davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
Hale Old New Workers.

Ex.Mayor Wick ham, frisky lad OF
about 70, was accosted by gentleman OF
erect bearing and whose eyes and skin
were clear. He had just finished hot
apple toddy. "Wickham, my dear boy"
he said in hearty tones, "you shouldn't be
out day like this. The weather is too
rough for boy like you The ex mayor
laug he'd and then inquired "Mr. Tappan,
how old are your
"Ninety-6 was the proud reply.
The elder gentleman who confessed to
being almost a centenarian, is the father
of Frederick W. Tappan, president of the
Galla,in National bank. Every morning
except Sundays he travels down town and
diligently attends to his own business sf-
fairs without any assistance. He is still
considered in the commercial world as
man of great shrewdness and keenness of
perception. =,
David Dudley Field is only 80 years of
age, Nearly every morning of his life ne
takes a horseback ride in Central park,
and afterwards walks all the way from his
residence in Gramercy park to his office on
lower Broadway In his ninth decade he
is still engaged in the active practice OF
the lsw.-Neso York Letter.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
The Cat and the Fer-De Lance.

The cat, upon seeing snake, at once
carries her kittens to place of safety, and
then boldly advances to the encounter. She
will walk to the very limit of the serpent's
striking range, and then begin to feint,
teasing him, startling him, trying to draw
his blow.
How the emerald and topaz eyes glow
then! They are flames. A moment more,
and the triangular head, Kissing from the
coils, flashes swift, as if moved by wings,
but swifter still the stroke of the armed
paw that dashes the horror aside, finging
it mangled in the dust.
Nevertheless, pussy does not yet dare to
spring. The enemy, still alive, has almost
instantly reformed his coil. She is in
front of him, watching, vertical pupil
against vertical pupil. Again the flashing
stroke, again the beautiful countering !;
again the living death is hurled aside.
Now the scaled skin is deeply torn one
eve socket has ceased to flame.
Once more the stroke of the serpent; once
more the light, quick, cutting blow. But
the reptile is blind, stupefed. Before he
can attempt to coil pussy has leaped
upon him, mailing the horrible flat head
fiat to the ground with her two paws.
An instant more, and he lies still. The
keen, white teeth of the cat have severed
the vertebre just behind the triangular
skull Midsummer Trip to the Tropics
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
HandkercE,iefs.

There was recently exhibited in Paris
preparatory to sale by auction, q collection
of pocket handkerchiefs which had occu-
pied its owner many years in getting to-
gether.
Handerchiefs appear at the first glance
to be singular and improbable objects for
q collectors fancy, but the collection ex-
hibited at Paris seemed to prove that they
could be made to tell an interesting story,
illustrating the development of manners
In modern society.
The most ancient handkerchief in this
collection was merely bit of silk tissue,
used many years ago by priests at the al
tar. For centuries, indeed, priests were
the only people in the European world who
used handkerchiefs at all. and they used
them only at the altar, and there only for
the sake OF propriety.
The handkerchief of the altar was called
facial, il was carried by the priest in his
girdle, and left with the vestments OF wor-
ship when the service was done.
Presently the grand ladies of the court
began to provide themselves with similar
squares Of silk. The next step was TO en-
broider the edges of these squares. And
soon their convenienced recommended
them so highly that gentlemen connected
with the various European courts in some
measure adopted their use. - Yoath's Com
DGns0n.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
A Trick OF q Lawyer.

A few days since famous lawyer sat In
HIS shirt sleeves In his inner Office, with
his feet on window sill and cigar in
the corner of his mouth, at 1870 in the
morning. People came to see him at short
intervals and they were all told that he
was engaged in an important confel ence
uptown, but that he would be at the off1ce
between - and /. At II o'clock the law
yer had finished his cigars, got through
with the papers and narrowly escaped rall-
ing asleep half a dozen times. At the
stroke of the clock remarkable change
came over him.
He pulled on an alpaca coat, brushed
his hair back from the bullying forehead,
but,oned the coat up severely to the neck
and sat down in his consulting room, sur
rounded by ponderous tones and legal
documents. All the people who had been
to ses him that day crowded into the office
at II O'Clock and patiently waited for .
chance to speak to the great man All
were impressed by the tremendous rush OF
business in hand. The outer room was
crowded to suffocation. At o'clock the
last of the callers had been disposed OF and
the statement went forth that the lawyer
| could see no one else until IL o'clock the
next day. IL is quite trick and have no
| doubt that it Is practiced extensively
| Btakelg HalEs Neao York Letter.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
WAYS of Great Men.

was sitting in the Senate gallery won
dering why so learned a speaker as Senator
Teller should say lair" for .'are;' why so
eloquent a gentleman as Senator Daniel
should say .cam" for "calm," and why
Senator Moody should say "extryordi-
nary;" wondering, too, why pretty nearly
every Senator when he has nothing to say
saws it in his most oratorical manner, and
why most of them begin their long
speeches with the assertion that they do
not intend to make speeches and end them
by saying they have taken more Of the
Senate's time than they intended to.
was sitting there thinking of these things
when spied my old friend, Uncle Jabez
Larrabee, of Illinois, in the gallery across
from me. Always interested in his obser-
vations, l went over and sat down beside
him.
sI've been thinking" he said, "what
'tsrnal nonsense it is for US to teach our
children how to write accordin' to rule.
Now, out in our village they teach what
they call the Spencerian system, an they
make every child sit jest so at his desk an
hold his pen jest so, pointin' over his
right shoulder, and his arm restin' jest in
such a position on the desk. | swum
don't see no use in that at all, fer no man
ever got to be so great, seems to me, till
he unlearned all them rules an went to
writin' accordin' to his own idea OF how II
should be DONE WashinQton P0st.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
Curiosities of Dreams.

When 1t comes to stories OF queer
dreams, the person most reticent about
this form of self-revelation is likely to
think if not to speak of some extraordinary
experience in the Land IF Nod. When
DR.. Holmes "saw huge fishes boiled to
rags bob through the bubbling. brine" in
bis famous nightmare of hot day, he set
"reminiscences going in many brain
crossed by thoughts of rash suppers like
his own. Two men drifted upon the topic
somehow the other day, and one confessed
TO terror oft repeated in his dreams*of
the roof falling down upon him. "My
fsvorite nightmare" returned the other,
sis of huge dog rushing at me to devour
me. But always bravely take hold of
his jaws, tear them apart, and SO save my
self from destruction" The first speaker
smiled sheepishly. eve dreamed that
myself hundreds of times" said he, "and
! never spoke of it. ! didn't suppose any
body else ever dreamed such foolish
."-Boston TRANSCRIPT.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
Poultry One of the Leading Industries
WHY Farmers Fail.

In the wear 1887, the egg production IN
this country was worth $3.50, 900, 600 and
the dressed poultry for that year was worth
S167 900 900, making the combined egg
and poultry products $517 OOO,0OO; TINS
was $50, OO0, 900 more than the value OF
the entire corn crop of the country for the
same period, and $175, O00.0 900 more than
the entire wheat crop.
While statistics are dry things to read
over, and these figures look large to the
ordinary farmer as well as others, they
are nevertheless, true. There are very
few farms on which poultry receives the
same care and attention given to other
industries Poultry raising for profit IS
science that must be acquired. hen IN
her wild state will lay from twelve to
seventeen eggs, then hatch and raise her
brood, aud with her it is ''root hog or die
The farmers have practice that is
fatal mistake to them when they are rails
ing poultry for either profit or pleasure
It. is to hatch from 100 to 300 chickens In
the spring and dispose of all the largest
and thriftiest before they come to matur-
ity, keeping from twenty five to fifty as
necessary evil through the winter. Inc
next spring doing the same thing again,
and in few years their flock becomes en-:
tirely worthless, especially for winter
| LAYERS.
of course, fowls in their wild state bred
Sin and in" but the males were endowed
with great pugilistic proPensitles and
| fought to the death, and only those OF
strong power and vitality were left to re
| produce their species.
NV own experience has taught me that
a hen, to be profitable, must lay at least
200 eggs in a year. if she does not reach
these figures, or go beyond it, off should
come her head. Some might ask the ques-
ton, how will find in flock of fifty hens
which are profitable and which are not.
You should know just the same as you
know which are your best horses and cat
tie. Out of a flock of 800 you could not
select more than fifty pullets of any breed
that it would be policy to keep for breed l.
ing purposes and they must be kept until
they come to maturity. A great many OF
them will lay only every other day, and
they must be disposed of, because they
will hatch strain of chickens that will
no. lay every day; and a hen that will not
lay every day will not prove profitable
under any circumstances. Hens fed in the
winter too much stimulating food when IN
good health, tends to make them lay thell
eggs before the she'll has had time tt
form. and then the whole flock will form
the habit of eating their eggs, and wher
they have once formed this habit 1t is
very difficult matter to break it up. The
6rst thing fowls do in the morning "heI
they have their liberty will be to go to thu
water. and hens that cannot drink when
ever they require it will not lay regularly
no matter how we'll they are fed. grea
deal can be learned in books and paper
about poultry, but the average farme
must learn from observation and patience
-PracticaI Farmer.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
Some of Natures Wonders.

The polypus, like the tabled hydra, re-
ceives new life from the knife which is
lifted to destroy it. There are 4041 mus
cles in caterpillar. Hook discovered
IA, 900 mirrors in the eyes Of drone. 10
effect the respiration of carp II, 300 arte-
ries, vessels, veins, bones, etc are neces-
sary. The body of every spider. contains
four little masses, pierced, with a multi
tude, of holes Gmperceptible to the naked
eye), each hole permitting the passage OF
a single thread all of the threads, to the
amount of 1000 to each mass, join together
when they come out, and make the single
thread with which the spider spins its
web, so that what we call q spiders thread
consists of more than 1000 threads united.
Leuwenhock, by means of microscopes, OBJ.
served spiders no bigger than a grain of
sand which spun threads SO fine that it
took 1000 of them to equal in magnitude
single hair. The fly spider, it Is known,
lays an egg as large as itself,-Neo York
TeleOr1m
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
Invention of the Compss SIS

The valuable invention of the compass
is involved in mystery. and its real discov-
erer is unknown Lafiteau, in his history
of the Portuguese discovery in the new
world, says that Vasco de Cana brought
It to Lisbon from the coast of Africa on
his return from Melinda, where the Arabs
then used it, and he believed the Portu-
guese to have been until then ignorant of
il Some attribute it to Flavia Gioja, of
Amalphi, about the year 1902. while others
again are of opinion that the invention is
due to the Chinese, and that one of their
enirerors, celebrated astrologer, was ac-
quainted with it 1920 years before the
Christian era nor have others again been
wanting who have supported the opinion
that it was known in the time of Solomon.
The ancient Greeks and Romans are also
supposed by some to have used it, but the
silence of their historians on this subject
renders this statement doubtful.--N. Y.
Le60sr
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
His First Visit. Don't You Know.

A Chicago lawyer who recently returned
from voyage across the Atlantic tells
this:
"One of the voyagers back was young
man from one of the universities of Eng
land. He was the most thoroughly book
posted young man | ever saw. And he
knew his own country as we'll. He was
delightful companion so long as he con-
fined himself to his books and his country.
But about everything else he was so re-
markably verdant that he was as interest,"
ing in his talk about things he didn't know
as he was in his conversation about those
which he did know. AS we neared New
York harbor there was the usual anxiety
on the part of Americans on board and the
usual curiosity on the part of those who
were coming over for the first time was
walking the deck one morning waiting to
get glimpse of my own country. The
young Briton joined me, and in the most
serious manner said:
"sWho is this man l hear them talking
about SO much for the last few hours-thl;
Sandy Hook, think they call him He
must be great man in America, and yet
from his name 1 should say ne was
Scotchman. '"-CAicaqo Tribune.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
Worn Out Shoes Have Their Uses.

Worn out shoes have their uses. The
Italian scavenger who rakes up your ash
barrel and sends the dust flying over your
door step knows this well, and his black
eyes gisten at the sight of old leather. Ii
the shoes are not worn to shreds he sells
them to a second hand dealer, and they
are patched up and resold but if they are
past mending he takes them home to his
cellar and rips them all apart, or his wife
and children do. The pieces he sells to
manufacturer. From the larger pieces,
after being soaked till soft, the uppers of
childreus shoes are cut The soles are
cut into small pieces to make up the layers
of the heels of other shoes; the iron pegs
that are not bent can be used over again,
and the little scraps that are left after all
this are subjected to treatment that
makes them all one pliable mass, from
which kind of artistic leather is rolled
out. This is used for covering chairs,
books, trunks, boxes, etc. Many fancy
patterns are stamped upon it, and the trade
in this kind of ZEN bossed' leather in the
United States is well established one
Mem York Tribune.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
Malaria.

Is your system full of malaria? Do you
feel weak and mean all over3 Have you
got the ague7 Then why don't you do
Something to get well9 You say quinine
doesn't do you any good. Well, you
needn't let that discourage you. There is
one remedy-Smith's Tonic Syrup, made
by DR.. John Bull, of Louisville, Ky.-that
is far ahead of quinine 1t will cure chills
and fevers when everything else fails.
This remedy never has failed. In some
neighborhoods where chills and fevers are
CT mmon it is found in every household.
Why, man would as soon refuse Lis fam
lily food to eat, as to refuse to get another
bottle of Smiths Tonic Syrup when the
old bottle gave out. 1t is great proven
tive of ague. A single dose will sometimes
keep off an attack. A few doses will break
up the fever and cure the chills. 1t does
not leave any unpleasant after effects as
quinine so netime does. 1t will not harm
the most delicate invalid. Give it trial
and you will soon be well.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
A Young Naturalist.

A dozen men were standing around the
defunct carcass of snake on Water street,
speculating as to what varity it belonged
to, Oae said it was house snake, another
commended that it was RATHER, and others
suggested that it was black snake, gar
ter Snake or a water snake. Finally 8
barefooted boy, with one pantaloon leg
rolled up to the knee and the other to the
ankle joint, stepped up, and inserting a
stick under the reptiles body raised it up
and said:
"Pll tell you what kind of snake that
is"
..What kind is it ?" asked several men
in chorus.
"A dead snake" said the urchln, az ne
tossed it into the mud and darted away
Punasutapney Spirit.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
She Was Honest Anyway.

One of the funniest of incidents, in
which darkey and played our parts,
was one day not long ago when judge
and his bride from Rochester were riding
with me in Victoria to see famous old
plantation on the outskirts of Savannah.
The judge had never seen any body
sstoting" -that is to say, carrying burdens
on the head-and there all the colored
working folk carried baskets and bundles
in that way. Noticing the judges inter-
est in the custom, and seeing colored
s.aunty'' ahead with bundle on her
crown, / said aloud ),
sLook, iudgel here's more toting."
Alas the colored woman heard me.
eyes" said she, Use totin', sho' nuff.
I'se on y poo, hard workin' woman, and
has to tote fer livid'; but thank Gawd
Use homes. / don't ride in no carriages,
don't. Use jist plain totin' woman, but
thank Gawa Use homes. Julian Ralph,
in Chatter.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
The Lion Bridge OF China.

One of the largest bridges in the world
is the ssLion bridge" in China. This spans
an arm of the Yellow sea, which reaches
far into the interior near the city of San
gang. and has length of IS miles. 1t
was built by order of the Emperor kieng
Long, who abdcated the throne in 1895 on
account of old age. The roadway lies u
feet above the sea level, and is guarded by
iron srailiaesrthe structure being carried
by 800 large stone arches. 1t takes its
name from the fact that huge stone lion,
twenty .one feet long, is placed upon each
pier, the lions being cut from single pieces
of marble. The Chinese call it the "Won-
der of the World. "-ED.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
She Didn't Mind Any Difference 10
Denominations.

It was approaching the end Of loves
Young dream. George B. Jawkins was to
be married in one short week to Marie
Anne Tupgletitty. In seven short days
Maria Anne would merge the house OF
Tungletitty in the proud name of Jaw
kins. Yet was George B. Jawkins not
entirely happy. Ever and anon as lie
souoze the fair Marie Anne to his heaving
bosom the black cloud of carkiEg care
would creep over his face. Fight it down
as hard as he could, yet care would cark
like brood hen ON three-ninure scratch
for grub In evening prayer meeting,
when George was wondering how in thun-
der he could get the bag out of the knees
of his best trousers, care would set up
cark which would make people turn
around and stare at him.
A secret lay heavy on the breast of
George B. Jawkins. But with the stern
integrity of a man who has been brought
up behind calico counter he resolved to
confess to Marie Anne. AS they sat to-
gether that evening he began to screw his
courage to the speaking point. He screwed
and screwed, bnt the thread must have
been broken. 1t was worse than the night
he popped the question. His throat was
pdTCuCA, Lilo tOuS uo aAys ySo - ScfA SS~
of perspiration trickled down his spinal
processes.
marie Anne," he gulped.
eyes, Jawge." His name was George,
but she called him Jawge.
81 have confession to make ; | fear the
result It may cause you to discard me.
If it does l shall wander forth into the
cold, cold world to die"
'Oh, Jawge, never, never. will never
discard you Besides, all my dresses are
made and the invitations are out. What
have you been doing7"
81 dare not tell you it is too horrible,
shuddered the young man.
'sHave-have you been Unmarried 2
boohooed Marie Anne.
s'No"
'sHave you f-firted with any othe1
g-girl p
mo"
"What is it, them Tell me and have il
over with. I shall die, know shall.
Marie Anne, am somnambulist.
"a what"
"a somnambulist. !"
s.Is that all2 Why, what a goosie yot
| are. I am Presbyterian, but after WI
are married I'll go to your church every
other Sunday. - Washington Post.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
A Curious Little Boat.

In the shop window of Emil Winegart-
ener, at Turin. Italy, there has been ex-
hibited since the beginning of the May
festival, 1890, one of the most wonderful
little boats in the world. 1t was made by
q jeweler in the employ of Mr.. Winegart-
ener in 1883, and is formed of a single
pearl, fashioned into all the swells and
concavities of real tugboat. The sail is
Of beaten gold studded with diamonds.
The pinnacle light at the PROV is ruby
of wonderful brilliancy. An emerald
serves for rudder, and the stand upon
which it is mounted Is of pure ivory. The
weight of the boat and stand is less than
half an ounce. 1t is valued at $5OoO -
st. Louis Republic.
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
Saved by a Proof Reader.
WHAT MIGHT HAVE APPEARED IN A WEST
ERIN NEWSPAPER.

WHAT MIGHT HAVE APPEARED In W hsi-
ERN NEWSPAPER.
In certain Western newspaper office
the gentleman whose business is to record
the fluctuations of the live stock Market
sits across from the young man 10 whose
lot if falls to report wedding ceremonies.
Both are graphic writers and ENJOY 'hss
latitnda Of expression characteristic OF
Western journalism. Both use the same
kind of paper, and their penmanshlp Is
not unlike.
suddenly called out of the ONCE ana leis
in the middle of the table several sheets OF
paper on which there was DESCRIPTION OF
q fashionable wedding. These sheets were
gathered up by the live stock writer when
he had finished his report, and the two
stories became mixed. This is what the
jealous care of a proof reader, late IN the
evening, saved from reaching the puoilc
eye:
"The church was el.borately decorated
with holly and evergreen, and the ai'ar +
was hidden in a wealth of flowers. Gut Oh
the recesses rose rare tropical plants, ana
from the ceiling hung fifteen western
yeals. which at this time of the year are
scarce and correspondingly dear at from o
to ~ cents per pound. There was also an
active demand for choice lambs. and farm
ers east of the Mississippi river can proh1-
ably turn to sheep raising and take the
bride, who wore gown of white coioreo
silk. a creation of Worth's, with pearl
ornaments.
.Then came the maid of honor, the
cousin of the bride, Miss Henrietta Blower,
of Chicago, wearing a dress of white tnlie
with diamond ornaments, and she was fol-
lowed by small bunch of Montana sheep,
which bleated most piteously as they were
driven on board and shipped to the winter
hotels in Bermuda. They will there be
cut en- train and slightly decollette ano
after the rest of the party had reached the
rail the minister turned and said impress
lively: 81 cannot bid more than Of cents
for State veals, but cablegrams from Lon
don quote refrigerated beef at price tina q
will enable me to pay 81 80 for car Of
choice Indiana beeves, and hearing this
| there was rush for the young married
couple, and the bride fell into the arms o
her father, who is known to bear strlk'
| ing resemblance to-a Connecticut o.
weighing 1875 pounds. The market her
took an upward turn, and the guests, wh'
numbered about 200. were served with
sumptuous dinner at the house OF tn
bride. "-Neao York ISnass
St. Landry democrat., 1890-08-16
A Particular People.

A great big ragged tramp was stretched
at full length on one of the benches in the
Circus Park, when an officer approached
and dropped the end of his CLUB against
him and said:
stGet out of thisl"
"W who-what2" gasped the sleeper as he
struggled up.
.sWhat are you doing Lere3"
sSleeping, sir"
.'But this is no place to Sleep"
ut amt, hey7"
ssNo. and you have no right to stretch
out and occupy bench"
81 think have.
"Well, know you haven't, and If you
do It again Ill arrest you T.
sis that the law herei'
SIT is.
well, you must be mighty particular
people. II felier wants to sleep ne must
keep awake on account of the law. and II
he wants to stretch his legs he's got to go
out and hire vacant lot somewhere.
Say !"
.'Well?"
sPut your old park in your pocket.
There's no society for man Ii he me here,
anyway, and just wandered in to show
the people that | wasn't proud or stuck
up.-De'roat Free Press.
1 +