davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-18

CharlesC G. Abbott, writing in Science,
asserts that the Information of reptiles
varies much according to the severity
OF the winter. Many turtles take
refuge in the deep holes of ponds, and
Doctor Abbott asserts that, in the Sc
verest cold weather, he has caught the
swapping turtle, the musk turtle and
the box mud turtle in deep holes and
about large springs that discharge their
waters on level ground.
As fish have been found partly eaten
when taken in nets in mid winter, Doc
tor Abbott concludes that the snapper
takes an occasional meal. At the same
time, he does not deny that the species
found active in winter hibernate under
certain conditions. and that tho other
species of turtle hibernate.
Snakes which live in water do not
sleep so deep winter sleep as do the
black snake and others which frequent
the uplands.
The true water snake (TropidOnotus
sipedon) may often be found in water a
foot or two beneath the sand of any
spring hole, and is not slow to swim of
when thus disturbed. This species and
the common garter snake are the first
to appear in the spring.
The upland snakes may be literally
broken into pieces without giving evil
dence of life, SO thoroughly torpid are
they.
Toads and tree frogs, terrestrial and
arboreal animals, are more sensitive to
cold than the water living frogs and
salamanders.
Frogs atthe commensurate of winter
retreat to the bottoms of ponds and
deep bitches; salamanders, to the mud
at the bottom of springs.
All the kinds of frogs and three
species of salamanders have been found
in hogshead sunk in the ground to
collect the water of spring. They
were sluggish, but not actually hiber-
mating.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-18

give me the opportunity" After
leaving Sue at her boarding place
Mr.. Spencer began his explanation.
which was SO long that he followed
Laura in to finish it. After giving
her the facts of the case. he said;
"Now, l hope you will forgive me for
any modification l have caused Won.
Said Laura: 81 don't know how much
l have to forgive until think it over. y
"Not much" said he, ''for strange as
it may seem never heard your voice
until this afternoon, so you have said
nothing 1 have heard, although knew
| was under discussion from Mrs.
Grey's replies. used to think Id
strange, too, that she seemed to do ali
the talking" 80, that is easily ex-
planned" said Laura, ''my pice wore
out, and l was compelled to quit talk.
ing, but not writing. l am glad now
you did not hear me, for some of nv
remarks were, as think now, unkind
and uncharitable, to say the least" Il
attributed your silence to the fact that
you supposed me deaf, and, as l never
happened to be with you and Mrs.
Grey very much, never suspected that
we were pair of mutes," said Mr.
Spencer.
They have since gone into partner
ship, but not q silent one. CHICAGO
Herald.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-18
An Arctic SOng-Bird.

1t has often been remarked that there
is no music in natures solitudes of ice.
Mr. w. II. Glider, who accompanied
the sledge expedition of 1879 through
Great Fish River and Hayes River re-
gions, alludes with some feeling to the
one little scrap of living song that he
met there, and the struggle it cost him
to lay violent hands on the only species
of Arctic creature that has tuneful
voice.
l shot two of an apparently distinct
species of snipe Che says), to preserve
their skins for the Smithsonian Institu-
ton Collection. One of them was dis
tinguished by a sweet, simple song,
somewhat similar to the lark's, its sill
very tones gushing forth as if in per-
feet ecstasy OF enjoyment OF sunshine
and air; at the same time rising and
posing itself upon its wings.
1t seemed almost inhuman to kill the
sweet little songster, particularly as ii
was the only creature | saw in the Arc
tic that uttered pleasant note. All
other sounds were such as the scream
of the hawk and the gull, the quack OF
the duck, the yell of the wolf, the
''ooff," "ootll" of the walrus, or She
bark of the seal-all harsh and unme-
lodious, save the tones of this sweet lit
tile singer Nothing but starvation OF
scientific research could justify the
slaughter of one of these innocents.
believe | shut my eyes when pulled
the trigger of my gun, and | know my
heart gave regretful thump when
heard the thud of its poor bleeding
body on the ground. -SchwatEaF
Search.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-18

According to the InGnn Forester
famines in India are caused by goats.
The goats of India appear, as a rule, to
live always on the brink of starvation,
as, indeed, goats almost everywhere
seem to do, collecting a scantyj Ii.
hood out of the barrenest materials
Especially, however, do they attack the
green shoots and tOpmost twigs Of
every young tree which they come
across. A herd of goats, numbering,
say, from 1900 to 10000 animals, as
is sometimes the case in the desert
tracts of Asia, is not likely to leave
much vitality in the saplings that grow
in its line of grazing. These saplings,
therefore, never grow to trees. The
old trees, unless reinforced from time
to time by a younger growth, die off
and whole forests thus disappear.
Without forests the rainfall ceases; with.
out rain the crops fail. In spite of the
enormous extent of Indian plains, it is
altogether possible that the action Of
the goats must be thus indirectly re.
sponsible for Indian drouths. St. He
lena, as every one knows. has been con.
yerted from a Garden of Eden to a
bowling wilderness owing to the impor-
tation Of the goat alone. In Cyprus,
too, the diminished rainfall and conse.
quent sterility is attributed almost en-.
tirely to the herds of goats which every
Cypriote appears to keep, and which
have long ago devastated the vegeta-
ton of the island.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-18
English synonyms.

The copiousness of the Englis
tongue, as well as the difficulty Of az
curing the ability to use its immens
vocabulary correctly, is well exhibite
in the following array of sy6@a@e. 4
words, which, if not new, is YETI tap
ital illustration of the nice distilctions
which characterize so many O voca-
bles. 1t is no wonder thatwe slip oc-
casionally, even the wariest of us. A
little girl was looking at the picture OF
a number of ships, when he exclaimed;
"See what q flock of shDs!' We cor
rected her by saying tha'a flock of ships
is called q fleet, and tina q fleet of sheep
is called a flock. And here we would
add, for the benefit q the foreigner
who is mastering the iltricacies of our
language in respect tonOuns of multi
titude, that flock of girls is called a
bevy, that a beyy of Wolves is called q
pack, and that pick of thieves is
called gang, and that gang Of
angels is called q hCst, and a host oil
porpoises is called shoal, and shoal
of buifaloes is called a herd, and herd
of children is called q troop, and q
troop of partridgCs is called covey,
and covey OF BEAUTIES is called q gal
aXy, and q galaxF of rulfians is called
a horde, and a horde of rubbish is
called heap, and heap of oxen is
called a drove, and drove of black
guards is calleda mob, and q mob oil
whales is called a school, and school
of worshipers is called a congregation,
and a congregation of engineers is
called a corps, and a corps of robbers
is called band, and bsnd of locusts
is called a swarm, and aswarm of peo-
pie is called crowd, and a crowd OF
gentlemen is called the elite, and the
elite of the city's thieves and rascals is
called the roughs. San Francisco
NegS LETTER.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-18
DON'T BE IN A HURRY.

Don't he in hurry to answer yes or no,
NOthing's lost by being reasonably slow.
In hasty moment you may give consent,
And through years of torment leisurely re-
pent
II a lover seeks you TO become his wife,
Happiness or misery may he yours for life;
Don't be in hurry your feelings to confess,
But think the matter over before you answer
yes.
Should one ask forgiveness for grave Of
tense,
Honest tears betraying earnest penitence,
Pity and console him and his fears allay,
And don't be hurry to drive the child away.
Hurry brings us worry; worry wears us out,
Easy going people know what they're about.
Needless haste will bring US surely to the
And trouble overwhelm us if we hurry to be
rich.
Don't be in hurry to throw yourself away;
BY the side of wisdom for awhile delay.
Make your life worth living; nobly act your
part;
And don't be in hurry to spoil it at the start.
Don't be in a hurry to speak an angry word ;
Don't be in hurry to spread the tale you've
heard.
Don't be in a hurry with evil ones to go:
And don't be in a hurry to answer yes or no.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-18
The Use OF Chances.

"Men are divided into three classes, "
said one of Theodore Winthrop's char
acters them as grabs their chances,
them as chucks away their chances, and
them as lets their chances slide" The
truth in this rough classification is illus
trated in business and professional life
on every side Men are Selling their
chances by making the most of their
opportunities, saving q dollar if they
CAM save more, investing securely in
things of intrinsic value that are now
selling cheap, working industriously
while they have health and stre1Yf,
and turning everything to the best ac-
count in achieving the end which they
have in view. Men are throwing away
their chances by an opposite course
by spending clear up to their income.
by betting or gambling on issues which
they can do nothing to control, in the
desperate hope of gaining money with
out giving any equivalent, by dawdling
at the beginning of their career instead
of putting in their best work, and by in.
dulging in dangerous vices under the
idiotic plea of seeing life" Men are
letting their chances slide by giving M
to inertia or laziness, by waiting for
something to turn up instead of turning
up something, and by drifting instead
ofpulling an oar. Quoting the remark
of Lowell, that "Chance was the first
man who treated To-day as though il
were as good as Yesterday" q religious
journal lately said that tits quite as i'm.
portant "to treat To-day as though il
were better than Tomorrow. This Is
certainly true of the improvement OF
chances. - Boston Herald
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-18

ing the woman rudely by the arm, said;
''This is no place for women" and
violently tore her from her husband
and, pushing her out, shut the door
against her.
The wretched inebriate staggered up
and drank his dram, placed a piece Of
money upon the counter, the landlord
wiped it off complacently into the
drawer, and the drunkard passed out,
maddened with the draught, to renew
his brutal attacks upon his defenseless
wife and children.-EGchange
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-18

/, There is one people who may be
called "a nation of rascals" without
SANDER. In Morocco every man is re-
lgarded as q thief. The respectable ele-
ments of society are those who do not
seek opportunities for pilfering, but
merely improve casual chances.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-18

The Horseshoe fall at Niagara has
worn away the rock and receded dis
lance of 100 feet in the last thirty-four
years.-Bu6aIo ErpresS.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-18
The ''MOst PerniciOus Of Habits

Joseph Howard, Jr., a newspaper
correspondent of National reputation,
writes to the Boston Heruld concerning.
great men who have been ruined
through drink. Mr.. Howard is known
to his friends as convivial man, fond
Of q glass OF liquor, yet he says:
"Ihere is Just one way to do, and
that is literally and absolutely to avoid
tasting spirits at all l am no believer.
in moderate drinking, but, while |
would be the last to suggest any arbi-
trary dealing with my tellow-men, [
believe the best thing that could posi-
bly, be given to the generation following
fast upon our heels would be con-
science SO alert that the faintest leaning
toward indulgence in this most PERM
cious OF habits, would seemlike flying in
the face of Providence and q desecra-
ton of the noblest sentiment known to
man. was in the great bar-room of
magnificent hotel last night, talking
with a number of friends, all of whom
were indulginT from time to time in
summer drinks. Two bows, one l
should Judge fifteen and the other
seventeen, attired in the fullest fashion,
entered, smoking, and without the
faintest suspicion that they were doing,
anything to attract attention, much less
to excite a smile, leaned upon the bar.
What will you take, CharIey? said
one. oh, | don't know; | think
whisky smash is good enough for me.
What will you have? We'll. that
suits me- The bartender mixed two
whisky smashes, the bows raised the
glasses and drained the smashes, wiped
their lips, paid the check and walked
out. That incident was a text upon
which nearly every man in the room,
and there were from twenty to thirty
of them, delivered little sermon, the
burden of all Of which was: How alb
burd, how ridiculous; what a pity,
what shame;' and yet those boys saw
their father, his friends, and score of
welLdressed, well-behaved gentlemen,
doing precisely the same thing-so.
why shouldn' t they do it?"
UpON the vigilance Of railroad en-
ployes the lives of many besides them
selves frequently depend. And it is Il.
wise precaution that forbids to them
even the moderate use of stimulants,
since he who drinks little continually
will drink too much occasionally. The
great through line west from Chicago,
on which the penalty of dismissal fol-
lows the slightest indulgence in alco-
hol, even upon a single occasion, will
sooner or later be fully repaid for its
vigilance through the added immunity
from danger thus secured to its prop
erty and passengers. S. S. Times
A GANG of misunderstanding BOYS,
none over ten and some under five
years old, were arraigned in the New
Haven Comm police court few days
ago. Their leaders, aged eight aud
nine respectively, incorrigible thieves
and truants, were sent to the Reform
school. All of them were beso.ted with
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-18

-"Polecat college" is the name of a
school situated near Sparta, Ga. -,
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-09-19
Food Fishes Of Lake Erie.

In q paper read before the Buffalo
Naturalists' Field Club it is stated that
Lake Erie and the Niagara River fur
nish thi%rty-seven marketable varieties
of fish. But their numbers are becom-
ing reduced in those waters, owing in
great measure to so many fish being
taken when they are full Of roe. Some
fish spawn late in the fall; the Eastern
salmon, salmon trout, whitefish, brook
trout and lake herring belong to this
class, but the majority spawn in April,
May or early June. Black bass choose
a place for their spawn-beds where the
water is shallow and the bottom is q
sandy gravel. They leave their winter
quarters in deep water a month or six
weeks previous to spawning. The
eggs hatch In from one or two weeks,
according to the temperature. Bass
are very prolific, yielding fully one
fourth their weight of spawn. The
bass and the muskalonge (Fsox
nobilior) are the recognized game
fish of tho lakes. Whitetish
do not take the bait readi-
ly, but are caught in gill-nets,
and o be taken in great numbers Just
Wv AZ oih1S oASy ~ hCooy U spawn !.
They average three and a half pounds
in weight, though some are taken weigh
ing ten to eighteen pounds. Sturgeon
average fifty pounds, but occasionally
one is caught that weighs 100 pounds
or over. Fish differ greatly in rapidity
of growth. Some grow in one, two, o.
three years to q definite size, and ther
growth seems to be arrested Such fish
are short-lived. Other kinds, which
slowly and steadily increase in size, 81
taina great age. Pike have been know
to be w 100 years old. There
is some confusion as to the names pike
and pickerel. In England, where there
is bat n species of Esoa, o young pike
is called a pickerel. The pike Of ou1
Great Lakes is the true pike IL. lucius.,
The pickerel (E. r~eeticulGtats) is more
common in small lakes and ponds. Al
easv way to distinguish them is to lool
at the gill-covers. Ii they are entirel,
covered with scales, it is pickerel; bu
if the lower half OF the opercula is bar,
Of scales, it is pike.-PAaaaelpAs1
Record.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-09-19

it is eflectual. [ am sometimes amused
and distressed by the efftortsAof &fnvself'
to convince my otheg self that it's Of
than ever addicted to my cynicism, and
try to SCOT at things which ! believe in
and admire. l seek more than ever to
merit my absurd nickname. and all the
time l fee. like poor Toots, that it is a
great deal of consequence. and that l
am more than half wretched, with q
wretchedness that is harder to bear be-
u | despise myself for it. Do not
misunderstood me. 1 do not intend
this as u reflection. on you, for though I
try not to do so l still believe that you
aye worthy and good and beautiful
enough to merit any mans love. But
! imagined my philosophy would break
down vain and useless regrets, and am
Inundated when l find I was mistaken.
81 have said enough to show you
that, whatever my outward semblance
has been, [ am the truest, stanchest,
tenderest lover you will ever have, even
though l have lost the prize.
"Ihere is no more to be said, except
that should you ever stand in need of a
service. great or small, which can only
be entrusted to an unfaltering friend,
then l ask you to let me prove my claim
to that title"
Angelina (aolus)-He is just as con
ceited as ever, and l hate conceit. The
idea of-(To herself IN the mirror)-
You silly creature, there's a great big
tear on your nose.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-09-19
Cutting Up Corn.

It may be desirable on the part of the
farmers who cut up corn to avoid some.
times the horse, so-called, which il
made by tying hills of corn together
which stand diagonaily across from
each other. The main reason for avoid
ing the horse is that the shock may be
removed at will. Sometimes farmers
wish to SOW wheat in the corr field,
and often sowing alongside the shocks
they wish to move them over on the
sown ground and SOW where they
stood. To accomplish both take a pole
twelve feet long, bore holes and put
two legs in n end of it, then about
three feet from the end having the legs,
bore a hole cross-wise. A pin (either
wood or irony three or four feet Ions
is to run through that, making four
corners. This horse is placed where
the shock is to stand and the corn is
shocked up in the four corners as if
four hills OF corn were tied together,
only it is more quickly done and less
trouble than tying the hills. Then the
shock is completed and the top tied
the horse is drawn out and dragged
forward to where it is to do duty for
the next shock. When the shocks are
to be removed two men 90 along with
q pole strong enough to bear up q
shock and pointed at ono end. This
is run through under the band, when
a mar at each end put his shoulder
under and walks off with it. OF course
only small shocks can be so handled.
Journal OF AgricuAWre.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-09-19
.don'tlike to have .him.looking At me IN

.don'tlike to hare .himslooking AZ me,En
that commissioning way, and when I
find amusement in what he calls frivo1-
tiles it prov okes me to have hi1n calmly
disdainful of them. Why he even ven
tured one Of his imperceptible sneers at
our friendship, the cold-blooded
wretch!
Miss il never could see what he
bases his pretensions on, any way. 1
don't like men who pretend to be
above everything, and 1 think that
Captain West we met at the hop is ever
and ever so much nicer. He's so live
ly, dances divinely, and seems to enjey
everything, while
Angelina (interrupting)-Oh. I can't
bear him! He asked me how. I liked
Newport, and if I was fond of dancing,
and then said it was very warm, and he
wouldn't be surprised if 1t were to rain
soon. How can one talk to q man like
that? There, there, done pout! It can
have its little captain if it wants to, so
it can. Qong continued osculation.)
Miss J.-And it can have its horrid,
preaching naval officer, too, if it will
be good!
Angelina-But it won't have him,
Monte, dear!
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-09-19
CLAUSE TIT SIXTH.

Three months later and the Larkspur
is anchored in San Francisco Bay
through some inscrutable motive of the
Secretary of the Navy. She is a scene
of revelry, for most of the officers are
ladies; men, and crowd her decks al
most daily with their feminine friends.
Among these Miss Maud DE Lancy and
Miss Angelina Owen are numbered,
and the latter young person accepts in
vitations bearing the name of "G. H.
Dale with a strange complication of
feelings. She finds herself wondering
whether he has recovered from his I'M
accountable infatuation, and whether
she would be glad Or sorry if he had
not. She decides that she would
be very sorry, and goes on
board determined to be very gracious
and friendly towards him-to assume
the cordially of an old acquaintance,
and affect a belief in his total recovery,
which, she feels sure, will prove agree
able, as most men prefer not to be con-
sidered love-lorn.
But to her unbounded Indignation
the Hermit turns the tables on her.
He treats her as if she were the sufferer,
and out of compassion he seeks not to
revive her hopeless love. After q few
words of formal greeting he turns her
over to a fellow-officer and goes off
chatting c~onfidentially with that Miss
De Lancy. whom he said he disliked.
This is worthy Of punishment, and she
displays an astonishing vlyacity,
dances, laughs, and is excessively well
acquainted with, and ~rejoices to behold
each mldshipman or ensign, some of
whom she used hardly to notice.
This continues through several weeks
of gayety on ship and shore, and all the
while the Hermit pursues the same
course. He does not shun her-that
would be the best possible way to &C
knowledge his ~wound-nor does he APP
pear to be aggrieved by her plainly
marked neglect. He is exasperatin giy
unwounded, and entirely too little dis
tresSed over such a loss as Miss Owen
feels he has sustained.
The breach is widening daily when
the philosopher once more falls from
grace and writes Miss Owen a letter,
which (excuse i~mpertinence) we will
read over her shoulder:
II have been afraid that you would
construe my changed demeanor
towards you into a spirit OF sulki-
ness or petulance, and it is against
this l wish to plead. When u man
has played for as high stakes as
have, and lost, his regret is somethins
deeper than mere pettishness. The
true reason, then, for what you may
consider as avoidance on my part is
that in trying to follow my own unfor'
tunate inclination to be neal you when
ever practicable, l a eve again be
certain that I am not subiecting you to
an %iniiict1on, and it hurts me cruelty
whenever l detect, or fancy l detect
annoyance, ON your part thereat~.
"Ihen [ can not hope to cure thu
malady against which am struggling
so unsuccessfully by renewing TIN
cause, so l blindly strive to use the an
| tldote OF avoidance. and to believe tina