davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-02
Car Wheels.

An official of the Pennsylvania rail.
road stated to a Pittsburg Dispatch re-
porter that there are fully ten million
iron car-wheels in use on American rail-
roads. That figure does not include the
wheels ON palace coaches and the better
class of passenger coaches.
"How much iron does it take to make
a wheel2" he was asked.
about 525 pounds of pig-iron," he
replied, "and about 1, ,250, 600 wheels are
worn out every year. But do not con-
clude from that that the iron men are
called upon to supply the 3l2, 900 tons
of materials required to make the new
wheels, because the worn-out wheels
themselves supply about 1900 TONS"
GLOW long will a good car-wheel
last?"
Formerly it would last eight years.
But now the reduction of railroads to a
standard guage and the improvement in
loading and unloading facilities keep the
length of service down. This is because
the uniformity in guage keeps the cars in
more continuous use, and the improve
ment in loading and unloading facilities
enables the cars to be put to more active
service. The wheels on palace coaches
and on tirst-class passenger coaches are
known as paper wheels. They are mada
with steel rim or Hange, and iron hub,
but the web is composed of sheets OF
paper cemented together. They com.
bine lightness with strength"
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-02
A MilliOnaire's Appetite.

Mr.. Huntington is convirc ced that to
his habits in life is due his uniformly
good health. To his health is due his
even temper and perfect mental poisee,
and to the latter is due his great busi-
ness success. Mr.. Huntington was a
farmers son, and practically started In
life without dollar. Today his for
tune is estimated at $50, 900, 900. His
home in New York is at IS Park avenue.
Mr.. Huntington invariably retires at 10
o'clock: he has his breakfast at O'Clock,
his dinner at o'clock, and his supper at
6 80 o'clock in the evening. He has
never taken to the idea of an evening
dinner. Business keeps Mr.. Huntington
down town during the day, and his din.
ner may be characterized as lunch. 1t
rarely consists of anything except a
piece of roast beef with bread and but
ter, vegetables and weak tea. MIR. Hun
tinoton breakfast consists of steak or
chop, Is baked potato, bread and butter
and tea; his supper is made of cold
meats. bread and butter and tea. lie
never drinks coffee, but tea ne drinks at
every meal. Green vegetables he IS ex-
tremely fond of, and always eats them
in season. The vegetable that he likes
best is the tomato; he eats it as
long as he can obtain it. He always wants
his potato baked.-Ncu York Cook.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-02
Indian Superstition.

A very extraordinary occurrence took
place recently at the Anahuac rancheria,
eight miles south of Julian. 1t appears
that an unusual mortality has prevailed
among the Indians for several weeks,
and medicine man" was sent for to
find the cause of the plague, and if pos.
sible to suggest a remedy. On the ar
rival of the savant he declared that two
of the Indians at the rancheria, Antonio
and Jose. were wizards, and should be
put to death by hanging, to appease the
wrath of the evil spirit. as soon as the
proper arrangements could be completed.
The intended victims were then sum-
moned to appear before eli captain, and
in his august presence acknowledge their
guilt and signify their willingness to
die. that the rest of the tribe might live.
On receiving the summons, however,
Jose and Antonio disappointed el captain
and the sage by coming to San Diego
with all possible haste, and appeared be-
fore the authorities, who instructed them
10 return to Julian, search out warrant
for their chief and the medicine man,
and have them put under bonds to keep
the peace As nothing further has been
heard upon the subject, it is supposed
that the sacrifice has not taken place,
and the gods are still unappcased. San
Diego (Cai.) Sun.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-02
New Ise for OLD Shoes.

Hundreds of men, women, and ever
BOYS, in New York, it issaid, are engaged
in the business" of collecting old boot
and shoes, which they lake to the wal
paper factories, where they receive froT
five to fifteen cents per pair. Calf skit
boots lring the best price, while cow
hide ones are not taken at any figure
These boots and shoes are first soaked ir
several waters to get the dirt off, an6
then the nails and threads are removed
and the leather is ground up into fine
pulp. Then it is pressed upon grouno
of heavy paper, which is to be used il
the manufacture of embossed leather.
Fashionable people think they are going
away back to mediaeval times when they
have the walls of their libraries ane
dining rooms covered with this, and re
main in blIssful ignorance that the shoes
and boots which their neighbors threw
into the ash barrel month before now
adorn their walls and hang on the
screens which protect their eyes from tine
fire. Carriage top makers, and book
binders also buy old boots and shoes. the
former to make leaihe tops for carriages
and the latter leather bindings for the
cheaper grade of books. The new style
of leather frames with leather mats in
them arc entirely made of the cast-ofi
covering of our feet
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-02
A War Incident.

Yesterday Major Toller, of Los An
gcles called to see me, and in the course
of conversation it came out that he had
at one time been resident of New Mad
rid, Mo. l remarked that | knew some
thing of the place, as had been with
Pope when he made the attack on that
place in the earlier part OF the war. Ma
ior TolIer explained that he was one of
the gunners in the rebel battery posted
below the city. and he asked if remem-
bercd any striking incident in connection
with the work of that battery. did.
| remembered it we'll. l remembered
that one day Ghere came a shot from that
battery that entered the muzzle of one
of our own guns, causing an explosion
that broke the gun into fragments and
killed several men.
Major Toller remarked: 81 remember
the incident as well as you, and / have
better cause to remember it. / fired the
shot myself, and there is q story about
it. One day there came from the Union
battery large shell, that struck without
exploding very near our own battery.
| picked up the shell, and. seeing that
the fuse had not burned out, said that
| believed we could arrange the fuse and
return the shell with our compliments to
the battery that had fired it. This was
done. aimed the gun myself, and we
saw by the commotion it created in the
Union lines that something extraordinary
had occurred. Afterward we learned the
particulars. A few days afterward the
commander of the forces came to our
quarters, and for the firing of that shot
promoted me to Major. y Chicago Inter
Ocean.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-02

The pupil inserts sheet of paper be-
tween the two arms and begins his work
with his ''point," which is simply di-
minutivc awl. By inserting this awl at
any one of these points the paper is in
dented, but not punctured through, with
a corresponding point. Thus an impress
sion is made on the lower side of the
paper which is appreciable to the touch.
1t will be seen that this system of six
points admits of a practically unlimited
number of combinations. Upon these
combinations are based the alphabet, the
Arabic numerals, musical notes, or any
other character in common use in any
literature. Thus . +: expresses one letter,
another, and SO on. AS his characters
are written in the reverse, the blind
writer begins at the right aud works
backward, as in Hebrew.
By these means the blind writer at
tains a very creditable speed, varying,
of course, according to his individual
talents. For purposes of ordinary cor
respondence he uses common note paper
and makes an impression that sutfices for
one or two readings before it is obliter-
Rted by contact with the fingers. For
more enduring matter special, heavy
paper is employed.
From writing to type setting was but
step, and there are now very few blind
institutions not provided with a CON-
posing room and complete outfits OF
types, cases and other paraphernalia,
which are brought into rcquisition to
print anything required. Blind printers,
pressmen and binders do all the work.
Maps for the blind, geomstric figures
and all similar devices are easily made
by raising the boundary lines and indi
eating cities, points, etc., by brass pegs.
The eagerness with which the pupils
seize upon these means of supplying their
great defect, their great desire to learn,
and their grateful appreciation of what
has been done for them compensates in
a great measure for their lack of sight.
Instructors of the blind delight to dwell
upon the facile disposition ard talents
of their pupils, and exhibit evidences OF
their work which teach the lesson clearly
that intelligent philanthropy mas done
much to take away the sting of one oi
the greatest of physical bereavements.- :
! Chicago Tribune.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-02
A Brass Band Composed Of Lunatics

eyes, sir; that is one of the best cura-
tives known" said DR.. Chase, as brass
band marched in front of the Norristown
Insane hospital. The musicians were all
lunatics, and their troubles were of vari-
GUS descriptions. The band was organ
lied about year ago, and the members
practice from to o'clock every after
noon. The unfortunate fellows take
great interest In this form of amusement,
and their performances are of rather
favorable sort. They were uniformed in
a suit closely resembling that of the
National Guard. They were as proud of
their new clothes and their playing as
child is of now toy. As they marched
about the grounds and hated to serenaie
the board of trustees their faces wore as
serious an expression as if they had as
sumed great responsibilities in offering
to blow the horns and beat the drums.
1t Itisremarkable that these men read their
musical notes readily and are perfectly
tractable when performing When the
bandmen saw that their efforts were ap-
preciated some of them began to get ex-
cited, and they blew into their horns and
beat their drums with such increased
vigor as to nearly knock the melody out
Of their playing. This is the third band
composed of insane people in the United
States. Record.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-02
Tho Coca Plant.

We owe many things to Peru, SO
many, in fact, that were it not for them
1t is an interesting question to study out
what condition our race might occupy at
this day different from that Of the pres
ent. The Peruvian silver turned num-
erous emigration to the shores OF this
continent, while the Peruvian cinchona
kept alive the newcomers who might
have died of the coast and other fatal
fevers which met the unacclimated ad-
yenturers. Peruvian guano has enriched
England and France through the pros
perity of agriculture, and we owe great
debt of gratitude for the same gift And
now we have a new medicinal agent
which promises to become as notable an
anesthetic for local application as ether
or chloroform have been in other ways.
This plant has long been known from its
uses among the Peruvians, who have
been addicted to it as a pleasing and
moderate stimulant and intoxicant. The
leaves are rolled up with little lime in
them and are chewed. The saliva,
which is swallowed, produces slight in.
toxication and a strong inclination to
rest. AS the native workmen take their
coca four times day the prolonged
rests which it encourages are serious
drawbacks to their industry. AS set
off against this, however, it is claimed
that the laborer can perform great deal
of labor by the help of this stimulant
with very little food. The same claim
we think has been made for beer and
other alcoholic stimulants.
The new use of coca however, is of
the greatest importance to the human
race. Bya chemical process an aka
loid, or its active principle, cocaine has
been separated from the leaves. This
drug has the property of producing local
insensibility to pain upon any part of the
body to which it is applied. The coca
inc has been chiefly used in serious ope
rations upon the eye with great success;
but its use in the treatment of General
Grant has brought it into greater notice
and has popularized its name and repu-
tation. 1t is exceedingly costly, having
been sold for several dollars grain, and
its costliness prevents its use, excepting
in rare cases. The plant is small shrub
about five to eight feet high, which
pcdls IuiCh cNCISiceu lcdNes' 1uO
form of the leaf is an ovoid, prolonged
and narrowed at the base. The shrub
grows in the mountain districts, where
it is cultivated in plantations for the
leaves, which form an article of domestic
commerce, and are sold in dried state
for dollar or more per pound. The
first crop of leaves is picked when the
shrub is five years old, after which an an
nual gathering is made. The leaves are
now imported into Europe and America,
and the traffic promises to become i'm
portant and the value to increase largely
for some time at least, as new plantations
are of slow growth 1t is quite probable
that the plant would grow successfully
in some por ions of the United States or
Mexico or Cuba, and the supply be large
ly increased. Its known value and the
rreoaoility OF its successful culture in
the United States gives it a general in
terest, especially to the farmers of
Florida and Southern California. -NeD
YORK. Times.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-02

WITHIN AND WITHOUT.

Tho tide flows up, the tide flows down;
The water brims the creek, and falls;
A cottage, weather-stained and brown,
Lifts at the brink its time worn walls
Beneath the lowly window-sill
A little bank of blossoms gay
The wandering airs with fragrance FIJI,
Sweeten the night and charm the day.
The tide flows up, the tide flows down;
From the low windows humble square
A woman in faded gown,
With care-dimmed eyes and tangled hair
Looks out across the smiling space
Where golden stars and suns unfold;
Blue larkspur, the pied pansy's face,
Nasturtium bells of scarlet bold
She sees them not, nor cares, nor knows
mans rough figure, noon and night
And morning, DER the threshold goes
No sense has he for their delight.
The tide flows up, the tide flows down;
In that dull house little maid
Lives lonely, under Fortunes frown,
A life unchildlike and afraid.
To her that tiny garden plot
Means heaven. She comes at eve to stant
Mid mallow and forget-me-not
And marigolds on either hand.
They look at her with brilliant eyes,
Their scent is greeting and caress;
They spread their rich and glowing dyes
Her saddened soul to cheer and bless.
The tide flows up, the tide flows down;
Within, how base the life, and poor!
Without, what wealth and beauty crown
The humble flowers beside the door!
Celia Ihdnter, in Atlantic Monthly
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-02
A Mexican Graveyard.

At the Indisn village next above San
ia Anita, writes Francis B. Ward from
Mexico to the New York Sun, is rare
old church, built by Cortes in 1888, and
still in daily use. 1t is well worth a
visit, and if the doors chance to be
closed few pence will induce the custo-
dian to produce the key and reveal all
its treasures Of antique ugliness. In the
rear is weed grown graveyard, with a
row of skulls grinning along the arms of
its central cross, which is surrounded by
the inevitable pile of human bones. In
front of the church, facing the plfza
with its fountain, where the women col
lect with their water jars and gossip, are
several blue painted adobe tombs. The
vaults are mostly empty, except few
moldy bits of colin and grave clothes,
but each is graced by the owners skull
and cross bones. placed carefully on top.
There is something grotesquely ludicrous
in the idea that these Iong dead folk
have come out to watch the little world
they left, and each eyeless dome of
thought seems to wear a cheerful smile,
as if sppreciating the situation.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-02

He came in looking sa wage, and
wanted to know what it was I wanted.
Sez l.
81 want some wood ter burn"
"Wall,n he sez, "there's whole
woodpile out there. Help yersef."
"An' not stick split" sez I. "You
will hev ter get a bigger stove to burn
that"
"Wal, it amt such hard job to split
it." sez he. "Nancy used tew, often,
when l was bizzy."
"Did she" sez l. $50 did Dan'l."
He got the wood, an said, as he was
going out, that he didn't want to be
called in out of the moving field again
unless twas for victuals.
"All right" sez l. h
The next day twas the same thing !;
not stick split. Thinks I, sold fel-
low, you amt got Nancy here. I'll larn
ye little something that p'raps ye don't
know" So when it was dinner time
blowed the horn, an in comes all seven
of these men an sets down at the
table. Sich 'stonished lookin' faces as
they viewed the grub. The biscuit and
the pertaters, an meat, an vegetables,
and everything was washed clean and
put on raw. Not thing was cooked.
Caleb looked blacker'n a thunde,
cloud.
"What does this mean9" sez he.
"Means what it means" sez 1. "You
said yest'day that you didn't want tel
be called in from the mowin field unless
it was for victuals, and here they are."
"Nice shape, tew," sez he.
"Wall, | can't cook 'thout wood" sea
I, dryly like.
With that all seven of 'cm started TO,
the door, and they never left that pile
until it was ready for the stove.
never was bothered for wood again.
A few weeks after | wanted some
money purity bad. l wanted to send
Johnnie and Nellie back to school, an
was bound that they should have some
clothes fit to wear. l asked Caleb o
number of times to let me hev some, but
he made all kinds of excuses.
1 didn't tell him what I wanted
of it, mind ye. So one day along comes
a peddler buyin' butter'n eggs. had
considerable on hand that Caleb was in.
tending to carry into the city when he
had time. So l sold every pound of but
tern eggs had in the house. I got
nigh on to twenty five dollars for 'em.
When Caleb come home l told him
had sold the butter'n eggs.
''Heow much did you glt9" sez he.
l told him.
"Wheres the money!" sez he.
give got it, sez |.
"Wall," sez he, "Nancy alters give.
me all the money that she took for hel
butter and eggs"
"Did she!" sez I. "And SO did
Danl."
He got tired of holding Nancy ul
afore my eyes, for I would offset her
with Danl every time. He found that
was powerful sot in my way. an he
thoug he might as well let me have my
own way, and SO he sez:
II don't mean to be ugly, but won't
be trod on by nobody"
when he wouldn't let me hav what
money wanted, Id sell somethin' every
time. sod two tons of hay one time,
when I knew he only had enough tc
winter his critters. So. on the whole,
he found that l wasn't afraid of him. and
he behaved quite decent. told him
not long ago that he was CROWN clever.
"Cleverl" sez he. 81 rather you'd
call me dog -goned fule than clever"
ButI notice he has improved, an LAY
It ter his tralnip'
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-02
How Bruin Rugged o Busy Saw.

.eTalking about funny things" said a
big, bronzed, bearded man in the read
ing room of an uptown hotel, ''the fun
niest thing | ever heard of happened in
my saw mill out in Michigan. We used
a heavy upright saw for saving heavy
timber. One day not long ago the men
had all gone to dinner, leaving the saw,
which ran by water power, going at full
speed. While we were away a big black
bear came into the mill and went nosing
around. The saw caught his fur and
twitched him little. Bruin didn't like
this for cent, so he turned around and
fetched the saw lick with his paw.
Result: badly cut paw. A blow with
the other paw followed. and it was also
cut. The bear was by this time aroused
to perfect fury, and, rushing at the saw,
caught it in his grasp and gave a tremen.
dous hug. 1t was his last hug, and we
lived on bear steak for week. When
we came up from dinner there was half
q bear on each side of the saw, which
was going ahead as nicely as though it
had never seen a bear. This is fact, so
help me, Bob, and the big lumberman
bit off fresh chew of tobacco. = Neo
York Tribune.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-02
A Panama Hat.

The famous Panama hats are all made
in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and get their
name because Panama merchants formerly
controlled the trade. They are made Of
the pita fibre, sort of palm, and are
braided under water by native women ol
strands often twelve and fifteen feet long,
and fine ones are very expensive. II
often takes two or three weeks to braid
a single hat. which sells for five or six
dollars, and lasts forever. A traveller
speaks of one made of a single straw or
fibre, as fine as thread and soft as silk.
The woman who made it was engaged
four months in the work, and it was
valued at $3.50.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-02
Weighing q Hair.

"To number the hairs of your head is
not very difficult task,n the refiner of
the assay Office said. "a very close ap-
Proclamation can be made by weighing
a single hair The weight of the former
divided by that of the latter will, of
course, give the desired number. If you
will pluck out hair from your beard /
can show you"
A long and straggly one was accord
ingly detached, the retiner putting it on
scale, which was enclosed in a glass
case, and graduated with extreme ac-
curacy. With little weights of alumni
ium he piled up one arm, until an equi-
poise was reached. The hair weighed
three milligrammes. IF you reduce this
to figures he said, sit would require
5000 hairs to weigh an ounce, and sup
posing you have six ounces, you have
As. coo hairs. ."-NeD York Sun.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-02
INSTRUCTING THE BLIND.
SUBSTITUTE FOE EYES IN THE CASE
OF sIaHTLEss PEOPLE.
How They Are Taught to Read,
Write and Play ON Musical in.
struments-An Interesting study.

How They Are Taught to Read,
Write and Play ON MUSICAL IN
"r"''e"'s An ,"'oi1sk s'
In general way IL Is known tnat
plind man may pe tausn1 iew VI tno
,uoihleuts u iealn.ng, anu " eao ~
himseii unoer Certain iiihi''o oi!ouin
stances anu a,lel lasnlon' Ahu ~ was
not untli tne iast nve years tnat tne euu,
cation OF 1he pima hucn eAceeueu lnose
hmits. Durlng .nas .ine, howesef,
progress mas oeen ii'auo ,S mu''n otI .haao eno
s.sns.e's s',Sn Io"y rro"t on - p Tbo sd,oataJ
, wnose signt Is periec. ~ o oI, ouuua.eu .S
aI o.inu n;.aa nan u H.. ~ Snas a nth 1arr;n',
".u M,i.''' st,' Du. o aoSe ,so,, I wy" u strd;.s
aoouiaoS oS-hucn'y :,n NV ",.. sa..ona,n ~ ,u;th
geography; WIN maps as.iono' VIZ" VA
siuereai cha,'s anu "pp",a."i ~ .hn ;,;., "
ranges a. WI, 'ntousn on eao n'Aotst ".
lorpiuuen neius VI nao"ia. 81 a ~ Iii,
seeinS hial' ~ nI 'an; M, ,0aa t.-iha w :.
noev sla.a a.. -. ,ItG ~ oa ond I +aE;nm T. 70
1:s i:s.el 'lan :l, :. 70 .o' H. ;nstrunaut -
piano, WIN ou'hpei ..o.;a nav .ns - ~ W.
slte up d tauis.ess ,n.e s;ah. IN tho %
no.es, o;sh h,.h1S ~ - n ne ] nl;nd sohooT 70 see
nelsnoofnuou .u VI omua -. ron,,"r so W. Iao,ura
sloup y, .ae ,ne p,hah phh ~ tbsv pWi,I arterwarS
.ahius ho'os VIZ in.h 10y tho;r roo,ns
Tan 1ranso'ioe .i,,- AZ iIs ssharsands of norsnns
i: heie Ti: ".e "os,a,y u sau .no s"m 10 imht 90
ih 1i liinois, ~no non' nnn,rammaIod eorro
uay, CARVING on oIarantaaa hn a noh;oh - sro
sPoiueneo ~ in ooa Mahrov nnr chaI
1ei.her Ens.isn, no' noDi1" .h;nn h aI. =
. ualc' M nor ,,ui;ed ouieiio airhohot Rl;nd % mau
tnn .naI inc i,n aaa;n pra pfrsnd. 70 DO th;a in
o.son oeaIm .iLs .ha4 .he, onrresnond 40 otber
Ulurl Uoa,a,o 'aa' a" 'n'S liza! ~