
son had married . gentlewoman whom
be brought on visit to the house Of
bis father.
When they met, she offered him Q
alial kiss. which the old man felt 10 be
too great an honor. INA, m, Mistress
JEAN" he said, too respectful OF his
sons lady.wife TO call her bluntly by
her Christian name, I'm no At to kisa
the like OF you."
Hoot, Jamesr' his wife cried, dis
tressed by the rudeness, though NOT
without her share in the feeling,
you'll no refuse her when it's her
pleasure"
INA, na.'' repeated old Carlyle,
softly putting swsy the pretty young
gentlewoman with his hand. He dis
appeared for some time after this, then
returned clean shaven and in his best
Sunday clothes, blue coat. most likely
with metal buttons, and all his rustic
bravery, and approached her with .
smile. +" If you'll give me . kiss, aos0i"
he said.