davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-22
Electricity in China.

While profoundly scorning the west
ern barbarian or, as they profoundly
designate him, the foreign devil
Cinnamon, whose capacity for attend
ing to their own interests is justly re-
nowned, exhibit praiseworthy alacrity
in turning to account scientific inven-
tions owing their origin to European
ingenuity and research. The electric
telegraph, however, has hitherto baffaed
their endeavors to utilize it, through its
intrinsic inadaptabilitv to the peculiar
tiles of the Celestial written language.
They found it impracticable to pack
away $4,000 or 10000 characters into a
telegraph code; and, had they sur
mounted the difficulty, another insu-
perable obstacle stared them in the face
the fact that the meaning of many
Chinese characters depend upon vocal
infections not reproducable by any ar
bitrary sign. Telegraphy, therefore,
has failed to take root in the Flowery
Land as popular institution. Not SO
with the telephone, which speaks Chi
nese no less fuently and accurately
than English, French, or any other
Western idiom. It has, consequently,
been adopted with enthusiasm in the
realm of the Dragon, and will doubt
less, ere long, be gravely claimed as a
native discovery several thousand years
old by the patriotic Pundits who stead
lastly maintain that gunpowder, steam
locomotion, photography and the print
ing press were familiar to Chinese men
of science at an epoch considerably an
tecedent to the Noachian deluge.-Lon-
don Telegraph.
San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-22
Advertisements are News.

The Albany Press says: Good, fresh
advertisements are not the least inter
esting and valuable portion of news
paper. We have been told that APRON
inent New York journalist hoped to see
the day when the profits on the circu-
lation of his paper would be SO large
that he could dispense with advertising
altogether. We think he is mistaken
in his opinion of advertising and news
papers. Advertisements aIe news. They
tell the reader what they want to know
where goods can be bought; what
they are sold for; who has houses to
rent or sell; who wishes to purchase
real estate; where employment and Ia
Dor can be obtained; and a thousand
other things that they want to know.
II is an error to suppose that only the
editors and reporters supply news wor b
reading. The skillful advertiser fur
nishes a goods share of it, and if there
are any readers who fail to look over
the advertising columns Of their paper
they miss q great deal Of information
that would prove valuable 10 them.
San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-22
The Editorial Desk.

People have heard for centuries of
the museum which is contained in a
boys pockets, and the wild and daz-
cling army of curiosities from the four
quarters of the globe, which are con-
cealed in the recesses Of young lady's
portmonaie, but it has remained for the
heayeu-born genius who pens these lines
to write up the editors desk.
For the sake of convenience, We will
take our own desk and dissect it.
The desk on which we are writing is
a fiat black walnut arrangement, with
drawers on the left down to the floor
and pigeon holes on the right, leaving
q square aperture between, through
which we run our legs, allowing them
10 protrude about a yard beyond the
desk, and to daily with the letter press
on the other side. While writing q
San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-22
At NIGHTFALL.

Coming along w tue meadows.
Just after the sun went down,
Wstah,ng the gathering shadows
Creep over the hilltops brown;
Coming along in the cleaning,
With never o star IN the Ky,
Nv thoughts went . roaming, Arosm'"R
Through days that sro io'g gone n.y.
Dnys when desire said: Tomorrow,
marrow. heat, we'll be gay!"
nav. ere the heart heard the sorrow
Mi III echoes through yesterday.
Life was goblet burnished.
THAT with love for wine WAS niiod;
The cup 10 bruised and tsrn'shed,
And the precious wine II spilled
But TO the traveller weary,
lust coming In sight OF home.
What does il matter how drcsry
The way whereby he has come! "
Coming along by the meadows,
And watokiug the fading day,
Duskier than nights dusky shadows
Fell shadows Of yesterday.
In tho northern sunsets glimmef
Tn. Great Bear opened his eyes;
Low in the east = ahlmmtr
Showed where the full moon would rise.
Ldebts In window were cleaning,
And some one stood At = gate,
Said: why do you stand there dream'ng'
And why are you home 40 later
Yesterday's shadows and sorrows
That moment all vanished away!
Here were to-day and TO morrow;
What matter for yesterday!
San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-22

decp and dear affections which make
life desirable. He had lived for him
self, and he had boarded up the dross
Of wealth and permitted the fountain
II deep affection TO dry up in his soul.
He had forgotten his kindred, he re-
membcred not the old familiar faces
that used 10 bless him at the fireside.
But now, rs il Providence had directed
II all, q little jewel, his brothers mark,
came TO him, even az tho day star comes
to the devotee, to direct his thoughts
TO heaven and humanixe his feeling
The strong man is subdued! He is no
longer the man bound up in gold hut
the man made and renewed in the i'm
age OF the God OF Lowell But let him
weep; the tears will do him good, for
they are not only tears of deep contri-
ton for past sins Of omission, but drops
that will bring blessing on more than
one sorrowing heart. Hear him while
he speaks TO her: LG.y
@Young lady, ! do not ask your name.
The man who owned this jewel was the
son Of my father, and my brother by a
tie almost a. sacred az that Of blood.
Was he your father? Tell mel"
"He was my father. SIR
aThen am your uncle; take me to
your mother. Henceforth our fortunes
are one-my home shall be yours, and
you shall be my daughter
There were three happy hearts that
day in a small house in one Of the lanes
in that crowded city-a toll, dark look
ing man, with iron-gray hair and strong
features, yet now bearing q subdued
aspect, and a moistened eye; a widow
ed invalid, with a placid smile irradiat-
ing her calm and beautiful features;
and a young girl, gentle in her sub
iued beauty; blessing God that His
smile had sanctifed the last relic.
San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-22

IDLENEss is the bane of body and
mind, the nurse of naughtiness, the
stepmother OF discipline, the chief au
thor of all mischief, and one Of the
seven deadly sins, the cushion upon
which the devil chiefly reposes, and .
great cause, not only of melancholy,
but of other diseases; for the mind is
naturally active, and, if it be not occu-
pied about honest business, it rusbes
into mischief or sinks into melancholy .
HoUsEKEEPEE: How can You tell II
an egg is bad? One way to tell is 70
taste it, If it makes you so sick yO1
want to die to get nd of the taste yea
can feel pretty sure it's bad egg
San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-22
western Bonanzas.

The Sun, is in receipt of number OF
exchanges from the States and Territof'
les where silver and gold mining is in
dulged in, and to read these reports OF
the rich strikes that are being made
every hour in the day and night. and the
millions upon millions Of dollars worth
of ore that is in sight, all ready to knock
off with club, we are led to wonder
how it is that there is poor man any
where west of the Missouri river. 1t
would seem that every man must have
all the money he wants, and yet we are
told that even in Colorado there are men
who are not rich, men who even suffer
for the necessaries of life. Men who
have mines that are full of ore assaying
hundreds of dollars to the ton, actually
fail in business at times. The fact Is
that while there is silver in plenty out
there, it takes as much work to get it
as it does to raise crops of grain on the
farm, and where one strikes it rich
ninety and nine walk home on their
uppers. The most of the money that is
made in mining is made from those
who carry money to the mines from the
States. Ninety-nine times in hun
bred not enough is struck to pay for
the time fooled away, and the abandon
ed hole is all that anybody has to show
for the outlay. 1t is estimated that in
twenty years Colorado will be one vast
gopher hole. A few men will be rich
and settle down in Denver, and other
pretty places and live and die, while
hundreds of thousands will go some
where else and dig more holes, or oc-
cupy graves with no marks to show who
they were, and people in the States who
sent their money and didn't go will
thank their stars.-Pecks Sun.
San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-22
Benton and Foote.

I happened to be in tho Senate on
April II, just before the memorable
Traces between Foote. OF Mississippi,
and Col. Benton. They had had an
unfriendly encounter not long before,
and it was we'll understood that Benton
had made up his mind that Foots
should not henceforward name him or
allude to him in debate. Foote was on
the floor. and, in speaking OF the late
Southern Address," referred to Ben.
ton in terms which everybody under.
stood. In an indirect way he became
more and more personal as he proceed.
ed. Col. Benton finally rose from his
seat with every appearance OF intense
passion, and, with quick pace, moved
towards Foote, who was addressing the
Senate from his desk in the main aisle
The Vice President demanded 3Order,'
and several Senators tried to hold Ben.
ton back; but he broke loose from his
keepers, and was moving rapidly upon
his foe. When he sow Benton nearing
him, Foote sprang into the main aisle
and retreated toward the Vice Presi.
dent. presenting a pistol as he ned, OF,
as he afterward expressed it, as he "ad.
vanced backward" In the meantime
Benton had been so INSTRUCTED by the
Sergeant at Arms and others that Foote,
if disposed to shoot, could not have
done so without firing through the
crowd. But Benton, with several Sc
majors hanging to him, now proceeded
round the lobby SO as to meet Foote at
the opposite side Of the chamber. Tear
ing himself away from those who
sought to hold him, and throwing open
his bosom, no said: "Let him shoot me!
The cowardly assassin has come here
to shoot me let him shoot me, If he
dares! I never carry arms, and he
knows it; let the assassin fire!" He
was an embodied fury, and ragged and
raved, the helpless victim of his pas
sions. I had never seen such an up
roar in Legislative body; but the Ser
at last restored order,
when Mr.. Clay suggested that both par
ties should voluntarily enter into bonds
to keep the peace; upon which Benton
instantly rose, and said: "I'll rot in jail,
sir, before I will do it. No, sirl Ill rot
in Jail first; I'll rot sir!" and he poured
forth fresh torrant of bitter words
upon the man who was then so well
known throughout the Northern States
as "Hangman Foote. "-George ".
of Indiana.
San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-22
Temperance Rewarded.
Chicago Alliance

In the early part of the late war,
when General Grant was in command
of the army before Vicksburg, q num-
Der of officers we're gathered at the
headquarters having o pleasant social
time. One of them invited the party
to Join in social glass; oil but one ac-
cepted. He asked to be excused, saying
that he "never drank" The hour pass
ed, and each went his way to his re-
spective command.
A few days after this the officer who
declined to drink received q note from
General Grant to report at headquar-
tiers. He obeyed his order, and was
soon in the presence of the general.
Grant said to him: "You are the off,
Ger, believe" for their acquaintance
was slight, "who remarked the other
day that you never d1ank?" The Off
Ger modestly answered that he was.
"Then," continued the General, "you
are the man have been looking for to
take charge of the commissary depart
ment, and order that you be detailed
to that duty" He served his country
faithfully to the close of the war, and
was honorably discharged. Years pass
ed, and Grant had come to be Presi-
dent. The officer had settled down to
the duties of private life, and the little
incident was cherished as pleasant
memory. =
The trouble on the border between
Texas and Mexico along the Rio Grande
attracted the attention of Congress, and
a commission was ordered to ascertain
the facts and report. Again President
Grant remembered the man who never
drank" and appointed him chairman Of
the board. The place was accepted,
and he entered faithfully upon the
work; the report submitted shows the
thoroughness with which the duty was
discharged.
While engaged in this work he made
tho acquaintance of gentleman who
owned an extensive cattle ranch In
Southern Texas. The acquaintance in
spired confidence, and years after, when
the Texas gentleman decided to sell his
ranch, he placed it in the hands OF the
man awho never drank" and during
the last month he has effected a sale to
an English company of the ranch OF
200, 900 acres of land, and several thou
sand head of cattle, for an even 81 ,OOO,-
900, out of which he gets a commission
that will be snug fortune in these
hard times. The company that bought
will enter largely upon packing beef for
foreign markets, slaughtering their
meat on their ranch from their own
herds. The superintendent OF their
business has been rendered to and &C
cepted by the man who "never drank, !"
and he goes in a few days to his new
field of labor. This takes from Chicago
one of her most esteemed and honora-
BILE citizens, but it gives one to Texas
who will always be found on the side OF
order and good government.
San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-22


|deep and particularly choice and al
wool editorial, we scratch one ioo'
against the other and dig our toes into
the carpet.
We state this simply to enlighten the
average rea Ter on one OF the pecuiia'
phases of genius.
On the top of the desk are the Free
Press, Hamkeye, Oil CITY Derrick ana
some other exchanges, with their yitals
cut out. Near by are the iron scissors
with wabbly blades, that have done the
damage. -,
There is also glass inkstand. with
some coagulated ink and dead flies in
it, a match box with no matches in IT,
four crippled and disabled pens, a pile
of neglected and discovered bills
with the editors name at the head, and
apparently sent by anonymous parties
as there is no signature at the bottom.
Then there is q cob pipe, with the
end of the stem chewed up, and show
ing what an inspired grip the editor
holds it when he writes poem on The
Gold, Dead Memories OF the Busted
Past" '
On top Of all these, some blank paper
and manuscript are corded about nine
feet high. n m oa tJM,ase
In the first drawer are some envel'
opes. an unanswered letter from Queen
Victoria, and package OF Old Judge
smoking tobacco. ioe /.
In q second drawer there are lot OF
letter. heads, some bill-heads, poem on
aTowser's Excursion in the Flume,'
and pair of kids once white as the
beautiful snow, but now considerably
damaged. ao a.s A.n az .-a
Then there is faded spray of mig.
nonette, or catnip. or something OF that
character, q bit Of pale blue ribbon that
fell from her hair in the cherished long
ago, and near it q forgotten $40 gold
piece, an annual pass over the Panama
canal. defunct meal ticket and o Glove.
In the third drawer is Q letter from
Roscoe Conkling, acknow ledging the re-
ceipt of the last speech we wrote for
him, and promising us that he would
quit chewing tobacco next fall. Then
there are lot of expired passes over
various eastern roads,, an old deck OF
cards that we secured at great cost, IN
tending to write caustic article on the
vice Of High, Low, Jack and the Game.
In the pigeon-holes are letters from
Eli Perkins and Mr.. Childs, and poem
on "The Sore Eyed Pollywog's Sorrow
full Fund.-" by Henry Ward Beecher,
but having been written on both sides,
it was laid aside.
Then there are also, an assortment OF
fly hooks, some silk lines, and a leather
covered Etruscan jar, with the almost
forgotten fragrance inside, OF fattle-
snake antidote and cramp discourager.
Then there is leather book, with an.
other assortment of hook, one still
baited with the dried mummy OF a
grasshopper.
Beside these there are two stubs OF
lead pencils, cigar-holder, well-worn
Bible, and confidential postal card
from George Washington, asking If it
would be advisable to cross the Della
ware on the ice in August.
In little box, snugly imbedded in
jewelers. cotton, lis bent and dlsfig-
ured suspender button, rusted with in
Vulnerable tear-drops and grimy with
time and disuse. It is all that is mortal
of the man who asked: as this hot
enough for you?"
San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-22

In the upper part of Sonoma county,
Cal, o railroad track crosses a deep
ravine upon the upright trunks of tall
trees, which have been sawed off upon
a horizontal line. In the centre of the
ravine firm support is furnished by two
huge redwood trees which have been
Topped off rs feet above the ground.
A CAT is not aslarge as a steam piano,
but il can make more noise when fully
aroused.
San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-22

do you know who built the ark p
asked q Sunday school teacher Of lit
tie street Arab; and the little fellow re-
Piled: ~Navi'
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1881-12-14
She Found Him.

The following story, says the Wash
ington Capital, is true in every de-
tail: "A milliner of respectability
married dissipated tailor, who
abused, neglected and abandoned her.
Several years having passed without
clew to his whereabouts, her friends
advised divorce and her acceptance
.of,an advantageous offer of marriage.
The woman persistently declined
every offer, and when she had accu,
INFLATED sufficient sum started of
in the direction her husband was
supposed to have taken when he left
her. AT Halifax, N. S., she received
q slight clew, and took the steamer
to Portland, Maine. Thence she fol-
lowed his track to New York, where
she ceased for many mouths 10 hear
from him. Finally she found that he
was working in Albany, for which
place she Immediately started. She
was about a week too late; he had
been discharged for drunkenness.
Spending hesdays at lucrative work
and her evenings at detective SER
vice, the unwearying wife at length
discovered that he was employed by
a lage firm in Chicago. She wrote
there, and was answered that her
husband had gone away, nobody
knew where. Not satisfied with this
she travelled to that city and ran
sacked every concern interested in
the tailoring business there, until
she met a fellow-countryman who
said that her husband when last
heard from was in Omaha. She
wrote there, got no answer, but went
on. There she heard that he had
certainly left for San Francisco,
where he had obtained q fine place
as cutter in large firm. She OF
course went thither, only to be told
that her husband had been several
days away from work, and drinking
hard. He had not been even at his
boarding house. This led her to Wis
it the station houses, and in one Of
them she ascertained that her hus.
band was in Jail for ten days. He
was released and prevailed to to re-
turn home after six years ABSENCE
All this occurred eighteen years ago,
and to-day the prodigal husband OF
yore is strict temperance man, in
independent circumstances, a model
husband and father and a respected
citizen.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1881-12-14
Good Stables for Horses.

Some Of the holes into which
horses are put cannot be called sta
bles. There is often no light but
what can get in through the cracks
of the doors or sides, no ventilation
or means for proper drainage. To
care for the comfort and health Of
horses should be the first thing to be
considered when building or repair.
ing horse stable. Pure air and
sufficient light should be given mall
stables when possible. To secure a
constant supply of pure air horses
require more cubic space than is gen,
orally allowed them, both in height
of stable and number Of square feet
of floor allowed to each horse
Proper ventilation is a very impor,
tant item in the general makeup OF
the stable. When practicable, put
windows into the south side of the
stable, to allow the horses to get the
benefit of the sunshine. Animals Of
all kinds keep in better condition
when well stabbed.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1881-12-14
Corn Stalks for Henyes.

A correspondent of the Ohio Farm,
er, says he has had horse having
the usual symptoms of broken wind,
or heayes. He began to feed him
corn stalks, and he began to grow
better; has now fed him four winters,
and he is apparently sound. But if
he fed him dusty hay of any kind,
two days, the symptoms appear, and
he coughs considerably. He would
not feed a horse clover hay. Good
timothy, with some red top, or the
bluejoint of low lands, or good corn
fodder is good enough. Let the cat
tie have the clover.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1881-12-14
Seed Germ.

1t is decidedly the best for the
farmer to obtain for seed the best
corn he possibly can in his immedi.
ate vicinity. If he has not already
selected his seed for next year from
that which he planted last spring,
now is the time while husking. &c.
lect the best twin ears and the best
one of the two, which is generally
the upper one. Do not select an ear
that is not well tipped out with per-
fectly formed kernels. In this way
the farmer may obtain superior
corn indigenous TO his own farm.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1881-12-14
FARM ITEMS.
Pneumonia in Horses.

The stable should be a comfortable
place; not too cold, and yet well ven
tilated. Give The horse clothing &C.
cording to the weather, but do not
change from heavy blanket to a
light one, nor 10 one that is damp
Keep the legs warm with bandages.
Give few drops Of the tincture of
aconite root in a cupful Of cold water,
and repeat the dose under the advice
Of skilled veterinary surgeon, or
perhaps, your own family physician,
every few hours, until FIVE or six
doses have been given, which will
probably cause the horse to perspire
freely. Care should be taken not to
allow the horse to stand in a draught
Of air. Do not bleed as some recon-
mend. After the horse has taken
sufficient tincture Of aconite root, as
soon as he seems to have an appetite
for food, a pint Of crushed oats, thor
oughly scalded, may be given during
the day. Great care should be taken
not to allow the horse a large amount
Of food at one time, which would
overload the stomach, and might
cause a return Of the disease. Little
and often must be the rule at first,
and then the quantity must be in
creased, while the frequency is dimin-
ishcd. Do not give any hay for sew
eral days. Raw eggs and other nour.
ishing and stimulating articles may
be given, if the horse shows signs Of
weakness. The nourishmcnt should
be in q concentrated form, and hay
and grass should be kept from the
horse for few days, and then given
in quantities small at first and grad.
ually increased. The horse will not
lie down until improvement has tax.
en- place.-American Cuitirator.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1881-12-14
Riches Not Happiness.

Riches, without meekness and
thankfnlness, do not make any man
happy; but riches with them remove
many fears and cares. Therefore our
advice is, that you endeavor to be
honestly rich or contentedly poor;
but be sure that your riches are hon.
cstly got or you spoil all. For it is
said: ale that loses his conscience
has nothing left that is worth keep.
ing"