davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-10-19
A TrininU A fair

The following is said to have hap
pened when the legislature adjourned
some months ago, but we did not hear
of it until yesterday:
A very prominent member Of the leg
islature, who had been paying a great
deal of attention to the widow Bomba-
zine, told her, on calling with his car
pet-bag in his hand, that he was about
to leave Austin, and she must forget
him. She replied that he had tritled
with her affections, and now he proposed
to leave her desolate.
ITS not my fault" he replied, with
tears in his eyes II would keep on tri-
hing with your affections if | could only
stay here, but as l can't, you will have
to get some other tritling cuss to stay
here. The organic law is to blame that
limits the sessions of the Legislature and
compels me to leave Austin and 90
back to my family. ."--TerGs SUtjngS.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-10-19
Stimulants for Children.

Only the simplest and most nourish-
ing edibles and drinks should be given
to children. Even the mild stimulus of
tea and coffee can hardly be wholesome
for them, and the regular use of them
while their glandular system is develop
ing and forming may lay the founda-
ton for dangerous hankerings, and
more than one destructive appetite.
A Brooklyn teacher told of little fel-
low who was killing himself with tobac-
CO. and cried piteously when the doc
tor said he must give it up.
A minister applied to DR.. Gray for re-
lief
II can cure you if you will give up
tobacco"
Said the man of God, ''Do the best
you can for me, doctor; save me if you
can, but I can't stop smoking
Every day we meet smokers and
chewers with the mark of death upon
their faces. The late Siro Delmonico
was warned by the best physician Of
New York that he must die or ait
smoking. He quit when he died.
Those who use soothing syrnps, fe I'd
children on confectionery and rich ps t.
ry, are little wiser. When we see h w
much tobacco, patent medicines and Il
coholic drinks are used, we cannot ut
think of Carlyle's remark about most Of
the population being of the sort Il at
Solomon says may be brayed in NOR
tar with a pestle without undergoi y
any change. Carlyle, writing in
greater hurry, perhaps, said we were
twenty millions of people, mostly fools.
Chrtstio,a AdUoeate. .,.~ !
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-10-19
She had launched herself off from the

! She had launched herself off from the
side and was descending beautifully.
Don't come too fast, dear. Use the
| check rope if you feel you are coming
t too quickly"
there was an unaccountable stoppage.
whats the matter?' | cried.
at won't move"
''ohake the rope"
81 have"
E'LOOSen the check"
at is quite loose
Try to pull up bt.''
81 can't; I'm stuck fast"
'Let me shake the rope"
Try. Oh! oh! Its no use; it won't
move"
Cant you slip out of the loop and
slide down the rope? III catch you.''
No, can not; am sitting in them
and can't get out. Oh, what's to be
| done?'
'Pll try to climb up and see"
Bella sat dangling in the air, like
Mohammed's coffin, between heaven
and earth.
tried to climb, but the rope was not
half an inch thick, and l slipped back.
Then came the tragic sequel. There
was rush of something behind me, and
bulldog seized me in that part which
had been nearest to him as he ap-
preached. l have heard of soldiers rid
died with bullets, or almost cut and
thrust to pieces by swords and bayo-
nets who have still advanced upon the
enemy. l don't believe they could have
done it with a bulldog hanging on
rearward. If any one of my male
readers doubts this aspersion of mans
courage, let him get an angry bulldog
and try
Other dogs began to give tongue
Bella screamed. Lights were seen NOV
ing in the house.
COP she cried; ''they will kill you
if they find you"
must own this was not true | was
leaving her in small sections down the
dogs throat. and l felt l must run
away.
Go; save yourself"
BY cOnvulsiTe effort l shook off the
dog, considerable portion of my
trousers and couple of good mouth
fuls Of my anatomy, and bounded over
II renee anu up tree. FROM there
watched the triumphant Vermonters
haul Bella into q second-story window.
Then they came out, and with much
crying and swearing began to look for
me. am happy to say they were un-
successful About two hours afterward
l ventured to limp home.
Bella never tried to elope again. She
remained proof against all the argu-
ments of her uncle and the charms of
the Green Mountain boys, and when
che became legally her own mistress she
became mine legally too.
Never saw that fire-escape man
again. Perhaps it was better for him
didn't. He never called for his ma
chine Possibly he heard something of
the story i'll his travels.
| don't know that there is any more
to this tale, except never to use rope
fre-escape for an elopement. There
must have been something prophetic in
the instinct of the author of the old
song, when he wrote:
When lady eIopes
Down q ladder of rOpeS.
She may go 10 Hong Kong for me.
Julian Mag'auS is Argonaut.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-10-19
The Hedgehog's Mode Of Defense

The hedgehog is one of the best pro-
tected of living animals Marching Sc
curely under the guardianship of its
thorn-spiked armor. it recks little of
any foe save man. The f0rmida-
bic array of bristling spines with which
the back is more or less covered offers a
cheval-de-frise of sharp spikes toward
any animal that may present itself as
an enemy. Another peculiarity is the
power possessed by these creatures of
rolling themselves into round bali, by
placing the head on the breast, drawing
up the legs, and curling the body firm
ly round the members. BY this posture
the hedge-hogs render themselves in
vulnerable to almost any animal that
may attack them. When in this
curious attitude, the hedgehog caR not
be unrolled by main force as long rs
any life remains i'll the body, for there
is an enormously developed muscle,
with very thick margin, which spreads
over the back and round the sides, and
which, when contracted, holds the
creature in SO firm an embrace that it
will be torn in pieces rather than yield
its point.
The spines of this animal are about
an inch long, and naturally lie fiat on
the back, directed toward the tail. But
by a peculiar arrangement they are
erected when the owner coils himself
In shape the spine lis not unlike large
pin, being sharply pointed at one ex-
trcmity, and furnished at the other with
q round, bead-like head, and rather
abruptly bert near the head. If the
skin be removed from the hedgehog,
the quilts are seen TO be pinned, as it
were, through the Skin. being retained
by their round heads. which are acted
upon by the peculiar muscle which has
already been mentioned.
Protected by this defense, the hedge
hog is enabled to throw itself from con-
siderable heights, to curl itself into a
ball as it deScends, and to reach the
ground without suffering any harm from
its fall. A hedgehog has been seen re-
peatedly to throw itself from wall
some twelve or fourteen feet in height,
and to fall upon the hard ground with
out appearing to be even inconvenienced
by its tumble. On reaching the ground,
it would unroll itself and trot off with
perfect unconcern.-H L. Fdirchiid, IN
the Popular Science Monthly.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-10-19
How the Story Grew.

The following story about chidren's
gossip has q lesson for people of larger
growth.
AS kittie Coleman and Maggie Weir
were going to school one morning, Kit
tie said, 81 was over to Uncle Fre,l's
last Saturday, and came near staying
too late. We had such fun L did not
notice how near the sun was to setting.
and [ was very much afraid l would
meet A tramp"
'Did you meet any one?' inquired
Maggie.
mo one but Johnnie Gates; he was
coming down the hill, whistlirg, and
with great big watermelon under his
arm. | was scared at first, but when l
saw who it was, l got over it,
At recess Maggie said to Mary Ford,
'.Kittie told me She saw Johnnie Gates
carrying big watermelon home Satur-
day evening. Wonder where he got it,
and what he was going to do with it?''
Before school called Mary whispered to
Sallie Bates, Johnnie Gates was seen
carrying great big watermelon Satur-
day evening. l wonder if he got it
hOnestly?''
'sMr. Hart's melon patch was robbed
about that time; maybe that's where it
came from" answered Sallie.
At noon Sallie told Susan and Jennie,
Il know something and I'll tell you, if
you won't breathe it to soul"
''Oh, no, we won't" cried both girls
in one breath; what is it?''
''Why, Johnnie Gates robbed Mr.
Hart's melon patch one night last
week"
''Oh dear, isn't that awful?" exclaim-
ed Susie.
Il always thought that Johnnie was
not so much better than the rest of us,
for all he made believe he was so hon
est" said Jennie.
He couldn't have done it Alone"
Sallie said.
Whereupon Jennie fastened to a
group of school children who were in
the house and told them. Johnnie
Gates and lot Of other boys had rob-
bed Mr.. Hart's melon patch and destroy
ed all they could not carry away"
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-10-19
a Marblehead Dog.

One of the delights of our expedition
to Marblehead (writes correspondent
of Boston paper) was an experience
with a dog. A gentleman living about
half mile from the beach came down
to see what the party had to eat, and
brought with him sixty-pound bull
dog. 1t seemed to be q good-natured
beast and frolicked playfully during the
day. About o'clock the gentleman
went home, and everybody supposed
the dog went with him. We found.
however that he had not The day
being warm, the entire party had taken
off their coats and hung them in the
garret of little shanty where the cook
ing was done. AS evening came is
grew cooler. The breeze came off the
water as the sun vent down. and we
concluded to put our coat on. We quiet
ly slid into the shanty and started up
At the top we found the dog. PuFthee-
coming up. In the dim light we could
see blood IN his eye We went bach
without our coat Presently the chief
of the fire department went in TO get his
coat, and he came back without It, too.
But he said nothing. and several others
tried the experiment, and came bach
the same way. But finally one gentle
man couldn't stand it, and spoke Of tfre
dog. That broke the Ice, and we de-
cided to get the dog down. We threw
things at him and tried to scare him,
away, but he only growled savagely
Then one of the party stood at the foot
of the stairs and lied like pirate, say
ing: Nice dog! Good old fellows
Come, Towserm But Towser was proof
againt fattery. 1t had grown quite
dark, and the breeze was coming along
brisk, and everybody was shivering.;
Meat was offered to the dog to get him
away, but he wouldn't have it. Things
began to be blue! The handsome yachts
man asked if somebody present couldn't
swear? The chief of the departments,
being fireman, of course didn't know
a profane word, and neither did any OF
the rest of us. The doctor said if any,
body would 60 up and throw the dog
out he'd cauterize the bites free Of
charge, and our friend of the legal fra
ternity said he'd give his services in a
suit for damages. But nobody volun-
teered. The very heavy gentleman said
if he could get on the roof and drop
through on the dog he could break the
animals back, but before saying this
he took care to observe that there was
no way to get on the roof. There was
only one thing to do, and we did it.
We sent half a mile to get the dogs
owner. And while we waited for him
we sat and shivered and chartered our
teeth, and told each other it was funny,i
and inwardly thought of things that
wouldn't look well in print. And we
treated the owner of the dog very polite
ly till he had sent the dog home and we
had got our coats. Then if we didn't
tell him what we thought of the brute.
no matter. !
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-10-19

The Tithing House Is still in active
use in Salt Lake City, Utah. and through
it half million q year is collected by
the Mormon officials. This comes most
ly from the poor, according to COZ
respondent of the ST. Louis Globe Dem
ocrat, and nobody knows TO what use it
is put although many had their suy-
mises when they found that Brigham
Young. although not entitled to any sal
ary, died worth several millions
The rich evade their tithes in q varie-
ty of ways; the poor must pay them. or
they are subjected to trouble and an
noyance. When they have paid their
tithes they are not out of debt to the
church. They must contribute when
called upon to the erection of new build
ings, or do any thing else which the
priesthood may demand. Better starve
your body than your soul," and away
goes the last bushel of corn, or the last
sheep, or the last steer.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-10-19

And, by the way, do you notice how
suray though gradually we are drifting
here into two classes-the rich and the
poor? SAYS Joe Howard in the Philadel-
phia Times. Ten years hence there
will be no middle class. In New York
you could, a few years back, count the
millionaires on your fingers. You can't
do it now [ can name a hundred men
and women here worth million each.
When was boy man with 100000
clear was rich. What is he now? That
means but $4,000 a year, and who can
live in any sort of shape on that? There
may be a few clergymen here and there
insignificant figure, but bless my soul
to get at and emphasize is this: Our
great cities are loud with riches. On
the great avenues of New York there
are men to whom 800, 600 is but baga-
telle. can take you to the streets where
there are blocks upon blocks of houses
in which no man can live on less than
$4,000 to $50, 900 a year. Hundreds OF
men spend $4,000 year who are not
worth 10 cents besides. In other words
they spend all they make. What OF it?
Much. The rich grow richer here and
the poor poorer. Culture, education and
refinement do not necessarily accom-
pany riches. met half an hour ago in
the Astor House a sturdy fellow-a Ger
man Jew-who twenty years ago kept a
humble clothing store in Sacramento
with his brother. To-day they are as
we'll known on Wall street as the Times
is in Philadelphia. They managed to
be in the Pacific Railway ring, made
millions, and now serve as bankers and
brokers in Gotham. They are rich and
vulgar, common as pigs. They are in
solent and upstarty with people who
don't know them. They have q box in
the Academy of Music, and attend first
family receptions. 1 met them both
not their wives or families-in the mag
nificent palace of q millionaire heir a
few weeks ago. Swell? Bless you, |
feared they would burst: Our railroad
kings are phenomenal in wealth. There
are so many of them that to be one is
not to be singular. But in the extent
and amplitude of their possessions they
are unique and amazing. There are
sections of New York where an annual
income of $40 would make its owner a
curiosity, and there are others where an
annual expenditure of $50, ,000to 800, 900
is nothing out of the usual rut. This
being conceded, am l right or am
wrong? Are we drifting into two great
currents-rich and poor-or not?
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-10-19
An Old Letter.

burned the others, one by one; but my cour-
age failed ut last,
And L snatched this. scorched and yellow,
where the fires breath had passed.
l could not let 1t lie there, for it turned like
thing in vain;
And love it for the old times sake, that new
or come again.
They used to call me beautiful; had nothing
else beside.
There was none more great or wise than he i'll
all the world wide;
And it's still q sort of pieasure-yery mourn
flIl though If be
To know he once could think such thoughts,
and write such words of me.
But my poor beauty faded; twas the only
thing had.
l was always weak and foolish, and my whole
life grew sad,
For the cruel blighting fever left me pitiful to
(Oh, it's true that beauty's fleeting), and my
love no more loved me.
I'd have loved him all the more for that, or
any grief beside;
But then he was so different Oh, if had on
ly died!
And yet, how can wish him to have suffered
in my stead?
think it would have grievcd him then to hear
that was dead.
have nothing to forgive him; still, he very
soon forgot.
Men have much to do and think of that we
girls have not.
A man has little thought to spare for his own
chosen wife;
Women's minds are very narrow, and girls
love is her life.
They say l should forget him, but cannot If
would,
For since my beauty left me have tried hard
to be good;
And his name is always on my lips, when /
pray to God above
Oh, surely l may pray for one can never
cease to love.
was never fit to be his wife, even when my
face was fair;
But every one may pray to heaven; we are all
equal there.
And God, in his great mercy will not pass nv
prayers by.
have one thing left to live for-to pray for
him till die.
-Calvert's Magazine
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-10-19
Concerning the Feet.

A Well-knOWn surgeon who has made
a speciality of disease of the leg and
foot lately asserted that most of these
diseases had their beginning in the in
jury to the nerves and muscles done by
high-heeled shoes.
BY the compression and false posi-
ton into which the foot and ankle are
thrown, some of the muscles are rem
dered totally useless, while strain is
put upon others which they are unable
to bear; the toes are displaced, corns,
bunions and scaly soles are produced.
The nerves are bruised and actual dis
ease follows.
This cruel distortion begins usually
when a child is about two years old,
and its fond mother thinks it time to
'tshape its feet" which is done by
pretty pair of stiff-laced heeled boots or
shoes.
An orthopedic surgeon in New York
published, not long since, statement
that the number of splayed feet in the
country was increasing rapidly. "a
sp!ayed foot is one i'll which the arch of
the instep is permanently broken down."
the foot is flat, ungainly and weak.
The cause he attributes in the main
to high-heeled shoes; the French shoes
in which the heel is placed little for
ward, being less injurious than that
made by American shoe-makers, in
which it is placed at the back, and thus
the strain is made greater.
The whole weight of the body in both
cases falls on the small bones of the
centre of the foot, which stretch like the
span of bridge from the piers of the
toes at one end to the high peaked heel
at the other.
Other causes of splayed feet are the
habit among little girls of excessive
jumping the rope, and like immoder-
ate use of roller skates. Moderate use
of either is wholesome exercise; but it
should be moderate.
The girls are not alone culpable on
this medical Indictment of vanity.
Within the last year or two it has been
the fashion among boys and very young
men to wear shoes that run to q point
and turn up in front slightly.
The whole of the five toes are con-
tracted to the width of an inch. The
shape of the foot is at once distorted to
deformity, and the walk, which to be
manly should be firm and free, becomes
uneasy and mincing. Imagine the great
athletes in the Greek arenas tip-toing
in these pointed shoes.
One could laugh at the foolish boys If
we did not know the stores of suffering
which they are laying up for the future,
in swollen bunions and enlarged joints.
One sex has its share of vanity as well
as the other. And the punishment of
passing folly in this case is sure and
heavy.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-10-19
Veneers Of Paper.

Paper veneers have come to be an
important article of manufacture, the
extension of the industry being largely
due to the new and wonderful process
ses of cutting. The mechanism cuts the
logs to lengths of twelve feet, which are
then halved or quartered, and bolted
securely on revolving iron table. AS
the table and wood revolve the surface
of the latter comes in contact with u
knife twelve feet long, ground to a IA
zor edge and perfectly true, secured on
a rigid iron frame-the entire cutting
apparatus weighing about thirty tons.
The veneer5 roll off in sheets at every
revolution, of from one-ninetieth to one
one hundred -and-seventy-ffth of an
inch in thickness, and of the width and
length of the log There is not the
slightest vibration of either the knife or
log, As the sheet of wood in such case
would be either broken or take up the
spring like wedge. The sheets are
backed with paper.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-10-19
Telegraphic Secrets.

In Mr.. Plum's interesting work on the
military telegraph as used in the late re-
bellion are many interesting stories.
Tapping the wires to steal the secrets
of the enemy, rs well as to send mis-
leading dispatches, was frequent per
formance on both sides, but the resuks
of this kind OF enterprise do not seem to
have been often very large, the military
commanders being too cautious. The
success of Stoneman's raid into West
Virginia, however, in September. 1862,
is attributed to the Information which
that Generals operator obtained while
holding Confederate telegraph office.
Mr.. Plum tells Il droll story of raw
colonel, who set q guard over the opera
tor at Smithland, on the Cumberland
River, to prevent his ''talking" by the
wire. not aware that while apparently
sending an authorized message the man
could talk as much as he pleased with
any office on that line and the guard
would not know it. A superior officer
at Paducah, informed of the state of af-
fairs, was about to order the telegraph
er's release, but Gen. Sherman interfered,
declaring the precaution very proper
one. Presently Sherman, anxious to
Ailp" IL u ulS15 IClSOu
had passed up the river, went to the
Paducah Office and the following con-
versation was opened at Smithland:
Has the steamer Tarascon passed
yet?'
Pm under arrest and can't answer
you.''
"Gen. Sherman wants to-know."
81 don't care if it's Halleck himself.
I'm under arrest and can't talk about
such things'''
Sherman asks. Do you know?"
"Of course know"
sherman wants to know if General
Nelson has passed up?'
Tell Sherman to send a message,
then"
''Do you know?"
Certainly do?"
How far is the Cors. headquartersP'
"a mile and a-half."
Here Gen. Sherman interrupted the
dialogue by asking the Paducah man:
''What kind of fellow is that opera
torP'' He seems to be good at obey
ing ORDERS" was the answer. Sherman
revoked the order of arrest and got the
information he wanted.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-10-19
A Horrible Death.

No novelist ever devised q more in
tensely dramatic and pitiful situation
than was witnessed last week beside the
track of the Southern Pacific Coast rail-
road near Alameda, Cal. There was an
accident on the road, owing to the sink
ing of q part of the track. The engine
was overturned, and the fireman, Dan
Driscoll, was caught by two iron bars,
one of which crossed his breast and the
other one of his feet. He was not Sc
verely injured by this, but the bars held
him inextricably fast, and meantime, on
both sides of the track. which at this
point lies On u low trestle bridge built
across long stretch of marsh land, the
salt tide pouring in from the Bay of San
Francisco was rapidly rising. 1t was
evident that unless speedily removed he
would be drowned. Six men labored
with desperate energy to save him. They
wrapped sheets about his body, and ex-
erted their combined strength to pull
him from beneath the bars that pinned
him to the track. He cried piteously
that they were killing him. They tried
again and again, but without avail. A
leVee was built around his head to keep
the water from reaching him. Buckets
were brought, and as the water oozed in
it was bailed out. Then they raised his
head and held it as high as possible
above the water. For two hours these
labors were ceaselessly continued, but
at the end Of that time the levee
broke, and the friends of the doomed
man found that they could do no more
for him. The water rose rapidly about
his body and reached his chin. Then
all caught fold OF him and tugged des-
perately, but in vain. A friend held
his hand over the unfortunate man.
mouth, but the water rose to his nos
trilS. and he was drowned in the pres
ence OF the helpless crowd.