davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26

A German writer estimates the
number OF blind persons in the world
at about 100000. This is not mere
guess, but is based on accurate sta
tistics, which show that on the aver
age there is one blind person among
every 1400 hence, as this planet has
about 1,400,000,000 inhabitants, this
would make 100000 blind folks.
The European countries differ some
what in the proportion of blind in
habitants. In Austria one person Is
blind of every 1885 in Sweden, of
14l8; in France, of 1881 in Prussia,
of I'LL in England, ,,of 1887. Then
follow. with still larger percentage.
Russia, Norway and Finland. The
largest number of blind persons is to
be found in Egypt. AT Cairo enc
person among twenty is blind, and
DR.. Frank of Vienna once encountered
in one mornings ramble almost one
thousand blind men and women. Many
are also found in China and Japan.
Germany has the largest number Of
asylums for the blind, namely, IS;
then follows England with 26, France
13. Austria Hungary 10, Italy 9,
Belgium 6, etc. America, Asia and
Africa together have only 6 asylums
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26
How Many Eggs Will a Hen Layf

We often read of hens that lay 200
eggs a year, says the Farm and Gar
den, but such statements do more harm
than good, by inducing the inexperi-
enced to believe such to be fact.
Any one who is familiar at all with
poultry knows that during the fall all
hens undergo the process of moulting
or shedding of feathers. This requires
usually about three months, or one
hundred days. As there are only 365
days in a year. we have 265 days left
after deducting the moulting period.
If a hen lays regularly an egg every
other day she will lay 1873 eggs; but
she will probably lose three months In
batching out her broods; even if she is
a non-sitter she will take resting
place. As moulting is heavy drain
Oh the system, but few hens lay dur
ing that process, though there are ex.
CcptiOuS, duu NHClU lifS uuulUcE Vi
eggs exceed one every twodays, it will
be found that corresponding reduct.
ion occurs during some portion Of the
year. Wisile we admit that certain in.
dividual hens have been known to lay
as many as $50 to even IFS eggs In a
year. such cases are rare; and if one
has flock of twenty hens or more he
should be satisfied if there is an aver
age of one hundred eggs year for the
whole flock, or rather nine dozen.
Four dozen out of the nine should re-
alize thirty cents per dozen, three doz-
en- should bring about twenty cents
per dozen, an3 two dozen should real
ize fifteen cents per dozen, on an aver
age of about twenty three cents. OF
course this calculation may be wrong,
but 1t will convey an idea Of what may
be expected.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26

This complaint is the result Of eat
ing too much and exercising too little.
Nine times in ten the cause is in the
fact that the stomach was not able to
digest the food last introduced into it,
either from its having been unsuitable
or excessive in quantity. A diet of
bread and butter, with ripe fruit or
berries, with moderate and continuous
exercise in the open air sufficient to
keep up gentle perspiration, would
cure almost every case in short time.
Two teaspoonsful of powdered char
coal in half-glass of water and drank
often gives instant relief. Sick head.
ache with some persons comes on at
regular intervals, and is the signal of
distress which tho stomach puts out to
inform us that there is an over-alka-
line condition of its fluids; that it
needs natural acid to restore the bat
terry to its normal working condition.
When the first symptoms of headache
appear take tablespoonful of lemon
juice clear fifteen minutes before each
meal and the same dose at bedtime.
Follow this up until all symptoms are
passed, taking no other remedies, and
you will soon be able to 60 free from
this unwelcome nuisance. Many will
object to this because the remedy is
too simple; but many cures have beer
effected in this way.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26
ThOrOugllbredS.

The English thoroughbred is essen
TALLY of pure Oriental blood, although
doubtless somewhat Modified by un-
known admixtures of that Of the orig
inal British horse, before the days of
stud books. and the most careful breed
ing, which has prevailed during the
past two hundred years. He is much
larger than the Arab, and preferred
by modern breeders as a source of the
highest qualities of the horse-speed,
bottom, style, action, and constitution.
He has given the finest Characters
tic to all the breeds of England and
America, excepting only the native
breeds of ponies, and of the heavy
draft horses of England and Scotland,
which last affiliate closely with the
heavy horses of Flanders and Den,
mark.
Examples of this improvement are
seen in the superb Cleveland bays,
used chiefly as carriage horses, and in
the excellent Suffolk Punch, an admir-
able horse-of- all-work, while the Eng
lish hunter, which is not breed, but
a high bred grade, is doubtless the best
saddle-horse and heavy weight carrier
for rough work, to be found in the
world in fact. typical war-horse for
the use of modern warfare.-Ameri-
can Agriculturtst.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26
Wonders Of Water.

Tne tannin Of tea is thrown down
by the lime of hard water, so that if
tea is infused in hard water at least
one-third is wasted. Hard water
used for boiling meat and vegetables
extracts their juices less thoroughly
than soft water does. Potatoes con-
tain rs per cent. of water; turnips, 80
per cent; milk. S73 parts. The quail
ty of water when pure is not impaired
by stagnancy nor liable to fermenta-
tion, decay or putrescence; it would
keep 5000 years and be neither better
nor worse for keeping.
-Four closed jars, buried seventeen
centuries at Pompeii, and taken from
there, were found to contain atom for
atom as the sams free air we breathe
The same is said of water. An influx
of organic refuse into a stream will
affect it for several miles in its course,
but at longer distance the oxidation of
the foreign matter will take place and
will restore the water to purified
state.--Philddelphia NeDs.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26
Where Solitude Reigns.

"Then you don't like solitude, Mr..
snipps?"
mo, indeed, Miss Gusher; 1 don't
like it bit"
81 always thought it would be so
grand to have chance to mediate in
absolute quiet"
"You'd get precious tired of it in a
little while; l can tell you that"
"Did you ever try it, Mr.. Snipps?"
"Did l ever try itp Well, should
shudder."
''Oh, dear, how charming. When
was it, Mr.. Snipps9'
Last summer, Miss Gusher."
"Oh, know; you went to the
wo ds-"
"Not much didn't l clerked in a
store that didn't advertise. Chicago
Ledger
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26
HUMOROUS.

"Foreign relations French nov.
els.
A seamstress' exclamation 80
hem!"
The best illustrated paper-a bank
note.
Room for improvement-the school
room.
Nothing tries the sole of map
more than shoe-peg.
Talking about antiquity and the age
of things, we submit that the oldest
berry is the elder berry.
The crow is not particularly musi-
cal bird, but the farmer always asso
ciates him with the corn-et.
The only persons in the world who
do not like to see redeeming qualities
in the human race are the pawnbrokers,
I'M join you presently" as the
minister remarked to the young couple
as he started for the key to the church
door.
Where all the children are perfect
little lambs" there is danger of there
being goodly proportion Of mutton
heads"
"There is only one thing I regret
about my execution" observed the
condemned murderer. "What is it2"
"The suspense"
Two stupid Michigan hunters shot
a woman, mistaking her for a bear. A
woman should never be mistaken for
anything but dear.
Buenos Ayres has $500 street
lamps, and the two a. m. young man
can pilot himself home with very
small percentage of risk.
There are three hundred shades OF
blue, and the man who has a note to
meet tomorrow and no wherewith0
feels them all at one time.
"What did you say your mammals
slippers were made of, sonny?" asked
a sympathizing neighbor The disin-
genuous, sobbing youth replied in feel
ing accents, Heavy felt"
A snail who goes about his business
and doesn't stop to gossip with every
bug he meets can creep 300 feet be-
tween sunup and sundown. That's
far enough for any snail.
"Johnny, is your sister inp' Il
don't know Lemme see-what's
your name2" Barnes-Mr. Barnes"
AN right, Mr.. Barnes. You just sit
down and I'll ask Sis whether she's
home, but l don't think that's tho
name"
Professor-Why does a duck put
his head under water? Pupil-For
divers reasons. Professor--Why does
he go on land? Pupil-For sundry
reasons. Professor-Next You may
tell us why duck puts his head under
water. Second Pupil-To liquidate
his bill. Prsfessor-And why does
he go on land? Second Pupil-To
make a run on the bank.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26
PRICE THREE CENTS.
TIL Then, Good Night.

Good night have to say good night
To such o host Of hostess things!
Good night unto that fragile hand,
All queenly with is weight Of rings;
Good night to fond upliI,ed eyes,
Good night to chestnut brails oil hai,
Good night unto the perfect mouth
And all the sweetness nestled there!
The snowy hand detains me-then
Ill have to say good night again.
Bnt there will come limo, my love!
When, il read our stars Alright,
shall not lnger by this porch
With my adeus. Til then, good night
You wish the time were now And |.
You do not blush to wish it so?
You would have blushed yourself to death
To own so much year ago.
What' Both. these snowy hands AL
then,
I'll have to say good night again.
Thomas Bailey didrich.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26
The Mussel.

Wnat really prevents tne mussel De-
ing more extensively used In this
country is the dread of its poisonous
qualities. This evil reputation is not
unfounded, though in reality death
or an illness from mussel poisoning is
much rarer than similar misadvent-
ure from eating the wrong kind of
fungus. Along the coast, in their
natural condition, especially when
picked from the coppered piles of
wharves and piers, they are sometimes
conditioned. But reared in beds, the
are invariably plump, delicate in flavor,
and perfectly safe as food. 1t is gen
orally something extraneous rather
than any disease inherent in the mus
sci, that occasions the bad repute un-
der which they labor. The worst case
happened some sixty years ago, when
no fewer than thirty people in Leith
showed serious symptoms of poison
ing, and two of them died; but it was
proved that the mussels had been
gathered from the copper sheathed
piles of the docks. 1t is true, however,
that under certain circumstances, pu-
trescent sewage matter and the pois-
onous spawn of its enemy, the star
fish, have been believed to make tho
mussel unwholesome food. At par
ticular periods, also, various molluscs
are injurious, while at others they are
perfectly wholesome. The oyster,
though not actually poisonous when
out of season, is by no means suitable
for the table, and probably the mussel
shares its peculiarities in this respect.
A near ally of the mussel, the Mediter-
ranean Noah's Ark shell, is eaten with
perfect safety during the entire year,
except summer months-a fact well
known to the Neapolitans, who rarely
infringe the rule without disastrous
consequences. Every sort of shell
fish is liable to this drawback; three
years ago two children were alleged to
have died at Rothesay from the eating
of periwinkles. The nature of the
ground has likewise marked effect
on the quality. In Falmouth Bay,
some mussels, picked over the place
where copper lobe cropped out, were
so impregnated with verdigris that a
hundred of them calcined in crucible
yielded bead of metal as big as a
pins head. However, if proper pre-
cautions are taken, the mussel is per-
fectly safe. 1t is. moreover, so easily
cultivated that, in Kiel Bay, branches
| laid down in the sea are taken up two
or three years later laden with mark
etable crop. The alarm produced by
the idea of its noxious qualities un-
doubtedly does much to stop its con-
sumption. Fashion, nevertheless, is
not guiltless in the matter. At one
time, for example, tho mussel was ex-
tensiyely eaten in Edinburgh. Now
adays it is in such scant demand that
a Newhaven tiShwife is recorded, in
describing the condition of aspiritless a
sister, to have lamented that she new
ST .rose aboon mussels. London
| 7'eIearn,,L
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26
THE FAMILY PHYSICIAN.
Cleanliness and Cont.gion.

Doctor Aufrecht has written to
Jewish paper to recommend the prac-
tice of washing the hands before eat
ing, as most valuable safeguard
against contagious diseases. The doc
tor says that scrupulous cleanliness of
the hands is, he is firmly persuaded, a
certain means of prevention, particu-
larly in the case of children, who so
often take their food in their hands.
The Jews have again this year en-
joyed wonderful immunity from the
ravages Of cholera. Can it arise from
their habit of cleansing the hands be-
fore meals, which is one of their most
urgent commandsp At all events,
such practice is to be highly com
mended from more points than one
NeU York Ne,cs.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26
Mistake Of n Presidents Wife,

A humorous incident is told around
town, says City of Mexico letter.
General Lallane sent President Diaz a
sack of locusts to show the enormous
size. and the messenger. instead of de-
livering the same at the Office, deliv-
cred them at the residence, where tho
cook, mistaking them for some new
species of crab, served them up, and
when on the table the mistake was
discovered by Mrs. Diaz, but not be-.
fore the family had partaken of some
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26
=, THANKSGIVING Day.

When tho orchards with blossoms are blushing
The willows unrolling their leaves,
And the fields the tender wheat flushing,
That soon would be.vsyins with shsaves,
Not then went the toiler to labor,
The task of subduing tho earth,
With tho sound Of the pipe and the tabor, -
with anthsms Of joyance and mirth..
Nor yet when professional fio3 3ers i''' y
Passed on through the light or the gloom,
When the vivid and picturesque hours
Laughed out in spiendor OF bloom.
When the oriole, royal and golden.
finishes forth like jem In the sun,
syn man bysterH datyS was holden,
sNot yet was the victory won.
When tho vines on tho trellis was burdcucd
With clusters allparplo and sweet,
When tho hand Of tho workor was gncrdoned
With bounty Of harycsts, oompictc;
When wide oxer mountain and valley :
The banners Of autumn, npluflcd
In vast and magnificent rally,
Shed lustre audpomp o'cr the world; -
Then, pausins to think Of tho story
!. OF pronIss lul6!lpcnt and chcsr;', s''t.
The hope and the faith and tho glory,
,lIhe crown of the beautiful year.
From the stress Of our care.weightod living
The strain Of our hurryins days,
We break and upllt thanksgiving
To God, who is worthy Of praiso.
s:;t:ii
And what il tho storms lilo before us,
!. The, days that's aro woary and cold,
Since the love TINT is visiant o'cr us
Guards ever The young and the old,
Still answers the earnest cndeavor
With more than measured reward
'nnd salsshts Dir wscaarifhess heyer ....
To slip from the grasp of tho Lord.
> L, ......
So, silvered haired father and mother,
So, middle aged sturdy and strong,
So, dear, little sister and brother,
Join voices and hearts in tho song
To the sound Of the pipe and tho tabor
Weave chorals Of gladuess and mrth,
!. For The toiler rhay.tcst from his labor,
And plenty hath lowered the earth.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26
Bathing the Baby.

Those who have once become ac-
customed to the daily bath will be 10th
to give it up. never think we can
commence good habit too early; so l
have always had my babies put into
the bath from the time they were a
fortnight old, says lady correspond
ent. My last baby, however. proved
an exception. For five weeks after
his birth l was too ill to attend to
these things myself, and the nurse was
too ignorant or too idle The conse-
quence was, when I was able to take
charge of the young gentleman my
self, tn ere had to be battle. I had
the water slightly warm, so as to
cause no chill. and when baby was un-
dressed I popped him straight in. The
little man kicked and screamed for a
minute or two, but soon ceased. For
the next two or three mornings, there
was a slight resistance, fainter every
time; after that, the crying was per-
formed when he had to be taken out
of the bath; not when he was put in.
A warm or tepid bath should be
given every night, until the child is
three or four years of age; then bath
twice week is quite sufficient. After
cold bath the children should be we'll
and briskly rubbed all over with a
coarse towel; this is of great import
ance. If child displays symptoms of
weakness in the spine, indicated by
general lassitude and an inclination to
stoop, it is good plan to put hand
full of very coarse salt into bowl of
water, and sponge the little ones back
and chest with this when it is in the
bath. No one, either old or young,
should stay in cold water more than a
minute or two at the outside.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26
Useful in One Way.

"Well. BOBBY" said young Featherly.
"we had quite pleasant time at the
house last evening"
"Yes, indeed" replied Boohy; ina
was speaking about it at the breakfast
table this morning"
$50 your ma enjoyed the evening,
too. did she2"
YES She told pa that she can
never think of you without laughing"
Ne,o York Times,
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

A colony Of lepers is located at Ira
cadie, New Brunswick, in Gloucester
county, on the shores Of the Gulf Of
st. Lawrence. There is another small
settlement Of lepars in the British
provinces, which is almost entirely
unknown. 1t is situated in the west
ern part Of Cape Breton, near Lake
Ainslie. the members being natives of
the Highlands of Scotland.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26

Mr.. Moody does not approve Of
church fairs. The evangelist says: II
think that they are an abomination.
The idea of rafting and voting for tbs
best looking man, and having gif1A
sell cigars. l saw church fair adver-
tise that man would kiss any girl
for Is cents. 1 had rather that you
would worship in barn than resort to
any Of these methods"
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26

Ibelieve the promises of God enough
to venture an eternity upon them
Watts.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26

London increases its population by
$4,000 every year. 1t has 1000 ships
and 10000 sailors in its port every
day. Its beer shops and liquor saloons
would, if placed side by side. form a
row seventy-eight miles long. Thirty
eight thousand drunkards are brought
before its magistrates every year, and
every Sunday seventy miles of open
shops invite the purchaser to enter.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26
LIVERY STABLES
so. LONDONDERRY. Vt.

iiorses an- Garages at all hours. Persons
carried 20 al surrounding points upon arrival
of i;sins. Special nccommodai ions 10 excur.
zion parties. Good teams and attentive dii
seIs. IL
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26

At the recent opening of new ad-
dition to the London Temperance Hos
pital-an establishment started to test
the question as to the value of alcohol
in the treatment of disease-it was
stated that in only three out of up
ward of 5000 cases last year had
alcohol been used. In these three
cases no sensible benefit had resulted,
while the average mortality in the
hospital since 1878 had been but five
per cent. The number Of patients
treated since the commencement was
22,500.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26

The whale fishery on the coast of
Maine has come to an end. 1t not only
proved an Improbable industry, but
the stencil from the factories at Booth
bay and Bristol was intolerable. The
whales found off the coast were plenty
in number, and were easily captured
with bomb lances. While the blubber
of an Arctic whale is generally two
feet in thickness, that of the hump
backs, which is the species found on
the Maine coast, rarely, if ever. exceeds
three inches. The yield of a hump
back is some twenty to thirty barrels,
andis low-grade oil. During the ex-
istence of the industry nearly one
hundred whales have been shot. Three
steamers were employed and nearly
one hundred men. The capital in
vested in steamers. factories, ETC., was
$4,000.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26

A duel between a lady and gentle
man recently occurred at Warsaw.
The latter had offered the lady his
hand, which she refused, whereupon
he spread abroad reports injurious to
her good name. Several gentlemen
came forward in knightly manner
and volunteered to ayenge her by chal-
lenging her calumniator to duel.
She replied that if duel was required
in order to vindicate her honor she
conceived that she had right and
title to be one of the principals. The
strong g-minded damsel prided herself
upon being a good shot, and resolved
to punish her traducer, but not to in
jure him mortally. She sent him a
challenge; he accepted it, and the duel
lists met in a place outside Warsaw.
Happily both missed their aim. The
lady wanted to fire second time; but
her second assured her that full repa-
ration had been made. Her adversary
was so moved by her masculine gal
lantry that he made her a formal apol-
ogy, which she accepted.
"Unquestionably recognition by
every individual of the early symp-
toms of canine rabies would be an
extremely useful, valuable and life
preserving kind of knowledge, says
the London Lancet. "a dog that
slobbers with hanging jaws and barks
unnaturally is an easy description to
remember, and ought to lead to the
dogs timely destruction. In the other
form of madness the animal is not
dumb but snappish, even while he
retains perfect memory of his master
and friends; in this variety also the
bark is altered from the natural, and
dogs master should be the earliest
to recognize the change. Cauteriza-
tion of the dog bite is well enough in
its way, but it is inadequate chiefly
because the mischief has been done
long before the caustic comes in con-
tact with the wound, and partly be-
cause the caustic is rarely effeetually
and thoroughly applied. Undoubted-
ly the best thing that can be done is
to suck the wound freely, so as to
draw as much blood and fluid from
the bitten part as possible"
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26

Beggar lice is the name of long,
hard southern root which grows in
bushy clumps and has small bios
som. These roots are dug in the south
and sold in punches for tooth brushes.
An old negro will dig forty punches
in day and sell them for five cents
apiece. at keeps me and my little
chillun out of the poor house." said
one. We sells tooth brushes to all
sorts of folks, and tries to make an
honest living by the help of the Lord"