davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16
THE CITY or GEMS.
How the Treasures OF Ceylon arc I'm
sarthsd and Find Their way to London.

Ratnapura, the city of gems, is the
+, center OF district twenty or thirty
miles square, in almost all of which
stratum of gravel six feet to twenty
feet under the surface exists. Through
out this area gem pits are to be seen
near the villages, some being worked
now, others being abandoned. The
natives work there in companies of six
or eight, and pay a rupee per man per
month for the privilege of working
certain allotment, where they begin by
marking of square of about ten
feet.
After removing about three feet of
soil the sounding rod, piece of iron
about half an inch in diameter and six
feet long, is used to sound for the
gravel. II successful the digging is
begun in earnest till about four feet
deep. On the second day gravel is
taken oct by baskets and handed from
one man TO another till all within the
square is excavated. Should the min
ers find the soil fairly firm at the bot
tom of the pit they tunnel all around
for about two feet, drawing out the
gravel and sending it up also to be
heaped with the rest, which usually
completes the work of the second day,
a Waterman remains near it all night.
On the third day it is all washed
in a wicker basket by circular jerk
ing motion, which throws out all tho
surplus light stone and rubbish, till
good quantity of heavy gravel is left
in the bottom, which is carefully ex-
amined. There is hardly a basketful
that does not contain some gems of in
ferior value, which are usually sold by
the pound for about nine rupees.
Should no valuable stones be found
another pit is sunk, and so on until
one or two or perhaps three really
valuable gems are unearthcd, when
the work is stopped and the whole
party goes of to Ratnapura with the
prize.
If these are worth say few thous-
and rupees, they are kept secret and
only shown to one or two men of mon
ey, who make the owners an advance
and look after the custody of the prec-
ious stones. Then they gamble and
drink for some time till another adj
vance becomes necessary, and so on
until half the value is obtained Then
the party. with the MORTGAGE, pro-
ceeds to Columbo, or Italutara. where
rich Moorish traders are summoned to
purchase, and the gems soon find their
way to London. The general public
know nothing about these transactions.
and valuable gems are never heard of
in Ceylon, and scarcely see the light of
day till they reach Bond street.
The natives have great fear of ex-
posing their finds till they are sold, and
they have most extraordinary super
stitious ideas about showing them.
This system has been in vogue for
centuries past. 1t is only occasionally
one hears of any native having enter
prise enough to dig few feet below
the first gravel to see if, by sounding,
a second bed OF. gravel is within reach,
for they fear the expense of bailing out
water, which increases as the greater
depth is attained although the second
gravel is well known to be much richer
than the first.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16
The American Woman.

The American woman does lack the
repose of her English sister, but in
place of it she is rich in virtues I'M
known to the British matron.
She is generous and considerable.
She is not bit afraid to say what
she likes or what she dislikes.
She knows wherever she may be, or
in whatever position she may be
placed, that at one word from her the
American man is by her side ready to
protect her.
She believes this is the greatest
country in the world because its wo-
men are good looking and the men
adore them.
She is not used to waiting on her.
self, for ever since she can remember
something that wore trousers attended
to all her wants.
She is quick to see and good at re-
membering, and doesn't disdain bit
of advice.
In whatever strange land she has
gone she has been success, and
to-day if an American girl were
asked to be Czarina of Russia she
would not be bit surprised and she
would combine mercy with justice in
her rule.
The American woman is the prodnct
of the finest plant known in the civil
lied world. She is the flower of inde-
pendence, and no matter what flag may
wave over her, no matter whether the
skies are blue or gray, she always has
a smile for the happy a CHEEKY word
for whoever may be in sorrow, and for
your boy and mine we will take for
wife-the American girl.-Ba6.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

Roman Lawyer In Jerusalem" says a
writer in the Globe Democrat. in which
Story presents the legal aspect of the
case of Judas Iscariot, and suggested
that in betraying the Savior he was
only attempting to give Jesus Christ
an opportunity to declare and prove
himself God, and that he only accepted
the thirty pieces of silver to give his
act the appearance of betrayal for a
bride. laid aside the pamphlet con-
tanning the poem and picked up book,
in which / found an article on the an
cient coins of the East, and one of the
first things / read was that the ''piece"
of silver of 1000 years ago was the
name of a coin, and that its value was
Is cents. 1t did not require much call
culation then for me to see that the
price which was paid Judas by the
Sanhedrim for betraying Christ was
only $500. Do you know this unex-
pected information made Story's poem
have strange effect upon me. Story
points to the fact that Judas carried
the public purse and could not have
been ayaricious, or else he would not
have been trusted with this fund for
the poor, for which he rendered no ac-
count to any one, yet he betrayed his
Master for s.. 90. | had always thought
that thirty pieces of silver" meant
some large amount, and the statement
astonshed me when / read it, but on
referring to work on numismatics l
saw that the ''piece of silver of
Jerusalem was about the same value
as the lore piece" of Denmark, which
is just IS cents SO l suppose the state
ment is true"
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16
ETnbalming.

Our present methods of embalming
are so superior to those of the ancient
Egyptians that a modern embalmer
might leave human body so per-
feet that after 5000 years, says the
Lancet, mot lineament need be want.
ing for identification that would not
satisfy even the contemporary of the
dead person. The mumnies unrolled
nowadays are dried up out of recog.
milton. But the embalming process is
liable to go out of use before the I'D.
vancjng practice of cremation.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16
Keeping Out the Germans.

It is announced that the Russian
Government is about to issue a decree
prohibiting further German colonial
ton in South Russia. The Germans
have acquired millions of acres of rich
agricultural land in that part of the
country within few years.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

The great monsters OF mechanical
skill and genius call for the sacrifice
OF a great life and limb In their con-
struction. The greater the engineer
ing feat the more extensive is the loss
of life. In the construction OF the
Eifel Tower for instance, twenty-six
lives were lost, while on the the great
Forth bridge in Scotland a list Of forty
lives lost has been published.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16
A Geographical pelusion.

II has been known for some time,
says the N. Y. San, that Capt. Binger
in his remarkable journey across the
unemployed Mandingo county in west
Africa ca unable to find the great
Kong Mountains. which for many
years haVu been the most conspicuous
feature in the maps of that region.
They were represented as extending for
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16
The Price of ) Idas' Treachcry.

Every man who is general reader
has. doubtless. noticed how often. when
he has been reading of certain sub
ject, he will run across the same sub
ject in an unexpected place, and an in.
cident of thie kind brought to my at
tention a very curious fact which was
a revelation TO me. / had just finished
w. w. Story's poem, The Letter of q
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

ALL Of the bank note currency OF the
Italian government is engraved and
printed In the United States. The
notes are neat, but small, resembling
somewhat the fractional notes issued
in war times.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16
Before They QuarreIed.

"Why, darling. what can be the
matter with these onionsP" he ejacu-
lated, as ne pushed back his plate.
The young wife burst into tears.
There. / told the grocer they smelt
awful And / soaked them in that nice
cologne you bought me since yesterday
morning, toor'-Anserica Grocer
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

SOME of the most recent new uses OF
electricity are for purifying sea water
and sewerage and for improving dis
titled spirits. An English electrician
has found that electricity softens some
wines by removing the excess OF bitar-
trate of pot1sh.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

RI REV. MGR. LA BELLE, minister CT
agriculture of the dominion OF Canada,
is the only Roman catholic bishop in
the world holding cabinet Office I'M
der a secular government.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

THOSE who like to be moved by
waves OF patriotism will be glad TO
learn that the first American Union
flag was unfurled on January l, 1776.
over the camp at Cambridge. 1t had
thirteen stripes of white and red, and
retained the British cross in one cor
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

A PRISONER in Bohemia recently
constructed watch eight centimeters
(3I inches) in diameter with no tools
or materials except two needles, a
spool of thread, a newspaper and som e
rye straw. The wheels, posts and
cogs are OF rye straw; the watch runs
six hours without winding and keeps
rood time.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

AMATEUR harpists are increasing It
a great rate in New York fashionable
circles, and there are indications that
the accomplishment is to be a 'fad."
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

THE curious discovery has been
made that every governor of Iowa
since 1859 is alive, and hale and
hearty, and the only democrat among
them is the present executive.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

PRINCE EUGENE OF Sweden has
passed two years in Paris studying art
under the direction of M. Henri Ger
vex. The latter has just had conferred
upon him the Cross of Chevalier OF
the Order OF ST. Olaf
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

AN absolutely well bred man will
not smoke when walking with a lady
and is more particular about those Of
his own family than any others. The
breeding that shows itself in courtesies
to strangers only is very poor sort OF
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

RECENTLY the jail at Noulton, Iowa,
had hole torn in the roof by light
ming, through which five prisoners
escaped. Nothing providential about
that. They ought to thank God all
the same-every one OF them-unless
caught again.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

NORTH CAROLINA has quite a war
burden to carry. In the state 1,200
disabled soldiers draw pensions and
$500 widows. This is an example OF
local patriotism.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

A STORM tower is 10 be erected atthe
top of Mount Penn, overlooking Read
ing, Pa. 1t will be LOO feet above
the sea level.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

LORD BULwER lit on this superb
aphorism: "a fresh mind keeps the
body fresh. Take in the ideas OF to-
day; drain of those OF yesterday.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

NEW YORK seems OF the opinion that
had Columbus known Chicago would
get the Fair he wouldn't have discov-
cred America.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

Mr.. KERR, of Yakima county, Wash
ington, has sent to Japan for a large
quantity of tea cuttings. He intends
to see what can be done with that
plant in his own country.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

ONE OF the exhibits in the Paris Sa-
loon this season will be the portrait Of
Minister Reid, by the artist G. p. A.
Healy. 1t is said to be more aattering
than many OF the portraits drawn OF
Mr.. Reid in this country.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

A SCIENTIST says cows milk can
readily be reduced to a powder and
that it will be greatly superior to con-
densed milk.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

THE Minnesota twins are now called
by some of the papers, "Mine-Paul. !"
Such combination is enough TO
apolis.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

MR. GLADsToNE's new daughter-in-
law, Mrs. Henry Gladstone, is not
only young and handsome, but accom-
plished in music and languages. She
is an admirable performer on the
violin
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

THERE will be a new element in the
population of the next census. The
Chinese will be enumerated for the
first time in this country.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

Mrs. SroNEwALL JACKSON has ap-
piled for pension as the widow OF a
Mexican war veteran.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-16

A man, hearing that a raven would
live 200 years, bought one to try it
Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1890-08-02

cases, where the overplus is SO great it would De
well to divide the work between two teachers
Another very important accessory to every school
building is small reference library, consisting o.
dictionaries, cyclopedias, etc., for the peneht OF
pupils who are not supplied at home many oelng
placed at disadvantage in consequence.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
Mrs. FAY Hampstead,
Mrs. LOGAN II. Roofs,
M. B. CHAPMAN,
j. II. SMITH,
Committee.
Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1890-08-02
LITTLE ROCK, SATURDAY, AUGUST 2. 1890.
MISS sadie BELLE HOLMES, Of Kyle, Texas, has
been awarded the contract of carrying the mail
from Kyle to Science Hell.

AN error in THE CHRONICLE, issue of July 49,,
attrbutng Senator Payne to New York, brings
back the following protest from Hamilton Wilcox,
author of ssFreedom's Conquests; the Great
Spread of Woman Suffrage Through the World"
etc. He says:
'Pray don't hold New York responsible for the
amazingly foolish statement of Senator Payne,
that s'nether in England nor any other country
have women ever been allowed to vote Both
New York Senators-Evarts and Hiscock-voted
to admit Wyoming; and no man is likely ever to
be elected Senator from New York, who would
make statement so grossly and stupidity untrue. !"
REPORTS from the suffrage convention held at
Huron, South Dakota, July 8, state that the meet
ing was largely attended and most enthusiastic.
Miss Hindnan, Miss Anthony and Mrs. Howell
we're present and addressed the meeting. There
seems to be every indication that the work is pro-
crossing finely toward the adoption of the amend
ment next fall The committee on resolutions re-
ported:
'Resolved, That Wyoming the newest and
brightest star in our constellation of States is the
only free State under the flag"
Which resolution was received with an outburst
of applause.
IT is with pleasure we call the attention of our
readers to the report of the Examining Committee
of the Little Rock public schools, as given below
1t is the first time in the history of the schools of
Arkansas that women have been appointed as
members of the Visiting Board of Examiners:
TO the Honorable President and Members of the School Board
The undersigned committee, appointed to visit
the respective schools of this city, having per-
formed that duty, beg leave to report;
That they find the condition of the schools sat.
sfactory in all particulars. Good order and dis
cipline are manifest in every grade, both white and
colored. One commendable feature which we have
noticed in the public school system is its complete
thoroughness every effort is made to enable the
pupil to understand the subject in all its bearings
and at the same time make rapid advancement
the degree of progress exhibited In some of the
primary departmentsis particularly worthy of note
There is no special point upon which we have any
criticism to offer, but we would suggest in relation
to the subject Of reading which we consider most
important, that more of it should be employed il
the higher grades than we understand is now
used.
Some Of the school-rooms seemed to be little
crowded, One we noticed in the first grade, anC
there may be others, where one teacher taught two
schools literally, half of the pupils leaving at /;
M, and the other half beginning at pm, ther
not being seating capacity for all at once. In suc
Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1890-08-02

Subscribe for WoMAN's CHRONICLE,
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-01-04
VARIETY IN NEEDLES.
Something About Those Used by Mechanics
of Every Description.


A needle is little thing, hardly
worth mentioning, in fact, but the daily
consumption of them in the United
States is 100000, About one-sixth of
these are made in Brooklyn, but the
greater part of the needles we use come
from Redditch, England.
There are needles which all wig
makers use. They are as delicate as a
hair and shaped like fsh-hook. There
is tambour needle and the needle for
shirring machines; the great sail needle,
which has to be pushed with steel
palm the knitting machine needle with
its little latchet; the arasene and crewel
needle, and the long instrument which
the milliners use.
Then there is the surgeons cruel
outfit, the probing needle, made for
hunting after bullets or internal sores;
the post-mortem needles, of various
curves and sizes; the hair-lip needle;
the long accupressure pins, for pinning
gaping wounds in place; all the needles
for eye, head and body, long, Short
curved once, twice or three times. Then
the veterinary surgeon has his case of
needles, too. The upholsterer is favored
man. He has needles on half curve and
on the quarter curve round points
and sword points, long eyes. round eyes,
egg eyes and counter-sunk eyes. The
cook is not left out of this trade, but has
curious trusting needle, made for car
rying melted butter or savory sauce
right into the very heart of fowl or
roast, being hollow and large at the end
where the butter is poured in. There is
also the Harding needle, which sews
large pieces of meat together or fastens
bit of fat deep in lean piece of meat.
One of these was invented by French
chef. The other was made to meet the
demands of butchers who cook large
quantities of meat for the free-lunch
restaurants, and who wish to sew their
meat into good shape, so that it will cut
we'll. The collar-maker's needle is not
unlike the upholsterer's. The netting
needle has little branch at each end,
and with it goes broad ''mesh' of ivory
or polished wood. The knife-point hem
neeule, WIFI luS Dfodu Dldue, was III
vented to suit the men at the Chicago
Stock Yards. The broom-makers' needle,
like the sailors, has to be pushed with
a steel palm. That which the millers
use has spring eye which the heavy
thread enters when the side of the eye
is pressed
A novice could never guess how to use
hn ,,,ola SoWincr SnlnS
shoes. The glove needles are marvel
ously fine affairs, though even the daint-
lest of them have three-cornered points.
The knitting or astrachan needle wants
no mention. Artisan.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-01-04
WASHING IN PALESTINE.

sailors who have tied bow-lines to their
clothing and hung them over the bows of
the vessel where they dragged as the ship
sailed through the water and were more
thoroughly rinsed and cleansed than any
process short of steam could have accom-
plished.
AS it is an unsafe experiment it very sell
dom is resorted to in heavy weather, and in
fine weather the process is ineffective.
Many sailor has pulled on board bundle
of rags on the next morning after allowin g
his soiled clothes to remain in tow over
night.
Almost any Scotchman you may meet
who was born in and raised in the land of
the thistle, if of humble parentage, can tell
how in his boyhood days he used TO trample
the clothes on wash-day with tears stream
ing adown either side of his nose, all the
while unable to keep his feet from beating
time to the pibrochs of his granther, who
possibly sat in the shade of the cot playing
the pipes. Until late years fat-iron was
unknown in Scotland. When slightly damp
articles were smoothed by passing them be-
tween the well-polished cylinders of a
wooden mangle, that is made IN much the
same way as MODERN rubber-roller
clothes-wringer.
The practice OF tramping or treading
clothes to cleanse them is probably the old
est style by far of any known process, and
is still in use by poor people among all civil
lied nations. In Ireland, where in many
counties the children of the peasantry run
barefoot in the summer, Saturday is Sc
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-01-04
FlRESIDE FRAGMENTS.

Nut Pudding: One eupful of sugar,
one-half of cupful of butter, two cup
fuls of -four one-half cupful of cold
water, three eggs, one and one-half tea.
spoonfuls of baking powder, one-half a
cupful of whole walnut meats added the
last thing. Bake and eat with sauce.
Heartburn may be relieved almost
instantly if half teaspoonful of table
salt be dissolved in wineglass of cold
water and then drank. When the eyes
are tired and weak, if they are bathed
in slightly saline water they will soon
become soothed.
Fresh air, sunlight, good and sufd-
Gent food, pure water, outdoor exercise,
temperance in all things, and cheerful
disposition, are the chief remedies in
natures pharmacopeia, and are worth
more than all the drugs and medicines
OF the shops.-Popular Science News.
Corn Meal Drop Cakes: Two cups of
corn meal moistened with scalding
water and quickly cooled below scalding
point, one cup Of flour, two teaspoonsful
of baking powder, two eggs, one-half
cup OF milk, one teaspoon of salt. Drop
into hot lard and fry delicate brown
New England Farmer.
Batter Bread: Two eggs, the whites
beaten separately; a small cup of flour,
the same of milk; mix yelks, -four and
milk into smooth batter; stir in tea
spoonful of butter, melted, and little
salt and the whites of the eggs beaten
till they stand high, and a teaspoonful
of baking powder; mix gently after the
whites are in; bake we'll in buttered
pan in very hot oven.-Christian I'm
ion.
Lemon Honey: Beat the yelks of
SIX eggs until light, add gradually, beat
ing all the while, one pound of powdered
sugar. Beat a quarter of a pound of
butter to cream, add it to the yelks
and sugar, beat we'll, and then stir in
carefully the well-heaten whites of four
eggs. Pour this into a double boiler
and stir continually over the fire until
the mixture is about the consistency of
very thick cream; take from the fire and
add the grated rind of one and the Juice
of two lemons, mix and turn into
stoneware or china bowl to cool.-Yan-
kee Blade.
An exchange gives the following
useful hints: ''If tho chimney catches
fire run to the salt-box, and empty it
out upon the flames; they will be re-
duced as if by magic, and further steps
can be taken to subdue the outbreak. If
SCOT falls upon the carpet or rug, do not
attempt to sweep until it has been COW
cred thickly with dry salt; it can then
be swept up properly and not stain or
smear will be left. If any thing hap
pens to catch fire, either whilst cooking
or otherwise, throw salt upon it at once
to prevent any disagreeable smell"