davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-26
Educational Queries.

Does the committing to memory of
sentences and definitions in many cases
really convey any idea to the child's
mind of the subject matter attempted
to be taughtp
Is it not suggestive that a story full
OF historical or geographical facts told
a group OF children, by one who likes
to tell them such stories, will hold it's
place in their memories without any
repetition, while the same children may
drone a whole day over half a dozen
answers to be memorized without
knowing in the least what they mean
or imply?
Is the mind d reservoir to he cram
med with facts or opinions which may
or may not be facts?
Or is it rather q mirror which the
more it is polished the better therein
are seen the numberless facts all about
us?
Is there nothing suggestive in the
fact that well-educated men, who can
tell almost everything which has been
printed in books, are working for far
less than. the wages of a good cook in
writing what they know, and a great
deal they don't for booksellers?
Is there anything suggestive in the
fact that, if a boy is turned loose, he
will learn. the geography and topogra-
ply OF a whole county in a months
time, when he will sweat over his writ
ten geography for a whole year, and,
when asked, will declare O lake to be a
body of water surrounded by-water :?
And why is it that the boy learns to
load a gun, build a rabbit trap, or drive
a horse, ten times quicker than he does
his geography lesson?
And if mechanical teachers, who
work chiefly for the money, "hear "
words and sentences mechanically COM
mitted to memory by the dear children
out Of school books, mechanically writ
ten for money, will it not result in a
mechanical, parroty sort Of education ?
What did Garfield mean when he
said that it was a woEder that 50 many
American children survived the hor-
rors OF a public school education 2"
Why not have a few grown men and
women try the experiment of going to
school five hours per day for eight
months, and studying from a dozen
books, more or less, in order that at the
end OF that time they may look into
their minds and see how much they
have really learned.-[N. Y. Graphic:
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-26
Dbelisk Material.

MIR. J. II. Drake, of st. Paul, has pat
.ented a composition of which Sioux
Falls Jasper is the chief component.
The question has been Us to its dura-
bility; but the following extract indi-
Gates that the celebrated Egyptian OBJ
elisk in Central Park, New York.
which has been supposed 10 be a solid
rock, is really only a composition made
something as that which Mr.. Drake
has invented. If this Egyptian COM:
position is sufficiently durable to have
lasted thousands of years, it is not un4
likely that the new product viii be
found enduring enough for all the uses
to which it will be likely TO be put.
The extract is from a letter written to
the Scientific American, by Mr.. U.
Cummings:
MY reasons fJr believing the dbe-
hsk to be a mass OF concrete are as
fo]lows:4 have spent a life time int the
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-26

manufacture of lines and cements an,
in the study of mortarr, concretes, etc.
and after thirty years spent in this
line. it seems as though / ought tt
know concrete when l see it.
Il went around on the back side OF
the obe]isE. climbed over the wire
fence, mounted the masonry work, took
out a strong magnifying glass and
sharp-pointed steel and went at it.
could see what looked at a distance to
be a gray, reddish, uniform tint, was,
on close inspection, granite broken in
to pieces from the size OF Il walnut
down to corn or wheat size, and these
broken stones We're intimately mixed
with some bitMninous matter, black
and seamy, something of the nature Of
asphaItum. The black substance and
broken stone were thoroughly mixed
with hydraulic lime; by the latter do
not mean hydraulic cement, but lime
which contained sufficient clay to rem
der it hydraulic. but not enough to pre-
vent it from Stacking if kept under
weight eight or ten days. With my
steel point | could plow out this n.y.
draulic lime, and with my knife | cut
and shaved the black substance, which
lay in all conceivable ways, the grain
in some bits presenting their flat sides,
sometimes their ends, sometimes verti-
cal, sometimes horizontal, showing it
to have been mixed up with the lime
and broken stone haphazard. l think,
if | had had time enough and no po-
liceman to nos around and bother one,
| could have taken out a bit OF granite
with my steel.
"The hieroglyphics show as plain as
anything can show, that they were
formed by fastening the proper form
on the inside of the box into which
the concrete was resumed, and when
the concrete had hardened sufficiently
the boxes were taken away, and the
patterns of the hieroglyphics were
withdrawn, leaving their impression
on the face Of the concrete, exactly as
is done every day by the manufactur-
ers of artificial stone. Such work can
not be mistaken for work done by the
chisel by any n familiar with that
class Of work. Every letter is made to
draw and in no place could l find a
spot that would not draw
"Such a structure, made in concrete
as | have described, could be safely
carried up at the rate of from IL to Is
inches per day, and SO positive am l
that it is concrete, that / would not
hesitate to enter into a contract to
erect exact duplicates of it in any city
for $4,000 each. l think 1 can find
granite in Connecticut Of the same
color, the bituminous matter in New
York, and the hydraulic lime in Buffa-
10, and with these make just as good
obelisks as were ever turned out in
Egypt. AS to the durability of the OBJ
elisk in Central Park, Of which much
has been written lately, l think it will
stand for ages where it is. Some por-
lions may get loose that were net per-
fectly cemented, but as a whole the
material is Of that class that will out
last anything else we have"
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-26
The Bids the Cap;tal.

The capital commission met at Can
ton on the 18th, for the purpose of con.
sidering the bids fer the location Of the
capital. The bids us announced are
as follows:
Aberdeen-S1M,uN and l60 acres.
Pierre-SlOO.NO and 25n.2s5 acres.
Bismarck-$10u.WW and 800 acres
with a certified guaranty that one OF
the quarter sections donated, if plated
and sold, would realize for the Terrific
ry 100000 in cash in addition to the
100000 bid.
Mitchell-$16O,O0O and 100 acres.
Redfield-$lO.Un and 240 acres.
Ordwav-$1ON.OOO and 800 acres for
the use of the Territory, and 100 acres
for railroad use.
Canton-$1OO.nN and lGO acres.
Frankfort-$10O,O00 and 100 acres.
Huron-$1OO,OD and 100 acres.
Odessa-$2OO,OOO and 100 acres-cer
titled checks for full amount Of cash
enclosed with bid.
Steele-$1OO,O0O and 100 acres-certi-
fed checks for full amount enclosed.
Sioux City, Iowa-$1,OOO,ON.
Wessington-Bid informal and not
read.
Of the advantages Of the different
locations as set forth by the orators,
the Sioux Falls Press makes the fol-
lowing condensation: "Of curse ev-
cry n Of the towns is a center of
some sort-railroad center, commercial
center, geographical center, center Of
population, center of the territory, cen
ter Of the center of the center; and of
course all Of them are healthy-there rep
resentative from Pierre declared that
a comparison of the contents of the
cemetery with the population of the
town proves that a man has to be 500
years old before he can die out there;
and of course they all have excellent
water-the representatives from those
towns visited by the commission call
ing on the members thereof to certify
to the quality of the water And of
they are all well drained and
present beautiful landscapes = well,
they are all in Dakota except Sioux
City, and what more could possibly be
said in their behalf 2"
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-26

The time during which the solemni-
zation of marriage in England is legal
being at present between eight in the
morning and noon, an effort is being
made to lengthen this time by extend
ing it to six in the evening.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-26

the Catholic church east of Vermil-
lion was moved from it's foundation bv
81 recent storm. This is the second &c
cident of the kind which has befallen
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-26
u

The new town of Washington Springs lately
plated by BURR Il SCOTT. is situated in the
centr! Of the new county Of JERAULO. u
tract OF land. unsurpassed 4 in fertility Of soil. va
lieiy OF scenery and pure water by any county
in Dakota embracing the well-known
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-26

are Situated forty feet above the town site with
ample flow to furnish all the water required for
protection from fire and for domestic use. il one
OF s,,ch aPlaient advantage that it Shonld be
Wen populated by as fine a class of people as can
ne found anywhere :. intelligent, enterprising,
and lndl!strious-and as a consequence the bust,
demand for what they may wish to manufacture
OF extension or ~
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-26

celebrated for their beautiful scenery, s,sinrs
OF pure and medicinal waters, and an atmSss.
lIneIt OF singular purity, making it without
sorts for those seeking rest and health. The
known '''' ~ Gil
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-26


The question is often asked: "Is
here any way to tell whether corn will
grow or notY r. J. Cook in the indi-
tina Farmer, gives his plan as follows:
examine grains from every ear Sc
lected for seed by opening the heart
with a sharp knife ind looking at the
sprout or germ. If the sprout is white
plump, and brittle, it will grow; but il
It is shrunken, Of a yellow color, and
bears the appearance OF having been
soaked in I've. it will not grow. The
germs Of last years crop show for
themselves and will hot grow, and by
placing side by side the germs of the
rorn Of the crops Of 1881 and 1882. the
difference San be plainly seen"
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-26

The Appalachicola Tribune in its
obituary notice of Peter Cooper speaks
of him as "the great novelist" We
have several of his novels entitled,
Peter Cooper's Views on the Cur
renew
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-26

prlet9rs Of the town site are now engaged in
erecting Il hotel to supply Il demand long; exist
my Tor accommodations to parties wishing to
ments have also been made for the er]rctionof a
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-26

Yankton county will refund it's rail
road bonds by the issuing of new ones,
showing Senator Hale to he a first-class
collector; we have about 5000 due us
on old newspaper accounts which we
purpose putting in his hands for col
lection.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-26

The New Jersey law prohibiting the
employment of children under four
teen years Of age will result in the dis
charge Of between 1900 and 1000 of
them at Paterson alone.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-26
Twenty-fourmillion bushels OF wheat
will be raised this year in Dakota.

Parties in Hanson county are offer
ing to buy wheat crops at twenty bush
els an acre cash.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-26
GRIST MILL.

Drry goods and general store. drug store, church.
school house. blacksmith shop, cane min. bank
anu other business interests will soon be repre-
ments, to all who first locate. The attractions
ana advantages are 50 many that it is impossible
10 name all, but the fnct that springs Of.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-13
THE SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.

TIE government surely cannot relinquish the
doctrine that it should protect its own citizens
in their right of franchise. That would involve
a confession of weakness with reference to the
very fundamental principle upon which the re-
public is based.-St. Louis GlObe-Democrat.
IRELAND seems forever doomed to suffer as
much from the indiscretlons of her friends as
the malice of her enemies, buus1rt no time in her
past history has friendship worn such a hid1Ous
mask as that which now hides her face. II is
time for true Irishmen to speak out.-Phiadel-
phia Record.
THE people of the repudiating States have no
excuse whatever The obligations they have
been wrigglng and twisting to avoid were hon
estly incurred, and there is no reason in the
world why they should not be honestly met, ex-
cent the one wOrn-uut reason that it might In
vove some hardship and self-denal for the tax
payers.-New York Tribune.
THERE are few honest fanatics who still be-
lieve in the Greenback sophistries but most OF
those who are trying to keep up "a political or
eanization under this title are strikers and win
oilers, who are hanging on to the hope that in q
close election they may be able to do little
business with the regular candidates on one side
or the other.-New York Times.
THE form of the question, What is to be done
with our great cities, which are sinking steadily
irto the control of the vicious and criminal
classes, may be changed to this: What can and
shall be done to take the tools OF Municipal gov
eminent from the hands of those who have no
stake in the COMMUNICATION that bottom
ness In using them. have got on topf-Chlcago
Times. ..r.
IT does not follow, because slavery was abol-
ished by war, the professional aboitionsts hav-
ing very little to do with the abolition, that all
tho agitators are to be successful; that few des-
perate men. by giving themselves furiOusly to q
cause, and sparing no one, and holding no con-
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-13

fiicting interest to be proper or toerable, have a
certainty of the blessing of God. We seek to
aid in the accomplishment of the greatest prao-
teal good.-Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
IF children, and especially the children of the
poor, are compelled TO 20 to school, books must
certainly be placed in their hands. The INDECENT,
as the authorities have learned from experience,
desp1se the present plan of applying for books
on the ground of poverty, and hence the only
truly democratic way is to furnish all children
with free books for use as long needed, and
then return the same to the school lbrary.-Cht-
cago Inter Ocean.
IF these appeals mean money to promote de-
vastatlon and assassination then the sooner the
United States government looks into the matter
the better. II Mr., ODynamite Rosa and his
sort OF Irish Americans are to be permitted to
openly beseech aid to further such horrible
schemes 1t Is time the American people have
something to say. II there law under
which the government act, then 1t is high
time to make one.-Chcago Herald.
man being. But with the present unedueateC
sentiment on this subject, total abstinence can
not be enforced. The whole United States army
could scarcely enforce it at the point of the bay
onet In the one State of Ohio. Therefore let us
accept such laws be executed. WOulG
not that be reasOnablel But to say
that because there is prO5a-
pihty, but a shadowy possibility, that the
word incense" Will be used when some one
wonld prefer the word ''tax," both meaning sub
stantially the same thing, they will vote against
the whole scheme and for prohibition, which
they know is impossible, does not that look like
gallon of milk instead of a gallon7-Cincinnati
Journal.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-13

THE American Messenger, published in
London, devoted to the interests of Ameri-
cans abroad, at the conclusion of an article
discussing the possible complications into
which dynamite patriots might involve the
United States, sensibly says:
1--WE have allowed politicians to talk and
write about the Irish or German vote as if
the existence of nations within a nation was
a recognized part of American home policy
whereas on the contrary, we ought to have
nothing whatever to do with any other vote
than the American vote. The fact is that we
have thought that a vaporing speech or a
shrek of defiance hurled at a safe distance
against foreign nation with whom the
United States was at peace could do no harm.
1t is evident that matters in this respect are
now becoming serious. American citizen
ship ought in the future to be a dignity
something like that of the civis Romanus
not to be conferred too carelessly, and above
ALL to be regarded as a special privilege
granted only to such foreigners as have, by
good conduct and attention to the common
veal of the United States during many years.
shown themselves deserving of such an
honor"
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-13

Hon. JOHN w. HoLcoMBE, Superintendent
of Public Instruction, though Democrat,
has thrown the full weight OF his personal
and official influence in favor of temperance
reform. In an official certificate Mr.. Hol-
combe says he sympathizes with "the spirit
and intent of the movement in favor of the
study in the public schools of the effect of
alcohol and other stimulants, ''as with all eff
forts to promote the cause of temperance by
the diffusion of information and by the vol
untary labors of individuals or associations"
As we understand it. the labors of all associ-
atoms, the Prohibition Council as well as
Others, are entirely voluntary; so Mr. Hol-
combe has allied himself heart and soul with
DIR. Gerrish, Prof. East, Mr. Dobbins and
other leading Democrats.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-13

BUFFALO Democracy is as much like Indi.
ana Democracy as one pea is like another.
The Indiana Democrats, as represented by
the late Legislature, took to themselves
everything in sight, and expressed disgust
that their range of vision failed to reveal
more spoils In exactly the same manner
the bosses of the Buffalo Democracy drew UP
bill that would take all the city offices
from the Republicans and give them to the
Democratic retainers. The bill passed the
Democratic New York Legislature, of course,
but when it came to the Governor he vetoed
it, much to the disgust of the faithful at Buff
falo. Governor Cleveland might as well
understand now that if his nomination for
the presidency depends on the Democrats OF
Buffalo, he will never get it.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-13

of the sink a tunnel-way led to the cellar,
and overhead was some sort of an arrange
ment connected with rope, the exact object
of which was at first a mystery. A pull at
the rope made everything plain, for seventy
five-pound weight fell from overhead. and
crashed down through the hole and tunnel
to the ground below. The plan was, when a
liquor down to the ground, and then to send
the heavy weight down after it, smashing
bottles and jugs to flinders. A man was
found who said he had put up two hundred
such bars in Portland alone.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-13

A WAsHINGToN special states that cit is
known that General Gresham had arrange
ments perfected for retirement from the
bench fortnight hence. He had grown
tired of being judge and had formed part
nership with one OF the best known law firms
in indianapolis, and intended entering upon
practice" As matter of interest, it may be
stated that General Gresham is the thirty
first Postmaster-general, and that after Gen
eral Foster leaves for Spain, the new cabinet
minister will occupy his residence, which is
Washington
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-13

UNITED STATES JUDGE NELSON, of Boston,
quoted to him, were not improper in char
acter, and did not properly fall within the
statute against obscene publications. Ger
tain extracts were given from 'The Yokes,
by order of the Judge, who at the conclu-
zion said; "This court is robust enough to
stand anything that has been read. There is
no excuse for drawing up the indictment in
this case as it has been done" And yet
there are lines of the good gray poet that are
far from delicate in expression.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-13

THE annual banquet of the Iroquos Club
the heightened Democratic organization of
Chicago, will occur tonight. The pro-
gramme includes responses to toasts by Hon,
Henry Watterson, editor of the Louisville
Courier-Journal; William Henry Hurlburt,
of the New York World; General John NJ.
Palmer, of Illinois, and other prominent
Democrats Indiana will not be represented.
An invitation was extended Senator Nc
Donald, but he was compelled to decline.
II Mr.. Hendricks was invited, the fact has
not yet been made known.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-13

IT is very painful to learn that recent
editorial article in the Journal has not met
with the enthusiastic admiration of the Ger
man Telegraph, but truth compels the state
ment that we did not have the Telegraph
specially in view when it was written and
printed. If we are not mistaken, the course
of the Journal during the last campaign did
not meet the unqualified approval of our es-
teemed contemporary, and we are greatly
afraid the Telegraph may have bitten IF more
than it can chew-to speak rather vulgarly-
In its effort to run itself, manage the Journal,
and control the Republican party. For our
selves, we find ample scope for all our en-
ergy in taking care of the Journal. We adj
wise the Telegraph to Concentrate.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-13
A Yankee Word After All.
Springfield Republican,

nprlHgHeIu KepubIlcan,
The just now popular word dude, meaning
an empty-headed, languid-mannered young
swell who bangs his hair proves to be no
foreign importation. but, like many another
expressive term, to be of good New England
parentage. The word pronounced in two
syllables) has been used in the little town of
Salem N. H., for twenty years past, and, it
is claimed, was coined there. 1t is common
there to speak of a dapper young man as
dude of fellow" of small animal as "a
little dude" OF a sweetheart as my dude"
and of an aesthetic youth of the Wilde type
as dude. But how the word attained so
sudden and widespread notoriety puzzles
Salem. Its revival at New York is credited
to disguised Engiishman, who remarked,
after visiting rich club, that the young men
were all '.dudeS -
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-13
The Delay of Justice.

Chicago Inter Ocean.
halt to allowing wealthy suitors and distin-
guished criminals to monopolize the activity
of the courts for unlimited periods of time.
Take the scandalous trial of Guiteau. the dis
gushing details of which we recall with con-
triton and shame. That he fired the fatal
shot was a notorious and undisputed fact,
The only question was whether he was of so
unsound q mind as to be legally irrespons-
ible for his act. Why should not two weeks
have been ample for investigating and decid-
ing the point? Again, take this star-route
case. Why should not the point at issue be
so clear that a month should be enough,
and more than enough, for producing all
necessary evidence and arriving at a just de-
cision?