davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-08-21
KENTUCKY MOUNTAINEERS.
A Sketch of People Unknown to the
Rest of the World,

A Sketch of a People Unknown to the
Rest of the World.
1t was early in the morning of a per-
feet April day that we went down the
road that leads to the banks of the
Bullskin-a creek that traverses a part
of Eastern Kentucky. 1t was a charm
ing ride through the mists and shadows
of the early morning. Our destination
was the house of an old man named
Barger. 1t was a quaint old place,
much cleaner than the houses in that
place usually are, with the remarkable
luxury of an upstairs" Old Mrs.
Barger was preparing dinner when we
arrived, and we sat down to dine at
ten o'clock in the morning. We told
the family that we dined at home
about eight hours later than that, but
they would not believe it.
In the evening l joined the group
sitting about the fire waiting for sup
per. They were ''the boys" come in
from the farm work with several
neighbors who had been helping
Darkness had fallen. and the men
about the fire were as silent and Sc
date as only a group of mountaineers
can be. The silence was suddenly
broken by the entrance of a Tale,
hearty old man, whom all the party
addressed as grandpap, and treated
with great respect The old man
placed himself with utmost care on a
stool near the fire, and waited until
Mrs. Barger had resumed her work at
the fire and the men had gone back to
chewing their ''long CUT and to
silence; then he looked about him
with an air of enjoyment and slowly
remarked:
II lay Pm goin' to leave this creek.
'Bud Simpson has done beat Joe
Bakers wife all to pieces with fence
rail and run off and ]ef her fur dead"
Various EXPLANATIONS came from all
sides, while sat by and listened to
the details of what seemed to me to
be shocking assault. Grandpap ex-
planned with slow care how the quar-
rel originated with the ''dawgs and
the hawgs," and finally concluded by
repeating: 81 tell We, l goin' to leave
the creek; it amt safe" Mrs. Bar
ger returned to her bacon with the
astute observation, "Well, that beats
my time" and took no further part in
the conversation, but the men were
thoroughly aroused and discussed
the outrage with solemn eagerness.
One tall fellow, who seemed to be a
man of some Importance, reached quite
a fever of excitement, and all the little
circle stopped to listen when he deliv-
cred his opinion. "a man amt no
right to beat a woman with a fence
rail. A man shouldn't beat none of my
women folks with fence rail. If Bud
Simpson wanted to beat Tidy Baker
why didn't he take his fist and beat
her? A man amt no right to beat a
woman with fence rail. He orter to
have took his fist.
The party all agreed that punish
ment with the fist was the proper mode
for women and silence soon reigned
again.--Cor. Washington STAR
n
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-08-21

pound, and in addition thereto of IS
per cent. ad valorem, thus increasing
the cost more than 100 per cent; on
the cheapest of the goods it is 40 per
cent. And this tax is said to be for
the farmers interest and for their pro-
lection.
Lot us see how this tax protects the
farmer. 1t is supposed that the inn
port duty on foreign wool makes up
for this loss to the farmers. In En-
gland the wool of which these goods
is made is worth % cents per pound.
In New York it is worth so cents
Supposing the difference is the meas
ure of advantage gained by the
American farmer, it benefits only
those who grow wool, and every other
farmer pays the tax without even this
small and questionable benefit. This
is only one example of hundreds
which might be mentioned, all OF
which bear heavily upon the farmers.
No doubt every thoughtful farmer
will be able to give an answer to the
question just now SO widely dis
cussed: Why are farmers poor? if
he will turn his thoughts this way
N. Y. Times.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-08-21
POVERTY OF FARMERS.
A Condition of Things Due to Oppressiv
Tariff Taxation.

A Condition of Things Due to Oppressive
Tariff Taxation.
Why are farmers poorp This ques-
ton is exciting much discussion in the
special agricultural journals. Itseems
to be agreed that farmers are poor,
and all the communications published
that are written by leading farmers
all over the States and Territories
unite in this admission. The reason
for the prevailing poverty among half
the population is not so much cause
of dispute as might be expected.
Burdens that fall unequally and that
lie like an incubus upon the agri-
cultural interests are recognized by
all as the chief cause of this distress
among the farmers. Increasing taxes,
chief among which is that which
comes like thief in the night under
cover of false theory and pretense,
but which cuts into the farmers
pocket at every turn and mulcts him
ruinously every time he makes a pur-
chase of any thing needful in house,
hold business. The onerous tariff
presses upon the farmer like those ex-
actions levied upon agriculture in
such misgoverned countries as Tur-
key, Egypt and India, and which take
every thing from the cultivator of the
soil excerpts bare living, which is left
TO him that he may continue to live
and work and be taxed.
One example of how the farmer is
taxed may be given as it comes to the
knowledge of the writer. A manu-
facturer of wooden goods in Scotland
advertised in an English farmers
journal that he would sell his cloths
at retail to farmers or exchange them
for wool. The writer wrote for SAM
pies and prices of the goods. They
were of excellent quality; Scotch
tweeds, cheviots and such cloths as
make the best clothing for farmers,
and were OF pure wool and free from
"shoddy,'' "mungo" and the waste
trash that is SO largely mixed with
wool in ordinary homemade goods.
The prices were so low as to astonish
an American purchaser; so cents, 624
cents, Is cents and less than one dol
lar yard for the best grades. For
So. so cloth for full suit of such goods
as cost 800 here could be purchased.
But on looking up the list of import
duties it is found that our supposed
paternal Government exacts a tax
upon these cloths Of so cents per
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-08-21
THE SUGAR ExToRTIoN.
The Only Way to Relieve the People ID
to Put Sugar on the Free List.

The Only Way to Relieve the People 10
to Put Sugar on the Free List.
Sugar raw and refined should go on
the free list. The tax paid last year
directly into the Treasury amounted
to over three-fourths of the actual
value of the enormous quantity Of
2,521, 09S, 473 pounds 1.-TWO thousand
five hundred and twenty-one million
pounds. In addition to this tax a
combination of Captains Of Industry"
known as the Sugar Trust is this year
taking advantage of the restrictions
imposed on this market by the tariff
laws TO extort an enormous amount in
private taxation for their own benefit.
The estimated net profits of the re-
finers' tariff ring last year was $19,-
100000. This year the robbery will
be much heavier. The trust claims
that the advance is due to decreased
supply of raw sugar-to natural laws
of supply and demand. 1t is not worth
while to argue on that point while a
tax of three-fourths OF the value of all
sugar used in the American market is
paid by the consumer. Such taxso
interferes with the laws of supply and
demand that while it exists it is alb
surd to talk OF high price being due to
natural causes. If with all sugar, re-
fined and raw, on the free list, the
Refners' Trust can then control the
market. it will be fair trade and no
robbery.
As a matter of fact no trust can long
control an open market on any staple
article. Abolish the sugar tax and the
refners' ring will be abolished with it.
The Republic is heartily in favor of
the abolition of both the tax and the
trust created by the tax. The Repub-
lican party is urged by certain Repnb-
lican papers to pursue this course ard
Republican speakers have frequently
attacked the tax as tribute paid to
Louisiana. This is untrue, as the
Louisiana industry is already virtually
ruined under the tax, but even if the
Louisiana planters were highly pros
porous. it would be grossly unjust to
the people TO keep them SO. The tariff
question has assumed shape where
the fight, if made at all, must be made
for impartial justice. 1t is plainly
impossible to scale down the present
tariff horizontally. The only method
by which reform is possible is through
abclishing or cutting the tax on one
article at time, and this is the time
for sugar
The Republican party has control Of
both houses of Congress and the Presi.
dency. 1t will be obliged to show its
relations to the sugar trust which now
''has its fingers in every sugar bowl in
the land" Without Government assist
ance and connivance, the trust could
not practice this extortion. The tax
should be abolished outright. Put all
grades of sugar on the free list, and
if the trust can survive by a fair trade
in an open market let it survive. st.
Louis Republic.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-08-21
FOR GUM cHEwERs.
How the sticky Stuff is Made In an Jndls
AnapOlis Factory.

no" inc SLlCky SCuu CUHu0 III 8u IuOko
snapol's Factory.
Down in the extreme southeastern
part of the city is a chewing gum fac
tory. This enterprise is a growing in-
dustry, adjusting itself to a growing
habit in this community. 1t is as nat
ural nowadays for a Hoosier, at least
in the Hoosier capital, to ask for or Of
fer piece of gum. as it was for an old
time Hoosier to request or companion
ably offer ''chaw of terbaccer.
Every body chews. Doctors, law
yers, merchants, that picturesque agg-
gregation, the city council, and the en-
tire baseball nine. When the habit
of chewing gum was confined to gig
Cling" school girls it was an object of
ridicule. When the girls fathers be-
gan chewing they formulated ingenious
excuses for it. Now every body chews
and nothing is said. Any one bringing
up the old-time objections is either ig-
nored, laughed at or looked upon with
interest as relic of antiquity
This chewing gum factory is not a
pretentious place. One would be like
ly to pass it by many times without
knowing that a process of wide interest
was going on inside. The interior is
much like that of confectioners
shop, and the working is the same.
The proceedings start in a large kettle
fitted into the top OF stove. Here
the 'chicie" is boiled. This is the
gummy sap of tropical tree, which
is caught much as maple sap is taken
from trees in the North. 1t is dried
by the sun into brown lumpy sub
stance. This is the part of the gum
that is most steadfast. It is what re-
mains when all the attractive but
tickle sweetnesses have departed. It
is also the part which after an hour
or two gives ones jaws a blase feel
ing that is quite rebelious to the ur-
gent demands of a hungry stomach.
An ample amount of sugar and flavor
ing is added to this substance, and
when cool it is kneaded and other.
wise treated like bread. 1t is laid
on one of those large smooth
stones common to confectioners
shops and printing offices. Here
it is smoothed thin by a
large polished iron roller. and
made still smoother by a wide double
roller press. Over the large sheet is
| then rolled rod on which circular
knives are arranged at intervals equal
to the length of the future stick OF
gum. These quickly cut the gum into
long strips. The strips are passed
through another roller press, whose
width is equal to their width.
In one of the rollers are grooves at
regular intervals, which are fitted into
the roller above. By these the strips
are compressed at q distance equal to
the width of a stick of gum. 1t is
thus easy to break the strips into
sticks. This is done by young ladies,
who wrap them in small printed labels,
stretch small band of rubber about
five of them, and place the packages
in neat boxes holding one hundred
sticks each, such as are seen in the
drug stores. Five flavors of the gum
are made-licorice, mint, pineapple,
winter-green and sarsaparilla- The
industry, like every other indianapolis
enterprise, is thrifty. Indianapolis
Nows.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-08-21
pITH AND POINT.

Human foresight often leaves Its
proudest possessor only a choice OF
evils
We go and fancy that every body
Is thinking of us, but he is not; he is,
like us, thinking of himself. Charles
Reade.
Watch the man who tells you how
honest he is. The man who Is really
honest is not compelled to tell OF it him.
SELF
When the wife or husband listens
to gossip about each other the tempter
has been encouraged and the end Is not
, tar off.-San Francisco Evening Post.
We are much deceived when we
! fancy that we can do without the world,
and still more so when we presume that
the world can not do without us.
1t is mistake to paint sin too al.
Turing and attractive. 1t makes young
people want some. AS matter of fact
! sin is ugly and full of misery and pain.
no matter how it may be colored or
sugar-coated. O. Picayune.
Good service is prompt service.
! 1t ceases to be favor, when he upon
whom the service is conferred has lost
in patience and hope deferred what he
might have bestowed in love and graft
tude.
"A young man who never earned
dollar, inheriting fortune, will often
fool away more within six months than
his father spent needlessly in forty
years. Give opportunities for honest
labor till by earning money he knows
the worth of it.
When you are judging a friend
whose actions puzzle you, but whose
motives you can not see, remember
that Charity thinketh no evil" 1t is
blessed thing habitually to put the
best construction on the behavior OF
others.
We may try to elevate ourselves
by depreciating others. and for a time
seem TO succeed. but the end OF such
practice is bitterness. The rose does
not secure its pre-eminence by calling
thu elm little, but by making the most
of itself according to its nature and
opportunity.-United Presbyterian.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-08-21
HENRY l. Bl0SSiT, Business Manager.
MOTHER AND WIFE,

Two windows face the highway,
Two faces guard the panes,
For loved ones swift home coming;
And the rainy daylight wanes.
The hour has struck; he comes not;
They softly talk awhile,
But silence falls between them;
Again they watch the stile.
The wife, with poets fancy,
Sits in n blisstul dream
Waiting her lords returning,
In her eyes the love-light's beam.
The mother, wrinkled and white haired,
Leans on the window-sill,
A smile on her sanity visage,
Time-worn, yet lovely still.
Which pair OF eyes is keenerf
On whom does the vision burstl
One murmurs: Now he's Coming!'
The mother sees him frstl
All, yearning heart OF motherl
Tender as summer skies,
Can wealth Of wifc's devotion
Surpass thy sacrifice?
Owife! thy dear gift cherish!
The mother yields to thee
Her treasure, Joy and comfort;
Crown thou his destiny.
Alkaline Hohf Berry, in Good Housekeeping
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-08-21
Made to Feel at Home.

''1s there any body here who wants
to see the man with the bad eye?" he
beloved, as he came into the bar-room
where the boys were discussing poll
tics.
In an instant six revolvers were
pulled.
That's right, boys" he said; "be-
cause if you didn't want to see me I
was going right back home. Judge.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-08-21
GOWNS FOR BUSY WOMEN.
The Loose Blouse and Straight Skirt Seem
tn 70 tho Ea

20 lie the EaVOrlCeSs
The business women of New York
are actively discussing the style Of
dress best suited to self-supporting
women. With competition in every
line daily growing keener they find
that they can not afford to be ham
peyed by their clothes. The woman
who makes a success in any occupation
is not the woman who is bundle of
nerves. An unyielding bodice which
prevents full deep breathing, the high
''dog" collar which is heating in sum
mer and which rasps the neck all the
year round, the absence or inaccessi-
bility OF the pocket in which to carry
the articles which business life re-
quires are sources of annoyance and
nervous irritation. 1t is not long since
one of the largest working girls So
cieties of the city adopted the blouse
and straight gathered skirt as
club dress for members. Mrs. Jen-
ness Miller, the successful dress re-
former, has among her costumes an
office-dress for business women, the
principal features of which are full
Fedora vest front of surah silk with
short jacket OF fine wool, and straight,
undraped skirt laid in wide box-plaits
in front and gathered on to the waist
behind. Another dress is a modifica-
ton of the Directoire gown, with seven
pockets, almost as many as are owned
| by that lucky creature, the boy, with
his first pantaloons. Four OF these
pockets are inserted in the vest, one
for the watch, one for a pencil, two for
car tickets and small change. Under
one OF the panels on the right side is n
long pocket for the purse and hand
kerchief. Two pockets for memoran-
dum-book and card-case are tucked
away among the rear draperies. When
the owner has another dress made she
proposes to add an eighth pocket on
the left side for keys and miscellaneous
belongings. Think of such luxuries,
ye women who have no pockets at all,
but carry umbrella, handkerchief,
three bundles and baby in one hand,
while you hold up your skirts. open
doors and pay fares with the other. -
I N. Y. Mail and Express.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-08-21
ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA, WEDNESDAY,. AUGUST

consoled herself with a long, light,
and generally lemon-colored young
Yankee. who had addressed to her a
poem in which he spoke of her as
donna Theresa. "-Fireside Compan-
ion.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-08-21
A SAINT OF FASHION.
She Was Tried, But st. Peter Did Not Find
Her Wanting.

She Was Tried, But st. Peter Did Not Find
Her Wanting.
The applicant (timidly) Please let
me in.
St. Peter Opening the gate)-Who
are your
Applicant-A tailor-made girl.
St Peter (half shutting it)-Did you
belong to the Four HundredP
Applicant (reluctantly)-Yes.
St. Peter Shutting it IA little more)
Rich and beautiful?
Applicant (still more reluctantly
So the papers said.
St. Peter Qeaving only a crack)-
HIM, how came you herep
Applicant sudden cold and pneu-
monia--
st. Peter-Yes, l know. / suppose
you took cold at ballP
Applicant-No, at a charity fair; the
flower table was in a draught
St. Peter-Why didn't you leavep
Applicant l could not I had
promised to serve.
st. Peter (opening the gate hands
breadth) You were very extravaganza,
suppose.
Applicant (slowly)-I spent a good
deal of money. but we were rich, and
papa said it was good thing to keep
money going.
ST. Peter .(absent mindedly) HAS
your papa been canonizedp But I di-
yress. To return (stcrnly), Of course
you oppressed the poor needle-worker
and put off paying the lovely starving
seamstress. While you trailed through
the may dance the silken robe. into
svery seam of which she had stitched
her woman's heart-or words TO that
effect?
Applicant (wonderingly)-Oh. no,
indeed! Like many other girls in my
set I have successfully established
more than one skillful but unrecog-
nized needle-woman by giving them
work and telling right and left whom
employed.
St. Peter Showing his head now in
the opening)-Did you ever go to
church on a rainy Sunday?
Application, yes; always, rain or
shine
St. Peter (suddenly suspicious) did
you ever write a modern society novel.
Applicant-No. never did. I was
1ot very wise, you know.
St. Peter-H'm, it's not wisdom that
goes into them. Can you recall any
special acts of goodness on your part!
Applicant (thoughtfully)-I kept
awake half one night once while an
engaged girl was telling me about her
iance.
St. Peter-That was kind.
| Applicant always kept my dane
ing engagements, even when the best
man asked me last.
| St. Peter-That was unusual, GER
tainly.
Applicant-And at college balls /
used to affect real interest in what the
seniors were saying to me.
| ST. Peter (who had been gradually
widening the opening)-We needn't
go much further. We're you engaged
to be married?
Applicant-Yes.
St. -Englishman, suppose?
Applicant-No, an American. re-
fused an Englishman though.
St. Peter-Ah! He was q commoner,
l suppose?
Applicant-No. he was a Duke.
St. Peter (gasplng) What! you 70
fuse an English peeri
Applicant II did not love him.
St. Peter Throwing the gate wide
open) MY dear, walk right in. Thu
next young woman from the sid,
streets who comes up here will have .
make good showing to get BY. LII
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-08-21

He that is habituated to deceptlons
and artificialities IN TRIES, will try in
vain to be true in matters of impor-
lance; for truth is thing of habit,
rather than of will. You can not in
any given case. by any sudden and
single effort, will to be true, If the
habit of your life has been insiucere,
--F. w Robertson.
Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-08-30
VIII NOT SUPPORT HIM.

The VALLEY V5rginiam of this city, the
ablest Republican paper in the South and
one that yields great influence in the Re-
publican party in Virginia, us well as out
side of it, is owned and edited by Maj. 5.
M. Yost, formerly a member Of the Ma
tional Republican Committee, and his son,
Hon. Jacob Yost, lately the representative
of this district in congress. Yesterday it
announced that it will not support Gen.
Malone for Governor, and gives its reasons
mt length. Among them are these:
His election would, we believe, be Gala
nifty 10 the Commonwealth, In that it would
pafalyze industrial progress; arrest the inflow
Of capital and enterprise; and inaugurate a
reign Of hate and revenge that would disturb
aud aggfayate every relation of business and
every influence that contemplates the material
progress Of the State.
|: If elected lie would not, in our Judgment,
hesitate one moment TO prostitute the dearest
interests Of the State to his own personal ends
aid ambition, just AZ he has prostituted the
interests Of the Republican party.
Ia another article the editor says: "He
will not vote for Gen. Malone under any
circumstances even had he been nominated
by IL dozen packed Malone caucuses."
Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-08-30
ORGANIZE YOUR CLUBS.

The Democratic County Committee, I'M
der the Craftsmanship of w. II. H. Lynn,
has set a good example to the Democrats Of
the county. 1t has already commenced the
campaign. on methods both energetic and
practical. Now let the county Democrats
follow it's excellent lead and organize
clubs. If it were possible, there should be
a Democratic club at every precinct in Au-
gusta; no matter how small Oh how large it's
membership list may be. They constitute
the machinery of campaign, and the Dem
Ocratic machinery must be put up and its
wheels running in very short order this
year, for there are only nine weeks for it to
work in-not nine, for at least two weeks
will necessarily be lost before the clubs are
formed and get in good campaigning condi-
ton. The Young Democrats should take
the lead at once and they will not lack FOL
advice and assistance from the Old Demo
Gratis. This is the year that Malone him.
self is to be downed. If you need any direc.
ton OF information, address note to w
III. III. Lynn, Chairman of the Democratic
County Committee. and you will get it.
Since writing this, we are informed that
the Democrats at Craigsville will meet to-
night to form campaign club. They viii
be addressed by MI. ]. Lewis Bumgardnel
of Staunton. That is a good opening. Now
for some other precinct club to organize!