davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-08-02
SpnrH and XhIpa.

The history Of spurs Is both curious
and entertaining The earliest form
Of spur was single gOad or sharp
point.
The dashing young knights of the
fendal times had great love for deco
rating their spurs with jewels.
In the tournaments they used spurs
with notices on the shanks One such
had "A true knight and /" on one side.
and "Anger me and try" on the other.
by ancient custom, the chorister
boys In the cathcdrals can claim "spur
money" if anybody enters the sacred
cdiiicc with spurs on:
II you bring in spur or hat,
S.Hpcnce you pay-bs sure Of that.
The whip was not 30 knightly as the
spur; it however took part in several
old customs.
In the ancient city of York was a
day called whip-dog day, on which the
boys were accustomed 70 20 around
and whip every dog they met. This
originated in the following peculiar
faot. \ priest once celebrating mass
dropped the pix, which an unreligious
dog snapped up and swallowed
The profane beast was hung, and fol
years his species was subjected to tor
ment for his outrageous inpiety. That
was, Of course, in the good old times.
Another humane game connected
with the whip was this: A rooster
VA, tied 10 the branch Of tree The
players were blindfolded and presented
with long whips. They were then led
to little distance. and commenced
la,A.ng in all directions, the fun con.
-istlng in the smart cuts they gave one
another. The one who struck the ToJ-
ter first, and made him cry out, woD
the game.
The old game Of whip-top is as old
as history. In Dryden's translation Il
Eirgirs .Encid we read
A. Young sirpl.ngs whip tho top for sport
On the smooth payetnSut Of the empty oolrf.
Two hundred years ago men played
wh.p-top as eagerly as the boys, and in
some Villages town top was pro-
vidcI for the amusement ~ the poor.
Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-08-02
The Nails.

The growth OF the nails is more zap
ID in children than in adults and slow
rst in the aged; goes on faster in the
summer than in the winter. 80 that the
same nail which is renewed in one
hundred and thirty-two days in win
ter. requires only one hundred and six.
teen in summer. The increase OF the
nails of the right hand is more rapid
than those Of the left: moreover. it DIFF
fers for the different fingers, and in
order corresponds with the length of
the finger, consequently II Is fastest in
the middle finger. nearly equal In the
two on either side Of this. slower in
the little finger and slowest in the
thumb. The growth Of all the nails on
the left hand requires eighty-two days
more than those OF the right.
Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-08-02

spun around on his heel and fell into
Folsoms arms. They tore open his
clothing and found that the ball had
entered the body just where the white
line Of vest showed below the coat. II
was supposed, Of course, that IL had
passed through the bowels, as 1t came
out on the opposite side, but it was af-
terward ascertained, upon careful
examination, that by most fortunate
accident 1t had glanced and run around
the lining Of the abdomen, just under
the skin, 50 that the wound was in
reality but slight. Both were satisfied
and became warm friends. Graham
accompanied Walker on his Nicaragua
expedition and was killed there.
Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-08-02
Oyster Sch hools.

II is common TO quote the oyster az
the lowest example Of stupidity. or
absence Of anything mental; and as It
ia headless creature, the accusation
might not seem wholly unfounded
Yet the oyster Is not such n fool but
that it can learn by experience: for
Dicquemase asserts that. If il be taken
from depth never uncovered by the
sea, it opens its shell, loses the water
within and perishes. But oysters taken
from the same depth. II kept in rcser-
yoirs where they are occasionally left
uncovered for a short time, learn 10
keep their shells closed. and then live
for much longer time when taken
out of the water. This fact Is also
stated by Bingley. and Is now turned
to practical account in the so-called
"oyster schools of France. The dis
tance from the coast to Paris being too
great for the newly-dredged oysters to
travel without opening their shells.
they are first taught in the schools &c
bear longer and longer exposure to
the air without gaping. and when their
education in this respect Is completed,
they are sent on their journey TO the
metropolis, where they arrive with
closed shells and in healthy con.
dition.
Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-08-02
The Position for Sleeping.

4 German. Baron Reichenbach, has
occupied many years in studying the
art Of bcdmaking. or rather bedplacing.
and maintains that improperly placed
beds will shorten mans life. lie
saws: II mere magnet exercises an
influence on sensitive persons, that
carth's magnetism must certainly
make itself felt on the nervous life of
man. In whatever hemisphere you
may be, always sleep with your feet to
the equator. and let your body lie az
true AZ a needle to the pole" The
proper direction Of the body is Of the
utmost importance for the proper cir
culation of the blood, and many dis
turbances in the organisms have been
cured by simply placing the bolster at
a different point Of the compass from
that IL had occupied. Let such As have
hitherto been in the habit of sleeping
with their feet where their head ought
90 he. take to heart the example Of the
late DR.. Fischwester. Of Magdeburg
who died recently at the age OF 100
wears The most unhealthy position.
we are told. is when the body lies east
and west Some observers assure US
that to sleep in such position Is tan
tamount to committing suicide and
that diseases are often aggravated by
daviatlons from the proper posture
Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-08-02
Red Plsh Lake.

Nestled amid the lofty peaks Of the
Rocky mountains, away up in the
Sawtooth range in Idaho. at an eleya-
tiOn Of 300 feet above the sea level,
writes correspondent. lies the bcauti
ful Lake Tahoma. Beautiful lakes are
no rare thing in these mountains, but,
amid them all, IL would be hard % find
one presenting more perfect picture
Of quiet beauty than this. Idaho
means Gem Of the Mountains" and
surely, Lake Tahoma deserves % be
called the Gem Of Idaho. 1t IS not
large, being only about three miles
long and one mile wide.
Where the water Of this lake Is
eighteen or twenty feet deep you can
see the pebbles on the bottom, and the
fish darting about, as plainly a though
they were in a glass globe. Then the
bottom Of the lake breaks Of suddenly
and dcsccnds almost perpcndicularly
several huudrrd feet. from which point
the water grows rapidly deeper toward
the middle Of the lake. II is said that
it has been sounded to the depth Of
200 feet. but the story Is not well
authenticated II has. however, been
measured. with a wire line. 1000 feet
estimated ly alrycyors that its greatest
.dartb may rrrresrarJ with the height
II the highest peak In its vicinity
which is 1900 feet though no accurate
measurement has vet been attempted.
The water besides being very cold.
Possesses some pcruliaritY which makes
Il very difficult to keep aaoat in il. or.
a, a man e1pre,sed II. There is no
,ul,.,anr. To the water. and a man
can, swim easily" The Lake is fun Il
fish of different kinds. It is often cal'-
cd Rcd Fish Lake, On account 81
Lrill!antreI fish that swarms its waters.
Their remarkable beauty charms the
eye. their peculiar habits well repay a
close study and observation. and when
scryel hot for breakfast no dainticr
dish could Dee desired They are quite
large. weighing from two and half to
four pounds. Their bodies are bright
rel. and the head and fins are a light
brown. They look IN the water like
Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-08-02
An Expensive Lesson.

Mrs. Piercy was not in a good hui
NOR that day, as she sat at the break
fast-tsble pouring coffee for her hus-
band, and dispensing bread and butter
to the three plump little Plercys. She
was q handsome, overdressed woman,
with n good deal of false hair, friZzed
and puffed and braided on the top Of
her head. and complexion that bore
remote witness TO the constant use Of
cosmetics. And Mr. Piercy. at his end
of the table, was evidently i'll at ease
as he broke his eggs and nibbled dill
gently at his roll.
But what was l to do, my dear2"
said he. after brief silence which was
by no means peaceful
"Do?" shrilly retorted Mrs. Piercy
"Why, what do other people do? Are
we to keep home for the INDECENT
poor2 Or a refuge for the widowed
and fatherlessH'
my dear my dear" pleaded Mr..
Piercy. who was a small man. with
thin hair and spectacles. you may be
widow yourself, some day"
And If am, shall not go begging
among my relatives, that you may de-
pend on. said Mrs Piercy. And. af-
ter all, she isn't any relative of yours
only your brothers wife! I'd like
TO know what earthly claim she has
upon youl Ideclare, the more l think
of it the more / am amazed at the
woman's presumption. Her very name
Is an aggrayation, too. Plume Pier
cy, indeed. I'll wager my new lace
pin that she was a second-rate actress
when she married your brother No.
Mr.. Piercy, if you think that L"
But here the torrent Of the lady's
elOquence was cut short by the uneI-
pected appearance on the scene Of the
very subject of her objurgation-a tall.
pretty woman of about four and
twenty, whose wavy, golden tresses
and delicately fair complexion con-
trasted vividly with the deep mourn
ing weeds she wore.
"a veil down 10 her feet" mentally
calculated Mrs. Abel Piercy. "And a
six-inch bias band Of the very best
Courtland Grape on her gown. won
der who's expected TO pay for all this ?"
Abel Piercy. the kindest-hearted Of
little men. welcomed his brothers
widow with genuine hospitality; but
Matilda. his wife. looked askance at
her. with no friendly smile upon her
countenance.
"Of course you will consider this
your home" said Mr.. Piercy. as he
made haste to draw a chair close to the
fire.
"Until you are able to suit yourself
somewhere else" crisply added his
wife.
The widow said little; she only
looked, with large, wistfnl eyes, from
one TO the other. as she sat there, the
morning sunshine turning her fair
lacks to braided masses Of gold, the
pearly delicacy of her skin arousing
tho liveliest envy in Mrs. Abers heart.
Though. Of course, It's only some
French balm, or Circassian cream or
other. that I haven't heard Of" said
she 10 herself.
But, after Mr.. Piercy had buttoned
on his overcoat and gloves, he came
back to the breakfast-room, while his
wife was putting up the children's
school-lunehes in the pantry.
81 am not much Of talker, Plume,
said he, in an odd, hesitating way; "but
you are welcome, my dear-very vel
cOmel And I hope you will try to fee
Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-08-02
L Mans Empty Heart.
II seems 80 strange

II seems 30 strange
That any man should never sot his heart
On anythng-but live apart
FROM dear desire
And from laughing hope!
Without whose kindly beacon ray
We're like poor mariners astray
Without compass.
Our lives would bo so tame,
If we should bo content to grasp
Only the things our hand could clasp
Without much striving.
We cannot always
Hope 10 attain our aim-but still.
BY fearing to attempt, we will
Gain simply nothing
Oh! we would miss
go much unless We dared the fear
OF losing things which are not here,
But farther on.
Even If we lose
The hope on which our heart was set
There comes for every vain regret
Some compensation.
Remembrance OF
Anticipation soothes the pain
or bitter loss, and helps us gain
Courage and hope.
10 have known defeat
Makes US more kind to griefs that lay
Within tho hours OF every day
n other peoples lives.
md when we win
Attainment gives US strength to beaE
Each added pain and added care
That comes TO rs.
Thon dare the strife
For DER defeats dark clouds there come
The Lights OF mauy victory won,
Which blessed our life.
-BeSJie D0Hdifson.
Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-08-02

| gentleman company, as L live! Well
If this is the way she intends to 60
on, the sooner she suits herself with d
situation the better!"
Mrs. Piercy had been secretly anx.
ious for an opportunity of quarreling
with her sister-in-law Here it was at
last; and when the old gentleman with
the glossy broadcloth suit was gone,
she bounced into the parlOr with red
spot on either cheek-bone like signals
of war
$50 you have been receiving com
pany, Mrs. Oswald" said she.
YES" Plume innocently answered.
Gentleman company. tool" cried
Mrs. Piercy.
ut was Mr.. Van Orden, my hus-
bands lawyer" explained Plume.
"Oh, | dare say said Mrs. Piercy.
"All that sounds very well; but | have
the character Of my house to look TO-,
and"
"lIe is coming back with a carriage" 4"
hurriedly spoke Plume. II am TO go
to his wife's house at once. Mrs. Van
Orden is willing 10 give me the shelter
which my own relatives grudge mer'
81 wish her joy of her bargain. |
am sure" said Mrs. Abel Piercy, with
a toss of the mountains of false hair
that crowned her head.
And SO the tTo women parted. in no
spirit Of anity,
81 dare say she'll 60 straight to the
store" thought Mrs. Abel, "and invent
a Pitiful story for my husbands bcnc~
it, And Abel will make a great fuss
Abel was always soft about his rcla-
tiycs-but | shant mind It. always
have been mistress in my own house.
and | always intend to be. Oswalds
widow or no Oswald's widow"
Nevertheless, she could not help
feeling little apprehensiyc when her
husband came in 70 tea For when
Abel really was angry. his anger sig
nihed something But to her surprise
he entered all smiles, and rubbing his
palms, glccfully.
$50 Plume has gomez said he
Yes" said Mrs Piercy, pretending
10 be busy with knot in the second
child's shoe "She has gone, But
how did you know it,"
Van Orden stopped at the store tc
tell me" answered Mr.. Piorcy.
strange. wasn't it? And quite 70,
mantle. too"
What on earth Is the man talking
about Z" said Mrs Piercy. aroused at
last into something like active interest.
Why. didn't Plume tell you2 II
seems that those last investments that
poor Oswald fancied he had beggarcd
himself with. have turned up trump
cards after all And Van Orden tells
me that Oswald widow is worth one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars"
Mrs Abel Picrcy turned first green,
then crimson. Alas for the fatal blum.
der She had committed Alas for the
ruined chances Of her three little
girls 10 inherit their aunts money!
She made some trivial excuse about a
forgotten pocket. handkerchief, and
went up stairs to weep the bitterest
tears she had ever shed.
II was lesson 90 her. hut IL was an
expensive one. For Plume Percy. al
though she always remained on the
most excellent terms with her kind
little brother-in.law. never crossed
Mrs. Abel's threshold again. She had
been too deeply stung too bitterly in
suited there.
And It's all my own fault" sadly
reflected Mrs Abel "Oh. dear. on.
dear why can't we see n LITTLE way
into the futureT
Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-08-02

Statistics show that not quite one.
third OF the population in the United
States Is foreign born, or foreign in
the second degree. OF the l5.0OO.O 900
included In the above computation,
about 4,500, 900 have Irish fathers.
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-16

could secure the Etheridge vote, the Re-
publicans would support and elect him.
The seduction was successful. johnson
was beaten, and Cooper, his most active
supporter, walked off with the prize. Mr..
Sabin's case was parallel, except that Dem
ocrats came to his support, as did the Re-
publicans to Cooper.
''Mr. Sabin can in no wise be censnred.
He stood by Mr.. Windom's case until
nothing was left of it, and whatever blame
may be attributed by Window to others,
none can be justly laid TO Mr. Sabin's door.
He kept faith with Mr.. Window in all
things, and l am sorry to learn that Mr..
Window treated Mr.. Sabin so discourte-
ously. Mr.. Sabin has no parliamentary
experience beyond that acquired in the
Minnesota legislature and of course is the
inferior of Mr.. Window in that regard.
He is however, the equal if not the supe-
rior of Mr.. Window when the latter gen
tleman first came to congress in 1865.
Moreover, it is proper to say that he pos
sesses sufficient substance to free him from
the temptations of the lobby and the in
fuences of jobs. Mr.. Window came to
Washington without dollar ahead of the
world, and he is fortunate in retiring with
a competence. Many similar
situated have returned home bank
rupt in fortune if not in reputation"
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-16
$4,000, and cancel all bonds comprising

$4,000, and cancel all bonds comprising
the Japanese indemnity fund.
Several members expressed the opinion
that the attempt to pay back only part OF
the money due another govern
ment was disgraceful, but the
majority seemed to think the
adoption of the report would be a step in
the right direction, and the best thing OBJ
tainable this session, and that the bill did
not bind future congresses from doing
justice in the premises. So the confer
ence vote was agreed to, 121 to II.
The house then went into committee of
the whole on The tariff bill and the censid-
Grafton of schedule 'E" sugar was, en-
tered upon.
Mr.. Van Voorhees, moved to strike ont
the first paragraph imposing duty of
one and one-fourth cents per pound on all
sugars not No. Is, Dutch stan lard tank
bottom, ETC., testing by thelpolarriscope,
not above rs degrees and four one-hun-
dreths of a cent additional for every ad
ditional degree or fraction of a degree.
He stated that he did this for the purpose
of moving to put sugar on the free list.
The motion gave rise to extended argu-
ment, but was rejected, 26 to $50.
Mr.. King then offered and advocated an
amendment increasing the duty On sugar
not above Is Dutch standard, testing not
above IS degrees, from 25-100 to 1 50-100
cents per pound, and from 400 to 800
Of cent additional for every additional
degree or fraction of a degree.
After long debate Mr.. Brown offered
an amendment reducing the duty on sugar,
less than No. Is Dutch standard, not over
Is degrees, to one cent per pound. Lost,
70 to 80.
Mr.. Ellis offered an amendment fixing
the rate at l 20 100 cents per pound, and
MIR. King Withdrew his.
A long discussion ensued, which strayed
far from the real question under consider
alton, and was confined principally to
series of charges and counter charges of
inconsistency, the Republicans taunting
the Democrats with deserving their ''reve-
nue. only doctrine, when local interests
were at stake, and the Democrats assert
ing they were only maintaining the duty
at revenue standard. and in turn
claiming that the Republicans had desert
ed their protective systems, in order to
single out and destroy certain industry.
Finally the amendment was lost, 81 to
80.
Mr.. Chandler offered an amendment i'm
posing a duty of per cent. ad valorem ..on
all sugars not above and of As per cent,
on all sugars above No. 13 Dutch standard.
Mr.. Carlisle raised a point of order, and
pending the decision the committee rose
and the house took a recess.
At the evening session, Messrs Briggs,
DaUas and WheeIar obtained leave ton ave
printed in the Record remarks upon the
Fitz John Porter bill.
The house resumed in committee the
consideration of the legislative appropria-
lion bill.
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-16
HO,r B,sn.arcb Sayed Brother Soldier.
Paris American Register.


A good Bismarck anecdote, showing the
prince to have been good comrade from
his youth up, is the following: "In 1888 he
entered the Potsdam battalion of 'Garde
Jaeger as a one-year volunteer, and six
months later, at his request, he was trans
ferred to the Second Jaegers at Grenswald,
in order to be able to profit by the lectures
in the agricultural school at Eldena. One of
his comrades in the battalion was young
man, who at the present day still counts
among the great landed proprietors of the
province of Pomerania. He then stood in
the second rank Immediately behind Bis
marck. In spite of stringent orders to the
contrary, the Jaegers persisted in fire.
quently firing a shot at the numerous
storks on the meadows near Grenswald
while out on march, drilling or exercis-
ing. One day on the march home to the
barracks Bismarck's handman brought
down bird with bullet. The oficers,al-
though marching good way ahead, heard
the report, saw the stork falling down, or
dered the battalion to halt and forthwith
began to examine the guns. Everything
was as it should be in the first rank. The
culprit in the second rank began to trem-
BILE all the more for his safety,
inasmuch as his promotion to a lieuten-
antcy was at stake in case he should be
found out. This Bismarck realized, and
while his friend was on the point of vol
UNFAIRLY denouncing himself in order to
clear the rest of the men from an unjust
suspicion, he whispered to him: Look
sharp; take your gun in the left arm, I'll
throw you mine" No sooner said than
done, and so quickly in fact that the in
specting officer did not notice it, and the
case of the killed stork remained an unex-
planned mystery. Over a mug of beer that
night Private Bismarck declined to receive
the thanks of his comrade for service
which was not worth talking about To
this day the two are pleasant neighbors
and sworn friends.