davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20
HypnOtism.
From Youths Companion.


About century ago Mesmer, a native
OF Switzerland, was able to induce pc
culiar sleep by means of the now we'll
known passes" He protested to have
discovereda new force, to which he gave
the name of animal magnetism, but
which most people call mesmerism.
In l843, Braid, of England, scientifically
investigated the truth that lay beneath
the delusions and receptions of the
mesmerists, and was soon independent
ly followed in the same direction by
Esdaille, in India, and Mitchell, in the
United States. The patient, being made
to fix his eyes steadily on a bright OBJ
ject, about a foot from his forehead and
short distance above 1t, a sleep was in
duced in which all sensation was lost.
Numerous surgical operations were per-
formed with absence Of all pain. The
celebrated Charcot performed many ex-
perlments of the kind on his historical
patients at his famous hospital in Paris.
The late DR.. Beard of this country, de-
voted much time, with signal success,
to a scientific investigation of the subject
oil the hypnotic state, and of hypnotism
generally. The word hypnotism, now
usually employed, is from Greek word
signitying sleep. More lately there
have been many contributions to the
and some new conclusions have been
reached. According to the new views
the hypnotic condition is not one of
Iethargy, cataIepsy, nor somnambul1sm,
but it is a normal nervous state, closely
allied to natural sleep. The use of
bright objects before the eyes is reject
ed and condemned as injurious. The
operator, sitting before the patient, as
sures him confdentallv and pleasantly
that he will soon be asleep, tells him to
make no resistance, and that he is al
ready feeling drowsy. The patient falls
asleep in from to Is minutes. From
eighty to ninetyper cent. of the persons
experimental upon can be thus hypnot-
lied. The best subjects are persons of
sound nervous constitution. The most
susceptible are children under IA wears
of age. Signal curative results have
been obtained in rheumatism, neuralgia,
alcoholism, morphine habit, various
forms Of nervous disco es, and amenor-
rh9a. 1t is not always necessary that
the patient be put fully to sleep. 1t is
now thought by some investigators that
mind-curing and the new hypnotism are
essentially the same thing. These re-
suits and the sleep itself are determined
by the suggestions of the operator acting
through the mind of the patient on his
physical system.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20
Elephants Remember Words.
From the New York Tribune.


''Of course an elephant knows what is
said to her." remarked the Central
Park elephant keeper, "Eleph ants
don't forget very soon. They will al
ways remember their fright at Bar
NUNS fire. They know the meaning of
the word fire. Last summer we came
near having some trouble. Men were
blasting out trenches in the Transverse
road, north of the rse1al, TO put in wa
ter pipes. When the blast was ready
one of them stood up waving his red
flag and shouting Fire Fire = The
elephants We're fastened outside of
their buildings, and at the first shout
they raised their heads in alarm, and at
the second every one of them snapped
their chains as if they had been thread.
and the way they went jumping IN the
opposite direction, as the blast was
fired, startled the people, who got out
of their way as quickly as possible. l
found them down i'll the trees very
much frightened. After that the man
was told not to shout fire. any more
where the elephants could hear him.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20
The Forests Of Alaska.
From the Scientific American.


The prevailing forest tree of Alaska,
says George Davidson, Of the Coast
Survey, is the Sitka spruce, growing to
great size, covering every part of the
ground, and climbing the steepest
mountain sides to the height of 1000
or $500 feet above the sea. This tree
resembles in form and foliage the silver
frs of California. In the Archipelago
Alexander, with a shore line of more
than 1880 statute miles, tie land is
densely wooded from the waters edge. 1t
can never be devastated by forest fires,
because the carpet of wet sphag,aotm over
the surface of the country effectually
prevents fires from spreading. We
measured felled spruce trees thai we're
$50 feet long and 4 feet thick at the
butt; while adjacent standing trees
measured over 6 feet in diameter, were
branchless for over SO feet, and
estimated to be 25O feet high.
Hemlock, alders, and willows are
found; but the most remarkable wood of
the country is the yellow cedar, with
fine, even texture, fragrant smell, good
size, and greater strength than the
spruce. 1t is readily worked, takes a
smooth surface, and is remarkably DUR
able. It is a valuable addition to the
cabinet woods. and is superior as a ship
CIuiUcT W any Oh Tile coast. LII can De
obtained of ample size for frames and
knees OF ordinary sized vessels. We
measured one Is feet in circumference,
and estimeted it to be over 125 feet in
height. We collected part of the
keelson and frame of Russian
vessel built of this wood thirty
two years before, and which had
been lying wreck on the beach
for several years. 1t exhibited no signs
of decay nor of teredo attacks, and the
wood around the copper and iron bolts
is nearly as well preserved as on the
day they were driven. On Kadiak ISL
and the forests cease toward the south
The yellow cedar does not grow on the
northeast part Of the island but the av-
erage size of the spruce is less than
two feet in diameter. Hemlock is
found in abundance, and mas it value
for tanning purposes. When the for
ests of Washington Territory and Ore
gon are exhausted, Alaska will be the
great and our almost inexhaustible re-
source in the future
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20
How a Bone Button is Made.
From the New York Mail and Express

FROM the new YORK Mall and Express.
From human bones? No. From
ivory? No. From bone of dog or cat
tie? No. The other day happened in
small button factory in Birmingham,
ana was greatly interested in seeing a
tallor's bone button made, just such a
one as you would find on your ulster or
tweed coat. 1t was queer little fac
tory, made out OF two or three little cot
tages rolled into one. First of all was
introduced to. the raw material, which
lay on the floor of dark and dingy
little workshop, in which a solitary
workman was standing at his bench.
There said my cicerone, pointing
to what / took TO be potatoes,
there you see what we call
vegetable ivory. 1t comes from South
America and grows in clusters of
half a dozen nuts. That is the first
state OF the button" We then went
up to the workman who was cutting up
the kernels Of the nuts at a swiftly re-
volvlng circular sw, an operation re-
curing great dexterity, for slip might
cost him finger. This is the first pro-
cess. The kernel is easily extracted.
the shell in which it is enclosed being
very thin and fragile. Although the
kernel is a NUT it would take very
strong pair of jaws to crack it, and the
teeth cannot touch it. The little white
slabs which are cut out by the saws ere
taken to the next department, where
the. button is really formed, in the
series of lathes through which it is
passed. The too]-maker, whose
office is very important, works at
one end of the room the first
lathe cuts out the bottom with the de-
sired circumference, regulated bv Sc
RES OF gauges, the work being passed on
to others for the rim and SO on. Two
women were drilling the four holes of
the buttons, this being done by taking
up each one and subjecting it to the &C
ton Of the four-pronged horizontal
drills, doing their work with remarkable
dizziness and rapidity. The button, so
lar as Its form goes, is finished. 1t now
remains to do the polishing and dyeing.
In another room are half a dozen hex
sphere of dust. They contain the but
tons, which are now being polished by
the action Of some hard powder, which
is placed with them in the box
es. There is secret in everv trade,
and [ fancy that the contents of the
mixture with which the buttons are
eventually stained are not divulged to
the world. Down below [ was taken
into another room, in which there were
scores of tins containing dyes and many
buckets holding chemical solutions.
When the buttons are ready Tor receiv-
ing the dye they are placed on a tin
tray holding, [ think, gross. The dye
is then blown on them by a spray. which
causes the liquid to fall very maturity.
The trays are then put into gas-heated
oven and afterward put on the card
ready for the market. Such is the in
teresting history Of bone button, one of
the many wonders of Birmingham, that
town of magiclans.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20

consult doctor and said nothing about
his trouble. They did not resume their
natural condition, and as he became ac-
his food he concluded to let matters
stand as they were. When the Sleight
fire occurred, couple OF weeks ago,
among those who came to witness the
confagration was this hotel keeper. He
stood on Bernstein's corner, and, as the
water from the hose came over that wav
he started to avoid it. He slipped and
fell TO the sidewalk, and as he struck
there was swapping of something in
his jaw as if bone had broken. He got
up, and as he answered an inquiry
from bystander as to whether he was
injured, was agreeably surprised to find
that his jaws had relaxed and that his
alment of five years were gone,
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20
Oil Of SaSsafraS.
From Garden and Forest.

The manufacture of the oil of sassa-
fras is becoming an important industry
in some parts of the country, especially
IL the Southern states, where this tree
is common. Only the roots are used:
they are chopped up into small pieces
by machine constructed for the pur-
pose, the oil being then distilled from
the chips by the aid of steam. About
one gallon of the oil, weighing nine
pounds, is obtained from 1000 pounds
of the chips. The uses for which
the oil of. sassafras can be
employed are numerous and varied.
1t is favorite perfume for soaps and
candies; ii Is used as a solvent for
different gums, and as linement. It
is also very largely employed in the
manufacture of several popular pro-
prietary medicines. The Importance of
this industry may be expected to in
crease rather than diminish, as the
sassafras and persimmon are the two
trees which are spreading most rapidly
over the old and abandoned fields
throughout the Southern states outside
of the pine belt proper; and at present
prices good wages can be made in dig.
glng out the roots.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20
Admission Of Air to Rooms.
D. Gallon, in Architect, London.

u. GaltOn, III ATcn1teCl, LONDON.
Air should be introduced and re-
moved at those parts of the room where
it would not cause a sensible draught
Air flowing against the body at, or
somewhere above, the temperature of
the air of a room, will cause an incon-
venlent draught, from the fact. that, as
it removes the moisture of the body, it
causes evaporation or a sensation of
cold. Air should never, as rule, be
introduced at or close to the floor level.
The openings would be liable to be
fouled with sweepings and dirt. The
air, unless very much above the tenn
perature Of the air Of the room, would
produce sensation of cold to the feet.
1t may be regarded as ali axiom in ven
tilation and warming that the teet
should be kept warm and the head be
kept cool.
The orifces at which air is admitted
should be above the level of the heads
OF the persons occupying the room.
The current of lnf1owing air should be
directed toward the ceiling, and should
either be as much subdivided as posi-
BILE by means of numerous oriices, or
be admitted through conical openings,
with the smaller openings toward the
outer air and the larger openings
toward the room, by which means the
air Of the entering current is very rap
idly dispersed. Air admitted near the
ceiling very soon ceases to exist as a
distinct current, and will be found at a
very short distance from the inlet to
have mingled with the general mass of
the air, and 10 have attained the tenn
perature of the room, partly owing to
the larger mass of air in the room with
which the int1owing current minges,
partly to the action of gravity in cases
where the infowing air is colder than
the air of the room.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20
Cured by an Accident.
From the Kingston Leader.

A Washington Avenue hotel keeper
tells curious story of how he got rid of
an ailment by an &ccident. About five
years ago he tell through trap door in
Higginsvllle store, and, being heavi-
ly built man, was quite badly hurt.
When, after being confined to the house
for seye raj weeks, he got around again,
he discovered that he could scarcely
open his mouth, his jaws having be-
come stiffened. Thinking that after
time his jaws would relax, he did not
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20

A YOUNG lady employed at hotel at
Dixmont, Me-, carelessly left her ear
drop in the sauce dish. A young man
who dined there swallowed one of the
eardrops with his sauce 1t so hap
pened that this young man pressed hay
for the father of the aforesaid Young
woman. When they settled, the young
man WAS handed an envelope contain
fng his pay In the envelope was bill
ior So for the eardrop he had swal-
lowed.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20
Sanitation For the Country.

In 1896 Sir John Harrington, Of Lon
don, England, published a pamphlet
which, under the cover OF a biting satire
of Things in general, contained the
plans for crude watercloset. Up to
that time the pamphlet was the best
argument in favor of house sanitation
that had appeared. The subject was
handled in such a way that Queen
Elizabeth forbade the author from APP
pearing at court, but the evils at which
he directed his sarcasm were so evident
volume fairly started the discussion of
sanitary methods While this discus
sion has had to do mainly with the
wastes of large cities, of late years con-
siderable attention has been given to
the condition of country houses. The
great increase of suburban residences
has added to this interest, and many
farmers are considering the ADVISABLE
ty of adding watercloset fixtures to
their houses. There is one point in
this connection that demands attention.
The system of washing wastes out of
the house by means of a stream Of wa
ter is the cleanest and most convenient
method known. In most country
houses the water supply can be readily
obtained and stored in tanks. But the
water system carries with it a danger
Gus risk. There is no condition more
dangerous to health than an accumu-
lation of such wastes in the vicinity of
the house. Unless the drainage is so
perfect that such wastes can be at once
removed to a safe distance, the water
closet is disease trap. The success
of such fixtures in the city is due to the
fact that vast capital can be employed
to conduct q complete system of sewer
age, through which millions of gallons
Of water run daily. In not one location
in fifty in the country can we depend
upon a perfect drainage for water
closet. In the great majority Of places
the common earth closet is the best ar
rangement that can be devised. -RuraI
Neag Yorker
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20
Sowing Oats Early.

Waldo f. Brown writes to the Ohio
Farmer on this subject as follows:
81 am from long experience a firm
believer in early sowing of oats and of a
shallow, fine seedbed. I fall pillow my
land for oats unless it is corn land
(Which [ do not break at all, } and then
just as soon in the spring as the land
can be worked [ 60 on with disc har-
row. I have the Climax, which has
round discs L. inches in diameter, and
also the Cutaway. IF the land is in the
best condition we only need to 60 over
it once with this, and then cross ar-
row with the Acme, but usually it pays
to 90 over it both ways with the disc
we keep at it till we have three or four
inches of the surface fine and mellow
Then we SOW the oats, either with drill
or broadcast, and in the latter case we
cover them with a plank drag, which,
while it covers them shallow, presses
the earth to the seed.
81 have prepared my oats land in this
way for seven years, and am satisfied
that | have averaged one-third more
grain than | ever did in any other
seven years since | was farmer. and
that is since the 'forties.' Even if / got
no better crop it would pay to put it in
this way, Tor can get IN July twice as
much in a day, even though we harrow
three times, as team can put in three
acres day, while to pillow the land and
then put it into suitable condition,
less than an acre and half is a DAVIS
work. [ believe that if farmers knew
the value of oats, and knew how to man
age them, more would be sown. 1t is
popular notion that oats are hard on
land, but believe that this comes from
the fact that farmers generally put their
oats on the poorest land they have.
There is no crop that responds more
readily to manure, and light coat of it
will insure vigorous growth and good
yield. [ doubt if better use can be
made of the stable manure than to
draw it out as made during the winter,
and spread it on the oats land when it
is frozen. Our work horses, and es-
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20

E. M. GooDALL and friend arrived at
Melbourne, Fla, the other day in thir-
ty-two foot craft of eight feet beam, az
ter run of l 100 miles at sea from San
ford, Me.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20

pecially the colts, will be much better
OFT it ted oats part of the year, than to
be kept OH corn, as is SO often DONE"
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20

w. Hunter, in the National Stockman,
by which some farmers in Pennsv lvania
obtain fresh meatat low price.
In August, 1877, about twenty-five
farmers agreed to associate together to
supply themselves with fresh beef once
week for six weeks. We adopted
few laws for our government. Each
member is required to bind himself to
take certain number of pounds of the
average of the beef each week at price
which will be sure to pay cost 1--WE fixed
seven cents a pound.) We appointed
an executive committee Of three whose
duty it was to buy cattle and have them
dressed and cut up. We bought fat
heifers for three cents per pound. The
hide and tallow paid for dressing and
cutting. 1t cost so cents each day to
buy cattle and have them delivered at
Buffalo. We sometimes had little sur
plus beef, which we could always sell to
outsiders at profit, When We settled
up we found we had our meat for six
cents pound, and still had little
money in the treasury. In short, we
were satisfied with the experiment, and
expect to start up again after harvest.
OF course we have to 60 once week to
get our meat, which is more trouble
than buying it at our door; but then we
know just what kind of meat we are get
ting, and we are sure that it is fresh if
we 60 next morning after it is killed.
And, best Of all; we get nearly as much
more meat for the money. There is
nothing complicated in the business;
any set of farmers can make it success
full and eat their own beef at cost, and
not have to pay anyone for the privi-
lege."
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20
Improved Seed Corn.

All intelligent farmers know some
thing about the importance of plant
ing good seed in raising the vari-
GUS crops usually grown on the farm.
One of the first requisites in the produc-
ton of a good crop of almost any kind
is to use good seed. The corn crop in
the United States is of such vast import
ance that the seed used N planting can
hardly be selected with too much care.
Corn may be vastly improved by mix
ing different kinds together. and all
that is necessary to do this is to select
any two kinds that may be desired and
plant the different kinds in alternate
rows; and at tasseling time watch close
ly and cut out all the tassels as soon as
they are properly out in all the rows
you wish improved. The ears on the
mutilated stalks are then necessarily
fertilized by pollen from the stalks In
rows containing the other variety,
hence the multilated stalks yield i'm
proved corn. This, in turn, may be
mixed in similar manner the next
year, with any other variety or any 9TH
er variety mixed with it that may be
desired. Thus, by careful and judicious
selection OF varieties best suited to
climate anu soil, any planter may OBJ
tain the healthiest, the most prolific,
and in every way the best variety, per-
haps it is possible for him to get. AS
matter of course, this whole process of
improvement should be conducted on a
plat of land separate from where any
other corn is grown sufficiently far as to
insure an admixture with it. [ adopt
ed the above plan some time ago, with
view to obtain an improved variety,
and | am free to confess that the result
is somewhat surprising. am unable to
state with accuracy the advantage the
improved variety has over the unim-
proved, but it certainly is very consider
able. Some OF my neighbors- have OBJ
tanned seed from me, and are pleased
with it. Try the plan, brother farmers,
and / have no doubt it will pay you
largely.-Prdcticdl Farmer.
The Florida agriculturist., 1889-08-07
Children's Dress.

Some mothers affect very old styles in
dressing their babies and little children.
and they look quaint and bear with them
a sweetness and fragrance like that from
OH time linen presses. saw a IiCtle
girl of about years old yesterday in the
horse car She had little short waisted
dress of white nainsook, with a sash
drawn up just under her arms. The
skirt had three quite deep tucks. and it
reached her ankles. She had on midgets
of slippers with silver buckles The
sleeves were short and left the white
little dimpled elbows bare and she wore
cunl0ag little close cap of muslin
The whole outfit could not have cost
three dollars, but there wasn't person.
not even excepting grumpy looking
old man, who didn't smile at that pre-
cious little baby sitting there SO de-
mUrely and sweetly innocent of her own
quaint beauty
it doesn't require velvets and silks to
make childhood lovely. Dress your little
ones comfortably and simply, but keep
them clean and neat and healthy and |
am happy to say that it is the fashion
now to do just these things. Fashion
Letter
The Florida agriculturist., 1889-08-07
About Coffee.

The pleasures of coffee are by no means
dissipated in the warm weather, when
shot coffee" is not needed as means OF
defying the discomfort of cold weather
Cold coffee is delicious beverage when
well made Coffee ice made of strong
coffee frozen i'll a freezer, and served in
cups with whipped cream, is a dainty
dessert OF a convenient part of the after
noon tea menu; coffee soda is peculiar
summer drink, and few people accus-
toned to the morning cup of coffee
make any difference on account OF the
weather in this most important feature
of the breakfast table. An expert in
coffee maintains that the best coffee is
made in the old fashioned tin coffee pot
Don't give me any new patent arrange
ment for making coffee" he says; 'the
old tin pot is the only kind of cooking
utensil that preserves the aroma and the
full flavor of the coffee"
After the coffee has been boiled and
settled pour it in good strength upon
cup half filled with cream and hot milk
Most true coffee epicures have bever-
age prepared with full strength that will
give delicious aroma and true but
delicate flavor to a cup of rich cream
and boiled milk Rather peculiarly the
average American drinks about the same
alrcunt of coffee now that he did eigh-
teen years ago In 1870 the average
consump ption for each person was seven
and one-haIf pounds, in 1888 it was seven
and two-thirds pounds, showing that the
taste for coffee neither increases nor de-
creases.-Boston journal