davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14

Virgins, who knows all about it, says
that earthquakes are caused by the shift
ing Of the planets center of gravity.
Virgins is the Canadian weather prophet
Or, to speak with precision, he is one of
the Canadian weather prophets. He dis
covered, agar ago last March, that the
planet was about to shift its center of
gravity. Forthwith, he set his prophetic
faculty to determine what the consequent
ces OF the performance would be. Start
ing upon the sclf-evident fact that a move
mcnt OF the center of gravity one mile
from the normal center of volume would
cause "the parts of the surface at the end
Of the longer axis to be heavier, and the
parts at the end of the shorter axis to be
lighter, than normally" he disccrned at
once that 'these disks would grind upon
Zach other" generating heat and lava that
would produce an earthquake in South
Carolina when Jupiter should be near his
inferior conjunction, at the end of
August, 1885. Which settles the question
of the South Carolina earthquake, with
out any help of the disagreeing seismolo-
gists, to the satisfaction of everybody
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14
Gallantry,

Cd Mr.. Shocks is an invctcrate war.
He lives at ii large boarding house on
West 14th street. In the same II. use
live a couple of young dry goods clerks.
They are both of the genus dude, and
affect an air of extreme and feminine
languor which Mr.. Shocks declares makes
him sick ut his stomach.
The other morning, ju:t after Mr..
Shocks had taken his seat Mt the break
fast table, the two young exquisitcs
lolled into the room and sank into their
chairs.
"Geawge," drawlcd one of them to
the waiter, "wait on us immediately"
"But," said the waiter, "Mr. Saooks
was in ahead of you, sir; I'm waiting on
him."
"Weah in a huhwy, Gcawge, and must
be waited onp
In despair, George turned to Mr..
Shocks. "What shall I do, sir2"
"Gcorge" said Shocks severely and
audibly, ~"always wait on the ladies
firstI"
The dudes now express tho opinion
that Mr.. Shocks is a coarse, brutal man
''sclls potatoes IN C%hambahs street,
y'know."-Life.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14
A Spanish PIOW.

The latest novelty in plows is at pre-
sent being used in Spain. It works the
land to a depth of 80 inches, and turns
a furrow Q feet wide. It is drawn by
two 16 horsepower engines. The instru-
ment is constructed on the patent balance
plow principle, but of very strong pro.
portions. It is a one furrow pillow, but
fitted with two sixties, the first turning a
furrow 10 inches wide and IA inches
deep, the second following to a depth
of 80 inches and turning over a furrow
"a inches wide, leaving the land COM
pletely loosened to a depth of Q feet 6
inches. Drawn by tho steam engines,
the account in a foreign exchange says it
is possible with this p!ow to turn over
four acres per day. In cases where it is
not necessary to turn up the land to this
great depth, but simply to stir up the
under:soil, oil that is required is to take
off the last skife and in its place fix a
subsoil tyne, which will go to the depth
Of "a or 80 inches.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14

Reports Of two cases of recent out
RACES on Americans in China have been
forwarded to the Secretary OF State.
The Presbyterian mission house at Kwa'
Ping was looted and destroyed, and the
Rev. A. A. Fulton and wife and Miss
Mary A. Fulton were forced to fec for
their lives. A lady missionary Mt the
Methodist hospital at Chung King was
stoned by a mob and quite seriously in
jured. In neither of these two cases
could the authorities be induced to pun
ish the offenders or give protection to
The missionaries or their property.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14
Onion Tears.

Crocodile tears arc things of
ancient history, and tears produced with
the aid of onions arc equally we'll known,
but it has remained for modern science
to find a way to produce onion tears
without betraying tho presence of the
aggressive onion itself. In fact, the
aggressive onion need not be present at
all. An essential oil is extracted from
it which has all the tear-compelling
qualities of the solid vegetable itself.
One dropof this oil on a handkerchief it
good for one flood of tears, two drops
produce q persistent fit of sobbing and
three drops an appearance of %uncontrol-
liable grief.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14

Electric power has been applied in a
very novel manner of late on the estate
of the marquis of Salisbury at Hatfield,
England, where it has been in operation
Tor some time past in various ways and
works; but the last is perhaps the most
tpeculiar of all. On one of the farms en-
silage has been stored in large quantities,
q farm building being turned into a silo
tor this purpose; and, it being decided
'that the green food shall BIO ''chaffed"
before placing it in the silo. a chaff cut
ter has been erected about twenty feet
above the ground. This machine is not
only driven by the electric power, but
the same motor is employed to elevate
the grass to the level of the chaff- cutter.
This is done so effectually that about
four tons of rough grass are raised and
scut per hour. A sixteen light "Brush'
machine is the generator, driven by a
huge w~ater-wheel, and both are on the
banks of the river Lea, a mile and a half
distant. Nor is this all, for the same
electric power is ingeniously applied to
work the cliffs" in use at the many hay-
stacks OF the estate.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14
Our consul Mt Chemnitz, Germany,

Our consul Mt Chemnitz, Germany,
writes the Department of State: "Horsc
meat is extensively consumed by the
iaboring classes, the prices ranging from
four to five cents per pound. I can also
vouch for the fact that u large number of
dogs are annually killed for consump-
ton. Dog meat is publicly exposed for
sale in the markets, and I am informed
that many well-to-do people frequently
eat it in preference to mutton; and the
tact that it is sold from one to three
cents per pound more than horse meat,
would seem to bear out this assertion.
Roast dog and dumplings,' is frequently
advertised in the papers by keepers of
restaurants, and the Chemnitz papers
contain a weekly statistical account of
all the horses and dogs killed for con-
sumption in that city. Dog meat is
supposed to possess a curative power in
cases of pulmonary complaints, and to
Judge by the number annually killed in
this neighborhood, the disease must be
widespread"
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14
Productive ~Isoughness.

If we seek for the places where men
have gained least from nature, and are
most degraded, Intellectually, morally
and spiritually, we shall generally find
them to be the places where nature has
been most p~rofuse in her gifts, most
luxuriant in her productivencss. In
these favored regions the savage eats and
drinks and sleeps his life away in lazy
sensualism, while in less kindly lands
where a substance has to be forced from
the barren soil, and where tho forces OF
nature war continually On human kind,
man arises as a king over nature, makes
her forces subject to his W purposes,
and wins from her her most jealousy
guarded treasures. So true it is that
the most promising fields of human ef-
fort are not those which are externally
the most attractive Sunday School
Times.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14
A Wise Eel.

In the summer of 1868 Peter Kern Of
Washington township, Pennsylvania,
caught a small eel and put it in a we'll IN
his yard, where it still is. It is four
feet long and about five inches in diane.
ter. 1t keeps itself concealed at the
bottom, except at irregular intervals,
when it comes to the top, and these up,
pcarances arc always followed by raj
within q day or two. During haying
and harvest and other critical periods of
farm work the farmers for miles around
send every day to Kcrn's for intelligence
of the eel. It will have no other kind Of
fish in the we'll, and kills oil that ore put
in. -Phikddelphia Record.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14

Never was true delicacy of consider
alton better illustrated than by a thief in
the French capital a week or two ago.
A rufian was struggling with M. Autel
fer his watch. NJ. Autel was proving
too much for the scoundrel, when an.
other Gallo Bill Skies came up, and the
honest man was laid on the pavement.
The conquerors disputed over their pray,
without much chance of immediate set
Element, when a happy thought camo to
rascal number one. "Sir," said he to
the grooming and bruised .Autel, "we
beg you to arbitrate in this matter. -
NeU York Commercial.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14

According TO the Overland China Mail
a method of suicide of an original char
acter has been invented and carried in
to successful effect in Hong Kong by a
Chinese servant of the name of Ycung-
Yan-Hing. In the first place he attempted
to pass out of life by the commonplace
method of n dose of opium. He was,
howcve, r brought round by prompt meas
ares taken by a Chinese doctor, who re-
sided in the same house. But he was
not to be baked in his intention, and
two days later he procured a heavy ham
mer and a long nail, and with the for
mcr he drove the latter so deeply into
his skull that, although every effort was
made at the government civil hospital to
save his life, he expired tho next day.
A man must, indeed, be bent upon SELF
destruction who will hammer n nail into
his head. 1t would be difficult to
imagine any form Of suicide demanding
greater nerve and resolution.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14

1t has been deemed impossible that
carrier-pigcons could rival the telephone,
but a wholesale baker of Brussels, having
fifteen branch establishments, sends to
each, with tho first morning delivery, q
pigeon, which during the day returns
with any unusual order. At the bakery
ITS alighting closes a circuit through a
vibrating bell, and its arrival.
The entire expense of purchase and in
staliation not having exceeded the cost
of two months rental of the telephone,
the happy baker felicitates himself on his
happy evasion of the hello business.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14

Tho famous shell heaps at Damariscot-
tbs, Me-, are to be ground up into hen
food and fertilizers by a Boston COM
pany. The largest heap is BAL feet long
by 1875 feet wide, and is from four to
twenty feet deep. The origin of these
shell heaps has been a subject of much
discussion among psychologists. The
Peabody Museum is to have all the
relics and curiosities that may be found
in the heaDs.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14
Information for His Father.

Gather" he SAID, as he sat on his
parents knee; shave we got lots Of
money {"
"a pretty fair sum, my boy"
"Did we make it in Canada }"
"In Canada2 How could we make
it in Canada 2"
"That's what I told the Smith boy;
but he stuck to it that it was the same as
making it in Canada. lie said you COM
promised with the bank for half, and was
allowed to return. Father, L"
"You go to bed, SIR" exclaimed the
indignant father; "und if I ever hear of
your playing with that Smith boy again,
I'll have your hide on the fence ."-W Wall
Street Neus.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14
CLIPPINGS FOR THE CURIOUS.

1t was not until the carly part of the
present century that whipping posts and
stocks were abolished in Massachusetts.
Flies have been employed as sanitary
inspectors and used for detecting the 10.
cation of causes of disease from dccom
posed substances.
There are two families of the name OF
D"dd in Barton county, Geor;ia. They
arc not related, and interest in their
arises from the fact that one of the fami-
lies is composed Of nine girls, while the
other is made up of eight boys.
In the reign of William III. of Eng.
lane those who received parish relief had
to wear II badge. 1t was the letter p,
with the initial of the parish to which
they belonged. in red or blue cloth on
the shoulder of the right sleeve.
J.. NJ. Means of Liberty, Mo-, has q
forty-year-old clock hat is a perfect ba.
rom ter. Just before a rain the bell,
usually of a clear and distinct tone, tells
the hours in n tone so dull and mufacd
rs to be hardly audible. 1t never makes
a mistake.
The Rev. Robert Cushman preached
the first sermon in New England. 1t was
delivered at New Plymouth, Dec. -,
1921, and was "On the Sin and Danger
of Self Love-" 1t was printed in Lon
don, and is believed to be the oldest ser.
mon cxtant preached in America.
An English writer remarks that tn
recent successful attempts at balloon
stecrnge in France have led many
thoughtful persons to believe the day not
to be far distant when we shall see bal
looms plying in we'll paying passenger
traffic between England and the cont,
ncnt.
In an Indian mound neal Oakland,
Ind, was unearthed recently a stone
wall ten feet square. Within were five
or six skeletons, three copper vessels
filled with fifty pounds of rich silver orc,
a copper axe weighing eighteen pounds
attached toa stone handle, and a number
of stone hatchets.
Chas. Lcroux, al athlete of this city,
earned $500 on Monday by jumping from
the roof of a Philadelphia museum, 100
feet above the pavement, with a parachute.
He went down fast, just missed Il LAM
post, struck a spectator OF the head, and
cut his own forehead slightly but was
otherwise unhurt.
st. Augustine, Fla, is the oldest town
in the United States, n fort having been
built by the Spaniards there under Men
endcz in 1865. BY some it has been con-
tended that Santa Fc is the oldest. II
was first visited by the Spaniards about
1912, when it was an Indian pueblo. 1t
is not known exactly when it was settled
by the Spnniards.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14

A problem which is attracting to its
study astronomers, relates to the earth as
q timekeeper. We measure time by d.
viding either the period during which
the earth revoIves around the sun, or that
In which it turns on its axis. By the
frst method we measure a year; by the
second a day. The earth, according to
come astronomers, is losing time.
Through two causes, the SUMS attraction
and the friction, SO to speak, of the
tides. the earth each year revolves more
slowly on it's axis. The speculative
question which these astronomers are dis
'cussing is whether in the end the earth
will stop its revolution upon its axis and
will present always the same face to the
sun. When that event occurs there will
DE perpetual day in one part of the earth
and perpetual night in another. But
there is no occasion for immediate alarm.
The rate at which the earth is supposed
to lose time only shortens the year by
half a second in a century. There are
more'than 81, 600, 900 seconds in a year.
Therefore, if tho earth ever does cease to
revolve on its axis it will be more than
six thousand million years before it will
stop.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14
Chimes.

Far from the fern and moss,
F1uttering birch and wee fir cross,
And the pines low murmnring,
Where the frightened lichens cling
To the overhanging edge
or the precipice and ledge,
Fearless in their dainty Gee,
Wave the harebelle ,rrily.
From the dusky afters hung,
Meier in Belgian belfry swung
Bells more exqui,itely wrought
BY the mountain breezes caught
Tossing, swaying to and fro
While beside them. bending low,
Breathless l wait 10 hear
Echo of their Ginning clear.
But the airy harmony
Is too wonderful for me,
And I cannot catch a strain
or that rare and sweet refrain,
Yet tho tiny bells still ring,
And they shall my greeting bring
Till, though near SO softly stirred,
Every trembling note is heard.
Marion B. Allen in the Cottags Heartl
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14

Colorado has 800 miles of frst-class
srrisating canals, $500 miles Of second
airy canals, and 40, 900 miles of smaller
bitches, which have cost in the aggre-
gate about $11, 00r, 600, and will irrigate
5000, 900 acres. The operation of this
great water system has developed con-
dieting Claims of various ditch COM
panics in regard to the use of water,
which it is very difficult to settle.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14
M0ckev.

Pompous Hanker-William, I'm going
to the Exchange. From there I go to
the Directors meeting of tho Glide In.
surance Company, after which 1 shall
lock on my associates in the Bull beef
Syndicate, and then go home. If any
body calls you will know where to find
mo. Good-dayl
Cashier-All right, sir; good-day.
(Aside) I am going to D%elmonico's.
From there I 60 to the Office again, alto
which shall look in on the ticket office
OF some reliable scalper, and then go to
Canada. If anybody calls you soon't
know where to find me.-TId- Bits.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14

Natures provisions are indeed wondcr-
full. The juxtaposition of coal and iron
orc has often been marked, as we'll as
the fact that most large streams flow
past large cities. And now the Phila-
delphia Telegraph points out another of
these kind providences by noticing that
most of the great pic bakeries and the
pill manufactures of tho land are CEN
tered within convenient reach of ono
another in New England!
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14
He Left Hastily.

Suitor-Mr. Boggs, have como to ask
for your daughter.
Boggs-Very WE'LL When do you
want here
Suitor-At once. I do not want to
wait at all.
Boggs-Wcll, / suppose you want all
that belongs to her, too?
suitor-Of course. Everything that
pertains to her is sacred in my eyes.
Boggs-Ail right! Here arc her bills
for the past month. Milliner, ,$97;
drcssmakcr, $500
But the sutton had melted away
Rambler.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14

Think of a counterfeit buzzing in tho
head to cure a cold ! A sensation has
been produced in the London drug mar
kct by the accidental discovery of a SUBJ
stitute for quinine. The substitute is al
aegcd to have like medical properties,
though the cost of production is not over
six cents an ounce.
The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14

| The S. uthcrn cotton mills have in.
creased in number in six years from 161
TO $40, end in production from $16,-
1897, sos to $50, 7a6, $50, or SO per cent.
They have weathercd sever, storms. re-
sultlng from a too rapid growth, have
secured new markets, and nre now cx-
porting goods.
Smyrna times., 1886-08-11

OF an egg, mould, and dip in the volk
OF the egg and bread crumbs and broil
in lard.
FRIDAY.
Breaktast. Broiled salt mackeral
stewed potatoes, sliced cucumbers.
Dinner.-Stewed beef and Drowned
potatoes, string beans, squashes. black.
berry mush.
SoPper.--Broiled tomatoes, boiled
potatoes.
Take rather large tomatoes. wash
and wipe them, and set them stem end
uppermOst on gridiron over a moder-
ately hot fire. Wh'n Drowned on the
under side, turn them, and let them
cook quite throughly. Insert a small
lump of butter in each one at the stem
opening, and sprinkle with salt and
pepper. Some potatoes, with their
jackets on, should have been put to
boil before these were put on, and eaten
with the tomatoes. They should be
crushed on the plate with a fork, and
seasoned with butter and salt.
SATURDAY.
Breaktaat.-CaIfs liver, fried pota-
toes.
D'""er.-Roast lamb and peas, pota-
toes' cole slaw, stewed apples, cold Gus
tard.
Supper.-Cold lamb, cottage cheese,
cucumbers sliced.
Smyrna times., 1886-08-11
ELL, WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. AUGUST H. 1886.

feet of vessel forced by narrow beam
to go below the water, and the longi-
tudinal lines whitfield down as lean as
a greyhOund's. But the dimensions in
dicate more than this They show a
great Overhang to the bow, fully as
much as 20 feet in the margin line of
the stem, which is considerable and of
the utmost Importance, when the
lower series of water lines are studied,
1t is safe to say that down there in the
depths the first waterline, by reason of
this great overhang gave the designer
all the liberty he wanted in spoke
shaving this line down to a point
where it would offer no more resist
ance than does ducks back to water.
and just here in the disposition and
contour OF this line hinges victory or
defeat, because it give form and out
line to the upper series of parallels and
consequently the whole immersed
shape of the vessel
The advantages flowing from the
proper disposition of the first water
line are cumulative, which it is ex-
tremely doubtful if the yachts belong
ing to this side can equal, because
their shallow, skimming-dish - shane
merges into hollow lines or else round
ones, which are not to be coveted.
But the GGtGteG'S sheer being lowered
aft causes all the parallels excepting
the first one to be fuller than thew are
on the bow, and if every detail is not
attended to this will crop out into a
blunder and result in defeat.
The GGlGteG came across the Allan
tic under two jury masts, which was
not her proper rig. Necessarily. from
the dimensions she possesses a lean
bow and full stern, or "herring with |
the tail ahead" This shape Will throw
jhe centre of lateral resistance of the
null abatt of the centre, and more
obstructive place it could not well be
placed. From this centre, which is
Usually found by the model in distilled
Nater' Is projected the centre of propul-
non of all the sails, which in this class
II vessels would be as much as ten
eet forward of the lateral resistance
entre 20 avoid weather helm bv hav-
ng the excess of sail forward of the
after place. Now the question is, has
his been attended to9 If it has, the
'dtate" takes back the cup, for there
no yacht over here that can outsail
Ter. Balanced in this wav, together
With her steel plates being rubbed
own smooth as glass, it cannot be
one. Evidently the GaLatea comes
ot to stay but to win. Of course the
'"rttdn or Priscilla will strip for the
ght, but the trouble is the Talatea
aving with the advantages mentioned
lso more sailing floor, being longer. and
nat too helps to settle it wonderfully. ]
Smyrna times., 1886-08-11
The Colored Schools.

Henry c. Conrad, Esq, actuary of
the Delaware Association for the
Education of Colored People, has issued
his tenth annual report, from which
the following facts are cleaned: When
MIR. Conrad was appointed actuary in
1876 there were twenty nine schools
open in the State, with a total enroll.
ment OIL ,197. The number has steadily
increased si8ce that time until now
there are sixty-nine schools out side of
Wilmington, with an enrolment of
0,56o. The term just closed shows a
total distribution among the schools of
1859. The Dover school continues
the largest, and under the direction of
julius B. McGinnis, who for the mast
five years has been teacher. will COM
pare tavorably with many of the
graded schools. Those at New Castle.
Middletown, Newark, Smyrna. Milford
and Lewes are strong, and are from
year to year making forward strides
and showing good results. None has
shown greater progress than the South
Camden school under the direction of
Lottie E. Scott.
Smyrna times., 1886-08-11

Let us have that extradition treaty
at once. Canada is good enough
neighbor in many respects, but there
is no use in keeping it as the asylum of
tony thieves. Modern civilization has
developed old crimes or introduced
new ones for which old laws are mad
equate. The new treaty between Great
Britain and this country promises
something toward restoring the lost
balance.
Smyrna times., 1886-08-11
Eroitnmnn4 T0-oa

I. Ereat excitement has been caused in the yiein
Ivy OF faris, Tex. by the remarkable recovery Of
t u =; C9rley, VINO was so helpless he could not
sys Was uylng OF Consumption A trial bottle OF DR.
Mig New Discovery was sent him. Finding
IS.'95i m. ne bought large bottle and a box Of
9hen n,WO Two boxes Of Pills and two bottles OF the
tiItiscoVSiy' ne was well and had gained in flesh
9n1iilsy-slN pounds. Trial Bottles of this Great
discovery for Consumption free at las p Uoe
ieekers Drug Store, Smyrna Del