davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-03-20

"WHAr is a pharmaceutical asso-
citation % asked little dsmsel who
had carefully spelled out the long
name in the paper, and the old gen.
tleman, aroused from perusal of the
stock list, answered: "Farmer's cut
icle association ? Some of those fell
lows that go around skinning the far.
mers, | suppose. Why don't you read
something easier, my dear %
McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-03-20

A PRIEST visited coachman who
was seriously i'll. "Have you the hab-
it of going to the church % 81 cannot
say that l have," said the coachman
in feeble voice ''but have driven
a great many persons there ~
McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-03-20

A SWELL party-the dried apple.
McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-03-20

THE shotgun policy still obtains in
the south. One was recently used by
Georgia wife to reform her husband,
who was addicted to staying out o
nights. The reform was a success.
The husband now never comes home
at all. He sleeps in neighboring
cemetery
McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-03-20

IT is proposed to raise monument
to Lieut.. Chip of the Jeanette ex-
petition, who was "passed in at the
north pole. One man has Clipped in
$1,000 and is waiting for somebody to
s:raise him."
McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-03-20

enletery.
McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-03-20

AN exchange says little four year
old listened attentively to Scandi-
ravian preacher last Sunday, and then
whispered, "Mamma, if bod tan un-
derstan' Eat, He's dood one"
McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-03-20

PATRICK CRANE, a Boston saloon
keeper, emptied his revolver at one of
his customers. Too much of this sort
of thing will result in "the hanging
of the crane"
McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-03-20
FEBRUARY would have been big
month for Robinson Crusoe there
were five Fridays in it.

"ANoTHER railway horror" mutters
the horse car conductor as the fat pas.
senger boards the vehicle.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-02-21
A 3OO-Year-Old Bible.

A curious and valuable book has re-
Gently come into the possession of Mt.
S. A. Thompson, of this city, it being q
Danish Bible of the year of 1888. 1t
was printed at Copenhagen by Mata
Bengaardt, and is one of the second
edition ever issued in the Scandinavian
peninsula. Its history is known for the
past 800 years, having been in the
Svendsgaardt family for that time, and
it contains the family record for most
of this period. About seven years ago
it was brought to this country by i.
Svendsgaardt, and, after changing
hands several times, was recently pur-
chased by Mr.. Thompson in Otter Tail
county.
The book shows traces of its age,
both from its worn condition and the
style of its binding. The covers are Of
Norway pine, some tive-eighths of an
inch in thickness, and covered with
hog-skin. The corners are finished in
brass, figured in fancilul shapes, which
have been battered and worn till what
ever beauty they may once have had
has been lost. The work is profuse in
its illustrations, and is valuable chiefly
for these, as being well preserved speci-
mems of the engravings of three cen
turies ago. Quaint and curious are
some of them: The creation of Eve is
one such, the idea being taken from
the literal wording OF the Scriptures.
Adam is asleep, and the Creator is
drawing fully-developed woman from
his side. A curious thing is that in the
sky the sun, moon and stars are all to
be seen at the same time. Many of the
engrayipgs, if not all, are made in ac=
cordance with modern rules of serial
perspective, a thing not always done in
works of that century.
A singular fact is that in the New
Testament there are no engravings un-
til Revelation is reached. The life of
Christ had not single scene, and the
only representation OF Him is where He
appears TO John in Revelation. The
value of the book is not far from : OOO,
and Mr.. Thompson is in c..mmunica-
ton with parties who wish to purchase
it, Minneapolis Tribune.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-02-21
UninteIligibIe Occupations.

The avocation of Il ''Worm eater,' or
one who makes pretended worm-holes
in various objects in order togive them
IN appearance of antiquity, was hui
morously referred to by Sir Charles
Dixie in his recent speech at Hammer
smith. This does not, however, appear
to be by any means solitary example
OF an unintelligible designation of u
mans calling. The census commits
siOners cite no fewer than hundred
names of occupations of the people
which are stated to be in common use,
and vet are such that in all probability
an ordinary educated man would know
at most but one OF two, and often would
not know even single one. Some
times, when he might fancy that the
term gave some clew, he would find,
we are told on inquiry, that the sup
posed clew was completely misleading.
As specimens we may note the follow
inc: All-rounder, barker, blabber,
black picker, bomb-setter, branner,
budget-trimmer, bulldog-burner, but
toner-up, can breaker, checker, crutter,
dasher, doctor-maker, doler, duler,
egger, faster, flat-keeper, tluker, idle
back-maker, mpressiOn-maker, keel
bulley, lurer. maiden maker, of1-bearer,
oliver man, orange-raiser, ponty-stick-
er, ransacker, sand-badger, spra@ger,
sprigoer. toother, trowler, walk-fatter,
westernman, wheel-glutter, whim-driv-
er and whistler. London Daily NsWS. :
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-02-21
Little known Cities.

The English are beginning in vague
way to realize the magnitude of India,
and to comprehend that it contains
some $4,000, 900 more people than all
Europe west OF the Visturla. Few, how
ever, are quite aware of the number of
its cities, or believe that it includes
siXty-two with more than $4,000 people
and twenty-five with more than 1OO,-
900; namely, Bombay, Calcutta, Mad
ras, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Benares,
Delhi, Patna, Arga, Bangalore, Umrit-
sur, Cawnpore, Lahore, Allahabad,
Jcypore, Rangoon, Poona, Ahmcdabad,
Bareilly, Surat, Howra, and Baroda.
We give them in order of population;
but, properly speaking, in the English
way of counting, Howra, the Southwark
OF Calcutta, should be included in the
capital, which with it contains above
500, 900 souls, and it is the greatest, as
it is by far the wealthiest, in the EN-
pire. Below the limit of $4,000 the
towns become much more numerous,
and there are hundreds with populations
above 10000. The majority of the lat
ter are quite unknown to Europeans,
an active magistrate or two excepted; 4;
and, SO far as we are aware, there is
no book IN English which gives the
slightest account of their organization,
or of the life and people in them. Yet
many of them have histories of 1000
years, and in all flourish families which
think themselves noble, and have long
pedigrees and stirring tales to narrate.
We hear every now and then much of
Indian princes who, in India, are hard
ly mentioned, and of educated ma
tives, Il scarcely perceptible class. but
of the true ''Hritish India" as little is
known at home as of the eastern prov
inces of Peru.-Londo1a Spectator.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-02-21
How To Select A Wife.

1t Is not an easy matter for one to
succeed in any vocation without
pleasant, restful, inspiring home to re-
pair to when the days business is over,
but the farmer, above all others, needs
it. But man cannot, alone, found and
construct q home. He can build
beautiful dwelling, having all the con-
veniences, interiorally and exteriorally
for the residence of a family, but u
dwelling is the mere husk or shell of a
home. A home is something higher.
sweeter, purer. holier, than any tenn
growing family. One of the first re-
quisites of home Is woman, a wife
to preside over it. Woman is queen of
true home and none such ever existed
where there was not such queen, or
where the wife was not enthroned.
Human experience teaches that man
and woman are attracted to each other
by mysterious. an inexplicable power
That young man may make the ac-
quaintance of a hundred or thousand
young ladies, many of them beautiful
and amiahle, but he realizes none of
that power called love. He becomes
acquainted with another, with personal
attractions much inferior (society be-
ing judge) to many of those he has be-
fore known, and yet she has an at
traction for him that no other woman
has. The sentimental say he has met
his fate, and there is no other way than
for him to yield, blindly, to destiny.
Reason teaches that here is just where
he should use his strongest critical
powers. He should seek to become in
timately acquainted witE her character
before deciding to form with her an in
dissoluble union for life. What quail
ties should young farmer seek in a
wife? LIST; Health. a sound cons tuition;
End: A woman who has been educated
in all branches of housework.
The last quality that we shall men
ton to be sought for in choosing a wife
by young farmer, is love OF nature
and rural life, and an appreciation of
the dignity and advantages of the farm
er's vocation. There are many young
women in the country as we'll as in
town, to whom rural life has no charm;
who are unable to find society in beau
tiful landscapes, in fruits and flowers,
in birds and insects, and in domestic
animals; who sigh for society, for dress,
for operas or theatres, for balls and
parties. Such young ladies are not
adapted to farm life and not calculated
to make young farmer happy home,
or anything worthy of the name of a
home.-P. C. Reynolds IL, EatrGl Home,
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-02-21

Mr.. Emerson, who has, pelnaps,
rung as many changes on this subject,
III y brief space, as any writer, says:
The eye obeys exactly the action of
She mind.' Eyes are bold as lions
roaring, running, leaping here and
there, far and near. They speak all
languages. They wait for no introduce
tions, ask no leave of age or rank; they
respect neither poverty nor riches;
neither learning, nor power, nor virtue,
nor sex, but intrude and come again,
and go through and through you in II
moment OF time. What inundations
Of life and thought are discharged from
one soul into another through them.
The q gnce is natural magic.
1.-The eyes of men converse as much
as their tongues. When the eyes say
one thing, and the tongue another, a
practised man relies on the language
OF the first.
''There are eyes, to be sure, that
give no more admission into the man
than blueberries. Others are liquid and
dcep-Welis that a man might fall into.
There are asking eyes, asserting eyes,
and eyes full of fate, some of good and
some of sinister omen.n
And there is much more which this
writer has seen in and tabulated of the
eyes. His friend and neighbor, Thor
can, always believed in the popular
proverb, which asserts that character
us well as beauty is manifested by the
eye.
But we began this subject with a
reference to blue eyes, and no other
appeal to us so much in the way of af-
tection.
Many years ago that staid old peri
odical, the Westminster ReUietO, start
led its readers by the publication of an
elaborate essay written to prove that
blue eyes were going out of fashion.
The writer offered an array of statis-
tics which showed a tendency of those
orbs towards gradual elimination. If
they were really decreasing rapidly,
the time would soon come, of course,
when they must cease altogether.
1t was frightful thought.
But quarter of u century has passed
since the prediction was made, and no
special scarcity of blue eyes is yet APP
parent. And we have faith to say that
they will ALWAYS exist.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-02-21
Points About SeaIskins.

Fine close pile and soft, pliable potts
are the first consideration in choosing
first-rate sealskin, and, as several
are required to make mantle or cloak.
or jacket of any considerable size, Vi it
is important that there should be uni
formity of quality, hue and luster.
Latterly the very dark colors have been
most fashionable; but at the present
there appears to be tendency toward
the red or Vandyke brown. Only the
best skins, however, will take tho rich.
dark colors. Many skins are poor, and
the fur is thin, in consequence Of the
animals having been killed in the Sum-
mer season. This defect Is easily seen
by initiating the method of the trapper
holding the skin upside down and
blowing gently, in order to see whether
the fur is close and fine-a plan which
applies to most other furs beside seal.
The price of seals this season are like
ly 10 vary so considerably, according
to quality, that quotations alone are OF
little significance.
The wearing qualities of all furs do
pend largely on the care which is taken
of them, and wearing them few days
in warm weather Injuries them more
than months use in cold weather. If
sealskin becomes wet from being
caught in snow or rain, shake the water
off and wipe with a soft. dry and per-
fectly clean cloth the way of the fur
which should run upward. Then hang
the garment up to dry, brush carefully.
and no harm will result. If the fur
should mat from neglect when wet,
take it to furrier, who will probably
find no difficulty in restoring it to its
original beauty and gloss.-Bosto's
Herald.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-02-21
How to Make Burnt Cork.

The popular impression about the
application of burnt cork by minstrel
performers is that it Is rubbed on the
face and hands Of the performers from
a cork whose end is charred in q con-
venient gas jet. This is incorrect. To
supply the burnt cork used by minstrel
performers of this city occupies the en-
tire time and earnest attention of one
interesting character. A little man
whose place of business is ON the curb
stone on the north side of Pine street
explained to reporter the process o.
making it.
Il first gather my corks. get them
from the big bottling houses, who buy
lots of bottles-many of them with corks
that couldn't keep the air out Of wine
or beer.
when get ready to burn put the
corks into those three wash boilers you
see there with holes punched in their
sides and bottom. sprinkle alcohol
over them, and set them afire. Then
fill one of those muslin sacks with
the charred cork, and knead the sack In
this barrel of water. That forces the
powdered charcoal through the sack
into the water.
when have worked all my charrcd
cork through this sack into the water.
drain the water through q close cam
vas sack you see on that frame there.
and what remains in the canvas sack
is ready for the artists. put it up in
one pound tins, and they use 1t out of
them. When performer is ready to
black up as they call it, he takes q
little of this black paste in his hands
and washes his face, neck, and hands
in it, and he is blacked as you see him
on the stage. San Francisco Call
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-02-21
Sights in Java,

Probably the most interesting thing
l saw in Java was an American circus,
and it was curious to see the crowds of
Malays and Chinese as eager to catch
a glimpse of the lion or to get seat
near the ring as the average American
small boy. 1t was American in every
respect, and believe they are getting
TO be an institution of our country.
To get a warm reception anywhere all
the manager has to do is to advertise it
as such; draw attention to the bareback
riders all as Miss Emma, or some such
good English name, instead of Mile,
Lucie de la We're, as is the custom with
US, and that Sam johnson, the great
American negro lion tanner. will give
an entertainment with his five tame IL
ons captured in the wilds of Missouri.
Yes, the American circus is gaining
a worldwide reputation, and even
here in Batavia was the excitement of
the week.
Java is the home of the upas tree.
and as it is only recently that true
scientific explanations have been given
of them, probably one theory may be
interesting, Wonderful stories were
told about the valleys where they
grew. No living creature was able to
live an instant exposed to its effects,
and even birds in flying over would
drop dead, SO that the whole valleys
were covered with their skeletons,
When scientific men first began to in.
quire into it. they could only with the
greatest difficulty induce the natives to
accompany them to the spots, with
Sucb draad on6 SnparStitiop Waraa thpU
held. A peculiar feature in the earth
quakes in this mart of the " .li,! sCon
s,..I ....-.. ..,o..m and exploded the
theory as to the trees themselves. 1t
Fas found that at certain times the
Sulphurous vapors and noXious gases
c. ;aping through the CRACKS of the
earth in these valleys were SO dense
:u poisonous as to be destructive to
an nal life, and at such times had so
affected the natives that they had re-
tanned the memory of such places and
avoided them forever afterward. No
evil effects were experienced by those
who traversed the valleys, though
there was unmistakable evidence that
at periodic intervals they were deserv-
ingly to be avoided.
| cannot close without q last word
about the earthquakes. was in Bata-
via only week from the time they
happened, and from what l saw must
say that the newspaper accounts at
home were very much exaggerated.
The destruction was great enough
when it happened, but why extend it to
Batavia itself, when, save for q few
ashes that fell harmlessly around, and
for tidal wave that threw down a few
hundred yards of breakwater, they
were perfectly secure. According to
some of the papers at home it was to-
tally destroyed, whereas l think the
city was never in more healthy or en-.
terprising condition, and heard less oi
the earthquake than the people al
home.-COr. Nea0 Orleans Ttmes-Denao
| c7'HL
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-02-21
A Prehistoric Reservoir.

"I've seen a good many curious
things in my travels" said CONNER
cial traveller, t'but the Walled Lake of
Iowa rather lays over everything ever
saw just imagine body of water
covering nearly a,OO0 acres, with a
wall built up all around it, not stone
of which can be less than 100 pounds
in weight, and some as heavy as three
tons, and yet there is not a single stone
to be found within ten miles of the
lake. The wall is ten feet high, about
fifteen feet wide at the bottom, and it
may be five on top. The country is
prairie land for miles around, except
q heavy. belt of timber that encircles
the lake. This timber is oak, and it is
plain that the trees were planted there.
They are very large. The belt is prob
ably half mile wide. The water in the
lake is probably twenty-five feet deep,
as cold as ice and as clear as a crystal.
"What would like to know is, who
built that wall? And how did they
hold the water back while building itp
And how did they cart those immense
stones for ten milesp If ever you go to
Iowa don't fail to visit the Walled
Lake. You'll find it in Wright county,
100 miles from Dubuque. The cars
will take you almost to it." .
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-02-21
An Atrocious Epistle>

A more atrocious epistle than the
following could scarcely defile paper.
1t is from the electoral Prince of Hesse
Cassel. and refers to the Hessians in
the British army killed at the battle Of
Trenton, December 26, 1776 1t Is Civ
en- for the first time in this country in
Lessing's Pictorial Field Book of the
Revolution, and the writer was the
grandfather of the present Prince Hesse
Cassel, one of the thirty-nine petty tyr
ants who ruled Germany at the time:
You cannot think how much pleas
ed was to hear that, out of the /, ,955
Hessians who took part in the battle,
no more than 345 remain. There are,
accordingly, 1,610 dead-no more and
no less-so the treasury owes me. ac-
cording to our contract, 634, 600 fiorins-
The Court of London says, it Is true,
that some hundred of them, are only
wounded, who cannot be paid for like
the dead; but hope that remindful of
my instructions given to you at Cassel.
you have not tried to save. with inhu-
man help, those poor fellows who could
have bought life only at the sacrifice of
leg or arm. That would be q sad
present for them; and am sure they
prefer to die gloriously rather than
live lamed and unfit for my service
Remember that out of the three hum
dred Spartans but one remains in life.
Oh! how happy would be If / could
say the same of my brave Hessians."
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-02-21
Filling and Graduating Thermome-

"When thermometer is to be
made" says manufacturer. 1.-THE
blower first blows bulb ON the
end of long tube. While this bulb is
hot the end of the tube is inserted in
mercury, and as the bulb cools the
mercury rises and fills the bulb. This
process is repeated until the bulb and
part of the tube are filed. The bulb is
then immersed in snow and Clipped
ice and the mercury settles to the freez-
ing point, which is marked on the tube
as 80 degrees, if a Fahrenheit scale is
to be followed. Next the bulb is put
in boiling water and the point to which
the mercury rises is marked on the
scale as PIP degrees. Ten degrees OF
the mercury are now . detached from
the column by jarring and the whole
length of the tube is tested. The pro-
cess is repeated with five degrees of the
column being measured all the time by
standard thermometer to see if the
tube is conical at any point. Common
thermometers generally vary about tw0
or three degrees. owing to the irregu-
larity of the opening in the tube. which
causes the mercury to rise slowly where
the opening is too large and too fast
where the opening is too narrow. 1t
requires great skill to blow a tube with
uniform opening the whole length.
They should be allowed to stand not
less than one month-one year is bet
ter-to allow the mercury to settle be-
fore the scale is made" The self-regis-
tering thermometer is used for marking
the highest and lowest points reached
within a given time. The bulb is filed
with mercury, above which, in the
tube, is inserted fine piece of steel
spring; the remainder of the tube is
filled with carbolic acid or creosote.
The steel spring rests at the highest
point it is pushed to by the mercury,
and is afterward drawn down by a
small magnet. By duplex arrange
ment and reversing the scale the low
est or coldest point is indicated in the
same way. The deep-sea thermometer
is of the same pattern, and is incased
in a heavy copper tube to preserve it
against the pressure of water. 1t has.
besides, a self-regulating attachment.
The fever or clinical thermometers are
made with great nicety, and are used
for determining the temperature of the
| human body.