davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22
Horrible Rites of the Aissaouia-

The hall ha.l bccn evidently decked and
garnishei; the lamps barnc'i brightly in the
eupola amid the golden balls and ostrich
es,s,s. the sheikh was clothed in rich silk
robe Of Office and an awe-inspiring great
turban. and a row of rush-seafed cane
chairs was waiting TO receive the exPected
visitor Ia ten minutes six or seven hun
dred Arabs iiIled every inch of available
spaee. The Sheikh Hamuda took his seat
in the centre surrounded by the musicians
and an old blind AiSsaouIa, guided BY ut
tie girl, came in gently from side dooi
and sat down beside him The Aissaouia-
themselves, occupied the whole .paee Gov
cred by the cupola The aisles contained
the Moslem spectators Of the frs, religious
rite ever witnessed by Christian ey,s iR the
holy city Of Kairwan Among the Aissa-
ouia noticed eray-bearded aud decrepid
old men, many sedate-lOoking shoP-keePers
| had previously seen in the bAElars, half a
score Of the Beys soldiers. and dozen
children under II ycar Of age The
sheikh struck a note ON drum, the mus
eians began 70 play a peculiar and monoto-
nous tone, gradually increasing in intensity.
After pause several Of the Aissaouia rose,
and swaying backwa and forward shoul.
der 10 shoulder. shrieked chorus TO the
sound Of drums The music qGickened,
and 50 did the chorus. Then one the most
wildlooking Of the singers began TO throw
of his clothes, and passed down the hne to
urye the others 10 shout with renewed en-
ergv. Then one Of Tunisian soldiers he
wore the Bey's brass badge on his red eapA
seized a sword and began 10 heerate his
stomach. The blood flowed freely, and he
initiated all the time the cries and move
ments of the camel We soon had wolf
a bear, hyena, jackal, leopard, and a
lion. One man knelt down before the
sheikh. and holding two long prongs TO his
sides. insisted on their being driven into his
flesh with blows Of mallet this was done
A mere lad did the same thing, 4 burly
Arab passed an iron skewer through the
upper part of his nose and traiIstxed the
skin Of his face below the eyes He rush-
ed apparently towards us. TIVE or three
powerful men knocked him down and held
him till the sheikh laid his hands ON him
and whispered some mysterious formula in
his ear. Another man in quick succession
swallowed more than 20 large iron nails,
there being no mistake whatever as to his
really doing so. A large bottle was broken
up and eagerly devoured. The frenzy
then became general While one Aissaouia
plunged knife through his cheek, another
transfxed his shoulder-blades with prong,
and third pierced his hand. \ brazier
of cinders was speedily emptied Twenty
different tortures were going on in twenty
different parts of the hail. Three large
bushes of thorny Indian fig or priekly-pear
were eaten up in almost as many minutes;
and at last, before We had time to prevent
it, living sheep was thrown into the midst
of the maddened Aissaouia; it was in a
thrice torn into shreds by eager hands, and
still more eager mouths, and its still quiy-
ering and bleeding flesh gnawed to the
bones with apparent relish.-Btoek'oood $
Magazine
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22
Farming in Switzerland.

have wondered If there are such awk-
ward ways Of doing things outside of Egypt
as are praetised here. The farming nipple
ments would be langhahle if they were not
monstrous. Tubal-Cain certainly made bet
ter formed scythes than are used here.
The axes are simply long sharp wedges
with a hole near the top, and short,
straight stick in the hole for handle.
Hay forks are big and awkward, and twice
as heavy as our stable forks. Grain Is Of
tener threshed with the old-fashIoned fail
than otherwise The plOughs are the eli
max Of agricultural monstrosities. They
are great cumbersome things, made almost
wholly Of wood, with the beam mounted
on two wooden wheels big enough for coal
carts. Ny friend used just such plough
Yesterday on our farm. half deny own
ership now. when | think Of it. II was
pulled by six cows. Two men were driv-
ing the cows, and two men were holding
the plough up. l followed and looked on.
They were half day plOughing half an
acre. am glad the whole concern, plough
men, eow-driveFs, and all were hired, and
not a part proper Of the farm. j sat on a
stone wall for half an hour and reflected
whether it were possible Americans could
not make small special farming profitable,
with their soil and complete implements
for farming, in the face of the fact that
these people not only make a living, but
save money, ON a poor soil, and with the
old-fashioned tools of Egypt to work it. |
am certain the whole secret lies in economy (;
in the saving of hundred little things
that shall outbalanee even the waste Of
these awkward implements and these slow
methods. There win not blade of grass
be seen among the vines here, or weed
on the farm. There viii not be twig of
wood left to rot, or a potato undug- A
gentleman's private garden could not be
cleaner or better kept than is the whole
farm in Switzerland, and cultivation, such
as is bestowed only on lighthouses in Amer
lea, is common here to every farm. Not
one foot of ground is left uncared for
Hdrper's Mdqaziae.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22
Women's Rights in Africa.

The Bolanda negroes in Africa believe
in the supremacy of woman. 1t is with
them the law that women shall sit in the
councils of the nation; that young man,
entering upon the matrimonial state shall
remove from his own village to that of his
wife, and, in forming this relation, he shall
bind himself to provide his mother with
food so long as she shall live Here, too,
the wife can divorce the husband, and the
children, in that event, become the proper
ty of the mother. The men cannot enter
into the most ordinary contract without the
permission of the lady superior of the do
nestle circle In the very heart of central
Africa is the paradise that many women
are striving for in America, and the rights
she clamors for here are already granted in
this far off country to women, and by what
we call an ''uncivilized people" A few
delegates from Bolanda might be of good
to the cause, for they at least can speak
from experience of what to us, are yet un-
tried laws
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22
influence of Music.

Il has received letter from Boston,
slowly remarked Brother Gardner, "axin
me for my observashuns on de inhooenee
of music ON mankind / reply dat man.
kind widout music would be chawin' each
odder up in half day. Music am de
stone wall dat surrounds marcy, peace,
charity and humanity. Only las week L
war writin' down my obseryashuns fur de
las forty-seven y ans, an | will glib dem to
de public as follows:
'sDe SCUM of hoss-fddle brings up old
reckoleckshuns an starts de tear of regret
If played long 'nuff, an de wind am in de
right direekshun, it viii cause the listener
to shell out subscripshun of 81, 900 to'rds
new Guild Baptist Church. Try it once
and be convinced.
'.De SCUM of a harp hits man below de
belt He begins to fink of all de mean
6ngs he ever did, an to wish he hadn't,
an at de eand of fifteen minits he am
ready to step ober an pay his naybur 81 a
piece fur de hens he shot in his garden last
spring.
aDe soun of de fiddle grabs on TO seben
different hart strings at once, an man
am Knocked so fat he viii esteem it priv
ilege to len you sl0
'De jewsharp goes right to de soul. If
your wife am all ready TO 'lope off wild de
hired man, de jewsharp win take her bon
net off in sixteen seconds If you keep a
hired man YOU should also keep a jews
harp.
.1Pianner music sometimes hits and some
times misses. Fze known it to make an
old bald head go home an pass two whole
hours without eufin' the child Zen, and Tze
known it to cause young gall to slide down
ober de roof of kitchen an lope off wild
the owner Of a sideshow
.De brass ban might saetile sorrowin
soul IL the said sorrowin soul didn't have
all he could do to hold his hoss.
s'De melcdian used to produce desire
on de part of the listener to be buried un-
der yew-yew tree, but hear dey hav'
impruyed it so dat person had as lief be
buried under Eastwood,
de organ flls de soul wild awe and
strikes de heroic chord If you am lay'n
fur a man, do not tackle him just arter he
has bin taking in the notes of an organ.
DE baHjo-yum If you want my dog
my hoss-my house an lot, play me de
banjo an keep time wild yer fut. spec De
music Of angelic harps am sweet and soft
an dreamy, but if dey want to keep US
Guild folks satisfied up dar' leetle more
banjo an lectlc less harp am de fust pre-
seription. Let US now attack de business
of the meeting
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22
Beaver Hunting in the Northwest.

The Indians of the United States-at
least those of Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho
and Montana very Indifferent trappers.
The half-breeds, on the contrary, are the
deadly enemies of the beaver tribe, for they
combine the acuteness of the white man
and the dogged perseverance and primitive
style of living of their mothers race They
winter in regions where but few even of
the amazingly hardy trappers will venture
to remain, and, moreover, as they have
generally a little party of squaws and young
bucks with them, they reap all the adyan-
tages of skillful and gratuitous labor in
skinning and preparing the pelt Not
few white trappers are married to squaws;
but while their wives kith and kin viii not
willingly accompany the pale-face, they
would do so readily were the man half
breed. Not few trappers 'outfts" met
or heard of were composed of both ele-
ments, say one white man and half-breed,
with couple of willing female slaves.
Those, as a rule, are perhaps the most sue
eessful, and have heard of very large
takes, making the business really profta-
bic one, were it not that the trappers, both
whites and natives, are usually terribly
cheated when exchanging their peltry for
provisions.
The Government post-traders and Indian
agents at the remote little Indian forts,
pushed far in advance of other white settle
ments, make 25O per cent. profit in buing
up heavier skins (they usually allow 81
or As worth of provisions, which cost them
perhaps little more than half and send
ing them direct to wholesale houses in New
York, where they fetch from los, to los.
In the old days of the fur traders the beav-
er skin was the unit of computation in buy
ing or trading. Provisions, ammunition
and blankets were bought with beaver skins.
and horses and squaw wives were traded
for them. A ifty-skin wife was an aver
age article. Considering that the working
of the peltry, the tanning and softening, fell
always to the lot of these unfortunate fe-
male slaves, it was in past days no unusual
oceurrance for one wife to work up skins
wherewith, in good Mormon fashion, new
wife was to be traded
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22
Origin of the Merino sheep.

The merino sheep are descended from the
ancient Tarentine sheep OF the Greeks and
Romans The Gredks took especial care to
breed the finest wooled sheep. They had
no cotton or silk and very little linen, 50
that they took especial pains to produce the
finest wool In order to improve the fine
quality Of the wool Of their Tarentine breed,
they covered the sheep with clothes in cold
weather, as it was found BY experience that
exposure to cold made the wool coarser
BY these efforts to improve the quality Of
the wool, they rendered the sheep very
delicate and unable to Withstand exposure
or rough usage. The Romans crossed the
Tarentine sheep with the best sheep of
Africa, and obtained stronger breed, and
vet preserved the fineneSs of the fleece.
These improved sheep were kept largely in
the province Of Spain, and some of them
sold for over 81 900 in gold per head at
time when the value of money was much
greater than it is now. When the barba-
rians swept over the Roman empire, most
of these sheep were destroyed, but in the
mountainous region of Spain some were
preserved and from these are descended the
merino Of the present time.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22
The Big Greensacks.

The largest denomination of legal tenders
in existence are the $4,000 notes, none
of which have been printed for two or
three years. The next highest is the So
900 note, and in succession follow 81 900,
$500. 500, $50, $40, $40, SIS, 50 and 81.
In national bank currency there is nothing
larger than 81 900 and the smaller denom-
nations are the same as in legal tenders.
While internal revenue paper varies in size
according to the use for which it was de-
signed, some sheets containing 40 to 30
match stamps. and Others only "a of the
beer stamps, bank-note paper is almost in
variably Slx134 inches. On sheet of
this size four notes are printed, each 3lx7 I
inches, leaving from three-quarters to one
inch for trimming. On sheets Of legal
tenders the denominations are the same,
but the national banks usually have COM
binations, three los and 20 on sheet, or
10, 20, so and 100, as may suit the fancy
or convenience of the banker. As soon as
it is discovered that a note has been sue
cessfully counterfeited a new plate is or
dered, the national banks paying 500 for
every plate they have made at the bureau.
For some unexplainable reason the govern
ment is troubled very little with counter
feits the present series of notes having
been running since 1869-70, while on the
contrary, nearly dozen national bank
plates have been retired for this reason
during the past year. The time required
for the printing of bank note or green
back is twenty-five to twentyfour days,
and during that period it passes through
the hands of fifty-two persons,
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22
How silver Thimbles ase Made.


The manufacture Of silver thimbles Is
very simple, but singularly interesting,
Coin silver is mostly used. and is obtained
BY purchasing coin dollars The first oper-
alton strikes novice as almost wicked. for
it is nothing more than putting lot Of
bright silver dollars into dirty crucibles and
melting them up into solid ingots. These
are rolled into the required thickness, and
cut by stamp into circular pieces Of the
required size. A solid metal bar of the
size of the inside of the intended thimble
moved BY powerful machinery up and down
in bottomless mold of the outside of the
thimbIe, bends the disc into the thimble
shape as fast as they can be placed under
the descending bar Once in shape the
work of Frightening, polishing and deco
rating is done on lathe. First, the blank
form is fitted with a rapidly revolving rod
A slight touch of a sharp ehisel takes thin
shaving from the end, another does the
same on the side, and the third rounds off
the rim A round steel rod, dipped in oil
and pressed upon the surface, gives it a
lustrous polish Then a little revolving
steel wheel, whose edge Is raised orna-
ment, held against the revolving blank,
prints the ornament just outside the rim.
A second wheel prints a different ornament
around the center, while third wheel with
sharp points makes the indentations on the
lower half and end of the thimble. The
inside is frightened and polished in sim
liar way, the thimble being held in re-
volving mold. All that remains to be done
is to boil the completed thimbIe in soapsuds
to remove the OIL brush them up, and pack
them for the trade
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22

A wonderful amount of invention is ex-
pended in devising original costumes for
Partisan fancy balls A lovely countess,
who is noted equally in Paris for wit and
beauty, gave one recently in which her
guests represented fruit garden. The
ladies appeared as vines, cherry trees, cur
rant bushes, strawberry plants, &C., and the
gentleman as apple and pear trees. One
lovely young lady, it is said, won mnFmurs
of admiration as astrawberry. At another
ball kitchen garden was represented
The ladies wore white and red turnips, eau
hhowers, and radishes (the sweet-smelling
onion and the suggestive carrot were ne
glected), and the gentlemen appeared as
eabbages, beet root, and celery Some
amusement was created at another fancy
ball given by Nine Guichard by the APP
pearance of a newly married couple as cock
and hen, the cock being arrayed in golden
brown feathers, with comb and spurs COM
plete, and the hen in white satin and swans
down, with little white-feather tail and a
small basket of golden eggs.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22

A Geneva correspondent writes under
date March ID: ssThe winter of 1882,
if winter it can be called, viii long be mem
orable in the meteorological annals of
Switzerland Alpine districts have enjoyed
weather fully as fine as that of an average
summer The present month has, so far,
been more like May than March. Since
December 23 there have been only three
days in this neighhorhood on which it has
rained snow, there has been none the
meadows are gay with yiolets and primroses;
apricot and peach trees are beginning to
bud, and chestnut trees are putting forth
their leaves. In the memory of man,
says the Fe9I q 'Eagiadiaa, there has not
been such fine winter in the Engadine,
nor, may add, in Switzerland.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22

LITTLE DEEDS OF KINDNEss.-Each of
a thousand acts of love cost very little of
itself, and yet, when viewed together, who
can estimate their value The child whose
good Offices are always ready when wanted
to run up stairs and down, to get chips, or
rock the cradle, to run ON an errand, and
right back, all with cheerful look and
pleasant temper, has reward along with
such good duties. If little girl cannot
take her grandfather on her lap as he takes
her on his, she can get the slippers, or put
away his book, or gently comb his thin
locks; and whether she thinks of it or not,
these little kindnesses that come from a
loving heart, are the sunbeams that tighten
mp a dark and woeful world,
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22

any building within the jurisdisdiction of
the btave and handsome Mrs. c., who never
stood on the order of her going but went
at once, no matter what she had to eneoun-
ter. She has little granddaughter in
Baltimore now who is the image of what
she was that autumn evening many year
ago, when young Mr. Peabody feasted his
eyes on her face-a flashing black-eyed
little girl, who viii grow to be as tall as was
her grandmother, and with complexion
painted like the inside of sea-shell. But
the grandmother is dead, and Peabody is
dead, and nearly all the other interesting
people are dead too, and have tombs in
Greenmount Cemetery.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22

STRONG LEATHER.-Experiments show
that the new chrome leather-the result of
the new tanning process by bichromate of
potash-exceeds in tensile strength the
bark tanned article; also that after it has
set under the necessary stress it still retains
an extraordinary amount of elasticity, which
is available for tightening machinery belt
ing on pulleys, As illustrating this state
ment, the fact is shown that a piece of
chrome leather bore an ultimate stress of
3297 pounds per square inch, while piece of
bark leather only bore an ultimate stress of
2672 pounds per square ineh-this exam
pie proving the samples of chrome tanned
leather to be stronger than the bark-tanned
by some fifteen per cent.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22

Some little time ago Miss Frances Power
Cohbe, who has so identified herself with
the cause Of anti-viyiseetion, called ON a
distinguished man of science in London 10
endeavor by persuasive speech and viva
voee argument to gain him over to her
cause Three points were observable in
Miss Cobbe's outward presentment, namely,
she had an ostrich feather in her bonnet, a
bird of paradise on or near her muff, and
she carried an ivory-handled umbrella
Consequently the distinguished man of
science replied as follows :-s Madam, char
ity begins at home; when you have given
up wearing ostrich feathers, which are
plueked from the living bird, causing the
most severe pain, and birds of paradise,
which, in order to enhance their beauty and
lustre, are skinned alive-when you have
abjured the use Of ivory, because you know
that the tusks are cut out Of the dying ele-
plants jaw-then, and then only, come
and upbraid me with the cruelty of my OPP
erations. The difference between US is,
madam, that / iniict pain in the pursuit Of
knowledge and for the ultimate benefit of
my fellow creatures; You cause cruelty to
be inflicted merely for your personal adorn-
ment
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22
Leave of Absence.

On Monday morning (says Paris cor
respondent) clerk applied to his superior
for permission to be absent for forty eight
hours ON some family affairs, and received
an affirmative answer However, he did
not appear during the whole Of the week,
and no one knew to what cause to attribute
his absence. On the following Monday he
reappeared at the regular hour.
"Well, Monsieur" demanded his supe-
rior, why have you stayed away all the
week ?"
"You, sir, replied the clerk, gave me
permission
IL gave you leave for forty-eight hours
only, and not for six days"
II beg your pardon, sir, answered the
young man, IL have only taken the exact
time which you granted me- We work
here eight hours day, and six times eight
are forty-eight certainly had no occa-
sion to ask your permission for the night
any more than for the hours do not owe
to the administration.
This was logical; but since that day the
chief specifies by administrative hours the
duration of the leave be grants.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22
GEO. EDWIN HOPPE,
CHARLES b. ROBERTS.
r. c. Matthews, Anet'r. Trustees.

Gu Thsrsday, he ia day ef Hag. 1882, at
10 o'clock, a. M, the following Lots Of Land,
being partly leasehold and partly in fee, and
sold by the joint action Of the undersigned,
Administrators of J. Henry Hoppe, deceased,
under an order of the Orphans Conrt of Car
roll county, and said Trustees.
A Lot Of Land situated on John and Carroll
streets extended, in the city Of Westminster,
containing TEN ACRES of Land, more or
less, which will be divided into lots of con-
vAnient size for building and pastnring.
A plat Of the above land, prepared BY a
competent surveyor, viii be exhibited on day
Of sale.
Al of the above lots win be sold where they
are severally located.
Terms If Sale same as those above stated.
GEO. EDWIN HOPPE.
JOSHUA w. Herring,
LEWIS C. MYERLY,
Administrators.
GEO. EDWIN HOPPE.
CHARLES B. ROBERTS,
an SITS Trustees.
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22

Within the recollection of many the cul-
tivation of the sweet potato was not thought
possible in the States north of Virginia, but
with the introduction of early varieties and
improved methods of treatment, its culture
has gradually extended northward, until in
all but the most northern localities, the
sweet potato, instead Of being an occasional
luxury. is now common food
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22

LINrMEST FOR SPRAINs.-Take one
ounch each of chloroform, ammonia, sweet
oil and camphor gum. Mix with half
pint of pure alcohol Shake before using.
it is splendid liniment for family use,
The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-22

Sincerity does not consist in speaking
your mind ON all occasions, but in doing
it when silence would be censurable and
inexcusable.