davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1881-09-22
A Prehistoric Race,
New York 1imes.l

Throughout large portion of the Mis-
sissippi Valley the remains Of former
race of inhabitants are found, of whose
origin and history we have no record,
and who are only known to US by the
relics that are found in the tumuli
which they have left.
The mound-builders are a numerous
people entirely distinct from the North
American Indians, and they lived so
long before the latter that they are not
known to them even by tradition. They
were industrious and domestic in their
habits, and the finding of large sea shells
which must have been brought from the
Gulf of Mexico, if not from more dis
tant shores, proves that they had COM
munication and trade with other tribes.
Perhaps the most interesting fact con-
nected with this ancient people is that
they had written language. This is
proved by some inscribed tablets that
have been discovered in the mounds, the
most important of which belong TO the
Davenport Academy of Sciences. These
tablets have attracted great attention
from archaologists, and it is thought
that they will some time prove of great
value as records of the people who wrote
them. 1t is still uncertain whether the
language was generally understood by
the mound builders, or whether it was
confined to few persons of high rank.
In the mound where two of the tablets
were discovered the bones of a child
were found, partially preserved by con-
tact with large number of copper
beads, and as copper was rare and pre-
cious metal with them it would seem
that the mound in question was used
for burial of persons of high rank.
The inscriptions have not been deci-
phered, for no KEY to them has yet been
found; we are totally ignorant of the de-
rivation of the language or of its affini-
ties with other written languages
The mound-builders lived while the
mammoth and the mastodon were upon
the earth, as is clearly proved by the
carvings upon some of their elaborate
stone pipes. From the size and other
peculiarities of the pipes it is inferred
that smoking was not habitual with
them, but that it was reserved as kind
of ceremonial observance.
Our knowledge of the habits and GUS
toms of the mound builders is very in
Complete, but it is sufficient to show
that at least part of this country was
once inhabited by people who have
passed away without leaving so much
as a tradition of their existence, and who
are only known to us through the silent
relics which have been inferred for GEN.
turies. A people utterly forgotten, a
civilization totally lost-was it through
great catastrophe in the history of the
whole world, or was the ceaseless st-ug-
gle for existence so severe that they
gradually succumbed and passed away? !?
Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1881-09-22
DRIFTED OUT TO SEA.

Two little ones grown tired of play,
Roamed by the sea, one summer day,
Watching the great waves come and 20,
Pratting, as children will, you know,
OF dolls and marbles, kites and strings:
Sometimes limiting at graver things.
At last they spied within their reach
An old boat cast upon the beach.
Helter-skelser, with merry din,
Over its sides they clambered in
Ben, with his tangled, nut-brown hair,
Bess, with her sweet face flushed and fair.
Rolling in from the briny deep,
Nearer, nearer the great waves creep
Higher, higher upon the sands,
Reaching out with their giant hands,
Grasping the boat in boisterous glee,
Tossing it up, and out to sea.
The sun went down mid clouds of gold;
Day dawned; the hours crept slowly by;
And now, across the sunny sky.
A black cloud stretches far away,
And shuts the golden gates Of day.
A storm comes on, with flash and roar,
While all the sky is shrouded DER;
The great waves rolling from the west,
Bring night and darkness on their breast.
Still floats the boat through driving storm,
Protected by Gods powerful arm.
The home-bound vessel, Seabird, lies
In ready trim, 'twixt sea and skies,
Her Captain PAGES restless now,
A troubled look upon his brow,
While all his nerves in terror thrill;
The shadow Of a coming i'll.
The mate comes up to where he stands,
And graSps his arm with eager hands;
"a boat has just swept past" said he,
''Bearing two children out to sea.
'Tis dangerous now to put about,
Yet they can not be saved without"
"Naught but their safety will suffice;
They must be savedl" the Captain cries.
"By every thought that's just and right,
By lips hoped TO kiss tonight,
I'll peril vessel, life and men,
And God will not forsake me then"
With anxious faces, one and all.
Each man responded to the call;
And when at last. through driving storm,
They lifted up each little form.
The Captain started with groan,
"My God!" he cried. "they are my own!''
-lRose Hartwick Thorpe.
Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1881-09-22
Tendency In Life.
Indianapolis Herald.l

The tendency of human Evolution"
is toward extremes. Attraction and re-
pulsion, are phenomena of physical law.
Regeneration and degeneration are
phenomena of both physical and moral
forces.
Examples of mankind, and of human
society, to-day, illustrate the highest, a.
well as the lowest planes Of being, life.
and character ever attained by the race.
These extremes, and the tendency to-
ward these extremes being legitimate
and inevitable, should enter into all of
our estimates of being, life, and cbarac-
ter-and as such, influence our conduct
as teachers, Lawmakers, and conservators
of the general good Of society. .-,
We can not by any kind OF law,
elevate mankind from the lower to the
higher plane of physical or moral de.
velopment. All movement in either
direction is progressive, and limited.
Our best endeavors can effect no more
than to point out the way, and perhaps
change the direction of some movements
or tendencies. And this is much. But
it does not satisfy our aspirations.
We would that men should reform
should become regenerated-should all
turn their steps in one direction, and be
moved by common impulse toward one
end, and that now-once and forever
But such is not in accordance with the
law of our being and existence. Hence
we fail in our endeavors. Law fails
society fails, religion fails; or, fall short
| of Our Uishea aDd oypocto tiops
The outward conduct or actions Of
men can be, to certain extent, changed
or limited by laws, if enforced. Muir.
derers, robbers, thieves, and other crimi
mails may be prevented from moving
physically in the direction of theiI
tendencies, by imprisonment. But there
is no human law, however enforced, that
can change their moral motions, by com.
pulsion. So, too, the drunkard can be
turned from his cups by destroying the
cup, or by locking him up. But the
tendency toward drink is not often
changed, or for great while even ar
rested by law or any other influence.
What then! Shall we fold our arms
and let everything 60 its own way, in &C
cordance with its own tendency?
We could not do 80, even if we resolv
ed to. The inspiration by which we are
moved; our wills to make efforts; oul
hopes and expectations, however destined
to be disappointed, are also outgrowth,
of our natures, in accordance with the
conditions, circumstances and laws of oul
beings and existence, and are as inevita
BILE as any other phenomena of human
life.
But clearer perception of what i:
possible, of what is practicable, in the
adjustment of human law to human con
duct; the relation of artificial compul
sion to natural tendencies might be ol
service to us. 1t might steady US lit
tie, and sustain us in such efforts as We
might make.
Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1881-09-22
Cigarettes in This Country.

The Americans may be said to have
become nation of cigarette smokers.
Time was, not a very great number of
years ago. when the consumption of
paper cigars" in the United States was
confned almost entirely in the foreign
born portion Of our population. To-day
more natives than foreigners smoke
them.
The enormous growth of the industry
is readily shown by comparison of
figures. For example in the fiscal year
1870, tax was paid in the United States
on 1881, All cigarettes, and in the fis.
cal year 1880, on 408, ,70s, ,365-an in.
crease in ten years Of 394, ,826, ,94S cigar.
cites.
Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1881-09-22

The Fsyette Advertiser most re-
spectfuliy Informs the Mexico Intelli.
gencer that 1t knows just exactly what
II is talking about when 1t refers ,n
Gov. 'Crittenden, and it intends 10
say just what IL knows 70 be truths If
1t makes q esalid NORTH from pole
to pole. We regret to offend the Gov.
ernor's pets, but We shall continae on
the even tenor Of our way though the
combinet1 force of st(.olonels', opnoae;
u&-FaYette Advertiser,
Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1881-09-22


Does anybody know what has become
of the jolly old-fashioned times that used
to belong to our lives? They are missing
and we cannot find them. The days
when the mention of Thanksgiving
meant JOY and gladness, and reunion and
merry feasting, when all the members OF
the family assembled around the pleas
ant board, and the great fire burned
cheerfully in the great fireplace. How
the brightly polished brass andirons
caught the raddy reflections of the blaze,
and danced around like gold fairies.
Does anybody remember such fireplace?
The hearth was of freshly painted red
brick, and the mantel was high beyond
the reach of the children. The brass
candlesticks were turned up in a row,
and the almanac hung at one end. The
shovel and tongs had their separate cor
ners, and there was crane in the back
of the fireplace, where the tea-kettle used
sometimes to sing like nightingale.
Where are they gomez
There was pantry, too, (have you
seen it?) with a smell of cheese, and
mince pie, doughnuts, and tempting
display of jars tied up with white cloths,
There was always one not SO tightly tied
as the rest, and naughty hands would
reach after the peach preserves some
times. Anybody know where all those
pantries have gone? There were two old
rocking-chairs, with cushions pieced up
| from scraps of dresses. The paint was
worn from the arms, and they tipped
over if you rocked too far back, but We
wish they could be found.
There was a kitchen, too. 1t went
away with all the rest. A sweet kitchen
| where there was always a smell of good
| dinners, spicy and aromatic odor of
garden herbs. No tea or coffee has ever
been found since with such a delicious
aroma. There are thousands of great
residences with every modern appliance
for comfort, where they have state din
ners with no end of pomp and show and
| style; where the china is costly and the
epergnes are of cut glass and silver, and
the wines are costly.
They are splendid, but somehow, to-
day, we want the old lost house. There
are echoes which come down from its
smoky rafters, and they fall upon the
heart with mingled feeling of pleasure
and pain. There are voices, and foot
steps and laughter, and songs, and the
patter of baby feet all mingled in the
echoes Sounds that We shall never
hear again save in the mystic hall of
memory. Reader, you know of such a
house, and you can tell why the mention
of holidays brings nameless longing
TO look once more into the old empty
rooms once SO thronging with life,
! kchoing with girlish laughter,
Ringing with boyish strife
Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1881-09-22

EYES," remarked musical critic
recently from Kansas, "the fiddlin' wa,
bully; but ! tell you when, that fat chap
with the big moustache laid hold Of the
bass fiddle and went for them low notes
In the violin-cellar, / just felt Is if a
buzxsaw was a playin' Yankee Doodle en-
my backbone"
Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-09-02
Feed Dairy Cows Literally.

We believe the dairyman should study
how he may produce all the food neces.
sary for his COWS upon his farm, and
that he should make all the provision
that an intelligent foresight can do; but
he should never suffer his herd to go
with deficient food, even for one week.
for this he cannot afford to do. And
that we may encourage him to be lib
eral, even when his pasture is short,
and he has no extra green food for them,
let us compare the cost OF nutriment in
some by-product, such as bran, cotton
seed meal, liuseed meal, corn meal, ETC.,
some one of which the dairyman may
always find near at hand, with pasture
grass. Pasture grass has about eighty
per cent. of water, and the nutriment
in one hundred pounds of it is supposed
to be worth twenty-one cents. The
nutriment of nineteen pounds of fine
bran is just equal to one hundred
pounds of pasture grass; ten pounds of
cotton-seed meal; twelve pounds of
linseed meal, or nineteen pounds of
corn meal is equal to one hundred
pounds of grass. Now one hundred
pounds of pasture grass is ration for
an ordinary cow per day. If the
pasture, then, is short one-third, one
half or in any other proportion, it is
easy to make up this deficiency by feed
ing some one or several of these foods,
which are so easily handled. 1t is sell.
dom that more than one-third would
have to be fed to make full ra-
tion on short pasture. Let us suppose the
dairyman to be feeding seven pounds OF
t,,a hra,,. th;c at
2.Sper day, or about 10 cents per week.
Now, the extra milk per week produced
by this bran would much more than pay
the cost. If he should feed, instead of
bran, four pounds of linseed meal, ii
would cost him about twenty eight
cents per week; or if three and one
third pounds of cottonseed meal, it
would cost twenty-five cents per week;
or six and one-third pounds of corn
meal it would cost from twenty to thir-
ty-five cents per COW per week. If he
has the command of all these, let him
make up a ration nearly as follows
Four pounds bran. one-half pound lin
seed meal and one and one-half pounds
corn meal to each COW per day, which
will, in most cases, cost only twenty
cents per week, and will keep a gener.
Gus flow of milk till the fall rains renew
the pasture, and then the extra food car
he discontinued. We have known
Inanv who have used an extra ration
similar to this during short pasture, anc
never found one who reported it un
profitable. The ration may be variet
to suit all circumstances. Corn mea
will be found cheap in some localities
but it is always best to mix some brar
with it; and in most parts of all ou
broad dairy belt bran will be found tn,
cheapest extra food to make up fo
short pasture. National Live- StocJ
| ,IOHru0l
Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-09-02
Jute I'm Louisiana.

The experiments made this year on
the tract of the Louisiana Land and
Reclamation Company demonstrate
that on the sea marshes jute will grow
under almost any circumstances. A
plat was put in jute Immediately ad-
joining the rice field, and has been eX-
posed to precisely the same treatment.
When the rice was flooded the jute was
also subjected to the same hydropathic
culture. 1t has fiourished under it, and
within six weeks has grown TO the
height of five or six feet, and an enor-
nous crop is now assured. This ex-
pertinent is particularly valuable, as it
demonstrates that land just reclaimed
from the marsh, and a soil, which for a
depth of eighteen inches is mass of
roots that are difficult to destroy, can
be at once seeded in iute, and the
growth OF these plants will be so viger-
Gus that they will supplant all other
vegetation. Captain Allen had no idea
of meeting with any success in jute
planting under such conditions, but is
now confident that nothing is wanting
to secure growth of the plant. The
handling of the crop when it is mature
is quite another matter, but the com
pany will doubtless accomplish some
thing in the direction of devising an
economical method of separating the
fiber.-Net0 Orleans Picaytne.
Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-09-02
Action OF Coffee and Sugar on the
Stomach,

In paper presented to the Societe
de Biologie Nj. Leven states that coffee,
so far. as is often supposed, from accel-
Grating the digestive process of the
stomach. rather tends to impede this.
When thirty grammes of coffee, diluted
in one hundred and fifty OF water, is
given to dog, which is killed five
hours and half afterward, the stom-
ach is found pale, its mucous surface
being anemc, and the vessels of its
external membrane contracted. The
whole organ exhibits marked appear
ance of annmia. Coffee thus deter
mining an emia of the mucous men-
brane, preventing rather than favorin9
vascular congestion, and opposing rath-
er than facilitating the secretion of gas
trio juice, how comes it that the sense
OF comfort is procured for SO many peo-
Pile who are accustomed to take coffee
after mealP A repast, in fact, pro-
drces, in those whose digestion is tor
pid. u heaviness OF the intellectual fac
ulties and EN- 3arrassment of the power
of thinking; and these effects, and the
sturbance of the head, are promptly
dissipated by the stimulant effect which
the coffee produces on the nervous CEN
lCls. hS sllOWu Nv experiments Wlth
casein. Coliee and tea, when taken in
excess, are frequent cause of dyspep-
sia, for the anemic condition of the mu-
cous embrane being periodically re.
newed. permanent state of congestion
is at last produced, which constitutes
dyspepsia. Sugar, which with many
doctors has bad reputation, is an ex-
cellent aliment which assists digestion,
and should not be prescribed in dys-
pepsia. BY experiment, digestion of
meat is found to take place much more
completely when sugar is added. Cof-
fee exerts both local and general ac-
ton, operating locally by means of its
tannin, by diminishing the caliber of
the vessels. but acting on the general
economy by exciting the nervous CEN
ters and the muscular system, 1t rem
ders digestion slower, and is only of
good effect by relieving the torpor after
meals. Its Injurious action ON diges-
ton may be corrected by adding sugar
so as TO counterbalance its effects on
the mucous membrane. This adding
sugar to coffee is not only q pleasant
practice, but one contributing to diges-
tion. Scientific american.
Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-09-02
A Rat.Pr0of Corn Crib.

A correspondent of the Practical
Farmer gives the following directions
for making that most necessary OF farm
buildings, q rat-proof corn crib. "Build
q good substantial house, twelve feet
wide, eight feet high, and as long as
you want it. This will give you two
cribs, one on either side. Put your
building on stone pillars, one foot above
ground. Side up with lath two and
half by one inches of hard wood q used
oak,) putting them on up and down,
being careful to have them Just half an
inch apart. The gables and any part of
the building that does not come In con
tact with the corn, can be sided up with
common pine boards; for bottoms OF
cribs, laths lengthwise, one-half inch
apart; balance OF floor between cribs
lay tight, of pine board. My building
has string of ties between the sill and
plate to nail to, and cross ties to hold
the building together. Every eight feet
on these ties spike good strong stud
ding or narrow plank across them
lengthwise of the building rs far from
plate as you want the width of top OF
crib. then set up studding from floor,
as many as will be sufficiently strong
for crib; mortice the end in floor, gain
the top into the horizontal studding
about threc-quarters of an inch, then
lath the inside of the crib with any kind
of lath, just close enough to keep in the
corn, commencing ten inches from the
floor to leave room for the corn to come
down into the trough, putting these
lath on lengthwise. Then put com
mon sized door in the end, between the
cribs. You can put n lock on the door
and all is secure. Q did not lock mine,
and gained something by it, as | found
stray mitten in the crib on a cold
morning.) To get the corn in the crib
make doors above the plate the size you
want them, the same as dormer win
dows, and hang the doors on, and it
will be completed. If any one wishes
to have n granary, they can use one
side of the building for that purpose,
and the other for crib. The size of my
cribs is three feet in the clear at bot
tom and live feet ut top, but | am well
satisfied they might be much wider and
still the corn would cure we'll Any
one wanting wider cribs can build the
house wide enough to suit have used
this crib for about ten years and can
recommend it as an entire success The
secret of this crib is putting the lath on
up and down; this gives no place for
the rats to stand on TO cut holes. and
the building being one foot above
ground they cannot reach the bottom.
We are infested with swarms of gray
rats, and there is not building on the
farm from which we can keep them out
of except the corn crib. We keep corn
over year until the new crop is gath
cred in perfect safety.
Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-09-02
The Restorative Power in Nature.

Equally worthy of admiration, and
all but equally complex, is the process
by which nature repairs fractured
limb, especially when the injury is such
that the broken ends OF the bones can
not be brought exactly into their prop
er positions. 1t is remarkable, too,
how she adapts her process to the diff
ferent habits of her patients. In the
case of n simple fracture, if the parts
that have been disjointed are set close
together in their normal line, if it be
the leg of dog, for example, there is
trst hard sheath called "callus," :"
formed round the fracture, and this
"callus" permits u restricted use of
the injured limb, even before the two
parts have grown together. 1t is, how
ever, only IL temporary provision, ne
cesstated by the natural restlessness of
the lower animals. After the fracture
has completely healed the "callus"
gradually disappears. A human case
be broken rib (Which requires the
provision in consequence OF an inces-
SAINT motion in respiraJlon), the healing
takes place ordinarily without the form
alton of any outer "callus." Some.
times the broken ends cannot be, or, at
all events, are not, brought into their
proper relative positions. Is il possible,
1t may be asked, that nature can pro-
vide the means for meeting such an
emergency when, that is to say, the
two portions OF bones to be joined are
all awrV, aud sometimes quite new-in
fact, kind of bridge, and II bridge not
only serving the purpose OF solid
connection between opposite banks. but
like the bridges which carry the appli
ances OF modern civilization. connect
ing the nerves which answer to the
telegraph wires and the veins and arte
ries corresponding to our water and
other condui has to be constructed
Nature S engineering is equal even tc
this task. Omitting anatomical de
tails, we may simply say that she con
structs new and extraordinary piece
of bone. which serves to unite tn,
broken ends, the jagged and sharp pro
jectons of which she carefully round
off. But we must now take leave o
the sub,ect and commend it to tn,
thoughtful consideration OF the reader
who will recognize in all this the mar
velous wisdom OF our great Creator.