davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11
A Coed thing.
I

On one occasion Mr.. Chasles Dickens
was upholding the theory that whatever
trials and difficulties might stand in a
mans path there is always something to
be thankful for. "Let me. in proof there
Of" said Dickens, "relate a story:
Two men were to be hung at Newgate
for murder. The morning arrived; the
hour approached; the bell of -. Sepul-
chre's began to toll; the convict> were
placed; the procession was formed; It ad-
vanced to the fatal beam; the ropes were
adjusted around the poor mems necks;
there were thousands III motley sigiltseers
Of both sexes, Of all ages. inen, women
and children. in front Of the scatfold;
when, just at that second of time, a bull
which was being driven 10 Smiih6eid
broke his rome, and charged the mob
right and left. scattering Tire people
everywhere with his horns. Whereupon
one of the condemned men turned to his
equally unfortunate companion. and
quietly observed: i say Jack, it's Il good
thing we Amt in that crowd
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11
RED HOT SKETCHING.
The Artistic Work That Can be Done
With a POker

"In l845," said a New York art dealer
TO & reporter, there lived in the City oil
Boston q worthless vagabond named
Halden, a man who had seen better days
he was an artist-had wonderful talent.
and during his periodical sprees would
devote himself to bis peculiar work
though be was never known to do any
thing while sober. Halden's portraits
we're the best specimens of his art, and
they we're marvels of correctness. They
were generally burned on a thin board of
bird's-eve maple with a red hot poker of
the ordinary shape, after which they re-
ceived two coats of varnish which was
put on to preserve them, and set in deep,
heavy frames.
"He called them Poker Sketches and
on the back of each was burned this in
scription: This sketch was burned with
a poker-Halden, sculpsit.'
His likenesses were striking, and the
three OF them o In existence, although
executed from memory, are perfect in
every respect. He had seen Webster ONLY
once in his life, but the portrait which
he burned with his hot poker has been
pronounced one of the truest likenesses
ever seen of the great statesman. Web
ster's strong features and dark complex
ion admirably suited the character OF the
work, which has a peculiar brown appear.
ance when finished.
"His picture of Clay is owned by his
banker friend, who also once owned the
other two, but presented them to some
Southern friends. One of them, Shak-
speare, il in the possession Of Francis
FOntaine, Commissioner of Emigration
of Georgia. Webster was presented to n
humorous writer of the same State, and
now hangs In his parlor, an object of
wonder and admiration to visitors.
Poker sketches are durable and will
last for centuries. In doing them il is
literally a case Of burn while the iron is
hot One mistouch of the poker ruins
the board; there l. no erasure. no wjping
out. A board 80 spoiled. the only remedy
Is to begin on another and do the whole
thing over again.
ut is wonderful to see the variety Of
shades and colors which may be produced
by this burning process. After the ap.
plicatiOn of the varnish it more resembles
oil work than anything else, and the
deception is so complete that a touch Of
the finger is required to remove it. The
indentures may ne plainly felt with the
hand. 1t may seem strange that this art
has never developed. ont probably there
are few people who would care to sit over
a ire-pot all day and continually suffer
from burned fingers for the sake of art
ol1,ov
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11
hctorts.

A Cat and an Irishman are always
ready. If puss falls from any height,
she lands on her feet, and Pat never sees
a word coming that he does not .'coun-
ter" it with q better one. "Whst are
you building there9' asked a stranger in
London of an Irishman making mortar
in front of Cardinal Manning's Pro Ca
tbedral.
"a church, yer honor"
ooh! a church, OF what denomina-
tion?"
"Of no denominatin at all yer honor;
it's the holy Roman Catholic church"
I'm very sorry To hear it,"
"Yes, sor, that's what the devil says"
answered Pat. as he resumed his work.
"Tll not give you anything, but I'll
lend YOU a shilling" sai1 q gentleman to
an lrishman who had just driven him to
the station.
"Ah thin. may yer honor live till | pay
We" was the quick answer
A beggar woman, with a mass Of red
hair, was soliciting aims from r stage
coach full Of passengers. Some rude
persons called out then, "Foxy head,
foxy head"
May you never see the dyer" she re-
torted.
Go to the devil!' shouted an irate
passenger, as another woman persis'ently
asked for a penny.
"Ah.tbin it is q long journey yer hon
or is sending US; may be yer going to
give Us something to pay our expenses
on the road"
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11

serves TO keep them cool. The cotton is
now Ditrated and Is practically gun cot
ton, but The acid. still mechanically held.
must be wholly removed or il would be
apt to quickly deteriorate and become
extremely dangerous. The charges.
therefore, are taken one by one and
placed IN an acid wriuger and plunged
into a large tub which is kept filled with
running water, in which a large wheel is
rapidly turned in order to subject the
cotton to a thorough washing.
This latter process is continued till no
acid is p~erceptible to the taste. Ii is then
subjected to a still further washing and
boiling in an alkaline mixture, this being
necessary 10 remove every trace of acid.
The cotton is now in long shreds and balls,
which can be used or stored without dan
ger, the processes Of conversion and
cleansing being completed, but for mill
tary use it must he put into a more com-
pact form. For this purpose the gun-cot-
ION in charges of 300 pounds is thrown
into a pulping tub, where, mixed with
water. it is ground by steel cutters into a
tine pulp.
The grinding and breaking up Of the
ccituldI tierut Oh the cOltOD has maue IL
more or less dirty. and il is necessary,
therefore, 10 expose it to frequent wash
ings in the poaching tubs, from which,
after treating it with lime water to make
the moisture slightly alkaline, it is drawn
up into a large iron tank, where it is fed
to the molds, which under a moderate
pressure, press the water from the pulp
and trim out cylinders of cotton about
eight inches high and three and a half
inches in diameter. These cylinders are
then placed under a hydraulic press and
exposed to a pressure of about 100
pounds to the square inch or about eight
tons on each.
The cylinders are pressed into hard
dakes or disks, some two inches high and
three and a half inches in diameter, with
a specific gravity u little greater than
water. They are then packed in boxes
of fifty pounds each and kept IN maya
zines for general use. Gun-cotton is,
from its great explosive power and the
conditions of safety attached 10 it's
storage, superior TO any other known ex-
plosive for naval warfare.
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11

John Ruskin, in Nineteenth Century,
says: There is another difference in the
wool of a Waverly novel from the cob
web Of a modern one which depends on
SCOTS larger view of life. -.
Marriage is by no means, in his con-
ception of men and women, the most i'm
portant business of their existence; nor
love the only reward to be proposed to
their virtue or exertion. 1t is not in
his reading Of the laws of Providence a
necessity that virtue should, either by
love or any other external blessing, be
rewarded at all; and marriage is in all
cases thought of as a constituent of the
happiness of life; but not rs its only in
terest, still less its only aim.
And upon Analysing with some care
the motive of its principal stories, we
shall often find that the love in them is
merely a light by which the sterner
features of character are to be irradiated,
and that the marriage of the hero is as
subordinate to the main bent of the
inc is to the battle of Agincourt. Nay,
the fortunes of the person who is nomi-
nally the subject of the tale, are often
little more than a background on which
grander figures are to be drawn, and
deeper fates foreshadOwed.
The judgments between the faith and
chivairy of Scotland at Drumclog and
Boutwell, bridge little to their inter
est, In the mind of a sensible reader, to
the fact that the captain of the POpin-
Jay is carried prisoner to q battle, and
returns a prisoner from the other; and
Scott himself, while he watches the
white sail that bears Queen Mary for the
last time from her native land, very
nearly forgets to finish his novel, or tell
us-and with small sense of n conso-
lation to be had u of that minor cir
cumstance-tbat ROLAND and Catherine
were united in spite of their differing
faiths"
Neither let it be thought for an in
| slant that the slight aud sometimes
| scornful glance with which. Scott passes
| over scenes which a novelist of our own
day would have analysed with the airs
of a philosopher and painted with the
curiosity of a gossip, indicate any alb
sence in his heart of sympathy with the
great and sacred elements of personal
happiness.
An era like ours, which has with dill
gence and ostentation swept his heart
clear of all the passions once known as
loyalty, patriotism and plety, necessarily
magnifies the apparent force of the one
remaining sentiment which signs through
the barren chamber or clings inextrica.
bly, round the chasms of ruin; nor can it
but regard with awe the uncOnquerable
spirit which still tempts or betrays the
sagacities or selfishness into error or
frenzy which is believed to be love. IS.
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11
A Reminfscence OF Carlyle.
Revlew.l


1t was amusing to see how impatient
be was of correction from his wife, aad
yet he would take correction from mine
like a lamb. He was talking on one oc-
casion with a distinguished nobleman
about Herat. He pronounced it wrong
ly, He>rat. My wife was an active list
ener L was conversing with Mrs. Car
lyle about a paper of mine that had pe-
Gently appeared in Household words, on
'The Buried City of Ceylon," when I
heard Carlyle say to my wife, "You seem
interested in our conversation"
Il can not quite make out what city
you are talking about" said she.
"Why, do you not know He>rat, on
the western confines Of Afghanistan and
the eastern of Persia, that diplomatists
are so much interested in just nowf"
ooh, you mean Herat>," said she:
that's quite a different thing. Nobody
calls it He>rat."
He accepted the correction without q
murmur, and for the rest of the
evening spoke of the city as Herat.
On another occasion he quoted wrong.
ly from the Bible: as thy servant Z
dead dog to do this thing9" cit is not
a dead dog, Carlyle" said his wife-sbe
spoke with a burr on the r, Karrlyt;
1t is not a dead dog, Carlyle, but .
dog-"Is thy servant a dog to do
this thingf' Carlyle heard her pa
tiently to the end, and a little after
took occasion to repeat his misquotation
quite grayely, as thy servant a dead
dog TO do this thing?' His wife. like Q
prudent woman did not hear it.
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11
Our
Boston C~ourier.l


These are our acquaintance whose
names we do not know; the many per-
sons with whom we are more or less con-
cerned, day after day, week after week,
or ever year after year, yet in whose
places in the great circle of humanity
we have not sufficient interest, even for a
moment to have considered by what
names they are known. Let any man
reflect a little and he will become con-
scious that a goodly proportion of all
those with whom he is upon noddiDg or
speaking terms belongs to this category
or but Just escape it.
We have all of us u strong likes and
dislikes in regard To c-Ountenances which
are familiar, vet really are those of alb
solute strangers. We ride day after day
in the cars with a man whom we would
gladly order to execution simply from
the obiectionability of his personal APP
pearance; or we pass on the street every
afternoon a woman whose physiognomy
entities her, in our opinion, to %canoniza-
ton. In either case the sentiment IN
regard to the face is so definite and gen.
uine a. to exercise IN influence upon our
character and temperament, yet we in
reality know nothing whatever concern
ing these people who thus change our
lives.
A third class of semi-acquaintance are
the many people whom We know, more
or less we'll, through report; of whom we
have heard anecdotes md facts of differ
emit sorts, and for VIII m we have built
no a character from a single character
istic, as a comparative anatOmist con-
structs a skeleton from = single bone.
This host of beings is pretty largely inn
~aginary, vet in each there is something
oil truth and reality which binds him to
earth and classes him with mOrtals. The
human family is large, but each of us is
exposed to influence from all the other
member Of IL.
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11
SHORT TALKs WITH THE BOYS.

Fifteen or twenty of you boys get on
your old clothes, and come with me into
the paint factory, and We will learn some
secrets worth knowing.
To begin with. what is white lead,
which is the basis of nearly all paints?
Don't know"
1t would be odd if you did. Now and
then you may find some one to tell you
that the same lead you mold into bullets
il the white lead you see in the paint
pots. but you will ask a great many peo-
pie before you find one to explain the
process of manufacture. Let US follow
it out.
Iron is melted into what is called
pigs" for shipment, and for convenient
use. 1t is the same with lead, only the
'pigs" are not as large and heavy. The
first step in the manufacture is to cor
rode the lesd. We will take what is
called the cold Dutch process" because
that makes the best article. The pigs"
are tossed into a melting furnace, and
when reduced to a liquid state the metal
is drawn off into molds which are called
"buckle molds." The lead thus nodded
is called a buckle" being a little round
cake nearly as large as a saucer but
not SO thick, and perforated in many
places.
These "buckles" are carried by an end
less belt and dropped into earthen jars of
is a small quantity of acetic acid. When
| a jar is full Of buckles" which have
been dropped in without regard to order,
it is removed to the ~corroding house.
Here the jars are placed in a row, GOV.
| cred by boards. the boards covered by
two inches of tanhark, and then another
| course of Jars is added until all the room
is taken up. There is nothing more to
| do for ninety days except to wait. The
acid at once begius it's work on the
buckles" and corrosion is the result.
| 1t isn't the acid direct. bnt.its fumes, and
the perforations of which | spoke
| permit the fumes TO get at all parts of
| the little cake.
At the end Of ninety days the lead
shoIld be eorroded. The buckles" are
then blsashed out until they look like
crackers. and viii cramble to pieces at
the touch The same acid which BIAS be-
friended Us III .hs coFrosion is rov our
worst enemy, and must be got Tic OF.
Haven't you rubbed your hand along
the clapbosrds Of = house and found Is
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11

It is not generally known that there il
but one place in the United States where
gun cotton Is manufactured, but such is
the case. This il ut the torpedo station in
Newport Harbor.
In the manufacture of gun cotton the
best cotton waste and the strongest and
pureat nitric and sulphuric acids are used
for the explosive. The cotton waste. after
it has been handpicked for the purpose OF
removing the dirt and grit, il placed IN
boiling tanks, where it is allowed to re
main for four hours. IL Is afterwards
subjected 10 = thorough washing aud i
reboiled. Transportation removes all oily
matter and leaves the Gotten harsh and
stif. IL. ia then dried in the rooms
heated with the waste air from a drying
box.
After undergoing this treatment the
cotton rolls up into snarls and punches,
and in order that the acid may have a
freer aceess 10 il is passed through a
shredder and converted into n fluffy state.
IL is aftsrvsrd exposed in an air tight
box for aeveral hours to q temperature OF
200 degrees which practically deprives it
of al moieeaEe- From the alright box
il il removed 10 the dipping room, where
there are iron troughs filled with one
part nitric acid and two parts of sulphur
ic acid. Ipto these troughs the cotton is
placed. one bundle sc q time. and allowed
% remei1 sbeut Ten minutes, long enough
f0e it to Be- thoroughly soaked. The acid
4 hand-pseueed from the cotton. which Is
then pl1eed IA covered earthen jars,
where it ,nmains .t~wenty-fonr hours
undsfgo5nx chemical Transformation.
In viaW .Qf the fact that much beat Is
evolved dusingtk rrac.i un, 1t il found
oecenQKY ~ place the jau In pots and
mszoul Eit4 flowing water. which
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11
vaIued Coundentinl Clerk.


49,"
Iheard Of a clerk once in a dry goods
store who was smart and quick and a
splendid manager, and all that, but he
got uppity and biggoty, and put on eon-
s~equentaI Mrs until he was very disagree
able, and he took occasion to say to his
associates hat the concern couldn't pos
sibly get along without him. So the old
RentIeman, who was the senior partner.
called him in the Office one dsy, and
says he;"Mr. jenkins, you have been
very efficient, and we appreciate your
services, bat i hear that you have re-
peatedly asserted that if you were to die
the concern couldn't possibly survive it,
and this has worried me no little, for
you, like all men, are liable to die very
unexpectedly and so we have concluded
20 experiment while we are in health,
and zee il the concern will survive.
So you will please consider yourself
dead for . year, and We will try it,"
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11

fBurdette.1


"Mr. Smartman, that wretched dog a
yours digs and scratches In nv psrdes
all day, chases my hens till they csni
lay and then hOwls and barks the live
long night"
"Oh, well, tie him up, then, IL he an
noys you. / don't hear him. Haven't
time to look after him myself, but il be
bothers you, tie him up"
Three days later, Mr.. Smartmsn hss
been hunting high and low for his dog
the past forty-eight hours
"Slowboy, ] can't find my dog any-
where. Has he been about your place.
Certain. He's in my barn now. You
told me to catch him and tie him up."
Smartman goes into the barn and finds
his dog tiled up to a rafter fourteen
feet from the floor by a piece of rops
five feet long. Tableau, with red FIRE
and slow curtain.
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11

1--WE will suppose that the husband l.
bringing the suit. His lawyer immedi-
ately strikes him for a $50 bill. This l.
before any thing is done. No money, no
divorce. Then as soon as the papers
have been served on the wife her lawyer
applies TO court for u rule compelling the
husband to pay him $50, too.
The court accedes to this as q matter
of course, and the rule is always made
absolute. By this time the proceedings
have cost the libelant 800. Formerly
the legal fee on each side was S35, and
he could have got thus far for $40; but
thank Heaven, under the new rules the
price has besn raised. Then the court
appoints q master or examiner to take
testimony. He hears all the witnesses
and gets ct the facts. His fee is $25 for
the frat meetisg and SO a meeting after
that. Two or three meetings usually
suffice.
/ forgot to cay that before this the
Sheriff had had his dig at the ~litigants in
the shape of SO fee for serving the papers
90 the respondent. Then, when the de-
cree is made. the libelant pays $40 for it
and the whole thing is made a matter
of record by the Prothonotary, who, for
that little service, gets IS. This makes
$40, provided that the master has
but one hearing. Two would usually be
necessary, and this makes the grand total
of$153. ~
How about contested divorces, you
AJAX? All" said the lawyer, rubbing hi:
hands with glee and putting on his best
smile, nov you strike a rich vein. I'm
fortunately for us, the majority of di-
vorces are not contested, as both sides
are only too wiling to get clear of each
other. But a good contested case that
involves jury trial of several days,
and perhaps a week or two, viii run the
husband, perhaps, into a few thousand
uOIIXh. a..
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11
A ON ans small House.
lEIla Rodman church,

lEitt Rvuihtu OuuiCuI
The small houses that men build are
not tasteful; they always build a row Of
them which look rs if they had been cast
in q mould, and are utterly lacking in
the way of finish. A woman's small
house would be sure to have a fine en-
trance, TO which a diminutive house has
quite as good a right as a large one; it
would also be convenient, and pleasant.
throughout its length and breadth;
dainty. unexpected touches that would
make it a sort of poem in brick and
mortar.
Penty of people are craving just such
a house as this; and, therefore, victory
seems perched in advance on the ban
ners of the woman who shall dare and
do ii.
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11
Merchant Traveller ]

The next one is on Mr.. johnson. He
was arguing . case before Judge Storer,
and there arose some Interruptions and
the talking became general. be'
"There's too much talking In the court
room" said the couT. warningiy and
with irritation.
81 haven't been saying s~sything, Your
Honor" replied Edgar. taking the cen
sure to himself.
II beg your pardon. Mr.. J~ohnsoo." re-
spondec the Judge politely. "hut | have
been aware Of that fact for the last hour
or more"
The argumsst closed shortly after.
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11
FAITH.

With constant faith surprising doubt
stand and watch the tide 90 out
That twill ON back I Say 20 you
l do not know. and yet do.
AZ eventide I see the day
Put night on guard and 20 away.
Will morning come the mIsts 70 wco'
I do not kno~, and yet / do
I see the sere thst sutums bring.
will verdue come with waking spring.
Nv faith alone can answer ue-
I do not know, aud yet l do
We see our loved nes droop and die.
Hath Heaven . brighter life on high
Il death the vale that leads therefor
I do not know. and set do.
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11

A woman of fortune recently had all
her child's slips, skirts and tiny shirts
made of Chinese wsshing-ilk and pongee
fabrics, but not an article Of the outfit
was in any y trimmed. The fabrics
used were all of the best. but no "trip
peries were allowed. With the exception.
however, of the christening robe of
.sursh, the barrie cost, aud the long cloak
of white cashmere. all of which were
handsomely embroidered.
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11

A deaf family in New Hampshire has
been traced TO the fourteenth century in
England, and in all that time has regu.
larry shown n succession Of deaf mutes.
Ia Maine there iss family in WHICH
there are ninety-fve deaf mutes, all Of
them connected by blood or marriage:
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11
DEcErrFuzNEss.

Before his flock he spoke sbortthe poor
And freely Wept.
At home with misery at has very door.
He calmly slept.
His congregation thought: How good man.
And shared his tears
Hn CHARITY went no farmer than
The peoples ears.
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11

Russia has a continuous territory un.
paraheled by any other state in the world.
Stretching from the Baltic 70 Behring
Straits, it isa few hours journey from
Berlin on the n hand. and on The 9th
er almost touches the territory of the
United States. The Cars empire reaches
nearly half round the world Hanboldt.
to present it fairly to The imagination of
his readers, had ~ 60 10 the heavens for
his parable, ior ir compared lis extent
to that OF the visible face Of the moon.