davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-11-20
A SIGN OF SOMETHING.
The Significance of President Eliot's IL
litical Conversion,

l
The formal announcement by Presi.
dent Eliot, of Harvard College, that he
has joined the Democratic party is a
significant thing. 1t is a sign of some.
thing that no social or political student
can pass without bordering. A thing
like this can happen in Europe, notably
England, and be reckoned at it's full
value, exercising a good influence upon
the public spirit. When Mr.. Gladstone
joins the Irish party ON the home-rule
question, or the Marquis of Harrington
secedes from the Liberals on the same
ground, or John Bright becomes Tory
Tor the same reason-three able men
taking different courses because of the
same thing-when we see such things
there we appreciate them. We say that
it Is spectacle of enlightened politics;
an example of the rule of ideas, and not
mere names. When a similar thing
happens with us, invective at once takes
the place of discussion. So hard and
fast are party lines drawn with us-not
politics, but parties-that mans mo-
tlVes are at once assailed; he is greeted
with abuse, and thus the whole of
politics is dragged down to the
level OF party exigency and the
lesson is inculcated to eschew prin-
ciple. If you do not, but instead
cleave to it and act upon it, you will be
the target of abuse. But if you will
spurn principle and stand by party
party right Or wrong, first, last and all
the time-then you are gentleman,
scholar and patriot.
In the case of a man like President
Eliot certainly there ought to be little
room for suspicion; student, a scholar,
no politician, and politically going in
the face of New England's ruling caste,
he surely should be treated with respect.
Just as surely he is vilipended. But the
wiser men of the party will be set |
a-thinking. Ideas are beginning once
more to have an influence in politics as
they did in the days when they formed |
parties-when they formed the Repub-
lican party. 1t behooves the mind and
of that party to sit in coun-
Gil. Is it committed to wholesale ex-
penditures, debauching the public con-
science on the one hand, and on the
other committed to wholesale taxation
for the benefit of the rich? In other
words, shaping the laws to fatten the
plutocrats and placating the masses with
the largesse of universal pension
schemes and National education
schemes? 1t behooves the mind and
conscience of the party to sit in council
when it finds it's economic tenets con-
1emned in every educational institution
IN the land-once the stronghold of the
oarty-and men of ideas leaving it for
sake.-Indianapolis News
Ind
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-11-20
Soap Bubbles That Will Last.

To make soap-bubbles that will last
for several hours is easy enough if the
following liquid be used: Dissolve one
part by weight of Marseilles soap, cut
into thin slices, in forty parts of dis
titled water, and filter Call the fill
tered liquid a, and mix two parts of
pure glycerine with one part of the
solution a, in temperature of 66 deg.
Fair, and after shaking them together
long and violently, let them rest for
some days. A clear liquid will settle,
with a turbid one above The lower
to be sucked out from beneath the up
per with syphon. taking the utmost
care not to carry down any of the lat.
ter to mix with the clear fluid. A bub-
BILE blown with this will last for sew,
eral hours, even in the open air. Or
the mixed liquid, after standing twen-
ty four hours, may be filtered.
Golden Days.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-11-20
ELECTRicAL SCIENCE.
Its Principles We're Known Six Hundre
Years Before Christ.

IT'S Principles We're Known Six Hundred
Years Before Christ.
In reply to the question by CORE.
spondent, where was electricity first
used, and who first sent a telegraph
messageP the New York Sun makes
this reply: Thales. Greek philoso-
pher, who lived six hundred years be-
fore Christ, is said to have known the
electrical properties of rubbed amber.
Otto Won Guericke, in 1917, constructed
the first electrical machine. Franklin,
In l74S, killed turkey by electricity,
and roasted it on an electric jack be-
fore a fire kindled by the electric
spark. Perhaps this was the earliest
actual use of electricity. AS long ago
as 1747 electric shocks were sent over
short distances. Relson, in 1894, by using
thirty-six wires, one for each letter or
character, sent messages over small
distances. Morse simplifed the tele-
graph, using only one wire. instead of
from thirty to thirty-six wires. His
first public message was: What hath
God wrought" This was on May "a,
1914. Two days later the Democratic
convention in Baltimore nominated
James X. Polk for President and Silas
Wright for Vice-President. Mr.. Vail,
Morse's assistant telegraphed the
news to Morse at the Capitol. Morse
told Wright. and the convention was
astonished to get dispatch from him
declining the nomination. The con-
vention wouldn't believe it, and sent a
committee to Washington to get relia,
BILE information. This was doubtless
the first news telegram sent.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-11-20
Every Country is Made for Something.

Every country, as every man and wom-
an, is made to fulfil some purpose OF
destiny. If the fitness is apprehended
every country is good and every man
and woman a success; otherwise, the
whole is failure. 1t is common mis-
take we make in this world to try to
amend Natures laws and spend our en-
ergies in attempting the impossible.
We often speak of men as "the right
man in the right place." OF country
we hear nothing of the sort. 1t is a
good, bad or Indifferent country as we
see it from our standpoint, or as the
country is appreciated and used.
Your State-Kentucky-is used for
what it was specially intended. Sup
pose your people fought bluegrass as the
people of South Carolina would and do,
what would Kentucky amount to? The
consequences can not be estimated if
cotton were made the one crop OF your
State and all your grand pastures and
stock interests were swept away.
But I began to tell you of South Mis-
souri-Where are home is. We are not
to the manor born, but are sons by adop-
ton. 1t is not new country, but has
not been used for the purposes intended,
therefore it has been poor country,
with a financially poor people in it.
The problem of what it was suited dis
tressed no one. It was accepted as a
foreEOne conclusion that the enterprises
must remain, or it were better to say the
non-enterprises were to remain forever
as matter Of course. There
were some, too, who insisted that tame
grasses and clovers would not grow, and
that as there are no railroads the ques-
ton of orchards was settled. All these
conclusions were to be opposed and
proved. 1t was no difficult thing to do.
We have never seen tame grasses do
better, and clover is indigenous to the
soil. Tame pastures do for us just what
tame pastures do for other regions.
Fruit growing has taken firm hold
upon our people and is developing into a
most promising industry. Trees come
into bearing very early, and the quality
of our fruit is the wonder of all and
brings the best price in the market.
Peaches are almost certain crop. We
feel that grass and fruit are ample and
reliable sources of prosperity and that
we shall get along. r. NJ. Bell, in Farm
ers' Hcme Journal.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-11-20
FULL OF FUN.

-Teacher-"Which one Of tn,
Apostles was a fisherman?' Tommv-
"Ananias. "-Terre Haute Express.
-He-':Do you believe in marrying
for money, Miss Antique?" She"
don't know; how much have you gotp'
Epoch.
He was Innocent. Uncle Rastus
were the chickens you stole last night
1at!" ode man wat says l stole EN-
breaks the truf all up! Dey wuz de
poorest fowls eber saw, boss. y
brakes Magazine.
-"Clara," he whispered ardently,
do you think you could bring your.
self to marry me?" mo, George, .
she answered, with sad little smile.
II couldn't very we'll bring myself;
I'm SO timid. You might bring me,
though, George"
-Reassuring.-"Guest (angrily)-
Confound your awkwardness! You've
split half that soup down my back. :"
walter at Restaurant (heartily)-
Don't mind it, sir. I'll bring some
more. Bless you there's plenty of
soup. Chicago Tribune.
-Johnny-''l wonder why I can't
make my kite fyp" Elder Sister
-"Perhaps the caudal appendage
is disproportionate to the superficial
area" II don't think that's it. l be-
lleve there isn't weight enough on tho
tail. Texas Siftings.
-"Who was it," asked the book
keeper of the advertising solicitor,
that discovered the circulation of the
bloodP" ''Never heard of it," was the
reply. ''Where is it publishedp"-
Merchant Traveller.
1.-THE dog bites," said the teacher,
"when he is in anger, but what does
the cat do?" Scratches" replied the
boy. "Quite right, said the teacher,
nodding her head approvingly; NOW
what has the cat got that the dog
hasn't?" ''Kittensr' exclaimed the
boy in the back row.
Rafferty, Cat the Restaurant
"Here, waither, bad cess to We. come
here! Pass me the vinnygrett, will We
now, loike good BY" Waiter (some
what puzzled)-''Vin-vin-what,sa hpn
Rafferty, Gmpatiently)- The schmall
bottle wild the vinegar in it, We spal-
peen! Where wore We raised that ye
don't know the names ay things at
all?"-The Jeweler.
Museum Manager" I'm this de.
partment, ladies and gents. you will
see the deadly weapons that has been
in use in all ages. This is shotgun
used for long time by Julius Caesar,
The celebrated Grecian warrior" By
Stander-"What are you giving us?
There were no guns by that time"
Museum Manageable gent here
says that there were no guns at that
line. Exactly so, and for that reason
he present specimen is all the more
are and curious. Don't crowd there.
ady; there's lots of time. America,
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-11-20

pump made tight and snug, with the
ground sloping away on all sides SO as
TO allow the surface water to flow from
the opening. There is no we'll water
that is pure. Something depends on the
character of the soil. If sandy, and the
water will disappear quickly from the
surface after rain, the we'll will drain
the soil for long distance around it,
and the consequence will be that large
portion OF the filth of the soil will find
It's way into the we'll, although the
water may appear sparkling and bright.
1t is commended that the soil removes all
the impurities from the water; but this
depends upon whether the soil, by
long-continued absorption, be not
already SO thoroughly saturated with
impurities as to refuse to take up more.
| That the soil does not remove all the
impurities. even from new ground where
well has been recently dug, has been
demonstrated by saturating the surface
earth at distance from the well with
kerosene oil, which gradually found its
way to the we'll (having been washed
down by the rains) and impaired its
odor to the water.
IT the soil be of heavy clay the danger
will be lessened, but on all porous soil
the liability of pollution of the water is
great No manure heaps, privies, sinks
or other receptacle for filth or refuse of
any kind should be within one hundred
and fifty feet of the well--the fur
Their off the better. No matter bow
tight the well may be, the t,ad
will sometimes contrive to get in.
Many wells contain toads that die and
are swallowed in the drinking waterman
knowingly, under the supposition taat
the well is tight and toad proof" Wells
should be cleaned at least once year,
and especially in the fall. For dis
lance of ten feet around the we'll the
surface should be cemented, and the
pump itself should be cleaned OCCASION
ally. Toads, flies, bugs, worms and even
gnats will get in the water, while even
few drops of solution from filthy
drain or sink, finding its way into the
well, carry bacteria enough rapidly to
multiply and contaminate all of the wa
ter. Roots of trees and vines also serve
as drains into the wells, as they loosen
the soil. and for that reason they should
never be planted near the source of
drinking water.-Sanitary News.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-11-20
Mr.. BEEcHER's ocToRooN.
now He Assisted n Beautiful Slave Girl
to Obtain Freedom,

! " oOefsah TIcc(tOIus
1t may not be out of place in connec
ton with the history of the late Henri,
Ward Beecher to mention an affecting
lncidentin his life which may have faded
from the remem brance of some of oul
elder citizens. In 1860 or 1861 a beau
tltul octoroon girl, raised, and owned
by prominent citizen of this county
MI John Churchman, attempted t.
make her escape North. She was ar
rested and brought back. Her master
then determined to sell her, and found
ready purchaser in another citizen
MIR. Fred Scheffer. Shortly after this
the late owner was impressed with the
belief that the girl intended to make
another effort to go North the first op-
portunity that presented. 10 NEE,
the emergency and save trouble
MIR. scheffer proposed to Sarah
that she should go North and raise
enough money from the Abolitionists
to purchase herself. This proposition
she eagerly accepted, and, being fur
nished with means by Mrs. Scheffer to
pay her fare, she started. A few days
after her arrival in New York she was
taken to Mr.. Beecher, and on the fol-
lowing Sunday morning was escorted
to his pulpit in Brooklyn. She was a
woman of commanding presence,
rounded features and winning face and
long. jet-black hair, and of course,
under the circumstances, attracted
most eager attention and interest from
the large and wealthy congregation
assembled. She was requested to
loosen her hair, and as she did so it
fell in glistening waves over her shout
ders and below her waist. ROBBED in
spotless white, her face crimsoned, and
form heaving under the excitement OF
the occasion, she stood in that august
presence a very Venus in form and
feature. For a moment Mr.. Beecher
remained by her side without uttering
a word, until the audience was brought
up to a high pitch of curiosity and ex-
cltement. And then in his impressive
way he related her story and her mis-
sion. Before he concluded his pathetic
recital tho vast audience was sea of
commotion. Tears ran down cheeks
unused to the melting mood, eager
curiosity and excitement pervaded the
whole congregation, and, as the pastor
announced that he wanted $4,000 for
the girl before him to redeem her
promise to pay for her freedom, costly
jewelry and trinkets and notes and
specie piled in in such rapid succession
that in less time than it takes to write
his down enough and much more was
contributed than was necessary to meet
The call that had been made.
After she was free the ladies of the
church wrote little book, in which a
ull occount of her life was given.
With the money that was obtained
rom the sale of this they bought a
title place for her at Peekskill, where
he raised fowls and sold eggs and but
er for a living. She is living there
till, and is now about fifty years of
'ge. She never married. She is
ever tired OF talking about how good
Ar. Beecher and his family have been
her. For some time she worked for
lrs. Scoville, Mr.. Beecher's daughter,
t Stamford, Conn. - Staunton Vir.
inian.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-11-20

AT public auction at home
stead in Danielsonville, Conn, the
other day, the barn on the place was
sold tor forty-five cents, some sheds
were sold for fifty cents. and another
outbuilding for 81. The latter piece
OF real estate was something choice.
Landlord Salisbury bought twenty
bushels OF fine winter apples for S..
and every body said ne was an Tex.
trayagaat man.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-11-20

"A Chicago man, who has had the
delirium tremens, says he didn't see a
single snake or rat. On the contrary.
he seemed to be sitting on the limb of
all orange tree, and butterflies played
around him.
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-11-20
About Farm Wells.

The wells on the farm are great
source from which come many diseases.
Some wells are never cleaned. When
dug they are carefully boarded oves, tho
The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-11-20

dr,a.i,,n,e free-trade miasma is spreading
stats n Here is the Department of
the ss.oposing reciprocity treaty with
lpgrnal1 pa"lch Islands, - Providence
The Florida agriculturist., 1889-01-02

the peach season, have brought the
response, Gas good as we have ever seen
or tasted"
Other valuable varieties originating
here, as well as others originating further
south, could be mentioned, but it is not
the purpose of this article to enumerate
these varieties SO much as it is to i'm
press upon the horticulturists of the State,
the value of this class of peaches, along
with the Peen-to and Honey types, as q
source of varieties better adapted to the
requirements of Florida, than those of
more northern origin
Varieties Of the Peen-to and Honey
types will continue to produce earlier va
rifles than any of the native peaches,
Sand will always be in demand on that ac-
count, while these of native origin will fol
low them in maturity, thus giving us in
many localities a peach season extending
from May to October and while as a
lnnlsct frnit he co.. lei. VI con@iitsa to
nc iltes:S1al, tie la,cl' cnc5 VII Go
The Florida agriculturist., 1889-01-02
DeLand, Fla, Wednesday, January 2, 1889.

peaches have done SO well, that most of
the varieties of northern peaches (and
which some of these varieties strongly re-
semble) do not succeed at all satisfactorily
The cut accompanying this article is of
one of these so-called native peaches,
originating i'll this section, introduced by
myself and named the Florida Crawford,
on account of it's resemblance to the we'll
known late Crawford of the North, and
yet while this variety bears abundantly
here year after year and often breaks
down with it's loads of fruit, the late Craw-
ford OF the North does not show proper
adaptability when planted in the same
orchards.
Another variety also originatingin this
section, introduced 81 81 yself and named
Countess, is avery large wrilt6- ffreestone.-
of excellent quality, an annual and
abundant bearer, the original tree of
which is forty and one-half inches in cir
cumference at two feet from the ground,
with a breadth of top of thirty feet, and
has borne heavy crops for the past nine
years at least; sometimes as high as ten
bushels in single season. These peaches
shipped to New York during the height of
The Florida agriculturist., 1889-01-02
So per AnnQIn, in adVant
find ready sale if only those of known fine

find ready sale if only those of known fine
quality are planted.
The variety that is now believed to Y
most valuable in the State of Georgia.
a seeding that originated in that Stat
but a few years ago, and which does no
ripen until about July 10Th, and at TIL
place where it originated (now the cente
of some OF the largest and most valuatS
peach orchards in that State), it was j
teen years ago thought by many to
worse than folly to even experiment wi
peaches.
With the goodvarieties that we alreaS
have in the Peen-to and Honey and the
seedlings, aswell as in the so-called natiS
peaches, and with the crosses that ar
continually going on between the different
varieties of the different types, and with
the increased Interest manifested in
peaches suitable for Fferida, wemay look
forward with confidence TO seeing valu-
able peach orchards within the next
decade in many localities where;1l 1l'zs' 4 lie tte
attention has been given them in
and with carefully selected var1eo,.
adapted to the different sections OF the
State, it is believed that there are but few
fruits now grown i'll Florida that offer
better inducements to the horticulturist.
G. L. TABER.
Glen ST. Mary, Dec. %, 1888.
The Florida agriculturist., 1889-01-02

local reputation, is, because butcompari-
lively little effort has been putforth until
recentlyto collect the emostvalued varieties
ofthis class from the different sections, and
bud and disseminate them. Increasedin-
terest in this direction, within the past
few years, has resulted in bringing out
several valuable varieties, possessing
undisputed claims to both productiveness
and fine quality of fruit, and showing
marked difference in their long-proven
adaptability to the, section where they
originated, as contrasted with the we'll
known northern varieties, many of which
are comparatively vsiueless in the same
sections where these excellent varieties of
native peaches have originated
1t is well known that in this section o.
the State, some fine varieties of thcse
peaches OF native origin have bopn pro-
duced, and that they bear heeShy and
uniformly here. A
Perhaps il is not SO WeY known Ma III
this came ecc.ion in With tAcS5 S.atiyo
The Florida agriculturist., 1889-01-02

1t is hardly necessary to say that for
the production of fertile seeds, whether of
fruits, grains or flowers, there must be
present in perfect condition the male and
female organs of a tree or plant. These
stamens and pistils are called the "es
sential organs" and may be found in diff
ferent flowers on the same plants. or on
different plants.
When they occur in the same flower, as
IN case of the apple, peach, orange,
strawberry and most other fruits, botan-
lists call the flowers perfect" Some per-
sons apply to such flowers the term
"hermaphrodite, but think the former
SIMPLER and palmer. Some varieties OF
the strawberry have the stamens deform-
ed or abortive and such are practically
pistillate Only.
The second class is well Illustrated by
the oaks and hickorys, the castor bean
the watermelon, and our common corn.
SomefioWers are aptly termed s'separate.''
When the essential organs are so widely
separated as to be on different trees or
plants, like the date palm, the Usage or
ange, and the hop, they are called s9dioeci-
OuS."
Upon the summit Of feach perfect STAN
is capsule called the anther, which when
fully developed opens and scatters great
numbers Of small germs which. are called
pollen grains. Each grain is capable Of
developement under proper conditions.
and thus Of transmitting the vital char,
acteristics OF the plant by which it is
produced to another rand anew organism.
The pistil is crowned by very delicate
and porous head called the stigma, which
is covered with sticky coating to catch
and retain the pollen grains when thew
fall upon it.. The stigma is therefore
SIMPLY seed-bed for the pollen which
nature natures and throws upon the air
IN great profusion at just the right time.
Immediately upon this occurring "
little germs sprout upon the ca
corn thatis plarted in d wa,
ff~-.. tis .3.ersc, f.lsros@
(sc1l.e-l.I,cc il ,tn hour oi.r
The Florida agriculturist., 1889-01-02

in two distinct types, and in contradis-
tinction to both of them, we have the
Chinese type proper, OF which the Chinese
Cling and it's seedlings are representatives
in this country. Some varieties of this
latter class have proven well in Northern
Florida, but by no means equal to the
Peen-to and it's seedlings when removed
further south.
There remains still another class of
peaches which have been generally over
looked in our Efforts to secure valuable
varieties, but which are ofvastimportance
to theState, both for the good varieties al
ready known of them, and also as basis
for future experiment. and development
These are the so-called Enative peaches"
and include varieties ripening later iii tho
season than any of either the Peen-to or
Honey type, and thus prolonging the sea-
son through July, August and September.
These peaches have been growing in
different sections of the State for many
generations of peach tree life; andin many
localities there are valuable varieties of
them that bear abundantly and produce
fruit of undisputed worth The reason
that inmany Instances they possess oplya
The Florida agriculturist., 1889-01-02
Cross Pollenation.

For THE FLORIDA AGR1cuLruR1sr.