davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23

A noted statistician. Edward Akin
son, insists that there is an abundance OF
room yet in this world. The 400, 00O,.
900 persons supposed to be on the globe
could all find easy standing room within
the limits of field ten miles square, and
by the aid of telephone could be ad.
dressed at one time by single speaker.
In field twenty miles squire they could
all be comfortably seated. Then take
the land of the globe suitable for grow.
ing wheat not more than onc-twentieth
is under cultivation. The average crou
of wheat in the United States and Can.
ada alone would give one person in
twenty of the population Of the globe
barrel of -four in each year, with enough
to spare for seed. We can raise grain
enough on small part of the territory
of the United States to feed the whole
world. If, therefore, there is hunger
anywhere, it is not the fault Of God or
nature, but because Of the incompetency
or want of management on the part OF
those who direct the affairs of mankind.
-Usmorests M0nthIy.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23
Piute COurtship.

If Pluto maiden does not like her
lover she tells her grandmother, and
when the young man comes again at
night that good old lady rises from
her bed, takes a handful of hot ashes
from the fire and throws them in his
face. That's the mitten. II he per-
sists in his attention and continues to
come again and again, the whole fam
lily unite in heaping indignities upon
him, but the girl is never party to
this. Her brothers and sisters and
father and mother throw ashes upon
him, dose him with water, nagellate
him with stout switches, and drive him
from the lodge. Sometimes an Indian
persists in spite of such assaults, and
goes again and again to the tent where
the girl is sleeping, Sometimes this
perseverance wins her heart, but not
often. If the girl likes him and is
willing to marry him, then she tells
her grandmother, who informs the
girls father.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23

When crab sheds its shell, which it
does once month throughout the warm
'eason, it is probibly the most helpless
sreature in existence, says a writer in
the New York Sun. 1t is merely lump
af delicate, soft flesh, with homeless legs
attached. 1t is as defencelcss as
naked oyster would be. Any fish could
eat it. Any seaspider or seahea could
kill it. 1t cannot move, as its sheath.
less legs are unable to support it, weight.
Where the water teens with fishes eager
to deyour one another, and where cells,
bloodly-minded and ever hungry, cease.
lessly beat their feeding ground in search
'f food, it is surprising that crabs are
not exterminated. They would be if it
were not for most marvellous provision
OF nature. am told by truthful men
that when crab finds his shell to large
for him that, though usually the most
unsocial and irritable of creatures, he
makes signals of distress. True to the
unwritten maritime law that governs
crab life, the first hardsell crab that secs
the plight that his brothe: is in hastens
to him.
Treasured by the protective presence
of his relative, the crab that has out
grown his clothes cunningly shucks him
self out of them. This operation is
watched with great interest and con.
siderable excitement by the hard
shelled crab. When completed 80 that
tho crab lies unclad and helpless before
him, he does not eat him, as one would
expect such a gross grained and selfish
creature to do. lie waits until the soft
crab has tucked his unprotected legs UNI
der him and folded his claws, as though
prayer(ully Deseeching the Divine protcc.
ton, and then he gently gets on top of
his defenccless relative. He carefully
places his long legs under him, and hugs
him lightly and lovingly to his breast
The hardshelled crab stands, or rather
lies, on his post of duty staunchly.
When on guard, he will resolutely face
anything that swims in the water, and
tight with reckless courage. Fees, fish,
anything and everything that swoops
around the softshell crab will be fierce y
attacked by the pop,eycd, bad tempered
sentinel that is on duty. 1t is seldom
that he will desert his post in the pres
ence of man. When softshelled crab
Is taken in the net, his protector is
generally secured also If undisturbcd
by man they do not leave their helpless
comrade until his shell is sufficiently
hard to enable him to protect himself
which is generally in from three to four
DAYS.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23

just how long has not been deter.
mined, but In the case of certain kinds
of seeds, several years. Speaking in a
general way, the ground is full Of
weed seeds; they are blown about by
the winds, washed from place to place
by freshets and heavy showers, car
ried to new locations by birds and ami
mails, and like the rent in the boys
coat, "it was there before"
Very few realize the extent of fe-
cundity or prolihcacy in many of our
common weeds, or how rapidly q stock
may be multiplied from single plant.
At both the New York and the Ohio
Experiment Stations this subject has
been investigated with much care.
DR.. Sturtevant found vigorous plant
Of the Purslane family that had nine
branches; an average braLch had ff-
teen branchlets; an average branchlet
had 2l2 seed capsules, and one seed
capsule had seventy-fve seeds, making
the whole number, by computation, g.
l46,50O. A fair stool of chess had
1898 seeds, plantain 44SS, OK eye
daisy $4,000, curled dock 93,390. The
botanist at the Ohio station found by
computation that an average thistle
produces over $4,000 seeds; a dande-
lion $4,000, shepherds purse $1,000,
wild peppergrass lS,400, ragweed over
1900, moderate sized purslane from
100000 to 100000 seeds in single
plant. Wild carrot and mullen are
both exceedingly prolific in seed. We
have found by comparison that single
plants of either may produce from a
half million to million seeds.
An acre of land contains 1850
square feet 1t will be seen that a
single plant in some cases may pro-
duce seeds enough in a season to allow
a half dozen or more seeds to each
square foot of an acre of land. How
then can we wonder at the rapid in
crease of weeds under ordinary care
less culture, where thousands are an
nually allowed to mature their seeds
on almost every acre of cultivated
land.-N. =. Farmer.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23
Peculiar Carpet Patterns.

, The human figure and animals have
been frequently used in carpet pat
terms. The Bigelow Company had a
Japanese design which represented
people walking in garden. Some
years ago "pagoda patterns" Chinese
or japanese landscapes, in which rep
reservations of pagodas and temples
were prominent, were in considerable
demand. COLLINS and grillins have
long been employed in carpet designs,
and especially by the French, who
seem to have tendency toward mon
strosities, ghostly and allegorical
figures. An American carpet called
the menagerie pattern consisted of rep
reservations of a variety of animals.
But in figure, animal and landscape
patterns, the rug manufacturers have
far surpassed the makers of other
kinds Of floor coverings. Old carpet
men will remember that representa-
lions of musical instruments were
prominent features in many of the
popular designs Of yore
The majority of the extraordinary
patterns for carpets were produced
abroad for the American market under
q mistaken idea of the taste Of our
people. The American buyers did not
really admire the eccentric designs,
but they liked the bright colors which
usually characterized them and so &C
cepted the bizarre patterns for the
sake of the bright effects.
The pavements of European cathe-
drals have furnished models and in
Vulnerable suggestions for floor oil
cloth. A Landscape carpet now on
exhibition in the show window Of q
large London dealer is said to have at
tracted not only attention but also a
good deal of praise, 1t represents a
waterfall, a brook, trees and turf, and
is like the celebrated monkeys tail,
neat but not gaudy, the predominant
color being olive. 1t is impossible to
predict what the general public will
prefer few years hence, for the va
carries of popular taste can be hardly
imagined, much less foretold, and it is
therefore not absolutely improbable
that landscape patterns may eventual
ly come into vogue.
1t is, indeed, possible that the trade
may in time take still another step
forward in the introduction of "por-
trait" carpets. The Bigelow Company
introduced head of George Washing
ton in q pattern intended for the back
of chairs, and a block cutter with the
late Edward Harvey floor oil-cloth
manufacturer made an excellent like
ness of Washington for use on floor
oil-cloth.-Caypet TRACE and ReoictU.
Alpaca is worn for travelling ant
street costumes.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23

At recent meeting Of the New
York Chronological Society, DIR. E.
Parmly Brown said:
will venture the assertion that the
excessive use of common salt is one of
the main factors in the obstruction of
human teeth to-day. l am now en-
gagged in collecting some statistics on
this point, from which l hope in time
to demonstrate what seems to me to
be the fact, that common salt excess
slvely used is a great solvent Of the
human teeth. If it will injure the
human teeth through the chemistry
of our systems IN some way or other,
that | Will not try to explain at present,
why might 1T not also have the effect
of preventing a good development of
the teeth when taken into the system
in excess? have lately procured
some statistics from the Sandwich Is
lands. from gentleman who has been
there, covering period of over forty
years, that are very suggestive and
and interesting. Within that period
the teeth of the Sandwich Islanders
have decayed rapidly, and since they
have begun to decay it has been no
tced that the natives are in the habit
of biting off great chunks of salt and
eating it with their food. According
to all accounts, the teeth of the Sand
which Islanders were formerly the
most free from decay of any people on
the face of the earth, if remember
rightly. You will find that the PEG.
pie who eat q great dealOf salt, and a
great deal ofsiigar are oftef entirely
toothless, People who eat an exces.
stve afaoant'df salt ARE temptetlst6 Cat
large quantities of candy, pickles, and
vinegar. There seems to be a craving
for those substances after the excess
sive use of salt.--Scientifc american.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23

Once shepherd, caught out upon the
hills by night, build fire under the lee
of pile of stones that he had tossed to-.
gether. The heat split some of the
stones, and in the morning the man saw
within one of the cracks q piece oil
shining silver ore. That happened in
Peru, and thus were discovered the
mines Of the Cerro dc Pasco, which have
yielded 500, 600, 900. Henry Meiggs
had his eye on these mines, and he made
contract with the Peruvian government
10 hnild a railroad 100 miles long from
the seaport of Calao to the mines. lie
was to receive $27, 200, coo, but his death
cut short the enterprise, Nevertheless,
the heavy part of the work was done by
him, and now an American syndicate, Of
which Mayor Grace, of New York, is at
tie head has been formed to finish the
railroad and to work the mines. Michael
Grace, who recently went to Lima, has
obtained the necessary concession from
the Peruvian government. Though the
mines have been worked since the days
of the shepherd, it is thought that the
veins Of silver have barely been scratched,
and that scientific mining with modern
machinery will bring forth great quaint.
ties of the precious metal.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23
FOR THE FARM AND HOME.


One hen-house which we have seen
has very ingenious contrivance for
getting outside hens into a general
yard. without chance for any of the
inside occupants to escape. 1t consists
OF box, some eight or ten inches in
diameter, a little over two feet in length,
mainly made of little Stats and open
only at the outer end. The small Stats
are placed far enough apart to give an
open appearance to the whole box. A
very slight board constitutes the floor,
SO constructed that on the hen walking
over it, it remains firm until she gets
over half way in, when, by the force
OF her weight, the floor suddenly turns
on a pivot, or tips, the forward end
falling down about foot, letting the
hen into the yard, when the floor at
once returns to its place, and thus
leaves no chance of escape.-7ribune
and Farmer.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23
Recipes.

Fresh Tomatoes all lVinter.-Wipe
nice tomatoes dry, and pack a small
stone jar two-thirds full; fill up with
good lard and cover; for use, wash
them in hot water.
Hichorynut Cuhe.-One-ha half cup of
butter, two cups of sugar, and four
eggs, beaten separately; three cups of
flour, one-half cup of sweet milk, two
teaspoonfuls of baking powder. two
cups of hickorynut meats minced, ono
teaspoonful extract OF vanilla.
Apple Preserves Make nice syrup
of sugar and water, and put in it a
small piece of ginger-root. Have
some good apples peeled and cored-
Pippins are the best to use. When
the syrup has scalded up three or four
times, drop in the apples and let them
remain until transparent.
Cream Chcese.-Take very thick
cream and tie it up in piece of thick
calico which has just been wrung out
of strong cold salt and water, and
hang it up to drip: two or three days
will make it stiff enough to turn out.
A little salt put into the cream when
fresh will help it to keep sweet.
Pa1Snip SteW.-Three slices of salt
pork, boil one hour and a half; scrapc
five large parsnips, cut in quarters
lengthwise, add to the pork and let
boil one hour, then add few potatoes,
and let all boil together until the pota-
toes are soft; the fluid in the kettle
should be about cupful when ready
to take off.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23

For dress skirts stripes are in high
favor.
Princess dresses are among the
promised revivals.
The turban of "lang syne" Is re-
vived for autumn wear.
Fine wool stockinette jerseys are
dotted with tiny pointsof chenille.
Long draperies forming double
skirts will be worn in autumn dresses.
Moire is in favor for bridal dresses.
1t is associated with crepe de chene
and lace.
Jersey cloth holds its own, and the
new wraps and short jackets are all
made of it.
New hats are, some of them, covered
with silk stockinet and are named
Jersey hats.
Turkish and Indian embroideries
are very much used for trimming can
vas dresses.
The favorite wooden lace has become
more attractive by the addition of
velvet pattern.
Amber and French green between
olive and very light shade are the
favorite autumn tints.
Dressing sacques are made of mus
Inns that are embroidered all over in
patterns of springs, leaves. dots or stars.
Among pretty shade hats are impor-
ted Leghorn braid ones with broad
brims somewhat of the style of the old
"hat" hats.
Among attractions in millinery are
poke shade bonnets Of braid formed of
whole straw and the narrow beading
braid of years ago
Sometimes bracelet is of twisted
gold wire, with plaque at the top
representing spiders web into which
has walked a jewelled fly.
The most fashionable shades for the
season in millinery are combined
shades of golden bronze, green and
brown, green and scarlet and gray
With black or white.
A white Leghorn hat has a SHRED
acing of silk grenadine 1t is trimmed
With striped guaze and finished
With a large bow of guaze almost COW
red with white dropping ostrich tips.
Bodies fastened upon the cross or
trimmed from right to left are seen,
10Th in high and low dresses, but they
equire great care and taste, and
hould not be attempted by any ono
Who is not an expert in the art of ar |
angling drapery.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23
Ira nspianting ca bbages

Before transplanting cabbages, the
ground should be deeply plowed and
well MANFRED, particularly with the
scrapings of the COW pen. 1t is al
ways best to apply the manure broad
cast, and mix it thoroughly with the
soil, as it then will not come into i'm
mediate contact with the young roots.
but will be ultimately all absorbed. If
possible plant in rainy weather; but if
this cannot be done, sprinkle on the bed
of young plants, just before they are
taken up, Il good quantity of water, so
that a little earth will adhere to each
plant. AS soon as they are planted in
dry weather, they should receive lib
eral supply of water, otherwise most
of them will die, unless protected from
the sun. When inserting them into
the holes, care must be observed not to
bend the roots, but these must be
placed, as much as possible, as they
had been growing. The distance of
planting depends, in some measure.
upon the strength of the soil, but prn-
cipalIy upon the variety grown; but
it should always DO such that the
ground between the plants may be
kept clean and well worked. When
the larger kinds are planted, two-and-
a-half feet between the rows and two
feet between tho plants will be re-
quired; but, with the smaller varieties
less distance will be sufficient. The
soil around the plants must be con-
stantly worked.-A. p. Ford.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23
LADIES' DEPARTMENT.
Tailor-Cut Costumes,

For the autumn tailor cut costumes,
all Of wooden material, are somewhat
more elegant than they were in the
spring. The latest models are of cash
mere, serge, or light cloth, quite plain
and in dark shades Of color, the skirt
round, and plated with very short
draped puff; but the tunic, which is a
mere tablier of the same material,
draped little on the left side, is
trimmed with deep border in braid
work over netted ground, embroid-
cred with gold and with few me-
tallic beads; the short bodice with
small basque opens with two revers
over vest covered with braid work;
this pattern is very simple, but ex-
tremely elegant, and can be made in
any color.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23
Household Hints.

When sponge-cake becomes dry it is
nice to cut in thin slices and toast.
TO remove mildew, soak in butter.
milk and spread on grass in the sun.
If nutmegs are good, when pricked
with pin, oil will instantly ooze out.
If the oven is too hot when baking
place small dish of cold water in it.
To prevent mustard-plasters from
blistering, mix with the white of an
egg.
For cleaning stone jars, glass cans,
and bottles, there is nothing better
than lye.
1t is said that canned berries retain
their flavor, and keep better when a
buttered cloth is laid over the top of
the jar before screwing down the
cover.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23
Tho Growth OF Weeds.

Persons frequently express surprise
at the universally, as it were, of
weeds. A careful cultivator will keep
"a field free from weeds by frequent
cultivation and hand hoeing through
an entire season. and as none are al
lowed to go to seed he may look for a
clean field the following year, whether
cultivated or not. But those who ex-
pect to see land entirely cleaned of
weeds and all its wild seeds by individ-
ual effort, are Ii ;ely to lie disappointed
in their expectations. Many seeds
will live in the soil for u long time,
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23

The American railway conductor
who, when asked which was the safest
part of car, replied: "That part
which happens to be in the shop at the
time of the accident" was a wit But
leaving joking apart, it is not generally
known-in fact, popular prejudice
rather points the other way-that the
last carriage in a railway train is the
safest There is no doubt that, if you
are in the last carriage of a train, and
especially at its rear, and another train
runs into yours, you will probably not
survive to tell the tale of how the ac-
cident happened. But in all other &C.
cidents you can conjure up as liable to
occur, it is the safest. If there is a
head collision, there is nothing back of
you to add force to the blow. If the
carriage leaves the track and collides
with bridge or any obstruction on a
side track, it will not be in your end.
If the train is thrown down an en-
bankment, there is nothing to land on
the top of you. Moreover, the rear
part of a train is the most pleasant in
travelling, for from it you can lest OBJ
serve the scenery, and this applies
more particularly to American and
some continental, especially Swiss,
railway cars, where, by turning in
your seat or stepping TO the door, you
take it all in. 1t will therefore be
conceded that the safest part of train
is in the last seat of the last carriage
although, speaking from onr own ex.
perience, it is not the most comforta.
Die, owing to the great amount of os
cillation.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23

The number of ones direct ancestors
is very much larger than one is apt to
imagine without special study of the
subject Taking three generations to
century, says London Nature, one has
father and mother (two), grandparents
-four, great-grandparents eight. AT
the end of the second century the mum.
Der of ancestors springs to siyty,four
Following the cnlcu alton you find that
at the end of eight centuries one is de-
srrnded from no less than 16, 900, 0OC
ancestors. lntermarriage. of course,
would reduce this estimate, but the
figures are so enormous that the word.
"All ye are brethren may be literally
true.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23

Scientists now genera ly agree that the
"Atlantis" OF the ancicnts was an island
of continental dimensions between tho
West Indies and the west coast of Africa,
now buried beneath the waters of the
Pacific ocean. Gigantic sculpturcd fig.
urcs are still to be seen upon Easter
Island, evidently tho work of differ
cnt race than that which now inhabits
the island, and one much more numer-
Gus, since the works referred to are on
too large scale to have been construct.
ed except by many hands, The hero.
glyphic tablets of wood discovered upon
Easter Island are the only instances Of
written language in Oceanica. The
governments of Germany and the United
States are now investigating and eIplor'
ing this island. ...
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23

WASHINGTON, ID. C.-The son of
Senator Frye, of Maine, who has been
suffering from asevere cold, which set
tied on his chest, was cured by few
doses of Red Star Cough Cure. lie
publicly endorses it as prompt, pleasant
and safe. DR.. Cox calls it the best rem
edy. 1t contains no opiates or poisons.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23
"Oh! But 7 Salivated Him!o


was the actual exclamation OF an honest ply
sician, spoken Of one of his patients TO whom
he had given calomel for the cure of bilious
ness and diseased liver And lie had sail.
rated him for certain, from which he never
recovered All these distressing consequences
are avoided by the use of DR.. Pierce's "Pleas-
ant Purgative Pellets purely vegetable
remedy that will not snlvate, but produce the
most pleasing effect, invig rate the liver cure
headache, dyspepsia, binOusness, constipation
and piles. By druggists
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23
According to Mr.. Bell, superyisir

According to Mr.. Bell, supervising
architect of the United States treasury,
"the coming building material is the
oolitic stone of Indiana, 1t is imperviou'
tn heat and cold, elastic, durable and as
susceptible to polish as marble. The
public buildings at indianapolis will be
built with it, and it is also to be used in
the State houses of Texas, Colorado and
GpOrpia
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-09-23

1t was an aphorism OF Frederick the
Greats that Facts are divine thingsn An
undisputed fact is that DR.. Pierce's " Golden
Medical Discovery is the most powerful liver
vitalizer extant, and by its characteristic and
searching action will cure dyspepsia, consti-
patton, dropsy, kidney disease, sick headache
and other malades which, popular opinion to
the contrary Notwithstanding are directly
traceable to diseased condition of the liver,
by which its work as purifier OF the blood is
made incomplete. All druggists.