davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-08

We are ashore in st. Pierre, the
ouaintest, queerest. and the prettiest
withal among the West Indian cities;
all stone-built and stone-hagged, with
very narrow streets, wooden awnings,
iron balconies, and peaked roofs of red
tile pierced by gabled dormers. Most
of the buildings are painted in n clear
pale yellow tone, which contrasts de-
iightfully with the burning blue ribbon
of tropical sky above; and no street is
absolutely level. Nearly all of them
climb hills, descend into hollows, curve,
twist, describe sudden and amazing
angles. There is everywhere contin-
uous chant of running water, pouring
through the deep cutters contrived be-
tween the paved thoroughfafe and the
absurd little sidewalks varying in
width from one to three feet. The
architecture is very old; it is seven
teenth-century probably; and it re-
minds one great deal of that charac-
terizing the antiquated French quarter
of New Orleans. But one must imag-
inc New Orleans idealized by artistic
conception, made intensely tropical,
and projected audaciously upon the
side Of huge volcanic hill. All the
tints, the forms, the vistas, would seem
to have been especially selected or de-
signed for aquarelle studies, Just to
please the whim of some extravagant
artist No ruin was ever more pictur-
esque than these living streets in their
perfect solidity and undilapidated
quaintness The windows are frame
less openings without glass; some have
iron bars; all have heavy wooden shut
ters with movable Stats, through which
light and air can enter rs through We
netian blinds. These are usually
painted green or bright bluish-gray.-
Latcaido Hearn, in Ha,per's Magazine.
The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-08
Dead Wild Animals.

Anyone who has observed nature
closely must have remarked how ex.
ceedingly rare it is to find the body OF
any wild animal. Millions die every
year; yet, unless after Il heavy storm
or a severe frost, the sharpest-eyed
ranger of the woods and fields will sci.
dom come upon corpse. The wild.
lings seem to creep into holes when
they feel their end approaching. or
their bodies are devoured by other ami.
mails, or concealed by their Kindred.
In the first and last cases their skele
tons will, of course, be preserved in
the earth's crust all the same as if they
had been buried in aquatic mud; but il
they are eaten, then it is only in rare
instances that we can indentify the
competent portions of their bony
structure. This may be the reason
why some animals are never found eX.
ccpt in the shape of n few feeth, and il
may also explain the absence of birds
from formations in which they might
presumable be found. Birds can more
easily escape any terrestrial disturb.
ance likely to overwhelm animals with
out such capabilities of fleeing from
the mischief at hand; SO that it is by
no means safe inference to consider
the spot in which birds skeleton is
found that in or about which its owner
was in the habit of disporting itself.
Moreover, in former ages, as in ours,
birds were no doubt migratory; indeed,
there is reason to believe that the
routes at present taken by certain spe.
cies in removing from and to their
summer and winter quarters were
those adopted by them when the physi-
cal geography of the world was very
different from what il is ut the pres.
ent We also know that when birds
are drowned-and often after a boist-
erous winter the northern coast are
strew with the bodies ofaquatic species
they invariably float on the surface,
owing to their light skeletons and wat
cr-ressting plumage. Hence, when
they reach the strand, their carcasses
are usually SO maceratcd that their
bones are scattered far and wide, or
they fall prey to the animals who
prowl along the shore intent on pick
ing up such ilotsam and jetsam of the
ocean. Other large animals, on the
contrary, sink to the bottom when
they die, and if the sediment is favor
able for their fossilization, they are
soon silted over, and their harder parts
preserved more or less intact for all
succeeding time. These facts, which
to n certain extent apply to all ami
| mails, are i'll IN especial degree worthy
of consideration when the comparative
rarity of ornithic remains comes to be
explained Earth and lis Story.
The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-08
SAND kUCERS."
A Peculiar Kind of Cyclone in the Far
West-Ifow IL Forms and What 1t Does.

When the Union Pacific railway was
being constructed, says a writer in the
San Francisco Examiner, the workmen
had frequent opportunities for wit
Messing the formation and progress of
whirlwinds which, on account of the
peculiar action they had on dry soil,
were called sand. augers." They
were especially frequent in Lodge Pole
Creek valley, through which the rail-
way, leaving the Platte river, runs
northerly To near the base of the Black
Hills. This valley is quite narrow,
averaging n mile in width, and is
bounded on either side by range of
low, uneven hills. The first indica-
tions of the approach of one of these
sand augerS would be the formation,
here and there in the valley, of little
whirligigs of dusty wind, picking ~
bits OF straw, paper, and other incon-
siderable trifles, sometimes waltzing
into camp and flirting with the canvas
tents or scattering the cmbers and
ashes of outdoor cooking-places. These
baby cyclones would increase in num-
ber quite rapidly, and then be whisked
away by strong currents of air, com
ing from no one knew where, but all
dra wing across the valley toward the
eastern range of hills, over which
would then be seen advancing fun
nel-shaped cloud, like that seen over
water spouts forming at sea.
From under the surface of the low
lying cloud swaying tongue of lead
coiored yapor would prolong itself to-
ward the earth, from which, to meet
it. would rise cloud of dirt and sand.
This earth cloud would rise higher and
higher with a whirling motion, becon-
ing more and more compact all the
while until the bluc-biacls yapor and
brown mass from below would unite
above, and the completed swift-whirl-
ing column commence - move slowly
The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-08

down from the hills on its way across
the valley. While its forward progress
was usually slow. the rotary motion
about its vertical axis would be very
rapid, and so dense would be the mass
of sand gathered up by it that when
the column touched the earth it would
SCOOP out shallow channel like the
dry bed of shallow stream. Hence
its name of sand auger. The diameter
of these augers seldom exceed fifteen
or twenty feet ut tho ground, but their
bulk increased with. their height until
they were merged into the broad sur
face of the thick, murky vapor from
the cloud above, from which electric
flashes frequently played. When this
occurred large hailstones would be
formed, which would be thrown, by
centrifugal force, apparently, out
from the revolving storm. They would
be found to be, almost invariably, in
the same shape of fiat disks, sometimes
three inches in diameter and one inch
thick, and made of layers of ice and
sand.
One such sand auger passed near an
engineers camp where | was ut work
anu oii ltub Va 1N'f ~ NiNh
grazed the edge of corral near by,
butting away one angle of an adobe
wall, and sweeping by the house itself
left every pane of glass in one window
as neatly ground as if done by sand
blast machine. Passing on, the tents
the auger was carrying of became en-
tangled in the telegraph wires run
ming through the valley, and after
dragging down two poles the cyclone
collapsed, leaving beneath where it
broke up mound of sand, bits of
adobe, some old boots, sprinkling of
empty tins, part of n bale of hay, and
dog-eared poker deck of cards. The
latter were afterward carefully gath
cred up by their owner, n genius called
Slim Jim, who always deplored the
fact that the recovered pack was i'm
perfect there being but four aces left
in it by the sand augcr.
The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-08
Fancy Cook Books.

Some young ladies who have at
tended cooking schools during the
winter have collections of their favor
ite receipts. The little books, made by
their own hands and illustrated in
water color, are quite unique. The
cover of one has pictvfe of still life,
apples, nuts, raisinS, and glass of
wine, while another has tn ortrait of
dainty cook, with sleeve oiled above
the dimpled elbows and tumbled curls
pceping out from beneath lace-frilled
cap. In one book the picture that il
lustrates salads is lobster and lettuce
leaves beside n pot of mustard and
bottle of pepper, with teaspoon lying
near filled with salt. Slices of lemon
and curlcd lettuce leaves form bor-
der, i'll and out of which receipts are
written in rhyme. The picture of a
salmon in another book is a genuine
work % art. Curious little designs ac-
company each receipt, and the pretty
affair shows so much skill one naturally
wonders if the same hands can produce
real appetizing dish of escalloped
oysters or an old-fashioncd apple pie.
The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-08

placed in fire the animal substances
will be consumed and the mineral por-
tons will become quite brittle. All
the substances, however, that are ca
pable of forming ammonia will be con-
sumed and lost in the atmosphere 1t
is very desirable to save the animal rs
well as the mineral substances that are
combined in bone. This may be done
by crushing them in machine pre-
pared for the purpose or treating them
with sulphuric acid. Farmers, how
ever, are not generally in condition
to do either of these things. 1t will
accordingly be their best way to
put the bones under conditions favor
able to their decomposition and ut the
same time unfayorabic to the loss of
any part of them that Is volatile. Solid
as bones appear, nearly half their
weight is matter that is quite perisha-
BILE.
One of the best ways of disposing of
fresh bones is to throw them into the
pig-pen. The pigs will deyour the
flesh that is on them and will break
many of them for the purpose of get
ting the marrow they contain. They
will often 6cvour all the bones of a
fowl and most of the smaller ones of q
sheep or calf, the last being quite soft.
The undigested portions of them that
are eaten will become part of their
dung and will be in the best condition
to use as fertilizer. The larger
bones will be at length mixed with the
manure in the pen, which during the
process of fermentation will soften and
partially decompose them. Bones can
be softened and partially decomposcd
by mixing them with fresh horse dung.
The softening and decomposition may
be promoted by putting them in pot
with quick lime and causing it to slake
by the application of water. The same
thing may be effected by placing them
in tight barrel and covering them
with moist wood ashes or I've. In eth
er case there is an advantage in first
breaking the larger bones.
If large bones, like those of the
heads of cattle, sheep, and horses, are
buried under the grapevines or fruit
trees their roots will penetrate them
and in time appropriate all the fertil-
iZing matter they contain. Bones kept
under the soil will decay in time, and
their influence will extend for con-
siderable distance and for many years.
If bones have remained on the surface
of the ground so long that all, or near
ly all, the animal substances have
been taken from them, it may be best
to subject them to the action of fire,
and then pulverize them with n ham
mer or the bask of an ax. Bones brok-
en- in pieces of the size of grains of
corn or wheat will be readily eaten by
all kinds of fowls. Ifpulverized as fine
as coarse corn meal they will be eaten
by cattle and sheep, and will be of
great benefit to them. Every farmer
should save all the bones he can and util-
ize them in some of the ways above
described.
The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-08
For Stout People.

The system of Prof. Ernst Schwen-
niger for the treatment of obesity,
which was introduced here about two
years ago, says the New York Sun. has
by this time been sufficiently tested to
demonstrate that anybody who will de-
terminedly follow the regimen pre-
scribed by it can reduce his flesh to
any reasonable degree desired, it
being understood. of course, that his
physical condition. is not such by reason
of incurable heart or kidney disease
rs to make reduction perilous. And
there is just one thing about it that is
hard to get used to. That is the abso-
Lutte prohibition of all liquids during
meals and for an hour before and an
hour after each meal. 1t does not
seem so difficult Tn do without fluids to
wash down ones food until it is tried,
and the iron pressure of habit in sip
ping and even gulping water, wine,
milk, tea, or coffee while eating is
realized. The fact of prohibition
seems to make one more intensely
thirsty, and the juiciest food takes on
the astringent dryness of pomegranate
rind. OF course, one becomes accus-
toned to it after awhile, eventually
does not feel any desire for liquids Mt
the prohibited times, and even finds less
disposition TO drink ut any time than
he had before. Thea his reward
comes, not only in the reduction of
flesh, but in a surprising diminution
Of the nuisance of pcrspiration, which
is the misery of all fat men.
1t must not be supposed that this
shutting off of liquids Is the whole of
the treatment, though it appears to be
the most important requirement. That
ranking next to it is that one must not
gorge with food, especially food in
which sugar and starch arc largely
component parts.
The iron chancellor stil lives by
Schweninger rules and in doing so
keeps down his tendency to growing
fat and remains wonder of Vitality
and vigor ut his advanced age No
longer ago than last April one of the
Sans special dispatches told how he
restricted himself in eating To n light
breakfast and substantial dinner, with
no liquids ut meals aud only i glass
Of wine daily, taken juSs before retir-
ing. One experiment with the bogus
system of three pin.s of water before
breakfast by Bismarck would doubt
less afford Germany another iirst-class
| funeral.
There is no royal road TO relief from
corpulence that may be travelled with
ease and safety, and without self-sacri-
! flee. Nostrums are from time to time
advertised rs aifording it-such as one
now doomed in England. and finding
not few dupes here-but they do not.
Starvation Ia BantinG, and the nos
trum cures that profess To reduce
gluttons while practicing their gluttony
if they will only take n wineglassful
at each meal" arc alike dangerous
humbugs. Renouncing liquids seems
to be demonstrated the safest and best
thing when accompanied by due
moderation in eating. But in no case
is it absolutely safe for fat person to
adopt any really effective measures for
reducing weight without thorough pre-
liminary knowledge of the actual
condition of his vital organs.
The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-08

Baseball enthusiast lin Philadei-
phia)-Yes, it was only u snap game
played by schooIboys in the street. you
know, but, by jinks, there was some
fine plays there. Some OF those little
fellows will be getting $4,000 year if
they keep on.
Omaha man-In the street in Phila-
delphia?
Yes; the street was pretty crowded,
but the game went along pretty well,
though The worst thing was that
one of the boys, while running bases,
bumped up against an old lady, knock.
ed her down, and the fall killed her. y
"Terribc!i
. Il should say SO. Before the little
fellow could recover himself and reach
the base he was put cut Omaha World.
The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-08

In charging jury in Philadelphia
the other day Judge Biddle said in sub
stance. The history of public morality
IN regard to lotteries is quite curious.
! have lottery ticket issued rs far
back as l76l, to aid in building n
church ut Oxford. That church was
aiterward presided over by brother
OF President Buchanan. At that day
lotteries were considered legitimate,
and were almost as frequent rs apothe-
cary shops are to-day. But experience
taught us that they were demoralizing,
ana stringent laws had to be passed
against anything in the semblance of a
lottery. At the present day lotteries
are held only by two classes of people
very religious people and very bad
people-and, strange to say, the most
difficult thing is to eradicate them
among the good people"
The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-08
Her Only Husband.

! is hard to laugh at an afflicted
wife's grief, but then it is harder still
not To laugh IN Il case like the follow
ing. which is given as a war incident:
The guards were marching rough,
gray bearded, gorilla-looking old fel-
low down a path leading from dilap-
idatea old house. Close in their wake
came a buXom young daughter of Erin.
with half-nakcd, dirty baby, screcch-
ing like mad, under her left arm, while
in her right hand she flourished II
broom, brush upward, in threatening
attitude.
All the while she was CRYING loud
enough to be heard ut least half mile,
"Oh dear! oh dear. They've taken
the only husband I've got. the only
husband I've got.n louth'S Companion.
The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-08
nIsposISG OF BONES.

All farmers have at length become
acquainted with the great value of
bones for fertiliZing purposes. They
know they contain Il large amount of
phosphorus, which is needed for all the
higher order of the plants used as food
for man. They also know that they
contain lime and substances that pro-
duce ammonia. They think it is nee
essary to break the bones very fine, or
to dissolve them in an acid before they
can be of much value as fertilizers. 1t
is certainly advisable To treat them in
one of these ways if immediate results
are expected of them. II one is con-
Quoting farming or gardening opera
tions on land leased for II limited pc
riod, he would not apply bones to it
unless they were first reduced by
grinding or treated with an acid. He
Is looking for immediate results, anil
knows that they can not be obtained
from bones that are entire, especially
if they become dried. Such bones will
remain in the soil n long time and
show scarcely any more changes than
stones.
Bones possess the greatest value at
the time they are taken from an ami
NAL or fowl. They then contain a
large amount of fat, the hollow ones
inclose marrow and there is considera-
BILE flesh attached to them. These
bones, if large. are very hard to break.
Without suitable machinery it is al
most impossible to pulverizo them. If
The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-08

"Bridegrooms, as class" said q
friend of the writer, ''seem to be n
necessary part of the proceedings, but
they do not often cut Il very imposing
figure. An awkward man, short or
tall, dark or fair, with n profusion of
shirt front and minimum of vest, 4
smoothness of hair that is 10 me the
only object worth studying in the
whole makeup, a white flower in the
buttonholc, a seeming air of self-satis-
faction, palpably false assumption Of
tranquility that even woman ought
to see through-therc is a composite
photograph of the bridegroom of to-
day. There was one bridegroom whom
| feel warmly toward. sat very near
the front on this occasion, and / could
see very plainly all the high contract
ing parties did and hear all they said.
| heard something | didn't expect to
hear. The clergyman in handing q
ring To the groom dropped it and it
rolled Il few feet under the brides
train. The groom had to almost kneel
to reach il. and rs he bent over heard
him say little word of four letters
which, while profane, is very express
sivc. 1t sounded SO intensely human
and natural, flung against the artificial
palings of propriety, that / must con-
feSs that | took n good deal of interest
in the man who uttered it. .n-PttSbRrg
Dispatch.
The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-08
RAISING COWS FOR PROFIT.

On the important subject of raising
COWS for profit the Breeders Gazette
SAYS:
The Hon. James Wilson Of Iowa. OBJ
served in public address that where
men farm for dear life the cow is
the foremost consideration Nothing
could be more true, for wherever the
farmer is harasscd with debt, or when
ever he is struggling to make good
start in life,it is the cow which comes to
his assistance, paying off his mortgage
in the one ease and placing him upon
the high road to fortune and indie
pendence upon the other. Her ca
pacities for good are almost unlimited,
and in no direction can the farmer SO
surely improve his condition as in de-
veloping and cultivating these capaci-
ties TO the highest degree. Those who
keep cows, and rs many of them rs
circumstances will permit, and take
pains to have them good and of the
The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-08
PROFIT IN KEEPING SHEEP.

The advantages in raising sheep are
overlooked in many cases because of
few difficulties in the way; but COM
parison of the benefits to be derived
from sheep with the disadvantages
arising will show that the faults are
due more TO the mode of management
than to the sheep. Among the obiec-
tions to keeping sheep are that they
Craze too close to the ground, thereby
killing the grass; that they are subject
to loss from dogs; that they are liable
to foot rot and other diseases; and
that the best breeds demand too much
care. The first objection, that of graz
ing close, is really an advantage, for
it permits of utilizing the sheep on
fields that would afford no sustenance
to other stock, and enables the farmer
to keep flock of sheep where the land
would otherwise be valueless. It is
the close grazing by the sheep that al
lows of their use on poor soils, which
they enrich with their droppings, there
by making possible a profit when such
lands are devoted to crops. The OBJ
lection that dogs destroy sheep is true,
but no farmer should keep sheep ex-
cept under conditions that fully pro-
tect them from all kinds of depreda-
tors. To send flock of sheep out to
roam ut will, subject not only to dogs
but to all kinds of insects, rs well as to
storms, is not systematic mode of
keeping sheep. They are entitled to
the care and consideration that are be-
slowed on other stock.
The foot-rot and other diseases are
often due to improper conditions.
Sheep, if kept exclusively on damp
locations, will be subject to foot-root,
and other animals in the same manner,
will be subjected to disease also. That
the objection TO sheep on account of
the best mutton breeds demanding eX-
ira care and attention is true is admit
ted, but that such sheep give good re-
turn for the care bestowed is also true.
While there be little or no profit from
the common 1locks thatare turned on the
hillsides with no care, it has been de-
monstrated that the improved breeds
will yield large profit after paying
for extra labor and food. The i'm
proved sheep will often weigh 800
pounds each, while the native sheep is
not up to 100 pounds, and in value the
difference of 200 pounds is far in ex-
cess of the cost. There is also profit
in another direction, which is very inn
portant yet frequently ovcrloOked-the
improvement of the soil. When sheep
are allowed To forage over a large area
the manure is too widely scattered, but
when the flock is confined to limited
space, and changed to new locations,
the droppings become of great value,
and no objections to sheep can over
come the benefit derived in that way.
The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-08
FOR THE FARMER.
Professor Sturtcvant Experiments on
Deep and Shallow Culture for
Farm Crops.

How Bones Can lie Treated So As to
Make Them of Value to tho
Soil.