davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
How the W0odcOck Feed.

A writer IN Forest md StreEm gives
,+ne following account Of the way he saw
woodcock ''boring" for worms one moon
light night: ''The birds would rest their
bills upon the mud and stand in this po-
sition for several seconds, as if listening,
Then, with sudden, swift movement,
they would drive the bill its entire length
in the soil, hold it so for second, and
then as swiftly withdraw it. Though I
watched the birds carefully with the
glass, could not detect the presence of
a worm in their bills when they were
withdrawn. But subsequent process
gave me the clew to their method OF
feeding. After having bored over a con-
siderable piece of ground-a foot square
or more-they proceeded to execute what
looked comically like war dance upon
the perforated territory. They also oc-
casionolly tapped the ground with the
tips of their wings. My intense curiosity
to know the possible utility of this pro-
cess was at length gratiied by seeing a
worm crawl, half-length, from one of the
borings, when it was Immediately
pounced upon and devoured by one of
the woodcock. Presently another worm
made its appearance, and SO on until the
two woodcock had deEoured as many as
dozen of them. Then the vein seemed
exhausted, and the birds took their leave.
have subsequently studied the philoso-
ply OF this method of digging bait, and
have come to the conclusion that certain
birds are great deal wiser than certain
bipeds without feathers. If you will
take sharpened stick and drive it into
the ground number of times, in spot
which is prolific with worms, and then
tap on the ground with the stick for a
few minutes, you will find that the worms
will come to the surface, and that they
will come up through the holes which you
have made. account for it by the sup
position that the tapping of the stick
somehow affects the worms the same as
the pattcr of rain, and it is well-known
fact that worms come to the surface Of
the ground when it rains. The antics of
the woodcocks after they had made their
borings, then, were simply mimetic, and
intended to delude the worms into the
belief that it was raining in tho upper
world. The worms, being deceived,
came up and were devoured. All this
may seem ridiculous, but, if it is not
true, will some naturalist please state how
woodcock can grasp and dcvour a worm
when its bill is confined in solid, tight
fitting tunnel of soil, and also how it is
enabled to know the exact spot where it
may sink its bill and strike worm2 And
further, of all those who have seen a
woodcock feeding, how many ever saw it
withdraw worm from the ground with
its bill9"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19

. In reply to questions Senator Hawley
gave me some facts and suggestions about
big guns, and added: "But go down to
the gun factory at the navy yard, you can
there learn more in an hour than I can
tell you in a week"
So 1 went, and at the very doors of the
largest of the half dozen tremendous
buildings, old and new, in the navy yard,
which constitute the gun factory, I was
fortunate enough to meet Lieutenant J.
Fremont, son of the Pathfinder who
marked passes across the Rockies, and
who, by the way, is now once more So
journing here. Young Fremont is study
ing the stately art of gun making, and he
kindly showed our party about, making
Ineligible what would otherwise have
been obscure.
Everywhere throughout these build
ings are manifestations of tremendous
activity and energy. Throngs of work
men are busy with lathe, drill and forge,
plane and triphammer. The process has
gone steadily forward which was begun
in 1886, when Hawley's committee re-
ported in favor of the Washington Navy
Yard as the most eligible site for ma
Eonal gun plant, and no change of ad-
ministration has imperilled the appropria-
tions. Congress has begun to take a
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
Taken at Her Word.

II was settling down to work, > said a
book agent pestered man, "when pretty
woman entered my office. "No one would
suspect that she was book agent. She
placed a volume in front of me and be-
gan to talk. 1 told her would not buy
the book if I really wanted it. 'Never
mind, said she, gayly. Itwon't costyou
anything to look at it,
Gas she desired, looked at it. read
the introduction and then Chaper /. 1t
was 10 o'clock when opened the book.
At II o'clock the pretty book agent had
become uneasy. I never raised my eyes:
Another hour, and she was pacing up and
down tho floor. At l o'clock, when she
had nearly worn herself out, laid the
book down, and, putting on my hat and
coat, said to the exasperated woman
s'That's a clever book. l regret that
I cannot read more OF it, but l must away
to dinner
"Shc was mad, but she didn't say
word. Grabbing the book, she showed
it into her satched and made for the
street. - Boston Globe.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
BIG NAVAL GUNS.
LEVIATHAN ARMAMENT FOR
OUR MEN-OF-WAR.
A Walk Through the Great Gun
Factory at the Navy Yard
in Washington - Process
of Gun Making.

l have been down to the navy yard and
looked over the leviathan machinery
which finishes our largest and finest guns,
says a Washington correspondent OF the
New York Press.
Henceforth, for many years, the navy
is to be the fashionable and favoritc arm
of our service, because it will have no
more to do than the army and will be as
sisted in doing nothing by being toted all
around the terrestrial seas on the hand
soonest and largest ships of war that ever
Hoated. We arc considerably behind in
these marine vehicles yet, but we are
rapidly catching up.
! Already we have on the sea fleet of
admirable cruisers, and the Cushing, just
launched, promises to be the fastest war
vessel afloat. Besides these naval crick
cts, some of which arc by no means con-
temptible, we have three big ships COM
ing into the water soon-the Maine, 5000
tons; the Texas, 1900 tons, and the Mon
terey S400 tons. The last two will each
carry in its principal turret two twelve
inch guns, capable of throwing bolt as
large as a, man twelve miles!
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19

proved to be subtcrrancan cave COM
plctely filled with mummy cats, each
ono being separately embalmed and
wrapped up after the usual fashion of
Egyptian mummics. Pussy Of B. c. 1000
was sacred object to section of the
ancient Egyptians, and when cat died
lis even Il cat eventually must-it was
buried with as much honor MS any human
being. The finder, having reported his
discovery, iaborers were soon Mt work
and turned out tens of thousands Of the
mummirS. Some were taken by the
farmers of the place, others went to a
merchant in Alexandria, who shipped
them to Liverpool, where another mcr-
chant, local dealer in fertilizers, bought
the consignment at about $40 ton. The
mctionccr adding insult to injury,
Knocked down the lot of 1SO, 900 cats
with the head of one of them as hammer.
TO such basc uses may the gods OF Egypt
come,
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
NEVER ASK GOD "wHYoi

In the absence Of the principal of Q
grammar school, his pupils formed two
societies for mutual Improvement. Their
meetings were held in the only vacant com.
modiOus house in the village. \ letter in.
forming the teacher what had been done, he
Immediately wrote, positively forbddine
any further meetings. His order was strictly:
although painfully obeyed. Il required oil
his good standing among bis devoted young
friends to r, strain them from believing this
act tyrannical So painful was the state OF
their minds, that on his return they all pre-
feTred respectful request OF this mysteri
Gus Lo.d,lrt Reminding them Of his for.
mer and knuwn kindness he inquired II
that. united with his declaration that he had
good reasons, was pot sufficient.
They promptly expressed ti.2:r conf.
dcnce both in his kindness and yeracty, Du,
said it would relieve their minds TO know his
reasons. Then" said he, Il have several.
One is, that few days before l left you,
three men having been secretly lodged in the
house where your meetings were held. died
with the small poI. Arc you satisfied" AL
assnntcd.
SO, child of sorrow, God is trying you.
He spois your plans. He crosses your
wishes, He takes away your delight: but He
has good reasons for all He does. Yet He
frequently conceals the cause Of all these
trials. He says-"What do, thou knowest
not now, but thou shalt hereafter" It is
both folly and wickedness to doubt Ills love
or His wisdom in the mysteries Of Proyi.
1cnce.-Rey. W. S. Plu,ntr.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
DRINK DESTROYS THE BRAIN.

The Christian Inquirer mentions an i'm.
pressive lecture on alcoholic Inheritance"
by DR.. Symes Thompson, at Gresham Col
lege, andreports him as saying: =
''We doctors are often tempted to wish
that the human race could be propagated
with as much care as is shown in the breed
ing of horses" The lecturer followed with
areally terrible list of the evils to which 'al-
coholic subjects" or the children and chill
dren's children born of drunkards, are lia-
BILE, not the least of which are insanity and
every form of mental alteration. 1t was
very noticeable, said the doctor, how much
the moral character of the drunkard was
destroyed, and the same effect Of the parents
sin was traceabe in his children. Again,
drink was the greatest destroyer Of brain
power in the world. and its results were won
derfully manifested in the drunkard's issue.
It is we'll understood that drink destroyed
self-control, and a great necessity Of the
present day was the training Of drunkardS
children in self-control.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19

: This is the only great gun factory in
the country, though they are threatening
TO put in plants at Watervliet, N. =;
Bethlehem, Penn, and some point west
pf tho Rockies. Already the original
steel casting of the guns finished here
kre made at Bethlehem, where they arc
Welded by the open hearth process from
lativc ore. A year ago we depended on
England for these huge Jumps of steel,
but 8Ir. Fremont voiced the general
\opinion that the Bethlehem steel now
Furnished is the best made in the world.
Here the rough pieces are turned in the
immense lathcs to a true and symmetrical
xtcrior, and are then conveyed to the
|oring machines, where, at rate of
wenty revolutions a minute, they are
radually converted into tubes.
After, the bore has received its finish
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
Mummy Cats.

There arrived recently at Liverpool
1SO, ,GeO mummy cats which, after having
lain il their sacred burial place at Beni
lIassan in Egypt for 5000 years or so,
arc now about to fill their final and prob
ably most useful function of fertilizing
English land. We give below sketches
Of four OF the heads OF these extraordi-
nary objects. Farmers are indebted for
this excellent lot of twenty tons of ferti-
lizcr to the lucky accident which befcll
an Egyptian who fell into u pit which
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19

pride in it, and if two or three hundred
members who have never yet seen big
modern gun would visit the factory it
would be an invaluable object lesson in
patriotism.
The antique building of mammoth
proportions and grotesque form, which
year ago was dismantled anchor
foundry, is now crowded with the colos-
sal lathes and elephantine hammers. Old
tools hitherto thought effective have been
superseded by those of latest design.
Lathes, with the cradle larger than the
hull of Columbus's Pinta, stretch them
selves across the shop, and in them will
shortly be rocked the great ten and
twelve inch guns, twenty-five and thirty
feet long. The yard has now more than
. thousand employees, and the number
will be doubled as soon as the ponderous
Z aachinery comes that has been ordered.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
whistle, carries it upon his hand Or

whistle, carries it upon his hand or
shoulder from room to room in which all?
the windows are carefully closed, let it
fly and calls it back. As soon as the
bird becomes obcdient to the call in the
presence of other persons or animals, tho
experiment should be cautiously repeated
in the open air until at least it is re-
warded with perfect success. 1t is,
however, very hazardous to take the
birds into the open air, as they are liable
to be cnticed by the cries of wild birds.
The tanned bird may then be taught
number of amusing feats, though, per-
haps, this requires more time, labor and
skill than most amateurs will care to ex-
pend. Some simple tricks may, how
ever, be taught with reasonable amount
of pains and patience. A very neat ar
rangcment consists of an inclined plane
outside the cage, upon which o little
wagon may be run or little tray slide
containing bird seed. To this vessel
is attached one end of string, the other
end heading up the plane and being
secured inside the cage. This is ar
ranged so that when the bird pulls the
vessel up it is drawn to an opening
sufficiently large for the bird to secure
the seed, but not large enough to per-
nit its escape. To teach the bird to
draw this vessel up he must be kept with
out food until he becomes quite hungry,
and then he will peck at anything in the
cage.
The string should be so arranged that
he can seize it without trouble, and the
apparatus should work smoothly and re-
quire little strength. The seed vessel
should be in full sight so that the bird
may be tempted by the seed. At first he
will peck at the string as he would at any
thing else, and will naturally pull it up
without any idea of the result. The re-
suit once achieved, he may be relied upon
to repeat the performance, and also in
stinct will teach him to prevent the vessel
sliding back by placing his foot on the
string while he cats.
Canares may easily be taught to wear
little bells, of which they become inor-
dinately proud. Such tricks MS jumping
over the trainers finger, taking articles,
such as miniature basket, gun, ETC.,
may also be taught with comparative ease
when once properly tanned. When bird
has learned to pull a string or seize with
his beak wha: IS presented &c - roticc,
accomplishment may be applied TO many
tricks apparently very difficult. A per-
son with faculty for invention can ar
range nlaay little contrivances, more or
less elaborate, which will be constant
source of pleasure to the proud trainer
and his friends. ChicQg0 Tribune.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
THE HUMBLE EXALTED,

God chooses the humblest instruments.
He passes by the tcmpests, and waters The
fields and gardens with his in.perceptible
dew. He passes by the great elephant and
bestows the hues of sapphire and amethyst
upon the tiny humming- bird. He passes by
the lofty pine and huge elm-tree, and Law.
lshes blossom and perfume on the violet.
All history teaches the same truth. Moses
was the son of poor Levite; Gideon was 8
thresher: David was o shepherd-boy; Amos
was herdsman; the Apostles were ignorant
and unlearned; Zwingle was shepherd; Me-
lancthon, the great theologian Of the Refor-
nation, was an armorer; Luther was the
child of poor miner; Fuller was farm
servant; Cary the originator of the plan OF
lranslating the Bible into the Languages. of
the millions of Hindustan, was shoemaker;
Morrison, who translated the Bible into the
Chinese language, was lastmaker; DR..
Milne was q herd-boy; Adam Clarke was
the s.n of Irish cotters; John Foster was
weaver; Jay, of Bath, was hcrdsman.-iss-
teCted
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
Stories of Spain's Youthful King.

The young King of Spain, as is well
known, has been brought up in strictly
family way, and very much as any other
young person of good birth in his king
dom. His mother has very sensiblv for.
bidden the Juggling in of the royal feat
ures of his life any more frequently than
the absolute necessities of the strict rules
OF Spanish court etiquette required, and
except on the occasion of State cere-
monials young Alphonso has been at
tended almost entirely by his mother and
by the stalwart peasant nurse who has
been his companion from his earliest
Dabyhood to his present comparatively
mature age of four years. During his
illness she and the Queen were constantly
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
THE KING OF SPAIN.

at the little fellows bedside, and about
the only other living creature SO con.
stantly in the room WAS cat. The young
King before his sickness, had begun to
tire of the baby playthings that had been
at his command, and seeking other toys,
let his fancy light upon Maltese cat
that he saw somewhere about the palace.
The animal at once became a creature Of
distinguished consideration in the royal
household. II answered to the name of
Perico. The ribbon upon its neck was
tied there by the King himself, and
when he was taken sick the King insisted
that pussy should be in the room with
him. So, for full month the faithful
cat was constantly in the sick chamber.
Naturally the animal became great
favorite, and one of the high ladies at the
court made for it an embroidered cushion
Another story from the sick room, and
one that has more Of the flavor usually
found in stories of royal infants, George
Washington and other lofty personages,
deals with little crippled girl whom
IllC Mig ndO lllCl Ou OuC VI LID ndlhS vi
rides about with his nurse before he was
taken sick, and to whom, seeing often
again, he had taken fancy. It came
to be that whenever the King in his out
ings saw the little cripple he would make
one Of the ladies Of honor descend from
the carriage and carry some little gift to
her. When he had been sick for while
he said to his mother one day:
"What will become of my little cripple
and what will she eat, now that go out
no more"
"Brcad,' said the Queen, "like all
the poor people; that is, if she can get it."
II am too little to command" said
the King.
GAS it is to do good" replied the
Queen, II will permit you to give
orders"
The King, at this, said nothing, but
the next day he had taken to the little
bcggar the bon-bons some one had sent
to himself York Sun.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
WHAT THE w. c. T. q. HAS DONE.

Until the organization Of the W. G. I. u,
temperance work had been almost exclusively
reformatory. When mother-love came to the
10. C, Is quickly recognized the fact that the
awful river 0f drunkenness was fed continu-
ally by streams whose springs were in the
home; every man swept to destruction by its
terrible flood was some mothers boy."z
Other organizations had stood on the bank
and dragged here one and there another VIC
tim from the food, too often only to see them
stagger back and be engulfed in the black
waters; These mothers said: "The stream
must be stopped at the fountain
head" and this is prevention. They
had learned the lesson taught by
an insane asylum; the patient whose
sanity is to be tested is taken to tank
into which stream of water is flowing from
q pipe, and told to empty it, If, unheeding
TIE lowing stream, he attempts to dip the
water out, his sanity. is clear: but ii, COM:
pretending the situation, he first turns the
faucet shutting off the ;stxeam, and then pro-,
ceeds to empty the tank, his sanity is equaMy.
clear. The W. c. T. q. has proved its sanity
by turning the faucet, and thus originated
its preventive work.-Uniorl Signal.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
WORK AMONG SOLDIERS AND SAILORS.

The important work of the W. G. T. o.
among United States soldiers and sailors Il
under the special direction Of Mrs. Sarah A,
McClees, of New York city. Effort is being
made to induce interested men to become
total abstainers, to form soldiers temperance
unions officered by themselves, to suppress
the sale of liquor near soldiers homes to pro:
vide Bethels, coffee and lodging rooms for
soldiers in seaport cities, to circulate temper:
ance and White Cross literature among sol
way possible to promote Christ's kingdom
among these men. The work has met with
marked appreciation, not onlyffom the men
themselves but from officers and chaplains,
who have given the ladies their sympathies
and support throughout the entire six years
of effort.-W. C., I. u. Bulletin.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
A REC ENr letter from London says the

A RECENT letter from London says the
Prince and Princess of Wales, although
most hospitable and kind toward their
guests Mt Sandringham, are as capri
cious as other mortals, and it is often
difficult even for the best-bred people
to estimate to o nicely the exact point
at which intimucy may become dis
tasteful. Conduct which in the even
ing may be deemed very charming and
amusing may be resented as pre-
sumptuous the next morning.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
TEMPERANCE
TEMPERANCE TARS,

In q case before magistrate at Plymouth,
England, the captain Of the brigantine Louis
Montgomery was charged with having failed
to serve out lime juice to his crew on voyage
from Montevideo to Plymouth, and the evil
dence showed that he had attempted to sub!
stitute grog for the lime juice, and that the
men had refused to touch it, and for eight
cen days had lived on bread and water rather
than give up their temperance principles.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
RELIGIOUS READING,
TIIE WHITE STONE.

Some time ] shall behold it.
What will the wonder be
From hands that now enfold it,
To read the name for me?
Unknown to any other,
Designed for me alone,
When my dear Elder Brother
Shall make the gift my own.
Ostone of beauty waiting
With polishment most rare!
The King Himself translating
The words engraven there;
Yes, shall understand it,
My Saviour's thought alone,
When He to me shall hand it,
My name upon the stone.
Twill only be His story
In the enjeweled phrase,
And His shall be the glory.
And mine to speak His praise;
Then I shall know the measure
Of all His love to me;
The sum Of all my treasure
Safe i'll my hand shall be.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19

THE authorities at Nordhauscn, in
Saxony, ut the suggestion of the dis
trict medical officer, have issued an
order to BARRIERS to disinfect their
brushes and other implements imme-
Gately after use and before they are
applied to the hair or beard of an
other customer.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
A PRAIsEwoRTHY PRECEDENT.

One of the most elegant entertainments OF
the season in Washington was one recently
given in honor of the Pan-American Dele
gates by ex-senator and Mrs. j. B. Hender-
son, Of Missouri. There were many dlstln.
guished guests and all the appointments OF
the occasion were Of the most elegant charac'.
ter, 'but no wines or liquors were offered
All honor to ex-senator and Mrs. Henderson
for their praiseworthy social precedent
National Temperance Advocate.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
A Midnight Tragedy.

Two lovers lean on the garden gate;
The hour is late.
Az a chamber window her father stands,
And rubs his hands.
For while he watches them unawareS
Then goes downstairs.
He looses the dog from his iron chain
The rest is plain.
The moonlight silvers the garden gate;
The hour Is late.
-SomervilEe Journal.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19

The island of St. Helena is again to
be used as political prison. This time,
instead of affording shelter to another
world dictator, it will be the home of
certain Zulu chiefs who fought against
England.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19

The statue of Rev. Mr.. Bcecher, which
is to be placed in Prospect Park, Brook
lyn, is now being cast in bronze. 1t is
to be of colossal proportions, nine feet
high, and representing the preacher in
soft felt hat and cape.