davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-04-08
BURMESE OIL WELLS.
An Interesting Description of the Way in
Which They Are Dug.

The native method of digging oil wells
in Burmah is described in very inter-
esting manner by DR.. Nothing of the
Indian Geological Survey. In the first
place, square shaft is dug, the sides
measuring about four feet each. Over
this pit is placed cross-beam, supported
on stanchions at either side, and in the
center of the beam a small wooden drum,
or cylinder, which with its axis is made
of single piece of wood. A leather
rope running over this drum, is used to
lower the workmen into the pit, as we'll
as the earthenware pot in which the oil
is brought up. The walls of the shaft
are lined with wood, and timber is used
to support them. The workmen are
lowered in an ingenious manner. The
man sits on two sings formed of strong
rope running between his legs and knot
ted over his left shoulder. To prevent
sliding, thin rope runs down from the
knot, across the breast, underneath the
right shoulder to the back where it is
fastened to the rope forming the sings.
A second rope for the same purpose is
fastened around the hips. No light can
be taken down the shaft on account OF
the explosive gas; the workman, there
fore, ties up his eyes before going down,
so that no may see during the short time
he is in the we'll Two hundred and
ninety seconds is the longest time any
man, however strong, can remain below
without becoming unconscious. The
workers object to descending more than
two hundred and fifty feet, and the limit
is three hundred and ten feet The
manner of drawing up the oil is also
primitive The rope is fastened around
the neck of ball-shaped earthenware
pot, which is lowered and filled by sink
ing in the oil below. The oil is poured out
into larger pot when raised, and twelve
of the latter are packed on cart.-Dem'
orest's Monthly.
Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-04-08
TRIuMPHs or iNvENTIoN.


They Are Due to Hard Work Slim uia t~<i NJ
Desire For Wealth.
The traditions Of great discoveries
that have come by chance are, for the
most part, myths. True, a lucky accident
ray occasionally give hint to an in
ventive mind that will help towards a
long-contemplated consummatfon. but
such an occurrence is only link in q
chain OF circumstances all tending to a
common end. Sir Isaac Newton got such
hint in his philosophical researches,
when, on certain occasion, he noted
the falling Of an apple. He had seen
many apples fall before that time, no
doubt, and no day of his previous life
could have passed without presenting to
his sight similar occurrences, having the
same relation to the object OF his study.
But that particular apple happened to
fall and be noticed by him just when
his study OF the greatest OF all philo-
sophical problems had reached the right
point to make the object lesson valua-
Bile. Tradition gives another alleged
accident, the familiar story Of the ket-
tie, as the turning point in the discoy-
cry or invention Of the steam engine,
but he who studies the life and works
of James Watt will find that there was
nothing accidental in the kettle acct.
dent. 1t was but a link in the long
chain, all of whose links he wrought by
patient toll.
All the great triumphs Of invention
that are now employed as factors in
human progress have reached their pres
ent development by successive steps.
The telegraph of Edison's time, although
like thatof Morse in its general features,
is very unlike that in detail, and in the
manner OF operating it. Asingle inven.
ton OF Edison, not by any means an ac-
cident, quadrupled the capacity Of all
the wires strung, or thereafter to be
strung. The engines that drive great
ships across the Atlantic in less than siz
days are the result of the work of sue
cessiye generations Of brainy men. Mil
lions have been lost in experiments
change has followed change, one i'm
provement has succeeded another, unit
the marine engine of our time bears
little resemblance to that of thirty year.
ago. Go into the pressroom of great
newspaper, and see the printing ma
chimes at work, and you see the results
of hundreds of inventions, the progress
OF generations. Accident had nothing to
do with it. All has come from work,
work of the best brains, stimulated BIZ
the desire to get fame and fortune
Inventive Age.
Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-04-08
A BRAkEMAN'S STORY.


81 remember" said the freight brake.
man, ''of an adventure once had which
came near being my last. We were over
run with tramps during the summer
and had to use pretty severe means
sometimes in order to get rid of them.
Two big stout fellows whom | found in
ali empty box-car next to the engine re-
fused to move until, by having hot
steam turned upon them by hose from
the engine, they were forced to vacate
They made threats of getting even with
me, but | thought no more of it.
lone cold, rainy night in the follow
ing autumn the train stopped at way
side tank for water Going back over
the train releasing brakes | came across
man seated upon car directly over a
creek which, swollen by the rains, had
become rushing torrent. l told him to
get off the train. The sound of nv voice
had singular effect upon him, for he
sprang to his feet and grasping me by
the threat exclaimed
Now I've got you. You don't remenr
Der me, do you, sonny? Well, haven't
forgotten y0a, nor the time you drove me
tioll Lllt Gar WIFI HOI SJSdIl. L nat creek
down below is just the place for you.
and in you GO.
The top of freight car, made slip
perry by rain, is not the best place for a
life-and-death struggle, and as he was a
heavy man and held my throat with a
grip that prevented outcry, my chance
of escape seemed slim.
Il made the best effort possible to es-
cape, but each move brought me nearer
the edge of the roof, until it needed but
slight effort to send me whirling into
the stream below.
Seeing this he braced himself for a
final effort. Events, however, were in
my favor. The car, instead of being of
the modern pattern, was fitted with lad
ders running up the sides near the CEN
ter, and | grasped the top rail just in
time. For. as did so, the train started
with a jerk.
Losing his balance, my would-be as
sassin plunged forward, and releasing
his grip upon my throat, fell with a
splash into the stream below 1t was
some time before could regain strength
enough to go forward to the engine. BY
that time the train was miles away. and
the fate of my would-be murderer was
never learned. Santa Claus
Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-04-08
A War Relic.

General II. V. Boynton has a section
of tree standing up in corner of his
office in Washington. 1t is aboLt eight
feet in length and about ten inches in
diameter. None of his lares and pen
ates are considered so valuable as this
trunk of tree. The General
brought it from the battle field of
Chickamauga. 1t was in the line of
march, on the very hillside over which
the brigade of the Army of the Cumber-
land in which General Boynton served
charged upon the columns of General
Bragg. This tree-trunk, although only
eight feet in length, contains seventeen
grape shots, and the iron hail is deeply
imbedded in the bark. 1t shows quite
plainly how hell-like was the ground
over which the brave boys in Boynton's
brigade charged upon the enemy. How
we ever got through there without all
being killed is mystery to me- says
General Boynton. Those iron balls
thinned our ranks rapidly, but, some
how, we got between the shot, some of
us, and carried things before us with a
hurrah. By the way, even to some old
soldiers who have seen hard service, it
is to-day source of wonderment that
any body of men could be found to
cheer and hurrah at such a time; but
they did"
Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-04-08
a FEW COMPARISONS.



Reliable Measurements.
When we learn from astronomers that
the sun is twice as large in circumfer-
ence as the circle made by the moon
In passing around the earth, we are
inclined to draw a long breath; yet we
nave on dry land" and by actual
measurement, some comparisons OF
sizes which are, to say the least, quite
interesting.
ASIA Is more than four times as large
as Europe, and considerably larger than
North and South America together. The
United States and Europe are almost
equal in area; British India is more
than half as large as the United States.
and Canada is nearly equal in area, in
Guiding Alaska. Ireland and Indiana
are about the same size. England and
Michigan are about the same size. You
could take enough land from Texas to
make England, Ireland, Scotland, Bel
GUM, the Netherlands, Switzerland
and Denmark, and still have enough
left to make Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Delaware, New Jersey, Mary
land and Indiana. California is the
second largest State. Nebraska is more
than twice the size OF Indiana. The
Island of Cuba and the State of Tennes-
see are equal in area. Brazil is nearly
as large as the United States, but the
population OF the latter Is seven
times that OF the former. If all
the people of the United States and
Canada were placed in the State of
Texas, the number of persons to the
square mile would be fewer than at
present in China Colorado is as large
as New York, Pennsylvania and New
Jersey together 1t would take ten
States as large as Massachusetts to make
State as large as Kansas There are
twenty-seven States or Territories each
larger than New York. Oregon is equal
in area to New York and Pennsyl-
vania. Massachusetts is smaller than
either New Hampshire or Vermont.
Minnesota is twice the size of Ohio. The
three States bordering on the Pacific
are larger than the thirteen States bor-
dering on the Atlantic. Montana is
thirty times larger than Connecticut.
Iowa is five times as large as Belgium,
and four times as large as Denmark.
Maryland and Switzerland are about the
same size. London is as large as New
York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Bos-
ton, Baltimore and Cincinnati together.
There are twice as many people to the
square mile in England as in Rhode
Island, the most densely populated State
in the Union Japan is equal in area to
Montana, and supports more than half
as many people as there are now in the
whole of the United States. ireland
had double the population in 1s41 that
she has at present.-Self Help and Home
Study.
Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-04-08
A MEAN HUSBAND.


now htut Ills VINE eel Dt-
cidedly Small and Cheap.
His wife had just made a remark, in
the wit of which she experienced feel
ing of pride. The husband was the butt
Of the wit and he became angry.
| mention this because cases of hus-
band becoming angry are extremely
rare, and new instances should always
be recorded with scrupulous care.
The husband smiled-with pain. The
wife saw the pain in the smile, and
hailed a writhing victim. She therefore
turned to Mr.. r. W. Smith, who was a
guest at the time, and made another re-
lection on her husband.
She believed that having made two of
these remarks, it was close call if she
were not gifted in epigram. A thought
of Madame de Maintenon crossed her
mind and made her giddy.
"You are very funny" said the with
ing husband.
The wife tossed her head and pleaded
guilty, with pleased look at the I'M
comfortable guest who was hugely en-
joying the whole affair, but who, in
afterward telling of the scene, said that
such things make person feel very i'll
at ease.
"Yes, you are very witty" said the
husband; IF could write down all you
say it would be worth two million dol
lars-to write it down"
Here the guest, who has the height OF
good breeding, tactfully interrupted, by
stating thas he would take ''some more
soup. "-Wllliston Fish. in Puck.
Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-04-08

1ne EccenLf1SatA4N 81 tins Autn0f ~ sgL0D1s
ford and Msrtoa."
Thomas Day, the author Of s'Sandford
and Merton book which several
generations Of children have enjoyed
for its stories without bestowinR !
thought on its philosophy, WAS horn in
Wellclose Square in 1748. His father
held place in the custom house. and
left him a fortune Of R1.200 He was
educated at the Charterhouso and Ok
ford, and spent some time in France,
where he received the new philosophy
Of education. Having resolved on mar
riage, he determined that his wife
should be modelled in sccordance with
the new light. He therefore went to an
orphan asylum ct Shrewsbury and
picked out haxen-hAired girl Of
twelve, whom he named Sabrina Sid
ney, after the Severn and AlRernon
Sidney, and then the foundling hos
pital in London, where he selected
seco !. whom he called Lucretia. In
taking these girls he gave written
pledge that within year he would
place one Of them with respectable
tradesman, giving a10o to bind her APP
prentice. and that he would maintain
her If she turned out we'll until she was
married or commenced business, in
either Of which case he would adva nee
$500. With Sabrina and Lucretia he
set out for France, in order that in quiet
he might discover and discipline their
characters He, however, quarreled
with the girls. Next day they took
smallpox, and he had to nurse them
night and day, and by and by he was
glad to return to London and get
Lucretia of his hands by apprenticing
her to milliner on Ludgate hill. She
behaved well, and ON her marriage to 4
substantial linen-draper Day cheer
fully produced his promised
dowry of $500. Poor Sabrina
could by no means qualify for Mr.. Day.
Against the sense Of pain and dagger no
discipline could fortify her. When Day
dropped melting sealing-wax on her
arms she fiinched, and when he fred
pistols at her garments she started and
screamed. When he told her secrets
she divulged them. He packed her of
to an ordinary boarding school, kept her
there for five years, allowed her ESQ a
year, gave her $500 on her marriage to
a barrister, and when she became q
widow, with two boys. he pensioned her
with ESQ year. In 17sS he married
Miss Mines, of Wakefield, lady whose
opinions conceded with his own. He
was killed September %, 1889, by kick
from a young horse, which he was try
ing to train on new method. London
City Press.
Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-04-08
SERFDOM STILL EXISTS.
A District in Russia Where Slavery Con
tinues to Flourish.


tinues to Flourish.
Hitherto the impression has prevailed
in Russia, as elsewhere in Europe, that
serfdom was abolished once and for all
time in 1851 by the late Emperor. This
is, however, far from being the case,
and it appears from the Russian news
papers that serfdom in all its pristine
form fiourishes on the northern shores
of the Caspian Sea- Indeed, the official
gazette of the Transcaucasus Govern
ment announces that several great land
owners on the steppes have been exiled
toSiberia for perpetratlng barbarous and
revolving cruelties on their serfs-
On inquiry it is found that when
Alexander II. issued the ukase abolish-
ing serfdom in 1861 he for some reason
or other excluded the Kalmuck serfs Of
the ''Aimans," as the landed estates are
called on the steppes, from deriving any
benefit under said ukase. Simultaneous
with the discovery of this considerable
remnant of the horrible slavery known
as Russian serfdom is the appearance OF
numerous letters in the leading papers
of st. Petersburg, Moscow and Kieff on
the question as to whether or not the
use of the knout should be restored for
the punishment of the peasantry. Gen
eral opinion is, sad to relate, in favor Of
its being brought into fashion again.
The Grashdanin, which is edited by
the well-known clubman and society
leader Prince Metcherwski, and which
is regarded as the official organ of NJ.
Pobiedonotsoff, the Procurator of the
Holy Synod, openly advocates the knout
as means of civilizing the ignorant
and degraded peasantry. 1t is well
known that the late Count Tolstoi, the
Minister of the Interior, was in favor
of that terrible instrument of torture,
which he regarded as the basis and cor
ner-stone, if one can call it so, of the
Russian governmental and social sys-
TEN. Both he and most of the upper
classes at st. Petersburg claim that the
knout is far more merciful and just
means of punishment than fines or inn
prisonment, for in both of the latter
cases the family of the offender suffers;
whereas if the culprit is we'll flogged,
he alone is visited with the reward OF
his wrong-doings. Cor. n. Y. Tribune.
Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-04-08
OF GENERAL INTEREST.

Verdict OF ii coronoria
ware County. N. ". s.Tho - ia
that diseased came 10 hid Da.,t .b nAas
the infiuance Of Liaoor and cs 49, ~ g
on Ills part and u,bila ~ ..''5,,e %
bounded track. and killaa a, 49,
exoneratinp the Com no :, 60, =. W. :
Tho French Aoaaa~s e., o'a'"e'
discovered by es,o,,,r,.a.s. .' =, hss
human BODY IL in itsa,, ~ snaS eaeh
terry, one electrode being renrasar.aa ,aO
the head and tho o,bar hv ~ 20 ~
Therefore II Is the mower .b;y,, - 80
with ones head to tbe north and fa1t ~
the south. "
A wealthv 70 80 p.,.4.
was arraicned bafaro 1ra;as sne, S Unio'
Commissioner uaaartn - 80 States
Gently, CHARGED With oranina 'I 80 ~
addressed to bis dauoh+er :. i.,'el
the old gentleman d,snau.ro5 49,. .,a. 'n aa
daughter wac ca,noa.'.Is. 'na ,., MS
young man against his wishes anS ~
resorted to this means Of nuttino On ca
to it. He was required 70 rive ho,a l.,
$500.
AN Enolisbman ,v,o 49,.
country ~; yt,, -. 80 o"no " 'his
at home. ia whom ba go, go. as.a 80
writing. was am.aaa 1870 a.Y' oo"seu
boarding house in cohoos " us
coming face to faca u,ith - m ~
eyed each other for a ,nnrnant ~ 10y 10y
embraced She nod hao, soass..; - sn sn
years for him. going frnr, tnuu - 80 ~.
all over the countrv III - ~ 800
and went tn Coboae fuor, p,,,,.seI'1r.- $500
At tho par;s E,a,4,. M p -.
triar showed wa4cb $50 ioiensihe
inch in ai.nota. 4ua'Oe, Vi an
two reo,,or hona, ~. a' n 10 oniy .ne
marie tba saoona, 'niu "nAoh
lial which ind;oa.,s " ~, ufosoopio
months and roans T. uys' "eohs'
alarm and IN i+s 49, IA o'ano on
lnoan;orol,, nm. -. g " oO'or an
On the bacl, covar b., "a 90 lanoi',
,lass won can dis.;v.a,s ~ =. |" po"oiiu,
Two verses 90 tha ..Tn -. 90 anu 'eau
-..rhouo :.
tbe Aman;o,a .;,o sn,ns curious ABOUT
Iarof 1eo, ;, ~ 9.''oi uoiiar anu hali-ool-
pay hulnisInaeist. lhere
Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-04-08
A SINGULAR CRAZE.
Thousands of Dollars the Price Paid 4,
Dutch Bulbs.

Ahoushuus VI DOuars inc frlce fal0 1Of
Dutch Bulbs.
Tulips were introduced into Western
Europe about the middle of the six
teenth century, and about fifty years
later Holland and the Dutch became
tulip mad. The beauty of the new bid
for popular favor was regarded as dag
cling, and no price was high enough to
be prohibitory All business was neg
lected by the bulb hunters. Long jour
tulip, and when found it was regarded
as pearl of great price. and purchased
at no matter what sacrifice. One man
decided his farm and house with all his
stock and furniture for bulb whose
actual value was scarcely a dollar, but
which he resold for over 100, 900
francs. Never were corner lots in
booming cities in greater demand.
Tulips were sold on time payments and
equities were bartered freely. Prices
had no limit, and those who had choice
specimens were regarded with general
envy.
At last bulbs were sold by weight and
so great was the price that the unit of
weight was the pert, or less than a
grain. Scales were tested to the great
est nicely, and if it had been matter
of life or death weights could not have
been more carefully ascertained. The
frenzy continued and many complica-
lions resulted. A sailor who had Just
left his ship and had never seen tulip
bulb, mistook one for an onion and cut
it up. A botanist was guilty of sim
liar crime, to the horror of man who
had tulipomania very badly. Another
man was arrested for stealing a bulb
which he declared he mistook for a
worthless onion. and was sentenced to
long term of imprisonment. The
madness wore itself out, and was fol-
lowed by a financial panic, during
which the prices of tulips fell to some
thing very near zero. 1t is estimated
that at least thousand families were
completely ruined by the craze.-St.
Louis Globe Democrat.
Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-04-08

With here and there bright excep-
ton, intense selfishness and utter dis
regard of others appears to be the rule.
In the eagerness to get the first pick of
the bargains, buyers forget the rights
and have no respect for the weakness Of
others. | have observed that the woman
wearing the sealskln sack and the dia-
mond earrings too often pushes in
ahead of the pale working woman with
the gingham dress and the plaid shawl.
The bargain would perhaps be a god
send to her, while the former could well
afford to pay the usual price of the ar
ticle, but there is no human appetite
much stronger than the appetite for
bargains, and it seems often to take the
form of an uncomfortable mania. No
where else is there wider field for the
observance of the golden rule than in
the great retail stores -Philadelphia
: 'rer
Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-04-08
WHAT BACTERIA ARE.
they Multiply Very Rapidly. and They d.
This in a Strange Way.


The great majority of these microscop-
ic plants are what botanists call bacteria,
the smallest form of vegetable life. So
small are they that it would take, in
cases, as many as fifteen thousand of
them arranged in row to extend an inch.
They have different forms, some being,
round, some oval, some rod-shaped, and
others much the shape of a corkscrew or
spiral. In all cases they are so small
that one needs powerful microscope to
study them, and in no case can we per-
ceive them singly with the naked eye.
When countless millions of them are
grouped together in a mass, or colony.
we can see them about as we are able to
see at a great distance an approaching
army, of which we are totally unable to
distinguish a single soldier.
We have said that these bacteria move
about; and this is true of most of them,
although there are some which do not
appear to move at all, but remain fixed
where they find a good feeding place
Those that have motion behave in very
peculiar manner: some wobble about in
one place without moving forward in
the least others dart hither and thither
back and forth, at an apparently furious
rate, rocking and twirling about, and
turning hundred somersaults as they
move along.
Bacteria multiply very rapidly, and
they do this in strange way. A single
one breaks itself in two; then each half
grows to be as large as the first. Then
-,
on, until from a single one we have
many thousands in short time. To
give you the figures, such as they are, a
single one can multiply at so enormous
rate that in forty-eight hours it can
produce something like 2S9, 600, 600, 600
of bacteria. Great consequences follow
this enormous increase of bacteria: for,
while one which so small in itself can do
little, the vast army resulting from the
multiplication of one is able to accom-
plish much.-Prof Frederick D. Chester,
in St. Nicholas.