davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-04-14

pIa nS 1ayorlte Steamers Forest City and John
Plooks VIII alternately leave FRANKLIN WHARF
O'CLOCK p. m. daily, Sundays excepted).
Passengers by this line are reminded that they Sc
cure comfortable nights rest and avoid the expense
and inconvenience of arriving in Boston late at night
Ef- Tickets and Staterooms for sale at D. il.
VQUNG'S, 272 Middle Street.
Through Tickets to New York via the yarious
Rail and Sound Lines for sale at very low rates
Freight taken as usual.
aprb as
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-04-14
MAINE CENTRAL RAILROAD,

On and after Dec. 10Th, 1850,
Passenger Trains leave Portland
For Auburn and Lewiston, at 1890 and
900 p. m. and for Lewiston vim Brunswick,
at 100 a. M and Ills p. m.
& skowhegan at 1880, II. 40, and IL Is D. m.
For Augusta, HalloweIl, Gardiner, and
Brunswick at 100 a. m. 12.4O, SIG, and
For Rockland and all stations on Knox & Lin
coin Z; R., and for bennington, via Brunswick
For bath at 700 a. M, and 12.4O and 6.16 D. m,
For Pennington, Phillips, Monmouth,
Winthrop, keadfeld, West Wa1erviiIe,
North Anson and Waterville via Lewiston
For Wa.ervilIe via Augusta. 7:ooam
The Ills p. m. train is .he Night Express, with
Pullman sleeping car attached and runs every
night, Sundays included
Close connections are made at Bangor for all
stations on the Bucksport Bangor, Bangor g. Pts
cataquis and E. & N. A. Railways: the Maine Cen
trail X. r. forming with the E. g. N. A. g. st. john
nd Maine Railways,
The Provincial & New England All Rail Line
Night Sstw sss Bansor sna st. joint
two trains each way, every week day, and one
and Ct. John, Halifax, and all paris of the
mariii9e Provinces; trains leaving Portland at
nscaon ana 9TH p m The latter making
Fort Fairfield and Carbon.
Limited Tickets for st. j ohm and Hail.
fax ON sale mt reduced rates.
Passenger Trains arrive in Portland as
follows:-The morning trains from Augusta, Bath,
and Lewiston at $3.50 and $40 a. m. The day
trains from Bangor, and all intermediate and
branch stations and connecting roads at 40
and 1880 p. m. The afternoon trains from Au-
gusta, Bath, and Lewiston at 5.45 p. m. The
Night Pullman Express train at so a. M From
st. John and Halifax at 1850 p. m. and l.5O
a.. m.
Portland. Dec 49, 1850. A'' sup
dec13
The Hickman courier., 1881-10-21
Dime Novel StorT.

About midnight Mike Snatcher, an
Irishman, employed at Fleming's coal
elevator, appeared In StOrrs Station, and
told Lieut.. Sargent that his wife was
down on board a river shanty, with
a man named Mike Stretnan. The
Lieutenant, accompanied by Sergeant
hnoppe, went down to the boat. The
guilty wife heard them coming, and,
running out In her night clothes, sprang
into the river. Her clothing caught on
a spike, and there she hung. The officers
leaned over and were endeavoring to pull
her out, when Stretman appeared with a
keen-edged ak in his hand and exclaimed,
What are you trying to drown that
woman for ?" Then seeing Snatcher he
struck vicious blow at him, which
would have laid his head open had he
not lodged. Then Stretmeu turned and
trled to strike Lieut. Sargent, who
ssvaded the blow and grabbed with him.
In the scuffle that ensued both men fell
into the river. The Sergeant seeing
good opportunity fired shot at STREET
man, but missed his aim. and he like
wise sprang into the river to assist the
Lieutenant. Between them they dragged
otretman to shore, rescued the woman
ana took the whole party to the station,
"nere the man was locked up for assault
with intent to kill, and the woman for
Vagrancy.-Ctncinn Gazette.
The Hickman courier., 1881-10-21
Frontier Criticism.

The editor of mining camp news
paper went to Denver to hear Emma Alb
bott sing. and III a lengthy review of the
opera. saws ''As a singer she can Just
wallop the hose off anything that ever
wagged a jaw on the boards. From her
clear, bird-like upper notes she would
counter away down on the bass racket
and then cushion back to sort off spirit
ual treble which made every man IL the
audience imagine every hair on his head
was the golden string ef celestial harp
over which angelic fingers were sweeping
in the inspiring old tune Of ''Sally put
the kettle on. Here she would rest
awhile, trilling like an enchanted bird,
and then hop III among the upper notes
again with a git-up-and git vivacity that
lugled the glass pendants on the chande-
hers and elected a whoop of pleasure
from every galoot IN the mob. In the
last act she made neat play and worked
in that famous kiss of hers on Caste. He
had her In his arms, with her head "
ing on his shoulder and her eyes shoot
ing red-hot streakes of galvanized love
right into his All at once her lips be-
gan to twitch cOaxingIy and get into po-
sition, and when he tumbled to her
racket he drew her up easy like, shut his
eyes, and then her ripe, luscious lips
glued themselves to his and thrill of
pleasure nabbed hold of him and shook
him to till the audience could almost
hear his toe nails grind against his boots.
Then she shut her eyes and pushed
harder and-oh, Moley Hoses the
smack that followed the stitching IN
every masculine heart in thehouse. She's
a thoroughbred right from the start, and
the fellow that takes in her kisses is more
to be envied than the haughtiest mon
arch that ever squatted down ON a gold
plated throne"
The Hickman courier., 1881-10-21
The Moon and the Weather.

NJ. de Parville has published IN the
journal 0tcs DebdtS, a paper on temper
ancc. In the course of the article he
raises the question as to whether the dry
ness of the past summer could have been
fOreseen, and answers it IN the affirma-
tive. Having then referred to the in
fluence of solar action on the atmosphere.
he SAYS "A very long series of OBJ
servations has also shown that the moon.
which passes every month from one
hemisphere to the other, influences the
direction Of the great atmospheric cur
rents. The changes in those currents,
IN consequence OF the prevailing mois-
ture or dryness, are intimately connected
with the relative position for the time be-
ing of the sun and the moon. The dis
tauce of the moon from the equator
varies every year, passing from a maxi
mum TO a minimum limit; and the mete-
orological characterof a series Of years ap-
pears to be mainly dependent upon tie
change of inclination when those eX-
trcme limits have been touched Oh
seryatiOns prove that the rainy years,
the cold winters and hot summers ]. turn
periodically, and coincide with certain
decliuatiOns of the moon. In our lati-
tudes the rainy Years occur when the
moons declination has touched It's ex-
treme limits of 2S, 26 or Is degrees res
pectiyely. They are separated from
each other usually 10y periods of about
three years, and then six years" NJ. de
Parville then gives list of rainy years
running back to 1888. the most recent
being 1879, 1876, 1872, 1866, 1859. 1886
and 1858, in each of which the moon 5
declination was either %. 26 or Is, be-
ginning with 26 degrees in 1879 and run-
ming back IN the order named. The
severe winter, ne says, coincide as a rule
within n year of the same dcclinations.
The dry summers come naturally IN the
middle of the period which divides two
wet years. The next wet year ought to
coincide with the declina'ion of Is de
grees, therefore. with the year 1854. as
the last was 1879 with the declination of
26 degrees. Between the two years
comes the period of maximum dryness,
and 1t may be expected therefore that
the year 1882 viii be another dry year.
The Hickman courier., 1881-10-21
Farming i'm Janan.

Milton s. Vail, missionary in Japan,
gives the following account of japanese
farming:
The farmers in Japan seem to operate
on a small scale All the land belongs
to government. and all have to pay a
good rent. Wheat. barley. rye, and
bucl1whoat are grown in rows, the weeds
being kept out by hoeing. 1t seems
strange 10 see all their grain growing in
rows, but no doubt good crops are thus
produced. Rice Is the chief product Of
Japan. The earth nearly everywhere IS
black, and the black soil of the valleys.
when well cultivated and made TO hold
the water from the ueigLboriug hills,
makes good rice fields The soil is
broken 10y manual labor Men go III TO
the mud up TO their knees. and with Il
long-hladed hoe turn the earth over.
Horses are used to harrow it down, and
when ready, the rice plants are set ont
by hand. The rlce of Japan is very fine,
and the japanese know how to cook it.
With them it Is the principal article Of
foOd-a little rice. with pickles and tea,
often constitutes the meal The people
do not know how TO make bread, but
seem 10 be very fond of it when they can
get it of foreigners. They have -four
which they use il various ways in the
simplest kind Of cookery. [ noticed IN
coming to this place (Hakoue, q mount
ain town forty miles from Yokohama
that at some of the inns, instead of tea,
they gave us a drink made of pounded
wheat. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, egg
plants, corn, melons, cabbages, onions,
and turnips are also grown, and other
vegetables, the names of which ] DO not
know, and never saw in America.
think all the vegetables grown in New
York can be cultivated here. OF fruits,
We have peaches, plums, oranges. straw
berries, pears, and persimmons, also
figs
The Hickman courier., 1881-10-21
A Dron of MateA

We read frequently of th drowning
of good swimmers, who suddnly sink IN
the water without any appaRnt cause.
The common explanation of ach an ac-
cident is that the swimmer is seized
with cramps; but an English naval
officer offers different solution OF the
phenomenon. He bases his theory on
his own experience. His ship was lying
for long time off Alden haror, and it
was the practice for cricketing parties to
swim from the vessel to the slore every
evening, having their clothes sent In a
small boat. OF course therewas a race
to see who would get to the bach first
The writer IN the course oi a sharp
struggle for the lead opened his mouth
to breathe. and some of the spmy flying
In the wind got into his throat and took
the passage down the trachea 81 could
neither, he says, "get any breath in.
nor any out, and l soon began to feel
that | was dying on top of the water.
There must have been a dozen men close
to me, but could not speak, much less
call to them. 1 kept swimming on for
the shore. In about thirty seconds my
senses began to leave me. 1 ceased to
swim, and my legs went down, when
luckily for me they touched the bottom:
violent jump helped me to cough no
the drop of water. 1 staggered on shore
and fell quite exhausted on the beach.
much to the surprise of all the men with
me-" 1t is the opinion of this gentleman
that many fatal accidents to swimmers
are due simply to a drop of water in the
wind-pipe. A conclusive proof that they
are not due to cramp is a fact that a man
rescued within two minutes of sinking in
this mysterious manner is beyond all
hope of resuscitation.
The Hickman courier., 1881-10-21
The Bald Iicnfennnf.

On q certain occasion, while the DGke
of Clarence-afterw William w.
was Lord High Admiral Of tLc Royal
Navy, there was Il poor lieutenant named
Payson, whose nautical skill and daant-
Jess courage gave him plenty of work,
without advancing him in rank In fact,
being poor, and without influential
friends, he had been held AS q convenient
officer to send ont in charge of those
sprigs OF nobility who were made post
captains while ignorant of the simplest
duties of Office. A competent fir -heu-
tenant Is a handy man under such cir
cgmstances.
The occasion to which we have referred
was a reunion of the officers OF the
Squadron which his royal highness OF
Clarence had commanded in the Medi-
terranean; and the Duke and Lieutenant
Payson were both present-tbe lstter
being the older man by several wears.
In the course of the evening some illu-
sion was made to Payson's badness,
whereupon the Lord High Admiral pleas
antIy asked him why he didn't do some
thing to make his hair grow.
"It's of no use, your Grace, while the
cause of my badness Is still forced upen
me, replied Payson, with earnest sol
emnlty.
1.-The cause forced upon you!' re-
peated the Duke IN surprise. . What do
You mean by that? What do you con-
slider to be the cause Of your baldneS?'
'It is very plain, your highness:
Look at my juniors IN the service con-
tiJuallY stepping OUer Hy Head! It
has been so ever since you and I were
on board the Jason frigate together"
I'M
heartily-but thougbtfully; aud on the
very next day Dick Payson received his
commission as Post-Captain in the Royal
Navy
The Hickman courier., 1881-10-21
''Prussian Ledder.

If there Is a merchant in New Orleans
who can sell goods ut any price ne
chooses to fix on them, Rube Hoffensteln'
who keeps a clothing and shoe store on
Poydras street, Is the man.
One day u customer entered his estap-
hshment and inquired: 49,,
''Have you any low quarter galters!
Certainly, my trent. l hafany sdyle
you wish, und someding dot vas neat.
Now here vas a pair uf gaiters vat Is
made uf Prussian ledder, de pest KIND
vat is known, und l dinks dey vii SUIT
you. Suppose you dry dem on.
''All right" replied the customer.
''Vait. my trent, and I'll put a leedle
bowder in. Now dry dem. All, vat
peter shoe you want dan dat? 1t WITS
shust as if somebody takes your meas
ure"
'Its too tight across the instep, said
the customer, rubbing the spot with his
fingers.
at viii sdretch, my dear sir" replied
Hoffenstein persuhsively, 'dot ledder
vas made expressly for stretching"
'But the shoe pinches my toes, also. -
dot is noding; 1t viii go way de first
time it gets vet. You don want TO buy
pair uf Shoes more as dree sizes too
big, und go around de ladies NIT your
feet looking like q couple of railroad
scrapers. 1t would be a shame, you
know"
"What do you ask for the shoes?'
"Only seek dollars.
''Jerusalemi That's too much"
'VelI, my dear sir, you must recOllect
dat dem shoes vas made of Prussian led
der, and ledder dere vas scarce. My
uncle vat Ifs dere write me last week,
und said dat ledder vas so scarce dey
don't make harness nit it any longer.
All de harness dere is now made OF
wool.
Il tell you what I'll do, !" said the Gus
toner, examining the shoe closely, Il IL
/ give YOU four dollars. "
4 "My g-r-raciousl \ Prussian leddel
/ shoe for four dollars ven it costs me more
/ as five dollars and fifty cents laid at the
/ depot down, md the profit on dem don't
/ pay for the gas. My .g-r-r-acious. watts
/ de matter nit de people,
/ ''Well, I'm not going to give So fol
! those shoes, said the customer, moving
! toward the door, they are not worth
/ it."
''ven, my trent, take them along fol
/ 81, und call around again some oddel
+ day"
The customer paid for the shoes and
/ taking his parcel, left the store.
Herman" inquired Hoffenstein of
/ his clerk. ''vat vas de cost brice of den
! split ledder shoes l shust sold &c gentle
man?"
''Von dollar und half, sir. "
MY g-r-r-acious, Herman, dink how
small de profit vas II pisness, you
know. Herman, don't get peter it vii
preak all de store up.
The Hickman courier., 1881-10-21
Possibilities of Cotton Production.

1t may be well to remark at the out
set that the production of cotton IN the
South is practically without limit 1t
was 1880 before the American crop
reached 200, 600 bales, and the highest
point ever reached in the days of slay-
ery was a trihe over (, 500, 600 bales.
The crop of 1SSO-S1 is about 2,0O, coo
in excess Of this, and there are those
who believe that a crop OF 6,OWOOO
bales is among the certainties OF the
next few wears. The heavy increase IN
the cotton crop Is due entirely to the
increase of cotton acreage brought
about by the use of fertilizers. Mill
ions Of acres of land, formerly thought
to be beyond the possible limit Of the
cotton belt. have been made the best Of
cotton lands by being artIticlally en-
riched. In North Carolina alone the
limit OF cotton production has been
moved twenty miles nOrthward and
twenty miles westward and the half Of
Georgia on which no cotton was grown
twenty years ago now produces fully
half the crop of the State. The ''area
of low production as the Atlantic
States are brought to the front by arti-
fetal stimulation Is moving westward,
and is now central IN Alabama aud
Florida But the increase IN acreage, as
large as it Is, VIII be but small factor
in the increase of production, comLAl
TO the intensifying of the land n0Ysh
use. Under the present loose system of
planting. the average vie d is only one
bale to three acres. This could be easi-
" increased to bale an acre In
Georgia FIVE bales have been raised on
one acre, and yield Of three bahs to
the acre Is credited to several Localities.
President Morehead. of the Mississippi
Valley Cotton Planters Association,
SAYS that the entire cotton crop Of the
present year might have been easily
raised IN fourteen counties along the
Mississippi river It Will be seen,
therefore, that the capacity of the
South to produce cotton is practically
lmitless. and, when we consider the
enormous demand for cotton goodsn now
opening up from new cGmes and peo-
pies, we may conclude that the near
future viii see crops compared to which
the crop Of the past year, worth $780,,
GOO, 600, viii seem small.-HcRgy w.
Grddy, IN H0rpcr's Magazine.
The Hickman courier., 1881-10-21
A Persecutpd Man.

The indianapolis Herald tells 6..the
tribulations of farmer who came to
town recently. When about two miles
from home the wind blew off his hat-a
new and stylish plug, which he had pur-
chased few days previously, thinking
he would make his first appear
ance in the city, looking respectable,
at least as TO head-gear. Both wheels
of the heavy wagon passed directly over
it, crushing the tile into a thoroughly
shapeless mass. He was obliged to
cover his caput with a bandanna until
his arrival IN town, where they gener-
ally keep all sorts of head-covering for
sale. A little further on, one wheel came
off and he was unceremoniously pitched
out into the road, and considerably
bruised. A stranger assisted him in
again getting on the pin, but In the act
of driving in the linchpin, the helpful
stranger happened to strike one Of the
unfortunate fellows thumb a terrible
blow, completely dislodging the nail.
About this time the man had serious
ideas of retracing his way homeward,
but finally screwed hls courage up to the
sticking place, and decided To come Oh
and defy fate. He wrapped up the mutt
lated thumb as well as possible, and
proceeded He had gone but a short
distance further, when an internal old
dog jumped at one of his horses, causing
the animal to spring SO suddenly as to
break his headstau and throw it off
when the horse, more stepid than
vicious, turned square around, and
wedged himself, his mate and the wagon
and contents IN a fence corner. Help
fortunately came to his rescue, tie team
was finally extricated, and the man pro
ceeded He had brought a little snack
from home and feeling slightly hungry,
thought he would eat a bit In taki1g
it out of his pocket Nvittr-itIs weff-nand,
which happened to be the left one, he
dropped it overheard, and before lie
could spring out TO get it, coupe OF
selfish, ill-mannered hogs gobbled II up
to the last morsel, not even leaving hinl
a "leettle bit O cheese" When ne
finally arrived in town, he found that
each of horses was minus one seOe, ana
a pair of substantial blankets, intended
for the animals in case OF need, had
"gone glimmering through the dream
/ of things that We're He Is a perfectly
temperate individual, but desires that
his name shall not be mentioned, con
/ Guiding That If It should become pubhc
/ that such a succession OF little tubula-
/ tions attended his progress here, he
couldn't get credit at any store ia town
TO the amount OF fifty cents-proyided
he should ever be compelled to ask for 1t.
The Hickman courier., 1881-10-21
The Parnsife Of Malaria.

Prof. Laverau, of the Medical School
of Valde-Grase, has published work
describing what he considers to be a
new parasite which he has found in the
blood of persons affected with malarial
fever. A notice of his discovery was
communicated to the Academy of Medi-
cine so long ago as November, 1880, but
it seemed to have attracted little atten-
ton, being thought to be simply one of
the numerous announcements made of
late years, of the discovery of the cause
of malaria, which prove in the end to
have no foundation. The organism de-
scribed by Prof. Laverau is a minute
cell, in general appearance somewhat
like a white blood corpuscle, and hav-
ing, like it, amoeboid movements. He
considers it to be animal rather than
vegetable in character, but for this there
seem to be no sufficient grounds.-.Saga-
itary Engineer.
The Hickman courier., 1881-10-21
Worthless Patents.

Ihe Perfection Window Cleaner
was In substance a rubber mounted on
q long handle convenient for reaching
up to clean lofty windows and the like;
the pecuharity of the device consisting
IN the way in which cushion for rub
Dng was adjusted, so that 1t could be
pressed against the surface to be cleaned.
Ihe court said that there was nothing
new IN thus; the implement was only
mop or scrubbing brush made of india
rubber.
Improved Kindling Wood" was pat
ented, consisting of wood tied up in
small bundles. each containing lump
OF eombustible matter which would take
fire from a common match. The court
SAID that there was no more invention
ia this than there would be in selling a
sherry-cobbler glass with a straw in 1t,
or can of food with fork. AS at first
devised, the Fare-box" used in city
oinnibuses and street-cars was inefficient
Tor want of an opportunity to the driver
TO see whether the proper fare had been
put In. Some one obtained a patent
for the improvements of fitting n second
window and a reflector, IN such man.
ner that the driver might, either by day
or night see the coin which had been
deposited. With these changes the
fare-box became n success. But the
court said that there was no invention
III inserting an additional window, or
in putting in reflector near a lamp.
To relieve drivers from the necessity
of buying a new whip because the tip
end has become frayed or broken, while
the stock remained good, an inventor
contriyed 4" Whip Tips F" with sockets,
so that q worn one might be unscrewed
and a new one screwed on in its place.
The court said that he might sustain an
exclusive right to his screw, but that
&he Important feature of the device
making independent tips TO be substi-
tuted for worn ones-was not new this
is the principle upon which fishing-rods
In sections have been made for many
years.
1.-The Rubber-tip Pencil has had an
extensive sale ; but, when the patent fol
it was contested, the court said that
there was no invention the device was
nothing but "a piece of rubber with &
hole IN it. Not many years ago pat
ent was questioned for an article called
Comminuted Glue" The device con
sisted in breaking glue into small parti
cles of uniform size, to facilitate dis
solving 1t for use. The court said tha
nothing was here involved other thar
grinding glue fine, and grinding canno
be called n new invention. POpuLal
Science Monthly.
The Hickman courier., 1881-10-21
A FAIRY AFL0AT.

The following description of the. fairy
vessel represented on this page is from the
Cincinnati Commercial The hull is of the
finest selected white oak, braced, bolted
and riveted in the most skillful and work
manlike manner, and is Ga feet in length,
II feet breadth of beam, % feet depth of
hold, and draws twenty inches of water.
She carries tubular boil er, and two beauti-
ful little engines, made expressly for her,
by the Ohio Machine Co., Middleport, o.
The dining-room is situated between the
boiler and engine rooms, and is artistically
grained, with frescoed ceiling. 1t is fur
nished in the Queen Anne style, and the
silver, china and table linen are of the finest
character. The pilot-house, cabin, main
salon and Captains office are on the saloon
deck and are luxurious in their furnishing