davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-14
SLAVE TRADE IN THE HEAVENS.
Some Wonderful Facts Regarding Comets
Prof. Searle's Lecture.

Some Wonderful Facts Regarding Comets
Prof. Searle's Lecture.
Prof. George M. Searle lectured at the
Catholic university yesterday afternoon on
the movements and physical appearance of
comets, says the Washington Star.
He began by saying that the movements
of comets, SO far from being erratic, as is
commonly supposed, are perfectly definite.
and their orbits are more easily calculated
than those of planets. The only reason why
they do not become members of our solar
system is simply that they usually travel in
curve called a parabola, which is an in
definite curve in its own nature
and never returns into itself. Com
cts in general are supposed
to drop from space into the solar system,
and, after passing around the sun, to
leave it never to return. There are some
comets, however, which are permanent men,
bers of the solar system and are periodic.
These are supposed to have been brought
into the system by the disturbing action of
one or more of the great planets as they
were entering or attempting to leave.
An account was given of the remarkable
comet of Lexell, which was made member
of our system in 1867 by Jupiter as it was
entering, probably for the first time. It
passed near the earth in ITO and made one
complete revolution around the sun; then,
as it passed near Jupiter again, in 1879,
it was caught by its influence and thrown
into different orbit. What the
orbit was was not known until
last year, in which the wanderer was again
picked up and found 10 have probably been
thrown into twenty-six-year period by
Jupiter in 1873, and again meeting in 1856
to have changed its period to one of eight
years. In that orbit it is now travelling.
but probably will undergo some further
change from its next meeting with Jupiter
in 1928.
He went on to describe Donath's comet
of 1853, the specimen comet of this CEN
tury. as far as regular development was
concerned, and one of the most beautiful
that have ever been seen, as many who are
now living will remember. Views of this
comet were given in various stages of its
development, as it appears to the naked
eye, and also as the head appears in the
telescope. In the views of the latter the
formation of the envelopes and of the tail
were shown.
The question of the physical constitution
of comets. as shown by the spectroscope.
was then brought up and illustrated by
views The spectroscope, 30 far as observa-.
tions have yet gone. shows principally in
comets gas similar to our illuminating
gas. When they approach near the sun and
lines of some metals appear, principally so
dunn and magnesium. and possibly iron.
Views and descriptions we're also given of
the wonderful comet of 1882, probably the
most extraordinary that has appeared in
modern times. The lecturer concluded with
an allusion to the connection of comets with
meteor streams.
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-14
OLD AND NEW MUsKETs.

The Great Improvement In American Fire
Arms I'm the Past Forty Years.
Our civil war, says the Forum, was
fought with the rifled musket of 1866, which
was muzzle loader of O.5s inch caliber. It
had 5Oo-grain bullet, which, with charge
of 60 grains of powder, obtained an initial
velocity of 600 feet. It's penetration.
measured by number of pine planks it
could traverse, each an inch thick, placed
Ia inches apart. was II at 200 yards, 6 at
GOO and at LOCO. The highest point of the
trajectory was 20 inches above the line of
sight at 2OO yards RANGE, and 40 inches at
300 yards. That our sstesent service arm,
the Springfield rifle of 1873 is an advance
on that OF 1855, will be obvious from these
comparisons:
ut is breech-loader, caliber 0.45 inch
The 405-grain bullet. with charge of 20
grains of black powder, has an initial vel
ocity of about $50 feet. It's penetration in
pine planks at 500 yards is nearly 8
trajectory % As at es' 80 yaPds ' range 1l 'hs is
15 inches; at $50 yards, II feet, and at LOO
yards range, GO feet above the line of sight.
The dangerous horizontal space at 500 yards
range is 200 feet; at 800 Yards. 80 feet, and
at 1,05O yards 70 feet. But great as is this
antequated in European estimation
Abbott, certain soon to supersede the old
familiar black powder in small arms, in
machine and rapid-iire guns and per-
haps in field and siege artillery. Just
now the new device is too apt to spoil in
changes of temperature and storage, and
some varieties of it had to be given up on
this account. Forms of compression and
other treatment, too, have, it is said,
been recently discovered by which the ordi-
nary black powder can be made to give
greatly increased initial velocity. Be this as
it may, powder has greatly advanced in eff
fectiveness since the close of our war, while
the change wrought by the magazine rifle,
now almost universally adopted in some
form in Europe, may be seen in these sta
tistics:
"The usual caliber is about OBJ inch. The
bullet, weighing about 23O grains, is of lead,
but to resist the high powder pressure and
the friction developed in the bore, it is
cased in steel, copper or nickel. The initial
velocity exceeds 1900 feet, giving at $50
yards range dangerous horizontal space
of about $50 feet. Steel plates 1.2 inches
thick have been pierced at short range and
fifteen inches Of solid oak at 20 yards.
The magazines according to Iattern, con-
tain from five to eleven cartridges, which
can be discharged at the rate of one shot
per second"
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-14
Democratic Senators Propose to
Have the Montana Fraud I'm
derstood by All.
The Debate Will Continue Until
State Stealing Methods Are
Ventilated.
Representative Cartsr's Course May De-
feat Legislation Favorable to tho
Interests of Silver NJ en-.

WASHINGTON, April 13.-[special. The
Montana contest will again be discussed in
the senate tomorrow, and just when vote
will be reached will depend upon the pro-
gramme of the democrats.
So far as the majority of the committee
had any programme that side closed with
Senator Eyarts' speech. He was driven to
take the floor by the democratic tactics. He
had intended to close the debate. Senator
Morgan, however, will speak tomorrow and
other democrats will follow. They propose
to put the case on record in the strongest
poss bic light for their party, and the
speeches denouncing what they call the
steal will be given wide circula-
tion IN Montana as campaign docu-
ments. They have made speeches
decidedly stronger than any that have come
from the republican side and it is part of
their programme to prolong the debate
until the case becomes obnoxious to the
entire country. The case has caused more
ill-feeling between the two sides of the SEN
ate than any measure that has been dis
cussed for years, and senatorial courtesy
has been laid aside for filibustering tactics
BY both parties. The republicans having
the democrats believed that this
was the only hope left to them and they
think they are justified in the course they
have taken.
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-14
THE VENDETTA.
It Still Prevails In Corsica-One Thousand
Criminals Are Now in Hiding.

CRIMINALS Are NOW IN Hiding
should cors;can IN ravan.a for ,n;nrv
aana - =. ,,;s,.o,e ; NAn - ,exenso lol n.Iuiy
:. -ono W nilnse,i or us Ieiaeioils' OF even 10
Ils ooR or MS morse, klll another with knife
or coup de fusil, public sympathy sustains
him, the hills shelter him, his relations
feed him. and iustice in the shnpa of
cendarmes w;nha With hoth aras ~ ,,nlass - tha -
murderer be very unpopular, says the
National Review. True, he is termed a
ssbandit." and has to take refnve in the
mocaui. as the natnra, hnah ;a cal,a1 that
c,nthas tho :, .,,.,.s:.. - ~, :. -,
Ue.. ,ooe suo - n,oun'a.n-siues' :. "ell-Miornea
Cofsicans tell one that there are at this mo-
ment in the island over 1000 in hiding.
But please understand the bandit ia nn
brioand. shon,d yon i,efopsalass ha,,aan
=, fa,, =, ,r;tr ~, ~ ,..:,, -. - -.
nurse hnt on the contrarv nsr es aMe vnn fSod odr
IL Inc ne has IT., ana shelter IN his cave and
na nos. plouaoiy Ie1use any Paymelt ior ms
nosRl.allsy: II y only MS Toes 1amlly
= an1s ,s wcn ne WaHes waI, ano oI course
~. - sel1 uelense, :1 VIII tne EehuarMes. 1nese
a'.er 40, y . no mla suoo. wiIn as Mucn unooncerh
a;aa, ~u9IoocA. -; Anu YEP snouRn tne OoI-
5aa w i.,n ~. lou you, ~ is no1 oecAase ne
hota ~. Wan,, soso ioney. rof veTy IsW Iranos'
9o.a IoSn .orslcan gen5lemen ana English resi-
.n;m usn's ayer' YOU can nna man VINO
WI u1 :, youi h.AAik 1of you
any ;u. !a YOU OF your enemy
,,aa wiIn knlie OF pnllet. AND while thus utter
scontenpS s' 1or human IRE prevails, there can
oe no nope oL 1ne extlnotlon OF the vendetta.
Al Engasn geneleman, Capt. ". VINO mas
Towa;a LOW nseu loI some ten OF n1teen years IN
e1,Isica, ea,, on ms own property, told me the
aonJwlng g ssoIy: " seems mat one OF the
e.npLoyes OF the former proprietor, FANCY
lng ~ Aau some RrnaRe aeainst the new
.sa, pWnel, mace hlMsel1 opJectlonable by
shea.s phseahlnE ny oown Iences' dIivinR goats ana
- sneop iM1o One Raroens, ana annoying Capt.
.' =. ~ o1hel ways. Capo. Y; happened 70
aiul, aeh.ion tne Iact OF the mans enmity. ana
.. uepiorea y as op]ectionable, Doth to Cor
@ sloan gentleman, nelgnborlng proprietor,
any a. atso Go snepnefd Win Wnom ne was
on drlehuly Terms: :.
Lev n.e know II " continues, SAID the
gentleman, and Will have the man taken
over 20 yonaer rocks and you Won't hear OF
niM ~ AGAIN. ,..,
VIII arrange ior !lttle coup de fusli
whenever you ike to give me the Office
Sa11 ~, !ne berger.
;. !hls was nIteen years ago, but even now
~ ls saIo ohere Is III AJacclo alone at least
one murder q week, though these outrages
81 are e so nushed up by the authorities that It
y ulinouiC 20 get any reliable statistics
neve5, Ior instance, saw the account or any
,nuIuer l IN tne little local French paper, LIE
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-14
Sclloolboy Wit.

The inspector was dealing with the genders
of nouns and pronouns, and among other
questions he asked:
''What is the gender of the noun egg?''
''Sir," answered tall, shrewd lad behind.
who probably suImised that it was kind
of catch question. and was determined to
prove himself equal to the occasion, "you
Gamma tell till it's Matched"
It was in the Bible class, and the teacher
asked, .sNow, boys, who was it came after
SolomonY'
1.-THE queen of Sheba, sir.'' cried out an
eager little customer. Maya
zine.
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-14

The photograph is 80 absolutely correct
in registering the defects in intonation that
actors and vocalists will find in it a great
opportunity to hear themselves as Others
hear them and thus correct faults III style,
accent, tone and delivery that cannot be
detected by themselves in the act of speak
ing or singing.
The cast for the Pacific coast tour of
"Held by the Enemy is the strongest and
most important that has ever played the
drama on tour. The play will soon be pro-
duced at Ming's.
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-14
A Destructive Forest Fire.

PLEAsANTv1LLE, N. j., April 13.-This
afternoon the most destructive forest FIRE
for the last fifteen years broke out in the
northern part of the town. The fire rapid
ly spread and in less than an hour it was
over three miles wide and five long. Sew
eral detached houses as well as the whole
town of Pleasantville are in danger.
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-14
Carter May Defeat It.

There is fear among some of the mod
crate silver men that Representative Carter
may endanger the silver interests by his
advocacy of what would mean practically
free coinage. Carter represents the Mon
tana silver idea in all that it implies, and
is pushing it before the caucus committee
with great deal of vigor. More conserve
tive men claim that the modified Window
bill will give them all they want in the way
of silver legislation. There are a number
of members known as silver men who are
willing to accept compromise, but others
insist upon free coinage. The action of the
committee is looked forward to with great
deal of interest, as il. is claimed that should
this committee agree the matter. 80 far as
the houseis concerned, will be settled,
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-14
An Alleged Confession.

BosroN, April 13.-The Globe this morn.
ing prints an alleged confession made to
his counsel by Isaac Il. Sawtelle. now in
Jail at Dover, N. II. awaiting trial for the
murder Of his brother, Hiram.
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-03-26
Here is a Chance for You.

The publisher of the AGRnuLTUE1sT, in
order to get the ideas of the people of
the State in as condensed form as pos
sible, offers first prize Of $3 to the per-
son sending the best communication on
one sheet Zone side only of note paper.
The communication must be devoted to
some subject OF the grove, garden orfarm
For a second prize 81 will be given for
the second best communication. The
communications will be published the
first week in each month. The editor
will be the sole Judge OF their worth in
awarding the prizes.
When sending in these communications
bear the following in mind:
Write On one side of one sheet of ordi-
nary note paper.
Write with black ink
Do not write 'head" to the commun-
ication-the editor will do that.
Sign your name and postofice address
at the bottom. If you don't want your
name published, say so.
Address your communication as fol-
lows.
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-03-26

buy rice enough to justify him in doing
so. When we get SO thatwe raise all our
provisions at home, instead of paying
out money for every thingwe use, andkeep
our money at home, then we can begin
to brag OF the good country we have.
But if we merely say we can raise every
thing here that is useful for man and
don't do it, people will not believe us. Let
us show our faith by our works, and
there will be no going back on us. We
have got the right country if We will but
do right by it and cultivate it properly.
TSeed rice may be obtained from Hicks
& Clark, Fort Mason, and the Charleston
Rice Milling Co., Charleston, S. CT
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-03-26

mine OF wealth is possessed by each tiller
of the soil who has on his place an mex
haustible bed of muck. 1t will cost from
ST. to $3 per cord to get it on to the
land, and we have high authority that it's
value is 80,
With the addition of air Stacked lime,
which can be delivered at most railway
stations at cost not to exceed $3.50
per ton, he has an available plant food at
low cost. Supplemented with light
dressing of potash and cotton seed meal
he may have equal results at much less
cost than with high priced commercial
fertilizers, and he will at the same time
have soil that will better endure
drouth, and q filth that orange roots
will seize upon and fill with mass of
fibre that cannot be found in the ground
where no muck is at the same dis
lance from the trunk OF the tree.
[ believe Florida may be made a
garden to "bud and blossom like the
rose," with the materials within her own
borders, especially since the discovery of
exhaustless beds of phosphate, and 1
veboldly made few suggestions, with
the hope OF bringing out ADLER writer's
of more experience, who shall, through
the agricultural press, teach our toilers
how, at a minimum cost, to get the best
results for their money and labor.
G.. w. HASTINGS.
Interlachen, Fla.
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-03-26

wind of the old blizzard struck fair, were
not injured i'll leaf or twig, except it
might be some trees OH the east side OF
the grove, and upon the east side of the
tree. This proved true on both pine and
hammock lands. Some of the same
groves that escaped scot free in the old,
were bit more, or less, by this just past
blizzard, and some that were severity in
jured in the old, were not touched by the
new. You have all noticed this, and did
you study out the reason? 1t was be-
cause the wind CAMERON different direc-
ton, and the groves that were not pro-
tected there were more or less protected
this time. Go into grove that was but
slightly injured, and you will find the new
growth on the northeast untouched,
while upon the southeastside of the same
tree will be more Or less injured, or at
least, that is the way find the groves so
far examined in this locality. The cause
for this is precisely the same that freezes
the groves that are protected on the
north and west, the wind forms an eddy,
under the lea of the wind break or the
tree, and, it is this still cold that does the
mischief. l remember that in the old
blizzard, the ground on the east side of
our barn was frozen two to three inches
deep, while upon the west side, the side
upon which the wind had a fair sweep,
there was no frost in the ground. These
and many other points noticed, can but
convince one of another of Florida's con-
tradictiOn from all other lands, that
while they are colder from being cleared
up, Florida will prove to be warmer Do
not understand me to say that by remov-
ing all protection from our groves and
gardens, that there will be no danger OF
frost from still cold, but that the danger
will be much lessened, and entirely re-
moved, from the cold of billiards., unless
the cold is greater than it has been in the
past Ten years. DIR. HEATH.
Geneva. Fla.
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-03-26
The First Step.

Perhaps you are run down, can't eat,
can't sleep, can't think, can't do any
thing to your satisfaction, and you won
der what ails you. You should heed the
warning, you are taking the first step in
to Nervous Prostitution. You need a
Nerve Tonic and in Electric Bitters you
will find the exact remedy for restoring
your nervous system to its normal,
healthy condition. Surprising results fol-
low the use of this great Nerve Tonic
and Alternative. Your appetite returns,
good digestion is restored. and the Liver
and Kidneys resume healthy action.
Try bottle. Price so cents at anyDrug
Store.
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-03-26
Effects of the Cold at Geneva-A New
Theory Of Protection.

Editor Florida A g1icUIturist:
You ask what damage the late cold
snap did in this vicinity To understand
it better, you should know something of
the situation here. North of, us are one
thousand acres of high hammock and
scrubland in one body; south of our place
(Which is on the dividing line, being;
partly in hammock, and part pine,) is all
open pine, free from palmetto or brush.
Scattered through this hammock and
scrub ale number of groves, both old
and young, and the cold bit them just in
proportion to their age. Some of the
very young trees, it has killed to the
ground, and the leaves and young
growth, on the older groves, are bit
more or less. AS there is no great loss,
but that there is some gain, the drouth
(from September l. 1889 to March Is
1890 the present writing with only one
and one-half inch OF rain) has kept the
trees backward, and so will not do as
much harm, as though they had been
more forward. On our own place some
of the leaves were bit slightly, while
others were not touched. Even lemons
in fresh new growth, were not injured,
where they were fully exposed. Our
grapes put out early and portion of
them were killed back, that is the new
growth, while part of the new growth,
upon the same vinewould not be touched.
Going south and east of us, on the pine
lands, you find no trees or leaves injured,
on young or old groves. Verify, Florida
thou art a queer land, with ways of
contradiction that arc seemingly past
findingO out.
Right here want to ask a question or
two, and | want a good many to answer.
1t is really of more Importance, than the
dollar a box controversy. What effect
does a wind break have upon the groves
and gardens of Florida? Have you
learned anything about it by the old
blizzard and this one? When this ques-
ton is fairly understood and steps taken
for protection, you will hear less about
the freeze in Florida
The way to protect, is to remove all
protection. My own observation around
Geneva, of the old and late blizzard, is
that groves old or young, that had no
protection on the west, that is, that the
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-03-26
For THE FLORIDA AGRICULTURIsT
The Relative Value of Fertilizers.


In recent contribution referred to
the relative value of cotton and linseed
meal with view to excite discussion, not
only, but through discussion, to elicit
facts. There is little question, in my
mind, that an analysis which gives uni
form results in regard to such standard
articles as those two meals, is the suYest
guide to the orange grower and garden
err. There is more room for disparity of
results in the analysis of mucks, stable
manure, Canada hard wood ashes and
manufactured fertilizers. Muck may be
half sand; stable manure may be half
straw or manure from cattle fed on straw
Or clover, or vegetables, or even linseed
or cotton seed meal, in which case the
manure may be of equal value to the
meal fed. But according to eighty-seven
analyses of Canada hard wood ashes
made at the Massachusetts Experimental
Station, recently, $10.24 was the highest
value and $2.49 the lowest, an average
of $3.50 per ton. [ applied quantity
of Canada hard wood ashes last year to
my orange and peach trees without. much
results) for which I paid $17 per ton.
Perhaps got the $2.49 quality, but if l
even got the very best l paid at least
50 per cent more than they were worth.
A contributor to one of our agricult-
ural papers last year informed it's read
ers that the application of muck was
"harmless amusement" which drew out
a number of protests. New Englanders
have, for one or two centuries, relied
largely on stable manure, supplemented
with muck, to make crops from their
gravelly soils, little better, | believe
than Florida land.
The director of the Florida Experiment
tai Station says: "From chemical
standpointa good quality of muck is not
inferior to barnyard manure"
One of New York S most successful gar
deners says: $50 long as good stable
manure can be had at $3 per ton (thera
are an average of three tons to a cOrd)
laid upon the ground, tillers of the soil
need not NEEDLE with commercial fertil-
izers"
Muck, however, i'll green state, is not
as available for plant food as stable ma
nure and hence the need of composing;
decomposing, either with lime or potash,
if desired to be soon used, or to lay in the
muck pile until thoroughly decompOsed
by time. Many, with good results, bury
the muck in deep furrow at the extrem-
ity of the orange tree roots, with an ap-
plication of air Stacked lime over it.
This saves time and much handling,
but is not the better way, where the
grower has the time and capital to OBJ
tain the thoroughly decomposed muck
in complete condition for plant food by
composing.
But taking for granted thereport from
the Florida Experiment Station OF the
value of muck as composed with barn
yard manure, equivalent to $3 per ton
or an average OF 30 per cord) what a