davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
Along Lost Sword Found.
GIVEN TO A COURTEOUS sOUTHERNER AMI
KECOyEgED AFTER YEARS.

GIVEN TO A COURTEOUS S0UTHERNER AND ,
RECOVERED AFTER YEARS.
Frederick Mather, superintendent of the
New York State Fishery commission at
Cold Spring harbor, has had a peculiar
and interesting experience. In the winter
Of 1864 he enlisted in the One Hundred
and Thirteenth New Y ork regiment, which
was shortly afterward converted into
twelve batteries of heavy or garrison ar,
tillery. These batteries were instructed
in gun drill at Washington, out when IL
became certain that there was little danger
of the Confederates attacking the capital
the regiment was ordered into the field as
infantry. They, however, chung to their
title of the Seventh New York heavy ar
tillery, q designation they had received on
being transformed into gunners
On June 49, 1864, Lieut.. Mather was IN
command of L company, which was the
color company of the regiment, and be-
longed to the First division of the Second
corps, commanded by Gen. Hancock. The
command was moving on the enemy's
works at Petersburg, Va. On the right
was the Irish Legion, and the two bod1es
diverged. The Confederate forces rushed
through the gap, and the right of the One
Hundred and Thirteenth or Seventh New
York heavy artillery were taken prisoners.
To save the colors Lieut.. Mather deter
mined to bury them. This he did, and he
was in the act of burying his sword,
presentation from Battery |, on which his
name was engraved, when a Southerner
stepped up and said.
"Look here, Yankee, just drop that,
and ordered him to move inside the
enemy's trenches.
81 obeyed the ORDER" said Capt. Mather,
land was carrying my sword IN It's scab-
bard, and belt in my hand, when man IN
| plain clothes demanded it of me. l saw
| he was civilian, who had only come out
! to have shot at US, and resisted. Dur
ing our struggle, and just as the man was
| about to strike me with his list, an o1ncer
came up and indignantly asked If he was
about to strike prisoner. The man Tell
back and l handed my sword to the officer,
who, thinking l was wounded, offered me
hospitality, and wrote his name ana al
dress on a New York Tribune that had In
my pocket. Nothing could have been
kinder than the behavior of my captor.
was bsequently confined in prisons at
Macon, Ga. Charleston and Columbia, 5.
c.. and lost the memoranda with the name
of the man who had my sword. | had some
idea that he was Georgia man. and in my
travels in connection with fish culture IN
the Southern States have always been try
ing to find some trace of him.
"a few years ago Capt. L. Brewster,
who had served ip A company, tenth Ala,
bama regiment, during the war, died. A
Southern paper published that among bis
property was sword belonging to Lieut..
Mather. The item was copied into the
Nati0nM Tribune and | saw it. l COM
municated with Capt. Brewster's represen:
tstives, and the old sword, scabbard sno
belt once more came into my possession.
The scabbard has an indentation where s
ball struck it in the battle. They ara
relics of bygone feud, but prize then
very dearly.-Neoo York Tribune.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
An Intelligent Mule.

An ex-school teacher tells story which
is 'sthe truth" the whole truth, and Moth
ing but the truth. The Atlanta Constitu-
ton endeavors to give the details of how
the mule voted, as near in his own Ian
guage as possible.
1T was customary" said he, ''for the
teachers in the district to be excused from
road duty by vote of the hands present.
Some of the boys in the neighborhood con-
cuded they would like to see me swing a
pick, and throw dirt with shovel. On
the morning in question, one of the hands
who had been supenaed was away on a
frolic, and had permission to send his
mule as substitute. The boss called the
boys together, and asked them to vote on
my case, as to whether or not to excuse
me.
"Well, the vote was taken and it was a
tie.
zone of my friends made the point that
had the right of suffrage. The boss de-
cided that it had the right, and had the
BOYS to form a line IN the middle of the
road, with the mule in the gang. Then
he proclaimed
"sAll that are in favor of excusing the
teacher will step off to the right OF the
road, and all opposed, to the left ?
"Well, to the chagrin of the boys that
wanted me to work, the mule took to the
right. The vote then stood one in my
favor
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
Something to Sell Each Week.

There is great advantage to the farmer
in having something to sell all the year
round. Most farmers keep retail account
at the country store, and many of them,
doubtless, are often surprised how rap
idly bill will run up, especially if It is
all buy and no sell on their part. The
way to keep the store bill down, is to have
something to sell about every time you go
to the shop. The farmer should buy by
barter almost entirely. The little crops
and resources of the farm should be so
diversified that there may be something to
sell each week, enough at least to pur-
chase the little necessities of family con-
sumption. When there is no cotton, to-
bacco, peanuts, corn, wheat, hogs or bacon
to sell, there should at least be butter,
honey, eggs, poultry, vegetables, fruit,
medicinal roots and barks, etc.
If farm does mot furnish things of this
sort to trade for supplies. the farmer is
not doing as well as he should. A good
flock of poultry is often great help.
With this there may at least be eggs to
sell at the time. A few hives of bees often
90 q great way in buying necessaries, and
cost very little. Vegetables and fruits
are. some of them, always in season.
Dried fruits, vinegar, butter, lard are
always salable. Besides there may be
lambs, pigs, mutton, veal and the like to
DISPOSE Of now and then.
This plan would preserve the farmers
credit at store and make farming and life
q success. -Coata,trU Gentleman.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
A Long Fail.

"A remarkable fall of miner down 100
meters of shaft (say 1888 feet without being
killed, is recorded by M. Reumeaux in the
Bgtaetiqa de T. asdustrSe Mineral. Working
with his brother in gallery which issued
an the shaft, he forgot the direction in
which he was pushing truck SO it went
over. and he after it, falling into some
mud, with about three inches Of water.
Hs seems to have neither struck any Of
the wood debris nor the sides OF the shaft,
and he showed no contusions when he was
helned out by his brother about ten min
utes after. He could not, however. recall
anv Of his impressions during the fall
The velocity on reaching the bottom
would be about 14O feet, and time Of fall
4. 10 seconds; but it is thought ne must
have taken longer. It appears strange
that be should have escaped simple suffo-
cation and loss of consciousness during q
time sufficient for the water to have
drowned him.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
A Community of Interest.

That the West and South have very
MANY interests in common interests that are
not identical with the East, and, in fact,
to some extent antagonistic to that section
is apparent to every thinking mind. The
South and West both, to very large ex-
tent and we might say are almost entirely
dependent upon agricultural products for
their means of living and increase of
wealth and prosperity. 1t matters not
that each section on account of climatic
differences and difference in soil, ETC.,
raises the crops best adapted to the locality,
the fact remains that in all industrial, eco
nomic and commercial questions, the west
and South have community OF interest
not shared by the East.
Another fact can neither be gainsayed or
denied, viz: the West and South not only
exceed the East vastly in area, but also
constitutes a majority of the population,
which majority is increasing every year.
Notwithstanding these facts, the East has
always managed the legislation of the
country, which has invariablyebeen in the
interest of the Eastern capitalists, and
inimical to the producing class. This
state of affairs has existed ever since the
war; Comparatively a few men have
shaped the financial legislation OF the
nation in their own interests, and the re-
suit has been to make few millionaires
and millions of paupers.
Every year the number of free holders
is diminishing and the number of tenants
increasing, and an aristocracy OF wealth is
fast growing up in this country not les
repugnant to the lovers of freedom than
the feudalism of the old world.
Do you ask how has this been possible :?
Simply because the North and the South
have been divided upon political questions
and passions and prejudices of men have
been appealed to in order to divert the
minds of the masses from the economic
and industrial questions upon which they
should have been a unit, and by virtue OF
majority should have been able to settle
in the interest of the producing class.
The East has invariably dictated the
policy of the government in regard to
the currency, the silver question, etc, and
in every instance has that legislation been
hostile to the producing class, and cores
pondingly favorable to the men who own
the money of the country, and whose en-
tire time and energy is used in forming
trusts and and devising other schemes to
increase their already overgrown fortunes.
The West and s outh have it in their
power to change all this and all that is
needed is concert of action and forgetful
ness of the old animosities that have been
SO cleverly used by the capitalists to blind
the masses to their own interests.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
4 MOONBEAM.
lriiien for The AmAriCNEl.

Written for The AnaertcaB.
I am only waif of the ether,
To wander till morning unbars
The portal whose curtain is mantled
And buttoned with millions of stars
I skip from the leaves Of the forest
To roses that smile in the shade,
Then roam where the night breezes rustic
The boughs that are sweeping the glade.
How palely clothe every phantom,
With garments unnatural and weird.
Indfstinct and uncertain the pictures
That fancy 50 tremblingly reared
How dance with a glimmering culver,
AS light on the eye!ids o. care,
Then off to some rosy hued bower,
To some castle that's built in the air
Such pranks as play with the children,
All tucked in their comfortable beds
Oh, the ghouls and the ghosts and the goblins
That brighten their silly young heads
SO I'm only shimmering moonbeam,
To nestle with shades of the night,
To steal thro' the dews of the evening,
And food the cool earth with my light
Like Daphne, pursued by Apollo,
fee from the god Of the day,
To hide in my mansion so sombre
The silver that brightens each ray.
-,yuniUS L. UepD6feQI.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
AGRICULTURAL.

Dogs always have and always will kill
sheep.
The hog knows what good treatment is'
and appreciates it.
The better care we give to swine, the
better they will pay us.
The hardy catalpa is worthy of more
attention than it receives.
The soil on which the onion will DO
best is deep, rich, friable mould.
Do not plant flowers haphazard. STUDY
Horticulture if you intend to grow flowers.
Produce all and the best mutton you can
and all and the best wool you can, in the
same sheep.
Keep the tomato vines off the ground,
especially if you are growing them on a
small scale.
The sweet potato had better be left for
Southern sections to grow. 1t is warm
climate plant.
MAY %, at Springfield, Ill, are the date
and place of meeting of the American
Southdown Association.
If you plant ounce trees at all, they
should be planted in good, rich soil, and
given attention afterwards.
The Russian mulberry is rapid grower,
and makes durable timber. 1t is SAID TO
be us durable as cedar for fence posts.
The sheep and wool growers convention
at Huron, s. D., comprised nearly SUI
delegates, and much interest was mani
tested.
Sheep consume twice as many kinds OF
plants as other animals, including various
weeds, and the foliage of briars and
bushes
A great advantage incident to the sheep
crop Is, it is SO readily marketed and Is
always in demand, while most other crops
are not.
There is no better or speedier home
builder than the sheep which declares two
dividends year, says Galen Wilson in the
New York Tribune.
Many people, says an exchange, will be
surprised to know that the Merino fur
nishes about three ffths of all the mutton
consumed in America to-day.
While sheep choose the best feed, they
seem to do equally well on the refuse OF
pasture-fe1ds, shrub-lots, and wastes OF
the cattle and horse feed-racks. !
Pork production is quicker, and at
tended with some profit if the animals are
prepared for market principally on clover
and the grasses, and disposed of young.
I find very few,aif any, sheep ticks at
shearing time, says writer in New York
Tribune. My remedy is large flock OF
fowls running freely among the sheep the
whole year.
got tired of getting up at midnight to
drive dogs off the sheep, writes cores
pondent to the Indiana Farmer, and built
a house for them; every night the sheep
are shut up.
What is the use of flowers? William
Corbet answers that question thus "What
Is the use of anylhing2 The world might
have got on without anything. It might
have got on without man himself"
Law makers paralyze the sheep hus-
bandry by licensing dogs. VIII they not
make laws to do away with the worthless
dogs and drive nakedness and starvation
from the poor children of these dog
raisers.
In summer, the sheep require shady
pasture, says the Northwestern AQrSess4ttu
TSst their.warm coats of wool are burden
some in hot day. If there are not suffi-
Gent shade trees in the field, movable OF
stationary sheds should be provided. Il
is an act of cruelty to animals to compel
them to remain all day in broiling sum-
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
A Little Bows Lecture.

"Ladies and Gentlemen-Nearly four
hundred years ago the mighty mind of
Columbus, traversing unknown seas,
clasped this continent In its embrace.
A few centuries later arose one here
who now lives in all our hearts as the
Father of his Country. An able warrior,
q sagacious statesman, q noble gentleman.
Yes, Christopher Columbus was great.
George Washington was great. But here.
my friends, in this glorious nineteenth
century is-a crater !" exhibiting q
large. bright tin CRATER. The large kind
used for horseradish could be most easily
distinguished by the audience.)
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
Creoles.

The impression seems to prevail pretty
extensively in the North that Creoles are
a mixture of the white, negro and Indian
races This is great mistake. Webster
defines Creole as, first, properly created,
nursed, grown up" Second, Zone born
in the West Indies or America of European
parents.n Third, "Born within or near
the tropics, of any color"
The first definition given is purely phi
Illogical.
The second and third definitions are
those derived from usage.
Here in Southwest Louisiana, we have
still another definition, derived from local
usage. which is, "a descendant of any de-
gree from French, Spanish or Acadian
parentage."
The main body of those who are called
"Creo1es" here, are only such under this
last definition:
They are not born of European parents,
ner within the tropics, but are descendants
of the Acadians who came here from Cam
ada in A. D. 1865.
These people are a quiet, hospitable
people, and while their educational advan-
tages have been limited. they are not, by
any means, wholly an illiterates people
Many of them can read and write well and
some of them are classical scholars.
They are almost universally fully alive
to the importance of educating their chill
dren and are starting and sustaining
schools in every place where they can be
sustained.
The true Creoles are among the most
intelligent and substantial citizens of the
South. They give great attention to the
education of their children, but have been
heretofore giving their attention and pat
ronage to private schools.
Since the influx of Northern immigrants
into this country, and the agitation Of the
public school question by them, the Gre
o1es have taken hold of this question with
them, and are working together with them
in these lines.
Northern people are almost invariably
apreeably surprised when they come to
know the Creoles well. They find them
warm hearted and accommodating and So
cial and soon get to liking them we'll.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
A anne Otter.

An otter belonging to Scotch gentle
man was SO tame that whenever it was
alarmed by strange dogs it would endeavor
to spring into it's masters arms for protec-
ton. This animal was accustomed to fish
in the stream that flowed close to it's mas
ter's dwelling it would catch eight or ten
salmon in the course of the day. 1t was
equally as expert in the sea, where it
caught numbers of Goldfish. 1t would hunt
in this manner till it was tired, when it
refused to enter the water again. Its mas
ter then fed it with the produce of its
sport, and after it had taken sufficient it
went off to sleep and was generally car
ried home in that state.-Neso York Mail
and ErDress.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
The Baleful Cigarette.

The papers are full of it's deadly doings,
vat we realize it more when it strikes
down a friend from our midst.
Arthur s, a bright young merchant in
our sister village of Sidney, was stricken
down with typhoid fever. For days anu
weeks the scales of life and death seemed
so evenly balanced that the issue was I'M
possible to predict.
AT last youth and good constitution
triumphed, and he came slowly Dack 20 20
convalescsnce. Then the harmless (D
cioarette was resortsd to, to while away
the dragging hours. .,;
The resulI is that Arthur S. is in the In
coma ssvlu,p to-day, victim to the MUIR
darons cigarette.-E. j. Richmond.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
TWO Notable Horses.

The horse that belonged to the late
Lieut. Col. w. J. H. Robinson and went
through the Fort Donelson' sn'ion ana
other battles of the war died OF Klno OF
influenza. The animal was "a years olo.
George Herman, undertaken, claims 10 own
the Oldest and most notable morse IN inai-
sna an animal that helped to draw the
hearse that bore the remains OF fre esq
Lincoln through Indianapolis in 1860
Indianapolis Journal.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
The Old Apple Woman in the Capitol

There are lunch stands in many parts of
the corridors presided over by women and
the little old apple woman who sits in the
window recess near the main door of the
House has many customers She is very
poor woman, and her face bears the lines
of hardship. Promptly at the opening of
the House every day, she squats down
here on the floor with her apples beside
her, aud peddles them out at the rate of
three for five cents to all Corners Many
of the leading congressman are great apple
eaters, and she often sells to Tom Reed,
Ben Butterworth and Joe Cannon. The
lunch stand at the side of Statuary Hall,
is largely patronized by the newspaper
correspondents and you may see congress
man and journalist buying of this old lady
here. Her stock consists of sandwiches
and pie, and she furnishes the best of
milk to wash down the solids.-Miss
Grumpy, .Tr.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
Few Tail Birds Are Baldheaded.

The baldheaded men furnish compare
lively few to the criminal classes. Their
percentage of criminals and other offend
ers against the law is remarkably small.
In support of this statement it may be
mentioned that count was made OF the
prisoners confined in the county jail. This
count revealed the fact that OF l5o male
prisoners only sixteen were baldheaded.
From the central prison, also, lnforma-
sion of similar satisfactory character
was obtained. There it was learned that
the total number was 231, among whom
only nineteen were scant of hair.-1oro7'to
Mail.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
Tourists,

Whether on pleasure bent or business,
shonld take on every trip bottle of Syrup
Of Figs, as 1t acts most pleasantly anu e.
fectually on the kidneys, nyeI anu ud po a.Ss.
preventing fevers, headache ana osnsl
al 90 bottles by al leading druggists.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07

A farmer was rather noted among his
friends for complaining disposition. One
year the crops were exceptionally good,
and some curiosity was felt to see how he
would meet the case. 81 am afraid, said
he, ssthat such great crop will be
powerful strain on the land"
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
What Kept Them Up.

Farmer-"How much be them pants,
anyway p
Clerk-"Three seventy fve."
eyes, same old price. 'Taters worth
half what they ulster be- corn way down
to notbin; oats down, butter down, eggs
down-Pd like to know, by gol what
keeps pants way up, bub.'
''suspenders, perhaps"
The old man went out, muttering some
thing about he guessed twas safety pins
p'r'aps, in some cases.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07

It is said of Horace Greeley that soon
after he went to learn the printing bust
ness he went to see a preachers daughter.
The next time he attended meeting he was
considerably astonished to hear the preach
er announce his text: .MV daughter is
being grievously tormented with devil
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07

messenger Boy (from the foundry
Here's q box Of type the boss sent up:
Reporter Put it out on the vacant s1alr
,a, N stare belongs to the city editor. You
can't fill that up, my boy pesides, we
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07

In an uptown boarding school, where
zhe methods of instruction are more prac-
zeal than fashionable, the following rule
hangs high In letters foot long AVOID
sarcssm.S In the same school 1t is consid-
cred 20 sin to fret and ssvulgar TO gos-
III, u-W r. World.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
The Tale of a Mule.

While travelling in Virginia some time
ago with doctor, we came upon an old
colored mar who was standing by mule
hitched to an old two wheeled vehicle.
''Dis mule am baked, boss" said the old
man, can I'll jis' glib dollah to de man
that can start i'm"
81 will do it for less than that, uncle, J"
said the doctor. He took his case from
the carriage and selected small syringe,
which he filled with morphia. He went
to the side of the mule and quickly insert,
ing the syring in his side pushed the con.
tents into the animal. The mule reared
upon his hind legs, and giving an aston
ishipg bray started down the road at a
break neck speed. The aged colored man
gave look of establishment at the doctor,
and with q loud "Whoa |" started down
the road after the mule. In the course of
ten minutes we came up to the old man
standing in the road waiting for us. The
mule was nowhere in sight.
sSay: boss" said the darkey, show
much is that stuff you put in dat mule?'
"Oh, about ten CENTS" laughingly re-
piled the doctor.
'Well, boss. yo' kin squirt twenty cents
wuf in me right away. Heah am de cash.
I must ketch dat ar mule" -Eg.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07

"Woman cipher p Granted: But
she is a cipher on the right side, that
counts ten in Gods government just a, as
surely as in mans arithmetic. --Amn@ M
Hammer.