davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25
An Odd Animal,

The armadillos are the mail-clad war
rors of nature; and the most completely
armored of the whole odd family of arm
adillos is beautiful ornamentcd little
fellow called by the naturalists Tolv-
pentes, and by the Brazilians ''bolita. "
''Bolita" means ''littlc ball." and the
armadillo was SO named because it ha,
the power of rolling itself up into the
shape of ball Its various shields are
SO arranged that when the bolita rolls
itself up it makes a perfect ball of hard
shell.
n traveller in Brazil tells of watching
some lite children at play tossing a
large ball, about the size of a foot ball.
When they were tired of the game they
threw the ball on the ground, and to his
surprise it turned into an animal, and ran
hastily away. 1t was one of these little
armadillos.
The same traveller says that he has seen
these animated balls used by little
child in playing with a kitten. The
game may have annoyed the bolita, but
it could not have caused it any injury,
because of the perfect protection afford
ed by its armor.
1t has need of all the protection it
can have, for it lives in land where
the mischievous monkey is plenti-
full. Anybody who has seen monkeys
teasing each other. will be able to gain
some idea of the torment the slow -witted
armadiilo must undergo as it is passed
from one to another of party of mon
keys. When Tolypentes is set upon by
the frolicsome monkeys. however, it sud-
denly curls up, and is safe within itself
The Daff1ed tormentors turn it over, look.
ing in great astonishment for the tai
they know must be there. If fTolypentes
had any sense of humor, he would Ger.
tainly laugh heartily within mis- shell al
the chattering, grinning crowd.
AS the bolita, like the other armadillos
burrows in the earth, it has forefeet suit
able for that work. Its toes are armed
with long and hard claws, which enable
it to dig with wonderful quickness. In
stead of walking upon the fiat part of it!
front feet, the bolita walks upon the tip.
of its toes, and in doing so looks comic
ally dainty and mincing. At the sam,
time it can move with considerabl.
swiftness.
The aramadillos live only in Soutl
America, and are all small in size com
pared to the gigantic armadillo tina
lived ages ago. The largest now living
is not more than three feet long, Will,
that of former ages was as large as big
dining -table.-St. Nicholas.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25
FACTS FOR THE CURIOUS.

The longest Legitimate word in the
English language is disproportionablc.
ness.
colleges, there were movable stocks for
the correction of the servants.
1t is stated as a curious circumstance
that sheep placed on Key West island
lose their wool the second year.
It was formerly the custom in England
to make people convicted of perjury
wear papers, while undergoing punish
ment, descriptive OF their offence.
''Punch and Judy'' is a contraction
from Pontius and Judas. 1t is relic of
an old 'miracle play" in which the
actors were Pontius Plate and Judas Is
CARROT.
It is popularity of the Rcd River
Valley that often pure water is found at
depth of a few feet, and a few rods
away at the same depth the water will
used.
Pigs have been known TO live to the
age of twenty, and the rhinoceros to
twenty nine. A horse has been known
to live to the age of sixty-two, but aver
ages twenty y-ive to thirty. Camels some
times live to the age of 100; stags arc
very long lived; sheep seldom exceed
the age of ten; COWS live about fifteen
years.
plant allied to the lilies of-the val
ley, the Convallaria polygonatum, is a
remarkable traveller. Every year Q knot
forms upon its root, and these knots drag
the plant about an inch annually from
its original position, SO that in a period
of twenty years the plant will have trav-
! e'ed about twenty inches from its first
location.
A Mexican historian makes a new at
tempt to show that America was discov-
cred in the fifth century, A. d., by a
party of Buddhist monks from Afghanis-
tan, of whom one, Hwui Shan, returned
! to Asia after an absence of forty one
! years. A short account Of the land which
he visited, supposed to be Mexico, was
included in the official history of China.
| There is proof that Hwui Shan actually
| visited some unknown Eastern region,
and the traditions of Mexico contain an
account of the arrival of monks.
The oldest bank note probably in ex
istence in Europe is one preserved in the
| Asiatic museum at St. Petersburg. 1t
dates from the year 1899 B. c. and was
issued by the Chinese government. 1t
can be proved from Chinese chroniclers
that as early as 2697 B. c. bank notes
were current in China under the name Of
''fying money" The bank note pre-
1 served at.St. ePetesshurgfb besIrs-4 hes name
Of the Imperial Bank, date and number
of issue, signature Of a mandarin, and
contains even list of. rpunishments
Of 4, 900 years yea ago is probably Written, 4,
is said to have been introduced in China
only in the year 100 A. D. = i.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25
Shooting Falls on a Lumber Raft.

The raft was 100 feet long, twenty
four feet wide and contained about 10O,-
900 feet of lumber. The middle was
piled up with laths and other small lum-
Der, by which deck considerably above
the rest of the raft was formed and a
large space at each end left clear for
working her. The steering apparatus
consisted of two large planks, one at
each end, no less than forty feet long,
used as. sweeps, and two immense oars,
both piled at the stern. The raft was
moored we'll out in the stream, and a
single cable was all that held her to the
shore. We had to wait short time,
SO as to arrive at Bangor at high tide,
but soon the hour had come; and almost
before l knew it, we rapidly left behind
the dock and the houses of the town. 1
knew that we must be gliding along at
high rate of speed, by the way we
passed the trees and rocks along the
shore, yet to look down into the water
there seemed 10 be hardly any motion at
all. And here l learned that raft runs
much more swiftly than the current; for
sometimes in order to follow the channel
we were forced to make a run transverse
ly across the river, passing in our course
floating sawdust, chips and logs. Soon
we came in sight of Orono Falls, and
| began to be a little uneasy, and to
wonder how much terror l should feel
in the descent of them. We had on
board, beside our crew of four men and
myself, Frenchman who was taking
this means of transit to Bangor as being
cheaper than the railroad, and who had
been for some time sitting near the mid
die of the raft with his feet hanging over
the side. ''That feller will leave that
place pretty quick, now you bet," ex-
claimed Bill, the manipulation of the big
stern oar, .,and, as he spoke, the foremost
end of the huge floor laid over the brink,
bent down until the middle was doubled
up like:esRhale's back, and then straight
eMing itself out stretched precipitously
down before you. The water plunged
over the forward deck and amidst sea
of binding spray, the Frenchman came
bounding past us, safe and dry in our
elevated position, and catching. up his
capacious valise on the way, landed
squarely on the after-deck, up to his
knees in water, still holding his grip
sack firmly in his hand Of course
everybody was heartily amused at this
incident, but the amusement was of short
duration, as it required the united eff
forts of all the crew to tend the raft
which was now careening along with a
frightful velocity. One year a raft run
by our crew struck on ledge and not q
single trace of its former shape remained,
while the unfortunate occupants reached
shore as best they could. Last year a
raft carrying large party was wrecked
| on pier just below the sluice, and all
had to be taken off in boats. s.-Lewiston
! (INe. J Journal.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25
SOMETHING SURE.

"What a pity nothing ever
Has beauty that will stay!"
Said our thoughtful little Nellie.
Stopping briefly in her play.
cali these velvet pansies withered-
And picked them just to-day!''
"And there's nothing very certain"
Answered Bess, with face demure;
"When it rains we can't go driving
wish promises were truerI
could rest, if were certain
Of a single thing that's sure |"
Grandma smiled from out her corner,
Smoothing back soft gray tress;
Sixty seconds makes minutel
Did you know it, little Bess
Sixty minutes make an hour,
Never more, and never less.
"For the seconds in a minute,
Whether full of work or fun,
Or the minutes in an hour,
Never numbered sixty -onci
That is one thing that is certain
Ever since the world begun.
Though the rosa may lose its crimson,
And the buttercup its gold,
There is something, through all changes
You may always surely hold;,,
Truth can never lose its beauty,
Nor it's strength, by growing Old
julio P. Ballard, IN Our Little Ones.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25

with affectionate esteem. We have al
ready adjusted the unpleasant affair with
the agent, Mr. Dolitel, and you may be-
gin your duties in the mandatory as
soon as you deem most convenient to
yourself"
And then the prepossessing old gentle
man released the charmingly embar-
rassed Rachel, and so betook his benign
and satisfied self away.
ga friend in need is friend indeed"
Kit quoted with mischievious glance
toward his amazed and delighted
maiden sister.
'Do tell her how grateful we all are
to her, Kit" came family from the dark
ened room where the invalid mother had
been sleeping rcstfully until awaked by
the deep lass tones OK their benefactor.
At the bidding, and with a strangely
commingled sense of hesi; ancy and eager
ness, he followed Rachel, who had
already rctreatcd to her own apartment.
AS he paused on the threshold, he be-
held her bending over the great green
parrot which, with look of almost hu-
man intelligence was peering at the
sweet flushed face all wet with tears.
"Poer pet" she was saying; ''and you
are all have"
But the words-few and hushed and
simple-wcre eloquent of her utter lone
illness, OF her womanly capacity of affec-
ton, and of her nobler capacity of scrv-
ing friend in need.
With couutenancc agitated by ten
derness no longer comfortable, Kit moved
to her side
'You have more than this, Rachel, 81
he began, huskily. ''You have what
might have be II yours long ago, had you
not been too shy to listen to tho Plead.
ings of my love for YOU"
She lifted her beautiful calm eyes and
smiled; the sweet lips trcmbled with
some magic utterancc, and then he drew
her to his heart and covered the fair face
with happy kisses.
'sOur friend in need is to be yet dearcl
to us, MOTHER" Kit announced, as he led
Rachelto the bedside of the convalescent,
''Rachel is to be your daughter"
Miss Maud Kayne was ELUSIVE with
her congratulations, but she did not long
remain a resident of the Palladium flats
She complained that her neighbors had
become too unsociable for her exceed
ingly sympathetic soul, and that they
had become disagrecably curious abou
a certain expensive purchase which sh'
had somehow failed to consummate; anC
so she decided to transfer herself to ;
more congenial place of abode.-Etti
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25
The Effect of Snuff on Deer.

The Duke of Athole had recently as
guest a Frenchman who was desperately
anxious to shoot a stag. He shot at
many, but with one unvarying result,
that when he opened his eyes the animals
had disappeared; but one happy day a
herd flew past him; he fired and a
monarch of the glen fell. The counts
JOY was extreme. He ran forward, seated
himself on the PROSTATE body of the stag
and sympathetically condo'ed with him
on his misfortune to be shot. "WeH,
mon ami, SO you are dead! Poor fellow?'
ne cried, and having stroked the defunct,
proceeded to take some snuff. With an
air which nature has denied to all but the
French nation, the count held pinch of
snuff to the deer's nose. ''Take pinch.
mon ami-take pinch!' he exclaimed,
and in moment found himself all iffss:d
heap on the ground. Whether4thc deer
had been stunned, shot through the loins
or in some other way temporarily dis
abled does not appear; but, revived by
the snuff, he sprang to his legs and
bolted. 'Stop, traitor, stop" cried the
count; but the stag never needed; and
SO, consigning the beast to regions re-
mote, the poor count returned sorrowful
and stagless to dinner. -Edinburg Scots
NlGH. ~
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25
Narcotic Plants.

: InsSTick's Floral Magazine we read of a
flower which creates laughter. Itgrows
in Arabia; the flowers are of q bright
yellow and the seed resembles smaA
black beans. These are dried by the ma
tives and pulverized, and it is said that
small doses make a person behave like a
circus clown or madman, for he will
dance, sing and laugh most boisterously,
and carry on in a ridiculous way for an
hour. The stage of excitement is fol-
lowed by exhaustion and sleep.
This reminds us of an experiment we
made many years ago. We had seen Pro-
fessor James R. Buchanan experimenting
with pulverized herbs by placing them
in the palms of the hands of class of
medical students. While they sat in a
sort of expectant mood, waiting for
something to turn up and holding va
rious powdered herbs in closed fists,
every now and then some of them would
tell of the symptoms which were being
produced upon him. 1t was to us then
new and surprising revelation that
medicines could thus act without being
taken into the stomach, and we are not
yet fully satisfied as to the way they act
under such circumstances. But having
seen Professor Buchanan's experiments
we were led to try it ourselves on a cou-
pie of boys about seventeen years of age.
Powdered Cannabis Indica from the same
plant which gives hasheesh, narcotic
used by the natives of India, was placed
in one hand of each of the boys, while
they sat quietly waiting to see what
would turn up. One of them soon COM
menced to litter and then to laugh bois-
terously, and soon he became SO hilarious
with excitement that we thought best to
take the drug away from him. He soon
sobered down. During the period of ex-
element we tried to get him to say why
he was carrying on in such way, but
he was utterly unable to give any ex'
planation for it other than he simply fell
that way. The other boy quietly nodded
off to sleep in his chair.
This experiment illustrates two i'm
portant things: first, that medicine Can
exert an action in this curious manner
and second, that a medicine viii
act differently on different persons
according to temperament or idi
osyncracy, or susceptibility. what
ever you choose to call it. Furthermore
it may be remarked that both the exhil
irating and the supplying results OBJ
served in these cases are known to be the
effects of hasheesh upon the human sys
tenn when taken internally. - Health
Monthly.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25
Orange Blossoms.

George" said a country young lady
to her beau as they snuggled into seat,
''it's nice to ride on the cars. amt it?"
eyes, Sarah"
''George, if you were going to travel a
long ways on the cars where would you
rather go ?'
"To Chicago or California. Where
would you rather go ?''
''To Florida, by all MEANS"
"Why %
''Be-because, you know, George, be-
cause-bccause in Florida they have so
many orange blossoms, you know"
On the return trip they sat still closer
together, and she laid her pretty head
upon his big shoulder. He must have
taken the hint Chicago Herald.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25
,r MAN WHO BUILDS A HOME

he hurrying host e'er crowds enc '""'
With plaudit and acclaim
D WELD its honor to the man
| who makes himself name.
,dced. all honor should be MS
That people can bestow:
"a name-fair and sweet it is,
In Iuhappiness or woe.
Int praise where 'tis deserved the most
Is crudgingly bestowed,
through earth's troubles rush life's host,
With light or heavy load.
.,s man who highest praise deserves,
Meath heavens eternal dome,
he who neer from duty swerves,
And makes a happy home.
home. Not merely four strong walls.
To turn the wolves away,
TO rest within till grim Death calls
Unto a brighter day;
But such home as hearts may love,
And live and bloom within,
Rejecting joys from heaven above,
And never knowing sin.
The man who builds a home like thi>
Is greater far than he
Whose wealth would waken sensuous bliss,
Whose name fills land and sea.
His wealth may flee, his name go down;
But homes with hearts of love
kyin keep through ages their renown
As echoes from above.
Then hail the man who builds a homo
While lingering on the earth;
or when he secs heavens gilded dome
twill whisper of his worth.
n be " ho builds home in which
He nohly lives and dies
Vii find find its counterpart a niche
Awaiting in the skies.
lar Nar6le, in Youths Companion.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25

A German scientist has drawn atten-
ton to the fact that the Sutlej, one of
the great streams of British lnola' IS
probably the swiftest large river In the
world, having descent OF s,oOO 1ees
in 1SO miles, an average OF about sixty
seven feet per mile.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25

The total value of orchard products in
this country in 1880 amounted to $47.,
49,, 189.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25

There is something wrong within
among all those who are afraid to Ioek
within.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25
Un.brellas as Common Property.

"Pardon me, sir, but think you are
carrying my umbrella. could swear to
that ivory handle anywhere. If had not
recognized it should not have presumed
to stop you. That carving was done"
''Spare me the details, please. 1t is al
together probable that this is your prop
erty. l have no further claim upon it. ="
''Then how did it come in your pos
session9'
cit was left in my hall last night by a
burglar who got away with most of the
family silver!'
'I-I guess my umbrella was a size
larger than that, after all" - Detroit
Journal
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25
"COmin' ThrO' the Rye"

Scottish bard who wrote lt-RObert
Burns intended to picture in the fasci-
mating lines laddie and lassie meeting
and kissing in a field of grain. The
couplet:
If laddie meet lassie,
Comm thro' the rye,
and especially the other two lines:
A. the lads they smile on me,
When comm thro' the rye,
seem to imply that traversing the rye was
an habitual or common thing among the
'lads and lassies'' in the Land O. the
Scots, and suggest, perhaps, harvest
scene, where both sexes. as was the Gus
tom, are at work reaping, and where they
would come and go through the fields, if
indeed not through the rye itself, SO as to
meet and kiss in it. The truth is, how
ever, the rye in the song is not grain at
all, it being the name of a small shallow
stream near Ayr, which, having neither
bridge nor ferry. was forded by the peo-
ple going to and from market, custom
allowing lad to steal kiss from any
lass of his acquaintance whom he might
meet in midstream. That this is the true
explanation, any one may see who refers
to Burns original ballad, in which the
first verso refers to the lassie wetting her
clothes in The stream:
Jenny is a. wat, puir body,
Jenny is seldom dry,
She's dragit a. her petticoati,
Comm thro' the rye.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25
AllOpat1lic Hens.

DR.. Jones, who practices in a suburb
of this city, has an elaborate machine
for making pills. The doctors practice
is quite extensive, and when he puts the
machine in operation the result is enough
to scare nervous patient into GONZALES
cence or spasms.
Not long ago Mr.. Jones made several
quarts of pills, and waited for bright
day to dry them. AS soon as he got a
good look at the sun, he spread the pills
carefully on the roof of convenient
outbuilding, and drove off to see his pa
tients.
About half an hour after the doctors
buggy had disappeared Mrs. Jones heard
an unusually vociferous squawk from the
rooster in the backyard, but she did not
have curiosity enough to investigate the
cause, being confident that no colored
brother would invade the chicken reser-
vation on such a bright day. If she bad
looked she would have seen the rooster
perched on the roof Of the outbuiluing
eating pills as though he were laying up
for seven lean years of famine.
Attracted by the ROSTERS summons to
che banquet and his evident enjoyment
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25
HUMOROUS SKETCHES.
Wanted to Go FISHING.

Boy working in the garden with his
father; straightens up every few min
utes, leans on his hoe, rubs his back and
looks wistfully toward the creek.
''Come, Tommy; come, Tommy, " says
the old man, "keep at it; there's lots to
be DONE"
81 bet the fish would bite to-day, pa, y
says the boy. with another longing look
toward the water.
"Well, you keep right on with your
hoeing, my laverick, and they won't bite
you," says the old man, as he aims at a
big clod and makes the dust fy.-Chi.
cago Ledger.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-25
He Took the Lean.

eyes," he answered, as he seemed to
huddle himself up in a heap. 1--WE been
there. That is, I've jumped from a rail
road train running at speed of forty
eight miles an hour. and l can't say as 1
want to repeat the experiment"
"Where and when?"
"About thirty miles east of Chicago,
on the Michigan Central, three years
ago."
"What was the occasion?" =,
81 did it on a bet of IS. The bet was
that daren't walk out on the platform
and take the jump without picking out
my ground. AS it happened, the ground
was pretty clear, but million dollars
wouldn't hire me to try it again
''How did you come out?"
s'Well, it's hard to describe the sensa.
to fly. sailed along IN the air until my
wings grew tired, and then I dropped
down to see the country. I've got a
| good pair of eyes, but l didn't see
much. I was too busy turning cart
wheels and handsprings and somersalts.
Sometimes l beat the professionals all
hollow, and again made muss of it..
1t was my intention to skip all puddles
| and avoid all the stumps, but you can't
always have your way in this world. BY
and by rested my case. That is.
brought up in fence corner, and waited
for first class hospital to come along.
sMuch hurt?"
"Might have been worse Broke ar
arm, two ribs, and had over hundred
cuts and bruises, and it was seven weeks
before could walk rod"
''But you won the SIS.
"Ye-e-s; but there is where 1 always
| grow sad. The stakeholder sent it back
to me from the first town in the shape
of pine coffin, and it didn't fit m!
length by seven inches / had to sell
the blamed thing for mistit at half
price !'-Detroit Free Press
The St. Johns herald., 1885-12-03

THE bogus md new fangled apos- ties of the polygamous Mormon church, Erastus Snow and F. NJ. Lyman, have held four meetings at Assembly Hall, St. Johns, on Thurs day and Friday last. The lamb like register of the proceedings, state "the subject of their addresses were enjoining strict obedience to the law of the land, virtue in men and chastity in women" These Janus-faced specimens seem to have the quality of preaching obedience to the laws to one set of followers, and to another set proclaiming de- fiance thereof; to one community they will prate of virtue in men and chastity in women, and to an other they will herald as truth that the god of lust is the true God-the God of the Mormons. Hear the expounders of the laws of the po- lygamous church, and take note of what he says, would cover the ground as to llw abiding, or law avoiding; what would be virtue
 in men and chastity in women, and what all thinking men might ad- mire-" < 1t would be easy to avoid the penalties and pains of the law by simply calling their plural wives by some other name" Perhaps "the saints" will take the hint, but what must be the condition of that people, who can stand such internal teaching as this. While these apostles assert that the church expects virtue in men and