davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16
BABES FED TO SNAKES.
Horrible Practices Obser we'd by the Pueb
los in Worshiping Reptiles.

Horrible Practices Obser we'd by the Pueb-
los in Worshiping Reptiles.
The Pue blos-commonly called In
dians, but really descendants of the
ancient Aztecs-have numerous SUI
perstitions. The eagle is a sacred
bird with them-the winged throne of
their emperor god, Montezuma, for
whose promised second advent they
still patiently wait. In any of the
Pueblo cities you will find the great,
dark eagles, either tethered upon the
housetops OF penned in little corrals
of cedar. and religiously tended.
The Pueblo hunter always has mar
velous luck if he carries with him a
tiny stone image of coyote with a
tiny arrowhead dashed to his side.
Though nominally converted to Ca
tholicism, the Pueblos are still secret
but ardent fire. worshipers. The snake,
too, is sacred to them. and you will
find its symbolic coils in their rock
sculptures and on their quaint silver
jewelry. Some Pueblo towns used to
hecp cdCu Sli CuOl lllOuS SudhS ia Il
closed room, and fed it with children.
The Pueblos of La Cha. twenty-fiv
miles west of Bernalillo, was nearly
depopulated thus. 1t had snake of
enormous size. kept in q room whose
doors and windows were walled up.
In the roof was small hole. sealed
with a heavy, fiat rock. The first day
of every month the people drew lots
to see whose child should be sacrificed
TO the snake-god. The chosen babe
was carefully bathed and anointed.
and then tossed. naked, down the hole
to the hungry serpent. 1t is only six
years since this hideous rite was
stopped by priest, who finally pre-
vailed upon the Pueblos to tear down
the walls and kill the snake. Cor.
Globe Democrat
St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16
Baby's Playhouse.

Thinking 1t barely possible some
mother had not heard of this invention
for keeping babies quiet, make bold
to present it. Take a wooden box and
line it inside with cotton batting g,
tackled on securely with headless tacks
so no hurt can ever come from them,
then cover with cloth, bringing that
up to the outside of the box and tack
ing it on the edge. Paper the outside OF
the box with ordinary wall paper.
putting a border round the bottom
and up and down the corners. Finish
the top with a plated ruff g tackled on
with brass-headed tacks. Bore holes
in the side of the box. put rug or
quilt and pillow in it and put baby in
with his play -things. If your box is as
high as it should be, he can't climb
out he can't tip it over, he can peep
through the holes to play ''peep-a-
boo with you as you go about your
work. and if you have to leave the,
room for minute he is safe. With
his play -things and an. occasional
smile and word from mother he will
pass q good many contented hours in
his box Ladies' Home journal.
St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16
Removing Surplus Flesh.

One of the handsomest men in town,
a prominent officer of the Louisville
& Nashville railroad. told reporter
of remedy for reducing flesh, which,
he says. is really wonderful. 1t is the
same that Bismarck, the German
Chancellor, has subjected himself to.
and from which his avoirdupois was
decreased sixty pounds. The first
thing man must do upon rising in
the morning. my friend says, is to
drink gobletful of cool, not cold
water. In a quarter of al hour re-
peat it, and just before breakfast
drink the third glass. When you first
try this you will feel as if whole
watermelon has been disposed Of but
after morning or two this 'tswelled'
feeling will have disappeared. Con-
tinue this water course for several
weeks and your surplus flesh will be
gone, and the fear of bursting vest
buttons over. lam sure it is a great
remedy, and recommended it to my
friends who are af1icted with obesity.
The effect that this stomach bath has
had upon my informant is surprising.
He is twenty pounds lighter than two
months ago. Chattanooga Times.
St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16
Electrical Alarm Clock.

An electrical attachment has bee
devised which may be applied to Ill
ordinary clock for awakening q sleep.
cF at any given time. Il takes the
place OF the ordinary alarm clock.
which needs to be wound up the night
s,efore it is used. This electrical clock
Az so set to any given five minutes OF
rarh hour. and the bell will begin 10
ring at that time, and will ring until
she switch is turned to cut off the
electric current.
There will be no need of winding al
alarm where this device is employed,
aud it is only necessary on going to
bed to turn the switch. thus allowing
sha circuit to bs completed at the time
The bell is to ring. It is stated that
tho clock and battery are made in a
compact form. the cell Of the battery
being enclosed in the clock case, max.
sng = neat and ornamental piece 81
saeehanisn1. Boston Badask
St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16
GIVING UP SMOKING.
What 1t Costs to Stop the Use of the Sc
ductive Weed.

ductive Weed.
Francis A. Hoffman, Jr, and Attor-
ney Law were standing on Clark
street about five years ago. each smok-
ing cigar Hoffman said so much
smoking was killing him. Law BAN
tered him to swear off. Hoffman ac-
cepted tho challenge. To make it
more binding they concluded to have
their final smoke then and there.
Hoffman bought two cigars for dol
lar. selecting the strongest he could
find. When they had consumed about
half of each cigar Hoffman threw his
into the street, and Law, after some
protest, did likewise. Hoffman went
home, and the old habit of smoking a
cigar just before retiring came back
to him. The more he thought of his
agreement to not smoke the more did
his appetite for cigar appeal to him.
He grew nervous and walked out of
the house and down to the lake. He
wandered about the shore like
lost spirit on the banks of
the Styx, and finally sought a
drug store. He rung up the night
clerk and begged for something to put
down his demand for tobacco. The
clerk furnished him with some ginseng
root, and he went home. He lived
through the torture for six months.
At the end of that time he had a
dream. He dreamed that he was
smoking again, and when he awoke
his system was racked with pain. H
was undergoing the torments which
made Dr. Quincy mad. He was sure
he had been smoking again. and
would not believe any thing to the con-
trary until ne was assured by one who
had seen him retire that he had not.
Slowly he conquered his appetite for
the weed. He carries cigar in his
pocket now, and takes it out often to
look at it. He tempts hims If, but he
has no desire to return. He claims
that his capacity for work is greater
than when he was addicted to the hab-
it; that his health is good, his memory
better and his disposition sweetened.
He can be found on. the street or in his
office preaching the doctrine of total
abstinence on the tobacco question,
and is willing to take the hustings to
proclaim against the evils of the weed.
Chicago Tribune. -
St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16
THE CHINESE ALMANAC.


Rts Great Mission IL to Give informant
of a Prophetic Nature.
The great value which the Chinese
attach 10 their almanac is shown in
many ways. Recently the Chinese
residents at Lhassa, in Thibet, i'm
pls,red the Emperor to cause arrange
msnts to be made which would enable
them to receive their copies Of the
alnianacs at the earliest possible date
in each year. A writer in recent is
sue of the Chinese Recorder says that
the most important book to the
Chinese is the almanac Its space is
fal too important to be occupied with
The matter which fills Western al.
ananac. 1t contains astronomical in
formation which is useful, but its great
nission is 10 give full and accurate in.
formation for selecting lucky places
Cor performing all the acts, great and
small. of everyday life. .'And as
every act Of life. however trivial de-
ponds for its success on the time in
which, and The direction ii. e., the
point of the compass) toward which il
is done. it Is of the utmost Importance
that every one should have correct in.
formation available at all times to en-
able him to so order his life as to avoid
had luck and calamity, and secure
good luck and prosperity. Conse-
quently, the almanac is perhaps the
niest universally circulated book In
China = The writer speaks Of it as
terrible yoke IT bondage. II is issued |
by the government and the sale, of all |
almanacs but the authorized one is
prohibited. Quite recently new Chi.
saese Minister to Germany refused to
sail for his post on a day which the all
nlanac declared to be.unlucky. and the
Of the German mail steamer
was consequently deferred at the re-
quest of the German Minister to Pekin.
.-SI. James G1zsEte.
St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16
THE SOLDIERS SCHOOL.
Why Peace Training Should Be as Like
That of War as Possible.

That of War as Possible.
Though it is impossible to make the
young soldier, say of two or three
years service, physically old; though
we can not give him the hardened
muscles and the steady nerves which
he will have some six or seven years
later, we can to Ger tain extent make
him veteran by giving him perpetual
practice in peace of the work which
he will have to do in war. No doubt,
as we'll know by my own unpleasant
experiences in the Franco-German
war, the actual whis ting Of bullets,
the crashing of shells, and the sight OF
friends killed and wounded. have an
effect which can not be simulated IN
peace; but it is certainly possible to
give the young soldier such in
struction that all the phases OF
an action will be familiar to
him, and that he will instinctively
know the right course to pursue under
| different circumstances. So long as
| fighting was conducted in stiff lines
or heavy columns, the regular drill,
which still goes on in the barrack
yard. was undoubtedly a very valua'
BILE training for war; but the case is
altered now, and we are handicapping
ourselves If we do not give to the
young soldier constant instruction in
all those fighting exercises which have
taken the place of the starched move
ments formerly in vogue. If the chief
portion of his time is spentin the ordi-
nary drills, whereas on the field OF
battle those drills will absolutely dis
appear, we are not training the man
for war, but, on the contrary, training
him for something different SO that
when he finds himself in the presence
of an enemy every thing will be COM
paratively new to him. To the
effect on the nerves produced
by the bullets and the sight OF
wounds and death, we deliberately
add the confusion which arises from
his having to perform movements to
which he is unaccustomed, or at least
little accustomed; and by such train
ing we are deliberately uniting him
to be steady ON the field of action. 1t
is said with justice that the best train
ing for the soldier and that which
soonest changes him into veteran.
is the actual practice of war. We
should therefore endeavor to make our
peace training as like that of war as
possible. By this means we shall
soonest ingraft the qualities of old sol
diers upon those of young ones, and
shall have done all that in US lies to
obtain the steadiness of the veteran in
combination with the fire of youth.
Ano' her quality which may be i'm.
pressed upon the young soldier with
great advantage is that strong esprit
de corps which gives much of their
tone to soldiers. old or young. Fort
nightly RevieU. 49,
St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16
CRIMINAL INDiFF ERENCE.
Native Americans who Are Dlsgrace
to the Nation.

Native Americans who Are Disgrace
to the Nation.
| a well-educated and wealthy resi-
dent OF Chicago was asked, few days
s'nce, to name his choice for Presi.
dent He replied that he was moi
enough interested in politics to have
one; and. further, that he would not
| walk to Lincoln Park if he could
choose the next President of the
United States. Another well known
resident stated that he never voted, as
his name being on the registration
list rendered him liable for jury duty.
1t seems scarcely credible thatna-
tive Americans. and property owners
at that, could show such lack of in-
terest in public affairs. 1t is no won.
der that politics are rotten when the
only men who could improve the con-
dition of the political system show
such a criminal apathy in re-
gard to public matters. These
very men are the ones who most vocif-
erously cry out against the evils
which exist, and sneeringly shrug
their shoulders at the mere mention OF
the name politician. :" They go
abroad and decry republicanism in
foreign countries. They toady to
aristocracy and pride themselves that
they have never soiled their hands in
the political mire. Many of them
feign disgust at political jobbery, and
look upon politician with loathing
which conveys the idea that they are
better than he, because they have not
frequensed ward caucuses and have
not been associated with the common
people. They build themselves
pinnacle of egotism upon which they
pose as gentlemen. From off their
perch they gaze upon the
surging plebian mass and inwardly
themselves that they
have never been polluted by contact
with the Aoi poloi.
These men call themselves Amer
leans They are 10 be found every
where-more often in the capitals and
places of Europe than on
their native shores. They are glad
enough, when involved in any trouble.
20 seek the protection of the United
States; they are willing enough to
smass their fortunes in this country.
but they endure the country OF their
nativity as necessary evil, and flock |
abroad to loll about the courts of |
Europe and seek. by fair and foul
means, to. snatch the sop of recog-
lition from some rotten scion OF
polluted aristocracy. Such men exist,
md are not only tolerated. but form a
yoodly portion of what is termed So
,ietY. america.
St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16
SHIPPING POULTRY,
A Few Hints Concerning the Construction
of Suitable Coops.


Never ship fowls in a wooden box,
as the purchaser has 10 pay just the
same per pound for coop as for the
fowls, and when we come to pay
double first-class rates on an old wood.
en- box that is worthless only as
kindling wood, 1t does not make us
love the shipper. I have had some ex-
perience in that line myself A friend
of mine and l correspondent with q
breeder in regard to fowls, we both
wanting to purchase some good stock
for our own use. Answer came back,
can furnish you good breeding stock.
We sent cash for four cockerels, and in
due time we received by express four
little cockerels, the four weighing
sixteen pounds, in a wooden box
weighing eighteen pounds. Another
time I purchased at good price a
cock of a breeder at quite
a distance from me. When
he came he weighed six
pounds and the coop weighed ten
pounds. 1t was a canvass-covered
coop. but not properly made; the cor
ner posts were in an inch from the
canvass, thereby leaving an open
space behind the posts, in which the
birds wing and tail feathers had got
and were badly broken. The express
on cock and coop was one dollar and
forty cents. being about nine cents
per pound, making ninety cents for
coop and fifty cents for cock.
Now l will give my mode of making
shipping coops: For coop for single
bird. take four pieces one inch square
and eighteen inches long, nail three
boards, one-half inch thick, and six
inches wide and eighteen inches long
to two Of inch strips, setting strips in
three-eighths of an inch from end of
bottom boards. Then cut lath two feet
long for corner posts. nail one at each
corner outside of inch strips. then nail
the other two-inch strips at top OF
corner posts, inside of posts;
now cut lath eighteen inches long for
top of coop. When they are on you
have the frame ready for covering.
Take muslin and tack on with six
ounce tacks, but before putting the
muslin sew on feed pocket about
four inches from bottom of COOP leave
pocket a little loose SO it will stay
open. If the bird is to go over one
hundred miles always put in a water
cup Such coop, if made Of dry
lumber, will not weigh over five
pounds. Coops for irios and half
dozen fowls are made the same way.
except for half dozen they should be
araced on the sides with lath, but put
braces on the outside of muslin. Coops
made in this way. for trios. weigh
about nine pounds. for half dozen
birds. about twelve pounds. Bottom
Of coop may be made Of thinner lum-
Der if you have it. / have made a
coop for single bird that only
weighed three pounds. Cor. An'eri-
cn1a PnzZky.sf .7OnrsanI
St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16
OSTRICH FARMING.
How tho Eggs Are Hatched Artificial,
in Ordinary Incubators.

| How tho Eggs Are Hatched Artificial,
in Ordinary Incubators.
The ostrich egg is very delicate and
will not keep its vitality for more thar
thirty days Now, as the laying lasts
couple of months it is evident thai
half oft becomes worthless for sitting
and can serve no purpose except as
curiosities in bazars. 1t is, therefore.
the business of man to provide against
this improyident character of nature
and utilize what is wasted by that
force. No occasion 10 go into detail
about incubators; the principle is well
known. Practically they ara padded
boxes, each holding fifteen to twenty
eggs and heated by hot water, which
can have its temperature readily
under control. The eggs are
taken away as laid, one always
being left in the nest. Each one is
numbered and dated. and list made
out with its weight and description of
the parents. They are kept in dry
room till the necessary number is OBJ
tanned, when they are placed in the
box and the heat is apple |. The
temperature is 40 deg. Centigrade at
first, SO deg at the end of IS DAYS, and
then sc. 5 deg. to the finish. During
the whole process each egg must be
turned upside down every day at
regular time. This is absolutely neces-
sary. About the fifteenth day the
eggs are examined to see which are
impregnated and which not This is
done with box containing a lamp
and q reflector, in front of which is an
opening which fits an egg supported
on the outside by little shelf. If the
egg is clear it will not hatch; ii
opaque. except at the larger end.
where the air chamber is, it goes back
to the incubator. Sometimes the
egg is rotten. in which case the
gas formed within forces the
liquid through the shell AMI
turns it yellow. After forty days the
greatest attention must be paid day
and night to listen for the noise of the
chick. On the forty third day small |
hole should be made in the shell near
he air chamber, which has already,
been marked with pencil Next day
his hole is enlarged SO as better to
notice any movemea tfinside. When
Ills is seen the shell M lst be broken.
he aaem branG-4t orn Away, and the
chick ffSed. takinA care to use the
greatest IN Nsey inHevery movement
The chickehSis pped up and kept
warm for tw%nty-four hours. when ii
las 9 very sm 4 lot Of finely-chopped
yreenstuff with a few bread crumbs.
On the third day it gets little milk;
N the sixth a little grain with the
vegetable and little water to drink.
Ill the Fear Round.
St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16
IHE COMING METAL.
Aluminium Soon to Take the Place OF AL
Forms of Iron.

Forms of Iron.
A director of some of the Alabama
mines, Mr.. Chamberlain, thinks that
sooner or later, and not very late at
Che latest, the mining of iron ore and
the manufacture of iron will be super
seded by cheap processes for the ex-
traction of aluminium from common
clay. This metal is three times as
strong as steel, he says, and but one
third as heavy. and has thus the double
advantage over all forms of iron OF
being capable of better service and
being more easily handled. But it
costs $500 a ton now, and it is used in
few only of the lines OF manufact-
ure that it could easily fill altogether
or improve if it could be cheaply pro-
dueed. 1t would be the greatest and
strangest of all the changes that sci.
ence has wrought in the material OF
methods of manufacture if this an
ticipation of the Alabama mining
master should be realized. Iron has
been, at least, since the "bronze age, "
IF there ever was such condition OF
developing civilization. the most val
liable and indispensable of all the prod
acts of the interior of the earth.
There is no form of life, no process OF
manufacture, no method OF industry
that does not need or use iron or steel.
To oustit from its metallic sovereignty
would be greater change than
the displacement of wood fuel by coal.
or of coal by natural gas.
The new metal would be the
very material for ship-building. fol
ats specific gravity is less than that OF
glass. Il was discovered by the Ger
man chemist, Wochler, in 1928, and
re-examined in 1916; but its produc-
ton. 10 any extent dates from the ex-
periments of the French chemist,
Devillion. Its white metal, like sill
ver, but with blush tint. 1t is more
malleable and ductle than iron, is
equal in tensile strength. and takes a
high polish. 1t melts in furnace
heat, and is easily cast into any form.
IL does not rust in moist air like iron,
and does not oxidize like lead or zinc.
No gas furnishes it. When fused and
cast into molds it is soft like silver.
Hammering hardens it as hard as iron,
but it is only one-third of the specific
gravity of iron. Its. light weight
caused Napoleon Ill. to have the
eagles on the standards often being
made of it, taking off two-thirds or
more of the weight with an eagle Of
she same size. 1t is very sonorous and
rings with musical tone when struck
ain such shape as to allow vibrations
lit forms very hard aud valuable all
Toys with copper and gold. the latter
being much used for jewelry and vari-
Gus forms of ornamental work. A
metal of so many and so valuable
qualities. and existing in inexhausti.
Bile amount in one of the commonest
of all natural forms of matter, clay.
as well as others less abundant but
quite as abundant as iron ore, prob
ably, will certainly be brought into
more general use by the scientific
Developments Of the age. Issdianop-
oIis WesDs
St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16
Soaked and Sprinkled.

"Mariah." said Bilkins, dolefully,
"you left my Sunday coat out on the
porch last night. A shower came
up and it got soaked through and
through. !"
"Well, / guess it can stand it.
What do you meana That coat
cost forty-6ve dollars when it was
new"
Yes, but you have soaked it often
enough by this time for it to be used
to little sprinkle like that Her
chant 1raueler.
St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16

The Memphis Avatanche proposes
to Offset the State of Dakota with a
new one, to be formed of West Ten
nessee and Kentucky, East Arkansas.
and North Mississippi and Alabama,
for which 1t COMPOUNDS the name of
..Tennarkala issky.'
St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16

President-"Yes. M. Snapper.
the Faculty have decided that you
have broken the rules, and there is no
conrse for rs but to suspend you. =
Student I'LL III; how about suspend
ing the rules? p -New Hagsn News.
St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16

1T is said by an eminent ply sieian
that half of the supposed mad dogs
have nothing the matter with them hul
tthe toothache.
St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16

The annual loss caused by insects
in the United States is estimated at
about $3.50, 600, 900.
The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1888-09-27
HOW HE CAME TO ADVERTISE.

The following circumstance re-
lated by himself is what led man
in Illinois to advertise his business.
He says: 1.-TWO years ago my pat
rons were so lew that / scarcely
made living. One day two men
got into quarrel in my store and
one shot the other, not fatally, but
seriously. The patrol came, thou.
sands gathered in front OF the door,
the reporters wrote up the affair
deliberately and my little store and
myself came in for share of the
publicity. The next day hundreds
dropped in as they passed to see the
scene of the shooting. Many Of
them bought cigars. From that
day on my store was advertised,
and for a year l made more money
thanin three years previous.
now keep an 'ad' in papers and
you see my clerks are busy"