davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-03
Understanding Mems Natures.

About mid afternoon yesterday citi-
zen who pulls down the scales at 1876
pounds descended the first flight of
stairs beyond the post-Oilicc in Just the
same manner that bag of oats would
have chosen, and when he brought uD
at the foot he was in no frame OF mind
to chip in anything for the heather in
Africa. The first citizen who arrived
on the spot knew what his duty required
Of him on such an occasion, and he smil-
ingly remarked:
Il don't believe you can improve on
the old way"
The second citizen passing was in a
hurry; but he knew that he must halt
and inquire:
"Like that any better than COMING
down the way the rest of us do?n
- The third citizen had business at the
post Office, but he turned aside cleared
his throat, and remarked:
Evidently fell down stairs? Curl
Gus how it sets the blood to circulating!
Some of you had better sec if his nose is
broken good-byc?n
There was fourth spectator, and he
slowly entered the doorway, bent over
the victim, and remarked:
"pd have given dollar to see him
co:1c down. He's one of the sort who
bump every stairn'
The fifth man was about to add his
mite when the victim rose up. His
elbows were skinned, his nose barked,
his coat torn and his back sand-papered
the whole length, but he was q man
who had travelled. He knew that ev-
crybody in the crowd was hoping to see
him Jump up and down and shake his
fists, and paw the air, and to hear him
declare that he would lick all the men
who could be packed in ten-acre lot,
and therefore he brought a sweet smile
to his face, lifted his hat like q perfect
gentleman, and Iimped up stairs with
the bland remark:
"Stubbed my toe rs came in the door,
you know, and came near falling in a
heap. ."--Dctr0U Free Press.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-03
The Whip-POOr-Will.

AS the dusk gathers l hear the first
welcome notes of the whip-poor-will.
What close observers of the seasons are
the birds! | doubt if the man who has
an acceptance in bank is better posted
in the calendar. AS far back as my
bird register extends | find a record of
the arrival of the nocturnal sOngster rs
occurring between the 8th and 10th of
May. DR.. Brewer claims never to have
heard these notes later than August; but
in late September, in nights walk
through the hidden glories of the Rama
po Valley, l have been cheered by his
song. No other American bird is so
shy and retiring as the whip-poor-will,
and where is the happy ornithologist
who has found his apology for n nest?
L once spent portions Of each day Of the
entire month of June in searching for
such nest, and in the end was unre-
warded. The habitual walker of tho
woods will, sooner or later, stumble on
their MONDAY retreats, but it is difficult
to get into cloSo proximity. They fly
noiselessly and rapidly and have that
protective plumage upon which Mr..
Darwin laid so much stress. All day
long, when undisturbed, they will rest
on the lower branches of some en-
powered tree, land only when the gloam-
ing decrens do they come forth in search
of nocturnal insects. Nightly one used
to come and sit on a large stone near
the farmhouse. have stolen softly out
to within few feet, and Watching him,
rs he would dart out and catch an III
sect, returning to the stone to enjoy his
tidbit, after the manner of the phmbe.
His note is preceded by sort of cluck.
Audubon found his song, as he camped
in the solitudes of the forest, one of the
most delightful sounds of nature, sweet
er to him than that of the nightingale,
Burroughs describes nest stumbled
upon-two elliptical, whitish, spotted
eggs lying dry leaves-and though
he returned to it day after day, it was
always q task to separate the bird from
her surroundings, though he stood with
in few feet Of her, and he knew just
where to look k.-IndeDcnNent.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-03
Testimony OF Experts.

An action was brought by an attor-
ney-at-law against his client to recover
$4,000 for legal services, and in proving
the value of these services he put upon
the stand as witnesses five fellOw-attor-
ncys, who estimated their value from
3d. to $1,000. The plaintiff recov-
cred u Judgment of $1,000, the Court
having charged the jury that they
should find their verdict on the testi-
mony of the attorneys, and the defend
ant carried the case up to the Supreme
Court of the United States. In this
case. Head rs. Hargrave, that court, in
April, reversed the Judgment. Mr. JUS
tice Field, in the opinion, said:
1.-The evidence of experts as to the
value of professional services does not
differ in principle from such evidence
as to the value of labor in other de-
partments of business, or as to the value
Of property. So far from laying aside
their general knowledge and ideas, the
jury should have applied that knowl-
edge and those ideas TO the matters of
fact in evidence in determining the
weight to be given to the opinions ex-
pressed, and it was only in that way
that they could arrive at o just conclu-
sion. While they cannot act in any
case upon particular facts material to
It's disposition resting in their private
knowledge, but should be governed
by the evidence adduced, they may,
and to act intelligently they must,
Judge OF the weight and force of
that evidence by their own general
| knowledge of the subject of inquiry.
If, for example, the question were as to
the damages sustained by plaintiff from
a fracture of his leg by the carelessness
of defendant, the jury would ill per-
form their duty, and probably come to
wrong conclusion. if, controlled by
the testimony of the surgeons not
merely rs to the injury inflicted, but as
to the damages sustained, they should
ignore their own knowledge and ex-
pcrcncc of the value OF sound limb
Other persons beside professional men
have knowledge of the value of pro-
lcSsional services, and, while great
weight should always be given to the
opinions Of those familiar with the sub
icct, they are not to be blindly received,
but are TO be intcIligently examined by
the jury in the light OF their own gen
eral knowledge; they should control
only as they are found to be reason
able. e."-Bradstrect.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-03
Let the Strawberries Alone.

That q donkey, by his winter brows-
ing of a vine which yields superior
grapes the next season, originated the
art of pruning, is an old story. | STUN
blcd by some such accident upon II very
successful, simple way of growing straw
berries. An OvercrOWded bed had
yielded such poor returns of small, dry,
inferior berries that / hOCd it up before
all the fruit was off, intending to let
some current bushes have all the benefit
of the soil. Later in the season a few
plants were found to have escaped, and
they made such q handsome start with
the fall rains that where there was plcn-
ty Of room some were spared. The sc
became very strong, and looked luXuIi-
antly green and vigorous in the spring
and yielded splendid fruit. This cul-
turc was so nearly no culture at all, but
a mere accidental permission to few
plants to grow, that / have condensed
my practice into the mere dictum: "Lct
them alone" | find that this fills the
bin of requirements as to culture if we
have given the soil for them to grow in
food that is not charged with weed
seeds, and water enough while swelling
their fruit. Winter shelter is useful, but
is afforded by their leaves if the autumn
growth has been as strong as it should
be, and it will be strong if they are
properly let alone. This consists in not
only letting them alone ones self by
avoiding bruising or trampling or cut
ting of roots, but also letting the weeds
let them alone by keeping every yestigC
of weed away, and making them ie
each other alone, too, by preventing
the beginning of overcrowding. II
prevent the white grub from interferin,
is not so easy, but something can b
dona 10 arrest his destoying work, too
and thus "let alone" all around they ar
safe for productive prosperity.-Cor. N
T. Tribune
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-03
PITH AND POTNT.

Y . ~
[ 1t costs man more to be misere-
ble than it does to make his family
happy.
The mother-in-ia law does not remepns
ber that she was once daughter-in.law.
Spanish Pr0Uerb.
Minnesota has just exhumed the
skeleton of q woman who must have
stood nine feet high and had a foot as
from Northern IndianaP--Detr0it Frse
Press.
The Rector Ito Irish plasterer on
ladder pointing walD {: "That mortar
must have been very bad" Pat with q
GRIM ''Faix, ye can't expict the likes o.
good Roman cimint to stick TO a Protest.
ant church, rl"--Pt1sch.
"A Journey around the world now
takes about ninety days, and the cost
can be reduced to $500. And in going
round in that time and at that expense
you can have about as much fun as you'd
get in sitting all night in rainstorm on
q picket fence listening to q bulldog
bark at cat in barrel.-BoStOr Post.
They were courtlng: "What makes
the stars so dim to-nightp" she said,
softly. "Tour eyes are so much bright
err" he whispered, pressing her hand.
They are married now. 81 wonder how
many telegraph poles it would take to
reach the stars from herep" she said,
musingly. "One, if it was long enough"
he growled. "Why don'tyou talk COM
mon senseP"
An old peasant on the south shore
Of Long Island was telling his visitor
how pleasant it was. "But," asked the
friend, slapping his face with his hand
kerchief, ''don't you have a great many
mosquitoes and sand-tliesp" "Ya-as,"
said the man, "but then we sorter like
them" elbow can that beP" "Wa-al,
you see, we feel so kinder good when
they go away."--N. Y. Tribune.
The King of Bavaria has announced
that he will not read books printed in
quarto size. We shall remember this
when we issue our book--provided the
King promises to buy eight hundred
copies of a /, 1,O00-edition. This would
leave only two hundred volumes on our
hands rs dead stock, which would be
doing pretty we'll, considering the quail
ty of the book.-NorriSt0Vn Herald.
Pat borrowed some money of q
friend, and was unable to pay it back
| when he came for it; and the friend be-
! came very angry, and said: "Now,
Pat, if you don't pay me that money by
{ next Monday, shall give you thrash
ing" The next day, as Pat was stroll
ing along the street, he jostled a man,
who cried out, "Look out what you are
doing, or 1 will knock you into the
middle of next week." ''f}e jabers! an
| wish ye wud, sorr; for then wud be
over Mundy. ~. Y. Sun.
1t is a very cold day when a new
agony isn't forthcoming. 1t is now
quite the idea for young lady to send
a miniature Japanese parasol to a kind
ly disposed gentleman friend. 1t is a
small matter, but fraught with this deep
significance: "Summer is coming by
and by. Will you carry my sun UNI
brella by the shimmering, shining seaP"
| The young gentleman immediately pro-
cecds to bank his cigar and beer mon
ey, that he may have enough on hand
for II shore dinner for two.--NeW HaUen
| Register.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-03
A Sad Story Of n Wrecked Life.

The most thrilling and sadly sugges-
tive temperance lecture is the sight of
once noble, talented man, left in ruins
by Intoxicating drink. A Washington
paper tells Of ragged beggar, we'll
known in the streets of that city, who
once held an important command in the
army, having been promoted for personal
bravery, from cavalry Lieutenant to
nearly the highest rank in military SER
vice. One night, not long ago, when he
had been too successful in begging
liquor to safe his craving, and while
lying helpl ssly drunk in the rear part
thought to play joke on him by steal
ing his shirt, and proceeded to strip
him.
Underneath his shirt and suspended
by string from his neck, was small
canvas bag, which the men opened and
found it contained his commission as
Brevet Ma jor Genaral, two congratu-
latory lettcrs-one from Gen. Grant and
one from President Lincoln-a photo
graph of q little girl, and curl of hair
Il "chestnut shadow" that doubtless
one day crept over the brow of some
loved one.
When these things were discovered,
even tho half-drunken men who found
them felt respect for the mans for
mcr greatness, and pity for his fallen
condition, and quietly returned the bag
and it's contents to where they found
them, and replaced the sleeper's clothes
upon him.
When reporter tried to interview the
man, and cndeavored to learn something
OF his life i'll the past few years, he de-
cllncd to communicate anything.
He cried like a child when told how
his right name and former position were
nscertained, and, with tears trickling
down his checks, said:
For Gods sake, sir, don't publish
my degradation, or my name, at least, if
You are determined to say something
about it. 1t is enough that / know my
self how low l have become. Will you
promise that much? It will do no good,
but will do my friends O great deal of
harm, rs, unfortunately, they think I
died i'll South America, where went at
the close of the war"
mtemperance and the gaming table,
he said, had wrought his ruin.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-03
Sleeping Accommodations.

Cleanliness is the great essential. Our
life is passive during the hours of sleep,
but our breathing goes on constantly,
and the demand for pure air in sleeping
rooms is very important. There should
always be communication with the out
side air, and in warm weather, the
doors and windows may all be wide open.
If currents of air can sweep through
the rooms in the day time Cor in the
night without endangering the s,ccpers),
SO much the better. The bad air that
originates in sleeping rooms-thc waste
substance that escapes from human
bodies, by the lungs and skin settles
and clings about the carpets, curtains,
bedding and clothing, tainting them
with decomposing, and it may be,
poisonous matter, unless constant
cleansing process is carried on by
plentiful airing, and the action OF light,
especially sunshine. The room should
contain as little drupcry as possible
Rugs are better than carpets, and no
heavy curtains should be used The
bed should not be made up after using,
until the bedding has been well aired,
and the more it can be exposed to
bright sunshine, and outdoor brcrZcS,
the better. The room should be kept
dS AiCC no IiOSSlDlc lloHl til OtOIS.
The night clothing should be we'll aired
during the day, and the day clothing be
placed at night where it will get aired
before it is again worn.
Sleeping rooms are often much
crowded. 1t would be well, could each,
when old enough, have private room
and clean bed apiece. y great gain
in health would result from this arrange
mcnt. In our present state of poverty,
we can only insist that no more than
two ought to occupy the same bed. 1t
is an outrage on infancy to wedge 4
baby i'll between two grOwn-up people.
Much injury is done to the health and
to the morals of children, by tho
crowded sleeping arrangements in lami-
lies. The practice is now becoming
quite common among careful people,
where there arc several young children,
for the parents to divide the care of the
little ones, the mother taking the vounw-
est in her bed, and the father attending
to the next to the Youngest, and to 9th
crS If there is need. 1t seems Il pity
that the man Of the house should be
broken OF his rest, but it is quite as bad
II thing to have the childrcn's mother
made sick and nervous from lack OF
sleep, and excess of care. With attrn-
ton to the laws Of health, especially in
regard to food and air, there need be
little suffering from broken rest, as
healthy children sleep soundly and
quietly, and need little care. e.-Anicrica
11rtc7yHD,.;of of
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-03
A TALE OF A SHIRT.
The Length OF Time tIse Grent low
StateSmRn Wore One.

tDenver Tribune.
ApropOs Of General Shermon's visit to
Denver, story is told of the Generals
experience with Henry Clay Dean. The
two had been friends for years, and when
Sherman became General and Dean
happened to be in Washington, the later,
naturally enough, felt desire to renew
the old acquaintance.
He called at tSherman's house and was
received with open arms. They talked
over Old times, and nothing would do
put Dean must stay to dinner.
But, General" demonstrated Mrs.
SHERMAN In her husbands ear, " I can t
have such a dirty looking man at my
table; can't you spruce him up lit
tie ?"
The General said ho'd fix thet, and so
ot an opportune moment he hustled Mr.
Dean up stairs, ransackcd q bureau. and
produced clean shirt for him to put on,
Mrs. Sherman was Modified, and the
dinner was really charming affair, for
there is no more delightful, entertaining
and instructive conversationalist than
Henry Clay Dean.
Ono year after this event General
Sherman was at the Lindell Hotel, st.
Louis, with his family. A card was
brought up bearing Henry Clay Deans
namC.
Mrs. Sherman was much pleased.
" lio is 6lch Il charming taiher, VIC
must have him to dinner. Only YOU
must see that he looks presentable. "
Those were madam's words to the
warrior.
So Sherman welcomed Dean, and.
Just before going to dinner, slipped him
into side room and gave him n clean
shirt to wear. Dean dotted his coat and
vest, and, after several desperate efforts.
succeeded in divcsting himself of the
shirt he had OLA soilcd, grimy, black
thing, that looked as if it had seen LONG
and hard service. Then they all went
down to dinner, and Mr.. Dean was more
charming than ever, and Mr.. Sherman
was III eCstacies.
The next day, rs Mrs. Sherman was
getting her husbands duds and clothes
together, preparatory TO packing them
tor the onward march, she gave sort
Of wild, hunted scream.
What is it, my DEAR" called the
General from the next room.
Just come in here for O minute" "
replied Mrs. Sherman, between faint
gasps.
The General went in. There stood
Mrs. Sherman holding in her left hand
the bogrimed shirt Henry Clay Dean
had left With her right hand she
pointed to certain initials on the lower
edge of the bosom. The initials read
"W. S. r."
1t was the identical shirt General
sherman had loaned Henry Clay Dean
IN Washington twelve months before
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-03
Personal Beauty.

The first principle of beauty, as prac.
tlccd IN this progressive town, is, How
to be beautiful"
The wife Of an army officer accompa-
med her husband many years ago to his
pest IN distant frontier town. Among
the acquaintances she formed there was
lady who, if remarkable at all, was
noted for being exceedingly homely,
awkward, and commonplace. She had
a waist like barrel, shoulders pitched
forward, rough, thick skin, coarse
black hair, large, bold eyes, great feet !;
and besides all these physical defects
she was drcadfully demonstrative in
manner. She was the senior by several
years of the officers wife. After time
the fortunes Of war retired the son of
Mars, who settled his family in Wash
lngton. In the meantime the lever Of
politics had lifted the husband of the
homely lady into Congress, and the two
friends met III society last winter. Mrs.
Mars could not believe her eyes, so great
was tho transformation in the appear
anco of her old acquaintance. Mrs.
congress looked ten years younger than
the junior lady. The many ripples of
and white q fashion of dropping the
shading on the under lid, gave to the
eyes marked expression Of shyncsa
and languor. Her manner was full of
repose, and strikingly graceful her feet
:hc perfection Of symmetry, in French
boots the hands had the retirement OF
pink nails and taper fingers, and even
her voice had changed and dropped into
those sweetly modulated tones which
pass current for thorough breeding in
good society. Poor, mysGiied Mrs.
Mars koked and wondered, pondering
on all this, asking herself and others,
CHOW in the world did she accomplish
such metamOrphosY?" How? How
does the winning horse lap and pass
others and reach the last quarter pole :?
Through training. Money and time are
the great factors to success, and the way
to succeed is to succeed. Mrs. Congress
has both. Money purchased her beauti-
full hair, paid for Turkish baths and
cosmetics, secured the service of q maid
who could give proper shading to her
eye-lids and teach her the art of droop-
ing lids. 1t brought her gracelcss
figure into shapely proportions. It paid
chiropodists to treat her feet and mani
cures to polish her finger nails, while
time and thimbles tapered the fingers.
1t employed dressmakers and milliners,
salaried a master, who instructed her
how to enter the room, bow, pose, seat
herself and manage her train, all with
the poetry Of motion. The moral neces-
sity to be beautiful puts incipient wrin-
kles under the embargo of emulsions,
sent her to bed with her face buried in
pOultices Of Irish oatmeal and milk, a.,
bandaged f>et and pinioned hands in
ointment-Gned gloves. and put tho
brakes on q too expansive waist. Men
BILE, reputation; women march up to the
cannon's mouth of physical torture and
welcome martyrdom solely to be beauti.
full. Washington Free Press.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-03
Insect Life i'm BraZil.

Mr.. Ernest Morris, the young traveller
and naturalist, who has just returned
from Brazil, repeats the general observa-
ton Of explorers that the exuberance of
insect life is the principal obstacle to
the enjoyment of q sojOurn in that part
of tho world. CockrOaches swarm in
every house despite tho inroads OF an
army of spiders which sally forth from
every chink to prey w on them, scorpions
are intrusive and dangerous; small red
insect called the "mecuim is an intol-
cradle annoyance; at certain hours Of
the day the air is black with flies and
mosquitoes, and ants are universal
plague. To bafflo these last-named foes
of peace Mr.. Morris was obliged to
keep his entire collections on hanging
Bhelves, the cords of which were soaked
In the oil of copaibn. "The most de-
structivo ant in Brazil" says Mr.. Morris,
els the sanba. It will strip trees OF
their foliage IN q single night, and in
many places orange trees can not be
grown for this reason. The tocandeirn
is q very small ant, the bite of which il
poisonous and makes a painful sore. ]
was once rendered unable to work for O
week from bite received from one OF
these ants. Some species travel in largS
bodies, marching in q straight line, and
never turning to the right or left If q
house lies in the track of one of these
marching bodies, unless thoy are com
pletely extermiDated they pass throughl.
Nothing will be injured, but every crack
and Granny will be explored, and not o
cockroach or spider Will survive the
visitation. They are, therefore, re-
garded as friends, and their advent 10
Welcomed. Go where you will in Brazil,
you will meet ants. You live, sleep,
md eat with them--and eat them' too. ."
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-03

A MoRMoN elder OF $ at Lake has had
his thirteen wives photographed, both
in group and separately. The pictures
have been placed in an elegant album,
and under each woman is en8rossed a
quotation of sentimental poetry sugges-
tive Of her best quality.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-03
Too Smart.

some men, and boys also, are so
smart as to think they can dispense with
honesty. Such usually overreoch them
selves, rs did the boy referred to here
A youngster was sent by his parent t"
take letter to the postoffice and pay
Tie postage on it. The hoy returned
highly elatod, and said, " Father, seed
a Iot Of men putting letters ~ a little
place and, when no one was looking \
slipped yours in for nothing
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-03

Mrs. SoovnnE is still indignant. It
aggravates her to think that stranger
may realize money on the remains of her
brother while she is denied that privi-
lege and is in destitute condition.
The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-03

KATE CLAYTON, the actress, who is
summering at Patchogue, l.. l., was en-
joying IL sail i'll her boat, tho Coquctte, n
few days since, when the craft was upset
by squall. She was thrown into the
water, but rescued without injury and
having passed through beth fire and
water, may consider herself safe.