davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13
MUSICAL LEGENDS.
Popular Superstitions Of tho Supernatural
Power of Pipes, Drums, Strings and
Horns.
All The Year Round.

Horns.
All The Year Round.
The horn of Roland is heroic and su-
perb when the preux chevalier, in dis
tress in the ravines of Roncevaux, blows
in it with such furious blast that the
blood spurts from his mouth and his
temples split. His cry of despair pierces
the rocks; 1t is like a death. rattle cleav-
ing the air; at distance of thirty leagues
it strikes the ear or Charlemagne, who
feels the hero's soul passing in it The
horn of Oberon is mocking, comic and
fantastic, az it is fitting that the instru-
ment of the King of Elves should be; all
who hear it are obliged to dance. In
Welland's ballad the Chevalier Huon,
surprised by the calf at the feet of his
daughter, the beautiful Rezzia, is con
demned to the stake, together with his
lady-iove. But, at the moment when
the fapgots are lighted. Huon puts to his
lips the magic horn that Oberon gave
him. At the first blast the town is seiz-
ed with vertigo; agas, imaums, muftis,
pashas and dervishes, with their pointed
Donnets, begin to turn furiously and form
an immense farandole around the pyre
In Norway, the genius Fossegrin teach
es the violin, in the night of Holy Thur =
day, to any person who sacrifices to him
white goat and throws it into cascade
flowing northward, taking care to turn
away his head. The genius then seizes
the right hand of his pupil and moves it
over the strings of the fiddle until the
blood comes ont under the nails. The
apprentice is thenceforth a master, and
his enchanted violin will make trees
dance and stay rivers in their course.
The reader will remember the magic
power Of the flute in the legend of the pi.
per of Hamelin, so charmingly related by
Robert Browning.
The drum, too, plays a great role in
magical music. The drum of the Thessa.
Ian witches brought the moon down
from the sky. The drum of the sorcer-
ers of Lapland, summons the soul ont OF
the body, as out of tent. and sends it
promenading in strange lands on the
winged feet of dreams.
According to the Christian tradition
bells exercise evil geniuses, who cordial
ly detest them. A quaint German legend
slates that a Kobold, furious at eeing a
spire rising in the village where he lived,
gave letter TO peasant and begged him
to place it in the poor box OF the church
The peasant examined the letter cur
iously as he went along, and suddenly
noticed SOME drops of water fall from it
The letter gradually opened, and from it
there fell first heavy rain and then cas-
cades and cataracts, so that the peasant
could scarcely save his life by swimming.
The evil spirit had inclosed whole lake
in his letter, in order to submerge the
church. This lake covered an immense
tract of land, and may still be seen near
kund. Sorcerers and demons also abom-
mate bells, which they call barking dogs
(bellende hunde). At their midnight
meetings they use only little bells to
parody the ceremony Of man.
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13
Wonderful heads of Hair.

Certainly our lady readers will be in.
terested to know something of two dam
sells who have heads of hair of unparall-
eled length and beauty. The first is Miss
Ida Terry Of Chicopee Falls, Massachu-
setts, whose hair is said to trail for half
yard along the floor. But the Rochester
Express claims that Miss Hattie A. Miller
of No. ia North street, in that city, sur
passes Miss Terry. Miss Miller is feet
inches in height, and in all respects
prepossessing. She kindly consented
to take down her hair in the presence of
the newspaper man. II seemed to fair
ly encompass her as she stood erect, and
allowed it TO flow gracefully over her
shoulders and along the floor. IL has
grown surprisingly even in length, and
from the scalp to the end of the hair
measures exactly 6 feet inches, thus al
lowing of a trail II inches in length. AL.
though such an abundant growth wouii
naturally be supposed to give its wearer
more or less inconvenience, vet Miss
Miller states that she neither suffers
headache from it nor is she obliged 10
bestow unnecessary time in dressing it.
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13
A Bashful Mans Dilemma.

A horse car is bad place for a ner.
vous or bashful man. Such one was
noticed yesterday, and he was a very 20.
lite man, too, which somehow seemed to
aggravate the case, although the reason
why it should do 30 is not quite evident.
He was little near sighted also, and
when an aged Irishwoman got out and
dropped particularly disgraceful hand.
kerchief on the floor the bashful man did
not perceive the article for moment,
although the rest of the passengers did,
and two who were on the platform
brawled out unavailingly after the ur :
conscious owner. But when the modest
man did see it being also, as above re
cited, a polite and gentlemanly person
he picked 1t up at once, and smilingly Of
fered it to the young lady who sat oppo-
site. The look size gave him made his
spinal marrow feel chilly, and when be
passed 1t in turn to all the women in the
car and got only shifts and "Well, de-
clares" and What an ideasl" from each
in turn, he looked suck a picture OF
hopeless misery that he was quite pitiful.
And when rough, brutal man al the
other end of the car called out, You'd
better keep it yourself" the bashfnl man
smiled feebly, said every likely" and
stuffed the rag into his pocket, and then
attempted the feat of reading his paper
upside down. And when he left the car
the people who looked after him saw hira
pause at an ssh barrel on the sidewalk
drop somsthing into Il. and ram II down
with his cane.
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13
SMlLERS.

WHERE there's WIN there's apt TO be
q contest.
WHEN is boat like heap of snow?
When it's adriit.
A "No RENT" cry can be heard every
time a boy is whipped for tearing his
clothes
THERE is no change 80 cad to contem-
plate as the last ten cents left from ten
dollar bill.
WHAT is that which is neither iiesh nor
bone, and yet has four fingers and a
thumb? A glove.
"P;I make note of this" as the
sharper said when he got farmer 10
write his name on piece OF paper.
WHEN six young women sit down TO
talk about a new dress pattern, small
bow with tin bo1n is refuge for the
weary.
! IcE.cREAM is now served in molds to
resemble ASPARAGUS. This won't do. The
only way to turn the girls against it is to
make it resemble onions.
BEFORE one gentleman calls another
gentleman a bald-headed perverter of
history be should be sure that his skin
Yields rapidly to treatment by arnica.
TINS is the season when the Florida
man, desiring to make trip north, puts
Two Strawberries in his trunk, and on his
pay all expenses.
THE English LANGUAGE is supposed TO
consist of aDout 80 0o0 distinct words. OF
these ordinary PEOPLE use only from 800
to 5000. great orators pefhaps as many
as 10000, and lightning-rod agents and
directory canyassers, 59,963.
SMART AlEcK met Jones this morning,
and. after the usual manner of the slang
singers. be said, "Hello, Jonesey, old
man, what do you know when you don't
, know anything?' al know you," re-
piled Jores, calmly and serenely, and
Aleck withdrew TO a sequestered spot TO
, ruminate.
! WHY SHE CAST HIM OrF---" How pro.
foundly still and beautiful is the night"
, she whispered, resting her finely -veined
temple against his coat-collar, and fixing
. her dreamy eyes on the far.off Pleiades I;
5 "how soothing, how restful p Yes"
2 he replied, toying with the golden aureo-
Y la of her hair, and what a night to fire
D boot-jacks at the cats on the back fence"
! She told him to go West.
7 JoLLY.--A dinner party: The youngest
T gentleman (t is his first visit has broken
2 the ice, at last, by inquiring the name Of
e the hostess little daughter, to which the
+ child has replied, Ethel" And why,
8 Ethel, do you keep patting me on the
/ arm? Because mamma says you are a
!, muff" lawful pause, during which the
O child strokes him down; "but you don't
J feel like one, you know Tableau :
Is Child complacent; nobody else.
4. THIS item has travelled pretty well, but
h it deserves all the publicity it can get
a a nervouslooking man went into astore
/. the other day and sat down for half an
= hour or SO, when a clerk asked if there
9 was anything she could do for him. He
IS said no, he didn't want anything. She
IL went away, and lie sat there half an
, hour longer, when the proprietor went to
!, him and asked il he wanted to be shown
q anything NO." said the nervous man
al just wanted to sit around My pbysi.
!. clan recommended perfect quiet for me
}. and says, above all things, ! must avoid
>. being in crowds. Noticing that you did
/ not advertise in the newspapers, thought
a this would be rs quiet place as | could
n find, SO just dropped in fer few hours
NJ of complete isolation"
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13
CROP PROSPECTS IN CALIFORNIA.
A Fair Harvest Of Cereals Expscted-Per-
hsps the Best Fruit season Ever Known
I'm the State.

A Fair Harvest Of Cereals Exptcted-Per-
hsps the Best Fruit Season Ever Known
I'm the State.
San Francisco Bulletin.
The BuHefik recently published very
full report Of the condition of the crops
in all parts OF the State. These reports
related principally to cereal crops. They
are not all Of favorable tenor; but it Is
worthy of note that they are as nearly
SO as they wcro last year at correspond
ing date, or would be in any year in
which the rainfall was excessive. Last
year the rain fall was extraordinary. The
cereal crop was reduced considerably by
this excessive moisture. This year we
have the other extreme. Yet recent crop
reports show that over large area OF the
State there is the promise Of good har
vest. This promise is, OF course, predi-
Gated on the theory that there will still
be late rains. II is now the last day OF
March, and it is not usual to have very
heavy rains in the month of April. There
are remaining about FIVE weeks during
which O moderate amount of moisture
may be expected. A great deal hinges
on these few weeks. Timely showers
will help out the cereal crops, even where
they are not now very promising. South
of Merced, In the great San Joaquin Val
ley, the rainfall has not been sufficient
TO insure wheat creps on ordinary land,
and il is hardly probable that future
rains would do much more than to re-
vive and freshen the pastures. The irrl-
gated land will, OF course, produce full
crops without further rainfall. The
weather observers are still sanguine that
we shall have late rains, and do not ap-
pear to ta =, all discouraged by the prov
erb that all signs fail in dry weather
With timely showers in April the recent
crop reports would indicate q harvest
quite up to that Of last year. This sea
son In much later than usual, it being a
much as twelve or fifteen days behind
that Of last year in The growth OF grass
and cereals; and in the development ol
the new crop of fruit. As to the latter
all the reports thus far are favorable
The cold weather Of February kept back
the buds, and the warm weather in the
last Of March brought them into blossom
rapidly. There is now the promise Of one
of the best fruit SEASONS ever known In
this State. The orchards are in full bios
som, and the set of young fruit is remark
able. No influences prejudicial to the
fruit crop are now contemplated. The
"northers" have been unusually preva.
lent this year, and there is still the con
tingency Of some danger from that quar-
ter. 1t now looks as If dry season
would be fairly productive one over
the greater part of the State.
A REMARKABLE dinner was recently
given in Paris, the host being young
man of ninety six, and the fifty-nine
uests having an average aye OF seventy.
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13
had MetiIcine-Man.
Youths' Companion.

Ono of the most hazardous, as well as
unprincipled ventures a man can In .%a,
is 10 pretend TO q power far higher i tlian
he possesses. The famous capt. Ooyn
lost his life by the hands OF the silnp,s
sayages whom be had allowed 10 con'luet y
him a god. The following instance y, u
narrow escape by one brazen Joker wno
tool rather too much upon himself, ls
related by en- army officer who witness-
ed the occurrence; =. For,
A clerk in the agency store at Fort
Reno. in the Indian territory, snoI1
time before the last total eclipse OF tne
ann informed the Indians that on GER
tain day manning that or which the
eclipse would take place. he woulu Pds
out the sun, and if they would assemble
at that time, they could witness the per-
formance. ,,.,;ouo
The Indians professed not to believe
what he said, but he assured them nc
wonld certainly do all he promised, anu
when the dav arrived it brought large
number of the red men to witness 'ne
suns extinction.
A few minutes before the time hxec
by the astronomers for the obscuratiof
to begin, the wsg mounted an empty
sugar hogshead and began his incanta
ton.
Presently the sun began TO disappear
and the "sons of the forest evinced un
mistakable signs Of uneasiness, whlci
increased as the performance proceeded
untii. a short time before the sun disap
peared entirely, they rushed upon tn
Joker, exclaiTing:
"Bad medicine-man! put out sum-" an'
would have despatched him in shhrs or
der had they not been restrained by tn
soldiers who had gatfer to see the fur
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13
The Cat and the Mocking Bird.
sumpter Republican.

On Sunday last we witnessed a singu-
lar contest between mocking bird and
cat. When first observed the bird was
on the ground about three feet from the
cat, singing thrilling, triumphant melo-
dy that he'd its enemy entranced. The
bird had come under the mesmeric innu-
ence of the cat, and could not get away,
aud the cat, charmed by the melody of
the bird, could not eat it. Several times
1t would crouch, give its tail twitching
motion, and prepare to spring, but the
bird would approach. warbling a milder
strain, and puss would rub her head
against it, purring in that manner so pc
culiar TO these animals when pleased.
We watched to see how this novel con
test would end, and even tried 10 fright.
en- the bird away, but the cat caught it
up in her mouth, ran of short distance,
put it upon the ground, and let the little
creature sing, seemingly perfectly content
with its music. We again approached,
took the cat up, when the bird also flew
upon a tree near by, and seemed deeply
distressed, the cat meanwhile eyeing it
wistfully. At last we succeeded in scar
ing the bird away and put the cat down,
when it Immediately started off to hunt
up the bird
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13
A substitute for Black Walnut.


Black birch is rapidly coming in favor
Black birch is close grained and hand.
some wood, aud can be easily stained to
resemble walnut exactly. Il is just az
easy to work, and is suitable for nearly
il not all, the purposes to which black
walnut is at present applied. Birch is
much the same color as cherry. but the
latter wood is now very scarce, and con.
sequt ntly dear it is difficult thing to
obtain cherry at $50 a thousand feet
while birch wood can be had at nearly
any saw.mill for 81 per thousand feet.
When properly stained it is almost in &.
possible to distinguish the Inference be.
tween 1t and walnut. as it is susceptible
OF beautiful polish equal to any wood
now used in the manufacture of furnit
ure. In the forests throughout Ontario
birch grows in abundance, especially if
the land is not too boggy. There is a
great difference in the wood of different
sections. Where the land is high and
dry the wood is firm and clear, hut il the
land is low and wet the wood has
tendency to be soft and of blush color.
In all the northern regions il can be
found in great abundance, and as the
tree grows 10 such great size, little
trouble is experienced in procuring
large quantities.
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13

had paid me do not think she had twen-
ty-three cents left in it."
"Then she pays cash, /" suggested the re-
porter.
because / won't give her credit. Her
husband is q cashier in large bank
downtown. l suppose that he has a
handsome salary. But his big house,
his extensively dressed wife and daugh-
ters, his carriage and his splendid coach
man, his family's trip to Europe or Sara
toga in the summer time, absorb every
thing. He has little money TO invest in
bread and butter and meat. III / should
let my bill run up the money would go
for bonnets, gloves, boots and other full
dress paraphernalis. Then when Mag
niloquent Montrose absconds, as he pro-
badly will, why | would be two or three
hundred dollars out of pocket.
Occasionally theMontroses give din
ner party, after living at other peoples
dinner parties for two or three months,
and starving genteelly in the intervals.
Then sell them nice lot Of meat, and
am very careful to get my money for it.
"Oh, yes, 1t is about the same thing
with the other tradesmen. Mrs Mont
rose dashes up to the corner grocery store
in her carriage and orders a small meas
ure of potatoes and bar OF soap to be
sent home, and grandly rides away again.
You may see her servant on the avenue
almost any mroning on her wav to the
bakers shop to buy and pay for one Loaf
of bread"
"Of course, the servants do not like
this sort of thing. They usually stay a
month, get their months wages and go.
If the servant can't stand it month and
leaves before the end of it, she does not
get any wages"
A mlddle-aged female entered the shop
at this mement. She. was dressed in
shabby black. She carried small mark.
ct basket. She began inspecting very
earnestly a round of beef that lay on the
counter.
at is not quite far enough in" she said
at length; "but you may cut me pretty
thick slice off there"
The butcher cut off the slice, wrapped
it up and gave it to the customer, who
went away.
"You trust herr"
"That's Miss Smith; a very different
kind from Mrs. Montrose. She gets the
very best porter house stake in the shop
She waits until the cut is just right. If
is not far enough in, or verges toward the
sirloin, she wont have it. And she pays
promptly every week. Why, she ant
her cat consume more good meat thar
all the Montrose family-father, mother
and two dadehters-do together. She i,
an old maiG, dressmaker. She lives ir
the third story front room in the houst
over the way. Sometimes she goes out o
town TO country mansion TO do week,
work. She always comes back starved
or dyspeptic, or both-at least, she sayi
20.
81 tell you" concluded the butcher
honrishing the knife whereby he hat
just cut the Forter-house steak, "one-hal
the people in this city don't know how
the other half live"
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13
GENTEEL STARVATION.
How Many Families starve and Keep Car
riages.
New York News.

The other morning, when the News re.
porter went into the butcher shop on
Third avenue, Immediately around the
corner from his boarding-house. to deliv,
er pathetic message from his sick land
lady, he met a splendidly costumed fe-
male coming out as he was going in.
Turning around naturally to follow her
movements, and still further to feast his
eyes, he saw her step into carriage at
the curbstone, which was speedily whisk-
ed away by pair of spirited and pranc.
ing horses.
The well groomed horses, with their
shining harness; the black titled, green
coated, silver.buttoned and white-gloved
coachman; the highly polished carriage,
with its cleaning lamps and windows;
the whole equipage, in truth, flashing in
the morning sunlight, seemed like a
splendid vision from the world of dreams
When it had sparkled and shimmered
out Of sight, and was lost in the common
crowd of vehicles, the reporter turned
again into the butcher shop.
As he did so, the butcher brought a
hunk Of meat from one of the hooks and
flung it on the great round block at the
end of his counter. Selling pair OF
meataxes, he began hacking away to
make mince-meat thereof in an unmis-
takably spiteful and vicious fashion.
THAT is what | call gorgeous poverty
looking up and nodding to the reporter.
The butcher, it may be remarked, is an
old school-iellow, who had the usual pres
idential lopgings during his early years,
but developing consumptive tendencies,
had sought corrective in his fathers
business. He had succeeded to the store
at his fathers death. He had found the
corrective. His weight is not now less
than 200 pounds.
"See,' he said, turning suddenly and
pointing theatrically 10 four small nut.
ton-chops and modest and retiring
piece of cornei-beef on the counter be-
fore him. ",hat is what Mrs. Magnilo-
quent Mon:rose has just purchased
Il should not be so indignant" he con.
tiaued, laughing suddenly. 'ifthe people
would take their purchases with them.
They always want them sent home
Now. this corncd- -beefand these mutton
chops will make two parcels, which my
boy could almost put into his vest pock-
cts. lie takes them 10 a magnificent
four-storied, brown-stone mansion OIL
Madison avenue. The mutton-chopsa are
for the family dinner; the corned.beef il
for the servants. There is twenty-th
cents' worth. She paid the twenty-three
ccnts out Of q beautiful seai.skin pocket
boob, lined with blue ilk, When she
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13

Explaining the condition Of our own
manufacturers of quinine, Mr.. Robbins
states that they labor under two disad-
vantages: the best bark coming from
East India in foreign bottoms is weighted
with a discriminating duty of 10 per
cent; and, secondly, all the materials ne.
cessary for the extraction of the alkaloid
from the bark are dutiabe. As TO the
future Of the home manufacture of quiz
nine, Mr.. Robbins believes it will retro
grade. There will be decreased ship.
ments of bark to our markets, as well as
shipment of goods in return for the
same, to the injury Of commerce as well
as of manufactures. with no countervail-
ing advantage to the consumer of quiz
nine.
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13

PRAIRIE and wood fires have been rag
in Southern Arizona and Southwestern
New Mexico recently. The territory
burned over Is reported to cover forty
miles equare, and the damage done is
immense. The origin of the fire is
attributed TO the Indians, either domes.
lie FOR renegade, who roam at will
throughout the country, except on ration
dsy,
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13

THE following test is given by the
French Academy for distinguishing false
gsms from diamonds II the point Of a
needle or small hole in card, when
seen through the stone, appears double,
the stone ID not diamond. All colorless
gems, with the exception Of the diamond,
Cause double reiraction.
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13

Tns receding Of the ocean at Atlantic
City. New jersey, for many years pas,
has left smuch fresh land above high
wafer, and litigation with regard to
ownership is threatened. The lot own.
err claim riparian rights, but the land
company that sold the property CLAIM,
that the new lots should belong TO tie
company. The property in dispute is
valued at $4,000.
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13

The cable Of the Mexican Cable comp
any. now running from Tampico to
Brownsville, at the mouth of the Rio
Grandc, viii soon be extended TO Gal.
weston, the reason given for the change
bsing the necessity for quicker commu-
nication with the telegraph system Of
the United Slater. Mercantile inter.
course is increasing between the two
countries.
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13

A MULBERRY tree at Griffin, Georgia,
acted in very curious manner the other
day, emitting what seemed 10 be pufIs OF
smoke at shortintervals from all portions
of the tree. The smoke or whatever il
was, was light and thin, like cigar smoke,
and scarcely visible to the casual obser.
yer. 1t was . phenomenon that no one
could account for.
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13

The largest railroad tax assessed by
the governor and council Of Maine is tina,
cfthe Maine Central, $2s,l56. The East
ern is taxed sis652, the Boston and
Maine sls.626, and the Grand Trunk
sl2,O95. The total tax on the railroads
In fe7 000
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13

The Boston papers suggest that the
caravansary which shall take the place
Of the Adams house be called the Lamb
tavern, and that the reconstructed play
house next door be called the Lion
theatre.
The Osceola times., 1882-05-13

The emigration from Switzerland last
year Was the greatest on record, the
number Of emiarants who left the country
in 1881 having been 1885, against 1885
in 1880, and 4, 4,2Ss in 1879. By far the
greater proportion Of them were from
German Switzerland.