davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
Japanese Devotion to Tea.

The way in which the Japanese drink
tea is beyond our most liberal concep-
tions Of devotion to any single bever-
age. 1t fills with them the place Of
water-except for purposes Of ablution
of whiskey, of the effervesceat prod
uct of the soda fountain, of the cooling
beer, Of the poetic wine, of all the vari-
Gus cups that cheer with or without in
ebriation. 1t even constitutes in social
life and courtship sort of substitute
for the missing ice cream. A band of
convicts sitting under tho trees that
we're Gods first temples, and making
and drinking their tea as the sun goes
down, is sylvan scene as common as it
is touching in Japan. What is that ap-
propriato poem of Gilbert about when
the burglars done a-burgling or COM
plcted his little plan, he's as fond of in
nocent enjoyment as any other mani
There is something wrong about that
quotation, but the ide, is all right
[Graphic.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
Skill Of the Hands.

We hear a great deal about tho won
derful precision and accuracy Of machin-
cry in these days, and Of course It Is
wonderful; but the degree of accuracy
to which the human hand can be trained
is equally wonderful.
Playing-cards are required to be cut
with the sides quito parallel to each
other, because II pack be trimmed by
a machine slightly wider at one end than
the other, and they become turned 'end
for end" in dealing, the excess in width
Of some cards over others at the end Of
the pack will be double the variation In
any ono card, which would facilitate
cheating, very minute variation being
perceptiblc. The men who test these
cards for this make calipers of their fin.
ger and thumb, and by passing them
along from one end to the other, detect
difference in width between tho two
ends which it is difficult to measure by
any other means.
There are men employed in factories
where dried yeast is made, whose busi-
ness it is to put the yeast into packages
weighing certain amount each. 1t is
on table in front of them in large
plastic mass, and there are the scales
for weighing it. But the men do not
use the scales. They simply separate
from the mass with their hands, lump
oft and put it up, and you may choose
at random and put it on the scales, and
it will weigh exactly the right amount,
the scales beam just balancing.
Where large numbers of eggs are
handled and shipped to market there
is process known as ''candleing" eggs,
which consists in taking them into the
hands, usually two eggs in each hand
at time, and holding them up before
lighted candle. The light shining
through them reveals to the practiced
eye the exact condition of the contents.
But some of the men soon get so that
they do not need to use the candle, tho
mere contact of their hands with the
shells denoting tho condition of the
egg just as infallibly and much more
quickly. And they distinguish in that
way not merely eggs which are decid-
edly bad, but those which are just
barely lightning to lose their freshness.
Hero are three different ways in which
extreme skill of the hands is shown by
persistent training: First, in detecting
slight differences in magnitude; second,
in weight; and lastly, in texture or
character of surface handled. Il Amer
ican Machinist.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
PRICE THREE CENTS.
The Pinelands.

The solemn song is over for the wind has
left the pines
All silent, with their stately heads appraised
in serried lines,
Their music hushed as though they wait a
message from on high,
They stand, like sentinels of God, against
the crimson sky
The glowing sun is sinking, sets afame the
purple west,
And gilds the fitting messengers" that cry
the hour of rest,
While dark against the afterglow the pines
stand one by one,
More stately yet, their sombsr heights OBJ
scure the horizon.
So still they stand as daylight dies and twi-
light beckons night,
That cen the passing buzzards pause, and
lingering, alight,
While midst the shadowed canopies Of never
fading green
The sparkling play of freely gay at hide
and dseek is seen.
All, many dro,m,--ye drifting winds
among the fragrant boughs,
Your heaven-pervaded harmonies within our
hearts arouse,
Such dreams shall, like the stalwart pines
that rear their heads on high,
Uplift us on their winged fight toward tho
ambient sky.
-IAda NJ Trotter, in Yankee Blade
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
Americas Largest Tree.

Mr.. Warren, who has seen the big
trees Of Mariposa, those Of tho Big
Tree Grove IN Calaveras county, CAL,
and all the big trees Of the coast range,
says there is no place in California
tree that approaches In size that on the
Kaweah. The men had with them no
rule, tape line or measure fany kind,
but Mr.. Warren measured tho treo with
his rifs. which is four feet in length.
He found 1t to be A lengths OF his gun
in circumference, at a point as high
above ground as he could reach. The top
of the tree has been broken off but it is
still Of immense height.
This monster tree stands in a small
basin near the Kaweah, and is surround.
ed on all sides by wall of huge rugged
rocks. There is so much brush in the
vicinity that the little valley in which
the big tree stands is almost inaccessi-
Bile. A landmark and notable feature
of the Ian dscape is an immense rock
known as Homcr's Nose. This rock
stands on mountain that has an ele
vation of from 5000 to 5000 feet above
the level Of tho sea. The rock itself is
about 500 feet in height. 1t is visible
above the pine forests from Tulare val.
ley. The small valley IN which the big
tree stands is mile or two east of Ho-
mers Nose. About it are many giant
trees, several larger than the big trees
of Mariposa.
Lower down the Kaweah is what is
called the Giant Forest. At this place
colony of socialists have taken up ten
square miles of timber land. On their
land are many trees that are from 10 to
IS feet in diameter. The mountain
men say the big trees (ths sequoia) are
cross between the redwood and the
6r.-[ Nevada Enterprise.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
Gratitude Of a Reformed Drunkard

Gratitude Of a Reformed Drunkard.
Four years ago drink had reduced
Conrad Shenfeld, formerly a wealthy
business man of Erie, Penn, to deepest
poverty. He was a drunken outcast
friends cut him and relatives disowned
him. Ragged, filthy and hungry, he
went one night to the Murphy temper.
auce meeting, where he took the pledge,
and to the amazement of his friends
kept sober day alter day. Thon he
wanted to 60 West and mako another
fortune, although past fifty years OF
age, but none of his kin would help him
by loan or gift.
Finally Colonel Charles M. Lynch, an
attorney we'll kn own in Western Penn
sylvania, loaned him 5000 aud he dis
appeared from tho city. A few days
ago Shenield died in Kansas City, and
acertifed transcript Of his will was
registered in the Erie County Court,
giving bequests of few dollars each to
all his relatives and $3.50, 900 worth
real and personal property to Colonel
Lynch, besides valuable mining
property at Albuquerque, New Mexico.
-.[Ncw York World.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
Magic Among Finnish Seamen.

Tho opinion is said to be common
among sailors that the Firms are skilled
in magic. If tho following story,
which is told by seaman, is true,
then these people are more than 4
match for the Pied Piper of Hamelin in
dealing with rats. He wa, once ship.
mate with Russian Finn who had all
the horn buttons eaten off his oilskin
clothing by tho rats. So, on the next
dog-watch after he found it out, the
Finlander went to the fore. hatch, and,
sticking his sheath-knife upright In the
dock, called upon all the rats in tho,
ship to appear before him. Up cams
all the rats, one after tho other, and
crawled before him in solemn process
sion, rat after rat, every rat in the ship,
until hundreds of rats had passed close
by his feet. Then there was q delay,
and the Russian Finn called in louder
tone the samo words he had called at
first. Instantly poor, little, perspir.
ing, bedraggled rat, with all its hair
turned the wrong way, limped out Of
the hatchway, and went up to the up.
right sheath knife, and sawed its own
head offl-[Argonaut.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
A Monster Trout.

A monster trout has been captured in
the riverI tchen at Winchester, weigh
ing sixteen pounds two ounces, and
measuring 80 inches in length and 21
inches ia circumference. The bait was
live minnow, and he was not landed
till two hours after he was hooked.
Ho had haunted the stream for years,
was almost as we'll known in the city as
Queen Annc's statue in the High street,
and had acquired quito reputation for
the number of rods he had broken and
the quantity of fishing tackle hc had
carried away. His captor was laborcr
named Turpiu, who disposed Of him for
IS to a fishmongor, on whose slab it at
tracted almost as many visitors as
monarch lying in state. Hs was in
splendid condition and has now gone
into the hands of taxidermist for pres.
ervation. II London Times.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
The Reward of Rashnesx

'My- young FRIEND" said old MI.
Surplus to young Mr.. Giddiboy, 'do
you not think that you were rash to ask
my daughter to marry you when you
are not able to support her1'
SWELL" said the young man, craftily,
"perhaps / was. Iadmit my fault and
throw myself on your generosity, sir. I"
THAT'S right" declared the old gen.
tleman. "You shall not lose by it
assure you There, sir, il nickel to
pay your car fare home. No thanks, il
you please. Good-day, Mr.. Giddiboy."
-GChicsgo News
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
The Derivation OF Ink.

The nut gals which form the bases Of
our modern ink are excressences grow
ing upon the leaves of oak trees, caused
by the puncture of an insect which dc
posits its eggs in the puncturc thus
made. Tho especial variety of oak on
which the gals grow with tho greatest
abundance are to be found largely in
Syria, Mesopotamia, Persia and Asia
Minor, and thence are exported to this
country in vast quantities. The best are
tho Aleppo gals, while those from
Smyrna are held in high repute.
The gals contain that astringent veg
etable quality known as tannin, in
larger quantities than any other known
substance, and this quality is resolved
into tannic and gallic acids. From the
combination of these two acid, with the
sulphate of iron the blackness of ink is
derived. = Boston Herald.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
Gotham's Three.Letter Streets.

There have been many arguments
over the number of streets in New York
City the names of which are spelled
with three letters, says the New York
Sun. A study of the directory of 1888
gives the following information on the
subject:
There are fourteen streets in all. They
are Ann, Dey, Oak, E m, Jay, New,
Fox, Ely, Ash, Fir, Hoe, Kip. Poe and
Rae.
The first six are below the Harlem
bridge, and tho last eight are In the an
nexed district. There i, but one ave-
nue. in New York City which is spelled
with three letters, Oak avenue.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
A Black Snake Doctors Himself.

Some time since the Rev. Thomas c.
Travis, living within five miles OF Berm-
ingham, KY, while travelling through
the woods near his farm, heard fuss in
hollow log which he was passing. He
stopped to investigate, and found two
snaks in deadly conflict. He watched
them fight. One was rattler and the
other a black snake. They would fight
while in the hollow, when tho black
snake would come out and eat of a weed
that grew close to the log, after which
it would go back and fight more, aud
then go back again to its weed. Thi:
performance was repeated several times.
Mr.. Travis concluded he would pull up
the weed, and did so. The snake short.
ly after came out, and, on missing its
weed. died Immediately.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
Delaware Peach Farms.

Peach farms in Delaware not infre.
quently contain Is, 900 trees, and some
years ago ono farmer alone was said to
own 100. 900 trees. Benjamin Biggs,
the governor of Delaware, owns at least
q dozen peach farms in Delaware and
Maryland. The great shipping point
on the peninsular of Delaware and
Maryland is Wyoming, village of Kent
county, Delaware, and one of the chief
growers is the Rev. j. S. Willis, mus
cular Methodist preacher, famous for
his finc physiqus, his daring pulpit ut
tcrances and his love of horsefi,sh. It
is a subject of curious comment in D.l-
aware that whatever ill luck befalls the
peach crop tho few small orchards on
Lion hill or Eminence, in the northern
part of the state, always produce good
crops. 1t is an odd property of the
peach that seedlings seldom produce
the same kind of fruit as the parent
tree. New varieties are obtained from
seed and all the large orchards are
Ludded (grafted) so as to obtain uni
formity.-INew York Telegram.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
Back to the old Home Once More.

Back to the Old Home Once More.
In the golden glow Of the setting sun
There 1t lay, nestled down by hill;
The soft, gray shadows fell here and there
On green meadow and running rill.
/ saw the fields of golden grain;
heard the caws and song of bird;
But at the door where the hollyhocks grew
heard no welcoming word.
Istrayed out IN the orchard fair;
Old trees stretched their arms to ms,
As if they would say, we remember you
well,
And they whispered these words to me:
Have you back the hopes Of youth
Are your castles peopled with lifei
Is your heart as brave and full of gleei
Were no dreams crushed out In the strifei
Do you bring to your home the book Of life,
With Its pages just as clean
As in the days, when child, you played
Ere the years drifted in betweens
Is life as fair as in the days
You gathered the flowers sweet
Are none of the pages blotted or stained
In tie book that will soon be completel
The old home lays fair in the moonlight,
As it falls on the waving grain;
But the old folks are gone, and the green
trees
Say, never to return again.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
Good Use for a ParasoI.

A mum Der OF little boys went a-fish-
ing in the d n, at the foot of Spruce
street, on Saturday Afternoon. Oao lit.
tie fellow fell in an would have been
drowned had it not bcen for the strenu-
Gus efforts OF orc of two ladies who saw
the accident. She rushed to the brink
of the river, AID hel out to him her
brand new. loa9-handled, silk parasol.
The drowniay boy grasped it and held
on securely until he was safely landed.
The lady sacrificed her pretty parasol
but she saved life Toronto (Can-
sds) Empire.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
A Caparisoned Horse at a Funeral.

The leading of a caparisoned horse be-
hind the body of dead soldier as was
done at the obsequies of General Sheri-
dan at Washington is always an impres.
sive and suggestive feature of military
funeral, and It'll perhaps on this account
that custom which comes from heather
times is kept up. 1t is probably mod
ification of an old practice which was
maintained to some extent as late as
1920 of slsughtcring the horse of a
dead warrior on his grave. The rever-
sal of the boots Is probably associated
with the reversal of guns and swords. =
Cincinnati Enquirer.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
Signed His Namo Millions Of Times.

G. N. Jordan, of New York, esti-
mates that he has signed his name mil
lions and millions of times as bank
president and Treasurer Of tho United
States. When he was president of the
Third National Bank, he signed his
name as often as fifteen tho usand times
in one day, and he used up from fifteen
to thirty pens day. His coat-sleevcs
suffered greatly in tho work, but they
could be repaired, while the flesh on
his wrist, which suffered the most, could
not be repaired, though he rubbed it
freely with vaseline and cold cream.
Mr.. Jordan writes with light stroke,
and he says that as Secretary of the
Treasury he consumed only one-third d
as much ink as his predecessors. Ar
gonaut.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
HUMOROUS.

Irony-A new tonic.
Shear nonsense-Clipping horse.
He who is in love with himself has no
rival.
A corner in bricks-The chimney
corner.
The best way to kill falsehood is to
let it lie.
A very troublesome young lady-Miss-
understood.
A firm rcsolve-An agreement to 60
into partnership.
Lei by the nose-having a pistol
ball Craze your proboscis.
"What hoe, therel" is the farmers
greeting to his field hands.
The rise and fall in standard securi-
ties never affect alpenstocks.
There was little psrfumery in Ameri-
CO during the old Cologneial days.
The deadhead at the theatre Is like a
successful prediction-he has come to
pass.
Noah had great admiration for
mountains. At least, he was stuck on
Ararat.
A drug clerk wishing to say that
man was no gentleman, called him an
urgent.
They put tacks in carpet to keep 1t
down, but they put tax on tobacco to
keep it up.
Suspicious. -"May have one word
with youa' Excuse me is that one
word money!
Capital would bc glad to escape being
taxed, though it denies the allegation
when taxed with it.
The Duluth Paragrapher sagely re-
marks that the average barber does not
hesitate to scrape an acquaintance. He
doesn't hesitate to cut an old friend,
either.
Would-be wag to minister-They say
you ministers call yourselves fishers of
menl Minister-Yes. Wag-What
kind of tackle do you usea Minister
Line upon line.
We understand the Sioux will require
foux more days consideration of tho
treaty lefore they can make up their
minds definitely as to what they will
dioux. Whioux!
Jay Gould's collection of engravings
is one of the finest In the country. One
of them valued at $40. 600 and accrued
interest was made by the American
Bank Note company.
Old lady Ito village postmistre ss)-
Hev ye got anythin' fer me, Miss Bull
lard2 Postmistress-Here's a postal
from your dauy yhter Mandy. How she
do improve iu spellln' senco she's ben
goin' to that boardin' school.
The United States annually consumes
10, 900, 600 barrels OF salt, or about fifty
pounds per capita. Accordingly every
person mutt dispose of nearly pound
week. And yet how many, many people
we meet that are fresh!
According to Spanish law the King
OF Spain can only be touched by certain
specified persons. When he gets to be
10 years old the King can only play tag
with his moth,r, the Emperor of Ger
many and the Lord High Treasurer.
The force of habit il always strong.
A Harlem young man who was calling
on a street car conductors daughter
says that the father wandered into the
front room at rather late hour and
mechanically exclaimed: ''Sit close,
please!'
Miss De Pink -s'No, Mr.. Suitor, it
can never be. l shall never marry q
widower. The ideal Catch me
walking in any other woman's Shoes"
Mr. Suitor (departing) 81 had no in
tention, Miss D, Pink, of Offering you
my late wifes shoes. You couldn't
get them on"
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
Artificial Badness.

'Gt is the custom of several races"
the London Hospital says. ito produce
artificial badness by shaving the head.
The Chinamau is perhaps the best ex-
ample of this. He shaves the hair from
the forehead and temples, and leaves
only circular patch, which he allows
to grown into tail. The Andamau
Islander shave almost the entire sur
face of the scalp, as thoroughly as the
imperfect implements at their comm and
will allow them. Formerly they used
chips of broken flint for this purpose,
but since the arrival Of Europeans upon
their islands they can indulge in the
luxury of shave with piece of bro
ken glass. 1t is said that wife takes
peculiar pleasure in shaving tho head
Of her husband. Towards the close of
the fifth century q shaven crown began
to be regarded, both in the east and the
west, as necessary mark of the sacer-
uotal caste; ana the BARRIERS razor was
required to cooperate with tho bishops
hand to constitute the priest. Two
modes of shaving tn, clerical CROWN
the circular and the semicircular---camo
into use; but who were the inventors
of theml History, with blameworthy
carelessness, has neglected to record.
The Roman clergy gave a preference to
the circular shave which was and is
performed by making bald small
round spot on the very crown of tho
head and leaving it encircled by hair.
The Scottish monks, on the other hand,
adopted the semicircu,ar mode, and
shaved the forepart of the head from ear
to ear, in the form of crescent"
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13
Surgical instrument. from Old Saws

found. Instead of throwing them in
the yard or sending them to the junk
shop they are gathered up and used for
the making of surgical and engineering
instruments. The enterprising individ-
ual who originated this economical way
of providing himself with first-class ma
terial at fourth class prices seems to be
making the fortune he deserves. The
waste Of few years ago seems to make
the fortunes of uowadays. -[Southern
Gentleman.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13

A broken dowa gentleman makes a
very poor quality OF loafcr, aud there is
hardly any use to which he can be
put.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13

A black or blue pencil maTk oppo-
site this paragraph indicates that your
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The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-09-13

A-Entered at the Post-ofAce a South
Londonderry, as second class mattsr.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-09
Photographic Reporting.

From the New York Evening Sun.
The first attempt to report the proceedings
of a political meeting by means Of the phono-
graph was made last Thursday evening at Or
ange; and the degree Of success attained
brings us to consider the possible change in re-
porting to be effected by this ingenious ma
machine.
1t is relentlessly accurate. The crafty poll
tician who kept complete file of all the cylin-
ders recording the utterances Of public men
during one campaign would have an absolute
record for use in the next. The deadly par
allef' column is label to the charge Of being
based on a distorted report. The photograph
has no political beliefs Of its own. Each tell
ing infection, the punctuation of applause. the
whole manner of the speech would come roll
ing out from the relentless ear-trumpet, and
woe to any man who should try to change his
ground.
The aspect of the photograph as an engine
OF matrimonial persuasion has been often con-
sidered. Even the parlOr organ-that remarka-
bic exotic that fourishes in certain rural COM
munities-would lose its terrors before the
stealthy and pitiless recorder Of the airy moth
ings OF twilit youth and love.
1t is stated that Mr.. Edison is cudgeling his
ingenious wits to improve the photograph and
increase its powers of instantaneous perception
and reporting. The world always adjusts itself
to altered conditions and makes the best use of
new and strange inventions; but the possibili-
ties of the phonograph are SO great that one
may be content to await developments without
borrowing trouble by indmlging in vain and
prophetic speculatiOns.