davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-05-19
CHAT WITH A BRAKEMAN.
The Dangers, Incidents and Fascina
ton OF the Road.

Brakeman? Yes. What Of itPn
Just wanted to know how the old
thing works."
"Works2 Well, it works all right
with an old time crew, but get one Of
these aggrivatin' greenhorns In, and
nobody knows the result until its
settled"
"Don't the new corners catch on
readily?"
Readily? On. Warlly would be a
better word. 1 will try to tell you how
they do it. The whistle blows for brakes
and all hands scramble for them. The
greens, always having the snap, start
from the cabOOse. think see one of
them warily feeling his way up the
ladder to the roof of the first car and
contemplating the prospect in abiect
terror.
''Forcible expletives from the rear
:mpel the progress OF the recruit, and
as he contemplates the yawning chasm
between the first two cars he ever
jumped horror is written on his face
and reluctance halt5 his step.
"Yes, it's common. They all look
at the fearful leap, grit their teeth.
make wild jump that lands them
about the middle of the next car, and
thereafter attack duty with the conf
dence born of such experience.
where are you recruiting the brake
men frompn
Almost without exception from
country towns. The kids, in defiance
of law and marshalls, disport them
selves about the trains while passing or
shifting till the habit becomes passion
and maturity makes its qualification
possible.
Accidents? Well, they ara largely
due to either carelessness or drunken
ness or oyer-confi lence-chiehy the
latter. An occasional funeral Is pro-
NOTED by the swapping of a brake chain;
again, without warning, a train parts
at a critical moment, but on the whole
brakemen make no specially foremost
figure in railroad fatalities.
Yes, in one way, we're tough, but
we work hard for small wages, and
when We relax We do it hilariously."
Suppose you have many close calls?"
well, the fact is, we're on the rag
ged edge about every minute of running
time. OF course, we take no thought
of such things, but no doubt our lives
or limbs are imperiled unwilling doZ-
ems of times on every trip"
How does 1t so often happen that
old-timers are either killed or maimed?"
"Just because the older the hand the
more reckless he becomes. Habit
makes the dangerous duties of the rail-
roader as routine aud commonplace as
those Of a carpenter.
THAT fellow with his hand envelOp-
ed in dry goods store is an example.
He has been twenty years on the road,
and ten of them conductor. Ofcourse
with ordinary care, he could couple cars
for ten hours at a stretch without seri-
GUS risk, but familiarity breeds con-
tempt for danger, as for other things,
and in that way he lost half his right
hand.
"Once railroad man always one?
Yes, that's about the extent OF it. There
is fascination about the life and its
varied experience which is rarely shaken
of and scarcely ever sought to be vol
unfairly. Official advancement is
about the only thing that ever finally
divorces twiSter from the wheel, and
that sort of thing happens with rarity
like the discovery of new planet
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-05-19
A NOVEL BIT OF BRAIN wORh.
A Bookkeeper Patents a Machine for
Adding up columns OF Figures.

. y Springfield, Massachusetts,, book
keeper has perfected machine that is
designed to aid brother bOokkeepers and
accountants in running up long lines
of figures. He has been at work on the
invention since 1873, and had the thing
patented something like year ago.
| The machine Is cased Ill light
wooden box about eight inches square
and three deep, and lifting the cover,
the interior is seen to hold an enamelled
white surface, on which are two dials,
and which shows the brass keyboard in
the lower left hand-hand corner. The
large dial of the two is on tfie left of the
machine. and is divided into 100 sec
tions. The rim of the smaller dial is
likewise cut into twenty sections. The
hand which moves about the first dial
is called the unit pointer. That which
moves about the smaller one is called
the hundred pointer. \ little finger
play on the brass keyboard makes the
object of the dialS and the reason of the
pointers names quickly understood.
The nine keys on the board are num-
bered from one to nine and are placed
in regular order. but also in two rows,
= f.. u . tDONN. anu OAu
numbers below. The key isa brass up
right, and as the finger draws on it a
spring allows it to slip back toward the
lower end of the box. The pulling of
each key on the board sends the unit
pointer along on its journey around the
dial as many points as there are units
in the number of the key. Pull the 9
KEY, and the dial set at goes to Q.
Pull the same key again and the unit
pointer moves TO Is. Pull the l, 2 and
3 keys now, and the pointer goes c0nSe-
cutively with hop, skip and jump to
"a. When the unit pointer, keeping up
its agile athletics, has reached its
starting point again there Is a quick
little motion on the right hand dial.
The pointer then has ''dotted and gone
one." The machines internal clock
work is more accurate than human
head can hope to be. 1t isn't troubled
with malaria, nor is it ever larger IN
the morning than it was the night be-
fore. All the accountant has to do IS
to run his eye up and down the col
umns, pulling each respective key as he
reaches the corresponding figure. y
day is sufficient in which to learn the
keyboard, and the motion OF the hands
quickly becomes almost involuntary.
The expert can run the figures in his
head and on the keyboard simultan-
eously, thus proving" his work by one
trip up or down the column. Carrying |
is performed by setting the pointer at
the number to be carried. To set the |
unit pointer all that is necessary is to |
hold down key /, and turn the point |
forward to number one less than the |
one carried. On releasing the l key |
the pointer is on the desired number. |
The hundred pointer can be moved in |
either direction. The hand easily oper-
ates the nine keys, thus: Nos. l, 2 and |
with the first finger, 4 and > with the |
second, 6 and with the third, 8 and
with the fourth. The inventor claims |
for the machine unerring accuracy |
and surprising rapidity. He says an ex-
pert can add $50 figures minute with
II
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-05-19
THE VIOLIN.
Early History of the Sweetest of All
Musical instruments.

The violin in its earlier forms is of
great and uncertain antiquity. Its orr
igin is traced to a stringed instrument
used in India from the earliest ages,
the ravanastron, which, Buddhist
tradition says, was invented by Ra-
vana, King of Ceylon, 5000 b. c. A
similar instrument was the crwth of
Wales, which is known to have been
in use long before the sixth century,
among the Britons, and TO which the
Anglo-SaxOns gave the name of fythel,
whence our word fiddle. The imme-
diate precursor of the violin was the
viol, which is known to have ben IN
use in the tenth century. This was fias
above and below, had very deep bendl
in the sides. used from three to six
strings, and was played with bow.
But the violin of modern form was not
made until the fifteenth or sixteenth
century. The earliest maker of the
modern violin whose instruments are
authenticated was Gaspard di Salo, OF
Lombardy, who worked between l56O
and 1912. To one other maker living
before this time, Gaspard Duitfoprugcar,
some existing instruments are attrlDu-
ted. but it is very doubtful whether this
mai ker constructed any thing else than
yiols and luteS. The Italian school OF
yiolin-making had its origin in Brescia,
and as far as is now known, was found.
ed by Gaspard di Salo. The greatest OF
the Brescian makers was Giovanni Pao-
10 Maggini, who lived about lJ90-l64o,
and whose instruments still hold aplace
among the best ever made. But soon
the Brescia violin-makers were ecllpSed
by those of Cremona, whose instruments
have been the wonder and admiration
from their time to the present, possess
ting tone and quality that subsequen
makers have tried in vain to equal.
The three greatest of the many success
full violin-makers among the numbers
who for generations kept up the reputa-
ton of Cremonese work, were Nicholas
Amati. Joseph Guarneri del Gesu and
Antonius Stradivarius. Very little is
known of these great makers, for IN
their day they were simply hard-worklng
artisans who sold for few fiorlns IN
struments which now command hun
dreds and even thousands OF dollars:
Experience has shown that the minuteSt
details of form and proportion, and the
material of which each separate part Is
made. are matters of vital Importance
TO the quality of the violin. The great
makers seem to have secured by many
delicate experiments the very perfection
of actoustical quality, which dextesrlty
and careful workmanship enabled them
always to fully reproduce.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-05-19

little plush-lined case and might b.
carried In an Overcoat pocket, but when
struck with little hammer give out a
sound like an anvil. 1t tells story of
the times that there has been 50 much
music written of late relating TO cham
pagne drinking that Instruments have
been devised and patented to initiate
the pop" of a champagne cork. Mr..
Davis has two such instruments. One
is simple wooden cylinder, piston
working in one end and captive cork
in the other. 1t is as simple as a bows
popgun, but the sound has Sj-a bottle
bang that is most captivating. The
second pop imitatOr, recently invented,
can be worked more rapidly and made
to initiate the sound around a race
course bar just after the field has won
against long odds. This is long brass
cylinder, the piston running through the
cork and having bolt on that end to
prevent the cork from flying off and hit
ting the ringer in the eye. The piston,
pushed in rapidly, causes a deceptive
pop and being as rapidly pushed
back, plugs the cork tight in again
ready for another bottle, which action
can be kept up faster than the thirstieSt
crowd could cut the wire
The crack of whip is noise that is
heard under very different circumstan-
ces on the stage. 1t may be a chorus
describing a rollicking sleighride, a
Lady Gay Spanker, who emphasizes a
story with flourish of a whip, or the
Overseer in "Uncle Toms Cabin. ~
Whatever the occasion, the man sitting
at the end of the orchestra supplies the
Crack Mr.. Davis does this with a
little instrument that looks like big
razor strop split down TO the handle,
and there hinged. 1t is worked with
one hand, for very frequently, at the
same time, sleigh bells must be heard,
and the other hand is employed in shak-
ing belt of silver bells right meITly.
The c;lStinetS used in the orchestra
are not played, as by the dancers, in the
palms of the hands, but are fastened
two pairs) on fan-shaped piece of ce-
dar, and all Spain could not produce a
castinet player who could get more rat
tling out of the genuine article than
does the drummer with this proSaic ce-
dar fan waved with one hand while the
other rattles and raps tambOurine.
When, in a sensationalp play or burlesque,
or orchestra number, the sound of a To-
comotive should be heard, the drummer
turns to his assortment of trick instru-
ments and selects three. The first rep
reSents the whiZZ and whirr and puff,
and snort and rattle. 1t consists of an
arch of sheet iron, the ends of which
are rolled in under the arch, making
two supports for it to stand upon. This
is ''played" by two bundles of steel
wires, fastened at one end by a clasp of
tin, and otherwise loose.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-05-19
A rs,y baavv forco "a amnIovad IN IN

A Uery heavy force is employed in the
construction of the underground tele-
graphic connection between Marseilles
and Paris. A cast-iron pipe contains
the cable. and it is laid nearly six feet
beneath the surface OF the earth. AT
intervals of $50 yards the cable passes
through a chamber of cast-iron, which
IS SO constructed that 1t can be readily
inspected whenever there is any neces-
sity for that work. About every ITO
yards the pipes are connected by cast
iron boxes. which also enable the wires
to be inspected and repaired. The cost
in all is about S., ,00U, 900.
The beautiful red plumage Of South
African species of birds has been chem
ically examined and found 10 be due to
copper. When the birds are kept from
food containing copper they entirely
lose the tint produced by that min
eral.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-05-19

If man empties his purse into his
head, no man can take 1t away from
him. An investment in knowledge al
ways pays the best interest.
Some English chemists and sanitary
reformers have started a movement 10
make bread from the entire grain Of
wheat, and not from the inner portion
only. The movement has the support
of the first Psychologists of the day.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-05-19
Measure twice, cut but once.

THE Sultan of Morocco has one
thousand wives. 1t Is well there is one
man in the world who has made sure
of having his buttons sewed on.
Concord, Mass, has mysterious
character known as the waterproof
man, who goes around at night wear
ing big waterproof and mask, and
takes delight in soaring women and
children.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-05-19
Fashions on the Congo.

On the banks of the Congo, when a
belle wants to be particularly fashiona-
bic. she clothes herself solely and ex-
clusively in brass ornaments. The IA
vorite articles of jewelry in this line are:
Copper bracelets and copper ankle-rings,
heavy copper chain girdles, and around
the neck a semi-circular chunk of brass
as thick as horse collar, and weighing
from twenty to thirty-eight pounds.
Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-05-19

If YOUR earthern pie-plates are dis
colored, rub them well with whiting
or sand soap. =,
Le MeschaceÌbeÌ. [volume] ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942, 1886-03-06

rendait constamment agitss, in4uiets ct qufls
n'osaient regarder que de c6t6.
II ny plus de costume nOtre 6poque
tOujours. Albertine, v5tue CONNIE II pre-
miere venue, await pourtant deux Singular.
tes: Ia proprets minutieuse dc ses haillons
d'abord, sa couture ensuite, qui, au-dessous
dun large chapeau de paille, % composait
dun serre-tete noir On sole, semblable I CO.
lui de certaines religieuses, d'oa s'echap-
patent, rebondissant sur ls front, deux gros-
ses touffes de chcveux retifs, enchantees
d'echapper In compression ct qui ressem-
blaient 4 du Grin nOir ct blanc ssvamment
melangs.
Ellie parlait peu, souvent par proverbes on
par axiomes, en- vraie syllable, ct await peur
de tout. La vue seule du chapeu galOnns
dun gendarme Ia faisait trembler. Dams 10
populaire, qui Ia redoutait bien tort, car
ellie Stait inoffensive, ON Ia disait richie, par
% qu'elle etait aware.
&c nest pas ellie qui aurait fait attendre ls
juge d'instruction, quand il rinvita sur vheu-
re Sc rendre dams son cabinet. Quoiqus
tremblant de tous ses membres, elle recon-
nut avoir change un billet do cent francs 10
matin chez le banquier Lorniere.
-Qui vous ravait donns demanda N.
GalOp- Montfusin.
Les grsnds yeux d'Albertine roulerent
dams leurs orbites, 81 agites qu'ls parais-
salient sur le point den sauter, 81 inquiets
que, pour Ia premiere fois, lis regardaient en-
face.
-Une personne qui...
Sa langue embarrassed refusa dallss plus
Le MeschaceÌbeÌ. [volume] ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942, 1886-03-06
PETIT GUIDE De IA We.
PAR FEU JOSH BILLINGS.

Ne faites iamais de dettes ri vous pOuves
faire autre chose.
Mariez. vons jeune ct si vOus avez occa-
sion de le regretter n'allez pas le crier snr
les tOits.
SOyez bon pour vOtre belle. mere ct ii
c'est necessaire payez.lui une pension dams
un bon hotel.
Prencz un bon balm une fOis par eemsine
dams lcau dOnce ct 10 savOn d. Castillo Ut
ne portez pas de chassures trop stroites.
Prenez de 'exercice an grand air, mais no
sciez pas de bois avant d'y 6tre Oblig6.
Riex 81 on vous chatonille ii on ne vous
chstouille pas riez quaud meme de tempe 4
autre.
Mangez du hachis les jours dc lavage, OF
sOyez encore ben content den av0ir.
N'empruntez jamais CO que vous pouvez
acheter ct ayez toVours quelque chose que
vOus ne pr6tez pas.
Ne soyez jamais trop press6 dans une
jOurnee vOus pOuvez marcher boauc0up
plus lOin que vOus ne pOuvex cOurif.
Ne jurez ja,nais celia peut vOus cOnvain.
ere, mais ne cOuvaincra certaineinent pas
les autres.
81 vous avez des files, lnissez.les Slever
par leur mere si ellie du bon ssbs ellie
terra mieux que tOutes vOs theories.
Aimee ct respectez votre femme quaud
meme celia vaut mieux que de passer con
temps desirer Qa'elle soft aattemeut.
Le MeschaceÌbeÌ. [volume] ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942, 1886-03-06

La fabrication du beurre dams pUrsguay
est une dee plus enrisus~s costumes de -
pays. lie lubricant verse le lait encore
chaud dams un sac fAit avec nne peau do
ch6vre on de- cOchOn ct apres Pavoir bieu
ferme, il fixe 10 sac gon1S au bout dun long
lassO, don't rautre extremite est attach6e 1
Ia sele dc son cheval. II monte al0rs en-
sells ct il galope jnsqu'a Ia vile voisine,
5 Ou 6 miles, Gu trainant 10 sac derriAre lui.
LOrsquil arrive IL lait est change Gu beurre
ct il le vendde porte en- porte On puisant dane
son sac l'aide dune cailler On bois. Bien
que tOus les Instruments Les plus mOderues
soient on usage dams les fermes dc uruguay
on n'est jamais parvenn faire adopter nm
autre systeme aux indig6nes. lie pr6ten.
dent que le benrre fabriqu6 dans des barat.
tea en- bOis n'cst pas auss: bon que celui
fait d'apres cettS m6th0dS primitive.
Pour distribuer 10 lait on conduit des
troupeaux de- vaches do porto on porte, Of
on trait, dane dee vases apport6s par raehe.
teur, 10 Quautit6 demand6e.
Le MeschaceÌbeÌ. [volume] ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942, 1886-03-06

Passe pour Nme Fossinge, Ebre-penssuse,
qui ne mettait pas le pied dams uns Sglise q
No croyait I risn. Etait-elle settlement hap
tisSei Ne disait-ou PCS que son mari pavait
ramenSe Dc Turquie, Cd il Favait achet6e
Ces beuits Ct d'autres, non moins fidicules,
avaient oouru en- e6et.
n. Galop- Montfusin courba b tete sous
rorags ct cut b prudence de No pas discuter ;
Il s'e6oeea settlement d'apaisef - femme
cans parvenir, car i ne put lui promettre
% quslle dsmandait, b mise "a EbertS dc b
Besonne.
L. psrplsxiAS que ls rsc;t Do Nuehe n'avait
pas ealmxs b trsvaillait Dc plus belle. Oa
Stait ls point d'appuiS C'est encore CO qufl
- dsmandait apres que Nine Galop- Mont
fusin rsut abandouns, indignss. Ali q une
charge nouvslle, plus decisive que u papier
beal4, s6t prSciss advantage ls Egns suivre
par nnstsuct;on, i n'aurait pes refuse de
rsudrs h domest;qus b EbsrtS, car aloss b
culpabilitS de Nine Fossings eAt cessS de lui
pafaitrs douteuse. En- rStst, con devoir lui
preecrivait de- s'assurer des deux femmes.
Soucieux, sans cesser d'atre decid6, ls juge
prenait acknowledgements son cafe, que Ia
msuvaise humeur de - femme lui rendait
amer, ct i ne se rasssrsnait pes: L. charge
decisive qu'appelaient ses voux - mettait en-
route pendant % temps, ellie courait toutes
jambes dams les rues de Sancerre ct We PEN
DAFT I - sonnette, qui resonna tout coup
comme b trompette du jugement dernier.
Eue srrivait sous Ia fosne de N. Lescopet
aui, I n fois emu ct essoufne, envahit ID sale
! manager Oh, plusieurs minutes, il resta col, !
incapable do rappeler 50 respiration bruyam- 1
Le MeschaceÌbeÌ. [volume] ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942, 1886-03-06

pour mieux dire-n'avait pas schappk l Fat.
tention. LIE caissier, enfant du pays, la'con-
naissait personnellement; il le dit non sans
sourire, parce que c'etait une connaissance
un peu cOmpromettante. Ellie sappslait Tau
pard, ct portait le surnom de Mouche-A- Mel.
On designait ainsi 4 Sancerre, ct plus fr6-
quemment encore sous le prsnom dAlberti-
ne, une femme deja vieille qui habitat seule
voisinage immediat de Ia vile.
Albertine exercait Ia profession de laveuse
de lessive. Depuis vingt ans, ellie ne lavait
plus rien ct men continuait pas moins re-
vendiquer ce titre, qui lui etait CONNIE un
boucher, rabri duquel ellie pratiquait beau.
coup de meters varies ct interlopes.
Sorciere de bas etage, tireuse de cartes,
diseuse de bonne averture, rebouteuse, ellie
excellait enlever les sorts, aussi bien qua
remettre les membres foules. On la soup
connait fortement de prefer Ia petite Sc
maine ct, roccasion, d'avoir des complai-
sances qui frisaient 10 proxsnstisme. Ce
N await jamais etc prouve. En- somme, me.
diocrement famee, n'inspirant de confiance 4
|persOnne, ellie aurait, en- cas- de besoin, etabli
son honorabilite par les certifcats les plus
IeOncluants.
p Cette petite vieille, alerte ct vive, qui, tou-
IL journee, courait Ia campagne besace au
await une physionomie particuliere. Sa
Re, au nez busque, sans levres, don't le
go1pn etait fourchu, semblait decoupee
1 m morceau de pain depices. De grands
- hoirs, superbes, lumineux ct veloutes,
1uux de jeune file, Sc sentaient 81 depla-
49, son visage quune crainte vague les
Le MeschaceÌbeÌ. [volume] ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942, 1886-03-06

Une jeune veuve, tree laide, Went con.
sultcr, sur dee malaises qu'elle 6pr0uve, IN
m6decin ami de "a famille, c6li6ataire Of
c6lAbre autant que b0urru.
--Ce nest rien, dit 10 medscin, II faudrait
vous remaricr.'
oh! doctenr, avec vous, tout do suite,
si vOus voulcs1
Mais IL medecin, ties grave:
Pardon :le d0cteur OrdOnne uue m6ds.
cine, II 10 II prsnd jsmais.
Le MeschaceÌbeÌ. [volume] ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942, 1886-03-06
BUREAU: RIVE GAUCHE,
lUN NLLB 1T DEKI
\U-OESSCUS De uEGLiSE ST. PIERRE.

Cs supplice horrible ct nOuveau dora eu.
viron dix minutes. EnAn ie trig0hoo6phs.
le. repu, SO glisse hors du lit en balaocant
"a tate visqueuse nvec une vO.dpH. gous-
'psnde. ct disparait par Ia porte; laiss6e IL
veilie bicn imprudemment entr'0uverte.
Une heure apres, or d6cOuvrit ct Ton tss
10 terrible serpent, eneOurdi au pied d'Ma
mur. La n6gresse Gtait sauvlo, mats ellie
devint folle, vOyant toujours dana Gee bal.
ticinatio0s 10 gucnic imnsondc ct glxcSe d
sOn formidable nOurrissOn.
Le MeschaceÌbeÌ. [volume] ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942, 1886-03-06
4'.'''A's !. 4,e<.a.:ss.
hcgussd' sFossings,
PREMIERE pARrIe.
II.
81 UAAGhl
II.
UAagll.

- rsssaisa, t,,t a. so;. ,,,...:. :.
- s!rpssales! C,tts NJ Mms orS:s rHss;,s. =
80 s.siss -, intr;cua;t 6sncerrs.
XH pass:if ! pssoans, don't on sva;t tant
lne eeaaaiasait PES, ells allait
s@ sse -. dess;ass Isquel ellie sppa-
49, i:d6eiee, ayant jusquici dS6S
sAsa = p'ss dits..;nSei On sanrait
Ssessa . 9sSlls ttait uns <blouis-
- 0.ssC.I. I.s.aesait bisat5t son psssS,
e S.;s..:ts tsea1e .ne insolente 6nigme
1eHs11Ss. r 3 !. .beeas eompagnie |,
- = Isls9 Srspss, 'i'1ss, 4 fs%,ns ~s SS, Sa
- Z ss - ~. yeaess On apprsoant
nalhsese TS naieut Ia fois h
0sssoaei ~ n 6que! Suspecter b
-, a. hi.Se. ~ - pieuse ef fervente
90 + -. asesaait d&ja plus an ciel
eeassr dun crime!