davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-28
Draining Enormous Marshes.

Few people are probably aware of the
great engineering undertakings in
which Russia has been engaged for years
of draining the Pinsk marshes. These
are so extensive as to secure special
designation on the ordinary map of Eu-
rope, being, we believe the only case of
the kind; and, in point of area, are
much larger than ireland. situated on
the 4tasso-f offsh 7cCs11nes, they have
become famous in Russian history as a
refuge for all manners of romantic char
aCters, and have remained an irreclaim-
able wilderness in the midst of a pros
porous corn growing region up to within
the last few years. In 1870 the Russian
government first took in hand seriously
the abolition of this wild expanse, which,
owing to being perpetually more or less
submerged and covered with a Jungle
growth of forest, prevented not only
communication between Russian dis
tricts on either side, but also between
Russia and Austro- Germany. Conse-
quently large staff of engineering off
GERS and several thousand troops were
drafted into the region, and these have
been engaged upon the undertaking
since. Up to the present time about
four million acres have been reclaimed,
thanks to the construction of several
thousand miles of bitches and of canals,
SO broad as to be navigable for barges of
several hundred tons burden. Just now
the engineers are drawing up the pro-
gram for next year, which comprises the
drainage of $50, 000 acres by means of the
construction of 100 miles of bitches and
canals. Of the 4,00O,OO acres already
reclaimed, 600, 900 acres consisted of
sheer bog, which have been converted
into good meadow land; 900, 900 acres
of ''forest tangle," which have been
prepared for timber purposes by cutting
down all the underwood and thinning
the trees; 500, 900 acres of good forest
land-forest oasis in the midst of the
marshes - hitherto inaccessible, but
which have been connected more or less
with navigable canals, and thereby with
the distant markets; and, finally, 2, 000,-
900 acres have been thrown open to cul-
tivation, although only 1870, 900 acres
have been actually occupied up to now.
Besides making the canals and bitches,
the engineers have built 179 bridges,
bored 1872 wells from 40 feet to so feet
deep, and 425 from 30 to 30 feet, and
have made a survey of 20, 900 sc uare
miles of country hitherto unmapped
When their task is finished, Russia will
have effaced from the map of Europe
one of the Oldest and toughest bits of
savage nature on the continent, and
few years will suffice to render the Pinsk
undistinguishable from the rest
of the cultivated region of the sources of
the. Dnieper.-Eagi.s.4
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-28
What Is to Be Done with the NegrOs

The negro Is no longer problem.
He is part of the body polite of the
Republic. He is firmly rooted and can
not be moved. He is here to stay, and
any attempt to disturb him OF to excite
his fears as to his right to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness is nothing
loss than a crime a question touch
ing the negro, like any other, must be
considered from this common sense
standpoint, and every suggestion for
its solution must be subjected to the
probing and searching what good?"
Prejudice must not be allowed @ voice
in its solution, and passion must be eX-
cluded from counsel. The negro will
not consent to his own deportation.
The Southern planters, too, would not,
if they could, consent to it; nor to any
agitation of it, because it unsettles and
unhinges the labor that is more profit
able free than it ever was or could be
in the days of slavery. The negro is
more intelligent now than then, and
therefore more valuable because q bet
ter, closer and more skillful worker.
Deportation is not, for these reasons, to
be considered. Wemust, therefore, deal
with the negro and treat of him with
the full understanding that we cannot
get rid of him. His commercial value,
supplementing his rights under the
Federal and State constitutions, says
we cannot.
What, then, is to be done with the
negro? Nothing but increase the
number of schools and schoolmasters,
make education compulsory, and make
the technical education easily available
t., him in all parts of the South.--Ihe~
negro must be taught the virtue of self
reliance, and the value of the courts as
his safeguard and defense under the
Constitution and laws of the nation
and of the States. Agitation exalts the
negro to a degree of imaginary impor-
lance that people at the North cannot
understand. He is q sensible man
within his limits of mind and compre-
hension, so long as he feels that he is
not the center OF pet anxiety. Agita
ton has retarded and interfered with his
growth in the past; it has proved ex-
ceedingly mischievous. and is not to be
thought of in the future. 1t breeds
dissatisfaction, raises hopes that can
never be fulfilled, and tends to widen
the breach between the races.-Pop1G-
lar Science Monthly.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-28
To Make Drawn Butter.

"Drawn butter" is so much used in
vegetable cooking we give rule for it
here: Into half pint of boiling milk
stir large spoonful of butter, well blen-
ded with small spoonful of flour and
little salt. Boil one minute and it is
ready for use. This is a sufficient
quantity for any vegetable requiring 1t
Tor two persons. Experience and judg-
ment will teach all housewives how to
make these dishes richer if desirable.
Caulitiowers can be bought in their
seasons, at all prices, from dime apiece
to SIX shiilings or more. The green
leaves should all be cut off quite close to
the main stalk, the rest tied in clean
napkin, put into boiling water with
little salt and boiled twenty minutes, if
OF moderate size. Put blossom upward
into vegetable dish and pour the fore
gong recipe for drawn butter over it.
w lte turnips cut in small squares, and
boiled half an hour, then cooked for ten
minutes IN the drawn butter are very
NICE. Yellow turnips should be cut into
quarters or less, boiled one hour, and
mashed, adding salt and piece of but
ter. Change the boiling water once,
and In the last water put one teaspoonful
Of sugar; this soltens the strong odor
and taste of this vegetable, and is an i'm
pfovcment. White onions tuse only the
silver skins'D may be cooked whole
and piece of clear butter laid on them,
with little salt and pepper, or they
may be coarsely chopped and simmered
IN water till done about half an hour,
and then cooked for ten minutes longer
IN the SO rawn butter" This last is as
unobjectionabIe way as onions can be
cooked; much of their rungent flavor is
eyaporated with the boiling water.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-28
HOW THE CIRCUS MAN EATS.
His Life Not Exactly What the Average
Small Boy Thinks it is.

Mr, James NJ. Nixon, who knows all
about circus, said to the Cook: '|There
are no people excepting plainsmen---2
the skirmishers over the wild country OF
the West-who live so hard a life as
circus employees, both performers and
workingmen Their lives are not as
hard now; it is true, IS it was some
years ago, excepting with the small con-
Germs. They are the wagon shows that
travel through the small towns. But
even with the big concerns that travel
by train it is hard enough now.
''Take the case of wagon show that
has to travel thirty miles after night
performance to get to the next town,
where d street procession is to be made
in the forenoon. The workmet; canvas
men, and the like have to take break
fast at II o'clock at night. Then
they get no meal till dinner, after the
procession, say at noon. Wherever
they are their work must be attended to
first, eating is a second consideration.
With the performers, gymnasts, riders,
clovis, and the like it is not so bad.
They get better pay and b6ttet food,
AS rule they live on the best food
there is to be had where they happen to
be, and they take great deal of it.
Most IF them are great beef eaters, and
not very particular whether the meat is
cold or hot so long as it is good and
plenty. They are very particular, how
ever, about cleanliness, | have seen
twenty, or thirty of them get up and
leave the table because the table cloth
was dirty! And when they want meal
they want it, and will have it. l have
often seen them leave hotel where they
would have to wait fifteen minutes for a
dinner that was paid for, and go to
restaurant where they would have to
buy another. They won't eat unless
they are hungry; but they are always
hungry after night performance, and
will not go to bed without hearty sup
per. They say they can't sleep if they
are empty.
One thing that is peculiar about them
is that they do not take medicine, and
they are remarkably healthy: When
they are out of sorts they diet them
selves, each one according to his own
ideas, but don't think l ever saw $50
worth of medicine around circus in all
the years / have been in the business.
Yes, they drink. Not to excess, but
nearly all of them drink when they feel
like it. They never drink, however,
before performing. They are very
careful of themselves. They have to be
or they would not last long.
AS matter Of course with their
irregular habits, they are in certain
sense extravagant Their extravaganza.
however, is mainly in the matter of eat
ing Experience teaches them very
soon, if their own sense does not at first,
that they must take the very best poss-
ible care of themselves physically, and
that good eating is primary consider
ation''
There has been in late years vast i'm
provement in all departments of the
travelling circus, and in nothing has
this been more observable, to those in
the business, than in the provisions
made for the health and comfort of the
A good chief cook with a
circus will get as good salary as a first
class performer, and has to earn it.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-28

THE late Rev. DR.. Tying had an in
cisive way of his own, and spoke his
mind freely on all occasions. "What
do l call cigars ?" he asked of his Sun
day-school children. "The devils ST.
gar-plums, sir" "And playing-cards ?"
"The devils pictured book. " At one
time it was necessary for the oldest
clergyman in the diocese, Rev. DR..
Moore, of Richmond, S. l., to open the
convention in the absence of a Bishop.
DR.. Moore was a plain country parson,
and the new honor stunned him so that
he did not know how to act. He went
to DIR. Tying for advice. What shall
[ do when I get up there?" he inquired
anxiousIy. Dor" said Tying. who was
provoked at such timidIty on the part
of his senior. "The Lord put q word
INTO the mouth of Balaam's ass, and I
suppose he will put one into yours.
Get up and go ahead"
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-28
THE Mary LEE.

A sailors yarn you'd like to have me spin2
SIT down, shipmate. Here off Nantucket
coast
was the captain of the Abel Gwynn
That stormy year the Mary Lee was lost.
her captains name was William Henry Court t,
gallant and careful skipper, too$
l saw the ship weigh anchor and clear port.
And bear away along the hsaving blue.
Far out at sea she stood, the Mary Lee,
whaler rugged and from this harbor bound
With all sails spread for the cold northern sea,
good ship-aye and tmbers stanch and
sound.
But that was more than twenty years ago,
And old Nantucket town will never see,
Across the distant pillows rising slow,
The topmast of the good ship Mary Lee.
Aye, ayel that little woman waiting there?
The shippers wife-how fast she's gettin
gray,
Brown as an autumn oak leaf was her hair
The morning that the Mary sailed away,
She comes here ev'ry morning with that glass
(She's not in her right mind, twixt YOU and
me)
And while the ships come in the poor old lass
Stands watching for the bonny Mary Lee.
ERNEST MoGAFFEY.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-28
The Water Pipes.

A device has been brought forward
for protecting water pipes against freez-
ing, the arrangement beng based upon
the fact that water in motion will re-
main liquid at a lower temperature than
water at rest. One end of copper rod,
p aced outside of the building, is secured
to bracket, and the other end is at
tached to one arm of a weighted elbow
lever; to the other arm of the lever is
secured rod, which passes into the
building and operates a valve in the
water pipe BY means of turn buckles,
the length Of the copper rod can be ad-
iusted so that before the temperature
reaches the point ut which there would
be danger of the water in the pipes
freezing. the valve will be opened to al
low How of water; beyon this point
the valve opening will increase and the
flow become moIe rapid as the cold be-
comes more intense, and as the tcmpera-
ture rises the valve is closed. This plan
sets up current in the pipes, which re-
places the water rs it grows cold by the
warmer water from tic main. Whether
the valve be opened or closed, the service
pipes are always in working order.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-28
CURIOUS FACTS

STEAMINd white wood and submitting
IL to an end pressure renders 1t so
touph, it Is said, as to require cola
chiseI 20 split it;
EXPERIMENTS show that the average
person can taste the bitter Of quinlInIe5
when rne part is dissolved IN l5Z,oJo
parts of water. Salt was detected with
one part in Gao of water, sugar IN
2S8 of water, baking-soda IN 80 o.
water. In nearly all cases women
detected smaller quantity then men.
4 CHINESE viceroy has propounded
a new earthquake theory, In me-
mortal to the throne this high official
attributes an earthquake OF last Janu-
ary to the miIdness of the winter,
which caused an excess of yang, or
male element of nature; although the
shock was in q measure due to local
officials who neglected their duties, and
thus failed to gain the harmOn1zlng Ia
fiuences of heaven.
A MAN has been discovered out West,
and colored one at that, who mas
reached the age of 100 years, and VINO
does not clam $hst he was once the
BODY servant of Gen. Washington. a
house was recently destroyed IN inc
vicinity of Boston believed to be 2OO
wears old, which was never claimed as
Gen. Washington's headquarters, or
the temporary residence OF den'
Lafayette. Wonders will never cease.
SINCE the launching of the Frederick
Billings st R0ckport, claimed to be the
second largest wooden ship ever built
in the United States, comes q shout
from the Duluth (Minn.) NelCS that
SAYS there are several wooden vessels
running into Duluth Harbor larger
/ than the Frederick Billings, being over
800 feet long over all, while the Maine
ship is only 291 feet. 1t names four
ships afoat on Lake Superior that are
the largest wooden vessels aHoat any
where, on salt water or fresh.
A PASTE that will not draw engrav-
ings when pasted down on paper must
be thin. A mixture of gum-tragacanth
and gum arabie forms, with water, a
thinner mucilage than either of these
two gums alone. Rice-four is sald to
make an excellent paste for fine paper
work. A solution of two ounces and a
half gum arabic in two quarts of warm
water is thickened to q paste with
wheat -four; to this is added & solution
of alum and sugar of lead, one ounce
and half each, in water. The mix
ture is heated and stirred until about
to boil, and then cooled. 1t may be
thinned with gum so utlou.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-28
THE TREACP-EROUS FROG.
S'Hrce of Annoyance and Danger tn
Railroad Men.

The frogs on railroad tracks are the
dread of many railroad men, and they
try to keep their feet clear of them. A
travelling man said the other day;
''It is the easiest thing in the world
to slip your foot in some of the frogs.
They are shaped sometimes like the
letter V, and when you slip YOUR foot in
the open part it Is fast. There seems to
be no way of getting out of it except to
pull the foot out of the boot. A man
has no time for that always. I remem-
Der once, very distinctly getting my
foot IN frog. had on pair of rub
Der boots, and got my foot fast Just as
easy as anything could be. l thought
could pull it out without any trouble,
and as a train was backing down on
that part of the track proceeded pretty
quickly to try. My foot did not come
out. A little astonished, pulled again,
but 1t did not come. 1t did not seem
to be squeezed very tight, and l was
annoyed. The train was coming nearer
and, as the engineer was backing his
engine down, there was no way to stop
1t. l gave terrible wrench on my foot
but it did not come. The train was so
close | knew that it would run on mo.
Luckily, the train was coming down on
the rall outside of my foot. | leaned
over and twisted my legs over away
from the car as it came When the
wheels passed over l knew something
was crushed, though it did not pain me
much then. The whole train went over.
After they had got by, as the boot was
pretty well torn, managed to pull it
out of the frog and was helped to the
station. It crushed my foot pretty
badly, but not so much that amputation /
was necessary, and l saved my foot and I
leg"
''Why didn't you pull your foot out
of your boot, asked the reporter.
swell, 1 tried that, said the man.
''but 1 couldn't get 1t out. The frog
had pressed over the sole No doubt l
could have cut the boot off if l had
done it right away, bat thought until
it was too late that could pull the boot
out. y
Another man had a similar expert
ence. 1t broke his leg. He jumped off
a car and jumped in a frog Before he
could pull his foot out the wheels ran
over the outer edge of the rail in a
similar way.
Those who are caught are not always
so lucky. Once in a while a man is
caught and the wheels of a car run
directly over the frog, and then the man
is injured. Railroad men are quite
unanimous in believing that frogs on a
are very treacherous.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-28

WHEN A Dose OF VINEGAR BTTTERs is
taken into the stomach, all diseases of
the blood, liver, heart, kidneys, stomach,
and body generally, begin to pack up,
preparatory to leaving the system. And
it doesn't take them long to pack, either.
Like the guests that Mrs. Macbeth dis
persed, they stand not upon the order
of their going, but so at once"
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-28
A PRESENT. William Henry Brow,

A PRESENT. William Henry Brown,
a Pittsburg colored man, has received
the bequest of a Shenandoah valley
farm of $50 acres from a Virginian
named James Spanoler, the son of Il
wealthy planter, who played with Brown
when both were boys, and who was
badly wounded in the Confederate
service at Fort Harrison and captured
Brown who was serving in the Union
army, saw that Spangler received kind
treatment as a wounded prisoner.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-28
DYING IN THE SIBERIAN MINES.
The Court Physician of the Late Gar.
who was Convicted as n NihiIist.

The Court Physician of the Late Gar.
who was Convicted as n NihiIist.
A despatch from St. Petersburg con-
firms the report of the death of DR..
Weymar in the Siberian lead mines.
His history is sad and peculiar. He had
at one time the most lucrative practice
in Russia, He was the chief court ply
stefan under the late Gar and the CON
fdential medical attendant of the Care
witch, now Alexander Ill His favor
and influence at court were boundless,
but 1t is alleged that for years he led a
dual existence. While fawning upon
the court, basking in its favor, and get
ting its secrets, he was said to he the
most active partisan in all the great Nj
hilist crimes of recent years.
One day in 1880 all Russia was shock
ed by the murder of Gen. Messendoff.
The crime was surrounded with the
deepest mystery. The only clue found
by the detectives, after months of
search, was that the carriage in which
the assassins made their escape was
owned by DR.. Weymar. The Doctor
was arrested and confined in the prison
of St. Peter and St Paul for many
months. He protested that he knew
nothing of the plot 70 murder Gen.
Messendoff, and that his horses and car
riage must have been stolen by the muir
derers.
While DR.. Weymar was in prison the
Gar was murdered. When the Doctor
was tried it was shown that he had been
an intimate friend of Saloneff, who was
supposed to be the actual murderer of
the Car, and who was hanged for that
crime. Dr. Weymar was promptly con-
victed, his estate confscated, and he
was exiled to Transatlantic, in eastern
Siberia. In October, 1884, a Nihilist
named Lapatin was arrested for the
murder of Gen. Messendof He was
convicted and hanged. His last words
were that DR.. Weymar was innocent
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-28
What She Did to Cheer Her Up.

"Have you heard from your sister
lately, Mrs. Pankey?"
''Oh la, yes. had a letter from the
poor child only the other day."
''How is shc2''
"Why, the truth is, she's dreadful bad
off. Two of the children are down sick,
her husband is out of work, and the
mortgage on their home is about to be
foreclosed. So you see the poor thing
is absolutely wretched Isn't it shock
ingI7
at is, indeed, but of course you did
all you could to cheer her upr
''0h, yes, certainly. | sent her a
beautiful New Years card by the very
next mail
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-28

COsTLY.-Mr. John W Mackay s
grandson, called the young Prince
Coionna, is to be christened in Rome
in grand style at cost of 5000, which
is said to be more than the child's
father receives year for serving as an
officer in the Italian army.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-28
American Fables.
THE PEASANT AND THE SERPENT.

One day upon his Return from Market
a Peasant found Dangerous Serpent
playing with his children. Without
stopping to make Inquiries he seized a
club and dealt the Reptile a Mortal
blow.
wasn't your Action an Arbitrary
Abuse of Power2" queried the Toad. II
don't think you can Prove that the Ser
pent had struck one of your Children"
"As to that" replied the Peasant,
"the time to kill Poisonous Reptiles is
before you are Bitten"
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-28

Bracelets have at all times been much in use
among barbaris nations, and the women frs'
ouentlv wear several on the same arm. The
finer kinds are of mother of pearl, fine gold or
silver; othefs Of less value are made of plated
steel, horn, brass, coppefs beads, etc. This
species of personal ornament was exceedingly
common In Europe in prehistoric times. The
bracelets of the Bronze Age were either Of
gold or bronze, silver being then unknown. In
shape they were oval and penannular with
expanding or trumpet shaped ends, having an
opening between them of about half an inch
to enable them to be easily slipped over the
wrist Those of gold were generally plain.
hammered rods, bent to the requisite shape,
but those OF bronze were often chased with
elegant designs, showing a cultivated taste.
Some forms of spiral armlets Of bronze, pecu-
liar to Germany and Scandinavia, covered the
whole forearm, and were doubles intended as
much for defence against sword stroke as for
ornament The Etruscan and early Roman
forms of bronze bracelets were for the MOST
part cylindrical, with overlapping ends, or
spiral or serpent-shaped. There were also the
common forms in the Pisos Cure for Consump-
ton saved my life. In this vicinity all know
its merits.