davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
Electricity in Water.

Our conceptions of strength and endurance
are so associated with visible implements
md mechanical arrangements that it is hard
to cast them aside, and yet the stream of
electric fire that splits an ash is not a pom
derable thing, and the way in which the
loadstone reaches the t%en-pound weight is
not p~erceptible. You would think the man
had a pretty good set Of molars that could
gnaw a poker like a stick of candy, but a
bottle of innocent looking hydrogen gas will
eat up q piece of iron bar as though it were
a piece Of favorite pudding. Mr.. Faraday,
the great chemist, lays claim to have demon
strated that each drop Of water is the sheath
of electric force sufficient to charge 500, 900
Leyden jars. In spite Of teetotal pledges,
therefore. the most temperate man is a
pretty hard drinker, for he is compelled to
slake his thirst with a condensed thunder
storm. The difference in power between a
woman's scolding and a woman's tears is
explained now. Chemistry has put it into
formula. When a lady scolds, a man has
to face only a few puffs Of a~rticulate car
bonic acid, but her weeping is liquid light
ming,
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12

Cistern water may be purified by Charcoal
put in a bag and hung in the water.
There is scarcely a decent mar in the
United States for school use or otherwise
The use Of glass flooring is increasing in
Paris. Sufficient light shines through il to
illuminate dark rooms below.
Long range guns are being SO rapidly de
veloped that the rotundity OF the earth be
gins to offer a serious i~mpedirnent to cor
rect artillery practice.
In The American Journal Of Insanity DR..
Pliny Earle says, so far as statistics are an
indication, the recoveries in british asylums
exceed those in American institutions by be-
tween s and 0 per cent.
The government arsenal at Osaka, Japan,
Is now turning out steel rails as good as the
imported; and it Is said that before long full
railway equipments will be made at home
for their rapidly extending lines.
Lime cartridges are now somewhat used
for blasting purposes A hole is bored, the
lime cartridge inserted and water poured
over it The increase in volume of the
slaked lime cracks and splits the substance
which it is desired to blast.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12

Ex -Treasurer Henry Mayer present.
ed, for cancellation, certain school war
rants which had been paid him on ac-
count Of certain notes given him by
John, William and Richard F. Beck
for school lands, which the board RET
fused to receive, they being advised
that the law required said funds to be.
paid in cash and could not be paid I'M
school warrants.
The bills for iDquests, in the follow
ing cases, were held over for further
information. they, under the informa-
ton before the board, being doubtful
for want of evidence that they were
warranted by law: Floyd Hicks, W.
Wilmore, Esther Thomas and Joe
Flowers, by L. M. Lowenberg; j.. II.
McKenna, Fred Groome and Frank
Hall, by Coroner S. B. Anter; and r..
Hoefeli, by j. H. Thompson.
On motion 1t was ordered that w. J.
Fletcher furnish a new bond for build
ing the new bridge across Bear Creek
which he guarantees for two years, his
present bond being deemed insufficient.
The board adjourned at 5 o'clock
sine die.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
FASHlONLETs.

Rings are no longer worn upon the fore
finger.
Wear Irish point lace collars and cuffs
over home dresses.
Cashmere house dresses, Of any color de-
sired, are much worn.
A white Cashmere goat skin is the hand
soonest of all rugs.
Flowers with very long stems are fash
ionable, both for corsage and hand bouquet.
Plain linen collars, a simple round band
closed with a stud, are still worn more than
anything else for the street. Cuffs to match.
The Montague bang is the style of front
hair for the ladies. 1t is named from the
late admired actor. The hair is parted
slightly to one side. The front locks are
curled in thickly clustering rings about tho
face, not pasted tight down, but loose aud
fluffy. They part a little at the parting Of
thP h1ir.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12

s'Tell me-, sweet eyes of the robins egg
blue
Tell me, rose-lips that are loving and true
What is your name9 Can you say it to mes
Something so pretty and nice it must be-"
Oh, the wee hand that is laid in my own!
Fondest Of friends in a moment we've
grown,
Then the grave look, as she answers, in
Doubt
'pm little Muriel, when I am out"
'fWhen you are out2 Have you pretty
names two?
One is enough for a wee girl like you"
Then the bright ringlets are tossing in
glee,-
Shaded just like the gold belt Of the beel
'If l get lost, when l go out to play,
Muriel, that is the one 1 must say"
"Tell me your other name, now, Dimple-
Chin
"Tm Mothers Comfort, you know, when
I'm IMP Good Cheer.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12

~bace1arin, 3 species Of combined bsnzoi
acid discovered by Fahlberg in 1859, ~ sub.
stance many times swester than cane surnr.
ana, when mixed with craps sugar, pos
solses the favor Of tho cans product IN o
marked degree. Its high prizes has hitherto
prevented It's acquiring COMMERCIAL import
ance, but The Rundschau Lsitmeritz now
states that several costly steps in its pro
duction have been eliminated, and II is likely
to become very useful to confectionera Ons
part Of sacch1rin added 10 1000 parts OF
glucose Is said togive that substance a sweet
ness equal to cane sugar. This seine author.
lty states that saccharin Is harmless to the
human organism, and does not, like cane
sugar, become decomposed in the system.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
SCIENCE
Tho California Ronarnnnsr.

This is tho name Of a very singular bird
belonging 70 the cuckoo family. II gets rs
name from its speed and endurance AZ a
racer. This Is remarkable. IL Is @ qniot.
colored bird, with a sense Of humoE. Its tall
Is longer than It's body, and tits up aud
down and hobs around constantly. The
roadrunner expresses IT'S mind with its tail
But the most remarkable fact about the
bird Is its method of destroying the rattle
snake. It likes best tho sandiest, hottest
part Of southern California, where the rat
tle5nake aud cactus alike abound The road
rGnner hale5 the r~attlesnake with a mortal
hatred. How a bird can kill a snake you
Will learn partly from the illustration and
partly from the description by Mr.. John
Coryell in The Scientific American
Finding the snake asleep, it at once seeks
out the spiniest of the small cacti, the prickly
pear, and, with infinite pains and qu,etness,
carries the leaves, which it breaks Off, and
puts them in a circle around the slumbering
snake. When it has made a sufficient wall
about the object Of all this care it rouses its
victim with a sudden peck of.its sharp beak,
and then quickly retire5 to let the snake
work out its own destruction, a thing IL
eventually does in a way that ought TO
crafty the r%oadrunner.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
ROADRUNNER AND RATTLEgNAKr

The first impulse and act Of the assaulted
snake is to coil for a dart; its next to move
away. It quickly realizes that it is hemmed
in in a circle, and finally makes a rash at
Tempt to glide over the obstruction. The
myriad of tiny needles prick it and drive i
back. The angry snake, with small wisdom,
attempts to retaliate by fastening its fangs
into the offending cactus. The spines fill its
mouth.
Angrier still, it again and again assaults
the prickly wall, until, quite beside itself
with rage, it seems to lose its wits COM
pletely, and, writhing and twisting horribly,
buries its envenomed fangs into its own
body, dying finally from its ~self-inAicled
wounds. After the catastrophe, the road
'unner INDUCES in a few gratiied flirts Of
Its long tail and goes Off. The name Of this
feathered curiosity is the ''paisano." 1t is
described as ian alert, comical looking bird
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
ENGLISH SPARROW.

Wherever there are beautiful green vines
running over a city house he makes a regu-
lar hen roost of them, and destroys their
beauty and sweetness year after year. He
was brought to America in the hope that he
would kill and eat the insects that destroy
fruits and vegetables. America has more Of
these injurious insects than any other coun-
try has.
/, But no! Mr.. Sparrow eats very few in
sects. He lives on grain and crumbs mostly,
though a naturalist, MIR. ErDes5 lngersoll,
tells us that his father and mother bring him
up on worms and grubs and insects as long
as he is 9 nesting. But as soon as he is big
enough to fly out and take care Of himself
he takes to eating seeds, grains, fruit aud
the tender young leaf shoots of trees. Oc-
casionally full grown sparrows eat beetles
aad insects, bu5 they prefer the fruit and
vegetable diet for a steady thing. When
this food gets scarce, or the birds increase in
such swarms that there don't seem enough
things to eat to go around, then the English
sparrows gather in a II army and attack the
farmers wheat fields. Last summer many
fields of wheat and grain were very greatly
injured by the hungry hosts.
Like young ones who eat too much ara al
ways in the way and leave no room for their
betters to speak or show themselves, the
English sparrow is making himself an un-
mitigated nuisance. He is quite too numer-
GUS in America. There is Only one use to
which he can be put. He makes a very nice
potpie when he is fat and tender, as good
almost as a young pigeon. And broiled
sparrow on toast is nearly as good as quail
on toast.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
New Volcano.

Since the terrible earthquake and erup-
ton Of the volcano OF Krakataua, three
years ago, q new volcano has appeared in
the Pacific ocean. 1t is in appearance a
volcanic island, two OF three miles long. 1t
is about fifteen miles from the island Of
Honga-Tonga 1t is overhung constantly by
clouds and steam. Flames and clouds shoot
ing constantly out OF the water are an inn
pressive, not TO say terrific sight. The
vessel which first discovered it sailed suf-
fcently near it to see that it was a subma-
rine volcanic eruption. Night coming on,
the officers feared to approach it, as there
was danger of ocean currents which might
draw them to the volcano and destruction.
They waited, therefore, and in the morning
approached cautiously. Tho correspondent
then says; a have not words to express my
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12

When they were babies it was impossible
to distinguish one from another. So one
baby wore a red ribbon, another a blue, and
the last a white one, always. Each aristo-
cratic little lady had a nurse and baby car
riage Of her own-three babies and three
nurses. They were q sight to see of fine
days.
Their mother had a time about them, too.
Their nurses quarreled, and she who took
care OF the whlte-ribboned baby would not
min the blue ribboned one at all, while the
blue-ribboned child's nurse would have
taken a whipping any day before she woull
have crooked a finger for the infant with
the red ribbon. The three all had to hove
their Sundays and their afternoons out. The
poor mamma was the only one who never
got an afternoon off. Sunday afternoons
she pressel papa into the service, and made
him help tend baby. But now they are
larger, and are mo- so much trouble. When
these sisters are all young ladies what fun
they will have, to be sure.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
h the "oudio" Is.

Numbered with caprices that find favor in
Paris are all sorts of talismans and charms,
the newest Of which is a revival of a tails
man from Egypt, dating back TO the time of
the Pharaohs, and known by the name
"Oudjo." This talisman, says tradition,
originally represented the eye Of Horus, or
rising sun, and signified health and pros
perity. The new baubles. now made by
Partisan jewelers. are copies of oudjos in the
Louvre and in the British Museum. These
are small frames Of gold or silver, con-
tanning the painting of an almond-shaped
eye, from which falls a glittering Tear in
the shape of a gem These oudjos appear
on bracelets, and are also worn as charms
on the watch chain.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
A Prize for works on Electricity.

The department. OF state at Washington
has been officially advised that the king Of
the Belgians has proposed an annual prize Of
5000 francs for the purpose Of encouraging
works OF the mind, the competition to b.
open to all nations, and to Re decided by
a jury appointed by the king OF Belgium, to
consist Of seven members, Of whom three
are to he Belgians and the remainder for.
eigners. The prize forming the object Of the
third mixed international competition viii
be adjudged in 1880 to the best work on the
progress of electricity as a motive power, a
a means OF illumination and in other ways.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
A Bird That Bovs NAV Kill.

What bird is thatl You see his picture
here. He is found in almost every city and
village in the United States. He drives
other birds away wherever he goes, and His
family increases like a swarm of locusts.
He is a rowdy and a fighter. He is dirty,
noisy, impudent and quarrelsome. He is SO
strong and active that he picks whole bricks
out of walls, q little at q time, to make a
place to shelter himself from cold weather.
He is no beauty, and he annot sing. He
establishes himself in the place Of birds that
are pretty and can sing. He is a foreigner,
and, like some other things brought from
foreign shores, the country is better off
without him.
In brief, he is the .
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
without the Instincts of Cbiva,rv.

Col. Gunner, a merchant of Dallas, Tex,
who was one of Emperor Maximilian's
trusted friends in Mexico, says that the
men the emperor did the most for proved
to be the dogs that bit him the
most brutally. There was the traitor
Lopez. He was a brute without any Of
the instincts Of chivalry. His horse was
shot under him in battle and a cavalry
soldier dashed through a heavy fire to his
relief. Lopez jumped into the soldiers
saddle and both rode off on thu horse.
Finding the weight too heavy, and to
hasten his retreat, the scoundrel shot the
soldier who had risked his life to save
him. The act was reportedto Macmillan,
but he refused to believe it.-Exchange.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
HE FASHIONS
Jeweled Carriers.

Mention may be appropriately made Of the
lainty evening shoes with Louis XIV heels.
decorated with bows of lace and ribbon
caught through pearl or diamond buckles
and worn by French women with full dress
toilets. Often these jeweled buckles are in
the shape of a star, and sometimes they sim.
ilate a horseshoe. 1t goes without the say
ing that these buckled shoes suggest jeweled
carriers. These latter, by the by, were a
prominent feature among the holiday goods
exhibited in the stores. A preferred style
of garters is one of silk elastic ribbon, Of
dainty color, fastened with a gold clasp or
buckle set with small colored stones. Jew
eled garters are but one of a long list of
styles; there are any number Of garter
buckles and slides in both gold and silver;
some are enameled in floral pattern, some
are carved and etched, and all are exceed
ingly attractive in effect
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
In Trap.
III q IIaVs
New York Pcs. Republican.

New York Pcs, Republican.
The Republican Senators who
thought they were chatting" the Presi-
dent. are beginning to discover that
they have set a trap for themselves.
His refusal to furnish information
about removals to be used by them in
secret session leaves them in an en-
barassing situation. If they are to de-
mand it for use in open session, they
must first vote to abandon their be-
loved secret sessions. Ii they vote to-
do that in such animportant matter as
this, the chances are that secret ses-0
sions will have to be abandoned en-
tirely, and that is a prospect which
fills the Senators with apprehension.
The executive session Is one of their
most sacred institutions, and if that be,
abolished there is no telling what will
happen next. Yet it is difficult to see
how the Senators who have led the at
tack upon the President up to this,
point can retreat now. They are in
the position before the country Of ac-
cuslng the President Of partisan con-
duct and Of attempting to try him for
that conduct in secret. His reply, that.
he will not allow them to try him in
secret, and his alleged willingness for
them to try him in open session, put
them in a very awkward place. il
they retreat, the public sentiment will
be all In favor of the President as q
mar unjpstly assailed. If they go
ahead, they abolish their executive
session, and incur a strong risk Of
failure besides.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12

Ihe b0dfd net at ID 0si
lay pursuant 20 hfioulaHsn All.
be- members present.
On motion 10 WAS ordered thal the
lttk De- authorized 70 tfkoup NalIant
NJ. G65. Tor 400. issued % Mas.
Morris g Kennedy end q sue four #
rants fer the same.
The following list Of grand iufors
for the several districts weTs reported
by the members and approved
First DistFict-Lte Richardson,
VIM. Chamberlain, Cooley Mann and
Jtf II. Gray.
Second District-Thomas II. Jet.
w. w. Nesmith, Henry Freeman, (col)
bnd W r. Countryman.
Third Disirict-James w. Goodrum,
IT,, T. +. Cameron, Preston Green,
(col) and Thomas Freeland.
Fourth District-Lulher r. Reed,
IIal p. NolanD, James G. Ferguson
and David Lewis, (col.)
Fifth District-J. T. Tucker. r. +.
Hawkins, J. H. Dunn and Henry
StnODs (fol.)
James M. Gibt on, for professional
service in the case Of Charles Lane VS..
he board Of super Visors. In the circuit
@ urt. Was allowed $25. under section
2,176 Of the code Of 80
On motion It was ordered that road
No. 10l be described as commencing
a. the northt asst corner Of the Hough
place, running by the Sheehan, Glen
ents, Willis and Barield place to Crock
ett's bridge. on the Yazoo Valley road.
On report Of commissioners to as
sess damages to J. F. Standard for
right of way through his lsnd for road
No. 01. of $137 so, it WAS ordered that
the report be adopted and account be
allowed.
On motion Messrs. 7. J. Hanes, J.
H. Adams and w. A. Hopper were
appointed a committee TO examine the
condition If the old Fort Hill road,
report on same and state the cause of
its present condition.
The following accounts were al
I1-.aI. fF NaI
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12

AConnecticut valley paper-making firm
sent to the Paris exposition a blank book
weighing 200 pounds and having 5000
enormous pages, as a sort Of universal
autograph album. Only one fourth Of its
pages were filed in Paris, after which it
served at a local fair, and last year was
sent to New Orleans, where it was filed.
1t has now been returned to Holyoke,
Mass, and will be exhibited, 1t contains
10000 names, some well known. -Cincin-
nati ENQUIRER
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
Frozen All the WAY Down.

In Siberia an attempt has been made tc
sink an artesian well at a spot where this
earth has been bored into to a depth Of over
600 feet, and the ground is still found to be
frozen solid. This Is remarkable, as no such
case has ever been known before. Scientists
believe that the country thereabouts is e
remnant Of the glacial period, and that il
has never been thawed out yet.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
Velocity Of a Cannon Ball.

Somebody says in a London paper that
the highest velocity yet impaired to a can
non ball is ! ,026 feet per second, equal to &
mile in SO seconds, The velocity Of tn
Garth at the equator, due to rotation on III
axis, is 1000 miles per hour, or a mile in 81
seconds; thus, if a cannon ball were fire.
due west and could maintain its initial
velocity it would beat the sun in its appaT
ent journey around the earth.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
Dinner Manners.


II you have but one wine with your simple
dinner, it should be either sherry or claret,
and should be in glas; d~ecanters and stand
on the table. The guests can help them
selves. The hostess can offer it Immediately
after the soup. The fingers are not to be
wiped ON the doyley. Keep the napkin in
the lap for that purpose. Nuts and fruit are
passed last, not put on the plate.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12

A pretty suggestion for the fancy dress Of
Mistress Mary quite contrary" comes to us
from London in Labouchere's Truth. 1t is
for q child and in rose pink gauze and satin
surah, with the bodice and skirt both trim
med with silver bells and cockleshells, also
silver, while the "Columbines all in a row"
were small dollies dressed as such in colors to
correspond with the dress, and sewn all
around the skirt at equal intervals
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12

admiration ind Wonder al lts changing
spiondoE EFupti0ns take piaej every one
o. two minutes, changing ~ appearance
every second, like q dlsolvlnF view + can
only say II was one Of Che most nwmlly
grand sights over witnessed Ia al my lie
on the high sose.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
strnnea Nntnra1 pintnre.

Science reproduces from a photograph
the following curious cliff picture in Colo
RADIO. A sandstone cliff forms the west
bluff Of the Purgatoire river in Colorado.
At a point twenty miles above its mouth the
picture is seen upon the sandstone cliff. Tho
cliff is seventy feet above the bed Of the
river. The picture is about thirty-five feet
above the stream and twenty five feet be-
low the top Of the cliff. 1t is a wall Of rock
straight up and down.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12

The pretty girl on the left represents a
rose garden. Skirt of white satin having
bands Of green velvet ribbon sewed on it to
represent a t%rellis, with lunches Of pink
roses placed at the intersections and the bot
tom finished by q garland Of pink roses and
leaves. The pointed corsage is Of white
satin trimmed to match the skirt. Full
back drapery Of pale blue gauze. Pink roses
in the hair, white satin slippers trimmed
with roses and blue silk stockings A basket
Of roses in the hand.
On the right Of Fig. / is e Spanish Gypsy.
Skirt Of cardinal surah, bordered with gold
fringe and crossed at the right side, discIos-
ing an underskirt Of white cashmere. Scarf
Of gold striped gauzs arranged as a drapery.
Spanish jacket Of cardinal velvet trimmed
with gold braid and opening over a chemi-
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
CARROTS for the Comnlex,or.

Carrots are a specific for the complexion.
Carrot soup maigre-i. e., without meat
stock-is we'll known in France as an excel
lent food for clearing the complexion. 1t
should DO eaten in the forenoon with brown
bread.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12

Breakfast sacques of pink or blue wool,
with swans down borders, are worn by
young ladies in their W homes, but such
garments are not now used in hotels or
away from home, except as dressing sacques,
or for negligee in ones w room.
Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-12
Encouraging Collection Of Funds
for Iriah Fraedom.

NEW YORK, Feb. 6.-The fund started by
Eugene Kelly and other rich lrlsh-Amerlcans
tensweeks ago is still growing in q pros
porous way. The Ia mmaday os nan c~ontlngeng
weeks apo under HE leadership Of JAS. j..
O5DonoghiIe has decided 10 close its funds q.
from now Mr.. OsDonoghue, thinking
by that time i5,f00will represent the sum To-.
fal Of what the a1embers oil the Tammany Or
Plantation have gathered to help Parnelf win
fcrislafiye freedom Tor Ireland. The last N Set-
81 members OF the general c0mmi tee
showed that over 5000 had been collected.