davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Opelousas courier., 1886-01-09
SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS

The Milan Society of Hygiene has
made the singular suggestion that the
soil of cholera infected districts may
adhere to shoes, and give rise to the
disease in new localities to which 1t is
thus conveyed.
An impression prevails that the
number of poisonous snakes is great;
but in North America there are but
three species, the rattlesnake, the cop
perhead OF moccasin and the coral
Snakes do not jump; they. reach sud
denly forward, perhaps half the length
of their bodies.
Comparing modern gigantic animals
with the fossil remains of the great
creatures which lived in earlier geo.
logical ages, MI. r. A. Proctor con-
cludes that it may well be doubted
whether at any time in the past his
tory of the earth the average size OF
the ten largest creatures by sea and
land exceeded the average size Of the
ten largest species now existing.
According to Ptolemy, the first
eclipse recorded-one of the moon
took place March 10Th, 721, B. c., at
$40 p. NJ, and was. accurately observed
at Babylon. The Egyptians claimed
to have observed 1913 eclipses of the
sun and 1872 of the noon in the period
from Vulcan to Alexander, who died
in 1928 B. G. The theory Of eclipses is
said to have been known in China be-
fore 100 Il. C. H.
A scientist states as a net result or
a number of observations that there is
an exhilarat:on of the pulse rate and
a slight elevsting of temperature from
smoking. If the average temperature
of non smokers were represented by
1000, that ofmoderate smokers would
be 1.00S. while the heart in the former
case was making 1000. pulsations, in
the latter it would beat 1l80 times
hence the harm Of tobacco smoking.
A tadpole, the larva of a frog, has a
tail and no legs, gills instead of lungs.
a heart precisely like that of a fish, a
horny beak for eating vegetable food.
and a spiral intestine to digest it.
With the approach of maturity the
hind legs appear, then the front pair;
the beak falls off, the tail and gills
waste away; the lungs are created;
the digestive apparatus is changed to
suit the animal diet; the heart becomes
reptilian in type by the addition of
another aurieie; in fact. skin, muscles,
nerves and blood-vessels vanish, being
absorbed atom by atom, and a new set
is substituted.
The Opelousas courier., 1886-01-09

Papa, did you ever smoke whan
you was i boy e asked i Iosyear old
brooklyn lad who was vigorously
chewing coffeo % disguise the vile
odor Of 4 cigarette which cluTg % him
still.
YES. once replied the fafher II DC
shifted the sIneIl 81 tobacco u Che air.
What Gid your papa say Is asked
the boy. with unusual interest
HI didn't say i word, L Y but
this il what be did when II found II
0ut.
When TIE father flushed ~ ten
peTaturs of hi scion MAS seFefa H
frees haG1sf tlaan ha ausbIent il mos
AU geasssa
The Opelousas courier., 1886-01-09

the silence Of the night, and he feels
the ball grazing his hair. He grasps
his own weapon, but his trembling
hold Of It made it 90 OFF without aim.
The sudden noise Of the shots il
such rapid succession frightens the
horse. who throws his rider off and
starts torun; but It is checked by the
hand of the same mysterious stranger
of q fortnight ago.
"Your weapons or your life!p' says
the same mild voice; continuing, after
having received the pistol: leave me
your horEe and bag and do not stir
until / I'm out of sight IL you value
your life."
The bandit jumped Into the saddle
and disappeared as If on wings.
For the second. time were all the
preparations necessary for Sir John
Cochrane's execution made. and it
only awaited the arrival of the mail.
WI en- again the robber was announced,
and consequently Sir Johns life once
more prolonged.
AT the daily visit of his daughter
that morning, Sir John said:
Surely, Gods hand is visible in
this"
r-. EE& @t%-Gs
"Yes, father" answered Gertrude.
weeping. "Itold you that my father
should not die"
AS soon as the news of the second
robbery of the mail reached London
the father of Sir John, the Duke of
Dundonald, again interposed for the
life Of his son, and with the help of
Father Peters, who pointed out to the
King the failure of the previously
signed warrants to reach their destina-
ton, the King was prevailed upon to
pardon Sir John Cochrane.
The Duke of Dundenald fastened
to Berwick with the joyful tidings,
andtwo weeks after the second mail.
robbery the prison door opened for Sir
John, who, accompanied by his father.
FASTENED to his home, where all his
family was soon gathered around him.
Mol not all. Gertrude was not there.
Where could she be? No one knew.
But there came a stranger at the
door who desired an interview with
Sir John. Being ordered in, the mys-
terious stranger, whom we saw four
weeks ago on the heath Of the Tweed,
entered and approaching Sir John,
hands him two documents, saying:
after the perusal of these papers,
commit them to the fire."
Sir John opened the. papers, reeog
MIXING the two death warrants signed
by the King. Turning pale, he says:
You saved my life; how shall j
thank you r and turning 10 the aston
ished spectators he continued: .Father,
children, here Is the man who saved
my life. Thank him!!'
The old duke took the stranger by
the hand, and the children drew nearer,
but the stranger could not control
himself. but throwing his broad
brimmed hat on the floor. disclosed the
tear-stained but happy face of Ger
trude Coehrane.
The Opelousas courier., 1886-01-09

E2RhaakaM.
Once, ona summer day,
Far from the beaten way,
Some fairy babe me stray

asa&@AE ~ A#&S WI e&tSRSH&@ go sl{4IHs3
Once, ona summer day,
Far from the beaten way,
Some fairy babe me stray
Cupid, mayhsp.
Under a leafy tree,
Whom should / chance to see
Whom, bnt my Rosalie,
Taking a nap?
There, IN q lovely nook,
Screened from intrnder's look,
Near her neglected book,
Stumbling she lay.
What coulda fellow dot
Tell me, cir, wouldn't you
Knee2 and take one or two
Kisses away?
All, but | broke the spell!
opened her eyes, and--weif,
Could / do else than tell
How it was broke?
Humbly for grace / plead;
Sternly she shook her head;
"Couldn't you watt she said,
seTiIl I awoke ?p
The Opelousas courier., 1886-01-09
SEese0g8.0D1aw.

During the past 300 years. 1t il
stated, some 200 systems Of shorthand
have been devised and published
The older forms were usually mer.
ciphers, or a representation of the or
binary methods of spelling by the us,
symbols for letters, whereby NO grea
advantage In, the way of brevity wa.
attained. Hieroglyphscs. or picture
writing, were also classed as short
hand; also. a plan of omission of thu
yoWels, which might be called abbre
waited long-hand. The first system Of
shorthand which attained the object
son.ht for-breyity and accuracy
was that of Isaac Pitman, first pub
lished in 1s49. This mods of short
hand was the first to be known a.
photography, or sounds rather than
letters, Other systems since intro
duced have continued this plan. Gus
tom has of late years adopted Tn
word of shorthand, which comes Il
as from the Greek, and means marrow
Or close writing; in other phrase
shorthand.
The Opelousas courier., 1886-01-09


The leadef Of the AdyaatIsts has
nxea De Ia aag q the world vsl MAsy
The Opelousas courier., 1886-01-09
Rmrak scenes d. Japan.

Toxic to the imperial horse pasture of
the japanese Government-m im-
mense establishment occupying a
space seventy miles long and fifty
miles wide. and surrounded by a wall
of earth twelve feet high-describes
his journey in the Sacramento Zeal. J
Record Union as follows:
Upon that occasion we left Toxic,
the capital, in company with the min
lister of the interior, and IL large
retinue of other officials, early on a
beautiful spring morning. We tray-
eEed in jinickshas. the ordinary con-
veyances Of that country. These are
exaggerated two-wheeled baby wagons,
well built, fancifully painted, and
nicely upholstered. We had two men
to each carriage, and we Travelled at a
rate that would have troubled some
California teams to have equaled.
The distance was Al miles, and we
L
made it in nine hours, including one
hours stop for dinner. Our road was
around the bay of Yeddo, and is
known as the Martha Kaido. II is a
wide, military highway, and has inn
mense rows of trees on both sides sew.
eral hundred years old, forming a
magnificent avenue ii is used by the
streams of pilgrims that visit the great
temples and shrines at Martha. /
was told that hundreds of thousands
annually go to these shrines to wor-
ship. Judging from the numbrs we
saw travelling both ways. I could easi-
ly believe it. Whole villages travel
together on foot, or. if able, in these
man-carriages. This stream of travel
has given ri Q to an immense hotel
business all. along the road.
In some little villages thirty and
forty hotelsscan be counted, and some
of them are immense affairs. accom-
modating from 1--WE hundred to six
hundred people each. We crossed
tWolarge rivers, the snmida-gawa and
Tokogawa, both navigable to the foot
of the mountains. and filled with boats
and junks engaged in carrying tho
produce of the country. For. forty
miles there is a succession Of villages
that occupy nearly, il not quito, one
half the distance. On either side
were fields. stretching on the one side
to the shore line Of the bay. and on
the other to the mountain range and
far up its sides. The cultivation was
done by the spade or mattock. and was
the perfection of gardening. We met
long lines Of pack-horses loaded with
all the products Of the fields, or with
wood or coal, going down to the head
of navigation on the bay. On their
return these farmers carry loads OF
discomposed seaWeed or non edible fish,
OF lime made from seashells. rich in
phosphates, to he used rs fertilizers
for the soil.
We crossed one road that leads from
q rich district. on which we were told
that the average number OF 400 head
of pack-horses daily travelled. Not a
wheeled vehicle Is used for carrying
freight. In that part Of the empire
everything is carried to the sea. river,
or canal on the back of horses and
men. Crowds Of residents and pill
grins lined the road to see the high
officials and the foreigner. Arriving
at the pasture we 9 quartered in
the large house Of q gentleman whose
ancestors had been officials at this es-
Enlistment for hundreds of years
The Opelousas courier., 1886-01-09

The wall paper Of the room at st
Helena, where Napoleon died. contin
nes as il was ct the time OF his death
This pattern i preserved ii France
and neN supply Ii manufacture.
and sent over a 4 Is required.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-03-12
Blown to Atoms.

The dry house at Goes station powder mills,
near Nenia, O.. exploded the other morning and
created the heaviest shock ever felt there
HOUSES three mile, away were shattered and
the side of bridge one mile away was blown
oil. Christy McCann, Who was ia the build
ing, and Henry Franklin ana Michael iIancy
team>ters who were with a can alongside
were all blown 10 pieces, their remains being
gathered up in bucket. he trunk of one
man was found 100 tmd, away. None OF
tranklins remains were louni Car whccl,
were thrown 10 Nar.s anu nothing j. left OF
the building but big Lolc ~ the ground
Mrs john Cromwell. In a house some dis
lance away, had hcT arm broken. aud her three
children were slightly hurt There we're ~
tons of IoRdcr IN the building al tnc time. \
warehouse near ly with nearly 90 tons OF
powder lu il had H. roof ciyrd ia by fallin.
imhers. \ boiler that stood alongside of the
building cauu,t Doe found. Portions of cloth
ing and LcSh are hanging in the tree tops
tcoplc tor niles around viewed tie wreck.
The shock was ielt "a miles away. Inc Little
Miami express main had Just passed II min
utts before.
CAri>ty Met ann Vas ~ Years old lie
leaves VIE aud one child. Henry Franklin
vas 40 years old anG leaves Aic and four
child.eu. Michael llancy was s, years oil age
ana leave, a vile and three children, who are
in Ireland.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-03-12
Clever Celestials.

1t appears that the Chinese hill passed at the
last session U. tEe Dominica parliament inn
posing tax oi $50 ON every Chinese person
coming into the Dominion, IL not 50 success
ful IN ITS operation British Columbians
would dcs.rt. Certificates were granted 10 All
Chinese residents in the province az the time
of passing the measure 50 that II they left the
country Tor time they would be- able 10 re-
turn without pain the necessary tax, but
The Chinese ar. the most dcccltiul people in
the world, and IA forward their ceruDcates
10 their friends IN China 20 that the latter may
get int the country without paying the 500
imposed by law GA new arrivals. Inc new
corners pcr,onatc those who sent them the Ger
tlncates, ana many land IN this way. The
onll iemedy WOu.u be the v thdrawing Of the
certificates altogether. Representatives from
British Columbia are cndeayOrlng 10 get the
bill amended 50 a 10 overcome the difficulty
complained Of
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-03-12
Natur,lIsts now count no less than |. $40 an

Natur,lists now count no less than I. $50 dif
ferent kinds OF fishes in North American
waters of which $50 live in the rivers and
lakes. and $50 kinds belong 10 the Pacific. OF
the remainder. l05 dwell only In he deep
waters Of the Atlantic and Gulf OF Mexico
neyerapproaching the shore or the surface.
The son OF the late Admiral Farrapt l.
about 10 return 10 Capt. James ID. johnson OF
Savannah the sword surrendered To farraguA
! on the 9Th Of April, 1854, when the confederate
ship Tennessee was captured In Mobile Ia
The sword was made In Mobile, aud us hrst
owners name Is inscribed upon the blade.
Texas editor IS one Of the curiostles H.
Washington al present, hy reason OF his ex'
traOrdinariy long hair. lie was a Wing In
1914, and made VOW that he would never
shave his beard or cut his har until Clay was
elected president.
forethought, have had their graves dug and
tombstOnes erected. The graves are stoned
up and sealed over, 10 protect them from the
weather, and the stoues are all lettered except
the date OF death
There Is a smart little girl in Cedar Rapids,
Neb. She Is 9 years old, and the other day
she wrote an account Of a chlldrens party, set
| 10 up in type, and corrected The proof, and the
work was well done, too.
The story that Mr.. Goodwin Smith will leave
Canada in the spring 10 reside in England, and
that he has disposed OF his interest Ia tho
Week OF Toronto, Is authOritatiyely denied.
Mrs Desdemona Wadsworth Fulmer Smith,
who died recently in salt Lake City, aged 10
years, was one 81 the first OF Prophet Joe
Smiths wives.
Religion is the homage which the intellect
nays to the feelings.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-03-12
Honoring Hancock.

A memorial service In honor Of Gen. ". s.
Hancock was held at Governors Island on the
18th under the aus pieces OF the Military Service
Institution. Among those present were Gens.
Daniel r. Sickles. j h. Gordon, I. T. stone
and the officers of the garrison. Gen. Fry pre-
sided. Gen Hancock chair was draped In
black and emblems OF mourning hung on the
wall
he feature Of the evening va, paper bl
ten. W. +. Smith He spoke with great al
miration Of the dead. and related some romin-
iscences Of the field.
Letters were read from Samuel ;. Iilden,
Secretaries Bayard and Endicot, Col. John
llay, Gen. sherman and sheridan. Geo "
Chllds, John Jacob Aston, a. j. DreXel, Gen.
g. +. Mead, Col. Fred Grant and Others. IN
his letter Secretary Bayard highly praised tie
patriotic position of Gen. Hancock In the
presidential controversy OF 1876.
zen. sherman IN his letter said: During
the period OF my command of the army, from
1863 10 1854, had many opportunities 10 visit
Governor Island and 10 witness the personal
interest, pride aud satisfaction Gen. Hancock
had in Your institution, and his every measure
was calculated 10 highten the tone of the mil!
tary profession and 10 encourage the younger
officers 10 prepare for whatever dangers might
besct our country in the future. No matter
what his opinions were they were always
strong He was knlghtly ROYAL to his superior
officers. and Obcycd their Orucrs with implicit
confidence.
Addresses were aitcrWard made and apprO-
pirate resolutions adopted.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-03-12
Lewis, Van Ness & Co, Of Mendon has
faflal fnr xvo lan


failed for $1,000.
While at the depot m Lansing the other
night q take the train Ia Hunoter 10 attend
the funeral of niece, Mrs. telesta Pearce
OF Gilmore was tastn II aud died shortly
afterward. Death was caused by heart disease.
Judge Mitchell of Port Huron has been APP
pointed commercial agent at St Hyacinth,
Que.
Henry DE- Bowen, one of the pioneers aud "a
wealthy and respected citizen OF Maple Grove,
died Of rheumatism Of the heart recently, aged
10 year,.
An attempt was made to blow open the safe
in the Chelsea savings ank the other night
The burglars were frightened away by some
ladies who were passing, and gave the alarm
The three Michigan land districts will be
consolidated into two, and the registrars of the
offices will be located at Reed City and Gray
ling. This plan meets the approval OF
Messrs. Fisher and tutcheon, in whose dis
tricts nearly all the rcma ming public lands in
the lower peninsula are located.
Mrs. Mary 4. Tarsney, mother OF Congress
man Iarsncy, died at the residence OF her
daughter In hast saginaw on the I'd inst. Mrs
IarsneY was aged ~. and had been "A resident
OF Michigan over ~ years.
John Brewer, single man. aged -, met
horrible death i'm Lake Angelina near lshpem-
ing rock falling on an up-gongbucAet struck
him sluarcly uu top uf The head crushing his
skull. The bucket was overloaded by careless
miners. 1he coroner's Jury cNonerated the
mining company.
Clifford is To have roller process Touring
mill.
About 30 families frou MorcncI will go 10
Dakota in the spring. They viii probably re
turn Immediately after the hr,t blizzard.
Mrs. Polly Grccn. aged - years the second
white women moving into Pennington, died
recently.
February | there were ,N3 cOnycts at Jack
son. During the m, nth II we're discharged
and the same number received
Al Saranac the law and order party elected
all its candidates eNccpt one trustee. lnas-
much as the two tickets in the field differed
only in one name the excitement was not great
ID. Z. Clay will commence suit against the
Chicago N West Michigan company for dam
ages based on the railroad shutting oil the
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-03-12
He was Given Up to Die, but Changed Hi'
Mind and Got Well

Robert Murray who resides in the town OF
Greece, New York State, had been complain
ing for scvcra' months With pain in differsyi
parts of his body, and general lassitude n
weakness, attended by slight cough and Hec~
tic Fever lie doctorcd constantly, but gradu
ally grew worse, and his physicians told him
he had Consumption and would have TO die.
He gave up in dispair and made up his mind
that his time was short when a friend OF his
returned from the West, and told him that he
did not have Consumption, but that Malaria
caused all his suffering, and advised him 10
try DR.. j. b. Hcni Ms sure Cure for Malaria.
lie purchased bottle and before IL was half
used up his pain ceased, lie was free from
Hectic Fever and light swcats, and when be
had taken three bottles he was entirely well
He SAYS he paid over three hundred dollars 10
doctors 10 keep him sick ami he only paid his
druggist three dollars for enough of Dr. Hen
ions sure Cure for Malaria 10 cure him.
DIT, HeniOn is one Of the abes. physicians
In the world ane consuts free OF charge witt
all those who are using his sure Cure for Ma
laria. Write him at Rochester, y. \.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-03-12

The report was circulated (and af
terSards contradicted) few DAYS ago
that the Emperor of China + al ordered
all { hjnc~e sub cctS now in America 90
return hc r,and offering free transpor
tation to all who were unable TO paw
their passage. Whether the report is
true or not, il is true that the hinese
have every ground for retaliation for
the manner in which Chinese su iects
have been treated in this country; and
it need occasion no alarm ii
In the near future the Americans
now residing in the Celestial Empire be
subjected 10 10 dignities such as have bee !
heaped upoH the hinese here Another
z eat matter to be considered is the 10 :
of trade with China : Guild the people
OF that country choose To rc aliate in
that way. This trade amounts to many
million dollars per year, the los,
Of which would gve to Germany
and England the monopoly Of it. These
anti-Chinese riots are likely to prove of
more importance than the people OF
this country seem to regard il, and the
conviction forces itself upon Us that we
must adopt milder methods to rid the
Ountry of them
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-03-12

A memorial service in honor Of Gen. W. &.
Hancock Was held at Governors Island Feb.
20 under the auspices OF the military service
institution. Among those present were
Gems. Daniel +. Sickles, j. Is. Gordon, C. Z.
stone. and the officers 81 the garrison. Gen.
Fry presided Gen Hancock's chair was
draped with black, and embems OF mourning
hung on thr wall. The feature Of the evening
was paper by Gen W. I. Smith. lie spoke
with great admiration OF the dead. and related
some "reminiscences Of the field. Letters were
read from Samuel j. Tilden, Secretaries Ba,
arr and Endicott Col. John Hay, Gems. sher-
man and sheridan, Geo Olilds, John jacob
AstOr, A. j. DreNel, Gen. g. +. Mead, Col
Frederick Grant. and others. In his letter,
Secretary Batard highly praised the patriotic
position of zen. Hancock in the presidential
controversy of 1876.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-03-12
Mrs. Grants Windfall.

Chas. L. Webster, the publisher has paid TO
Mrs. Grant, a, her profits upon the sale Of the
first volume of Gen. Grant Memoirs the
sum of s2OJOUD. I'm letter 10 Cyrus W. Field
Mr.. Webster SAYS: The contract with Mrs.
Grant for the publication OF the Memoirs
was signed just year ago to-day, since which
time the book has. been practically written,
published and the great bulk of lmoncy Tor the
nrst volume collected. II seems lifting TO me.
on the anniversary OF the signing OF that cou-
contract, 10 pay TO Mrs. Grant the check.
More is her due and viii Doe paid Is soon as
collected. We expect 90 collect a. much again
when tie second volume appears so that Mrs.
Grants profit, within year from the publlca-
ton Will not fail below 100000. and will prob
ably reach STlu.WU.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-03-12
For Fifty Years a Hermit.

years lived the life of hermit on south noun
tain, on the land of samuel Long near
Nomelsdore, Pa, was found dead IN his hut
the other ia, The old man lay stretched up
On builalo robe and the wood nre in his
hearth wa, out. Three days before, when he
was IN good health, ne predicted thal he would
die Fcbruar, - AT 1 clock IN IN. morning.
and II is beueyed that u was about than time
he died. there was no evidence If "A ylOlen
death, a, The cd man looked a If he had
peacefully aud naturally passed away Fifty
years ago he lost his vile and Immediately
after that he went upon the mountain and Sc
lectcd an extremely wild and unirequeuted
place an vowed ne would never leave II nor
again mingic with The people of the world, but
wOyld rel are himself % meet the soul OF his
dead wife
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-03-12
TOlNggan.

There j. some controversy going on
as TO the word ''toboggan. Several
authorities claim that it j. from the in
dian A prominent Utican of Celtic ex-
traction. however. insists that it i, an
Irish word. and he gets at it, origin thus:
Once upon time n poor farmer IN
County Cork discovered valuable peat
bed on the few acres he happened Ia
own. His fortune was soon made. for
he let the farming slide and went ~
boggin' -tticd Herald