davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31
Birds and Wires.

Animals great and small have ways of
avoiding danger to which their ancestors
have been exposed. But when a new
danger arises, they do not know how to
meet it. Telegraph and telephone wires
are deadly peril to birds which haunt
cities and other places where the wires
are numerous. A few generations hence
wires will be as harmless to birds as
trees are now. In the following extract
it is the wires which suffer, owing to the
size of the bird:
According to the Brazilian Germaaia
of Rio de Janeiro, the telephone wires IL
that city have found formidable cnemt
in the "assgeier," large bird of the
vulture species-a kind of John Crow
which, flying very low as it passes over
the tops of the houses in scavenging the
streets, hits the wires and breaks them,
or else becomes cn,anglcd.
Good wire is very expensive in Brazil.
In consequence of the damage done by
these birds, the telephone people are
compelled to keep up large force CT
men for repairs. No sooner are the wires
mended in one part of the city than re-
port comes of interruption in another
part, owing to the operations of the
assgcier. 1t is against the law to kill these
birds, and as result they increase very
rapidly in number.
The P'oriacia, too, says that nothing
positively remedial can be done at pres
cnt. The telephonists must wait until
the bird learns by experience that it will
enjoy more personal comfort by flying
hiohnr
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31
A Scandinavian Sunday.

Sunday came, and it was very pretty
to see, on the evening before and early
in the morning, the boats streaming up
the ford and down from the inland
lakes. One boat passed the yacht, rowed
by ten young stalwart women, who
handled their oars like Saltash fshwives
With population so scattered, single
priest has two or more churches to at
tend to at considerable distances, pastors
being appointed according to the num-
bers Of the flock, and not the area which
they occupy. Thus at Elversdale there
was a regular service only on alternate
Sundays, and this Sunday it was not
E!versdale's turn. But there was a
samling-a gathering for catechising and
prayer-at our bonder's house. where the
good man himself or some itinerant min
lister officiated Several hundreds must
have collected, the children in largest
proportion. The Morse people are quiet,
old fashio ed Lutherans, who never read
a newspaper and have never heard of
a doubt about the truth of what their
fathers believed. When the meeting
was over,as many of them as were curious
to see the English yacht, and its occu-
pants came on board Tine owner well
coined the elders at the gangway, talked
to them in their own tongue, and showed
them over the ship. A had hand
fulls of sugar plums for the little ones.
They were plain featured, for the most
part, with fair hair and blue eyes-the
men in strong homespun broadcloth, the
women in black serge, with bright sash
about the waist, and shawl over the
shoulders, with bits of modest embroidery
at the corners. They were perfectly well
behaved, rational, simple, unself-con-
cious, healthy race in mind and body,
whom it was pleasant to see. / could
we'll understand what Americans mean
when they say that, of all the colonists
who migrate to them, the Morse are the
best-and many go. Norway is as full
as it can hold, and the young swarms
who in old days roved out in their pirate
ships over France and England and Ire
land now pass peaceably to the Far
West.-FjOude,ia Longman'S Magazine.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31
Remarkable Eyesight.

It is recorded by Humboldt that he
was travelling in South America under
conditions which rendered it necessary
for the party to divide, and to reach
their. destination by different routes.
As he and those who remained with him
approached the appointed meeting
place he said to the Indian guide that
he wondered what had become of the
others. The guide looked at him with
some surprise, and pointing across
wide mountain gorge, one side of which
they were traversing, replied "There
they are" Humboldt himself could see
nothing but rocks and verdure, but
ultimately, being assisted by the guide
as to the position of the other party,
succeeded in discovering them by the
aid of telescope and then by making
the guide describe the order of march
and the relative positions of the several
individuals, obtained proof that he ac-
tually saw them plainly with his unaided
eyes. An experience of equal significance,
if of less striking character, may be
had in any Highland deer forest, where
deer, which are conspicuous to the
eyes of the keeper, can only be seen with
difficulty and uncertainty and after much
pointing out of neighboring landmarks
by visitors who are habitual dwellers in
towns. In other words the acuteness
of sight of the average citizen is much
inferior to that of the average Scotch
forester while the acuteneSs of sight
of the forester is probably much inferiov
to that of the savage. People are too
prone to accept this as something nee
essary or inevitable, and to think of the
forester or the savage as the possessor of
some special acuteness which has been
conferred upon him by training and
practice, instead of thinking of the citi-
zen as person who by reason of unfay
orable circumstances falls short of the
acuteness of vision which he ought to
possess. London Times.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31

"Seems to me you don't have nothin'
to do, said farmer, walking into the
slnctum of the editor, the other day.
"Well have worked on a farm good
deal of my life, and regard editing a
so called humorous paper as harder
work than plowing corn," the editor re-
piled.
"Oh, shucks!n !n exclaimed the farmer;
''If l didn't have nothin' to do but sit
around and write little, and shear a
good deal, l tell yc I'd be havin' a
mighty easy time"
"Tll tell you what I'll do" said the
editor, "I'll plow corn day for you, if
you'll write two columns to-day for
me-"
"Done,n cried the farmer.
"And I'll bet you ten dollars you can't
write two columns 10 day for me-"
"Done ag.n. An I'll bet yer ten dol.
ars more yer can't plow as much as yeI
orter."
81 take you" the editor replied
"What am TO write about2"
ooh, anything, so it's funny. Remem.
Der, now, Mr.. Farmer, you are to do the
writing yourself. The matter must be
strictly original"
"Never mind me, Mr.. Editor. But
look ye. You have got ter do q good
job O. corn plowin'. Do it jest like l
would"
"All right"
The editor went to the farm and set a
good hand whom he had hired on the
way at work plowing corn. The farmer
wrote headline which read: "Killin'
tater-bugs," before the editor was out of
hearing.
In the evening the editor came into his
sanctum blithe and cheerful. The farmer
sat at the desk, vexed and worried into
anger.
"How do you feell" asked the editor.
"Used up. Hardest days work ever
done, an two lines ter show fer it,"
Sure enough he was but one line be-
yond the head line. That line read !:
"Killin' tater-bugs is funny"
"Then I've won the wager"
eyes, but l reckon Pve won t'other
'un."
"No, sir! I have won both. l have
plowed several acres of corn, and done
it well, and I've written my two columns
besides"
Creation! How'd ye do it?"
"Just like you would. l hired man
to do the plowing, and sat in the
shade; but l wrote while l sat there, and
did not sleep as you do. Fork over the
twenty"
The farmer paid twenty dollars for his
information, but the lesson was well
learned, and as he went ont he said /:
stranger, I woali not be an editor if |
could. It locks mighty easy, but, by
Jerusalem, it amt near so easy as settn'
in the shade, an watchin' ther hands
plowin corn. l am a fool, an yer can
say so in yer next paper, if yer want to. :"
And that is why we write IT,
THr0uqh Mail.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31
VOL. XII.
THE OLD REAPER.

Mid the brown-haired and the black-haired
men,
With ruddy faces aglow,
The old man stood in the harvest field,
With head as white as snow
Let me cut a sheaf, my boys" he said,
"Before it is time to 60"
They put the sickle within his hand;
He bowed to the windy wheat;
Pleasantly fell the golden ears,
With the corn flowers at his feet.
He lifted handful, thoughtfully;
1t was ripe and full and sweet.
Many and many a sheaf," he said,
81 have cut in the years gone past;
And many and many sheaf these arms
On the harvest wains have cast.
But children dear, am weary now,
And I think this is-the last.
Let me rest awhile beneath the tree;
For like to watch you go,
With sickles bright, through the ripe, full
wheat,
And to feel Tie fresh wind blow
A1l they spread their working coats for him
Mong the grasses sweet and low.
When the SIN grew high they came again,
For drink and their bread and meat;
A ID in the shadow he sleeping lay,
With the sunshine on his feet
Il Sc child at night, outspent with play,
He lay in slumber sweet
When they came again, he family said
have crossed the meadow stile.
My work is done; It's nearly dark;
shall rest in a little while"
That night it was Harvest Home with him;
But he went away with smile
Amelia E. Bar', IN New York Indepen-
dent.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31
A japanese Dinner.

One of the latest additions to the at
fractions of the health exhibition is the
Japanese restaurant, with a real japanese
dinner, prepared by native cooks, and
served in Japanes9 fashion is to be had for
four shillings. The first soup-therc are
two, one at the beginning and one at the
ends delicious not unlike the stock
of Juliennc or gravy soup, but with an
ADDED flavor worth knowing. The little
bowl of rice is very much what tea
cupful of plain rice, we'll boiled, would
be at any English table; but the wine of
the country, which one is invited to take
with it, is rather like cowslip mixed
with indifferent Sauterne. The small
platter of salmon and prawns is tasty
enough, and the cucumber, with sh ed
ded shrimps, or something like them, in
q separate bowl, needs no improvement
but the whole does not 50 well with a
cupful of substance looking like hsricot
beans beautifully boiled and well sugared
A nice piece of fried fish, sole or whiting
have they soles in Japan?-served with
exquisite sauce, is followed by the second
soup, which completes the repast. There
is a novel sensation in finding ones food
served on porcelain or papier mache,
which looks as if it came from the draw
ing-room, rather than the kitchen, and
there is the pleasing perplexity of trying
to eat with chop-sticks, and finding one S
self as clumsy as ones neighbors, until
hunger compels demand for fork. 1t
may be added that the cosmopolitan
champagne goes admirably with the din
ner, and that during the later hours Of
the evening the tables are crowded; but
we must repeat that it is curiosity rather
than hunger which is satisfied. -L2ndOn
Standard.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31
Why Hair Suddenly Turns White.

1t is said that the hair and beard of
the Duke of Brunswick whtencd in
twenty-four hours upon hearing that his
father had been Inortally wounded in the
battle of Auerstadt. Marie Antoiret,e,
the unfortunate Queen of Louis XVI,
found her hair suddenly changed by her
troubles, and similar change happened
to Charles I. when he attempted TO escape
from Carisbrooke Castle. Mr.. limbs, in
his "Doctors and Patients" says that
chemists have discovered that hair con-
tains an oil, mucous substance, iron,
oxide of manganese, phosphate and
carbonate of iron, flint, and large pro-
portion of sulphur. White hair Con'a ms
also phosphate of magnesia, and It's oil is
nearly colorless. When hair becomes
suddenly white from terror it is probably
owing to the sulphur absorbing The oil,
ns in tho operation Of whitening wso.un
eIatha,n
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31
A CuriOus Disease.

There is disease well known in the
hospitals as 'housemaid's knee, :"
brought on by too much contact with
hard substances in washing, scrubbing,
busting and the like. A new develop
ment of the disease, which merits the
special attention of cricketors, is reported
from Nottingham, where William Os-
croft, whose cricketing days ended a
few years ago through ill health, was
out leg-before wicket perhaps oftener
than any other well-known player of his
generation, and the result of much con-
tact of the hard cricket ball with his
legs has been to reveal serious disease
Messrs. w. G. Grace, A. G. Steel, and
other celebrated cricketers, whose be.
setting sin is to place their legs where
tine bat ought to he, should take warning
from the case of Oscroft, and beware OF
"cricketer's calf. Pal Mall Gazette.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31

which lit up the surroundings wildly.
The train came to halt, and within ten
feet of the engine, and on the very brink
of an abyss, roared the huge beacon fire.
The bridge had gone down.
"3ut who built the fire and kept it
burning, was the question. All, that
was easily learned, for there, standing
the storm and the cod, was woman,
c'asping in b arms a babe, and about
her clung three shivering children. The
passengers had crowded upon the scene
ere this. and many a hand was oat
stretched to lead the heroic woman and
her little ones in place of warmth and
safety in the train.
There she told her story. She lived
In poor shanty only short distance
from the bridge, and had heard it go
down with crash into the rushing
waters. Knowing our train would soon
be due, she built the fire on the track to
warn us. Having no fuel of her own,
and failing TO find any, she had piled her
bed-clothes in heap, lighted them, and
kept the fire burning by feeding it with
what scanty furniture her house con-
tained.
she told us with a sob that baby's cradle
had gone to keep the. beacon light burn
ing.
"About that time everybody was
blubbering. l think one or two of the
ladies were praying and crying. But that
didn't last long. One big, red faced old
man just took off his hat, tall stove
pipe, and went through the train in a
manner that would have done credit to
any well organized gang of train-robbers
only the passengers crowded up to
him with their valuables. They showered
gold, silver and paper money into that
hat until it was full, Some gave a fifty,
others more, some less, and one old fell
low put in his check and then wiped his
eyes and blew his nose. Oh, they gave
her an ovation. 1t was heroic act, and
one that no doubt saved many lives"
"How much was collcctedl" we asked,
with mercenary curiosity, as the train
whistled for Aurora.
"Well, sir, l don't remember the exact
amount, but enough to buy baby cradle
that would grace the little home which
the rest of the money purchased".- Wash
ingt0h Hatchet.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31
Men of High Standing.

Chang, the Chinese giant, is by no
means as tall as many celebrated giants
of other nations. Chang is seven feet
six inches in height. Patrick Cotter,
the Irish giant, was eight feet seven and
one half inches. lie died in 1902
Eleazer, the Jewish giant, mentioned by
Joscphus as living in the reign of Vitel-
lius, was ten feet six inches in height.
William Evans, porter to Charles l., was
eight feet tall He died in 1G33. Goliath,
whom David slew, was nine feet four
inches in height. Loushkin, drum
major of the Russian imperial guards,
was eight feet five inches in height
Maximinus, the Roman emperor from
232 to 23S A. D., was eight feet six
inches tall Jchn Middleton, who was
born at Hale, in Lancashire, in the reign
of James l., was nine feet six inches in
height. His hand was seventeen inches
long and eight and one ha inches broad.
A human skeleton eight feet six inches
in height is preserved in the museum of
Trinity college, Dublin.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31
THE CLOSING YEAR.

8 ut to the lattice; mako it fast;
The wind has turned auztere and cold;
And, borne upon the funeral blast
The first dead leafs poor corpse behold.
Last month the land was gemmed will
sheaves,
And clothed in multitudinous green;
Now, shivering under waning leaves,
The burrows cape, the forests lean.
The years warm life, the honest sun,
Is swooning; more and more we sec
The silent landscapes skeleton,
The woodlands grim anatomy.
Turn to the town, its crowded time,
Its fading hopes, its arts and cheats,
Deceit and grasping, hate and crime,
The heartless gloom of cruel streets.
There is no path but terrors haunt,
Desire is still the door to sin;
Without you hear the curse of want,
POSSESSIONS sated yawn, within.
Consoles us not Contentment's priest
Who mods by Hopes eternal grave;
Day springs not in his dawnless east,
Life ceases when we cease to crave.
Honors and riches will not count,
Nor Love, for all his rapturous toys;
On things of sense the wise will mount
A ladder Of exhausted joys.
The few who reach the summit sphere
Report fair fields-a glad surprise
For those who hear with chastened ear
And watered groves of Paradise;
Rising in mist the enchanted streams
Flow under trees that bloom and bend;
C,ean foods that shine in fairy beams,
Without burden, bar OF end.
Al, stream of life! all, magic light!
Dreamed of by these, enjoyed by those;
And-s Omewhere in the infinite
The tideless Ocean of Repose.
A. G. Keene.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31
Barhar.ties in Old Russia.

Of the barbaric features of the old Rus
sa out of which Peter sprang the tor
lures attending Judicial processes were
the most marked, says the Quarterly Re
cielo. His father was considered unus-
ually mild and gentle for czar, and, in
deed, had been named ''the most debo.
nair;" but even under his reign there
were fifty official executioners in Moscow,
whose hands were incessantly red with
their ghastly functions. Every judicial
investigation involved the inhiction of
horrible tortures all round torture of sus-
pected persons to extort confession; tor
ture of witnesses supposed to know more
than they revealed torture of criminals
to force them to betray their accom-
plices.
Sometimes it was inflicted by the al
ternate stroke of rods welded by cou-
pie of executioners, who kept time in
hammering away at the back of the pros,
trate victim as smiths are accustomed to
hammer at an anvil; sometimes by the
horrible fall knout, which cut a
deep furrow at every stroke, till the back
was ribbed and crossed from top to bot
tom; sometimes by the continued drop
ping of boiling water on the top of the
head after it had been shaved; some.
times by roasting the naked back of the
accused over lire, above which he was
suspended horizontally by wooden spit.
Hanging and decapitation were the most
common methods of inficting capital
punishment, when their work had not
already been done in the tortire cham.
Der; but suspension from hooks through
the flesh, breaking alive on the wheel,
and implement on stakes were by no
means unfreguent. Even private indivi.
duals enjoyed large freedom to torture
and kill their serfs and dependents, OF
which ample advantage was taken; and
as late as the regency of Sophia, Peters
half-sister, special edict was required
to deprive creditors of the right to make
perpetual slaves of insolvent debtors, and
even to MAIN and kill them at their
pleasure.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31
HUMOR OF THE DAY.
\ morning call-"Get up!"

A morning call-"Get up!"
The bell of the evening-The supper
bell.
A we'll fed waiter is not necessarily fed
on water.
Why do old maids wear mittens2-To
keep off the chaps.
Live cattle are exported to England
now. They go in the steerage, of course.
Chow shall slcep?" asks correspond
eat. Without snoring, and on your
own side of the bed.
"My bow is all unstrung," MARBLES
fair poetess. Wonder if her beau had
been out on racket. t.-BaHtiRgt0n Free
Press
A man without any bones is now being
exhibited through New Jersey. He is
probably tired base ball umpire. - Chi
cagO Sun.
An exchange asks Chow to remove
paint" We have found that coat
sleeve will take good deal of it off,
NeV York Mail and Express.
In Uruguay there has not been busi-
ness failure for two years and half.
Who would have thought of looking in
Uruguay for big advertisers?
An uptown man recently dislocated his
jaw by yawning. His wife was proba-
bly, telling him what she had bought that
day while shopping. .-Aeo Y0r6 journal.
A Milwaukee girl married bald
headed man, and her lady friends are
wandering how she manages to make
him stand around. Burlington Free
Press.
There was a sweet damsel named Abbie,
Who was stroking her rtreacherous tabbie,
When the cat, without cause,
Scratched the maid with her clause,
In a way that was dreadfully shabble
Boston Folio.
A California farmer has had to pay
fine of $40 for knocking his hired man
down with a bunch of grapes weighing
ten pounds. 1t was cheaper than hunt
ing around for rock.-Detroit Free
Press.
American tramps will be pleased to
learn that the English custom of eating
five meals in day is being introduced
into this country. The news may not be
so grateful to the farmers poultry, how
ever. .,. N01TiSt0,cn Herald.
'Hopes and regrets are the sweetest
links OF existence" said sentimental
wife to her husband eyes. DEAR h.
replied, Il had hopes of letting you have
$40 for new bonnet, but l regret to say
| can't do it just at present. y Merchant
Irareier.
"M-. Simpkins," said Johnny to his
sisters beau, 'please open your mouth"
''Why do you want me to open my
mouth ~ "'Cause heard sister say you
had mouth like whale, and | wanted
too see what whales mouth looked
like" Tableau.
eyes, sir" said the entomologist, II
can tame flies so that when | whistle
they will come and alight on my head"
"Pshawp' said the bald-headed man,
CHATS nothing. They come and alight
on my head without my whistling." The
entomologist sat down.-SOmercitte Jour
nal.
A boy was asked which was the greater
evil, hurting anothers feelings or his
finger. "Thc feelings he said. Right
my dear child, said the gratitied ques-
toner; "and why is it worse to hurt the
feclingsT' because you can't tie rag
around then," answered the child
I0iikcgS StdteSmdR.
THE LOVERS REPLY.
''Oh tell me where is Fancy bred~
Sic asked and, getting bolder,
She laid her daring little head
Hi yht down upon my shoulder.
And l. with no more poetry in
My soul than in Quaker's,
Replied, with idiotic grin,
"You'll find it at the bakers
Luther g. Riggs
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31
A Will In Rhyme.

A rhyming viii was proved at Doctors
Commons in 1889, and ran as follows:
give and bequeath,
When I'm laid underneath,
To my two loving sisters most dear,
The whole of my store,
Were it twice as much more,
Which Gods goodness has given me here
And that none may prevent
This my will and inteut,
Or occasion the least of law-raclset,
With a 5olemn appeal
confirm, Sign Rn1 seal
1hls she true est ga des ] at Will faaksst
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31

There ore in this country II st. Pauls,
20 Bridgeports, 1s Buffalos and Newarks,
II Brooklyns, Clevelands, and Roches-
ters, 10 Hartfords, 10 Louisvilles, IS
Bostons and Pittsburgs, s Cincinnatis
and Phladclphias, Chicagoes, Z De-
tro,ts, Milwaukees and St. Louises, 82
Washingtons, and New Yorks and Bal
timores. New Orleans and San Francis
co are not duplicated.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31

man in Kansas conceived the notion
Of removing the tombstones from his
family plot to the roof of his house,
where they stand ia rev Of Esvsn
nlanns the rid sfrpuia
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31

A standard rose, said to have been
planted by ChGrlemange, 1000 years ago,
Ia ono of tho great curlosities Ia tha
ancient city OF faIldrshslm, HHneyer,
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31
The Farmer and the Editor

certain spring, or the privilege of en-
campment by d special well.