davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25
Animals and Plants of Madagascar.

No part of the world has proved so
interesting to the zoologist, or such
paradise to the botanist, as Madagascar.
The bed of the Indian Ocean is of eX-
IRENE depth, except round the islands.
Evidence warrants the belief that NADIA
gascar was connected with Africa. One
fact which strikes every traveller in
Madagascar is the abundance OF animal
life. 1t is the home of some species
of reptile. There are between fifty and
sixty species of chameleons and great
variety of snakes, even pythons nine or
ten feet in length and as thick as a mans
leg. One species is looked upon with
great superstitious reverence as the i'm
personation of their dead ancestors,
whose souls upon the death of the body
have passed into these creatures. When
one is discovered, the chiefs assemble
near it and proceed to ascertain whose
ancestor is here embodied. This is done
by series of questions that can be an
swered by yes or no. The reptile is
attentively watched, and when the mo-
ton of its head is supposed to indicate
the affirmative to the question, Are you
the ancestor of such and such a chief?
it then becomes the duty of the chief
to conduct the proper ceremonies. A
bullock is killed and blood given to pro-
pitiate the creature and secure its good
offices. Gigantic tortoises are found,
some six feet broad, weighing nearly
eight hundred pounds and able to carry
two tons on its back. There are hun
dred species of land birds, not more
than half a dozen being known else
where. Many small streams in the for
est seem to be literally alive with but
ter1y and moth life. One of the spiders
is the largest known. SO strong are
some of the hunting spiders that they
can throw out any substance twice or
thrice their own weight to distance
twelve times their own length. The
number of towering plants it is thought
will yet be found to reach four or five
thousand. - From " Madagascar and
Fldnce.n
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25
A Coral Island.

People used to think the coral islands
were built from the bottom of the sea;
but the tiny architects which construct
them, the polyps, cannot live at any
great depth in the water, therefore they
support their workmanship upon some
rock beneath. Neither can these little
builders live out of the water; but they
gradually bring the framework of the
island to the surface of the water, and
the work of completion is brought
about in another way, which Captain
Chemm of the Royal Navy describes
as follows: "First, the foundation is
built up until it makes a break or rip
pie on the surface. Something is then
drifted or entangled on it-may be a log
of wood, dead tree, mass of weeds.
Then birds bring their food of fishes
and leave the bones there. Sand,
gravel and broken shells accumulate
around it, and it begins to appear above
water Seeds drifting on the ocean are
next arrested in their progress. Dead
wood, decayed leaves and fish-bones
form sod. The seed, generally the
mangrove, terminates, and rapidly, too
with the heat and rain of the tropics
This becomes bush, then tree. Its
roots grasp the surrounding soil, and il
becomes the nucleus of mangrove
island, waiting for some passing dis
coverer to name it. l have watched
with real interest the progress of these
islets from year to year-frst the rip.
pie, then the collection of leaves, sand
and shells, then the first shoot of the
mangrove, then the sea-shells, the her
nit crab and the surface ocean-shell-
all soon to become coral island"
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25
Playing Pool.

An industrious young shoemaker fell
into the habit of spending much time at
a saloon near by. One by one his GUS
toners began to desert him. When
his wife demonstrated with him for so
neglecting his work for the saloon, he
would carelessly reply, go, I've Just
been down little while playing pool"
His little two-year-old caught the re-
frain, and would often ask, SIS you
goin' down to play fool, papa?" Smith
tried in vain to correct this word. The
child persisted in his own pronuncia-
ton, and day by day he accosted his
father with, " Has you been playin' fool,
papa?" This made deep impression
on the shoemaker, as he realized that
the question was being answered in the
falling off of his customers and the
growing wants of the household He
resolved again and again to quit the
pool-table, but weakly allowed the pas
sion of play to hold him long time.
Finally he found himself out of work,
out of money and out of flour. Sitting
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25
The Physical Evils OF Intemperance.

We make the following extract from
the speech of Hon. j. II. Gallnger be-
fore the house of representatives urg-
ing the passage of the national scien-
tific temperance bill: "The physical
evils of intemperance alone is a theme
OF the greatest magnitude. At every
step the victim is found. Seventy-five
thousand times each year the ranks of
the people of this country are in
vaded by this enemy and a life ter
minated. What record is this! And
yet the strange infatuation of drink
keeps up the list of victims to the maxi
mum point. Time will not allow me
to call up the endless array of facts and
figures which condemn and brand alco-
hol as mans worst enemy, and | will
content myself with a few citations.
In all epidemics it has been found that
intemperance strongly predisposes to
disease. OF 1915 cases received into
cholera hospitals in the epidemic of
1892, l ,023 were decidedly Incorporate,
a proportion of nearly two-thirds; of
the remainder, 4S2 were Incorporate;
and of 40 cases it was not known
whether they were Incorporate or not;
it is probable that a portion were. Both
in the epidemic of 1882 and in that of
1S49 the cholera in New York first APP
peared and was more fatal in the To-
cality known as the Five Points "a
locality where filth, intemperance and
degradation 90 hand in hand. Last
summer. during the intense heat, dis
patch from New York to the Boston
papers contains an item headed "A
Terrible Record which read as fol-
lows: The fatal cases of sunstroke or
prostration by the heat since last
Wednesday, when the weather became
so intensely hot, so far as reported to
the authorities, up to last night num-
Der 145. OF these, probably two
thirds or four fifths were men or women
either drunkards or habitual drinkers
of strong liquors or beer During an
epidemic of cholera in the city of AL
bany, when only one in $500 of tee
totalers was seized by the disease, one
in sixty of the general population per-
ished. A German authority Ohe Volks-
freundO states that out of nine hundred
persons who died at Rotterdam from
cholera only three were abstainers. In
Newcastle, England, the cholera struck
down one drinker in fifty-siX, but only
one of 625 abstainers from alcoholic
beverages. In 1858 DR.. Cartwright of
New Orleans wrote thus to the Boston
Medical and Surgical Journal: The
yellow fever came down like a storm
upon this devoted city with l ,127 dram
shops in one of the four parts into
which it has been divided. 1t is not
the citizens proper, but the foreigners,
with mistaken notions about the eli
mate and country, who are the chief
supporters of these haunts of intem-
perance. About 5000 of them died
before the epidemic touched single
citizen or sober man, so far as l can get
at the facts"
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25
advertisements.
CONSTIPATION!

There is no medium through which
disease so often attacks the system
as by Constipation, and there is no
other i'll flesh is heir to more apt to
be neglected, from the fact material
Inconvenience may not be Immediate
ly felt from irregular action Of the
bowels. When there is not regular
action the retention of decayed and
efete matter, with its poisonous
gases, soon poisons the whole system
by being absorbed into it, causing
piles, fistula, headache, impure blood
and many other serious affections.
BURDOCK BLOOD BITTERS will
Immediately relieve, and one bottle
positively cure or relieve any case
Of Constipation.
WAS troubled for a year with
torpid liver and Indigestion, and after
trying everything imaginable used
BURDOCK BLOOD BITTERS. Tho
first bottle revived me and the second
cured me entirely."-J.S. Williamson.
Rochester, N. Y.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25
Seleet Mlistellamp.
A Boy Again.

at wish were a boy againl"
SO sighed man o'ertasked;
And fate was at his elbow then
And granted what he asked.
Reduced again to boyhood's size,
He found himself once more
The aspirant for many prize
That he had lost before.
His schoolmates all around him pressed,
And work and play went on,
But still he felt his youthful zest
For toll or sport was gone.
The lessons that were easy once
We're now more hardly done;
He felt himself the very Ounce
That he had called his son.
The blunders that he made of old
He now avoids at will;
But others graver, deadlier, hold
Their ties about him still.
The lads around look on and quiz
This Scion gone to school
They think that all his caution is
The wisdom of fool
Things are not always what they seem:
And when the man awoke
From what was but fevered dream
In altered tone he spoke;
" LIES rule is easily understood
We may not live again.
But boyhoods days for boys are good,
And manhoods days for men" Selected
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25

however, exactly refer to natural phe-
nomena-can only be mentioned here.
Thus, northern light or comet is
said to be the forerunner of war. The
birth of child is, by the superstitious,
said to bode good or evil. If a new
piece of work be commenced while the
moon is on the wane, or on Friday,
the undertaking is doomed to fail. The
belief in good and evil omens has sur
vived thousands of years, and has come
down to the present day; in fact, the
influence which this belief has on the
mind can only be shaken off by calm
reasoning and self-training. Many other
instances of superstition, still in vogue
in our enlightened times, might readily
be given.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25
Surviving SuperstitiOns.

The many occasions where thirteen
have dined together and no one of the
number has died within the time pre-
scribed (and how often does this not
occur in inns and other public places
and no one gives the matter thought)
are instances of course completely
ignored. A patient who may have
consulted several physicians without
experiencing relief finally turns to one
of the many patent medicines adver-
tised in the papers. After a time he
feels better; perhaps the improvement
is but temporary, as is so often the case
in troubles of long standing, but then,
oftentimes urged thereto by the pro-
prietors of the wonderful medicine, he
writes letter of thanks, and anon the
papers will herald the announcement,
Sure cure to all unfortunates by the
famous cure-all, -" and then comes
some pompous name. Other patients
think great deal of the so-called
" sympathetic cures. When the moon
is on the wane they go to graveyard,
taking care to speak to no one on the
way, or they throw barley-grains over
their head backward into the water,
meantime muttering some incarnation.
If the believers in these cures be ques-
toned as to how they can place faith in
such wondrous arts, they will refer to
certain instances where such means
have been successfully employed; but
of course they can trace absolutely no
connection whatever between the rem
edy and its supposed effects. Proph-
ecies of similar kind-that do not,
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25
Take Care.

Howard Crosby lately stated that
Brooklyn saloon-keeper, who openly
gave wine to the children who were
playing on the street near his saloon.
frankly declared his expectation to make
of these his customers of the future,
and ultimately to come into possession
of a good part of what they might in
herit from their parents. This certainly
was heartless proceeding and avowal,
yet consider how singularly inconsid-
crate or worse were the social drink
ing customs of less than century
ago, when children not infrequently be-
came more or less intoxicated upon
various merry-making occasions. The
youth of that strong opponent of
slavery and rum-drinking, Arthur Tap
pan, furnishes a case in point: when
a small boy" says his biographer, " he
and other lads in the neiShborhood
went to the raising of new dwelling
house near by. According to the Gus
tom of those days, the owner of the
frame provided the towns-people who
assembled on the occasion with pals of
rum and water. AT conclusion, the
boys scraped up and swallowed the
sugar and rum that remained in the
pals. Little Arthur was one of
the unfortunate ones, and on reaching
home fell PROSTATE on the floor of the
shed. His father, in quest of some
wood for the next mornings fire, saw
what appeared to him in the darkness
of the evening to be log, was arrested
by the groan or motion of his son, and
thus spared the horror of striking the
axe into his head" Let us be thank
full that the pail of rum and water at
house and barn raisings is not now
the invariable rule.-ChriStian States
man.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25

on his bench one afternoon, idle and
respondent, he was heard to excaim,
" No work again to-day-what Pm to
do l don't know ?" g Why, papa"
prattled the baby, can't you run down
and play fool some more?" 60 hush!
you poor child" groaned his father,
shame-stricken. "That's just the
trouble. Papa has played fool too
much already" But he never played
it again, and to-day his home is com
Portable and happy once more.-Tem-
perdnce Reuiep.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25
Plausible.

Perhaps the most rational, and GER
tainly the most plausible, explanation
of vaccination is the following, pre-
pared by Professor Tyndall: When a
tree or bundle of wheat or barley
straw is burned a certain amount of
mineral matter remains in the ashes
extremely small in comparison with the
bulk of the tree or of the straw, but alb
solutely essential to its growth In a
soil lacking, or exhausted of, the neces-
sary constituents, the tree cannot live,
the crop cannot grow. Now contagia
are living things, which demand certain
elements of life, just as ineXorably as
trees, or wheat, or barley; and it is not
difficult to see that crop of given
parasite may so far use up constituent
existing in small quantities in the body,
but essential in the growth of the para
site, as to render the body unfit for the
production of second crop. The soil
is exhausted, and until the lost constitu-
ent is restored, the body is protected
from any further attack of the same
disorder. Such an explanation of nom
recurrent diseases naturally presents it.
self to thorough believer in the germ
theory; and such was the solution
which, in reply to a question, l ven
tured to offer nearly fifteen years ago to
an eminent physician. To exhaust a
soil, however, a parasite less vigorous
and destructive than the really virulent
one may suffice; and if, after having by
means of feebler organism exhausted
the soil without fatal result, the most
highly virulent parasite be introduced
into the system, it will prove powerless.
This, in the language of the germ the
DRY, is the whole secret of vaccination. :"
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25
The Old and The New.

The old-style pills. Who does not know
What agony they caused-what woe?
You walk the floor, you groaned you sighed,
And felt such awful pain inside
And the next day you felt so weak
You didn't want to move or speak.
Now Pierce's Pellets " are so mild
They are not dreaded by child.
They do their work in painless way,
AND leave no weakness for next day,
Thus proving what is oft contest
That gentle means are always best.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25

THE ruddy river of life is the blood.
From it the system receives all its ma
terial of growth and repair. 1t bathes
every tissue of the body. How neces-
sary, then, that the blood should be kept
pure and rich. Dr. Pierce's I" Golden
Medical Discovery " is the great blood
food and blood-puriier. 1t is a SOW
ereign remedy for all diseases due to i'm
poverished blood, consumption, bron-
chitis, weak lungs, scrofula, influenza
and kindred diseases.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25

THERE are some persons who never
succeed from being too INDECENT to at
tempt anything, and others who regu-
larly fail because the instant they find
success in their power they grow in-
different and give over the attempt.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25
Temperance.
Just for To-Day.

Lord, for tomorrow and its needs
l do not pray;
Keep me, my God, from stain of sin
just for to-day.
Let me both diligently work
And daily pray;
Let me be kind In word and deed
just for to-day.
Let me be slow to do my will,
Prompt to obey;
Help me to mortify my flesh
just for to-day.
Let me no wrong or idle word
Unthinking say;
Set thou a seal upon my lips
just for to-day.
Let me in season, Lord, be grave,
In season gay;
Let me be faithful to thy grace
just for to-day.
So, for tomorrow and its needs
do not pray,
But keep me, guide me, love me, Lord
just for to-day. Selected.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25

OPIUM is the most dangerous drug,
especially when given to children, in
the shape of soothing remedy. DIR.
Bulls Baby Syrup is warranted not to
contain opium in any form and is the
most innocent and efiicacious remedy
for children teething. Price twenty
five cents bottle.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25

He who has left the world the record
of noble life, though he may have left
no outward memorial, has left an en-
during source of greatness.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25

ALL cases of weak or lame back,
backache, rheumatism, ETC., will find
relief by wearing one of Carriers Smart
weed and Belladonna Backache Plas-
tiers. Price twenty-five cents.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25

THE combination, proportion and
processi in preparing Hoods Sarsaparilla
are peculiar in this medicine and I'M
known to others.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25

Hope is like the wing of an angel,
soaring up to heaven, bearing our
prayers to the throne of grace.-Jeremy
TAILOR.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25
For the Hair, Scalp and Toilet.

Convincing Testimonials applicant has cured
and medical skill there failed
Scad
Bruises Chpped Hands,
relieved by its use from smarng and burning in few moments
The
fumed. Its Ncer! To Impossible!
T. HILL MANSFIELD Proprietor, Portland, Maine.
SOLD by ALL DRuGeIsTs AND PEKEuMERs FIEIycENr JAR
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25
Green Mountain Seminary
AND
MINARD COMMERCIAL COLLEGE,
Waterbury Center, Vermont.

ELIZABETH COLBY, A. NJ. .........,, Principal.
AsBuRY NJ MARSH Prin. of Commercial College.
Full corps OF teachers, College preparatory, Clas
steal English Commercial and Musical courses SU-
psyior advantages FOR Vocal and InstrUmenfdl Alsc
sad Az hs5s No outside temptations FIST
class boarding. accommodations. Expenses low.
Three terms OF twelve weeks each. Fall term be-
gins August 81, 1856. Address the Principal. Water
bury Center, Vermont
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-25
advertisements.
BEST IN THE
WnnIn
Florence Knitting Silk.

WILL 10 IL ~ GOH ~ ILAhr
Because it is the most durable of any
textile known. Because full weights
|and measures are always given. Be-
lcause it is pure silk. Because no
poisonous dyes are used for the pur-
pose of obtaining an artificial lustre. Be-
cause it is "Soft Finish" and easy to
knit. Because it is uniform in size
and correctly numbered. Because it
is positively the only silk suitable for
knitting which will bear washing
without injury to color or texture!
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-07-15
Third District Politics.

The Logan county delegates to tho Thirt
district Democratic Congressional Conven'
ton have been instructed 10 cast theil
vote for ex.State Senator John b. Floyd,
at present clerk in Secretary Of Stats Wal
ker's office. The Charleston Star says In
this connection: 1--WE do not understand
however, that the presentation by the
county Of Logan OF a third name In the
convention, will have the effect to deprive
Messrs. Synder and Harris OF the leader
ship In the struggle. Indeed, II Is quietly
limited that Mr.. Snyder Is the very deCld.
ed second choice !of Logan county, and
that should Senator Floyd conclude to
postpone his aspirations until he eau have
q fairer field and may be able to conduct
his contest under more equal conditions,
the vote OF that county may soon follow
the lead which recent events have given
to tho Congressional contest. The action
Of the Fayetto Democracy last Tuesday
was q stunning surprise to the opponentg
of Mr.. Snyder, and In our Judgment leaves
scarcely any reason to doubt the final re.
suit. To DO sure II is claimed by some Of
Mr.. Snyder's opponents that Fayette gives
him no gain; that h0 received her entire
vote In 1882, To this II will be sufficient
to say that when Fayette county cast her
entire vote for Snyder in 1882 he received
the nomination."
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-07-15

Fairview Grange No. 200, Of Mason
county, has adopted q resolution denounc
Ing Hon. Eustacs Gibson for his vote
against the O~leomargarlne Bill, aftel
having made remarks In the hearing Of
Mason county farmers that led them q
suppose that he would vote for II; he was
also petitioned TO vote for the bill. The
resolutions also reCite "that in falling 10
vote In favor Of the Silver Bill, Mr.. Glib.
son took sides with monopoly as against
tho farmer, the laborsr, the mechanic
and the business man, AMI has thereby
forfeited all claim to the vote OF either,
and we will, regardless Of party, support
that man who will publicly give ia a
guarantee that he, II elected, will support
the majority Interests, and %leplalSto
tons close with one announcing that In
Hon. John y. KonnA the Grange Aaa
found q friend,
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-07-15
HILL CLIMBING RACE
by FIVE wHpELMEN YESTERDAY,
banker, of Pittsburgh, again gets away with
> the First Pr1e-A Wheeling Man Fourth
in tho Flush THE Time of each
Contestant The Races Finished.

The last OF the series OF bicycle speed
contests under the auspices Of the Wheel.
ing Wheelmen, which were i~nsugurated
on Tuesday afternoon, was given yester'
day forenoon, when Fulton hill, from the
bottom to the top, q distance Of 9,8O8 feet,
was climbed by the contestants, For this
contest ten or twelve local wheelmen and
several from abroad had entered, but only
Eve OF the entrles had the nerve to starI
yesterday, Mr., l, G. Dillon acted as
checker and timer at the bottom, Mr., Sam
Norton in the satns capacity at the top.
and Mr., viii Wright, Captain Of the
Wheeling Club, dropped the flag,
w, D. Banker, OF the Allegheny Bicycle
club, who won the thirty.mile race on
Tuesday, was again the successful CON
testant, climbing the 2.398 feet in S;2Sl,
and winning the first pri2s, the Overman
Ball Pedals, offered by the overman
Wheel Co.
John V. Stevenson, of Groenburg, Pa,
camein second, making the rise In 1874,
though he rode 3 borrowed wheel which
he had never before seen. He won the
Columbia lantern offered as the second
prize by the Pope Manufacturing Com
pany.
VIII +. Lewis, OF J~ohnstoWn, the well
known trick and fancy rider, took the
third prize, the L, A, w, badge given by
the Wheeling House, West Alexander,