davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16
Honey in OIden Times.

A correspondent of the London,
Eng. Lancet, of honey and it's uses
in days long past-but not unknown
now SO far as the seductive and in
toxicating drink metheglin is con-
cerned-says, not only the Greeks and
Romans, but most OF the Asiatic ma
tions, had habitual recourse to honey
in the preparation of food. 1t figured
abundantIy in their rather composite
"made" dishes, and formed the stand
ing adjunct Of simpler fare. Mixed
with wine, milk or even water, it was
also in universal demand for beverages;
and it was for this purpose that the
Scandinavian and Celtic nations used
honey while beer was yet unknown
and wines were mainly confined to the
countries that produced them. Mead
and metheglin aresometimes confound-
ed; but the former was obtained from
the combs from which the honey had
already been taken, while the latter
required 112 pounds of honey to pro-
duce twenty-four gallons. Both were
fermented drinks; but metheglin-the
''honey wine" of the banqueting table
was rather viciously Intoxicating
while mead was chiefly used as a
vehicle for the favoring of fruits and
aromatic herbs. Queen Elizabeth was
extremely fond of this beverage, and a
meal used to be specially prepared for
her use, blended with sweet brier, thyme
rosemary and bay.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16
The Pig In Winter.

Now that the rotund old porkers
have been transferred to pork barrels
and smoke houses, their successors
are transferred to the roomiest sites
and receive extra rations. Well did
the witty William Lincoln Of Worces-
ter once say: "To livelike pig is to live
like a gentleman and philosopher.
1t is the highest praise an epitaph ever
bestowed, to be useful IN life and ex-
cellent in death. Although it is not
permitted in the order of nature for a
pig to laugh, he enjoys the other
greater blessing of humanity, to grow
fat. Free from banks, politics and
speculation, he is as unconcerned as
the merchant who, when walked early
in the morning by being told day was
breaking, replied, Let day break, he
owes me nothing In short, on inn
partial comparison, for real ease,
luxury and good living, if a man were
not man, he might as well be a pig"
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16

Sun gwine be settin when l get to de cen,
Dis de longis 70 dat eoir | seen.
Don't yer hear dem Bull Frogs inning to
holler?
Time l turn out dis mule, she gwlne fur TO
wallar,
whripperrili singing mighty sweet on de creek.
Oh, Yves gwine to hev n meetln bout de larse er
week.
Me and Miss Tidy got de start mighty soon,
cease Aunt Mandy Myers will be risin er de
chune;"
Some will be ridin an some will be warkin
An Brer John Williams has gwine ter do de tor
kin,
And he say ebbry time jess afo he tex he seat,
stWharl be de chart when Yer ST out oe
wheat?"
Mule hine legs mighty Gurus to diskibber,
Plenty colo water in the Shannydo Ribber;
On er mex Sunday mornin eli dem waves don't be
risin,
Yves all gwine down to de big baptism;
"Mussy, pun my soul an body +" what shoutln
An Brer John Williams hes agwine ter do de
An he say ebbery time jest afo he TEX he seat,
"Wharl be de char when yer sit out de
wheat?"
Ole Fox Squerl love de hicky nut tree,
De Baptist man is de man fur me.
Simmon mighty cevin fo de fall pun it,
oh Miss Tidy she's agwine to wor de bran new
bonnet!
Ont de odder gals be sorry when de see dem
n Brer John Williams hes agwine to do de
trompin,
he say ebbery time jes afo he tex he seat,
Wharf be de chart when yer sif out de
wheat?"
L look in de Ease an look in de Yves,
Wesil sorter keen arter speckul hen mes,
Pecker-wood bobbiI gin de ole ellum tree,
Oh Miss Tidy she rromis to marry me,
Oman onsartin like de fus spring wedder,
So Brer John Williams agwine to read us to
gedder,
An he say ebbry time ies afo he TEX he seat,
81 Wharf, be de chart when yer Sf out de
wheat?"
The COurier-JOurnaL.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16
CalifOrnians in China.
From the Japan Gazette. |

IFrom the Japan Gazette.I
Siberia has always been regarded as
rich in auriferous deposits, and trav-
elers' tales have been heard describing
the rich results of washing the mud of
the rivers, while the soil has mingled
with golden scales. Strange these
stories did not seem to attract the
hordes of needy adventures who flock
wherever gold is, or is supposed to be
in existence; but recently, for some
months, past busy community of
diggers has been at work in a place so
inaccessible that, until last winter, the
Chinese were unaware that a tribe OF
foreign devils were gathering up wealth
on the borders of their own empire.
The mining camp is composed OF de-
tachments from Australia and Cali
fornia, and q sprinkling of diamond
seekers from South Africa; and these
men have formed a government of
their own ovel a republic they have
coolly appropriated from the Chinese
Empire, having the Russian admins
tration on the other side of the river.
The results of the work are good, up
ward of 1900 pounds weight of gold
having been purchased last year by
huSSIdu CStuUS, VINO udNC paul GA
cellent prices, ranging up to IS shillings
for the troy ounce.
This new ''nation" founded on the
banks of the Amoor River is likely, if
the stories told about it are true, to
become a power in the world; for as
it's only trouble is likely to be with
China the bold diggers have taken the
initiative and defed the "ten thou
sand" which the irate and disap-
pointed mandarins threatened them
with. This incident is another painful
leaf in the history of China. The
brother of the son and the moon,
the son of heaven, to be de6ed by g.
gangof outer barbarians clad In flannel
shirts, corduroys, and kneeboots, ard
speaking an unknown but emphatic
language, and to see the golden treas
ures of his land taken away from I'M
der his very nose, is humiliation too
great to be submitted to; yet what
can be done? The .'ten thousand
had better keep at home, and let well
alone
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16

break it down. Some gardeners COM
post it, making alternate layers Of
manure and road scrapings, sod or
any soil that can be obtained. The
object is TO have absorbents enough
to prevent any waste of liquid, and
almost any material that answers the
purpose is considered available. Any
person living near town or city, and
designing to 60 into growing vegetables
for the market, should keep his
teams busy hauling manure upon the
land during the winter months.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16
A New Breed of Chicken.

Miss Alice Mott, of Kingston, N. Y,
exhibited at the New York State Fair
a novelty in chickens called Downey
fowls. Their popularity is the absence
of flight feathers, the wings ending in
soft down so that the birds were en-
terely unable to escapefrom a roofess
pen Only two feet ten inches high.
Thestrain originated with a Plymouth
Rock chicken having this popularity,
from which Miss Mott has now bred
the fifth generation, by simply keeping
the product within a two foot fence
and breeding from such as cannot fly.
The great advantage Of this inability
for very many poultry keepers, need
hardly be pointed out.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16
FARM AND SHOME.


The Broken Thread.
Grandmo other sat in her high-backed chair
Busily weaving he shining thread,
Sometimes golden and sometimes gray
AS the changeable hues Of the skies oerhead.
Round and round went the slender wheel
With whirl and hum that pleasant to
hear,
While through her dear old hands the thread
Ran swift but noiseless to my ear.
Over her glasses grandmother locked
Smiling to catch me watching her So,
"Eh, what is thee thinking of, my dear,
| With eyes SO thoughtful and cheeks aglow?
1.-THE wheel that turns with pleasant hum
! The thread that runs steady and STILL
| Does it seem to thee like the wheel of Life
Swiftly turned at the Masters will?
s''Tis truly beautiful thought and one
That bis come to me many and many time,
| AS | We sat here turning the willing wheel
| Round and round with it's pleasant rhyme.
land in with the slender, changeful threads
| have woven a checkered life, at BEST
| AS ever for colors that seemed too bright
Gray lines ran in to soften the rest.
And her dear eyes dreamy with thought, 81
| feel
That whether my thread of life be long
Or short, It's well. God turns the wheelp'
| Then she ew silent, and L, too sat
Quiet, with folded hands, and thought
| OF the homely, womanly life she led
| And the band of patience she daily wrought
So deep was thinking did not know
| That the hum of the wheel had died away,
Till out OF my beautiful waking dream
| was brought by shining sunset ray
| Slowly smiling, / turned, and. To-
GRANDMOTHER sat in her high backed chair,
| The light of the sunset flooding her face
And straying over her silver hair.
Her eyes were open, but in them shone
No kindly light, and her gentle face
Was white and still, while around her lips
lowered a smile of heavenly grace.
Mute and awe-struck, l stood and gazed,
| With a faint half sense that ought to knee,
| For, 10, a ray from the setting
Showed the thread cut short to the silent
wheel
j. K. LudIun, in Good Housekeeping.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16
Poultry Notes.

Young chickens show the effect of
dampness in several ways. The brood
may only appear at first slightly in
disposed, the chicks less active, finally
becoming lifeless and dying from no
apparent cause. In other instances the
chick is noticed to drag its body as if
constantly under great pressure. In
digestion and Inflammation are the
active causes of distress, the chick
growing rapidly weak and soon dying.
The least evidence of dampness is mani
tested in acute catarrh, or more COM
monty in rheumatism in the feet and
legs The chick is found suddenly Grip
pied and its toes drawn up in a night.
In all cases of poultry ails, prevention
is the best and cheapest doctor.
In the case of chickens suffering from
rheumatism, the feet and legs should
be placed, or rather held, in warm
water for ten minutes at a time. The
legs must be dried thoroughly, and
the chick kept indoors, or upon per-
fectly dry ground, until restored to
health.
There IS no pure air in circulation
within the hennery unless ventilators
are used, or where windows are lifted
SO that the openings at night are all
on one side of the house. Draughts
are dangerous and plant the seed of
many winter losses.
Ducks often die from greedily eating
all kinds of insects without stopping
to kill them, thus disarranging their
digestive organs. Ducks should becon-
fined in small yards while young, say
to three or four weeks old, giving wa
ter only enough to drink. Ducks re-
Quire more animal food than chickens.
They relish fish.
Young turkeys should befed on curd
and chopped green's the first two or
three weeks. They require range and
turkeys and ducks should be kept out
of the rain and dampness until they
are several days old.
A characteristic of our domestic
turkey is that when young, and until
it "shoots the red, it is the most del
icate bird we have, but when grown it
is able to bear therigors OF our winters
extremely well.-Poultry Monthly.
THEkE are nine churches of the Nor
mon faith in Southern Indiana. They
belong to the Joseph Smith, or anti
polygamy, wing of the church. There
has been church in Floyd County
ever since 1868, and it is said the sect
is growing slowly but surely. A con-
ference now in session at Lancaster,
Jefferson County, numbers about so
members. Elder Morris Scott, of
Galena, Floyd County, is head of this
branch of the church IN Indiana.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16
Walking Horses.

Walking should be cultivated, says
the Planter and Stockman, as we'll as
trotting. A fast walk in a, horse is
the most valuable pace that training
can teach. 1t is valuable in pillow
horse, In a teamster, and particularly
in the roadster that has to 90 long
journeys, such as are undertaken in
interior travelling. A horse that will
walk five miles an hour will get over
his journey of fifty miles q day with
out distress either to himself or to his
rider, and, moreover, will keep no
such a distance per day for ten days
at q stretch, and not lose flesh, If only
good bush feed can be obtained. But
q horse that only walks three and a
half miles an hour has to be urged in
to canter to complete his fifty miles
before dark, and consequently does
not maintain his condition so we'll
Besides, a fast walker is always pleas
ant to ride. especially In a hot climate,
and when upon his back the miles
slip away unconsciously. Colts should
be trained to walk fast before any at
tempt is made to improve their other
PAGES. This may be accomplished by
commencing very young, leading the
foal by your side in a walk, urging adj
ditional speed little by little, without
allowing break into trot. One or
two short lessons a day will soon
show wonderful improvement, but
further lessons will have to be given
to prevent a relapse. The pace Of 5,
horse being greatly hereditary, it
might be beneficial to study this
point when breeding more than COM
monty is done, for most certainly a
good walking horse sells well, and a
bad walker is nuisance to ride or
drive. A mare that is fast walker
will naturally act as a teacher to her
foal, which will have to step out to
keep up with her.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16

The paper on which the historic
Bancroft writes is a singular combina-
ton of yellow and green. He says
that with ordinary white paper before
him the composition OF single SEN
tence is the work of fifteen or twenty
minutes. His thoughts will only flow
when this peculiar paper is used.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16
Best Method of Sowing Oats,

J. E. Gibson, Jr., writing to the
Prairie Farmer, says: ~ advise pre-
pairing the ground in the fall; harrow
as early in spring as possible, until the
land is in good condition. [ find that
two harrowings are sufficient. After
experimenting in every conceivable
way, have found that drilling one
half the quantity of seed one way and
then crossing it with the other half, is
far better than any other method
of sowing oats. Oats do not stool like
wheat, and the cross-rowing covers
the ground, while much less seed is re-
quired to the acre, with a larger yield.
Ii the crop is to be harvested with a
Irvine binder, and fed out in the straw,
clover may be sown with the oats.
The bundles will be filled with green
clover, and unless great care is used,
they will become more or less musty.
This year let my oats stand in the
field until the day before I threshed.
1t was risky business, but in this in
stance it worked admirably. l was
thus saved the worry of shocking and
restocking and fretting about the
weather"
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16
The Vegetable Garden In Winter.

During the month of December in
the northern part of this country there
will be little to do. Except In unusu-
ally open winters the frosts have set
in, and all crops should be either
housed, or left in such condition that
the final protection can be given when
necessary. AS a rule it is not we'll to
cover UP the trenches Of celery intended
for late winter and spring use, until it
is absolutely necessary, for in case OF
g. continuous warm spell, the crop
may rot. Horseradish and parsnips
can be dug sometime late in the
month and are usually better left in
the ground as long as possible. Rhu-
barb and asparagus beds will be bene-
flied by a covering of four to six
inches of rough manure. The crowns
of plants being thus prot ected will give
earlier and better crops than if they
are left entirely exposed, even though
both these vegetables are considered
quite hardy.
Manure may be regarded as the
great desideratum for the vegetable
garden, and the enormous rents and
other expenses paid by market gar
deners could only find returns by
what a farm gardener would call ex-
tremely heavy manuring. In the
West, where manure can be had for
the hauling, the most primitive meth
DDS are adopted; in fact nothing more
is done but hauling and dumping in
wagon loads during winter, to bespread
and plowed III in the spring. In the
East, however, and where manure is
scarce, and every load has to be paid
for, it is collected whenever it can be
obtained. and is sometimes spread in
yards where hogs are permitted to
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-02-25
A Brave Teemster.

TAMAouA, Feb. IA heavily
AIDED passenger tram on the Phlia-
lphia and Reading Road narrowly
-caped destruction to-day through
he heloism and presence OF
nind of the driver of one OF
teldy's powder teams. His team
with one hundred kegs of powder
nd a large amount of dynamite
vas on the railroad when the train
swept around the curve, within
wenty yards of him. With instant
md almost superhuman strength he
,ulled the horses back and the train
.wept by unharmed, while but few
If the people aboard realized their
langer. The explosion OF
ivnamite. had the wagon
,een struck would have annihila-
I'd the train. Immediately after the
hanger wa passed and be had sue
ceeded in plicing the dangerous load
# explosives in a safe place the dIi-
yer sat down by the road side and
swooned away.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-02-25

Across the Seas.

Temesvar is the first city in Eu.
rope to have its streets lighted by
electricity.
The canal which Germany intends
to construct to unite the North and
Baltic Seas is 10 be large enough tC
admit of the largest war vessels pass
ing through it. 1t is estimated thai
the work will be completed in five
years.
A Welsh enthusiast in the cause
of cremation lately cremated a favor
ite bull. The ceremony lasted nine
hours, and was witnessed by thous-
ands.
A proposal is on foot to build q
church in memory of Charles Reade,
and many promises of support have
already been received from admirers
of the novelist. If carried out, the
first pastor will probably be his
nephew. the Rev. Compton Reade.
The number of ironclads in Eu-
rope amounts to 31S, of which 20
per cent. belongs to England, then
comes France. Thethird place as to
number belongs to Russia, with 80
ironclads, the fourth to Germany,
ard the fifth and sixth to 4 Jlland
and Turkey.
The British Empire-by which
are included all the Colonies and
India-has more than eight million
square miles of area nearly one
sixth of all the land on the globe.
and two hundred thousand square
miles more than the Gar of Russia
rules In proportion to Ser own
area. England has 65 square miles
OF colonies for every square mile in
Great Britain Holland comes next,
with "a, then Portugal with 20, then
Denmark with $50; Frauce with
! 80. and Spain with IS.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-02-25
A Horse That Rides Down Hill.

The Appeai of Carson, Nevada,
.,ives the iollo6ing details OF a
method for riding a horse down hill:
Mr.. Torreyson, the blacksmith oil
this place, is noted for his kindness
20 animals. He has just built a
road cart, which 10 destined to rev.
,lutlonize road travel and to ma
terially tighten the labors OF that
noble animal the horse. The idea
: to occasionally give the horse a
chance to ride in the cart as dnver'
The idea was first suggested 10 MIR.
rorreyson by seeing turtle move
long the road carrying his shell
With him. The vehicle made by
Mr.. Torreyson has four high wheels
md the place between them archedr
o the horse is hitched under the
wagon between the wheels, his head
rejecting a little beyond the front
wheels and his tail just barely clear
the hiud wheels. The driver
its right over the horses neck, and
ne Others in the wagon face out
eard on each side. The horse Is
fastened that the pulling is dis
ributed over his body AID does
not all come on his neck anC
.houlders. In this position he !;
greatly protected from the sun anc
,orlu. Vud thereby enabled to make
nng Journeys with less fatigue. BuI
,e principal part of the invention
- in a belly band, four feet vide
a.sing under the horse. Wher
20 reach the top OF long hill
own which horse would have &c
o slowly as he holds back the load
ou simply turn crank, and Il
its the horse off his feet severa
r'..s from the ground. and th'
vehicle then runs down the bill o
s. uwn momentum. Ii IL provided
With a II, erlng apparatus and
rike. u at The vehicle may he steer
4 and It's velocity regulated. Ais,
hen the horse attempts TO run
way. YOU wind up the crank, anc
e Is lifted eff the ground perfect,
| ..f,.less
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-02-25

Last night | was assigned to re-
port fire over on the West Side.
and | wrote it up in grand style
made a half column article of it
began it in this wav: Suddenly on
the It'll night air rang the shrill cry
of fire, and at the same moment the
little licking tongue OF flame, Whose
light play along the roofs edge had
caught the eye of the midnight
watcher, leaped forth, no longer
playful. but fierce and angry in its
thirst and greed. Like glowing,
snaky demons the lurid links en-
twined the doomed building in
venOmOus Kisses and spurts tie
flames shot into The overhanging
darkness, while from every window
and door poured forth dense, sui
phurOus smoke, the deadly. sufio-
eating breath of an imprisoned
fiend." 81 went on in that style for
over half colu nn." said the repor-
ter, land this is what showed up i'll
the paper this morning Pat Shee-
ny's grocery was destroyed by fire
last night loss. $3.50; uninsured "
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-02-25
Hard Tunes.


Where'er you may roam you will
hear men talking about the hard
times, and predicting that We are to
have a very bad business year.
But then it is a consoling rehec-
ton that the time was never known
that moneyed men didn's grOan
about the financial outlook.
Let couple of banks break, and
the merchant who has been doing q
prosperous business begins 70 wear
his face long, and to tell his clerks
that he has been a heavy loser, as a
prelude to tearing down their sala.
ries.
Therefore, il is not well to listen 10
the song of the bondholder, because
business will he brisk. anyway.
The baker will never fail, because
the people will never stop eating
bread.
The barber will never fail, because
lonesome people want to be talked
anu
The bank will never fail, bee iuse
the washer woman must have a
place to deposit her savings.
We might 60 on and make list
of facts to prove that business must
keep up but we will not do it We
will simply point out few sigus
which go to prove that times are not
flush.
The times may be adjudged
hard
When a man shovels the snow of
his sidewalk
When the Niagara hackmau
pawns his watch to get food aud
drink
When a man wears a full heard
to save the expense of being
shaved
When Charles Francis Adams
matches himself against a refrigera.
tor
When the aged beau dves his hair
and side whiskers with stove black
ing
When the merchant prince carries
his provisions home from the mar
ket-
When a woman ia willing to cover
a summer hat with velvet To last
through the winter
When the man with short reach
is always to be found closest to the
free lunch COULTER
When you see plumber wearing
Arctic overshoes to conceal the
breaks in a pair of Oxford ties
When the 1ude cannot change his
scarf eight times a day. and have on
a louder one every time
When a poet puts advertising ter
minus on q love ~ ric, aud sells it to
a tooth. powder establishment
When man feels in his vest
to satisfy a creditor. and says in an
off-hand way: I'll just send you .
check to-tnorrOw
When a man makes his calls in
full-dress, saving that . has just
been dining, when in req 81 his 9TH
er clothes are not fit to be seen in.
Puck