davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-03

in charge of this department from the
day the Assay Office was instituted, stood
at the throttle Of his engine. He had
Just filed the drum in the press with the
saturated gold sand and was in the act
of applying the power when the visitor
entered. The drum in the press is twelve
inches in diameter, and fourteen inches
deep. It was flle1 to the top and packed
tightly when the solid piston head en-.
tered it. Slowly, almost impcrceptibly,
the drum assembled and the piston was
forced into it. The gauge on the en-
CINE began to register the pressure.
Assuming the cake of metal to be
a trife less than a foot in
diameter and to contain 113 square in
ches of area on its upper surface, the
gauge showed that it was receiving a
frightful squeezing. The hand pointed
at 5000 pounds to the area when the
machinery had been IN motion half a
minute. Thirty seconds later TO- O0
pounds pressure was recorded, yet the
engine ran merrily along without a
squeak or a jar. There wasn't a sound
to indicate that the powerful machine
was doing anything beyond running its
W fly wheel. Then 20,000 pounds
and sc, ZOO pounds were recorded and
still the steel finger moved on. II was
almost agonizing to watch it. The pres
sure of that terrible engine can almost
be felt in ones Imagination, 40, 600, then
so, 600, and the grim engineer lets his
hand steal gently to the throttle of the
great machine. 1t is now running a
trife slower, but just as quietly as before.
The dome full of golden sand has risen
almost a foot, and it seems that there can
not be a drop OF water left in it, yet that
merciless machine keeps on, and the fin
ger on the dial marks more and more
pressure. 1t has reached Sc, 900 pounds,
OF nor than 500 pounds per square
inch. What steam boiler was ever made
that could withstand such p~ressurea yet
this little brass cylinder in the press had
Withstood that awful power of twenty
tons thousands upon thousands of times.
The engine was stopped and the drum
was released. AS it dropped down Of it's
own weight a glittering disc of gold was
revealed beneath it. It looked for all the
world like a bright, rich cheese. It was
weighed and placed in a drying e to
destroy the last traces of moisture.
"That cheese, " remarked Mr.. Drummer,
iastyou can have for $50, 900 if you will
carry it home"
I The silver granules are treated in the
same manner in this room, and when all
are thoroughly dried and baked they go
to the melting room on the first floor of
the main building, where the beautiful
cheeses are broken up with a sledge
hammer and melted in gigantic crucibles
of plumbago. The molten metal is run
into bars, weighed when cooled, num-
bered, stamped and registered, and at
last, after 8 portion has been assayed in
the above, 10 stored away in the
big steel vaults. to remain until it is
needed at the minis for coming or by
manufacturers for making watch cases or
jewelry
In the assay rooms everything is con-
Quoted upon q very minute scale. The
small samples, taken from various lots OF
metal in the melting room, are here SUBJ
mitted to the tests by which their fnsss.
The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-03

One Of the wisest things that the peo-
pie of Virginia could have done is tho
arrangement recently made for an ex-
cursion of leading New England editors
and correspondents to that State. We
believe that President Pugh, of the
Virginia Press Association, is entitled
to the credit of originating this scheme.
An excursion of this kind in May, when
the Valley of Virginia is n of the fair.
est countries in the world, will prove a
revelation to many of the New England
ers, and they cannot but be impressed
with the Unlimited possibilities of that
State.
The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-03
A Pecnliar Lake.

Reelfo9t Lake, the locality of the earth
quake which caused so much excitement
in Obion County, Mo-, is n OF the
most interesting in the United States.
Reelfoot Lake is about thirty miles long
and eight or nine wide. 1t lies in the
western portion of Obion County, Tennes-
see, parallel with the Mississippi River at
that point
The lake was formed by the great
earthquake which happened about the
year 1910. The shock split the earth
wide open, and the waters of the Missis-
sippi rushing Owe left the immense lake
in a few seconds time. All the country
round about for miles on every side of
the lake is still marked by ~upheavals and
depressions4 No wonder the inhabitants
Of that region became panic-stricken;
they have BY tradition the terrible event
which SO frightened their ancestors eighty
years ago.
Reelfoot Lake presents b disappearance,
all times of the year, of a thickiy studded
turnip patch. The growth known as
''bonnets,a broad leaves floating on the
surface attached to stems which are often
many feet long springing from the bot
tom of the like, give one the impression
from the shore that he is looking upon
an immense field of solid soil, vet thou
sands Of skifs, especially in winter, skim
the surface. The rasping of the keel,
over the t.bonnetsn sounds like sand
papering q wooden instrument.
From all portions of the country, geese
and duck hunters gather there in the
winter. Boston, New York, Louisville,
Cinclnnati-nearly every city, in fact,
has its club house on the shores of this
wonderful lake, and the birds flock there
81 nilsoHs;z1esfaagiI a:qGsS Elian
The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-03

There was a quantity of Mexican silver
bullion received at the Assay Office the
other day, and its peculiar shape and the
size of the bars were such as to call forth
comment from those who handled it. The
bars, or slabs, were about twenty inches
long, an inch or more in thickness, and
eight inches wide. Each of the bars was
curved like a barrel stave. This pc
cularity in shape, Mr.. Graham of the
weighing room said, was to facilitate the
packing of the bullion on the backs OF
burros. The bars contained silver and
gold in unequal weights. They Wcra
very heavy, some Of them weighing eight
or nine kilogrammes. The process of re-
ining and assaying this metal is an In
teresting one.
In the weighing room, which is ] n
charge of Mr.. Graham, stand an immense
pair of scales, towering up to q height OF
perhaps ten feet and stretching out their
gigantic arms fully as far laterally. The
scales, although immense in size, are so
delicate that they will accurately weigh
1-100th of an ounce or 10, 900 ounces.
After the silver bars had been weighed
they were taken to a number of furnaces
in another department, where the weight
of silver was added to half It's weight of
gold, making q mixture of cne-third gold
and tWo-thirds silver. When in q molten
state the workmen drew forth the white
hot crucibles from the furnaces, dipped
into them with s shallow ladle, and with
d def twist of the hand tossed the
molten metal into vats filed with water.
30 expert are these men in this work
that the metal, when removed from the
water tanks, is IN thin, curly shavings,
much like the tnrnings from a lathe.
Alter the silzsF md gold shaYingss, il
The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-03

The European canteen system which is
TO be introduced into the United States
army 10 already In operation at Jefferson
Barracks, near st. Louis. The idea Of q
nantsen which prevailed during the wal
was q capacious tin flask in which the
soldier carried water, coffee, or other
liquid refreshment. The European can
ksen, however, is something more extern.
bive. IL ID really q cooperative store,
clgb room end restaurant combined. Here
khe soldiers can obtain Refreshments and
goods of every kind they are likely to
want ut almost cost prices. Articles are
sold at about half what they cost at 0
post suffers, which is an important
saving, considering the small pay Of an
army private. The profits 90 to pay St
tsndant expenses and to supply the SOL
oilers with additional conyeniences and
comforts y the business permits. The
lcanteen Is Jefferson Barracks Is In tirns
70 be applied with 8 billiard room, !
reading room and . library. A sergeant
land two Or three privates are detailed for
lranteen duty, who are allowed d small
xtEa pay The system viii remove those
noble institutions, the army sutler and
fhs post tradsr, bus II Win be . benefit Il
HE soldier, whc y seldom troubled witt
wars Of rsannors 81 wan, and whose Idle
aifs y pretty bare of comforts and ct
gactioaa,
The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-03
Mortality From Snake Bites.

The mortality from snake bites in India
is very great. The average loss of life
during the last eight years has been
1880 human beings and 2100 head of
cattle yearly. I regret that I am unable
to state how many of these deaths are to
be ascribed to the cobra or each particu-
lar snake, as / have been unable to obtain
any reliable returns which entered into
this special detail. But, when conduct
ing an investigation into this subject in
India some years ago, / was then able to
make out that 11,416 deaths of human
beings in 1859, out Of a population of
100, s14, 1888, 1880 were assigned TO
cobras, $50 to kraits, the remainder
being caused by snakes unnamed.-Nsne-
tenth Century.
The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-03

ness is determined. Little crucibles made
from bone dust are used to melt the
metal. Whatever weight is used for as
sayine-usually only a fraction OF an
ounce-is represented as 1000 parts. Inc
weight is taken to the 1-1OoOth 81 a
grain, and after the assay has been made
and the metal tested in the various tech
meal ways in vogue there, the residue is
weighed. The missing parts represent
base metals or dirt, and are deducted
from the whole as originally weighed.
Gold or silver therefore, that is .999fne,
contains but one part in a thousand OF
base metal, alloy or dirt. And thus is
what some of those bars of Mexican bull
ion showed when they were put through
the various processes herein described
New York Sun.
The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-03
Rowing i'm Front Of a Mirror.

A scheme to correct the faults of the
candidates for the Yale crew has been
devised by Captain Allen. Il is q simple
mirror, about six feet in length and three
feet in width, suspended from the ceiling
v the rowing tank in such q way that
it is just above the oars, and can be
moved opposite any place in the boat.
This enables the men TO watch their row.
ing movements, and it is believed will aid
materially in teaching and correcting the
spen OF their fanlts:-Rssga Rsoegdas
The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-03
DPEIoUgAs,

John Kunze, who was among the four
men found guilty at Chicago of the muir
der of DR.. Cronin, and whose punish
ment the jury fixed at three years, is a
free man again. Judge Mcconnell
granted him a new trial and he was adj
mitted to bail in the sum of $4,000. This
was furnished by a dime museum mana
ger, who signed Kunze's bonds, and the
little German, in return for the favor,
will appear on exhibition at the museum.
The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-03
THE ASSAY OFFICE.
HOW GOLD AND SILVER ORE is
REFINED.
A Full Description of the Process and
the Instruments Csed-$1OO,-
100000 in Bullion In
One Room.

On Wall street, to the east of the mas
sive and imposing SUBJ Treasury, stands
an odd building of white marble, flush
with the street. In architectural design
it resembles one of those colonial wooden
structures that are still to be seen in GER
tain parts Of New England. Its staid
simplicity seems out Of place, situated as
it is in the very centre of all financial ac-
tivity. The quiet elegance of its front is
in singular contrast with the rear of the
building, which is of brick, and built in
the style of an old Dutch burgomaster's
house.
The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-03
C. d. STEWART.

CONTRACTOR, CARPENTER AND BUILDER.
Will contract FOR the erection of buildings
Of all kinds, furnishing all material II desired,
Work done promptly and at reasonable rates.
Orders through Che postofice given prompt
Having special facilities for obtaining EuM.
BIER Al 8EDucED RATES, I will give my
patrons ths benefit Of the same.
The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-03
NEW SHAVING SALOON

HAVING recently built and refurnished
u throughout, my Barber Shop, / am
Sow prepared, with increased facilities, to
ssrve the public in first-class sty.9 In my
oeW quarters between Brand and MoriaLttYN.
Shaving, Hair Cutting, S~hampooing, &c.,
dons in the highest style of the art. Give
me o call. r. A BODEMULLER.
The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-03
.'ooWWNN : RoPERTY T. OR SAnLEE

A CENTRALLY 10. ated and desirable
business stand ON Main street, Opelousas,
consisting OF building suitable for residences
and small store, being the property next TO
the postoilce. This property will be sold
very cheap for cash, or halt cash and balance
"a terms p suit purchaser. Apply to Mira
Edmnnd 9. Dupre.
The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-03
A.. P. Mcneil.
ARCHITECT AND BUILDER.
OPELOUSAS, LOUISIANA

OPELOUSAS, LOUISIANA.
Plans, Specifications and Estimates fur.
nished for ell manner of buildings, on the
most reasonable terms. CONTRACTS taken for
all kinds Of work, in brick, iron, stone and
wood. Material furnished for repairs and
construction If desired. Plantation and
country work attended to with dispatch. Ali
work first class and satisfaction guaranteed
Orders directed to P. o. Box 81 win receiv !.
prompt attention. ietstf
The Opelousas courier., 1890-05-03
OPELOUSAS
Female 1nstitute
opELoUsAs, ST. LANDRY PARISH IA

This Institution is undenominational, pr,..
kicaI and progressive. Discipline firm ana
based on sound principles ennobling and IA
ysioping character. Honor and self resuses
nronaoted. Methods OF training and cultusss
thorough. The curriculum prepares IL
nunil Tor University or practical life. CO
Eifcates and Diplomas conferred. Ruildinas
comfortable and comm dious. PatroDaSs
Boljcited. For further particulars apply IA
Or REV. =. W. LEWIS First Assistant.
Feb ct
Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-09-05

talking for us, and now he answered back,
TINT we refused 10 surrender. The natives
had perhaps expected this answer. for at a
signal from the spokesman in the sampan
battery Of six,pounders. did open on us
at close range. Their gunnery was so
poor, however, that only one shot struck
the brig IN their half hours cannouade.
We wanted to reply, but the orders were
to wait. Wait we did, and by and by
the battery stopped firing and four big
prahns and rs many as thirty two
man sampans came sweeping out to us.
The fellows We're yelling and screaming
and beating tom toms, no doubt expect
ing an easy victory, and they were within
canister range when we dropped the ports
aud began blazing away. Such men as
were not needed to work the guns used
muskets, aud in ten minutes we had the
crowd thoroughly licked. 1t seemed
Us if the surface of the sea for acres in
extent was covered with black heads and
the wrecks of their prahns and sampans.
Plenty of the fellows were shot rs they
drifted about or swan for the shore, and
when no one could longer be seen in the
water the brig opened her guns on the
town and the island. For two good
hours she whaled away at them, driving
every living thing beyond reach of her
guns, aud when she went out Of the bay
everything on land seemed to be ablaze.
1t was Knockout blow for the strong
hold, rs the entire fleet and upward of
100 men were destroyed. York
Sun.
Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-09-05
A Great Aouednct.

The Nndria aqucduct in India carrie,
n canal 100 feet wide or thcreabout across
fifteen arches of 60 feet SPIN. In nm nc
count by tho correspondent of Enginecr.
ing, it is stated that the foundations,
which are on circular wells, all 90 down
some 55 feet below the bed of the river
which tile aqueduct crosses. The fifteen
arches are divided by nbutment piers into
groups OF five spans each, the abutment
piers have each two rows of wells, and
the single piers one row. Thanks to the
simple expcdient of building the work
in pit dug out of dry lind through
which the river was subsequently, di-
verted, the work of sinking the 268 wells
went on without interruption throughout
the year. 1t is probable that no other
well-sinking job has been so systematic
ally carried out-and, indeed, in the beds
of active rivers there is no such chance
of careful administration for rs the river
rises and falls, the conditions 10 be dealt
with change completely. The aqueduct
carries the Lower Ganges Canal across
what is known locally as n nuddc, lie.
watercourse that draws its water supply
from the plains of Hindostan, and not
like what are here known as the rivers
proper from the mountains. The canal
that goes over the top draws, in ordinary
years, revenue from the land it waters
Of some $3.50, 600 year, and n work
that secures that revenue ut cost OF
81, SOC, 900 has much need to be pushed
on with the utmost expedition. For
tunately, owing to favorable rainfall dur
ing the four years that the aqucduct was
under reconstruction, the loss of revenue
actually experienced was but tenth of
tho total. Had the case been the other
way, the loss of food crops in even one
year would have far ovcrtoppcd the price
Of the work.
Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-09-05
The Carrier Pigeon.

For long time past the carrier pigeon
has been regularly employed in the SER
vice OF the evening newspapers of the
Midlands and North of England in carry
ing reports of football and cricket
matches and other events from outlying
districts. So far rs is known, however,
pigeons have not hitherto been used for
the conveyance Of sketches intended for
publication. In order to insure the rapid
delivery of the sketches made by tho
artists of an enterprising illustrated
paper Mt the recent university boat race,
pigeons especially trained were loosed,
with the sketches tied around their necks,
from the attendant launch and the press
boat both during the actual race at the
moment the crews passed the winning
post. During the siege of Paris carrier
pigeons were extensively used, and the
breeding and training of them for mill
tary purposes are carried on in conncc-
ton with the German army. AS carriers
of kilograms, these birds can be easily
and incxpensiyely used between country
houses and postoflices situated some
miles apart. The birds require to be
bred on the spot to which they are iu-
tended to fly, and then to be sent away
from home, and kept IN IN clubhouse or
stable, where they can not see the sur
rounding country. When liberated they
at once fly home, and can carry tele-
grams. letters, etc, rolled up and tied
around their necks, weighing up to two
ounces "a lighter weight is, of course,
better, ut the rate of mile in two min
utes, and they are seldom, if ever, lost.
When reply of n telegram is expected
from the postoiicc situated some miles
distant, pigeon can readily be sent into
the postotiice by the rural postman, mt
very small expense, to await the arrival
of the telegram at the office, when it can
be dispatched with the message
round its neck, and will arrive home in
few minutes, at considerable saving
OF money as well rs time. The British
East African Company are sending out to
East Africa each month number of car
rier pigeons, to be trained to carry mes
sages between the different stations in-
land and on the coast Homing pigeons
are hardy, and readily breed in all parts
OF the world. In such country as East
Africa proportion of them are likely to
fall IL prey TO hawks and other rapacious
birds, hut the acquisition of this means
of rapid communication will be invalu-
able TO the company. Courier journal.
Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-09-05
A 1926, 900 schooll,ousc.

The School Board of Mannheim, in
Baden, Germany, claims to have the
model common schoolhousc of the world.
The building has just been completed at
an expense Of S225,OO0. 1t contains
forty-two ordinary school rooms, two
rooms for drawing, two for singing, two
for handwork, large gymnasium, half
for public exercises, two meeting rooms
for directors, two sets Of rooms for SER
wants, and four little prison cells for re-
fractory pupils. The materials in the
structure are almost exclusively iron and
brick. The ceilings of all the rooms,
corridors, and the big hall, are of con.
crete. The floors of the class rooms are
hard wood laid on asphalt. They are
supposed to be 20 constructed MS to rem
der the accumulation of dust and the
breeding of bacteria impossible. The
building is heated by low-prcssure
steam system. III the basement are swim
baths. The boys baths accommodates
twenty at once, and the girls bath fif-
teen. Half of the basement is huge.
bright room, full of tables and chairs.
Here in winter 900 poor children will re-
ceive half pint of milk and roll each
daily for luncheon, In the ninety win
ter days, during which this arrangement
will prevail, the directors estimate that
they will give away 20,25O quarts Of
milk and 81 900 rolls
Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-09-05
The pestiferous Little Book Worm

The existence OF the pestiferous little
book-worm is au undoabted fact, as large
libraries of valuable books have been dc.
stroyed by it. Old volumes which have
lain for years on the shelves are the prey
of the worm more than those of later
date. The following from Notes ana
Qusries, throws some light on the sub.
ject: .'saes. ~. 81.
"Various animals, popularity known a.
book-worms, are found in paper, leather
and parchment. The larva of Auglosa
pinguinalis $50 called from it's feeding on
butter and lard) will establish itself upon
the binding Of book and, spinning O
robe, will do it no little injury; SO does
also q minute beetle of the family Of
scolytide (Hypotneuemus eruditis. West.
woody which Mr.. Westwood found bur-
rowing IN the same situation. A mite
sCheyletus criditus eats the paste that
fastens the paper over the edges of the
binding, and SO loosens II. The cater.
pillar of another moth, the species oil
which is not ascertained, takes its station
in damp old books, between the leaves,
and there commits great ravages. The
little wood-boring beetle (Anoblum per
tinax and striatum) also attacks books
and will even bore through several vol
umes. Mr. Peignot mentions an instance
where, in library but little frequented,
twenty seven folio volumes were per
forated in straight line by the came in
sect in such manner that on passing
string through the perfectly round hol,
made byit those twenty-seven volume.
could be raised at once.;, -S---------
Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-09-05
Where the Old ships Go.

a man stepped into one of the ship
ping offices on Front street the other day
to have n look Mt the Mariae REGISTER. An
old sea captain who had been reading it
remarked, us the visitor laid the sheet
aside after an apparently fruitless inspec-
tion, "Don't find what you were looking
for, chr"
NO" was the answer. 81 was look
ing for the B, but she isn't listed in
this number"
sold ship2"
eyes; sailed in her twenty years
ago."
"oh, well, then, she belongs to the
Germans by this time"
"How's that2"
"Well, the Germans don't build ships
-ieastwise not wooden ones-so much
as other people do. They buy second
hand ships, and they do most of their buy
ing in America. The German merchants
operate on smaller capital than ours, and
they can't or won't put us much money
INTO timber as they do here. They have
q sharp eye for bargains, too, let me tell
you, and when they find tub that's
somewise slow or leaky, but presentable
and cheap, they buy her, copper-bottom
her, and start her on her travels again.
There's lots OF American built ships fly
ing the Dutchman's flag at our wharves.
Some Norwegians buy 'em, too, but it's
mostly Germans that get 'em."
This throws a light ON old ships, but
the pins, pianos and sewing machines
are still to be accounted for.-.Nc,o York