davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-26
A Revolution i'm Beer.

In our neighborhood lives German far
mer named Liebig, who claims to have
made discovery which seems to me SO re-
markable that have concluded to report it
to the press. He is engaged in raising hops
on a small farm, keeps some cows, and seems
to be doing well. He is quite scientific
man, and has a diploma from some big agri-
cultural college in Germany, the name Of
which have forgotten. His neighbors call
him the Latin farmer. This is what he says:
Among his COWS is one of the English breed
the best millker in the lot Some time ago
the milk from her had a bitter taste and
brownish color, which rendered it totally
unfit for use. This gave him considerable dis
tress, and he could not account for it. Latsr
on he discovered the cause of the trouble.
He saw the animal coming out Of his barn,
where he has his hop bins. Evidently the
cow had been feeding on hops and, naturally,
the milk had acquired the Objectionable taste.
He commenced series of experiments, the
reasons for which he gave me, and which
seem quite plausible. His arguments were:
If the food has such direct influence on the
taste and color Of the milk, have we not
the means at hand to give the product any
character we choosea He evidently regards
the animal economy Of the cow as sort of
chemical laboratory. So he went to work to
produce drink similar to beer, and If his
statements, are true las / beheve) he sue
ceeded completely.
He continued to feed hops, for which she
had a natural liking, then malt, and then
corn. Grass and hay would not do, because
under it the liquid resumed its natural milky
character. The product under this feeding
was a turbid light brown liquid with a sweet,
slightly bitterish taste. Warm from the COW
he adds some yeast, sets it in a warm place
and lets it ferment. This seems to generate a
certain amount Of alcohol and the liquid at
the same time becomes clear. II the fermen-
tation is, however, not interrupted at cer-
tain stage the stuff gets sour and is unfit to
drink. He stops the fermentation by pour
ing the liquid in strong jug, corking tightly,
and letting it down in deep well. Two or
three days after he draws 1t up 1t is then a
clear, light brown color, effervescing, form
ing creamy foam on top and tastes de-
licious-to me, a great deal better than most
of the beer have ever tried.
The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-26

ward famons novel. Dumas was always In
debt-often on account of the sponging Of
his friends-so that even while cooking he
had TO keep his pen a-going.
When dinner was ready Dumas rang the
dinner ben himself. While his guests were
deyouring the excellent menu the cook
rarely touched more than two plates
bis foes used to proclaim him glut
ton-a genuine Apicius. But this was false
Dumas was temperate not only in eating,
but in drinking. He drank water only col
ored with wine, and never smoked. At
midnight he often invited his friends to
partake of fine little supper which he
also got up, and then when the guests went
on to sleep the host would go to his study
and work till far into the morning.
Such are few of the more striking trait
OF man than whom none in all French lit
erature was more original and fecund, bolder
and freer, more vilified and praised. He was
as regardless of the behests OF society as
Byron, as hard a worker as Scott as peculiar
as DIR. johnson, as generous as Goldsmith,
as hospitable as Rogers, as witty as Hood,
and as imaginative as Poe. No wonder,
therefore, that Paris, after more than ten
years of silence, has called to mind her old
favorite and prodigy, and now cannot say
too much in his praise, nor do too much in
honor of his memory. Alexander Dumas,
dead is indeed alive again
The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-26
Hotel Dead Beats.

The head waiter is the sentry of the dining
room. Five minutes before the dinner list
of the guests Of the hotel is sent up stairs by
the clerk. On the list is the number of every
room in the house with the name of the occu-
pant If any) opposite. The head waiter
stands by the door and when a guest comes
in he is asked quietly the number Of his
room. He gives it, and the waiter
instantly sends him to table. The man, if
he thinks of it at all, supposss that the num-
Der Of his room has something to do with his
seat and passes on. The instant his back
is turned the head waiter consults his list,
and if the room of the number given is va
cant, or if it is occupied by some one known
to the waiter, he goes at once to the man, and
while deftly rearranging the napkin or plac-
ing the knives and forks in neat rows, asks
him seductively his name. If that name
fails to clear away the doubt the clerk is
sent for. He may recognize the man. II he
does not an investigation is made, and il the
man is proved fraud he is taken out and
handed over to the police
The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-26

yos, an, to thank God for having kept my
loved ones SO secure
Ben Darnley said you eloped with
gambler an went to Philadelphia
He liedr
"'Your wife speaks the TRUTH said the
handsome lady, I have known her history
sinca she left your humble home, and stole
away to trust, to wait, to pray. She comes
to you as pure an as true wife as the day
she left your roof
Doubling Dixon leaned against the door
casing for support The strong mans tears
were coming now, dropping full an fast He
looked at the little, wondering kid, an the
kneeling mother, smothering it with
caresses. Then he stepped away from the
door casing, hesitated moment, as though
fearful of repulse, threw open his arms, and
said:
"tKatiep
tsIn another moment the wife, kid and
Doubling Dixon were all mixed up in hug
ging match, and the handsome woman from
Massachusetts, who had at her own expense,
brought about this happy reunion, looked SO
pleased and delighted over the success of her
scheme, that she really deserved hugging by
somebody ON her own account.
"That night, Doubling Dixon and Ben
Darnley, the vicious New York gambler, met
"'You are positive said Dixon, that my
wife eloped with the Philadelphia faro
dealere
"Know it." said Darnley. why she
even limited once that she would leave home
with me if I would come west
"'Say, Darnley, now be honest, didn't you
kinder try to take advantage Of me, an
make love to Katel"
.'Yes, Dixon, since everything is all over
now, an you know just what kind Of a
woman your wife is, I'll confess that did
But, then, to be honest agin, I'll just say that
she fairly froze the blood in my veins with
her Indignation. Heigh, hol This is id
curious world, an very few people ever get
out of it alive
fright you are, hissed Dixon. You are
right, Darnley. Old man, my wife is safe am
sound in her own home, with her own boy,
an under the protection Of her own hus-
land, an all this in spite of your devilish
revenge. Ben Darnley, for years you have
kept my wife an apart. For years you
have daily lied to me, an worked upon the
passions of weak an doubling man
Hold hard there, Dixon, or by the gods
Of war, I'll kill youp
81 doubt it, Darnley. This is a day of
retributive justice. You will not kill me-
''Ben Darnley was quick with his gun, an
a fash an report were his answer to Dixon.
Then Darnley turned and ran into a saloon
He had missed his man. Cool an dispassion-
ate, Doubling Dixon, standing outside on the
sidewalk, looked down the long, brilliantly
lighted saloon. He looked along the bright,
shining barrel of his revolver. At the farther
end of the saloon crouched Darnley. Cool
an dispassionate, Doubling Dixon took
deadly aim, an down through the ninety
feet of glittering light and gilded mirrors
he sent bullet true to the heart Of Ben
nor.nloy ~
The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-26
Trimming Elephants Feet.
fR0Ston (Ilobe

Yesterday Prof. George Arstingstall and
four assistants were occupied all day in trim
ming the feet of two elephants. The opera
ton is performed three times year-once
on the road, once in the fall and again in the
spring. The sole of an elephants foot is
heavily covered with thick horny substance
of material similar to the three toe-nails upon
each foot, and as it grows thicker and thicker
it tends to contract and crack often laming
the animal. When the work of trimming is
undertaken, the elephant stands upon three
legs and places the foot to be operated upon
across q big tub Two men hold the leg down
and one stands at the animals head to pre-
vent him from turning. Then Prof. Arstings-
tall, with two-foo. drawing knife, proceeds
to shave off great pieces OF bone from the sole
of the foot Shav.ngs of bone six inches by
four and quarter of an inch thick are rap
idly cut, the edges of the foot being carefully
trimmed
Often pieces of glass, wire, nails, etc. are
found imbedded in the foot, which have been
picked up during street parades. Sometimes
these irritating morsels work up into the leg
and produce a fostering sore. A large nail
was founi yesterday in Pallis' foot inbedded
over three inches from the bottom. Prof
Arstingstall extracte it with small pair of
pincers, then syringed the woun with warm
water, and subsequently covered it with tar
The professor, when hurried on the road,
sometimes draws out such nails with his
teeth. Pallis apparently suffered great pain,
but seemed to know that the operation would
give relief He held the foot high and quietly
of his own accord until all was finished, then
fourished his trunk, trumpeted, and ex-
pressed almost in words his sincere thanks
After pairing the foot each toe-nail is cut be-
tween and then filed down, giving each foot
a white, clean look with its setting of pol
ished nails It takes about six hours to finish
dressing an elephants feet, and it is said to
be one of the hardest bits of work that men
have to 10.
The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-26
Norwegian Farming.
isl. Louis Globe Democrat. !

Farming in the Norwegian valleys presents
some unique aspects Grain, potatoes and
turnips grow in little patches Meadow hay
Is carefully cut and cured on rods or ropes
supported on tall poles Every corner on
which grass win grow is utilized for hay, even
the little hooks among the crags, from which
it is lowered to the valleys by means Of ropes
or wires, that nothing may be lost The
Scandinavian cows are of a peculiar national
breed, and not only they, but goats, and
even ewes, contribute to the cheese vats
Horses are seldom larger than mere ponies
These little animals do all the farm work,
for in Norway oxen are employed for tillage
Norway is sparsely settled. Emigration is
taking away its more ambitious sons and
daughters But its people are intensely
patriotic, and their land contains much to
delight the traveller.
The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-26
THE HOUSE BEAUTIFUL.
A Few General Rules---The Famous
Drown-stone Front Only Gloomy



joaquin Miller's Washington letter.
The building mania seems to have at
tackled the whole civilized world, and
apropos of this fact / have been asked
by the editor of this paper for an arti-
Gle on architecture and decoration.
have only space to lay down few gem
eral rules and describe one or two in
teriors.
In the first place, then, if you con-
template building house in crowded
city you must at once become recon-
ciled to the sad fact that the appear
ance OF your house is not going to de-
pend nearly SO much on what kind of
house you build as on the kind of
houses your neighbors build.
have friend who built, this year,
rare and daintily-chiseled front
such daisies of windows, too, delicate
bits of painted glass, and so on. It
was truly poem in stone, and stood
there modestly back from the street,
the pride of builder and owner. But
now there have grown two great Jo-
nah's gourds quite overshadowing it,
thrust far out toward the street. throw
ing it all in the gloom and background
and shaming its modesty by their blaz-
ing brick fronts and great sheet-iron
tops. So. to begin with, you must
know who your neighbors are before
build in crowded city.
Man is the only animal who builds
his home after The pattern of dry
goods box. And it is only the half
civilized man who insists on doing that.
In all Rome you do not find single
square room. An Italian will not live
in the conventional square room. They
tell you in Rome that the rooms
are built IN such strange angles
and triangles and so on as
charm against the evil eye. But that
is largely fiction. The italian builds
his home in curiously shapen rooms be-
cause of the art and love of the beauti-
full and shapely that is in him. Permit
me to lay this down briefly as another
one of the rules to observe in building
the house beautiful" No square room
can be made either comely or comfort
able. No bird, no beast, not even an
Indian will live in one unless as
prisoner. A round room or semi-globe
shaped is perhaps the most restful.
The Indian wigwam is the most perfect
form of architecture we get here in
America. Let us look in one of the
hundred thousand hideous brown-stone
fronts in the fashionable parts of New
York city. You find this home is
simply tunnel. 1t is sixteen or twenty
feet wide. It is eighty feet deep.
There is some struggling light at either
end of this tunnel. But, at best, the
famous New York brown-stone front is
simply deep, gloomy tunnel.
The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-26
VISIONS OF JIM-JAMs.
The Experience Of a Man Who Delhi
erately Quits Business and Gets
II


Frank Wilkeson in New York Sun.
"The warnings some drinking men receive
are very strange" said the oldest of our
party. 81 know several men who respreers
who have warnings, generally visions more
or less horrible, but invariably the same,
when they approach the wall behind which
the jim jams lurk Probably the most strik-
ing case is that of a gentleman who inherited
his diseased craving for alcohol. He will
not drink, it may be, for year. Then he
will put his business in such shape that he can
leave it for few days, and deliberately get
drunk. For two days he devotes his energies
to getting drunk, and staying drunk. He is
not of the least trouble to any one when he is
drinking. He shuts himself up in his room
and drinks alone. In two days he will drink
a gallon of the best sour mash bourbon
whisky money can buy. He always begins
drinking in the evening. The third evening
he goes to bed in beastly state of intoxica-
ton.
"At about midnight his vision comes to
him. He dreams that he went to bed and
slept soundly until awakened by hard.
white Pickering light. He lies awake won
dering what causes the light, and hears a
loud knock on his bedroom door. sCome in n
he cries. The door is thrown wide open, and
man who has been freshly hayed stalks in.
The f1ayed man smiles in a CHASTITY manner
aud mods in friendly recognition. The flesh
Is gone from his mouth. His teeth grin
mockingly. He stations himself opposite the
bed and leans against the wall, his shoulders
making bloody mark where he leans. His
idless eyes roll, and his tongue lolls. The
bedroom door remains open. My friend looks
out of the door into the street. There he sees a
long column of fiayed men marching rapidly
down the road. Strasglers drop out from the
column and enter his room
"When ten men have entered his bedroom
door closes. The flayed men, who are Gov
cred with fresh blood, walk silently around
the room looking at him. They point their
bloody fingers at him. At signal from the
man who first entered they all march out.
Presently they return, each carrying a
flayed and bloody corpse. The blood has
dried on the live men while they were ab'
sent, and it flakes from them as they re-enter
the room with their CHASTITY burdens. The
corpses are placed Oil the floor in row, side
by side. At signal from the leader of the
skinless horrors they straddle the dead
bodies, and, bending over, grasp them around
their waists Then, Strengthening up with
the legs of the dead men between their own,
they move around the room in weird
dance, now advancing, now retreating, then
circling around the bed, and always leerine
and grinning at my friend. After desperate
efforts he awakens, and the vision disap
pears 1t is his warning to quit drinking
and he heeds it, too"
The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-26
London and Paris.
ICor. st. Louis Republican,

Cor oG. LOUIS 6epuDncan
What strikes one in London, every
where and in everything, is the deifica-
tion of the human and the lowering of
the divine For what are st. Pauls and
Westminster but homes of hero worship
and shrines of the mortal, whilst Gods
presence fills their walls no more nor
renders sacred their fanes. Monuments
of human greatness, indeed, are ST.
Paul's and its noble statues, but no
church, while the Abbey tells In its
sanity tombs and many chapels of
glory that has gone.
London impresses one with the idea
Of great strength and stability, of the
wonderful mastery of mental and
physical prowess Paris tells of higher,
more tasteful and more spiritual people.
Her streets and homes. public and
private, are an unending joy. There is
q light and happy airiness about her
cline and people, civilized habits there
print very pleasant memories in the
mind. Her people, too, are very
religious. We saw to-day a due proper
tion of men in all the churches visited,
and the attendance in all cases and at
all hours was remarkably large. lis
the city of sin and sanctity, of bravery
and madLess. Extremes here meet as
nowhere else in the whole world. One
point / have gained, whether in Dublin,
London or Paris: now know what a
church building is. And what will it
be when have seen the masterpieces
of religious thought, piety and zeal, as
revealed in the heart of the church, her
centre and her soul the everlasting
CITY?
The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-26
The yanderblIt srausoleun..
[Chicago Herald

The new Vanderbilt mausoleum in
the Moravian cemetery at New Dorp.
Staten island, is intended to be very
costly affair, though as yet the design
has not been finally fixed upon. The
site is on the summit of hill in the
centre of the burial ground and covers
nine acres. Besides the money he viii
spend on his own plot, Mr. Vanderbilt
intends to make the cemetery one OF
the finest In the country.
The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-26
The Real Empire state.

Sixty-eight new counties were organized in
Texas last year. Taxable property increased
to the extent of $3.50, ,OO0,0t0 Immigrants
are pouring in. That state contains territory
twice as large as Georgia which is yet undi-
viied into counties. It promises to be the
real Empire state of the union
The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-26
Literary Talent on Daily Periodicals.
1NAw York Sun


Undoubtedly the best literary talent,
and the most fruitful, is now devoted,
in one way or another, to newspapers or
other periodicals. It there finds what
all expert ability, directed to the maxi
ing of living is anxious to get.
namely, steady employment and sure
pay.
But it is nonsense to say that the lit
erary talent SO employed is buried. It
is exercised where it produces the widest
effect; and the continuous and method
ical labor required of the writer. so far
from injuring him, tends to the develop
ment of his intellect and the improve
ment of his literary faculty. He gets 8
better command of his power, and ac-
quires literary habits of great use to
him. He also learns how to address
the public in such way as to COM
mand attention and interest his readers.
He makes of himself a better and a
more practical work man.
OF course, we speak only of men who
write with skill and care, and who are
held up to their duty by an editor COM
petent to criticise what they TO- Such
writer's do not acquire habits of SLOW
enly composition. They rather become
more direct and precise. Nor need
they lose any real beauties and elegan-
cies. They are more likely TO get rid
of mannerisms and exuberances, and
to learn to think about calculating
what they have to say, and not about
showing off mere literary tricks.
The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-26
Hard ON the small Man.

A small man always has enough to bear,
but his dress becomes exceedingly heavy when
the despicable salesman of the clothing store,
just after the small man has got into his new
clothes, cries out to the accountant, SO that
everybody else can hear: 'sBoy;s suiti Mark
gonel"
The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-26
During war Speculation.

The elder Vanderbilt came into Wall street
at the era when speculation was the phoenix
from devastated land, and it seemed that
from the dying souls Of the combatants there
danced in the flames the rich men of the
future.
The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-01-26

The Mississippi annually carries S12, SOL
100000 pounds of mud into the gulf of Mex
leo. So says a scientific chap.
The Wilmingtonian. (Wilmington, Del.) 1882-188?, 1884-06-28

1t will be remembered that early last win
ter the Philadelphia Times shouted most
Justify for the ''man on horseback" as a
Presidential necessity because the majority
in Congress had the awful temerity to shelye
editor McClure's next best man Randall, and
thus blight his aspirations for speakership.
Later the Times shrieked itself hoarse in
behalf of Logan's Bill to pension ''our old
commander" but on last Monday in refer
ring editoiially to Gen. Grants administra-
ton it speaks of it as 'the degradation Of
eight years of Grantsm."
If the eight years of Gen. Grants admins
1 tration were eight years of national degrad-
alton, then it were worse than nonsensical tc
clamor for Grants return to the Office he
prostituted or to have him pensioned fol
life. The Times is fast getting the reputa
tion for straddliug all questions and wab
bling on all sides of all issues.
The Wilmingtonian. (Wilmington, Del.) 1882-188?, 1884-06-28
VIII Make Things Hum.

The Philadelphia Times which is an anti
Blaine double barrelled. d.breech-loading- Ran
dall-organ, commenced this weeks issue
with Blaine salutatory after this fashion,
"James G. Blaine is just the sort of a
Presidential candidate to make things hum.
He is able amongst the ablest; he is brilliant
beyond the average of brilliant public men;
he is keener in perception than any of his
party ri rails; he is candidate only to win, il
vast political resources and desperate effort
can reach the winning post, and he will
make things hum generally from Maine tc
California as soon as the battle opens.
"Blaine is the fittest, the ablest and til,
best representative of Republicanism. Blain,
is not saint; he does not profess to be any
thing other than he is; he is better thai
many who profess to be better than himself
and he will wave his plume at tho head o
the fight, and he will make things hum.
SIN any aspect the contest can assume
Blaine will be a strong candidate and a foe
man ready to make the battle doubtful wit
the most available Democratic candidate"