davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-03
Facts About Salt

There are many interesting facts con-
nected with salt which it is we'll some
times to remember. To begin with the
name itself, curious fact is to be noted.
Salt was formerly regarded as q com
pound resulting from the union of
hydrochloric (Or, rs it used to be called,
muriatic) a ii and so 10, and hence the
generic term of salt was applied to all
substances produced by the combination
of base with an ac;d. Sir Humphrey
Davy, however, showed that during
their action on each other both the acid
and the alksli underwent decomposition
and that while water is formed by the
union of the oxygen of the alkali and
the hydrogen of the acid, the sodium
OF the former combines with the ChIor-
inc of the latter to form chloride of
sodium, and this term is the scientific
designation of salt, which, paradoxical
as 1t may seem, 1t not salt. Chloride
OF sodium must be considered econom-
lcaily under two heads, relating respect
lively to sea or bay salt, and to rock or
mineral salt. The one is problbly de-
rived from the other, most rock salt de-
posits bearing evidence of having been
formed at remote geological periods by
evaporation from the sen. At one time
nearly the whole of the salt used as food
and for industrial purposes was obtained
from the sea, and in many countries
where the climate is dry and warm, and
which have n convenient seabord,
great quantity of salt is still so cbtained.
In Portugal more than $50, 900 tons are
annually produced, and the same guam
tity approximately is obtained on the
Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of
France. Spain has salt works in the
Balearic Islands, the Bay of Cadiz and
elsewhere, which turn out annually
300, 900 tons, and even the small sea-
board of Austria produces 7O,O00 to 1OJ,-
900 tons. London StdnddTd.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-03
GOLD FISH.
n Home for Finny Pcts-Hints About
An aquarium.


"Hov large should an aquarium be
for gold fish to thrive2'
"Ihat depends upon the size of the
fish, as largo ones necessarily require
more spa ,e than small ones. When the
vessel IN which you intend to keep the
pets has been selected a layer of we'll
washed river sand is placed in it and sew
eral varieties of aquatic plants planted
Great care should be used in selecting
the kind of plants, and only the best
oxygenators should fiud place in the
aquarium. The vessel is then filled with
pure drinking water and fish introduc-
ed. couple of tadpoles and snails
should be pat in, as they destroy the de-
cayed vegetable matter and keep down
the growth of conferv9. The fish should
be gently placed in the aquarium, as a
sudden plunge often frightens them and
makes them sick. One fish should have
about n gallon of water in which to live.
In this way you can determine tie
amount of water number of fish re-
quire. Great care should be exercised
in feeding. Many people i'll their anx-
lety to give their pets enough overfeed
them. The feeding time should be but
once day and the food should consist
of prepared fish food. A little beef or
an angle worm once in a while improves
them"
"How often should the water in an
aquarium be changedl" asked the re-
porter.
"When you notice the fish coming to
the surface to breathe it is sure indica-
ton that the water is exhausse aud n
fresh supply necessary. Stirring the
water is good plan but strongly adj
wise fresh water. When there are no
plants in the aquarium the water
should be changed once week.
''You wouldn't believe it," continued
the fancier, "but fish are as subject to
disease rs people are"
''HOw can you tell WREN q fish is
sick?" asked The Star man.
"When gold fish is in perfect health
the top or dorsal fin is carried fully ex-
panded and erect. The color of the fish
is clear, but when the color seems dead
and bloody streaks appear through tho
body, or the fins appear to have coat
ing, the health of the fish is bad, and
unless corrected it will die. Most of
the diseases of the gold fish, however, are
the result of ill-treatment. Fish are
subject to consumption" continued the
fancier' ''and when one is SO affected it
never survives. The disease is catch
ing, and when fish is so affected, it
should be removed at once. Fish are
also subject to dropsy, erysipelas, and
other diseases"
"What is the remedy for such
casesl"
"When you discover sick fish take
it out and place it in tank which is
exposed TO the sunlight and the temp
eraturo of the water kept at about 20
degrees. Leave off feeding for some
time. Place several tadpoles and snails
in with the sick fish to destroy dead
matter, and in little while they will
be all right - Knshi d nton Sfnr
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-03
UNDER THE GUILLOTINE.
How it Feels to Have Ones Head c
OFF, Doctors Observation.

+! How it Feels to Have Ones Head Cut
OFF, Doctors Observation.
DR.. Loye gives this detailed and very
interesting account of an execution
which took place three years ago at
Troyes, and at which the author, to-
! oether with another French medical
man, was present
Both of us believed that our wide ex-
perience of bloody vivisection would
have hardened us sufficiently to go
through the spectacle without very great
emotion. The condemned man had
nothing by which he could attract any
great interest or pity. He was q pro-
fessional malefactor who, in his last ex-
plot, had murdered my companions
aunt and cousin. We had, therefore,
no reason to regard such criminal
with compassion. However, when the
fellow arrived in front of the guillotine
We could not help a feeling of painful
emotion creeping over US, and by which
no doubt we partly lost that mental
neutrality which is necessary for all
scientific investigations. AS O proof of
this fact l may say that the perception
of time, of duration, was Immediately
disturbed with both of us.
The carriage stopped near the guillo-
tine. A policeman stepped out, war
den, the executioner's assistant and an
other policeman; they all seemed to
move very, very slowl y. At last the con-
demned man got out, accompanied by
the chaplain, an executioners assistant,
and third policeman. He stood beside
the vehicle with a pale face, eyes and
mouth open, his Hurried look fixed obsti-
nately on the enormous knife which
glittered at the distance of few steps.
They arrived III front of the guillotine,
the assistants threw the patient down
and his head was fastened. When the
upper part of the boards between which
the man lay was fastened, it appeared to
us ns if he were already beheaded. Alas!
[ shall not soon forget the mans face
It was turned downward to the box into
which his head would foil; he looked at
this box with an expression of fear and
terror such as | have never seen on any
other face. His mouth was wide open,
his forehead contracted, and the eyes
seemed to be starting out of their sockets.
It was horrible sight.
At last the knife came down. We
could follow it as it descended; we saw
it slacken its speed as it neared the
neck of the criminal; we saw~the head
cut inch by inch from before the board,
the face being drawn into a terrible
grimace, and making in its fall kind of
bow. All this seemed to last an eterni-
ty. A dozen times 1 was on the point of
calling out to the executioner to make
haste and shorten our own and the pa
tents agony. [ looked at my watch
and it appeared that only fifteen seconds
had passed since the condemned man
arrived under the guillotine. During
these fifteen seconds had seen every de-
tail of the execution 1 had seen the
slow descent of the knife, which falls in
the third of q second, and had seen the
head slowly severed from the body.
My companion had felt the same
widening out of time, and he was as sur
prised as 1 when he heard what was the
exact time of the operation.-PM Nal
Gnzeffe
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-03
CAREER OF AN EX-KING.
He is now the Head OF n Printing
Company in New York City.

Soon after the great Chicago FIRE,
three young mon sat down in the ruins
and talked about what would probably
be their fate. Those three young men
were H. G. Prout, Mr. Boardman and
a newspaper man. Prout was a sedate,
resolute fellow, whose homo was in
Riverside. His occupation was that of
a civil engineer. His proposition was
that they should leave Chicago and the
United States, and link their fortunes
with the Khedive in Egypt. The friends
decided to go. In the midst of their
arrangements, Bcardman received fiat.
tering offer to go to Now York, which he
accepted, while the journalist was offer.
ed and took position in Philadelphia.
Prout accepted his fate and started alone
for world he had never seen.
In time he reported to Gen. (Chinese)
Gordon and became one of his most
faithful and trusted aids. Aftor short
service he had the title of Governor Gen
eral of tho provinces of the Interior.
His capital was Iado, n point ] 900 miles
south of any white settlement. Thus
the young Chicagoian ruled and reigned
in sort of oriental splendor-for that
country-which made his life ono of
romance. He had his courtiers and
couriers, who did him the homage due
q potentate. Many of the manners and
customs of the people of that land were
retained by him. He had his troops
and with them made invasions and oon-
qnests, and now and then discovered
race of beings of which history and e1-
plorations had no mention.
In the Businesses of one of the noun
tains he found tribe of blacks, who
were giants in physique and moro than
the average of uncivilized tribes in in
tellect. He gave dress parados before
them, and made such ostcntatious dis
play that they enlisted under his banner.
He found their perception quick. They
learned involutions of his tactics in ro-
markably short time, and everything he
taught they grasped with eagerness and
made apt and excellent soldiers He
was restless, and, in consequences, no
pushed his invasions, and returned
loaded with the riches of some remote
tribe that had been vanquished and
plundered. Prout had enough of the
romantic in his composition to adapt
himself to the religious forms of the
country, and his capital at times pre-
sented strange appearance.
a Next, General Gordon dispatched
Prout to London to purchase gun-boats.
Having bought his vessels in London,
he turned his face toward his native
country. He reached New York, terried
there one day, and departed to Fort
Leavenworth, where he married beau
tiful and accomplished young lady,
whose acquaintance he had formed be-
fore he left the United States. They
went to Paris on their bridal trip. The
trip in Egypt had made inroads on tho
constitution of Prout Ho placed him
self under the care of noted physician,
who told him that return to the Orient
meant certain death. He resigned his
position in the service of the Khedive
and to-day he is at the head of promi.
nent printing and publishing concern in
New York city.-NdtiOnal Printer and
Publisher.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-03
The Composition of Wool.

OF the composition of wool this es-
innate has been given: Carbon, so per
cent. hydrogen, 7; nitrogen, II; oxygen,
81; and sulphur, 5. While SO per cent
would be organic, 2 per cent. would be
ash. The fibre varies in diameter, the
delicate Saxon merino being the thir-
teen-thousandth of an inch, and the
Southdown the eleven -thousandth.
Soundness of fibre indicates health.
Lustrous wool is long and strong, some
times twenty inches in length. Old
sheep usually lose the power of produc-
ing the best wool. As O rule, the wool
of marshy and stormy localities is poor,
though the wool of Shetland has always
been famous; but in this case the breed
has remained uncontaminated with in
ferior breeds. The curls on some wool
may be from twelve to twenty-seven in
an inch. As soon as the point of the
fibre hns protruded through the skin of
the animal, series of growths take
place. Ohe side grows faster than the
other, and causes the curl. The finer
the wool the greater is the tendency to
curl.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-03
A MODERN SAMSON.
ShatterinG Cobblestones With His
Fists-Muscles Like Tumors.

Professor Sebastian Miller gave an
exhibition OF human strength and deve-
lopment at the Clinic hall of the Penn
sylvania hospital in Philadelphia. The
hall was packed not only with male, but
also with female students.
The exhibition was prefaced by bring
ing in a small, square, yellow painted
pine table, on which were placed an
immense iron ball, hinge ring, and an
assorted collection of the best Philadel-
phia cobblestones. There was buzz OF
excitement and craning of necks by
the vast audience when the door opened,
and the leading Philadelphia medical
practitioners, professors in the various
colleges, and q number of well-known
newspaper men entered and completely
filed the arena and the doorway. Fin
ally DR.. Morton appeared, accompanied
by the man whose great strength was to
be tested, who was barred to the waist,
with blanket thrown over his should
ers.
In introducing him to the assembled
audience DIR. Morton said that he had
been brought to his notice by presenting
himself to be treated for q slight con-
fusion of the finger, His name is
Sebastian Miller; he is 26 years old,
native of Munich, and has given exhibit
tions of strength in various parts Of Eu-
rope.
The exhibition of strength consisted
in shattering with his fist several pieces
of cobblestone. The stone was first
placed in the ring, and then put on the
iron ball. In preparing for the blows
which were to break the stone, he first
braced one foot firmly against the rung
which ran across the legs of the table
near the floor. He then gave three
powerful circular swings with his right
arm, bringing the blow from the shoul-
der. The first cracked the stone, the
second broke it, and the third shattered
it into bits. These feats were greeted
with deafening rounds of applause.
At the conclusion of these feats of
strength, Miller, who is q man of
average height, with pleasant face,
chestnut brown hair and moustache and
blue eyes, stood up in the centre of the
arena, while DR.. Morton drew the at
tention of the audience to his great
muscular development, which, he said,
reminded him of Hercules of old, in the
muscles of the arm and the great breadth
of chest. A tape measure was furnished
by one of the nurses with which to take
his measurements. It was too small for
the purpose, which amused the assembly.
A suitable one was finally procured, and
the desired measurements taken. The
distance around the chest is At! inches
most prominent part of the biceps, Isl
inches, with 161 inches around the right
arm. When he stood up with folded
arms the muscles were so prominent as
to resemble tumors.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-03
ISABEL, AYLADY.

Face a2low with life and hope,
Love and light, My Lady
The Daygod climbs the dew-gemmed slor
Beaming bright, My Lady;
Mornings brow so lightly kissed
Bushes through her veil of mist;
Isabel, Ny Lady!
Earth is glad when day is young,
One by one, My Lady,
Each dumb creature finds tongue,
in unison, My Lady.
My thrilling heart is ringing, too;
laugh, and sing, and think OF you,
Isabel, My Lady!
And every bloom beneath my feet,
Looking up, My Lady,
With many q promise rare and sweet
Fills the cup, My Lady.
Anticipation's low refrain
s'sOon shall see thy face again.
Isabel, My Lady!"
With swift, impatient steps, come
Soon to meet My Lady,
Lips with heartful joy grown dumb
come to meet, My Lady!
i gaze into those shining eyes
Where loves light bark, at anchor lies,
Isabel, My Lady
Awake each promised joy that sleeps
In their beams, My Lady,
And let me have their golden deeps
For purest dreams, My Lady;
And will press that gentle hand
So c,ose that You will understand
Isabel, My LADY,
In fond affections tcndercst tone
1 will tell, My Lady,
This ta'e to other ears unknown,
81 love you well. My Lady,"
With mists and shadows cleared away
Wen live again one perfect day,
Isabel, My Lady!
L'ENvoI.
Tho false tn allurins fires that glow,
All may prove, Ny Lady,
Tne faitlless world can never know
How love, Ny Lady!
Tho disarpointmeut's somber pail
Like midnight's deepest gloom may fall;
Tho sorrow held my h, art in thran,
Thou ant my light, my all,
Isabel, My Lady,
NJ. FoLsoN, in Constitution.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-03
TYPHOID FEVER.
DIR Cyrus EdsOn's Views Before the
New York Academy of Medicine.

Typhoid fever was the subject discus
sed recently at the Academy of Medicine,
New York. DIR. Cyrus Edison read the
paper of the evening.
"Nothing is so discreditabIe in civili-
zation," said he, las typhoid. 1t is
found every where, yet it is easily pre-
ventible. Aft investigating many
cases am convinced that typhoid fever
is nearly always due to polluted water,
milk, ice or meat. The typhoid germ
gets into the system by entering the
body through the mouth. Wells are great
source of danger. There is scarcely a
safe one in the country, for nearly every
where you will find the we'll close
neighbor of source of diseese."
DR.. Edison cited the results of pollu-
ton of water in epidemics in North Cal
ifornia at Plymouth, Penn, where near
ly 300 people were poisoned by germs
coming from person living on the banks
of small mountain stream, and Mt New
Jersey seaside resorts. He had just
learned from Fordyce Barker of a case
alta popular resort where twenty two per-
sons had been taken sick, pretty surely
because they used ice cut on lake near
by. In another instance the disease was
caused by mikman washing his cans
at an infected we'll. "The typhoid pois-
on," he said, "must enter the stomach.
We acknowledge that atmospheric con-
tagion is impossible by admitting ty-
phoid patients in our hospitals. / be-
lieve that in typhoid, as in cholera,
they may be digital contagion. If one
is careless the germs may be carried on
the hands and thus left on door knobs,
bannisters, &C."
During the fall Mr.. Edison investigat-
ed 146 cases of typhoid in the central
part of the city. OF the patients, 70
were out of the city during the preced-
ing days, and of these 90 had been in
places known to be infected. About rs
of the people had not been out of New
York as far as could be learned. Six
cases occurred in a tenement house
where tho wnter was so arranged, so that
o little of the contents of the vaults was
sometimes pumped into the water pipes
In West Twenty-seventh street house,
the first case was imported from the
country, but five others followed it in
the house. Then, too, there were faults
in the water supply. Four boys had
been attacked, who had been i'll the
habit of bathing in the rivers near the
mouth of sewers. Over fifty other cases
must be traced to recognized causes
milk, ice, or digital infection. In Spp-
tember, October, and November of 1883
there were 557 cases and 1872 deaths. In
the same months of 1887 there were
435 cases and los deaths. Safety will
come from care in using ice, in using
only boiled milk and in washing fine
hands carefully before eating.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-03
A Curious Fish from China.

In the window of Mel Lee Wah S store,
in the lower Bowery, there is a curious
looking object that appears to be half
man and half fish. It is really a fish.
1t lies on n wooden stand and is about
ten inches long. 1t is of dark, muddy
color. At first the sight is startling.
The object lies on its stomach, with its
head sticking up. The body is that of
o fish, but ribs are plainly d;scernible.
Down near its tail are the fins, which
somewhat resemble those of shark.
The arms roach out seemingly from
the long, slim neck, and tho hands, or
rather claws, are long and ferocious
looking. The head of the fish could
easily he mistaken for that of man or
q monkey. A pair of sunken eyes are
shadowed by heavy white eyebrows, and
the mouth is open far enough to exhibit
q row of sharp teeth.
Wong He Chong, one of the partners
of the firm, said that the fish was caught
in q stream in China and was dried AMI
sent to this country. They are not very
scarce, but are curiosities nevertheless,
selling for Sc each.-Nete York World.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-03
A Big Laundry.

The biggest laundry established in
New England is situated close by Bos-
ton, in COmbridgeport. It's magnitude
may be feebly comprehended when it is
understood that the concern turns out of
clean collars and cuffs alone 80, 900 each
week, together with 1000 shirts and an
amount OF other valuable things almost
incalculable. 1t receives goods for ''do-
ing up" from nearly every town in tho
Eastern States and sends them back
again by express with surprising expedi-
tion.--PicdyiRc.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-03
AN EMBARRASSING SITUATION.

In shy, embarrassed way he began:
."Would you, Miss Clara-or-er-
could you-or, that is to say-h'm-this
is really distressing, it is all SO new to
me-er-I was going to renark, Miss
Clara"
"Oh, don't be embarrassed, Mr..
Gusty," said the girl, with modest en-
couragement; ''pray go on and"
"Would you," he blurted out, "be
good enough to lend me nickel to get
back homo with 2"
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-03
Endurance of the Apaches.

A white man tir es after covering q
march of twenty miles on q deadIevel
prairie. An Apache would make at least
fifty miles in the same time, over rough,
rocky mountain piles, and not feel half
so much fatigue as the soldier would in
making his score of m les. Cavalry can
not work in such a country, and white
men cannot compete with nativ es in
their own stronghold.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-03
Fits pulled it and q bird futtered

Fits pulled it and q bird huttered
about two rods away.
"Why, the poor bird is tied to that
string; 1 wonder what inhuman rascal
could have been guilty of such thing 2"
"Its q swallow" said Fits.
81 wonder where it's tied !" said Sam.
"Perhaps it's somebody's favorite
bird" said Fits.
"Favorite or no favorite, I'm going to
give the poor thing its liberty" and he
cut the string.
Birdie knew what that meant, and in
q moment was among the clouds. Sam
followed the string, and suddenly called
to Fits:
"Come here, Fits; here is a note on
the end of the string" He tore it open,
and read aloud:
81 am starving at the bottom of the shaft on
BottsfOrd Mountain. pray you send held,
NEWMAN HIGBoRN."
"Good heavens, Fits! Down in the
hole-alivel Not twenty yards from
here. 1t can't be, yet he says So"
Both rushed for the shaft.
The bird had gone up the shaft an
hour ago. Newman was anxiously wait
shaft above, until weary, he had laid
down, resting one cheek on his hand.
He had not been in that position long
when he was suddenly startled by some
little chips of woods that were falling
heard voices echoing down the shaft.
He looked up, and could see two per-
sons looking down.
oh hour ba cbo11fa1f fou y,oro
anxious moments, and a billet dropped
at his side. He lighted match and
read
"We are here, and will bring help as soon as
possible" SAM HIGBoRN AND FIrrs."
He shouted "Hurrnh d" back, which
was only q roaring, incoherent noise
when it reached the open air. This was
hope indeed, although three hundred
feet above.
A long hour passed-two, three.
Night came. Four, five, six, seven
hours. Something was coming down.
He could see the light of a candle at the
top. Thump, thump, thump, and
rope, a stout rope hit his head.
Oh, how eagerly he seized it, and
how carefully he made knotted loop,
and how easily he stepped into it.
Then he gave ita vigorous shaking, and
shouted:
"Pull!'
Up, up. up, slowly, hopefully-up,
surely, higher--now it stopped, and
went down few feet. His heart came
into his mouth, Up again, slowly. He
sees the stars above him-higher, almost
"a moment more, and he is on the
broad earth again, saved, weak, but
alive.
Newman Higborn owes his life to
one little bird, and it was gone.