davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16
Protective and Attractive COlorIngs OF
Insects.

One more popularity Of great inter
est must also be noted. 1t appears
that many insects have two sets OF
colorS, seemingly for different pur-
poses; the one set protective from the
attacks of the enemies, the other set
attractive to their own mates. Thus
several butterflies have the lower side
of their wings colored like the leaves
Or bark on which they rest, while the
upper sides are rich with crimson, Or
ange, and gold, which CLEAN in the
bright sunlight as they fit about
among their fellows Butterflies, OF
course, fold their wings with the un-
der side outward. On the other hand,
moths, which fold their wings in the
opposite manner, often have their up
per surfaces initiative or protective,
while the lower sides are bright and
beautiful. One Malayan butterfly has
wings of purple and orange above, but
1t exactly mimics dead foliage when
Its vans are folded; and, as it always
rests among dry leaves, 1t can hardly
be distinguished from them, as it is
even apparently spotted with small
fungi. In these and many other cases
one can not help believing that. while
initiative coloring has been acquired
for protective purposes, the bright
hues of the concealed portion must be
similarly useful to the insect as a per-
sonal decoration. Popular Sci9nce
MOUthLN
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16
Bombay Street Scenes.

Bombay, says correspondent, is ex-
ceedingly interesting to me. love to
soak my handkerchief in camphor, and
then start off in the edge of the eve
ming for a long ramble on foot, obliv-
ious of the danger from cholera and
other prevalent pestilences.
Here is a single, lone Chinaman-
the only one l have seen in all bombay
who is stepping along to his shoe
shop. Here is group of my esteemed
countrymen, as Immediately gather
from the gilt inscription, ~. S, s.
Trenton" around their hat bands, and
also from their sailor suits. They are
slightly moistened with benzine, l can
see, and have grave doubts as to the
nature of their mission ashore; but
they compare so favorably with the
men from the British ships in conduct
that do not rebuke them as l pass by.
Here are some bootblacks, the first l
have seen since leaving San Francisco.
Your shoes are always blacked by the
hotel porter, or the boarding house
orter, or the steamer porter in these
arts, so that the business of the street
urchin is sadly injured. l do not hear
the familiar American cry, "Shine yer
boots p These Hindoo bootblacks
should visit New York and see how it
done.
Hero a great crowd of natives are
looking off at the sky over the bay. l
look also, but see nothing. move on
further until | come in sight of the sea-
shore, when l discover thousands and
thousands Of people sitting down and
gazing at the blank cloudless sky. l
ferret out Parsee (the Parsees almost
always speak English) and he explains
it all to me. This is the first day OF
the Hindoo New Year, and it is great
national custom to look for the new
moon. After much looking discover
the queen of night-the smallest cres.
cent l have ever seen.
The streets are thronged with men,
women and children, all attired in cos
tunes that are more snowy than any I
have ever seen elsewhere in the world.
A series of terrific shrieks now rise
above the babel of street cries. I
elbow my way along to the scene Of
operations and find that a IIindoo is
piercing the nose of one of his daugh-
'ers, aged perhaps ten years. This is,
of course, a part of every Hindoo girls
education, but it is a medicine that is
not appreciated in the taking. The
means adopted for performing the
operation are rather primitive. The
child's head is held by one person,
while another jams the wire of the
Jewel through the shrinking cartilage
of the nostri.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16

One of the most difficult of all the
minor habits to acquire is that of reg.
ularity. 1t ranks with that of order.
"a place for everything and everything
in its place" is not more important
than "a time for everything and every
thing on time" The natural inclina-
tion Of most persons is to defer until
the last possible moment, or to put off
till another time where this can posi-
bly, be done. Yet habits of regularity
contribute largely to the ease and COM
fort of life. Aperson can multiply his
efficiency by it. Ve Veknowpersons who
have multitude Of duties, and who
perform a vast deal of work daily, who
set apart certain hours for given duties,
and are there at the moment and at
tend rigidly to what is in hand. This
done and other engagements are met
each in order, and vast deal accom-
plished, not by strained exertion but by
regularity.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16

] went to the old time cottage
Where / dwolt In childhood days;
] looked through tho dear old window
That seemed to return my gaze;
! sought FIR some sweet reminder
To bear from my place Of birth,
B,t ah! there remained no token
Tut the ashes upon the hearth
Thct hambors were bare and nptJ
And the echoes seemed to say:
"Oh! where is the busy houscholb
Oh! why do the children stay?'
a branch of the veteran oak tree,
That now was century old,
Still ourtained my little window
Ihnt mirroroi the sunsets gold.
/ wandered to "mothcr's chamber"
To the room where father wrote.
No sound broke the mourniul Stiffness
But tho chimney swallows notc,
Then again sought the kitchen,
Once place ofjoy and mirth,
And naught brought the past before mo
Like the ashes upon the hearth.
How often we merry youngsters,
For our chestnuts sweet and brown,
Made bed in the hot "wOod ashes"
With the livecouls dropping down,
While tho girls pulled molasscs candy
And tossedit with glec on high,
And the golden pippins roasted
lnan carthcn pan near byl
Since those happy days of Childhood
1t is fifty years OF more,
And tho "boys and girls" have scattered
To many distant shore,
While some dear hands were folded
And sheltered by Mother Earth
As they dropped away from the spirit
Like the ashes upon the hearth.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16
Had a fearful Piect.

A literary society had assembled az
4 house on Clifford street when
stranger pulled bell and said to the
l,entleman who answered it:
"ls this a literary meeting"
"Yes sir"
every well; would like to come in
and read my piece
"Wbatis it?"
ats something to draw tears from
every eye"
but what's the subjcct?"
ats about onions, sir"
For long minute tho two glared
ut eachother, and rs the owner Of the
house reached for his revolver the
stranger fled into the darknesa-Ds-
troit Free Press,
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16
An Old Sailors Superstition.

An incident which occurred a few
Gears ago on an American vessel
which was nearing port after an ex-
;ended voyage around Cape Horn Illus
!rates the superstitions that are held
by sailors. Among the crew Of the
vessel was an old sailor who was noted
for his meanness, and who had openly
expressed desire that the voyage
might be prolonged in order that he
could have more wages when the port
Was reached. The other seamen were
satisfied with the amounts due them
and were anxious to get into port as
soon as possible. One evening, during
the dog watch, the penurious sailor
went to the forecastle head and began
to whistle lie then beckOned to the
various points of the compass ahead,
as If to charm up head wind. While
the old sailor was occupied with his in
carnations he was observed by one of
the ships boys, who Immediately
rushed into the forecastlo and informed
the men that Patsey" was on the
folecastle head engaged in diabolical
attempt to charm up head wind. In
tense Indignation took possession OF
them. Curses were heaped upon his
head, and some of the bolder ones pro-
posed throwing the Objectionable
wizard overbosrd. He had committed
a sin which his shipmates could not
forgive. And yet the same men had a
short time previously e':pressed Them
selves as firmly Of the belief that whist
ling or any other action on tine Part OF
mortals could have no effect whatever
on the wind. .-Ne,D Yolk Times
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16
WHOLE NO. 2l79.

former piping their complaining notes,
and outside may be splendid peacock
and two or three pea-hens, monkey,
a couple of crow pheasants, large
blue and salmon colored king
fisher, some Jungle fowl, cocks ard
hens, and perhaps an iguana two feet
ong. All the birds will have their
eyes stitched up, according to the
brutal Indian custom. and will sit
placidly in utter darkness on the top
of the basket, hungry and thirsty, for
the poor things will never eat or drink
when thus cruelty treated. The wo
man, moreover, may have a basket OF
painting, palpitating hares, and her child
a wild-looking gypsy imp-a young
jackal in her arms. The prices are
low; but the buyer, at any rate, would
get the worst of the bargain, since the
taste of the flesh of most eatable
animals is ruined by this kind of
treatment. Nevertheless these jun
glers learn nothing, but persist, ac-
cording to their ancient notions, in
keeping alive as long as possible any
wounded or shared animals that may
come into their possession.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16

The Minneapolis Northeastern Mil.
Ter, of n late date, presented an inter
esting exhibit of the growth of the
milling industry in the United States
from 1860 to 1888, as per census reports
The record of the census in 1870 as
compared with 1860 showed that the
number of mills, the value of grade
annually used and the capital invest
ed had nearly doubled, the number OF
employees had more than doubled, and
the value of the annual product had
nearly doubled. The growth of this
industry for the next ten years, from
1870 to 1880, was enormous, but the
percentage of increase was lowered.
During this decade the number of
establishments increased a little less
than 1000, there being 22,573 in 1870
and 24,33S in 1880. The capacity of
the new mills, however, averaged
large, so that the increase in capital
invested was over S25,000,000. The
number of hands employed was in
creased less than 1000, showing the
great difference in this respect between
roller and stone mills, as well as the
rapid improvement in methods Of
handling the grain and its products.
The wages paid in 1880 showed an
Increase of about s5,000,OO0 over 1870,
or about thirty per cent. The value
of grain used had increased to the
extent of about s55,000,0O0, and the
annual product showed an increased
value of $60,000,000.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16

The effect that the disappearance of
forests has upon climate receives fresh
illustration almost every day. In Italy
the clearing of the Apennines is
believed to have seriously changed the
climate of the Po valley, and now the
African sirocco, never known to the
armies of ancient Rome, breatheS its
hot, blighting breath over the right
bank of the river in the territory of
Parma. The removal of the pine for
ests near Ravenna induced the same
desolating wind; and the same destruc-
tion of the old forests of Vosge5 and
of the Cevennes has hal like deterior-
ating influences upon the climate. In
Egypt, where, during the French oc-
cupation in 1898, not a drop of rain
fell for sixteen months, and where
from time immemorial the country has
boon n rainless bed of sand, Moham-
med Ali, by planting his millions of
fig and orange trees, has seen his
country blessed with an annual rain
fall of several inches.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16
TOPICS OF TIE DAY.

The powers of endurance Of the or
dinary Egyptian camel, says a cores
pondent of the London Times, have
been much over-estimated. lie cannot
60 ten days without drinking and
twenty days without eating. The
Bedouins, when working or travelling,
water their camels every fourth day
at least, and give each animal six to
sixteen pounds of dry food daily, ac-
cordlng to the condition of the pasture
over which the march is made. The
camel can carry one man and his own
food twenty days and not longer.
Under these conditions he cannot be
effectually used as means of tran
portation for the British army in tn
Soudan.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16

A decision has been rendered by the
court of common pleas, in New York
city, which will be of interest to
landlords and tenants. 1t appears
that sickness was caused in the family
Of tenant by poor sanitary arrange
ments occasioned by defective plumb
ing, which allowed poisonous gases to
escape. The board of health was
notified and that body ordered the
landlord to make the necessary repairs,
which he failed to do The tenant then
moved out, without paying his rent.
The landlord brought suit for the
recovery of his rent, but the court
held that the landlord by not making
the repairs, imperlled the health of the
tenant and his family, and violated
his contract; and that the tenant was
therefore justified in moving out
without paying his rent.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16

Among the incidents of life in Cen
tral India are the visits of the peddlers
of live game. They are miserable,
unkempt dwellers in the jungle, and a
whole family will go peddling together,
bearing on their shaggy heads large
round baskets. Inside quails and
partridges are lutterlng about, the
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16

The Pixies Peak railway in Colorado,
which is to be in operation next year,
will be the most notable piece of track
in the world. 1t will mount 1000
feet higher than the Lima & Oroya
Railway, in Peru. 1t is now in opera
tion to point over $4,000 feet above
sea level. The entire thirty miles of
its length will be succession OF
complicated curves and grades, with
r. piece Of straight track longer than
800 feet. The maximum grade will
be 3l6 feet to the mile, and the aver
age grade 270 feet. The line will
abound in curves from 500 to 1000
feet long, in which the radius changes
every chain.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16

The Largest Diamond in the World.

The largest diamond in the world,
belonging to the Rajah Of Mattan, in
Borneo, is still uncut, and weighs 367
carats; it has no rival nearer than the
Orloff diamond of 1913 carats. 1t has
never been brought to Europe, though
the governor of Batavia once offered
the Rajah $4,000, as we'll as two
large war brigs with their guns and
ammunition,and considerable quanti.
ty Of powder and shot.-San Francis.
can.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16

1t is proposed to form an Irish col
ony in South Carolina upon a tract Of
$4,000 acres.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16

After all the reproaches heaped
upon the medical fraternity for not
keeping up with the age, they are
certainly, says the Cleveland Leader.
making progress toward the mastery
and even the prevention of disease. 1t
is only a few weeks since cable dis
patches told the story of Pasteur's
apparently successful efforts to con-
quer hydrophobia, and now another
French scientist seems likely to dis
cover means Of greatly mitigating the
yellow fever scourge in the tropics.
Dr. L. Girard, of the Panama canal
company, has been inoculating ami
mails with the fever germ and has
succeeded in cultivating it in manner
similar to that by which virus is
obtained for vaccination.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16

The statistician of the bureau of
agriculture at Washington reports
that the entire product of tobacco in the
United States in 1882 was l3,077,55S
pounds from 67l,522 area of acreage
an average yield per acre of 764 pounds,
and average price S.4 cents per pound,
making the aggregate value of tn
entire product $49, ,1S9,951. The quan
tity of domestic leaf used in American
manufactures for the year ending De-
cember 81, 1888, was 2S3,S29,7 729
pounds, and quantity exported to for
eign countries 235,62S,36O pounds
The quantity taken for American man
ufacture in 1882 was 156,S54,31S
pounds. The foreign leaf used by
home manufactures from 1872 TO 1882
averaged about 1890 600 pounds year
ly but the past year (lSS3) shows a
marked increase, amounting to 13,S11,-
140 pounds.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16

Seldom or never has the enormous
importance of the harvest of the sea
been more forcibly represented than 1t
was by Prof. Huxley, in the address
which he delivered at the International
Fisheries Exhibition. An acre of GOOD
fishing ground, he pointed out, vii!
yield more food in a week than an
acre of the best land will in a year.
Still more vivid was his picture of the
moving "mountain of cod" l20 to 13Q
feet in height, which for two months
in every year moves westward and
southwark, past the Norwegian coast
Every square nile of this colossal
column of fish contains 120 millions OF
fish, consuming every week, when on
short ratiuus, no fewer than $40
millions of herrings. The whole catch
of the Norwegian fisheries never ex:
eeds in a year more than half a
square mile of this "cod mountain.
and one weeks supply of the herringa
needed to keep that area of cod from
stm wing. London might be victualled
with herrings for year on a days
consumption of the countless shoals OF
uncaught cod.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16

The religious statistics of the United
States, looked at from four different
points in the course of the presen
century, present some very interesting
and instructive features. In the year
1900 the total population was $685.
925. OF these there were Protestants.
1,27,052; Roman Catholic, 100000
unclassifed, 3,928,S73. In 1850, out
of a total population of %, ,S76
there were Protestant, II, 723, l58; Ro-
man Catholic, 1,6l4,000; unclassilied,
S,954,71S. In 1870, out Of popula-
ton of 3S,53S,37l, the Protestants
numbered "a, ,04l, ,4S6; Roman Catholics
100000, not classified, 9,9l6,SS5.
And in the year 1880, out of total
population which had swelled to so,
1886, there were 36,03l ,974 Protes,
tants; 6,367,000 Roman Catholics; not
classified 7,753,S92. In 1880 the
Prote5tants were twenty-four per cent,
of the population, Catholics two, un'
classified seventy-four. In 1850, the
percentages in the same order were
81 81, and 80 IA; in 1870, 63, II and
IS; in 1860. II IA. 12 - and l6 II
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-07-16

"Two gallons I've picked to-day,
Aunt Eunice-that'll be dollar. A
pretty good days work, isn't it?"
Phyllis Trescoto flung her calico
sun-bonnet on chair, and tu,aed,
with the last crimson rays of the set.
ting sun lighting up her blonde hair, to
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-07-10
Modern Newspaper Work

The aspirant for an editorial career
should consider the matter carefully.
The compensation to newspaper men
is, on the average, not large. Their
hours are irregular; their work fire.
great; their temptations very numer-
Gus; their associations such as require
constant watchfulness to prevent con-
taminatiOn. Brilliant newspaper
men, as a rule, burn the candle of
life at both ends" and if they do
night-wOrk and use stimulants, we
may complete Adam Clarke's strong
expression, and say that in addition
to burning the candle at both ends,
they put a red-hot poker IN the mid
die.
Nevertheless, some have magnif-
cent success, and have preserved
moral integrity and physical health
down to the full term of human life.
Many, too, whose success has not been
conspicuous. have done as we'll as the
average men III mercantile pursuits
or IN other professions. These sue
cessful men are dying and retiring,
Just as successful men everywhere
are-one by enc relaxing their grasp
upon the work which has given them
fame and money. No one need sup
pose that there Is not room for him in
his chosen profession. Disease, old age,
and death are always making room.
The door is always open for the new
generation, though tie struggle to en-
ter may at certain times be greater
than at others.
It is especially necessary in this case
to ask whether the requisite natural
gifts be possessed. a, person may
have great intellectual gifts suited to
oratory, craftsmanship, or commerce,
and not be at all fitted for newspaper
work. Journalism makes a peculiar
demand upon the nervous energies,
and requires a quickness of thought
and action not elsewhere so essential.
The resources must be well IN hand
There will be no time for deliberate
examination, but the thought, the de
cision, the language, must all be
ready at short notice.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-07-10
The Decline Of Beauty.
Popular Science Monthly.

Art, 10 reach its full development,
requires around the artist and within
him a cultivation of beauty Of which
the Greeks have given an example.
This people had, for purity of form,
for the harmonious proportion of the
limbs, and for beautiful nudities, a
love that went to the verge of adora-
ton; and beauty was, in their eyes,
invested with something sacred. This
worship of beauty was revived at the
renaissance. In our days, o. the other
hand, strength and beauty of body
are not the ideal. Many things seem
to show thaC a too exclusive preoccu-
patton with pleasing FERNS, as well as
with ornaments and decorations, are
a sign by which we can recognize
primitive conditions of civilization.
With those modern people who are
still III an inferior grade OF civiliza-
ton, as with the Arabs, the male sex
itself displays much coquetry, and
seeks to please especially with its
strength and physical beauty, its YES
ture, and its adornments. Civilization
gradually destroys these primitive in.
stincts, which have been, however.
according to Mr.. Darwin and Mr..
Spencer, the germ of art, The man
of our day does not care whether he
has. under the convenient and un-
graceful vestments that hide him, a
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-07-10
4 Puget Sound Saw Mill.
Portland (Or. } West Shore.

The Port Blakely Mill Company
employs $50 men, chiefly in the log
ging camps, 200 head of work oxen
and 20 mules. One of these camps
puts 10000 feet of logs into water
daily. The company loaded just 100
vessels in 1888, with cargoes aggre-
eating 49.1S9,7S5 feet of lumber.
Twenty eight vessels were loaded
during the first four months of the
current year. Tt re were shipped
also 4, 423 piles, 622 spars, O0,36S, 600
laths, 98,254 pick IS and 200, 700, 900
shingles. The dai y capacity of the
mill is 275, 900 feet The largest day
work was 1884, feet in a run of
eleven and a half hours. The COM
pany owns two steamers and six sail
ing vessels, and has a large store
with a stock of goods worth S25, 900.
A vessel is now being loaded with
$50 spars for New York City. This
is a good showing for single firm
of the many engaged in numbering
on Puget Sound Such an industry
would be considered a great one any
where in the world.