davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1883-05-09
PROCEEDINGS Of TIKI City COUNCIL,
ALEXANDRIA,, La, |
MAY 7, 1883. (

Pursuant to adjournment the Board
of Aldermen of the City Of Alexand-
ria, La, met in the Mayors office this
day at 4 o'clock P. NJ. There, were
present:
w. G. McGimsey, Mayor,
H. S. Gosseus,
J. J. Psterman,
N. l. McGinuis,
jacob Irving,
Jonas Rosenthal.
The minutes of the last meeting,
April 81, 1883, were read and approx
ed. The Treasurer's report, showing
balance in treasury Of $5437O was also
approved.
Warrants were issued in payment of
the following Bills, the same having
been approved:
NJ. w. Calvit, incidental expen-
fes and salary for April ..... $40 45
Landry Baillio, salary tor April
and balance due him on appro-
we'd account. Observation-Disclosures. 100 90
Pacific Fire Co., Custodian's sal
airy for April ... IS 90
John g. Ryan, salary as City At
torney to May LIST, and balance
due for defending suit "Corpo-
ration vs.. A. Heyman ct als". rs 90
Julius Levin, lumber bills ..... u y
Stonewall II. and L. Co., for coal
oil, axes, flooring, etc ......... IA so
DEMocRAT, ON printing account z rs
n. l.. McGinnis, nails ... 8 OF
Eliza Murray, boarding paupers. 8 20
John Kramer, hauling sand 80. 7 81
Westley Hawkins, work in First
Ward 4 90
Hunter & Hertzog, balance due
on bill of costs in suit "Corpo-
ration vs. A Heyman ct als". 40 90
Henry Newman, work OH streets %
VIM. st. John, work on streets :. 9 90
w. O. Dammon, sash for Truck
room and lime ............ II 90
NJ. c. Ward, cutting grass in the
Town square ...... -. .. 4 90
Jos. Holt, constable's fees. ..... 90
Jno Murray, whitewashing fence
around City square. .......... 10 90
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1883-05-09

Mr.. ED1roR-
Glass ball shooting came of at the
residence. of Judge Fl. L. Daigre on
Thursday last. The members pres
eut, fourteen in number, arrived on
the ground at IL o'clock. Prelimi
narics were Immediately arranged by
designating George R. Waters and
Ju 'ge H.,L. Daigre as Captains to
choose alternately from the mem
bers of the Club until exhausted,
which gave seven shooters On each
side-the side scoring the larger
number of glass balls to receive each
box of paper shells to be paid for
by the other side scoring the lesser
number. The following is the score
on each side:
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1883-05-09
A. B. RACIAL,
Secretary.

= On motion of Councilman Gossens,
Resolved, That tax of two dollars
is hereby levied on each and every dog
or bitch running at large within the
limits of the Corporation of the City
of Alexandria, La, and the Collector
is instructed to collect the same after
ten days publication Of this resolution,
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-12-21
clare that it is simply the legitimate re-
suit of q large business done uith0ut
creLtt.-Cor. N. Y. Post,
Chinese Science.

From ancient times the Chinese have
taken noteof natural phenomena. Their
record of solareclipses is perhaps the most
ancient and accurate in the world. They
have more or less elaborate works on
astronomy, mathematics, botany, 20
ology. mineralogy, physiology and
many other sciences. Yet there is
scarcely any true science in them.
Classification, even in regard to plants
and animals, there is none. Mineral
ogy is mainly a description of curious
stones. Nor is there any progress, for
the more ancient works are generally
the best. and rs a consequence the Chi
nese to-day are as their fathers were
thousands of years ago. The supersti-
tions respecting natural phenomena,
which are as living active truths to-day
for all classes in China, remind us ~ath-
er of man in his state of barbarism than
of the ancient culture and civilization
of the Middle Kingdom. The sun and
the moon are to the Chinese as thew
were to primitive man, living things,
gods to be worshiped. The stars in
their courses powerfully influence, if
they do not absolutely determine, all
human events. In them the wise NAV
read as in a book the destiny of man
ana the fate of empires. Their COM
binations make lucky and unlucky DAYS,
and we shall do we'll 10 note carefully
their signs and silent warnings. Comet,
are the precursors of famine, pestilence
and INTERPRETATIONS of the wreck
ofempires and the fall of Kings. Eclipses
are the periodic efforts of the dragon
tiend to destroy the lights of heaven,
and every notice of an approaching
eclipse sent by the Imperial astronomer
to the Provinces is accompanied by a
Government order to employ the usual
methods Of gong-beating and so forth
in order to rescue the threatened lumin-
airy. Again, thunder is the roar of the
anger of heaven. and to be smitten by q
thunderbolt is to be marked as a thing
accused. Wind is born in the heart Of
great mountains, whence it issues at
the command of the wind god. Most
districts have their wind mountains.
That at Lung-Shan in the northern Pro-
vince OF Chilli is the most remarkable.
1t has a ave at each of its four sides.
The Spring wind issues from the cav
on the eastern side, the Summer wind
from the southern, and so for the others.
Wind cddies Or whirlwinds are raised
by the hedgehog in his rapid passage
from one place to another, the dust
serving to screen him from the vulgar
gaze. Rain is produced by the dragon
god, who carries up vast quantities of
water from the lakes and rivers in his
capacious jaws, and pours it down in
showers over the earth. Every noun
tain has its spirit or genius, every valley
its nymph, every spring it's naiad.
Hence mountains and rivers, old trees
and curious rocks, become objects OF
worship.-Nature.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-12-21
Valuable for Tea. Drinkers.

1t is well known that the green tea
affects the nerves much more than the
black tea, which is believed to rise from
the different mode Of preparation. For
making green tea the leaves are put
over the fire and partially dried directly
they are picked. but with black tea the
leaves are putinto q basket and then ex-
posed to the influence of the atmosphere
for twenty or thirty hours, during which
time a slight fermentation takes place,
and the color of the leaf changes from
green to a brown or chocolate hue (this
IS easily seen by the infusion of the
dried leaf of black and green tea; the
leaf after infusion will show the differ.
ent colors namedl; they are then put
owe the fire and finished. In this
country about 215, 600, 900 pounds are
delivered yearly, 0 which about 40, OOO,.
600 are exported, but the proportions
are about 207, 600, 200 of black and
1000, 900 of green, Oolong, and Japan.
While in America the black tea import.
ed is about $3.50, 600, the green tea Gin,
GLIDING Oolong and uncolored Japan
tea, which possess nearly the same
properties es green) amount to 5S,OOO,.
600. Would not this excessive use OF
green account for the opinion of the
American doctors as to the effect of tea
on the nervous system? | doubt very
much if a pound of black tea, boilel
down in the same way as the young
hyson mentioned, would poison ethel
rabbits or cats with the same dose.
There is no doubt the fermentation OIL
the leaves of black tea reduces the
amount ofthe active principal ''theine'
that you find in green.
Another thing; in preparing tea TO,
the table, boiling water is put on the
leaf and an infusion made which is at
once partaken Of. But whoever would
think of boiling tea to drink? BY so do,
ing you extract from the stalk and
woody fiber of the leaf an acid decoction
that no n would find pleasure in tax
ing, and from which woody part would
be most likely extracted the poisonous
qualities mentioned. In tea-drinkine
European countries, as Germany, Rus
STA, etc, scarcely any green is used,
and doubtless the great increase in the
consumption in this country arises from
the almost universal use of black tea,
green being only used in mixing with it
to impart a flavor, and while of late
years the consumption of black tea has
largely increased, that of green has
remained stationary, which clearly
shows the taste in this country is n
tirely different from that in America.
May we long continue in this country to
enjoy ''the cup which cheers but not
lnebrlates. Cor. PaU-MaN Gusctte.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-12-21
Skeleton Of Guiteau, the Assassin.

The skeleton of the late Charles j.
Guiteau, assassin of President Garfield,
having been formally %turnedover to the
Surgeon-General. is exhibited in an up
right glass case situated in the north
end of the army medical museum hall
on Tenth street. A reporter of the Ga
Sette having received a pointer to the
above effect last evening started off for
the museum to investigate the matter.
Passing by large cases full of skulls,
arms, picked babies and other curiosi-
ties of humanity the upright case was
reached. 1t was perfectly new and
glistened under o recent Goa of shining
varnish. The interior was decorated
with four human skeletons, suspended
by their skulls and glistcning in their
snowy whiteness. Two of the largest
one of which is Guiteau's bore no labels.
The smaller ones were placarded me
gro girl'' and "Skeleton OF a boy" OF
the former, that of the assassin can be
easily distinguished by its height.
feet ten inches. The skeleton CORE
spends with these figures. The pur-
pose of putting other skeletons in the
case was doubtless to prevent sus-
picion. A close scrutiny of Guiteau's
bones showed that each distinct portion
had been marked with q very small let
ter ''D' in indellible ink blythe museum
authorities, probably as a means of
identification in case they are ever
stolen Another noticeable feature was
a slight stoop of the shoulders, which
those who saw the man will recognize
at once. The reporter turned to the
gentleman who gave him the informa-
ton and asked where the head was
kept;
autopsy he replied; sit was then
stuffed, sewed up and packedin alcohol,
and is now in this building. Would you
like to see itp'
The reporter answered afirmatively,
and was taken to q room in the north
ern part of the museum, where he was
shown the head which planned the sec
ond Presidential assassination in the
United States. The preservation was
remarkable and showed the perfect ex-
preston OF Guiteau's face as he dropped
into eternity, with the final words of the
doggerel hymn IN his lips.
What was done with his flesh?"
queried the reporter. "Was it thrown
into the sewer. as publishcd?"
ono, it was not" he replied. "Gui-
teau's flesh was cremated in this build
ing at noon of November "a, 1882. af-
ter it had been stripped from the skele-
ton"
"How?"
cit was shoveled into the furnace
above, and the ashes now grace some
ash heapin the suburbs Of Washington"
-Hashinqton Gazette.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-12-21
The Utility Of SCHOOL, ecesses.

There is a growing tendency to ADAM
don the school-recess. The editor of
the Boston Journal Of Education says
of the no-recess experiment, adopted in
Rochester, New York. that it has given
perfect satisfaction" Among the
advantages gained, he mentions, "a
continuous school-session without inter-
ruptions in school-work;" "bctter
health of pupils, on account of freedom
from exposure to cold and wet weather
in the midst of each session. "disc;p-
line easier, on account of freedom from
recess-troubles;" 'more time for teach
ers,' ETC.; "less hardness and absen-
teeism;' and lessfrequent opportunities
for vicious pupils to come in contact
with and corrupt other pupils" Be-
lieving that these reasons are unsatis-
factory, and that the tendency is a bad
one, l propose, to offer some general
considerations that weigh strongly
against it.
The schools are utilitarian in their
aim; to fit the child for living success
fully is the object of their existence.
AS animal strength is the foundation Of
all moral and physical welfare, and is
the chief condition of success in all the
pursuits of life, the future welfare of
the child in every way depends upon
the normal development of his body.
An effeminate man is half sick: and
when it comes to any of the severer
trials of life, either physical or moral,
where great endurance or courage is
required, the weakest must inevitably
be the first to succumb. This is
as true of moral trials as of physical,
for moral cowardice often results from
physical feebleness. 1t is to be doubted
it anything that is taught in the schools
is of so much value t. a child that it
would not better be %foregone than to be
obtained by the loss ofany physical vigor
whatever. Taken in the truest sense,
that city has the best schools where the
school restraints have least effect upon
the physical growth and normal devel-
opment of the pupils, and not the one
where the pupils show the greatest pro.
ficiency in acquiring in a memor1er
way a few fragments of conventional
facts which happen irrationally to pass
current for an education. But because
in so many Of the schools the test to be
applied at the end of the term, or at the
end of the course, is the memoriter one,
and because no teacher expects her
pupils to be examined as totheir health,
OF as to whether habits
OF life that will be conducive to health
f%ulness, it is not 10 be wondered at that
all the plans OF the teacher look more
to the development of conventional
proficiency thant TO the infinitely more
important matter of health.-JoseM
| Garter, w Popular Science Monthly.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-12-21
A California Witch.

tcan hardly be believed, but it is new
crtheless true, that Butte County has a
class of people who firmly believe in
withcraft. They reside in Helltown
and number about twenty families. Liv-
ing in 81 old cabin built among the
rocks so that it can not be seen by per-
sons passing along the road, lives an
old bag known as Mag Lynch. She is
feared and hated by the neighborhood.
and threats have often been made ny
the ignorant people that they would
burn her if she did not make herself
scarce. If a horse takes sick, the story
ut once passes around that old Mag has
it. The owner of the animal
tries everything to bring his steed to
rights, but usually in vain, and he is
compelled to pay the witch a fec 20
break the spell. This she does in q
mysterious way, leading the horse into
a she'd in the real of her shanty and OPP
Grating upon him alone. The poor
creatures up that way think she does
nothing but talk in an unknown tongue
to the horse and pass her bony fingers
yer its eyes.
Around her house are usually great
piles of .'yarbs and roots" which she
converts into medicines. The other
day a girl some fifteen or sixteen years
of age, named Nancy Stokely, was no.
ticed to act in a peculiar manner audit
appeared plain in the minds of her par
ents that she had fallen a victim to Mag
Lynch's powers, rs Nancy had been
throwing stones at the old lady. Upon
being asked to cur the girl, the bag re-
fused to do a thing, and a physician
was called from Oroville. After MAX
ing an examination, he pronounced her
atfliction a clear case Of 'St. Eitus'
dance and removed her to the county
hospital for treatment, where she is now
attended by DR.. j. A. Dawson. An
other one of the old woman's tricks was
brought to light this week. One of her
%neighbors killed q COW, and upon dress
ing the beef he found nails and fish
hooks in the stomach. This was a clear
cas- against the witch, and she has been
given II week to quit her claim or SUI
fer punishment.
A most incredible story about old
Maggie was told to a Record man to-
day by one who is . believer in her
powers Of %witchery. He said that about
two months since a valuable colt be-
longing to him became singularly af-
tlicted, and all he could do would give
the poor beast no relief. He then
brought the animal to Chico and put it
in the care of our well known horse
doctor, "Dad'' Hooper, who treated it
unsuccessfully for two weeks. Not
caring to lose such a promising colt, he
took it back to Helltown and gave the
witch twenty dollars to cure it. In
t%wenty-four hours his colt was brought
home seemingly entirely we'll. The
witch then gave him a ten-pcnny nail,
which she declared she cut right out of
the animals heart, and he believed her
yarn to be the gospel truth. In ap-
pearance old Mag is about eighty years
Of age and she looks for ali the world
like a witch, being %toothless, almost
hairless, and living in a wild, unkempt
style.-CMico (CNI.) Record.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-12-21
The Breeding Habits Of the Common
Catfish.

Although the catishes, or homed
pouts, are t%olerably common fishes, tleir
breeding habits have not been put on
record by any one until Mr.. j. A. RIDER
observed a pair of the species know as
Amiurus albidus. These fishes, male
and female, were confined in an aqua
rum. One morning a mass OF eva,
about eight inches long, four inches
wide and half to three-fourths thick.
vas noticed at the bottom of the tank.
while owe it lowered one of the pal, of
fishes, keeping pectoral, anal and VEN
trail fins in rapid vibration, evidently for
the benefit OF the ova beneath. This fish,
as was afterward proved by dissection,
was the male, and this assiduous nurs-
ing-father watched carefully over the
eggs, forcing water through the inters-
tees between them by the rapid motion
81 sSe MS sa ,,ns m mnt i thsyou mg;e escaped tpea from ON
from the sixth to the eight day after
the deposition of the eggs. The female
took no further notice Of the ova after
depositing them. Each individual Q
wa about . sixth of an inch in diameter
after it had become distended with water
Gas is the case always with eggs laid
in water), and the mass contained
about 1000 eggs. Their surfaces were
adherent, but were not enveloped with
g%elatinous material, SO that, lying loose
" like a pile of shot, they were con-
veniently placed for aeration bv the
efforts Of the male. How important
this continual supply of fresh water
containing free oxygen is to the de-
%vclopment of fish ova is shown by the
experience of all those who have Matched
such ova a%rti!icially, and its importance
in the present case was emphasized by
the fact that all the ova left in charge
OF the male fish Matched out. while an
attempt to rear a portion of them artitic-
tally partially failed through the INSULT
cheney of the supply Of oxygen. On the
fifteenth day after the eggs were laid the
young were able to feed, and were found
to relish greatly pieces of liver that were
thrown to them. This they would tug
at in a way that proved their possession
of teeth. The parent fishes would fire.
quently take into their mouth pieces of
the liver thrown to their young, and in
SO doing would apparently swallow also
the young fish hanging to them, but it
was observed that, though the liverwas
eaten. the young fishes were elected un-
injured, showing that by some delicacy
Of touch the parents recognized the
presence of their offspring previous to
swallowing the morsel. The barbels
appear very early in life; the pair which
proceeds from the angles OF the mouth
commence to bud on tha third dav Of
development. and the two pairs of chin
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-12-21
FOREIGN GOSSIP.
-Campanini. the tenor, has an in
come of $4,000 per month.

-Campanini, the tenor, has an in
come of $4,000 per month.
An enterprising Englishman is en-
gagged in making Illuminating gas from
sawdust.
-''Pinafore'' has brought a rich car
go to the composer, MI. Gilbert. He
has built him a house at Kensington
which cost S25O,OO0. 1t is big enough
for his sisters and his cousins and his
aunts.
1.-THE Bitter Cry of Outcast Lon
dom is the title adopted by the PAIL
MoA Gazette for a department especially
devoted to correspondence and sugges-
tions on the subject of the houses Of the
London poor.
Queensland is importing Chinese
coolies to work the sugar plantations.
A planter recently Went to Hong Kong
with q commission to engage 1000
coolies. A capitation tax of fifty dol
lars has to be paid on their arrival.
The official returns show that the
healthiest class of people in Great
Britain are the inmates of prisons,
where simple diet. regular hours, and
exercise are compulsory. Butthe cases
of insanity amongthc conyicts are out of
proportion to the number of other all
ments. To commit a crime q man
must be more or less mad.
Since the opening of his residence.
Eaton Hall. the Duke OF Westminster
has charged all visitors one shilling for
the privilege of inspecting it. Last
week the Duke sent the whole of the
proceeds from II, 200 visitors, amounts
ing to 1850, as a donation to the Ches-
ter Iniirmary.
The Bishop Of Monaco harangued
his flock the other day upon the doings
at Monte Carlo and delivered himself of
this pregnant remark: eve live in a
pagan locality which it is frightful to
contemplate; our pontitfs are croupiers,
our gods gold and silver, our vestal VIZ
gins the cocottes from all the slums of
Europe, our visitors the scrapings of
the worlds tripots."
One very strange custom prevails
among the Coreans. After nine in the
evening the women are allowed to go
out into the streets, the gates of the CITY
being shut, and if any unfortunate mar
has been SO foolish as to stay out late
he has to hurry home with his eyes bent
upon the ground, and should he meet
any of the fair sex he covers his face
with his fan and crosses the street tc
get out of their way.
The walters of Rome have been
loudly protesting against employment
of women in restaurants and beer shops.
They have published a protest which is
hawked about the street. One evening
recently a newsboy entered a cafe in
the Piazza Colonna, and, forgetting
that it was II of the strongholds of the
fair attendants, began crying out 1.-the
protest" The outraged walters rose
in anger, and one strong-armed young
woman seized the luckless youth by the
hair and dragged him along the piazza.
Sympathy goes with the women.