davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
The Absorption of New England Farm.

The Absorption Of New England Farms.
Some fifteen years ago, in the early
days of the Mount Desert summer travel,
I met on the beach at Newport, R. l., a
shipwrecked sea captain from Bar Har-
Dor, who talked in eloquent astonish-
ment of the rapid changes coming over
the ownership of real estate in that re-
gion. ut does jest beat ALL" he de-
clared. "Folks will come along from
New York or Philadelphy and they'll
kinder take fancy to a mans farm.
They'll end i'll givin' him more for it
than he ever thought o askin' for it: and
then they'll pay him more for livin' on
it i'll winter to take care of it than be
ever made off of it."
This duplex good bargain, this gain in
both principal and interest at the same
time, seemed quite too much for my
weather beaten friends comprehension.
Yet the same process has been going on
for years, i'll a manner less conspicuous.
along the whole New England coast, and
through all tho mountain region of the
Appalachian range. Side by side with
that crowding into cities in winter.
asteady crowding out of cities for sum
mer residence; and this is in many cases
displacing the original resident of the
soil and substituting new ownership.
In the region where now find myself
one may look from the hills over many
thousand acres, not one of which now
belongs to a permanent resident of the
town. Farms have been bought and
united, one man owning 900 acres, an
other 700, and SO on, in n region where
200 acres was once regarded as large
far1n.-Harper's Bazaar.
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
Looking for Big Prices.

There were some curious incidents
noted near the Grand Central station
while the strike was in progress. One of
the long delayed trains had just come in
one evening and the passengers were
streaming out of the station when one of
them stepped up to a bystandcr and ad-
dressed him: "Look here" said the tray
eler, "can you tell me where is the most
expensive restaurant in this town."
''The most expensive!" quoth the one
addressed in surprise.
''Yes, sir; that's just what want.
While our train was blocked out on the
road we could get very little to eat and
| got used to paying top rates. Some
body brought along a basket of sand
wiches-railroad sandwiches, strand
sold them out at 81 apiece. We bought
'cm-we had to buy 'em or go hungry.
Now, l want to get back to my regular
prices by degrees So you don't know
which is the most expensive restaurant?
Well, I'll go down to Delmonico's and
chance it, anyway" The speaker, being
prosperous looking person, probably
carried out his threat.-New York
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
ralo sarsa apariIla sirup,

There is handsome new drug store
up in Fourteenth street where they sell
soda water and dispel illusions all for
five cents a glass. If you ask tho soda
water clerk for sarsaparilla soda water
he will give you glass Of foamy water
that is almost colorless-of a pearly
transparency, like that of a glass Of
vanilla soda water. 1t looks no more
like the rich, brown colored drink that
people expect to get when they ask for
sarsaparilla soda water than chalk does
If you remark on the unaccustomed ap-
pearance of the drink he will say to you,
as he says to hundreds of people who
ask for that particular kind of soda wa
ter every day, that pure sarsaparilla
sirup is colorless. People think" he
says, that sarsaparilla, being made of
roots, must be brown. Perhaps years
ago, when the sirup was made by throw
ing lot Of unwashed roots in dirty
kettle and boiling them over a smoky
fire i'll the woods, there was dirt enough
in tho compound to make it brown.
Nowadays tho process is cleaner and the
sirup is colorless. But people think
sarsaparilla ought to be brown, and so
people color it with burnt sugar or ico-
rice. We don't. Washington Post.
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
A Shoe 1s1ackinr Syndicate,

Tho syndicate shoe blaclsing OH the
Pennsylvania ferryboats is not success.
The company receives $4,000 for the
privilege from the padrone who employs
the boys who nominally polish passen-
gers boots. The padrone is a regular
slave driver, and the boys in order to
satisfy his demands try to polish three
pairs Of boots on one passage They
are not able, in the time occupied by the
ferryboat in crossing, to give more than
n few daubs Of backing and hurried
brushing, and by the time tho passenger
gets to Broadway his boots are dull and
dirty.
The boys are also very persistent, fill
ing the cabins with their calls until they
haze become regular nuisance TWAS
a sorry day for the railroads reputation
when it sold this privilege to the Ital-
ians. Meanwhile the padrone is clear
ing about 50 day out of every boy. He
gives them 81 week and keeps two on
each boat. 1t is estimated that the pad
rome makes $4,000 per annum on the
Pennsylvania boats alone, besides large
sums on the Staten Island boats and the
other North river ferryboats.-New York
Cor. Philadelphia Bulletin.
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
Reveling in Fiction.

II am literally wallowing in fiction
just now," said a young Chestnut street
merchant. "My family are out of town
and am taking advantage of the oppor-
tunity to read up the standards. Let me
sec what have on hand at present, for
the tables, chairs and even the floor of
my sitting room are absolutely flooded
with the works of the great novelists. ]
have all Dickens novels, all Sir Walter
Scott's, all Charles Reade's, all Thack-
cray's, some of Levers, some of Cooper's,
some of Clark Russell's, all Of Rider
Haggard's, and-well, others too numer.
GUS to mention. All my copiesare, how
ever, what are known as cheap libra
ries', and picked them up still cheaper at
second hand. Idon't think the whole
lot cost me quite IS, SO shall get my
acquaintance with the standards at a
wonderful bargain. There's no excuse
for live American not being well up in
the great romancers, believe 1ne!"-Phil-
adelphia Inquirer.
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
Tho Toad and the Duke of Wellington.

Tho Toad and the Duke of Wellington.
Short Cuts has unearthed peculiarly
delightful letter of the Duke of Yelling
toms, which runs as follows: "Strath-
fieldsaye, July 81, 1s37.-Fiell Marshal
the Duke Of Wellington is happy to in
form William Harries that his toad is
alivo and WE'LL" During one of his
country walks the duke found a little
boy lying on tho ground bending his
head over tame toad and crying as if
his heart would break. On being asked
what was the matter the child explained
that he was crying "for his poor toad"
He brought 1t something to cat every
morning, but he was now to be sent
away to school q long distance off, and
he was afraid that nobody else would
give 1t anything to eatand that it would
die.
The duke, however, consoled him by
saying that he would himself see the toad
well fed, and by further promising to
let the boy hear as to it's welfare. Dur
ing the time the boy was away at school
he received no less than five autograph
letters similar to that given above, and
when he returned for the Christmas
holidays the toad was still alive to glad
den his heart. Tho story is even more
delightful than that of the dukes indig.
nation when he found that n party
Of children ut Strathfeldsaye-among
whom, we believe, was the present
prime minister-wcre having their tea
without jam. The incident reused him
to immediate action, and he at once
rang the bell and issued general order
that "children's tea" was never to be
served in his house with manned
rights. ."-Spectator.
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
A Salt Water Proof Wood.

Ono of tho most peculiar and most
valuable trees in Florida is tho cabbage
tree The tree, in fact, belongs to the
palmetto family. 1t grows to height
varying from twenty to forty feet, and
there is scarcely an inch difference in the
diameter from the roots up to the leaves
The leaves or bayonets all grow in aclus-
ter at the top. The wood is very porous
and extremely light; it resembles cork
Its value lies in the fact that it is utter.
ly impervious to the ravages of salt
water and barnacles, which quickly de-
stroy all other natural woods. Hence
the cabbage tree ismuch sought after for
posts and piles for building bridges and
wharves in salt water. Pine piles that
are used in building through salt water
have to be creosoted in order to preserve
them any length of time, and the process
is very expensive one, but the cabbage
wood needs no application of any sort
Eychanpa
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
A Tree That .)wus property.

There is tree at Athens, Ga, which
is property holder. In tho early part
of the century tho land on which it
stands was owned by Col. w. H. Jack
son, who took great delight in watching
its growth and in enjoying its shade. In
his old age the tree had reached magnifi-
cent proportions and the thought of it's
being destroyed by those who would
come after him was SO repugnant that
he recorded a deed, of which the follow
ing is part: Il, w. II. Jackson, of the
county Of Clarke, Of the one part, and
the oak tree giving location), of the
county Of Clarke, of the other part: Wit
nesseth, that the said w. H. Jackson, for
and in consideration of the greataffection
which he bears said tree, and his desire
to sec it protected, has conveyed and by
these presents do convey unto the said
oak tree entire possession of itself and of
all land within eight feet of it ON all
sides. Chicago Herald.
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
For Ceases That Drugs Will Not Touch" {"

For Ceases That Drugs Will Not Touch" >"
The telephone might be put to hu-
name use," said New York doctor the
other day to a reporter, eff the proper
authorities could be induced to spend
the money on it. A cable laid to the in
fectious disease hospitals on North
Brother and Swinburne Islands would
prove of inestimable comfort to those
unhappy people who are detained there
from time to time, and also to their
friends, who are not allowed to visit
them. The fees for using the phones
would pay good interest on the outlay,
one would think, and the possibility of
maintaining communication with ones
friends without fear of infection would
rob confinement on the islands of a large
part of its terrors.
"How comforting it would be for the
wife whose husband had been taken
from her, and whose mind is filed with
vague fears for his safety, drawn from
newspaper stories of hospital abuses, to
hear his own voice from time to time as
surfing her of his welfare and hopes Of
speedy recovery. She would not believe
letter or telegram or message, but
his own well known voice no one could
counterfeit successfully enough to de-
ceive her. And she could whisper him
assurances of love and sympathy which
she would not, and perhaps could not,
write to him. This may sound too senti-
mental, but there is money in catering
to sentiment, and it often cures cases
that drugs will not touch. New York
Tribune.
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
Wasteful Advertising.

Discriminating merchants long ago
abandoned the circular and guttersnipe
methods Of advertising. For the amount
OF hard cash it takes to fairly circulate
5000 hand bills you can place an attract
i've ad. in reputable and well circu-
lated newspaper in a way to bring many
times the returns that can possibly come
from the older and nearly obsolete meth
cd of announcement.
People buy newspaper to read it;
they do not buy or want the guttersnipe,
and they don't read it. Not one person
in ten ever glances at the dodger that is
thrust in his hand at the street corner
before he consigns 1t to the gutter. He
only consents to receive it at all out of
sympathy for the poor fellow who is
making moro or less honest effort to
get rid of his armful Of bills; and the ono
fellow in ten who does look at the dodger
first sweeps the horizon with his weather
eye to see that no one observes him read
ing the affair! An announcement read
in this way-or not at all-isn't going to
startle any one by the magnitude Of the
returns.
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
Exposure of Ones Weaknesses.

A special weakness of a man is ex-
posed by his indiscriminately accusing
others of the same defect. When a per-
son, in criticising the character or dis
position of others, applies with certain
blind persistency one or two common
faults to them all, now perchance hitting
the mark and now flying far wide of it,
VIC may be sure that these very faults
are possessed by the critic in marked
degree, though they are often in meas
ure concealed by tho complications of
his own character.
They seem to stand before his minds
eye as glasses of various colors, giving
corresponding hues to whatever is
viewed through them, us he who looks
at the sky through a colored window
will SEQ it red, yellow, green or other
wise, as tho case may be. One who de-
sires to rid himself of faults will do well
to scrutinize himself in this respect, and
if he finds a tendency to harp on some
particular weakness of human nature he
may feel assured that there he can apply
the pruning knife.-New York Ledger
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
Electricity in Street cars

Two young electricians were disputing
as they rode on an Albany motor car the
other day as to whether they were in an
electric field or not. Ono strenuously
insisted that no electric current passed
through the car, and urged that oil the
fluid went underneath tho floor. ~
will prove it otherwise" replied the
other, as he drew bunch of keys from
his pocket. Tossing his keys on tho floor
he nodded to his friend to pick them up.
He did SO, outbound a perceptible resist
anco. Another part of the floor was
tried, and it was clearly shown that a
strong electric current was passing
through the floor. "Well, he remarked
as he handed the keys back to his friend
and removed his watch to his upper
pocket and buttoned his coat, "I believe
it now. ALBANY Argus.
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
Tho Height of Our Ancestors.

Although it is needless to tell readers
that all speculations upon this matter
are without foundation, it is curious to
find in work published in 1918 by a
member Of the French Academy of Sci
enoes the following statements. Ac-
cording to this author, Adam was 1873
feet inches in height, while Ewes stat
ure is asserted to have been llS feet 9
inches and 0 lines. Noah, we are told,
attained a height of only "a feet; Abra-
ham was barely 20 feet in stature, while
Moses is alleged to have measured only
10 feet in height. N. Hallock in
Christian at Work.
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
PROTECTOR Against Nicotine,

An electrical engineer of Carphin
Springs claims the invention of mouth
piece for pipes that will prevent any
connection of the nicotine deposited in
smoking with the tongue. He makes "a
hollow ball, with short tubular or
slotted stem attached to it, which is in
serted into the usual orifice in the mouth
piece Of the pipe, Or cigar or cigarette
holder, so that the smoke shall pass out
through the tubo or slotted stem and
upper slotted part of the ball, and the
tongue shall rub against the ball in the
mouth of the orifice, and thus avoid or
prevent the saliva of the mouth from 60
ing or working back in the mouthpiece. Z"
New York Telegram.
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
An objection to Embalm,ur.

On moro than ono occasion chemists
and physicians have shown that the
present fashion Of having bodies rough
ly e1nbalmed shortly after death throws
serious difficulties in the way of chemi-
cal analyses in cases of suspected poison
ing. In recent number of The Boston
Medical and Surgical Journal a physi-
clan relates case in which a young
married woman died with symptoms re-
scmbling those of arsenical poisoning
Before post mortem examination could
be made the undertaken, as matter Of
routine, introduced into the body large
quantity Of n preserving fluid contain
ing arsenic, 81 that the chemists exami-
nation was fr71itless andhisFeport value
less.
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
1T WAS A FOUNTAIN PEN.
He Tried to Explain How It Work
but Failed Ixnominiouslv.

He Tried to Explain How It Worked,
but Failed Isnominiously.
He was appointment lawyer of Topeka.
Briefs with him were US thick as the
sunlowers that fringe the low bottoms
Of the silent Kaw in August.
Always dressed in the most spotless of
fashionably cut garments, he was the
envy of struggling barristers and the
cynosure of the ladies who promenaded
the aristocratic avenues of Kansas fair
capital.
1t was terribly melting day in the
scorching month of June, when, with a
cool array of immaculate linen and sug-
gestively airy, snow white duck, he en-
tered the state library, where the ever
faithful custodian of the precious vol
umes of legal lore was pouring over his
desk busily engaged in answering a mass
of correspondence ever accumulating,
the burden of his daily life of routine.
"Why don't you buy fountain pen?'
pulled one of these little instruments out
Of his vest pocket. "You can't imagine
what vast amount of time one can save.
purchased one this morning, and if l
could not procure another would not
take 81 900 for it.
"Why, don't you know that a mans
arm travels, in dipping his pen in the ink
alone, more than half dozen miles in
an ordinary day of hard writing? Just
think what a waste of muscular energy!
Let me show you how easily the thing
works."
AS he spoke he attempted to unscrew
the little cap, upon which jet of the
deceitful fluid, as fine as the spray from
u lady's rubber Dubbed perfume bottle,
spurted out and struck him fairly be-
tween tho eyes and slowly trickled down
his face.
II guess that l have unscrewed the
wrong end. Wait until try the other. "
Then, without replacing the cap he had
withdrawn, he slowly took off the other,
which, permitting more air in, out the
treacherous ink flew in stream as thick
as a lead pencil, completely covering his
face, vest and per1neating his hair, fall
ing down on his trousers, until his whole
suit resembled the map of swamp.
With evident disgust depicted on every
lineament, he slowly CALCULATED: "Per-
haps if had been educated in poly
tcchnic school l would understand the
mechanism of the darned thing better.
Have you u lavatory here that may try
and repair damages?" Whereupon he
went out, discounted man!-Kansas
CITY Star,
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
The yoluble Agent.

The silver polish man is an artist. He
is numerous and always theories. One
of the latest Of the kind was in a Lewis
ton drug store the other day and he was
as usual theorizing, and his theory was
fearfully and wonderfully made. Said
he: "Silver isporous. You can tell that
it is because it sweats in hot weather.
Fill silver pitcher with water and the
water comes through on the outside. +"
So on ad ibituln, while the druggist
smiled and said, "If your knowledge Of
other subjects is as accurate as that upon
the pores of silver it Is valuable.'-
Lewiston Journal.
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
Injurious Effects of odors.

You can kill man quicker by an evil
smell than any other way in the world
if you know how to go about it, and all
evil smells are in greater or less degree
poisonous and reduce vitality where they
do not destroy outright.
The London Lancet gave the case of a
gentleman in railway car detained
alongside cars of hogs in an offensive
condition about fifteen minutes. He
was taken ill with symptoms of prostra-
ton. though previously in health, and
died shortly after, poisoned by the intol-
cradle odor.-Shirley Dare.
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
THE BELLS OF THE. CITY.

The bells of the city sound aloud
Over the heads Of the hurrying crowd,
Marking surely the flight Of time.
Ringing out melodious chime,
Calling loudly through tho busy hum.
Comet comet comei comet
The minstrel group from Trinity call
To tho belfry band in the city hall,
And the echoes fly at q lively pace
Tomeet with the charming cherubs Of Grace,
And all join in the tuneful song,
Ding, dongi ding, dongl
Now melody-now prayer
Woven in through the harps Of air.
Finds its way to tho prisoners cell,
10 the homes OF the rich and poor who dwell
So far 1t sounds like drowsy hum,
Comel comel comet comei
know the bells are endowed with speech,
And have q message they bring to each,
And mono can give the signal clear
That Is meant for another persons ear,
Or guess what memories throb and throne-
Ding, dongl ding, dongl
But bells Of Trinltyl bells Of Grace,
Ring out like birds from lofty place
A song OF joy, and not of voc,
Der the pretty scene in the church below.
And call aloud through the buzz and hum,
Comet comet comet comeI
They come to the altar, bride and groom,
She with her cheeks like rose in bloom.
While the organ tells with its tuneful swells
That the beaux of the city ring the bells;
And echoes awaken through Christendom;
Ding, dongl Comet comet
New York Ledger
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
n1eanest Woman in Chelsea,

The meanest woman in Chelsea has
been found. She engaged poor wash
woman at fifteen cents an hour, and dur
ing the job set the clock back an hour.
The trick was discovered, and the mean
woman's husband paid the proper
amount, declaring that he had been
known as mean man himself, but this
beat any Of his performances.-Chelsea
(Mass.) Record,
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
Powers of the English Language.

Professor Jacob Grimm, the author of
the most learned German grammar and,
jointly with his brother, the best German
dictionary, says: "Among all the mod
ern languages none has, by giving up
and confounding all the laws Of sound,
and by cutting off nearly all the inflec-
tions, acquired greater strength and
vigor than the English. Its fullness of
free middle sounds, which cannot be
taught, but only learned, is the cause of
an essential force of expression such as
perhaps never stood at the command of
any other language of men,"
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
His Curiosity Satisfied

That the daughters of Eve do not pos
sess amonopoly of curiosityis pretty well
sustained by circumstance which re-
Gently occurred in this locality. Some
boys were playing with a turtle, one of
the swapping species, when one young
lad thrust out his tongue to see whether
it would bite. The turtle promptly car
ried out its part of'the programme, it be-
ing found necessary to forcibly remove
its hold from the lads tongue. which
was quite severely bitten.-Cor. Brock
ton Enterprise.
The Dickinson press., 1890-10-25
Ate Its Rival.

An odd result of rivalry between two
tiger snakes is recorded by D. Le Souef,
assistant director of the Melbourne Zoo
logical gardens. One Of the snakes was
large, the other small. "Not long ago
both happened to fasten on tho same
mouse, one at each end. Neither would
give way, and the larger snake not only
swallowed the mouse, but also the small
er snake. In about ten minutes nothing
was seen of tho smaller snake but about
two inches Of its tail, and that disap-
peared next day."