davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-08-17
LeprOSy in the Pacific Coast.

It is asserted by San Francisco pa
per that leprosy is becoming more and
more frequent among the Caucasians of
the Pacific coast. 1t used to be held
that leprosy is not contagious, and that
it rarely if ever affected white people,
but the California experience has been
painfully to the contrary. Just now the
case of Erick Erickson, Swedish sailor,
fig attracting attention. He is lying at
the pest-house, step by step approach
ing horrible, loathsome death. He
came from MERGED. a year ago he no.
tlced a peculiar swelling of the hands.
This symptom was followed by the APP
pearance Of large, red blotches and pus-
tules On bus arms and legs. They resem-
bled the signs Of the tertiary of a Vene-s
reai disease, and Erickson was at first
treated for that disorder. But the RENEE
dies were unavailng. Finally the tell
tale yellow hue came over his skin. The
man now presents a dreadful sight. his
flesh rotting away by inches, with scarce
~ sound spot on his entire body. 1t
seems advisable to the authorities or
coast toWnsto declare quarantine against
the Hawaiian Islands, which are infect
ed with leprosy. The cholera would
certainly be more welcome than this AT
ful plague. *@* =s3.. J.
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-08-17
Keeping Old Cows.

1t pays to run machine as long as it
can be made to return fair profit on
the cost Of operating it. Using the old
machine saves interest on new invest
ment, and the continued wear does not
decrease its value, for the waste mate.
rial in a condemned machine whether il
is wholly or only half worn out. The
case is quite different with farm stock,
which can be used as food when it be-
gins to diminish in usefulness to it own.
er; The man who keeps an OK or COW
loser by 50 doing. it Invariably costs
more in food and care to maintain an
old animal than 6 young one. AS the
vigor of life fails, digestion is less per-
feet and assimilation slower and
more difficult, and the. waste is
greater. AS the decline goes on more and
more food is required to producea given
amount of labor, or milk, or meat. Old
animals can seldom be fattened at pro-
fit, even if their flesh was as valuable as
that of younger ones. because it requires
SO much more time and feed to do it.
But their flesh is not equal to that of
animals in their prime, SO there is a loss
both in the quality and the cost Of pro-
ducing. Old COWS that have been MIXED
till heir life force has been exhausted
AXE very poor and low-priced as well
as expensive beef. When COW has
reached twelve to fourteen years of age.
it hardly pays to fatten her, if
she could be had for nothing. Some
COWS of extraordinary quality may be
proitably kept as long as they can be,
for the sake either of stock or milk, but
average COWS are better converted into
beef before it would be appropriate to
call them old. National Live Stock
Journal.
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-08-17
Saved RV Death.

The corps Of locomotive engineers is
affiuent in heroic men. In the good
time coming, when the victories Of peace
shall be, indeed, as renowned as those
of war, some simple decoration, such as
the ''Iron Cross" with (which Germany
adorns her bravest sons, shall be seen
cljDgiDg to the breast of scores Of these
griny men. The other day, the express
train was running at forty miles an hour
from Summeryille to Charleston, S. c..
A misplaced switch turned the train
from the main track to siding, where
on stood two Eloaded freight cars.
The engineer, J. S. Smith, saw that a
collision was inevitable. He knew that
the shock would kill him if he did not
instantly jump from his cab. But he
stood at his post, though to remain was
to enter the jaws of death. With one
hand he pulled the lever that reversed
the engine, and with the other hand
turned the valve which let on the air
brakes.
The engine struck the loaded car and
was broken into hundred pieces. Un-
der the iron wreck the engineers body
was found, cut in two by bar Of steel.
But he had saved his train; not one pas
senger was injured.
Some day, when the teachings of that
heroic, meek, patient, humble spirit,
who gave His life for men, have worked
the regeneration of earth, it will be real
lied that the common daily tasks open a
heroic career. Then it will be seen that
those who wear the laurel wreath are
not the only victors.
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-08-17

everything counted, whether this team
ing and travelling is done over 8 nice.
comfortable road or through mud holes.
sioughs, ruts, and unbridged streams, OF
against stones. Five dollars week.
amounts to $3.50 a year, snug little sum
to tax the farmer with; and when this
sum is multiplied by at least s ,OOO, OOC
owners or drivers Of horses. carriages
wagons, heavy teams, etc, the aggre.
gate cost would be something over 8
billion dollars! Does any one say this is
too large an estimate? Then proceed in
detail and shew in what
particulars; but do moi
blindly and ignorantly say it is wrong
without careful examination. Suppose
however, we admit that it is double the
reality, is not the 800 ,0O0, 900 every wear,
expended directly or indirectly by our
people, worthy of more attention on the
part OF patriots, statesmen, politicians,
office seekers, philosophical men, writ.
ers for newspapers, agricultural journal
lists, and in fact Of every one who passes
over road?
So long as our public highways in most
parts Of the country are made and re-
paired with so little interest and so lit.
tie thought, we must suffer an enor.
nous less. We would like to ask how
many of our readers, who drive or ride
over the common roads, never see
loose stone, or a fixed stone, to strike,
jolt, and batter every passing wheel, OF
vi o do not see hundreds of them, which
might be removed with the expendi-
ture of a small portion of the road taxi
scraped into the r e to D form moIa
highway or "turnpike," which would be
excellent for corn aud potatoes, but
which when worked into a mass of mud,
or cut into ruts foot deep, constitute q
strange object to be called a ''road?"
How many never saw along the road
sides thrifty patches of thistles, bur.
docks, mulleins, johnswort, nettles, etc.,
etc, ready to seed all the neighbors'
fields? Until we can find such happy
persons in the majority, we hope more
attention may be given to correcting
these evils, although we would not les
sen the praise worthy attention which is
now freely accorded to enterprises and
interests of almost infinitely less impo1.
lance, but good in their small way
Country Gentleman.
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-08-17
jOuntry Roads.

Everything which the farmer does of
his own land is greatly affected by the
condition Of the roads. All his many
loadsof surplus farm products are drawn
over them, and it makes some difference
to him and to his horses whether those
loads &re conveyed easily over hard,
smooth surfaces. or dragged through
mud, ana against stones with severe Ia
Dor to the team, fatigue to the driver,
and wear and breakage to the wagon.
Every week he and his family, more or
less, 60 to the village for numberless err
rands, Or to church on the Sabbath, and
the good or bad conditions of the roads
seems to affect every fibre, pleasantly or
of their feeling or nervous
sensations. On an average, there is al
least twenty miles Of travelling each
week FOR the members of a single family.
1t would make a difference of SIS week.
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-08-17

The man writhed powerfully, ut
tered a broken sentence, moaned out
some inarticulate words, became quiet.
and fell into that mysterious state OF
waiting which seemed to belong to ev-
eryChing in the apartment.
"Now, DrumWay, auick!' said the doc
tor. ''Hold the sponge SO, and keep it
there until tell you to move it. What's
the matter? Not going to faint, are
your"
No, no. no. It's the ether, perha DIS.
You may depend upon..me: I'm quite
myself"
At the weak muf1ed sound of the pa
TENTS voice Drumway had turned very
white, and glanced quickly to the wound
upon which his attention had been
fixed, to the mans CHASTITY unshaven
face. He did not look particularly re-
liable as he took the sponge, and
Spooner's eountenacne became a. shade
more serious.
The surgeon worked busily. The in
strumen.s ratified, and there was a
grating sound like that sometimes heard
in butchers shops.
The two Drumways were more dis
tinct than ever. This one held the
sponge with tolerable steauiness. and
watched the doctors work in sort OF
awful fascination; that one flew back
over sea and time. The old Drumway
Saw church with carriages and strip
Of carpet across the sidewalk before it;
heard the "Wedding March peal from
the organ, and felt the old despair. He
saw the curious ones bending forward,
strangely mixed with a sickening
ff,rnn nf afhar--Qnh SAW hGr
pass down the aisle with
what nightmare was here! How could
this filthy, MANNED, half-drunken wretch
have been the hero of that day? And
where was she2 Dead, OF broken-heart-
ed? What miserable history had this
miserable end?
The room was very still. 'DrumWay
heard faint rattle under the sponge
and Spooner looked suddenly at the
patients face. The mans jaw had
dropped.
sarhe devilp from the doctor.
GOOD God!' from Drumway.
Odd, was it not, that they should have
meant nearly the same thing.
Take away the sponge! take away the
spongeW exclaimed Spooner.
He shook the body roughly, struck
the chest, and cast water in the face.
He worked hard, and the perspiration
came out in beads upon his forehead,
but the patient-tired, herhaps, of wait
ing 50 long-had left upon the table only
a subject"
Every unfortunate" said Spooner, in
a tone Of disappointment. II wished I
had looked a moment sooner. But there.
One is never sure. This life is a very
curious thing."--W. S. Richardson, in
Boston Courier.
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-08-17
THE GLORIOUS DAYS OF COLD.

4 remember, I remember,
!. Ny boyhood's blizzard blight;
TAe broken window where the snow
Came drifting in at night.
! It came whene'er the fire was out
When ma had gone away:
But now I wish that icy night
Would come again to STAY.
I remember, remember,
The noses red and white,
J The frozen ears that tingled So
Oh, what q cooling sight
The snowhouse that my brother built,
and where used to lie
Until my bones we've quite CONCEALED
Ch,~Woald it now were nigh!
: remembe remem Der,
H. Whel was wont to skate:
The pond as smooth as glist'ning glass,
Wherein broke my pate.
. MY buoy ant spirit, then so light,
is hot and heavy now,
And summers pool can no more cool
The fever on my brow.
" remember, REMAINDER,
The cold and ie8 ahurchs
| used to think the minister
Would freeze fast to his perch
Those fr1gid days have passed away.
And now it's little JOY
To feel that arn much nearer heat
Than when was boy.
New York Journal
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-08-17
1 FIELD AND FARM.
Farmers Items.

Calves rennet reduced fine and giyen
to any animal troubled with scours will
effect speedy cure. q
The great boom in hops has collapsed.
The projectors were sure when they had
| forced the price from Is cents to $1.15.
a pound that they could carry it up to
$3.50, and perhaps even So, before this
years crop came in. Now good hops
| are 20 to rs cents, and choice IS to 90
| cents. An unexpected supply from
Australia was the principal cause OF the
break.
A barrel of salt, costing from one to
three dollars, according to locality, will
do more than ten times that amount of
good If sprinkled over hay when either
stacked or moved. The heating of the
stack will dissolve it, and it will diffuse
over the entire mass, making even the
coarsest grass to be relished by stock.
| 1t viii also tend to preserve and sweet
en- the hay and save it from becoming
| musty if it should chance not to be
thoroughly dried. A four-quart meas
| ure full, to an ordinary-sized load, will
De sufficient.
Peaches begin to arrive, but they are
| a very Indifferent article, the best, how
| over, which our hucksters can procure.
A good article may be expected soon.
The state fair offers $500 in premiums
for herds of fat cattle, being $500 for
best herd of five three years old, $l00
for two years old, and $500 for one year
old.
August is the month that most foul
weeds ripen their seed. Their destruc-
ton now will not aid the present crop,
but will save world Eof work and and
trouble next year.
In warm, wet season, where drain
age is deficient, too much water falls for
hard pan soils, it lies on the surface,
ninges with the vegetable matter and
they both become sour, and as a conse-
quence the fields become red with sor-
rel or white with daisies. They spring
up as an effort Of nature to throw off this
acidity in the soil. A sour soil is inca
pable ofgro wing sweet or nutritious g1as-
ses. In chemistry it takes an alkali to
neutralize an acid, they have the same
effect in sour soil, and when applied,
daisies and sorrel disappear.
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-08-17
Household Scrans

Mothsmay be partially kept out of car
pets by washing the floor, before the
carpet is laid, with spirits of turpentine
or benzine.
Scratches on furn iture may be refn-
ished by rubbing with WOODEN rag dip
ped in boiled linseed oil. The varnish-
ing may then be done with shellac dis
solved in alcohol.
Gilt frames may be cleaned by apply
ing heated alcohol, with sponge, until
all stains are efaced. The alcohol is
then allowed to dry gradually; under
no circumstances rub it with a cloth.
CRACKS IN FLooRs.-A very complete
filing for open cracks in floors may be
made by thoroughly soaking newspa-
pers in paste made Of one pound of
-four, three quarts Of water and table
spoonful Of alum, thoroughly boiled and
mixed; make the final mixture about as
hick as paper-putty, and it will harden
like paper-mache.
Window curtains OF open work linen,
white and ecru, with colored silk, are
quite pretty. Light blue and cherry
silk are pleasant coIors.
A mantel lambreQuin of felt is altrac-
tive. The edge may be cut in points
and plush fan appliqued to each point:
each fan should be differently shaped.
HAIR ToN1c.-One ounce ofchlorofor1n,
one ounce Of stronger water of ammon"
Id. one ounce Of glycerine, FIVE ounces
of alcohol The lotion to be rubbed on
the head after thorough friction with
the brush. It may be applied two OF
three times week. If too strong, or
strong enough to make the head smart,
it may be diluted with water.
AS to cake, Of various kinds, the less
you make the better, for summer. It
does very we'll in cold weather to keep
supply on hand; but it is not nice, OF
healthy to eat much rich cake in the
summer. The less meat and rich food,
one takes into the stomach, the better
they feel; and the heat does not pros
trate SO sensibly, as when they are fed
with indigestible compounds, therefore,
use what eggs you need in the family,
and if there is a surplus they can be
sold.
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-08-17
How Heavy Ordnance is Made.

Interview with President Hunt.
Our gun-Workers at South Boston are
the only ones in the country except
those at West Point, but their manufac
ture has been mostly ofParrott guns, and
they have never made a gun weighing
more than ten tons. Ours is the only
concern that can make large guns, and
we have before now made guns weighing
fifty odd TONS. Our capacity, owing to
the policy of our Government, is no
greater than twenty years ago. Since
the ciose of the war OF the rebellion we
have had large contracts with the Gov
eminent Of Spain, Chilli, Peru, the Ar
gentine Republic, Italy, Turkey, Russia
and China. So long as we had the pat
ronage of the United States Govern
ment we had no difficulty in obtaining
contracts with other governments, but.
when our contracts closed at home, we
very naturally lost a foreign trade In
the mean. time, other. governments have
encouraged gun-Works by giving them
orders, SO that Krupp's esta blishment in
Germany, Armstrong; at Woolwich, in
England, and Schneitler's at Cruesot, in
France. are to-day oyerrun with orders.
We could not make the steel guns in
his country till we have better and
largely increased facilities for forging
steel. In Europe, for instance, at
Krupp's works, they have 1O0-ton ham
mers for forging, while the largest we
have IN this country is l7-ton. The steel
for the s;x-inch guns which we made
last year, we had to procure in Europe
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-08-17
Good Bread From Poor Flour


Our -four has been Of inferior quality
lately, and feel quite exuttant over the
fact that I have, at last, after many ex-
perimenls succeeded in making it into
1eally good bread, My success followed
this method.
At noon take the dry potato crumbs
from the bottom Of the kettle and mash
about one cupful of them fine and smooth;
pour over them pint of boiling water.
When nearly cool add half yeast cake
or half cup of soft yeast and set away
in 8 cool place. Through the summer
I keep the bread in process of rising in
the pantry away from the heat of the
stove.) In the evening make sponge
by scalding a small quantity of -four, af-
ter adding cold water to cool it sufficient
ly to bear the finger, pour in the prepared
Yeast which should by this time be COW
cred with froth. After the sponge is
we'll beaten leave until morning-then
as early as possible, thicken and knead
it thoroughly. Leave it until it is we'll
risen then knead again. Repeat this
three times before putting it in the ba-
king pans, and you will have light, sweet
and tender loaves that will double in
size while baking.-Exchange.
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-08-17
Women and Life Insurance,

DR.. VIM. A. Hammond has caused
something in the nature of a sensation
by a statement in a paper called the
Worth American. that life insurance
com. anies refuse to insure women's
lives OF. account Of woman's inability
to be exact = regard to her age, the dis
eases she may ave had, her mode of
life. and other ma :sers in which exact
ness is required" A New York inter-
viewer on reading this promptly sought
out an insurance agent and ascertained
that tIsis was not the precise reason that
women were less fancied risks than
men. lie gave the explanation that it
was because of the difficulty of-making a
physical examination, They did not
take n2aE,s word for his physical con-
dition any more than Woman's. They
had his body examined thoroughly by a
surgeon. OF course women, from mo
tiyes of delicaey, would not submit to
this. Another agent declared that the
only reason a woman was dis!iked for
insurance risks was because of the ex-
traord mary perils to American women
in child bearing, the percentage of
deaths beng far greater than in any
other nation. 1t appears that witnesses
are against DIR. Hammond and that in
surance companies do not doubt wo-
mans ability to slate facts.
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-08-17
HOW TO LIVE In PERSIA.

A Mans Position Reckon ed by the
Quantity of " His Dinner--A De-
lightfully Cheap Place.
From THE Land e5st the Lion -
70 magnify Oh ;own consequence is
the only comfortable way Of getting on
in Persia. DR.. Willis gives q character
istic illustration Of this in the course Of
a description Of q medical visit to GER
tain governor:
At seven, after haying prescribed for
him, ( escaped to my quarters under
the pretext Of dining and lay down to
rest. At nine my servant informed me
that my dinner was about to be served
and q large circular tray, having some
six dishes on it, and with bread and all
ct ceteras, a huge bowl of iced sherbet
and bottle Of wine, was brought in, I
was very hungry, anxious to fall to and
I felt sense of anguish when, to my as
tonishment, my servant, (whom I
brought from Shiraz,) assuming the
part Of the governor of Barataria' s phys
ician, ordered the whole away in an in
dignant voice.
AS soon as my dinner had disap-
peared I demanded an explanation of
my man. It was this: Il know, sahib,
that the dinner I sent away was quite
enough for the sahib, and good dim
ner, but here in Persia mans position
reckoned by the quantity of dinner
sent him and the number of plats. They
have sent you six plats. I have told
them that you couldn't think of dining
on less than eighteen, and if I allowed
you to eat the dinner that was sent,
good as it was, you would be looked
down on, Are YOU less than the
princes physician? Certainly not.
They would send him, or rather he
would demand, at least twelve plats. I
assure you I am acting in your interest"
suppose the fellow was right. Din
ner for at least twenty-four persons was
brought on three huge trays. I tasted
some half-doz well-cooked dishes, and
then my servant removed the rest, and
observed him, with the master of the
house and numerous hangers-on dining
in the open air with the very copious
dinner that remained. The man was
right. Such are some of the ways a
Persian has of keeping up his conse-
quences.
Living in Persia is of delightful
cheapness. DR.. Wills occupied in Julia
a handsome and convenient house,
which cost him altogether about $500.
He lived luxuriously in Ispahan keep
ten servants, at cost Of only $50
month, for only So, 800 a wear.