davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
etatesmen in Bad Hats.

Most of the Washington Statesmen"
wear very bad hats. handall's is par
ticulsrly bad, and that Of Gen. Logan
perfectly offensive, The former ram
bles through the corridors in an ancient
plug" that looks an if 1t had. been bat
tered all the way from Philadelphia,
and the latter in 5 cavalry "slouch'
which seems to give pretty good svi-
dence of having been used at a target
excursion. Brewster, attorney general,
is the most particular man in town
about his hats. He has them made 10
order In Philadelphia, and uses about
half dozen during season. They are
built very high with bulging crown
and a broad brim, and possess the ad-
vantage Of being equally attractive, nc
matter which way brushed.
Blaine generally strolls along in 3
slouch hat pulled wen over his eyes
Chandler always in a derby, while the
sprightly Ingalls,, Of Kansas, carries or
opera hat, which he can flop up and
down to suit his convenience President
Arthur's hats are models. They are tn,
only ones of the kind, and the kind i!
good They are tall silk-head coverings
nearly straight, with broad brim and I
slight curve near the crown. Mr.. Arthur
has them made in New York. william
Walter Phelps, notwithstanding the Gle
CANT cut of his clothes, does not pa,
much attention to his hats. Some o
them could be appropriately worn by tn
end man at negro minstrel show.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
The SUMS supply Of Heat
IT'hA OantarV

How Is this heat m aintained1 Not kJ
the miracle of a perpetual self-sustained
fame, we may be sure. But then, by
what fuel is such fire fedl There can
be no question of simple burning, like
that Of coal in the CRATE, for there is no
source of supply adequate to the de-
mand.
The state of Pennsylvania, for in
stance, is underlaid by one of the richest
coal-helds Of the world, capable of sup
plying the consumption Of the whole
country at Its present rate for more than
l,000 years to come, II the source Of
the solar heat (whatever that isl were
withdrawn, and we were enabled to
carry this coal there and shoot it into
the solar furnace fast enough to keep up
the known heat supply, 50 that the solar
radiation would go on at just its actual
rate, the time which this coal would last
is easily caloulable II would not last
days or hours, but the whole of these
coal-beds would demonstrably be used
up in rather less than one one-thou-
sandth of second
| VIC unu ny nlInILar CALCULATION LQaJ II
the sun were itself one solid block Of
coal, it would have burned out to the
last cinder in less time than man ha,
certainly been on the earth. But dur
ing prehistoric times there has as surely
been no noticeable diminution of th'
SUMS heat, for the olive and the vim,
grow just as they did 5000 years ago
and the hypothesis Of an actual burning
becomes untenable. 1t has been sup
posed by some that meteors striking tn
solar surface might generate heat b,
their impact, just as cannon ball fre'
against an armor-plate causes a fash o
light, and heat so sudden and intens
as to partly melt the ball at the instan
Of conclusion. This Is probably req
source of heat supply 80 far as it goes
but 1t can not go very far; and, indeed
If our whole world should fell upon tn
solar surface like an immense pro
jecile, gathering speed as 1t fell, an
finally striking (as it would) with tn
force due to a rate Of over 800 miles
second, the hoat developed would sur
ply the sun for but little more tina
sixty years.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
CALIFORNIA; FRUIT.
Beneath the Vine and Plum-Tree-- Eus-
Oious Clusters and Globes Of Amethyss
f"Driven from Sea to Bea. W

Beneath the Vine and Plum-Tree- Eus-
Cious Clusters and Globes Of Amethyss
t'Driven from Sea to Sea."l
It has been said that the only thing
which over distanced q California grapo-
vine when oace it got down TO the busi-
ness of growing, is tho bean vine of
Jack the Giant Killer, known to our
childhood days; the one that Jack un-
dertook to climb to the top Of but
which grew faster than he could climb,
and so carrying him with 1t finally
reached clear up to the giants castle.
And such clusters of fruit as hang
dependent upon their stems, and grow
and ripen in the long sunny days of
September and October, when not a
cloud mars the blue of the sky for weeks
and weeks; clusters that look like pure
globes Of clear crystal; or that turn
purple and amber colored where they
hang among the broad, velvety leaves
that seem as if conscious Of the beauty
of the picture which they help to make
and which turn themselves sideways
upon their long stems, now hiding, now
disclosing the fruit in their midst
The California grapes shipped by re-
frigerRtor cara, and exposed for sale al
tho fruit stands in all our eastern cities
and which attract such universal atten
ton, give but O poor idea of Californis
grapes when plucked and eaten standing
beneath the vine in California, or sit
ting at easo at your own tablo, with tn,
sea or the mountains in sight through
the open window. Only the 'toughel
skinned or less luscious of the fruite o
all kinds will bear such long shipping
The finer and juicier and more luscious
varieties Of each must be eaten v.her
they are grown, or be sent to Q not dis
tant market.
California plums are wrapped In tissu
paper and sent east boxed up like,
oranges from Florida or the West Indies
and sold "a nickel apiece, or three for
dime," to people who buy them as
curiosity; or very rare treat. At hon
in California the children eat them q
children eat apples in New England
and the housewife DROP them int
liquid sugar and takes them ont grca
globes of pearl with centers of amethys'
Or she cuts them in halves, and, remoN
ing the pit, let's them dry in the sun
and stores them away in sacks an
boxes Just as she does figs and grape.
only that these latter are packed dow
hard when but little more than ha
dried, and before the rich juices ha'
Crystallized into sugar; and which, cate
as freely as bread is eaten, flushes Il
veins with rich blood that crimsons Il
checks of children and grown peop
alike in this land Of fruits and flower
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
Suggestions to Book COLLECTORS.


A few suggestions to book collectors"
may not be out of place here
Wide margins are to be desired In val
liable books and should not be cut, ey-
cept the top, which may be trimmed and
gilded for the preservation of the book
from floating dust
DO not, in opening book, suddenly
jerk Its covers back, as the back is liable
to crack.
Do not adopt one style of binding for
all your books.
Russia leather is no protection against
worms; instead 1t contains living ami
malcule and slowly rots and cracks
along the Joint.
Be careful not to drop book on the
floor, as the back, the spinal column Of
book, is easily injured.
Keep books from the fire.
Never fold down corners or wet your
fingers in turning over the pages of a
book.
Keep your books in glass -doored
case, where the dust, extreme heat and
cold OF room cannot affect them.
Treat books gently, for "books are
kind friends" " We profit by their ad.
vice, and they ask no confessions.
"The person who viii mutilate bool
not his own, or deface it by obscene
writing, is brute, wild beast, an as.
sassin,, and should be hunted beyonC
/ the pale Of human society with a pitch
| fork"
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03

New York Cor. Cincinnati Enquirer. !

il
Speaking of the Fifth avenue, the
loneliest place in this city is the Stewart
palace There is the usual display of
fashion on the pave of the Fifth avenue,
but it does not penetrate the darkened
windows and massive walls Of the grand
house. The latter stands back from the
street fully thirty feet, for Stewards 8
taste required q dignifed retirement.
Viewed in front the immense structure
appears like the abode of silence The
curtains are down and the broad porch
which graces Thirty-fourth street Is sell
dom entered till evening, and, in fact,
the vast establishment resembles a mau-
soleum.
What is to become Of it9 This is a
very interesting question. 1t is now o.
cupied by an old widow with her house
keeper and the servants. The former,
since her return from Saratoga, seldom
leaves the building, but the latter can
easily step out by the rear gate, for
they never uso the grand entrance.
Judge Hilton or Mr.. Libby frequently
makes each short call DR.. Marcy Ia
occasionally in, but these exceptions
hardly break the long moDotony. How
strange seems this house silence In the
very center Of fashionable activity In
the future disposition of this property
| Judge Hilton will probably inherit the
picture gallery, which contains some Of
the finest modern masterpieces, and
then the rest Of the immense estate viii
| probably go to Mr. SteWart's nieces, tht
Clinohes and other relatives. The pad
ace will be emptied by the auotioneer
and the splendid building will probably
become a club house.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
Pittsburg,s Natnral Gaa

It is asserted that the supply and use
Of natural gas by the city Of Pittsburg ia
so large that it promises TO revolutionine
some of the essential characteristics OF
that city. Many manufacturing estab-
hshments use it for fuel with the result
that very large portion Of the denae
smoke which for so many years ba
overhung and destroyed the teauty Of
the place has disappeared. Tho COST Of
this gas Is hxed at the same as the cost
Of coal used as fuel; but even at the same
price there is great economy. There
is no coal to be hauled, no ashes to b.
disposed Of, and perfect cleanliness takes
the place of the smoky atmosphere. The
use Of the new fuel being success both
in dwellings and manufactures, the
only question Of Importance that remait.S
is as to the duration OF the supply. Ey-
perts claim that there will be no mater
ial diminution in the next twenty yoara
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
Possibilities OF Cocaine.
1nAiauaDhlia Io,,rnal Intarviev5

Coca is another South American plant
which rejoicos in the dignihed name of
erythroxylon coca. Its active principle
is tho Alkaloid cocaine. The leaves of
the coca have long been used by the
South American Indian mountain-climb-
ers, who are said to do a prodigious
amount Of work with its aid. They chew
tho leaves with ashes, which heightens
the effect of the drug. It is wonder
ful stimulant, not an intoxicant. The
effect of chewing the leaves Is said to be
to retard the waste of tissue so that
much work can be done with little food
neither Is much liquid required under It's
influence. Unlike other exhilarants, It's
continued use does not produce any i'll
effects, and the Indians who habitually
use it live to old age
| Upon its introduction to the civilized
world, chemists went to work and found
that its virtues depended upon an aka
loid which they call cocaine, This aka
loid is considered one of the most re-
markable medical discoveries Of the CEN
tpry. In weak solution, introduced
few drops at time INTO the eye, 1t es-
tablishes complete .anasthesia Of that
organ, so that tho most difficult and
delicate operations of optical surgery
can be performed without pain to the
patient. This is better than ohloroform,
because moro reliable and without tho
ill-effects Of the latter This is the re-
port we get of it from abroad, whore 1t
has been tried, and from the most trust
worthy sources. 1t has not reached this
city yet
By the aid of cocaine thepain attend
ing operations of dental surgery will be
entirely vanished. Indeed, the problem
of local an@sthesia appears to have been
solved by the discovery of this alkaloid.
1t is anticipated that sciatica will also
yield to this new power. 1t is exceed
ingly expensive-80 cents grain, $29e
an ounce, 81, 500 a pound-but, like all
other discoveries, win grow cheaper.
remember when bromide of potash was
put up in ounce bottles and sold at 90
cents an ounce. 1t now sells at 2s tc
so cents pound Atropia, the active
principal Of belladonna, formerly sold
at 90 cents grain; it now sells at thai
much dram. / expect the day. is MOI
far distant when cocaine viii be cheaI
enough to be In active demand for do
mestic use in mashed fingers snC
stumped toes.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
Imagination Among the Humble.
TU{pa4nlo Tftu Tr,tz......


Those who look upon miners as plod-
ding, unimaginative race are greatly at
fault Speaking of lot Of rich speci-
mems of gold quartz from the Peabody
mine, The Nevada (Cal.) Transcript Of
last Saturday says Zone of them re-
sembled an eagle sitting on mountain
Of quartz. 1t weighed FIVE ounces, the
weight of the gold being estimated at
four ounces. J. Z. Brown paid SIS for
it, and will send 1t to friend in New
York state
We have never known an old placer
miner who had not found nugget or
chisps in which he could trace likeness
Of some bird, beast or reptile. They
are generally particularly strong in
eagles, Being very patriotic, the miner
makes an eagle out of every piece OF
gold that shows the semblance of wings,
though the specimen maylook more like
goose or sandhill crane. Besides
eagles the miners find fishes, frogs, tur
ties and the like, and have then
mounted as pins The more they lool
at these things the stronger becomes the
likeness In their eyes. 1t is like pictur
ing faces, castles and the like In tn,
clouds. The miner can make of his mug
got camel, weasel or a whale.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
"Bnide'' Business. 5.
["dath."


The word "snide," which has come
nto general use, like many slang words,
means moro than the nearest English
word to its meaning. There is the word
'Snod, from the provincial English,
which means sly, cunning, and is de-
rived from tho word 'snood," used in
fishing tackle and in the way artful
young misses tic up their hair 80 as to
tie the young mans heart within. The
word "sohnde," from Pennsylvania
Dutch, means the cut as applied to a
tailor, who is called ''sehnider," and
probably outs the cloth too short,
'Snide' is now applied to almost
everything manufactured which is under
luality. A ''snide' buggy is one loosely
constructed and painted up TO look well
out out Of which the. .spokes will fly driv-
ng around the sharp turns. A ''snide"
piano is one which has well-varnished
ease and brass axings, but with o harp
ike that In Tara's halls and 1t will soon
be mute.
There is scarcely liuD of business in
New York which has not It's ''snide"
/ 1ONObocS, lOu bob al ltuNtTLlb6IllOuJ
for the sale of furniture in private
house, all described. You 20 there, and
BY carefully provided lights of gas or
day you SEQ what seems beautiful, but
whom you hage bought 1t you are sur
prised to find the next day another ad-
yertisemont, and going there you will
End another set Of furniture like yours,
The selling of horses is another 'snide'
business here; you advertise for pair
Of horses of certain age, height and
style, and an answer comes from "a
gentleman" who wants to dispose Of his
horses before going to Europe or to
Florida
You are taken to stable, apparently
private stable, standing among certain
others belonging to gentlemen, and
when the horses are brought out Of the
half-hght there you arc asked to gel
in before the doors arc opened, and
when tho doors are opened the horses
arc touched up with tho whip and thoy
90 10 the park in style. But when yoJ
return the doors are closed Immediately
These horses, many of them, have thei
teeth filed to bring them down TO age
A few days after YOU have bought then
il you 20 back to tho same stable yol
win find another elegant pair read
10 be worked of on an unsuspectinI
public.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
UNWHoLEsoME eWEETe.
Authorizations of Candy 80 Chalk and
Starch Largely Employed.

Authorizations Of Candy - Chalh And
Starch Largely Employed.
interview with San Francisco CohdymAker)
'Do you believe that much OF tho
candy sold in this city is deleterious"
81 do. There is no Disgusting the
fact that chalk and starch enter largely
into the composition Of candy,
want you to distinctly understand
that | refer more especially to the
small traders, who cannot possibly
afford to make wholesome bonbon for
the prices at which they sell. The most
deleterious mixtures are those intended
for chewing They are made of wax and
ta'low, in which starch is largely intro
dEced. The quality required in this
class of candy Is their oapability to last.
Common sense will tell you that they
cannot possibly be made of good ma
terial. See how many Of those chewing
sticks can bo bought for cents and you
can judge for yourself Of their value.
Then those peppermint drops are
especially deleterious, as also arc all
heavily colored candies.
''The best candy coloring comes from
the town of Stuttgart, In Germany, and
mostly all the principal manufacturing
establishments in the world purchase
their colorB there. Scientific men are
employed to mix the colors, and 20 they
are perfectly innOcuous. Now, take for
example one Of these petty stores. They
have a great pot Of paint, in which they
poke beam of wood, drag out lump
of paint and mix into the mess upon
which they are working. This is tho
style Of manufacture which very
generally obtains among a certain class
of dealers. Then | must class among
the dangerous candies those styled cough
candies. A big refuse box Is kept in these
establishments, into which is thrown
broken candy and all manner of rubbish.
myself have seen the sweepings of the
floor thrown into the box. From this
conglomeration of nastiness Is manu-
factured that candy which is fondly be-
leved to cure cough and soothe an ir-
ritated throat"
What is the percentage sold in this
city of good candyf'
II do not think over so per cent. is
actually fit to- be eaten. But then the
manufactures Is not wholly to blame.
The consumer is always desirous of cut
ting down prices, though there is grad
ually being introduced into this
city superior class Of candy. il
would pay you were you *
stroll through some of these new
establishments and see the amount Of
work expended upon some Of the fancy
boxes and baskets. To give you an idot
! of the value of contectioner's service;
! will tell you that prominent New
York firm paid lately FrenchmaS
$500 for four days work, during whlcl
time he taught how to combine jellie
and fruit juices with candies" "
Have you any dull season In you
. business7P
: ave have. The dull season may b
said to last from June till September
That Is when tho schools are closed an
; the children have gone into the country
4 We look upon those few months as yer
( bad indeed for business"
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
HlAaoo Cure Of snoae B.sO.


The Times of India gives an account
of a native cure Of snake bite at Wal
keshwur. A Hindoo woman having
been bitten on the ankle, her husband
applied a bandage above the wound and
sent for a famous Indian specialist in
such matters The man recommended
The chicken Gura. Twelve live chickens
were brought TO the house and applied
to the wound one after the other All
of them died from the effects of the
poison, and two more were sent for;
these two lived, and the patient was de-
clared cured The matter having been
reported to the police, the woman WAS
removed TO hospital, but at the end
OF FIVE hours the doctor found no signs
of poisoning, and permitted her TO walk
home
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
Cleanlx RIO Janelro.

Rio de Janeiro, says an American
steamship captain, is now one of the
cleanest and most healthy cities know.
1t used to be one of the flthiest and
most unhealthy. When Dom Pedro
came hero in the centennial year, he
carefully studied the sanitary regula-
tions of American cities. He got his
ideas, and when he went home he put
them in practice. Rio de Janeiro is now
in constant state of securing and dis
injecting The most rigid sanitary
laws are in force The markets are not
allowed to be open after o'clock in the
morning, and they are kept as clean as
they possibly can be The tables are all
of marble, and the floor Is paved, SO that
the whole market can be thoroughly
washed every day. Dead beef is not al
lowed to be carried through the streets
on open wagons, but must be covered
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
Americas Wine Production,
NyhicAeD Herald

America promises to become the
greatest wine-producing country in the
world. Ten years from pow our annual
wine product will probaoIy amount to
1O0, 900, 900 gallons. Even thon the in
dustfy will be only in It's infancy. Cal
iforhia is great wine state, but as yet
she has cultivated very little of her
grape area. There are three great wine
centers in this country. The first is tho
Pacific slope, the second Is the Piedmont
region, or table-lands between the Allie
ghanies and the Blue Ridge, including
Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia and
parts of Kentucky and Tennessee, the
Indian territory, with large parts of
New Mexico, Arizona, Arkansas, Ken
bas, Texas, Missouri, Ohio and New
York. We have 100 acres adapted to
grapes for every ore acre that France
can show.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
A Highlander's Prudence.
IExchange.l

A Scotahman who had at an early
period Of his career came to London,
and, as is proyerbially the case with
folks of his nationality, had remained
in the metropolis, was at the bedside Of
his dying wife, who had originally come
from the Highlands and had alwaya
retained strange affection for the land
Of her birth. "Pronise me, Angus, :
said she, that you'll bury me in the
Hollands; ! could ne'er rest quiet down
here" "Weel," replied the prudent
Angus, who did not relish the expense
Of removing the body to Scotland
well, III just see. If find that W
Gamma rest quiet here III hae ye removed
to the HielandA."
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
Tender-Rearted Carlyle.



The crowds Of children growing up in
London affected Carlyle with real pain
Phese small plants, each with its head
just out of the ground, with whole life
ahead, and such a training Noticed
another trait, tool Scotch thrift show
ing itself in hatred of waste. If he saw
a crust of bread on the roadway he
would stop to PICK 1t up and put it on
stop or railing. Some poor devil might
be glad of it, or at worst dog or
sparrow. To destroy wholesome food
was sin. He was very tender about
animals, especially dogs, who, like
horses, If well treated, we're types of
loyalty and fidelity. Horrifed him
with story of my Oxford days. The
hounds had met at Woodstock. They
had drawn the covers without finding
a fox, and, not caring to have blank
day, one of the whips caught a passing
sheep dog, rubbed its feet with aniseed,
and set it to run. 1t made for Oxford in
It's terror, the hounds in full CRY behind.
They caught the wretched creature in a
field, and tore it 10 pieces ! never
saw Carlyle more affected. He said il
WAS Ike human soul flying for saliva
ton from legion of fiends.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
what ps.tance Did He rrnycl.
New York Journal.l

An army of men twenty five miles in
length starts to. walk fifty miles. At
the moment of starting an orderly starts
from his place at the extreme rear of the
column, with dispatches to the COM
manding officer, who is at the head Of
the column. Ho delivers the dispatches,
and starts back TO his place in the rear
again, and reaches there Just as the
army has completed its march of the
City miles, It is understood that the
orderly travels at uniform rate OF
speed. What distance did tho orderly
travel in all2
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-03
Ths Peasant aaa the Robser.
Detroit Free Press.l

A Peasant who had lost bis Purse
while Journoying upon the Highway
was Bewailing his Ill-Luck in the most
vigorous terms when Stranger stopped
forth from the Forest and said:
"How little cause you have for those
Lamentations Had you not lost your
Purse ] should have Robbed you OF it,
while it may now be found by an Hon
est Man, who will put the cash to good
use"
Moral-How few of us know when we
are doing real clever thing