davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-24
On the Ear.

III. Y. ID. Villas, speaking OF the ear,
said:-It is the most complete structure
in the human anatomy. 1t is composed
of three parts-viz., the external, middle
and internal. The parts in which we
are most concerned in hearing lie in the
internal part of the ear, although all are
essential to the complete reception and
analysis of sound. The most marvellous,
structure concerned in the process Of
hearing is the organ of CORR, which con-
sists essentially Of from one thousand to,
three thousand strings, tuned to the
various shades of sound. These strings.
when highly cultivated, enable us to.
perceive sounds which would be inaudi-
Bile previous to this cultivation. The
reason why such distinguished vocalists
as Patti, Kellogg, Campanini and others
can interpret such marvellous sounds is
that the ear is tuned by nature and art
to a true recognition of sounds. Many
persons on hearing an opera for the first.
time are oblivious to its extreme beauty,
and it is only by frequent repetition that.
they become cognizant of its intrinsic
worth and artistic merit. Some of the
animal kingdom have a much keener
perception Of sound than the human
being; as, for instance, the mollusc hears
sounds which are so low on the scale
that we ourselves are unable to- distin-
guish them, while the rabbit and hound
will peceive the slightest rustic of a leaf
or twig. In speaking Of the treatment Of
the ear the lecturer said the best way was
to leave the ear entirely alone, as nature
had carefully prepared all its organs SO
that such cures as were essential should
be given involuntarily. During the
mastication of food the working Of the
condyle of the inferior maxillar tended
to the evolution of the debris resultant
from physical processes. Certain AMI
mails Of the lower order, the Ameba, for
instance, have no organs, but fashion
them to suit their convenience and then,
relapse into a jelly-like form. He also,
said that there was no accumulation Of
wax in a healthy ear, as, in fact, the ex-
punging of wax from the ear with a
patent ear cleaner, pin, or anything else,
was injurious, and had a tendency to in
iure and destroy the drum Of the ear.
There is a tube which is technically
termed the eustachian, extending on
either side of the throat up to the tym-
panic cavity. These tubes are lined
with an extension Of. substantially the
same mucus lining which lines the
throat. Thus it is that catarrh and other
similar diseases which we of this climate,
are subject to extend by direct contiguity
Of tissue to the delicate structures Of the
earn. Y. Herald.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-24
The California Pioneer.

The old forty-niner, or Spring-of-fifty
man, is an interesting Californian. He,
can generally impart a great deal of his
tory of his early and thrilling experience.
in the State. He is not scarce by any
means. 1t is not always exactly clear
when he came here, but the fact of his.
being here now is sufficient. He has had
his experience somewhere; and if one.
will listen he will not wait for a hint to.
tell it. "The days of the Vigilance Com
mittee," began one of them, "were hap
Ply, peaceful ones to me. We were filled
with hope, and We had enough gold dust
in our bags to dazzle Is, and to make US
uneasy as to how re should spend it..
Gold dust was coin in those days. There
were some mighty nmen then, and if
the Vigilance Committee had not been,
formed, it is hard to say what would have
become Of us. The men who composed
that committee were noble men, full of
courage, of moral strength and character.
One could count on them every time.
They meant business from the word go.
They were fair, too. When a man was,
accused of certain crimes, he was allowed
to bring in his witnesses, but the trialw a
secret. If he had sufficient evidence in
his favor, he could 60; but, as a matter
of fact, the evidence was pretty slim.
Their work was quick and effective.
There were Casey and Yankee Sullivan.
They were a perfect terror. Law was Of
about as much consequence as all Egyp-
tan mummy. Things became better
after the committee had done some hang
ing. When they told a man TO leave the
city within twenty-four hours, he asked
no questions, bubskipped out lively. 1t
was really a peaceful time after that. We
felt safer on the streets and in the mines,
with our pockets full of gold, than we
would to-day. Talk about respect of the
law. The law of the V. G. was regarded
with more respect than the law of Moses.
One day a miner came to town with
$1,000 worth of gold-dust. He had it in
an old coat. Was he afraid of being
robbed? Not he. Going into a restau-r
rant to get his dinner, he simply threw
the coat, with the dust, on the sidewalk.
No one dared totouch it. If anyone had
interfered with it, a rope would have
been around his neck inside of twenty
four hours. How we work now for a few
cents or dollars. Money was plenty
then, and the best goods in the world
came to our market. Merchants in New
York and in the other Eastern cities sent.
the highest-priced goods they had, and
they always sold them: Those were flush,
times. How often l have seen the bar
tender take a pinch of gold dust for a
drink or cigar. All he couldhold between
the index finger and thumb was consid-
cred enough for a good drink Of whisky.
You can use a nickel now; but, bless you,.
Pve seen the time when anything from a
hens egg to a plug of tobacco could not.
be had for less than a dollar. Do you
know the property on which the Lick
House stands? Fine property that;
worth a heap of money now; but I saw
the day when it went for a barrel Of
whisky."-Cor. Chicago Journal.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-24
A Wise Philanthropist.

When Peabody died he left a charity
fund of s., 500, 900 for the benefit of the
deserving poor of London. You may be
interested in knowing that that fund is
the most useful of any of the many that
have been established in England. He
first gave f125,O 600, which he desired the
Trustees to use in such a manner that it
would be reproductive and yet benefit
the poor. The Trustees had a hard time
to find out how to fulfill the conditions
of the gift. He had said, 81 don't want
any denomination to have it." therefore
none Of the institutions under church
auspices could be benefited. 1t would
not do to give it in aid of the pauper and
public asylums and hospitals, for they
were already a charge upon the tax
payers and therefore the taxpayer would
be the n chiefly benefited in the ligten-
ing Of his burdens. Neither would it do
to give it to the blind or the helpless, for
then it could never be reproductive. 1t
was very difficult to fill the conditions of
the Mortmain law, and these troubles
were aggravated by the fact of Mr.. Pea
body's American birth. This seems like
ancient history, i dare say, in the col
umns Of a live newspaper, but there are
lots of people who don't know anything
about it; and besides, if you would know
of the American colony here, you must
learn of the existing results of the munif-
cence Of its former greatest member. 1t
was at last fixed up, however, and the
Trustees decided to build tenement
houses on the most approved plans, which
they would rent at the minimum figure to
the poorer classes of the working people.
They did so. 1t was a great success. The
first house accommodated nearly five
hundred tenants, and the return for this
investment was about 81 per cent. Then
they built more, and now nearly 10000
people are living in the Peabody houses.
They pay for the quarters five shillings
and sixpence down to two shillings and
nine pence, or 81 ;32 to 66 cents per week.
They have, in the case of the highest
price, four rooms, in which are gas, water,
range, bath and retiring-room, for none of
which they pay. anything; and in the
lowest price-list two rooms. There are
none Of them that are not as comfortable
as you please. Many of them are better
than the middle-class family lives in in
America. The architectural aspect of the
houses is good, too, and there is an inte-
rior court, with playground, fountain,
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-24
Stationery Of the Ancients,

Many are the expedients resorted to BY
early scribes for the supply Of writing
materials. There was no scribbling pa
per wherein to jot down trivial memo
randa or accounts; but the heaps of bro
ken pots and crockery of all. sorts, which
are SO abundant in all easterns towns,
prove the first suggestion for such china
tablets and states as we now use, and bitso of
smooth stone or tiles were constantly
used for this purpose, and remain to this
day. Fragments of ancient tiles thus
subscribed on (such tile as that wherein
Ezekiel was commanded to portray the
city of Jerusalem) have been found in
many places. The Island of Elephantine,
on the Nile, is said to have furnished
more than a hundred specimens of this
memoranda, which are now in various
museums. One of these is a soldiers
leave of absence, scrubbed on a fragment
of an old vase. How little those scribes
and accountants foresaw the interest with
which learned descendants of the barba-
rians of the isle would one day
treasure their rough notes! Still quainter
were the writing materials of the ancient
Arabs, who, before the time of Mo
manned, used to carve their annals on the
shoulder-blades of sheep. These ''sheep-
bone chronicles were strung together
and thus preserved. After a while
sleeps bones were replaced by sleeps
skin, and the manufacture Of parchment
was brought to such perfection as to place
it among r%efinements of art. We hear of
vellums that were tinted yellow, others
white. Others were dyed with a rich
purple; and the writing thereon was in
golden ink, with gold borders and many
colored decorations. These precious
manuscripts were anointed with the oil
Of cade. to preserve them from moths.
We rear of one such in which the name
of Mohammed is adorned with garlands
of tulips and carnations in vivid colors.
Still more precious was the paper of the
Persians, powdered with gold and silver
dust, wherein were painted rare illumi-
nations, while the book was perfumed
with otter Of roses or essence of sandal
wood. OF the demand for writing ma
%terials, one may form some faint notion
from the vast manuscript libraries of
which records have been preserved, as
having been collected by the
Caliplls both of the East and West, the
former in Bagdad, the latter in Anda-
lusia, where there were eight great pub
lie libraries, besides that vast II at
Cordova. We also hear of public libra
ries, such as that of a physician who de-
clined an invitation from the Sultan Of
Bokhara because the carriage of his
books would require four hundred camels.
The Paper World.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-24
The Bad Boys Father Becomes an
Inventor.

"Well, sir" said the Bad Boy to the
grocery-man, "pa has struck a fortune, if
he can make the thing work. He has got
an idea about coal stoves that will bring
him in several million dollars, if he gets
a royalty of five dollars on every coal
stove in the world. His idea is to have a
coal stove on c%astors, with the pipe made
to telescope out and in, and rubber hose
for n joint, SO you can pull the stove
all around the room and warm any par
ticular place. Well, sir, to near
pa tell about it, you would think
it would revolutionize the country,
and maybe it will when he gets
it perfected, but he came neal burning
the house up, and scared us all half to
death this morning, and burned his shirt
seasand he is all covered with cotton with
sweet. oil on, and he smells like salad
dressing. You see pa had a pipe made
and some castors put On u coal stove,
and he tied q rope to the hearth of the
stove, and had me put in some kindling
wood and coal last night, so he could
draw the stove up to the bed and light
the fire without getting up. Ma told
him he would put his foot in it, and he
told her to dry up, and let him run the
stove business. He said it took a man
with brain to run a patent right, and ma
she pulled the clothes over her head and
let pa do the fire act. She has been
building the fires for twenty years, and
thought she would let pa see how good il
was. Well pa pulled the stove to the
bed, and touched off the kindling wood
I guess maybe l got a bundle of kindlina
wood hat the hired girl had put
kerosene on, aus it blazed up awful
and smoked, and the blaze bursted out
the doors and windows of the stove, and
pa yelled fire, and I jumped out of bed
and rushed in, and he was the scartest
man you eve see, and you'd dide tt
see how he kicked when l threw a pal
of water on his legs and put his shir'
out. Ma did not get burned, but she
was pretty wet, and she told pa she
would pay the five dollars royalty or
that stove and take the castors off and
let it remain stationary. Pa says h.
will make 1t work if he burns the hous,
down. I think twas real mean in p.
to get mad at me because I threw colo
water on him instead Of warm water, tt
put his shirt out. If 1 had waited till
could heat water to the right temperature
I would have been an orphan ane
pa would have been a burnt offering
But some men always kick at everything
Pa has given up business entirely, anc
says he shall devote the remainder o
his life to curing himself of the diferen
troubles that / got him into. He ha
retained a doctor by the year, and h
buyA, 4liniment by the gallon."-Peck'
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-24

shade and SO on, with comforts innumer.
able. There is no doubt of the fact that
the people who live in them are very
cosy and comfortable, and it seems to me
that similarly disposed charitable men in
many cities Of America could not do bet
ter than follow Mr.. Peabody's footsteps;
and | often wonder why Mr.. Peobody did
not do it athome. He did considerable for
Baltimore; established an institute and
library, but, unfortunately, people can
not take the books out of the library. and
the purpose Of the donor is not realized.
Danvers, the place of Peobody's birth,
also received much from his largess.-
London Cor. San Francisco Chronicle.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-24
Conscience Money.

"Tell me what class of Treasury de-
featers are gifted with the most singing
consciences," said the reporter.
ooh, there are all classes. Usually
several contributions of a like character
follow each other. For instance, a fellow
who has been overpaid in the army will
feel his conscience smite him, and he will
send us the amount of such overpayment.
The fact being published, other over
payed guardians of their country will
arrive at the conclusion that they must
make restitution, and they will follow the
first pious fellows suit"
"Wcll what other species of homo
genus add to the Treasury from the die
tates Of acquired goodness?" queried the
scribe.
Gail sorts who have eluded the Gus
toms laws. Men will go to Europe and
bring their sweethearts back silk dresses
or seal-skin sacques, and get them through
the custom-house; others will smuggle
valuable articles for SALE"
"You say men bring their sweethearts
pretty gifts. Don't husbands eve snug
gle"
"Men mostly bring gifts to their sweet
hearts. I heard an instance the other
day of a gentleman who returned from
Paris loaded down with presents for his
wife. She admired them all and was very
grateful, but with true feminine tact she
said to him: "Oh, Tom, you must have
been fearful bad abroad to.bring me all
these olive branches"
"You say that one act of conscience
causes spasmodic successors. What was
the nature of the last spasm%' inquired
the reporte-.
FRAUDS on the customs. The spasm
was mostly confined to Philadelphia"
The reporter mildly remarked that
whenever a CONFUSION Of rectitude passed
over Philadelphia there was indeed great
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-24
school during your visit a few days

school during your visit a few days
SINCE" ~
II most certainly was not. I think
those boys behaved in a disgraceful man.
ner," replied Mr.. Smith.
$50 | learn, and [ have been Thinking
that perhaps it would be better to get q
man, who would compel their obedience,
to take charge of the school. The truth
Is, l have halfway made up my mind to
take the matter into my own hands and
go over to the sc%hool-house and larrup
every one of those boys for their unpar-
donable rudeness. Don't YOU think it
would be a good ideaw
Not dreaming that the Trustee was in
earnest, and feeling impressed with the
justiceof this half-formed resolution. Mr..
Smith said he did think the idea a GOOD
one But MI. Nicholson meant what he
said, and rode straight to the school
house, and, supplying himself with an
abundance of the rods which Solomon
tells us the sparing of spoils the child, he
entered the presence Of mistress and pu-
pills, and by judicious but general appli-
cation of these rods spread CONSERVATION
all round. He literally thrashed out the
NANSAA OANCl VldU uO guilty.
boy. should escape, he basted each one
individually.
1t was a great day for that school, and
one that will be ever memorable to each
scholar who took an unwilling part in
the impromptu programme. It was a
great work of reform, on the part of this
Trustee, but he should have remembered
that the work of a reformer is not appre-
ciated while he can be made to suffer fol-
it. Mr.. Nickolson's case has proven no
exception to this general rule, for yes
terday the indignant friends of these
justly, but novelly-punished young trans
gressors against the laws of decency and
good behavior, came in a body to the city
and laid their complaints before the
secret tribunal of justice. Just what
number of indictments the Grand Jury
will grind out against Mr.. Nicholson, OF
just what the nature of these true bills
will be, is beyond the ken of this chron.
icler, butthat they will be amply provided
with some kind of timber out Of which to
shape charges against the self-appointed
chastizer is sure.-LouisyiNe Courier.
Journal
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-24
%Disciplining o School.

IN the pursuance of his duties as Com.
mon School Commissioner for Jefferson
County, MI. Abner j. Smith some days
since visited a school about five miles
from Louisville, where a frail young
lay, a native of this city, had gathered
1o9ut her some fifteen or twenty shy
slfls and rude, rustic boys, in a school
10 building of the regulation order;
ulu IT appears from the sequel that the
promising youths corraled there for train
tns were worthy representatives of the
men who later in life make the laws
Hnicn constitute the common schools the
G;eahuslful feature of progress and en-
'ghtenment they are.
III THIS rude college of learning the
E ~ found confusion prevailing
E fTu discipline a thing entirely unknown.
ne teacher endeavored to exercise au-
n9fity sufficient to insure temporary
p.uef, but her efforts were fruitless. She
."s only a woman, and the overgrown
1oss showed no respect either for her or
nc county official who had called ex-
,.et : to see them on their good be-
tslla5 The more the frail mistress
kaseo Tor order the greater became the
Illusion, until at last the boys, unable
aslee IN their rebellion, fell to fighting
Ere vris themselves, and fought till they
ben ured OF it. The teacher was COM
[h oroH discouraged, and Mr.. Smith was
%otbi;uugghiy indignant, but the boys cared
ro "it1g tor this. Telling them that he
n varu De compelled to report the school
is very bad form, the Commissioner took
he e0 III many days after this display Of
Ess mald animals, Commissioner Smith
ave- seated in his Office dreaming Of the
Fith mhen the State would be dotted
Ei 18th neat neat brick school buildings filled
10y, well-behaved children, when a
Fa naow Naiarkened the doorway, and MI.
nent;on NICHOLSON, a Trustee Of the above
he n First District School, entered
lin , essence Of the officer, and addressing
n ~ Understand you were not favorably
E'ssseo with the behavior of our
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-24

Mrs. Jones wished her boy to be
named John Frederick, while the father
signiied a preference for Edward Cor
don. Determined to have her way, she
clandestinely procured the baptism of
the child under the name she had
selected. Jones procured the revocation
and annulment of the christening through
the Bishop of the diocese, and Edward
Gordon was officially made the name.
Notwithstanding this, the mother persists
in calling him John Frederick, and
thereby causes a Chicago suit for divorce.
N. Y. Sun.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-24

Daniel Simpson, of Boston, is now
ninety-six years old, and has played the
snare drum for seventy years. 1t is sad
to think that such q venerable nan should
still beat his way through life.-M. Z.
Commercial advertiser.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-24

-Burdette, the humorist, was in Gin.
cinnati when the food was at it's height.
He said to a reporter: cts almost as bad
as a Burlington cyclone. Indeed, it strikes
me as being a cyclone reduced to liquid
form"
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-24

Kentucky still retains the provision
that "no person, while he continues to
exercise the functions of a clergyman,
priest or teacher Of any religious persua-
sion, society or sect, shall be eligible to
the General Assembly"
The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1883-09-28
SLIGHT ODDS.
= LITTLE Story with a large sioraI
One Man who Knew hfs
Own business.

"No. my dea-," said the venerable keeper
Of A country store to a timid little girl whose
head scarcely came up to the level Of the
counter. mo, my dear, we haven't any red
flannel, but we have some FIRST rate New Or
leans molasses." Softly limiting that she
didn't think that would answer the purpose
quite as well, the child went her way in
search fthe article she wanted.
''Iiave you BENSON'S CAPCINE PLAS-
TERS?" asked a gentleman Of a certain drug
gist whose name could be gwen were it de-
sired. Il am troubled just now with a touch
Of my old friend, the lumbago, and the Ben
sons Plaster seems to go TO the spot almost ns
soon as it touches the skin"
mot at present" replied the druggist. gen
ially " but, we have lots Of plasters just as
good. There is Allcock's. the Capsicum and
others-won't one Of them do as well?"
my dear sir" retorted the gentleman.
with slight show Of temper. 81 say nothing
against those articles. but ! am a business
man, and always ask for precisely what /
want. and for nothing else. I may enlighten
you, however, when / say that sometime ago.
for another disease. Of which the Capcine has
since cured me, / tried all those you mention,
with no appreciable benefit. They are inefh-
eient, every one Of them. the meanest act Of
the proprietOrs Of some Of them being this
that they make plas;ers with similar sound
ing names to deceive the unWary into believ-
ing they are the same thing. Experience
taught me the difference. I'll 80 to the next
man in yOar line. Good day"
BO on our guard against limitations. The
genuine has the word CAPCINE cut clearly
in the middle Of the plaster. All others are
impOsitiOns.
Seabury & johnson. Chemists. New York.