davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
Laying Pipe Under Water.

A civil engineer at Watertown has &C
complished in very simple, cheap and
expeditions way what is usually difficult
and expensive operation-the laying of a
long line of pipe in deep water. He had
occasion to lay nearly 1000 feet of suction
pipe at Rouses point. The water was
needed for manufacturing purposes, and
as it was found that the water near the
shore was more or less impure it was
necessary to place the inlet considerable
distance out into the lake. He purchas ed
for the purpose steel pressure pipe of
eight inch diameter. Plugging the end of
the first length, he pushed it out on the
surface of Lake Champlain and connected
the second length, pushing this out in turn
until the whole line was coupled.
1t then presented the unusual spectacle
of line of eight inch pressure pipe nearly
1000 feet long floating with displacement
of only three and a half inches of it's
diameter. When the requisite length had
been connected the line was towed to posi-
ton, the plug at the end removed, and the
pipe sank easily iMsixteen and half feet
of water without breaking joint or re-
ceiving any injury. No buoys or floats
were used in the operation, and no appa-
ratus of any kind. The pipe is now in use
as the suction of steam pump and gives
perfect satisfactorily. Y. Telegram.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
How to Kill Your Town.

Buy Of peddlers as often and as much as
possible.
Denounce your merchants because they
make profit on their goods.
Glory in the downfall of man who has
done much to build up the town.
Make your town out very bad place
and stab it every chance you get.
Refuse to unite in any scheme for the
betterment of the material interest of the
people.
Keep up divided public sentiment with
you on the best method of increasing bus
iness
Tell your merchants that you can buy
goods good deal cheaper in some other
town and charge them with extortion.
If stranger comes to your town tell
him everything is overdone, and pre-
dict general crash In the town in the
near future.
When you have anything to say of your
town say it in such a way that it will leave
the impression that you have no faith in
it.
Patronize outside newspapers to the ex-
clusion of your own, and then denounce
yours for not being as large and cheap as
the big city papers.
If you are merchant don't advertise in
the home paper, bat buy rubber stamp
and use it. 1t may save you few dimes
and make your letter heads and wrapping
paper look as though you were doing bus
mess in one horse town.
If you are farmer, curse the place
where you trade as the meanest on earth
Talk this to your neighbors and tell them
the business men are robbers and thieves
1t will make your property much less val
liable, but then you don't care-Arcadia
Herald.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
The Motor Gauglia,

Tear out the heart of human being
quickly and it will continue to beat for some
seconds after it has been parted from the
body. A frogs heart will pulsate for twen-
ty-four hours after 1t has been taken from
the batrachian. Ignorant persons suppose
this to mean that the heart is still alive,
and their notion is very natural. But the
fact is merely that there are in the frogs
heart certain groups of movement nerves,
called "motor ganglia," which keep on
agitating the organ until they are starved
out by want of nutrition, though no actual
life is present. There are motor ganglia in
the human heart also, but they are not
SO strong in their action.
When the flesh of turtle is cut up in
pieces for stew the scraps continue to
culver for many hours. The popular notion
is that the turtle is SO tenacious of exist
ence that it keeps on living, though chopped
up. In reality, the fragments of the motor
nerves in the flesh, stimulated by cutting,
keep up an automatic movement. Galvan-
ism was accidentally discovered through
the chance contact of an electric wire with
frogs leg on Galvini's table, A human
being, dead for quite while. may be at
fected in like manner by the electric cur
rent WASHINGTON Star.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
The Pride of Matrimony.

In his s'Trials of Country Parson" DR..
Jessup tells some amusing anecdotes
picked up in Already. As thus: cit is very
shocking to sensitive person to hear the
way in which the old people speak of their
dead wives or husbands, exactly as If they
had been horses or dogs. They are always
proud of having been married more than
once. You didn't think, miss, as I'd have
five wives, now, did your All, but have,
though-leastwise I buried Eve on 'em in
the churchyard, that I did-and tree on
EN- bewtiesl' On another occasion play
fully suggested: Don't you mix up your
husbands now and then, Mrs. Page, when
you talk about themf well, to tell you
the truth, sir, really dul But my third
husband he was mani don't mix him
up. He got killed fghting-you've heerd
tell o that, make no Doubt The others
warn't nothing to him. HID a. mixed 'em
up quick enough If they'd interfered wi
him. Lawk hal He'd "a made nothing of
them"
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
The Cat and the Fer-De Lance.

The cat, upon seeing snake, at once
carries her kittens to place of safety, and
then boldly advances to the encounter. She
will walk to the very limit of the serpent's
striking range, and then begin to feint
teasing him. startling him, trying to draw
his blow.
How the emerald and topaz eyes glow
thenl They are flames. moment more,
and the triangular head, Kissing from the
coils, flashes swift, as if moved by wings,
but swifter still the stroke of the armed
paw that dashes the horror aside, flneing
it mangled in the dust
Nevertheless, pussy does not yet dare to
spring. The enemy, still alive, has almost
instantly reformed his coil. She is in
front of him, watching, vertical pupil
against vertical pupil. Again the flashing
stroke, again the beautiful countering;
again the living death is hurled aside.
Now the scaled skin is deeply torn one
eve socket has ceased to fame.
Once more the stroke of the serpent; once
more the light, quick, cutting blow. But
the reptile is blind, stupefed. Before he
can attempt to coil pussy has leaped
upon him, mailing the horrible fiat head
fiat to the ground with her two paws.
An instant more, and he lies still. The
keen, white teeth of the cat have severed
the vertebr@ just bshind the triangular
skull. - Midsummer Trip to the Tropics.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
A Veteran Journalist on Newspapers

The obvious faults of the daily news
paper of the present day are its inaccuracy
and it's partisan unfairness. From these
failings the magazine is at least tolerably
exempt. The daily newspaper has be-
come SO Enthusiastically with its looseness
of statement, its disregard for truth and
It's often willing perversion of facts that
fair minded men sometimes say that they
ind more satisfaction in reading the jour
mails of the party to which they are OPP
posed than in those of their own political
faith. No man can be certain that he has
found The truth anywhere in the news
papers until it has been affirmed by a
majority of them all.
ii the monthly magazine ever becomes q
daily newspaper let us hops its first and
last purpose in life will be to tell the
whole truth accurately. In the feverish
race to distance ali contemporaries" the
daily metropolitan jouranl too often
throws decency and discretion to the
winds. Things have finally come to such
pass that none of these will believe the
others. They are all busy in the dis
crediting of each Others news, denying
the accuracy of each others reports and
undertaking the enterpiseses of very one
but one--their own journal. In such
state OF things what can be expected Of
the general public, looking on ut the
Jealous contention from the outsider Is
mot the impartial observer tempted to say,
as he often does, "Gentlemen, you tell the
truth about each otheri - Noah Brooks
In Forum.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
Self Supporting Stations in Africa.

Bishop Taylor, Of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church. who has just returned to this
country from Africa, makes an earnest ap-
peal for missions in the Dark Continent.
He asserts that the day is not far distant,
if the Christian church rise to it's present
opportunity, when the success of saving
thu uncovered millions of Africa shall
be assured beyond peradventure. He
adds: The thirty five mission stations l
have already planted and manned in the
midst of purely heather tribes furnish but
specimen and earnest of what can be
done on scale commensurate in breadth
with the stupendous work to be done.
With the funds coming to hand IS re-
quired, | can vet, in the afternoon of my
Gay, by the will of my Father and Savior,
plant and develop to a self supporting
basis thousand stations in Africa before
I quit the field; and no station shall be
the ultimatum of it's own existence. but
center of evangelizing light-a beacon
amid the dark mountains and base of
evangeliz;ng agency, extending the work
in all directions"
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
Men of the Hour.

The memoir of an old Italian navigator
ends with these words: /" His voyages
brought NO advantage to his county be-
cause he was dreamer and not a man OF
affairs. Though he had been all over the
world he never was In it."
OF Goethe, on the contrary, it was said
'He seized the passing hour as bee does
o flower, held it, wrestled with it, sucked
II dry of all its honey, and then left it be-
hind forever"
The world has use for the man who
looks forward, who is in advance of his
time, who eathers facts which another who
comes after him may cause to yield their
lesson, who theories and speculates and
discovers new laws.
But it Is among the men who live in the
present and make it their aim to influence
their own generations that we find the
Gladstones, the Bismarcks, the Websters,
the Lincotns-all the men who force the
world to call them great YOUTHS Com.
zan50n
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
Floating Islands of the Aztecs.

Probably the most curious craft-if we
may call it craft-that man ever con-
structed or handled was the floating ISL
and (Chinampas) of the Aztecs. They were
the outgrowth of necessity.
Being environed by enemies who occu-
pied the main land, the Mexicans were
obliged to construct these boat gardens or
subsist without fruit and vegetables. With
branches, roots and other light materials
they made float; on this they placed
weeds and earth dredged from the bottom
of the lakes. Some of these islands were
forty eight feet long, eighteen broad and
raised about foot above the water. These
floating gardens have one great advantage,
II the proprietor's neighbors were undesir-
able, or if the proximity of an ill-kept field
endangered his own crop, he could pull mp
anchor, and jumping into his canoe tow his
real estate into q more desirable locality.
A few years ago there was natural float
ing island drifting about Greenwood lake.
1t has since become fixed near the lower
end.-Rudder.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
Affection of the Frn0

There is vast difference between the
bull frog and what is known as the COM
mon frog. l would not have one of the
latter about me. The species that have
mate in the month of May. After they are
mated no amount of coqueting, coaxing or
flirting on the part of any of the other
frogs in the pond, no matter how hand
some or gorgeously nature may have al
tered them, could induce them to abandon
their partners. They are united for life,
and remain faithful to each other until
separated by death. If the female dies
first the male becomes disheartened. He
refuses food, mopes around the pond, and
soon dies from pure grief. The female, on
the other hand, especially If she is young
and handsome, soon forgets the partner of
her joys and sorrows, and ten chances to
one by the return of another May she will
be bride again, although in some in
stances have known the reverse of this
to be the case.-Iateruiew in Neso York
World
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
Soda Water as a Beverage.

For beverages, instead of the cheap soda
water, with its corrosive Ingredients and
syrups made from spoiled fruit, insist on
having pure lemonade or fruit juices.
Good soda water, as offered by the best
city druggists or any man who understands
his business, is not bad thing for health
or taste, although caution ought to be
used not to pour down large glass of
iced drink when one is warm, after the
almost invsriable habit The rule with
everybody, men and women alike, seems
to be to see how soon they can swallow
the soda and depart. The result of turn
ing pint of cold, acid water into heated
stomach is to burden it with too much
liquid, reduce the temperature with dan
gerous suddenness, and headache or cramps
is in the direct line after this. Shirley
Dare, in ~ Y. Herald.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
Fame.

Fame and good reputation consist in do
ing the right thing in the right way at the
right time Generals are famous who led
the way to victory. Orators are famous
who touched the heart of the people.
Smiths Tonic Syrup is famous because it
has ever accomplished correct results
Used in the right way at the right time, it
invariably does the right thing. It never
makes q failure. 1t never brings disap-
pointment. 1t was invented by the emf
nent DR.. John Bull. of Louisville, KY, as
substitute for quinine. Il does its work
even better than was expected. It has all
the good qualities of quinine and none of
its evil tendencies. Il cures chills and
fever, colds. in6uenza, la grippe etc, even
when quinine fails. It is pleasant to take,
and children like it. It builds up broken
down constitution and fortifes it against
the insidious attacks of malarial Influences.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
A Missionary's Predicament.

A missionary in Borneo is wrestling
with question relating to the evolution
of species that would have puzzled the
late Mr.. Darwin himself. Among his con-
verts is native, who in spite of his rather
exemplary conduct in other directions per-
sists In an old habit of running down and
killing the dwarfs that form low tribe of
beings in the vicinity of the mission. He
does it merely for sport; it is his way of
hunting, and when demonstrated with by
the missionary he claims that the dwarfs
are not human beings, but animals that q
Christian savage has right to hunt. The
missionary admits that they exhibit few
traces of the human being, and is in con-
siderable perplexity as to whether his CON
vert is right or wrong. To the wisest evo-
lutionists it would probably be a pretty
difficult matter to say at what point the
animal ceases and the man begins.-Chs-
cage Herald.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
Act No. Al.
RELATIVE TO CRIMES AND OFFENCES
AGAINST PROPERTY OF STEAMBOATS,,
RAILROADS AND OTHER CARRIERS

RELATIVE TO CRIMES AND OFFENCES
AGAINST PROPERTY OF STEAMBOATS,,
RAILROADS AND OTHER CARRIERS
SECTION /. Be it enacted by the Gen.
eral Assembly of the StatSof Louisiana,
That, whosoever with intent to commit
any crime or misdemeanor, shall in the
night time break and enter steamb boat or
other vessel or railroad car or break any
seal thereof; or having with such intent
entered, shall in the night time break any
such steamboat, vessel or railroad car or
break any seal thereof, and any person
present aiding, assisting or consenting in
any such breaking or entering or accessory
thereto before the fact. by conserving, hir-
ing or procuring such breaking or entering
to be committed shall on conviction suffer
imprisonment at hard labor for not exceed
ing ten years.
SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, ETC., That
whoever with intent to commit any crime
or misdemeanor shall in the night time
enter without breaking or in the day time
break and enter any steamboat or other
vessel Or railroad car, or break any seal
thereon, and any person present aiding or
abettlng, assisting or conserving in any
UGH breaking or entering or accessory
thereto before the fact by eonsenting, hir.
ing or procuring such breaking or entering
to be committed, shall on conviction there
of be imprisoned not exceeding five years,
and with or without hard labor at the
discretion of the court.
SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, ETC.. That
whoever shall wilfully throw any missile
or shoot with any frearm at any steamboat
or other vessel or railroad train, engine.
tender or car, or at any human being
thereon. and any person aiding. procuring,
advising or accessory before the fact in
such throwing or shooting, shall on con-
viction thereof be punished by fine not
one thousand dollars or impris-
oned not exceeding two years and with or
without hard labo' at the discretion of the
court.
s. P. HENRY,
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
JAMES JEFFRIEs,
Governor and President of the
Senate.
FRANCIS T. NICHOLS,
Governor of the State of Louisiana
A true copy from the original.
L. F. MASON. Secretary of State.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
A Germans Criticism,

"What digniied people you Americans
are |" said German on ferryboat from
Staten Island to New York Sunday night
81 fancy there are 800 persons on this
boat, and probably two-thirds of them can
sing. If you should find that number of
Germans together any where on the face of
the earth out for holiday you would find
them singing. Yet the Germans are no
richer in popular songs or in voices that
can sing them ordinarily we'll than the
Americans. You are fond of music and
your ear catches an air readily, but you
seem afraid to sing in public places. You
don't seem to get any enjoyment out of
life, or. if you do, you don't show it, 1t
must be bad form in New York TO show
keen enjoyment. Men York Times.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
Ancient Signatures.

THE MANNER IN WHICH POTENTATRS OF
OLD AFFIXED THEIR NAME TO PA
PER.
The practice of signing as mode of
giving formal assent to written contracts
or charters is as old as, and in one sense
older, than the art of writing. Among all
people the act of authenticating docu-
ment was accomplished by the most illit-
crate persons either by aff1xing stamp
with the signet ring they carried or by
initiating the process of signing by some
other rude devise. Conspicuous among
these more rustic sign manuals was that
which Gibbon mentions as adopted by
Theodore, the great Ostrogoth, king of
Italy. He had gold plate made on which
the first few letters of his name were cut
in Greek characters, and when a paper
had to be signed by him the plate was laid
upon it and his majesty, passing the pen
along the paper in the interstices of the
metal, traced by these means the royal
signature, which he could never remem-
Der in any other way.
A still more barbarous and ungainly de-
vice was that which was invented, or at
least practiced, by the Turkish sultans of
lcnnium, when that city was their capital.
They simply dipped their hand into the
bowl of ink presented to them, and laying
it fiat upon the paper or papyrus, left the
indellible impress of it in gigantic and
&C nspicuous outlines. A somewhat similar
habit is reported from Farther India, where
landowners are, or were at q certain date
accustomed to dip their thumbs in the
sandal dye, and by pressing it on the paper
leave their sign manual, or as in this case,
it would probably be termed their sign
digital.
This is the case with the rajahs who can
not even write their names; but it is said
that in another part of India a Brahmin
that was highly educated resorted to a
practice very like that of the Iconian sui
tans whenever it was his intention to make
q very generous and comprehensive grant,
the character of which he thought would
be the best typifed by 9 mark made with
the open hand smeared with ink. The
origin of the mark with which illiterates
now sign is enveloped in some doub!; but
it would be quite wrong to SUPPOSE that
the cross they now use was employed in
very early times. On the contrary, it is
said that for many centuries after the
Dark Ages" those who could not afford to
wear ring or keep a signet used to make
q special and peculiar mark, such as an ar
rowhead, in which it was supposed, and
Derhsps rightly, that their autographs
could be recognized.-6. Louis Republic.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
A Week Too Late.

A young man about IS years of age,
dressed like farmer, had his feet on the
car seat in front of him and was reading
novel, says N. Y. Sun writer, when
one of the boys went over to him and OBJ
served:
give just made bet of SIS on you"
"On me7 What is it 2"
'1've bet IS that you will suicide within
week. I've been watching you very
closely for the last half hour, and all signs
indicate melancholy and dependency.
Have you selected any particular line of
killing yourself-poison, the rope, drown
ing or hanging7'
Ibid you actually bet $5?' anxiously
asked the young man.
81 did,
Pay if you Josef"
81 have to-"
That's too bad. l wish could have
seen you last week"
"Why9"
Because l then had the ager every day
right along-two cows were sick GA nv
hands-ny girl had gone back on me, and
expected a windmill man was going to
beat me out of $400. did kinder think
of suicide"
But now?"
"All is changed. Cows got well-ager
all gone-gal has set the Cay for next
Wednesday, and the windmill man is
straighter than board. Durn my hide
if | hain't going to try and live 5000
years u
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
Equal to the Occasion,

There lived some years ago in Western
Pennsylvania an old circuit preacher,
Father West by name, whose genial
humor and general kindness of heart had
greatly endeared him to all the people of
his district. He was particular favorite
with the young folks matrimonially in
clined, and his opportunities to "tie the
knot" were numerous. On one occasion
he found upon his arrival at certain town
several couples awaiting his blessing. The
old man was tired and wished to make
short work of the job "Stand up" he
began, land jine hands" Which being
done, he ratified through a marriage SER
vice, that, like himself, was original
There" he said, when it was finished,
eye can go; ye're man and wife, ev'ry one
O ye."
Two of the counles hesitated, and finally
made it apparent that in the sudden "i'in-
ing" they had become confused, and had
taken the hands of the wrong persons. The
old preachers eyes twinkled as he took in
the situation, but he Immediately straight
ened up, and with a wave of his hand
dispersed them. Il married ye ALL" he
said, sort yourselves. - Harper's Mug
az me-
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-23
Delights Of Swimming.

Swimming is an athletic exercise that
has not received sufficient attention from
those interested In physical culture for
women. 1t is not only delightful amuse-
meat, but said to be far more valuable in
expanding the chest and developing the
muscles than almost any gymnastic exer-
else that is known. Comparatively few
women, even among those who at the sea-
side enjoy daily bath in the turf, are ex-
pert swimmers. They are entirely at the
mercy of circumstances in case of sudden
danger. The expert swimmer learns to be
courageous and energetic in the water, and
her skill may me the means of saving her
own life or others lives. Swimming is
usually taught in large swimming bath,
such as are connected with some gymna-
York Herald.