davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
A Substitute for Felt.

Many, of the cheap derby hats that will
be worn this spring will be made Of a
new material of which the hatters have
Just got hold. The stuff is called linters.
Il Is the short cotton left on the seed
after the cotton has been ginned by the
cotton raiser. He sells his cotton to the
merchant and the seed to a mill that
makes cotton seed oil The miller puts
the seed through another gin, specially
made to clean short cotton from the seed.
In an oil mill of small capacity several
bales of cotton are ginned from the seed
in this way. The fiber is broken and
very short, and up to few months ago
the mills sold it to stuff bedding with.
Its price was about half that of average
cotton. The negroes in the south we5e
the buyers generally, but occasionally
the mills would get a good big order
from concerns that made pillows and
mattresses.
Suddenly somebody found out that ii
could be made to initiate felt for cheap
hats. The experiment then of making
hats of linters was tried on a large scale
this winter by New York hat fac
tory, and the hats were sold to retailers
for introduction very cheaply. The test
showed that the hats stood wear, and
the oil mills we're at once called on by
the manufacturers to make contracts for
all the linters they could get off the cot
ton seed. Now hnters has gone away up
in price, and is only few cents pound
cheaper than cotton. The discovery is
likely to have lowering effect upon the
kind of derbies which have sold for So,
and in fact some merchants are already
using the inters derbies as ''leaders" for
their other goods, selling them at half
the cost of the felt hat.-St. Louis Globe
Democrat.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
Heavy Sentence of a Spy.

The Nice police few weeks age
caught another spy, this time said to be
in the military service of Italy. He was
brought up for trial before the tribunal,
when he gave his name as Peter Contin,
and said that he was born at Agram, in
Austria. The police alleged, however,
that his real name was Contini, and that
he was an officer in the Italian reserves.
About. twenty witnesses were called to
prove that he had passed himself of
sometimes as an Englishman, at Others
as Swiss, and as an Austrian; that he
had followed the autumn maneuvers Of
the French troops, and had been seer
making drawings Of the Notifications Of
Nice, Toulon and Marseilles. Some oi
these plans, together with technical de.
scriptions, were found in his boxes, and
Gen. GARNER des Garets, commander Of
the Nice garrison, said they would be Of
the greatest value to an enemy. The
tribunal considered the charge of espion
age proved, and sentenced Contini to the
maximum penalty of 5000 francs and
five years penal servitude.-Cor. Lon
don News.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
A Soda Fountain Novelty.

The most startling soda fountain nov
city, though, is "crushed violets." The
sirup is manufactured under patent by
a Philadelphia firm, and when served up
with the usual carbonic fzz makes del
icately favored, sweetish drink, which
is best described as tasting exactly as
violets smell. The secret of the flavor
belongs to the manufacturer. It is not
derived in any way from violets-that is
quite certain. The violet, when crushed,
gives forth none of that grateful perfume
which is somehow manufactured within
the veins Of the plant and exhaled from
the blossom. None of the odor of violets
is obtained from the flowers. A distilla-
ton of their juice gives an acrid COM
pound of no pleasant odor. The perfume
is all manufactured artifcially and orris
root is its base. Probably orris root is
the base also of the favering which en-.
ters into this new drink.-Kansas City
Globe.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
They Differed on Religion.

A young bride of Mclean county, KY,
has most positively manifested the truth
Of the old doggerel:
II she will she will, you may depend ont;
II she won't she won't, and there's an end ont
She was married in the evening, and
then the party repaired to the house of
the bridegroom, where the wedding sup
per was served. After the repast a dis
cussion arose about religion, and the
bride and bridegroom found that they
entertained widely different views. The
controversy became earnest, then warm,
and finally rudely contradictory, SO much
so that the bride became offended and
the guests retired. When they were
gone the bride refused to be reconciled.
She sat in her chair all night, and when
morning came she set out on foot for her
fathers house, refusing any company or
to ride on a horse offered her by the
bridegroom.-Atlanta Journal.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
A Life SAVED BY \ Chicken.

Along with the cock that crowed
thrice when Peter denied his Master and
the geese whose cackling is said to have
saved Rome, the little half drowned
chick that saved the life Of Chalkley Le-
coney will go down in history as famous
fowl. The Leconey bird is no longer
chicken, however, but in the months
that have elapsed since Anne Leconey's
sad death it has grown to sturdy fowl,
and it now stalks proudly among the
lesser barnyard birds on the Leconey
farm. The part played by the little chick
was simple, but the slender thread of
evidence that it furnished was strong
enough to establish Chalkley Leconey's
innocence Of the murder of his niece.
Annie Leconey placed the little half
drowned chicken in the open oven to re-
suscitate, and this act alone was suffi-
cient to prove that she was alive after
her uncle left the house, and at the time
when itwas claimed she had perished by
his hand.-Philadelphia Record.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
a New Electric railway.

It aims at connecting q moving car
with an electric conductor buried be-
meath the roadbed without the use OF On
open slot. To effect this there is laid in
the center of the track a crenelated con-
tact plate or rail in short sections. This
will be only half an inch nwidth on the
surface and will be quite different in its
effect upon vehicles from the ordinary
car rail; wheels will cross it without diff
fculty at any angle, as they cannot slide
along it for more than a few inches.
Horses will also find a good foothold
upon it.
The short sections of the plate are en-
tirely disconnected from each other, each
piece being coupled by wire to theelec-
tric conductor beneath. In this wire is
an automatic switch which makes
circuit between the section and the con-
ductor as the car comes over it and
breaks the connection when the car has
passed. Only three sections are ever
connected with the car at one time, and
generally there are only two. A strong
wire brush on the car rubs along the sec
tons and conveys the currents from
them to the electric motor, whence it
flows to the rails and to earth.
The automatic switch is simplicity it.
self and consists merely of an electro
magnet, an armature and two contact
pieces. Supposing that the car brush is
in contact with one of the sections, the
current will flow from the main con-
ductor across one contact to the arma-
ture, through the armature to a second
contact, thence through the magnet coils
to the section and the motor, and as the
car proceeds it successfully takes sec
tions into circuit and drops them out =
New York Times.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05

There was box party at the National
theatre the other afternoon which at
tracted fully as much attention as Herr.
mann himself. In the box at the right
Of the stage sat the Chinese minister and
the male members Of his suite, and in
the adjoining box were the ladies Of the
legation. 1t was the first time the latter
have made their appearance at a place
of amusement in this country, and their
rich gowns and peculiar headdresses
were the admiration Of all the fair sex al
the matinee. To add to the novelty oi
the occasion, In the boxes opposite were
the members of the Coresn embassy, in.
cluding the minister and his wife. The
feats of legerdenain were apparently
very much appreciated. When live
duck was evolved from a mass of fluffy
white paper, the Corean minister and the
ladies of the Chinese legation could moi
remain in their chairs, but rose and fol
lowed the movements of the web footed
comedian until it disappeared behind the
wings.-Washington Letter.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
Gave the Prince a High Ball.

Reading in the newspapers about the
carnival battle of the flowers at Nice re-
minded me that year ago the American
baseball tourists were in Nice and par.
ticipated in the battle of the flowers.
Crane, the pitcher, got hold of a beauti-
full, compact bouquet just as the Prince
of Wales drove by in an open carriage.
"See me give his nibs high ball, I"
said Crane, and he shot that bouquet
with one of his swift twisting incurves.
The bouquet caught his royal highness
full in the nose, and it is fair to presume
that his royal highness was vastly aston
ished; but he took the bombardment
good naturedly, although for the next
half mile he rubbed his nose continually,
as though he feared it had been hope
lessly disiointed. Chicago News.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
Mad from a Nerro,s Bite.

OSCAR Hill died recently in Clay coun-
ty, Ala, in the most intense agouy from
the effects of the bite of Henry Davis, a
negro. The bite was inflicted about four
months ago, when the two men had a
quarrel, resulting in Davis biting Hills
finger to the bone.
Nothing was thought of the matter for
several days, when the finger began to
swell and was amputated. This did not
prevent the swelling from going into the
arm, however, and about ten days after
the finger was taken off the arm was
severed near the shoulder.
This appeared to heal and no further
trouble was anticipatedGntil few days
ago, when the injured man began to
show symptoms similar to those of hy-
drophobia, going into commissions at the
sight of water, and being possessed of
superhuman strength during these par.
oxysms of pain. These convulsions be-
came more and more frequent until
death relieved his sufferings. Cor. Phila-
delphia Times.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
A Mohammedan Wedding.

The Calcutta native papers lately gave
long and graphic account of the mar.
riages of two young men, the sons of a
local magnate. Nautches, illuminations,
flags, furniture and decorations are duly
described in the most minute details.
But no mention is made of the brides,
nor does a single feminine name appear
in the lengthy list of guests who at
tended. Fifteen hundred turned up, in
cluding maharajahs, nawabs, mirzas
and syuds galore, and the affair went off
brilliantly in every way. But poor Nour-
mahal did not get even peep at it, un.
less surreptitiously through some chink
in the zenana. 1t is further stated that
all the guests made a point of offering
Fluctuations to the bridegrooms, but nc
good wishes did they bring for the
brides. Yet, odd to say all seemed to have
enjoyed themselves greatly, or the festivi.
ties would not have been prolonged un.
til far into the night.-London World.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
Professional Water Finding.

A Bavarian engineer is making pro-
fession of finding water. Within the
past few years he has resided in Russia,
where he accidentally discovered the
principle of his apparatus. The first
tests in this country of the new instru-
ment were made on the line of the new
aqueduct in the neighburhood of Sing
Sing, the points having been selected by
the division engineer, who was present
at the trial. The aqueduct being here
Ear below the surface, and no shafts be-
ing visible from the points selected, there
Is no possible clew to its location, espe-
cially to a stranger, and yet at two or
three points large body Of flowing wa
ter was located with wonderful exacti-
tude as to the position, though inexact
as to depth.-New York Commercial Ad-
Vertiser
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
British Capital in Mexico.

The flow of British capital into Mexico
is almost as extensive as its influx to this
country. Nearly 100000, 600 of English
gold was invested there last year, and
railroads, lands, mines, manufactures
and banks have all participated in this
Pactolean stream to such an extent that
the maintenance of order in the republic
has become almost as important to Great
Britain as to Mexico herself.
British capitalists have undertaken the
stupendous work of draining the Valley
Of Mexico; and, according to report re-
Gently issued by the London foreign
Office, in two provinces alone several
millions of acres Of fine land are owned
by English subjects engaged in cattle
raising. York Tribune.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
The Deepest Min. in the World.

1t is at st. AnAe du Poirier, France,
and yearly produces 800, 900 tons of coal
The mine is worked with two shafts, one
e,952 feet deep and the other 3,0s3. The
latter shaft is being deepened and will
soon touch the 1000 foot level. A re-
markable feature in this deep mine is the
comparative low temperature expert
enced, which seldom rises above rs degs
Fahrenheit. The gold and silver mines
of the Pacific coast of our own country,
at a depth of less than half that of the
French coal mine, often have much diff
ficulty in keeping the temperature low
enough to admit of working. In some
levels of the great Comstock lode the
temperature rises as high as 1870 degs.-
st. Louis Republic.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
Representing Influenza.

At the last fancy dress ball, attended
by the nobility of st. Petersburg, the
palm was awarded to young lady at
tired to represent heinfluenza. She was
dressed in oriental fashion, and wore on
her head a tall cap inscribed with the
names of the principal doctors who have
studied the disease. The map of Europe
was depicted on her skirts, and a gigantic
spider occupied prominent position on
the shores of the Baltic; the lady's far
was covered with the names of those
chemists who welcomed the arrival of
the fatal scourge. During the evening
she distributed leaflets with poems extoll-
ing its virtues; fever, pains in the head,
aching of the bones, etc.-Il Caffaro.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
An Innocent Man Twelve Years in Prison.

An Innocent Man Twelve Years in Prison.
The governor has granted pardon to
A. P. Gipson, who was sent from Shasta
county in May, 1878, to San Quentin
prison to serve life sentence. The
crime of which he was convicted was
the murder of a stockman named Schroe-
der, who bore an unenviable reputation
in the community.
Convicted with Gipson for completely
in the same crime were men named Hill
brant and Tom Gipson. The latter was
pardoned by Governor Perkins in 1889,
and Hilbrant by Governor Stoneman in
1885. Both those governors received pc
titions on behalf Of A. P. Gipson, but
never paid any attention to them. Hill
braft made an affidavit that he swore
falsely when he stated that A. P. Gipson
was implicated in the crime. Tom Clip
son also swore afterward that A. P. had
nothing to do with the murder.
The man whom Governor Waterman
pardoned was evidently the victim Of a
deep conspiracy. The petition for his
pardon was one of the strongest ever
presented to the chief executive. Over
500 citizens of Shasta county, including
Judge Aaron Bell, of the superior court,
who passed sentence, and other county
officials, signed it. Judge Bell wrote in
connection that he believed Gipson was
an innocent man. The pardoned man
is about 70 years old.-San Francisco
Chronicle.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
Let Wall Alone.

An odd story comes from Indiana. In
boring for natural gas the drillers, at q
depth of $50 feet, are said to have struck
an immense vein Of water, which was
cased off. At a depth of 900 feet a ire
mendous flow Of gas was developed, the
pressure Of which lifted the casing and
let in the water above, producing veri-
table geyser. After some days the well
had been nearly controlled, when work
man at the mouth Of the well struck a
match to light his pipe. An explosion
followed, and the workman narrowly es-
capped being roasted alive. All efforts to
restrain the well or even put out the fire
have since proved futile, and the strange
spectacle is witnessed Of resistless vol
ume of fire and water issuing from the
same pipe. The column is described as
shooting with an appalling roar to q
height of 100 feet.-New York Com
mercial Advertiser.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
The Maansst Of Inoandinries.

II cannot understand" said a well
known Philadelphia, "what would in
duce man, however depraved, to set
fire to any property belonging to Mr..
George w. Childs, whose reputation for
generosity is world wide. When Mr..
Childs was building Wootton he gave or
ders that every man who came along and
wanted work should be given something
to do. In consequence hundreds of per-
sons were set to work grading and dig
ging, and they were paid good wages in
cash every night. To burn the property
of such a man is simply abominable. -
Philadelphia Inquirer.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
HOW MAN Eatlnr rIrer. psrslop.

There is a man eating tiger abroad now
in the central provinces, India, which
had the temerity to attack the chief COM
missioner's advance camp and carry off
a cook. This animal is still killing at
the rate of about two persons a week, and
a reward of 200 rupees is on its head.
Not far off a man eating tigress has just
been shot over human "kill," at the
foot of the Satpura hills, in the Balaghat
district. Both these animals are believed
to have been converted into man eaters
by bullet wounds from the native match
lock-fresh instances of the mischief that
isdone by the present system of rewards.
A reward of fifty rupees is enough to
induce any villager to try his luck at a
pot shot, with the frequent result of con-
verting comparatively harmless animal
intoascourge of the country side. Where
as If the reward were removed the shoot
ing would be left to the professional
hunters, who would still find abundant
inducement in the value of the skins and
the fees they would get from the villa
gers in cases where tiger had become
troublesome by his attacks upon cattle.
--Allahabad Pioneer.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
Only His Grave Remains.

A friendless old man In a small town
IN this state, after suffering many years
from a cancer and using all his hard
earned money, mortgaged his smallfarm
last fall for sum sufficient to get him
into the Maine General hospital, and
went there to die, but has fingered
through the winter, suffering acutely.
A few weeks ago word was sent to the
town authorities from the hospital to
make arrangements at once for his
burial, as he could not possibly live but
few hours, and his body would need
immediate attention. So in the lonely
village churchyard was dug his grave,
which still awaits its occupant.
Strange to relate, the condition of the
sick man has since changed for the bet
ter, and there is possibility that he will
recover sufficiently to return to find no
house and no welcome save the open
grave IA the bleak hiHside.-Cor. Boston
Record.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
A Fortune In One Season.

Many snug fortune was made in the
ice business in Maine last winter, but
perhaps none have been luckier than two
young men who have been operating on
the Kennebec. A few years ago these
youths hired out with man who was
engaged in the ice business winters and
in farming summers. They proved faith
full workers, and last fall their employer,
who is growing old, proposed to sell
out his ice business to them for Sc, 500.
They had saved $1,000, and, after some
consideration, they accepted the offer,
giving security for the $500 they could
not pay. Last week they sold their ice
to New York parties for SAG, ,OO0.-Lewis.
ton Journal.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
To Prevent Accidents in Factories.

In a country like Holland, where the
legal liability of employers for compen-
sation in the case of accidents to their
artisans does not exist, and has no chance
of being adopted, the employers them
selves, recognizing that they owe their
work people little more than bare
wages, feel that they ought to combine
at least to lessen the dangers to life and
limb, which exist in every factory more
or less. 1t is proposed to found a society
of employers upon the mutual plan, with
a committee of experts, which would
visit the factories of the members from
time to time, reporting defects whereby
dangers to life and limb are increased
and suggesting remedies. The society
will also organize lectures and issue
pamphlets, give rewards for useful in
ventions tending to minimize danger,
ward medals to employers who have
the safest factories, and finally hold ex-
hibitions of appliances with the same
purpose. York Telegram.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
Ininrisa to circus Horses.

We had to kill between twenty and
thirty horses during the season on &C.
count of irreparable damage done to
them during the hippodroms races. AS
they are turning the corners very often
the outside horse receives blow from
the hub of the wheel of the chariot next
to it. This causes fracture or splitting
of the fetlock, after which the horse is of
no further use. Neither Mr.. Barnum nor
Ibelieve in prolonging the agony of an
animal in that condition, SO directly a
horse is found with such a fracture he is
taken out and shot. Thus, as said,
about thirty horses were killed.-Mr.
Bailey in Pail Mall Gazette.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-05
Profit in pobtailed woodchuckr.

Unadilla pays ten cents for wood
chuck's tail with view of exterminating
these animals, which at certain seasons
Of the year do the farmers much dam.
age. The boys, however, set traps, catch
the woodchucks, cut off their tails, and
let the animals 60 that they may rear
their young. Some of the farmers say
that unless the bounty business is stopped
the town will be overrun with "chucks."
An effort will be made at the next meet
ing of the town board to repeal the ordi-
nance granting the bounty Albany
Journal.